All language subtitles for THE BAPTISM OF RUSSIA. 1 Episode. English Subtitles. Russian History. (inglés)

With the financial support of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation

The First Channel

Star Media

Babich-Design

The Russian Society of Military History

present

The Birth of a Nation

He arrived to the shore of the Warm sea,

to the gates of the Great Roman Empire and the gates fell.

His will is obeyed by people and Gods.

His name means The Great Sovereign and the world is at his feet."

The son of the legendary warrior

who exceeded his father in luck and stratagem.

Born from a bond-maid, he drew the reign from his elder brothers.

He could never get enough of war and love

and there were no borders or limits to his wishes.

He united separated lands and created a huge state,

which no one dared to attack.

Scalds sang about him in the North and people of Rus' made up legends

about the Great Prince - Vladimir the Red Sun -

the ruler of the country called Kievan Rus.

The glory of Vladimir exceeded all the possible limits

and nothing under the sky could stop him.

What did this man feel

when the light started to fade in his eyes?

What did this ruler feel

when he became a helpless blind man?

Film one "DARKNESS"

Thus - on the edge of nothingness the Rus' started.

And there was not a single random step on this way.

They say, "When Andrew was teaching in Sinope

'he learned that the mouth of the Dnieper was not far from Kherson.

'He halted beneath the hills upon the shore and observed to the disciples

"See ya these hills?

'So shall the favor of God shine upon them that on this spot a great

'city shall arise, and God shall erect many churches therein."

'He drew near the hills, and having blessed them, he set up a cross.

'After offering on which Kiev was subsequently built."

He was the first one to follow the call of Christ.

Andrew the First lived and taught at the very beginning

of the new Christian era.

Only in five a century after his death,

he tribes calling themselves Slavs came to the land where Kiev would be built.

The Slavs were the tribes of the Indo-European group

inhabiting the Central and Eastern Europe since the 5th century.

Initially they were called Slovene, -

those who master the word meaning speaking the familiar language

in distinction to the Germanic,

Finno-Ugric, and other tribes who inhabited the neighboring lands.

By the 8th century the Eastern Slaves colonized the huge territory

from the Black Sea region to the Lake Ladoga.

Certain Slavs settled also on the Dnieper and were called Polyanians.

Still others were named Drevlians, because they lived in the forests.

Some also lived between the Pripet' and the Dvina,

and were known as Dregovichians.

Others were called Polotians on account of a small stream Polota.

The Slavs also dwelt about Lake Ilmen and were known by their characteristic name.

All these tribes had their own customs,

lore, and laws of their fathers.

The tribes were mainly connected by the common language.

They lived independently from each other.

All Slavs apotheosized and believed in the forces of Nature,

good and evil spirits, and honored the dead.

Each tribe had a pantheon of the Pagan Gods.

The word "paganism" comes from the word language "yazyk"

and means "people'.

During the pre-Christian times people asked their not all-mighty Gods for protection

from the malign forces in exchange for oblations.

The deal was very straight forward:

I give you something valuable

and you help me in return or don’t get in the way.

The more important the circumstances of the resort -

the more significant the offering.

On the digging spots of the ancient sanctuaries

the archeologists have found parts of skulls,

including the those of children.

In the mid-8th century in the area

where the Volkhov River falls into the Ladoga Lake,

a fortified settlement was founded by the Slavs.

Finns called it "Aladyjagi" Scandinavs – "Aldegija", and Slavs called it "Ladoga".

In the course of time the settlement grew into a prosperous trading town,

which became famous throughout northern Europe.

The trade was widening, incomes were growing and merchants, warriors,

and leaders’ greed was growing respectively.

Each tribe thought that their interests were neglected.

Everybody wanted to have the biggest part from the merchants' tolls.

The moment arrived when the long-time hatred

came out and moved through the lands

destroying everything on its way, like hot lava.

There was no one to stop it.

There was no truth upon them, and the clan raised against the clan,

and there were feudal wars and they fought against each other.

And they said,

Let's find us a Prince to rule us and to judge us by right,

let's go to the Varangian Russes from beyond the sea.

