Spiritual and educational conversation about the history of the Baptism of Rus'translated

On July 1, 2026, the head of the diocesan department for interaction with the Armed Forces and law enforcement agencies, the rector of the Church of the Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon, Priest Alexander Kossov, held a conversation in the private security unit of the Directorate of the Russian Guard in the Kirov Region.

Father Alexander spoke about the history of the Baptism of Rus'. The narrative was about the story of Apostle Andrew the First-Called, then about Askold’s Baptism and the Baptism of Rus' under Prince Vladimir.

The topic of the Baptism of Rus' and the early history of the lands that became Russia is interesting precisely because it brings together both legend and chronicle sources, and also very personal questions: “where are we from?”, “How did our culture develop?”, “What is in us from antiquity?” “Why did Prince Vladimir choose Christianity?” or “How did people in the 10th century even make such decisions?”

The story was built as a path - from the Apostle Andrew, who, according to legend, passed through the future Russian lands, through the semi-legendary “Askold’s Baptism” (they argue about it, but the very idea of ​​​​early Christianity in Rus' is important) and to Prince Vladimir and the year 988 - the result is not a dry chronology, but a fascinating historical plot of formation...