Welcome to a history of Europe, Kibatoz, Siege of Cés-on, Part 5 of 5.

Since this is the fifth part of a five-part series, I recommend, if you have not already done so, to listen first to the previous four parts.

If you have listened to them, or wish to continue anyway, then without further ado, let's parts. If you have listened to them or wish to continue anyway,

then without further ado, let's begin. In the year, 972, the Prince of the Russians,

Svetislav, was murdered by the banks of the River de Lepa on his way back from military campaign

in Bulgaria.

The whole future of Kiervin Rus was up in the air. Would the principality break up or would a strong new leader take control?

And if the latter, in which direction would he take his people?

Svetislav had been a devout pagan who had no time for Christianity, and his grand

ambition had been to move or perhaps extend his realm into the Danube Basin. The history of

Eastern Europe was at a crossroads, and its future course would depend on what happened in the next

years.

The man who more than any other set the direction of that course was a son of Svetislav by the name of Vlodomir, as Ukrainians call him, or Vladimir, the great, as known by the Russians.

His warlike father had sought to increase his power solely through military conquest.

Vladimir, in contrast, instead of seeking to conquer the Byzantine Empire or parts of it,

decided to try and reproduce its culture at his home on a Denepe.

By adopting a system of government and religion of Constantinople, Vladimir is credited with transforming his realm into a true medieval state, with Christianity at the heart of its sense of identity.

For this reason, and in no small part thanks to the propaganda value of the primary chronicle, our main source for the period, Vladimir became the symbol of the modern nations of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.

The prospects of the young Vladimir on the death of his father were not promising.

His two brothers, Yaropolk and Oleg, had the advantages of not only

being older, but also they were legitimate. Vladimir, in contrast, was born to a housekeeper,

or servant of the royal family by the name of Malusia. As soon as Svatozl's mother, Olga, a devout Christian, learnt of the pregnancy, she sent

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