As the most well-substantiated version says,

the word Rus comes from the Finnish "Ruotsi" "oarsmen"

and has an ancient radical "rooths".

Middle Age Arab writers called the "Scandinavian merchants "ar-rus"

and describe them as very resourceful traders

and well-trained warriors.

They always appeared suddenly.

They aroused fear and panic.

Their light and maneuverable battleships could pull in anywhere and within

a few moments a wild crowd of several dozens

of perfectly armed cutthroats were on dry land.

For 150 years the fury of Normen, who called themselves Vikings

was threatening the Western Europe.

The old men remembered those ships well.

Remembered how they left studded with arrows.

How the fire was reflecting in the bloody waters of Volkhov river.

What an insane decision to invite the robbers

and murderers into your house.

But here it is - the point of no return.

The chieftain wasn't young and had a great military experience.

He could have lived calmly surrounded by family and warriors in his hamlet.

But what kind of life is it?

Lucky chance came from nowhere.

Legates from the land

that controlled the beginning of great trade routes came

and offered him to become their Prince.

Centuries will pass but people

will remember the name of the Great Rus’ Prince Rurik.

Rurik

After the long debates concerning the Prince's responsibilities,

Rurik and his warriors signed an agreement with Ladoga and swore an oath of loyalty.

The Scandinavians called such oath "var".

They were no more the Vikings - pirates, but Varangians - hirelings.

In order to avoid any conflicts between the local people and his men,

Rurik demanded a fortress to be built for him

and his warriors at some distance from Ladoga next to the Volkhov river rise.

After a few years, a new town around the Prince's residence

was formed - Novgorod New Town.

Ladoga’s prosperity remained in the past.

Novgorod became the capital of the young state

that united tribes and people.

And Scandinavian warriors flew into this state just like rivers

flow into the sea.

They were strangers here, but after only one generation

hey will start giving their children Slavic names.

They were looking for gold and glory but found a new motherland.

After their complete integration into the local society

the world will see the new state of Rus.

The huge territory from the Baltic Sea to Volga river

feeders was under control of the Novgorod Prince.

The trading route from the Varangians to the Persians went through these lands."

It started in Scandinavian towns,

passed Ladoga, then followed the rivers to the Caspian Sea

and then to the Persian markets.

The merchants sold furs, honey, beeswax, bread and slaves

and returned with fabrics, weapons and Arab silver coins.

Another route started to form the Varangian to the Greeks -

down the Dnieper river to the Black Sea"

and to the sacramental Tsar'grad - Constantinople,

the capital of the Byzantine Empire.

The Byzantine Empire was the state formed in the 4th century AD

after the fall of the Roman Empire.

It inherited the antique civilization and culture.

By the 9th century it occupied a huge territory

in Asia Minor, Greece and Balkans.

It also controlled the Eastern Mediterranean and Transcaucasus.

Byzantine was one of the biggest states in the world at that time.

All people of Byzantine spoke Greek

and called themselves "the Romans"

and their country "Basil Romeon" meaning The Roman Empire.

The name Byzantine is found in historians' writings much later and comes from

the original name of the city that became the capital of the Empire

that we know as Constantinople.

In Rus'the Empire was called "The Greek kingdom"

and its' capital - Tsar'grad.

There were numerous legends in Europe telling

about the incredible beauty and magnificence of the Greek capital.

They said the roof of houses there are made of gold,

the palaces - of precious stones,

and gold apples were told to grow on their trees.

The Scandinavians called it Miklagard - The Great City.

It was a City from a dream full of treasures where every warrior wanted to go.

Not for the robberies - no one could dare to do it,

but for the profitable

trade or possibility to be hired by the Emperor's Guard.

But Rurik’s men-at-arms Ascold and Dir decided to attack the Great City.

In three years they formed a huge army in Kiev.

Thanks to the merchant-agents it was

known that the Emperor and his army went to war with the Arabs and thick walls were

the only protection of Constantinople.

It was almost impossible the enter the Empire land from the sea,

that's why the people of Constantinople had only heard of the terrible barbarians

from the North who threatened the Francs and the Anglians in the West.

That's why all the citizens rushed on the city walls

when one morning they saw dozens of strange

and fast as sea dragons, ships on the horizon.

It was the scariest thing they had ever seen.

Do you recollect that unbearable and bitter hour when the barbarian boats

came sailing down at you?

When the boats went past the city showing their crews with swords raised?

The suddenness of the blow and it's incredible quickness

and the barbarians ferocity proves that this blazing blow was the God's wrath.

Photius Patriarch of Constantinople -

famous Byzantine the ologian of Armenian origin,

highly educated man with extraordinary writing talent.

One of the canonized Fathers of the Church and ascribed to sainthood.

During the Russes’ Attack

he practically became the leader of the city defense campaign.

He soothed and edified the panicking citizens

of Constantinople with his homilies.

Ascold and Dir did not plan to take the city by storm.

They wanted to demolish the unprotected suburbs,

scare the citizens and receive generous fees from them.

That's why the attack of the suburbs was extremely violent

even for the Vikings.

It was a demonstrative action of horrification.

There was unstoppable groaning behind the walls.

The churches could not fit the congregations.

People fell down on their knees at home

and on the streets whispering, shouting, screaming

"Kyrie eleison! God, save us!"

Patriarch Photius, whose face was dark with sorrow,

raising his shaking hands to the skies

was praying in the church where the holy relics –

Virgin's mantle and robe - were kept.

And they took out the Virgin's mantle while singing the hymns and put one

edge of in into the sea.

And though the sea was calm, the wind started to blow

and the waves started to tower up and the ships of godless Russes

were wrecked with just a few of them avoiding the danger.

From behind the walls the loud singing of the crowd was heard.

They were singing the Praise to the Most Holy Mother of Good,

acaphistus that was composed 200 years ago

after the city was saved from the conquerors.

How could it happen?

The sea wolves knew perfectly well - the storm can't start on the calm sea.

Who aroused the ancient beasts that destroyed the ships

and people from the abyss?

Before the storm started they could see through the smoke

of fires the Greeks in golden cloths,

they were singing and calling their God who, as they said, lived in this city.

Did he hear them? Did he help them? Is he stronger than the northern gods?

Stronger then nature?

It was impossible to believe. But clearly it was the truth.

And then the archon of that tribe gathered his people together and called the priest.

He showed them the New Testament and told about the miracles the Savior

performed and the Russes said

"We shall not trust you unless we see it ourselves".

And the priest raised his eyes and hands to the skies, said a short prayer,

"Oh, Lord, glorify Thy name, now in front of these people,"

and threw the book into the fire.

When the fire went down, the book remained undamaged.

On seeing this miracle barbarians

were impressed greatly and considered baptizing.

Meanwhile in the Western - Slavik Moravia the Greek monks are working hard

on writing the unfamiliar letters

of the new Slavic alphabet on the parchments.

They are translating the church and holy texts

and starting to hold services on Slavic language.

From now on the Slavic world has received the new literature,

first – translated and later original.

According to the ancient Greek legend, Prometheus gave people fire.

The holy equal to the apostles brothers Kirill and Methodius

did much more - they gave people the Word.

Brothers Kirill secular name Constantine, nickname Philosopher and Methodius

secular name Mikhail, archbishop of Moravia were the Christian missioners,

creators of the Slavic alphabet are canonized by both Orthodox

and Catholic Churches.

For 20 years they translated all the main liturgical texts,

the New and the Old Testaments.

These preachers Kiril and Methodius

are called equal to the apostles by all Orthodox churches in the world.

Thessalonica dialect they used for the translations

will become the main language for the church services

in Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro, Poland, Ukraine, and Russia.

After Methodius death, it will be another 100 years before the next

equal to the apostles comes to Rus'.

Kherson, 988

Ascold and Dir didn't come back to Rurik from Tsar'grad,

they stayed in Kiev which was located in the middle of the way.

As the princes of Kiev they ruled over the entire transit trade on the route

"From Varangians to Greeks."

Novgorod immediately felt the threat from the self-proclaimed princes of Kiev.

For Rurik they became criminals, who had to be punished.

But the old Prince wasn't strong enough for the long march.

Time passed by. Rurik had a son Igor, but Prince himself was ill

and worried about his heir’s future.

Novgorod lands were close to revolts again.

On his deathbed, Rurik bequeathed his realm to Oleg,

who belonged to his kin, and entrusted to Oleg's hands his son Igor'.

He thus came to the foot of the Kiev hills, and sent messengers to Askold and Dir,

representing himself as a merchant on his way to Greece

on an errand for Oleg and for Igor',

and requesting that they should come forth to greet them as members of their race.

Askold and Dir straightway came forth and Oleg said to Askold and Dir,

"You are not princes nor even of princely stock,

'but I am of princely birth."

Igor' was then brought forward,

and Oleg announced that he was the son of Rurik.

They killed Askold and Dir.

The murderer of the first Christian princes was by far the most mysterious man

in the history of Rus’.

His figure standing at the beginning of state of Rus’

could be called the dark one, but he will be remembered in history

as a second-sighted man who predicts the future

in other words, an Oracular.

OLEG

Oleg was the commander of the army.

Rurik entrusted him his son Igor and the power over the Novgorod lands

before Igor reaches the full age.

After a few years of Oleg's reign Novgorod restored to perfect order.

New lands were needed.

Oleg with a huge army went down the river route

"from the Varangians to the Greeks."

He stopped in big cities, tribal centers of Krivichy and Severians on his way

and offered the local Princes and elders to become the vassals of Novgorod.

Not a single person dared to refuse.

The young state was widening according

to the speed of Oleg's fleet going up the Dnieper River.

Once he reached Kiev

after getting rid of Ascold and Dir, he stopped.

Oleg set himself up as prince in Kiev,

and declared that it should be the mother of Rus’ cities.

The Varangians, Slavs, and others who accompanied him,

were called Russes.

Oleg's march united the two centers Northern Novgorod and Southern Kiev.

That's where the state of Rus’ began.

The word rus by that time didn't mean the oarsmen anymore,

but the warriors of the Prince's retinue, the best from the best.

It was an honor to be part of them.

In less than 100 years, the State of Rus’ will become the biggest one in Europe.

Meanwhile the western European states didn't know anything about the force

that was growing in the faraway forests.

But the closest neighbors - the Khazars - were alarmed.

Khazar Khaganate was one of the biggest and mightiest states in Eurasia.

Their leader was called the Khagan, but his power was merely nominal.

The real power belonged to the Bek - the Tsar from the Bulanid's clan.

Such double form of reign

was established after the state was taken over by the war chief Bulan.

In the middle of the 8th century he became a Yahud,

therefore Judaism became the official religion

of the Khaganate leaders.

By the 9th century Khaganate was controlling

the territory from the Dieper banks to the Aral sea

and from Murom forests to Transcaucasus.

The core of the Khaganate was situated in Volga region.

From the rest of their lands they were collecting tolls

and duties and engaged into punitive marches only

if it was necessary.

Almost all the Dnieper Slavs were paying the tributes to the Khaganates,

except for the Drevlians.

This tribe was the most warlike.

Drevlians could stand against almost anyone and went on robbery raids themselves.

They regularly attacked the neighboring Polanians

until Oleg came to Kiev.

Oleg began military operations against the Drevlians, and conquered them.

In 884 Oleg attacked the Severians, and conquered them.

He forbade their further payment of tribute to the Khazars,

on the ground that there was no reason for them

to pay it as long as the Khazars were his enemies.

After some time the entire Dnieper region was taken away from the Khaganate's

sphere of influence and became a part of the young State of Rus’.

The Prince of Kiev was building the new settlements

for the small but highly qualified Varangian units in order to protect

the new lands from the Khaganates raids.

Oleg called up the army out of all the tribes under his reign

and started to plan the campaign to Constantinople.

But his aim was not the military one,

he didn't plan any robberies - it was in the past.

He wanted to demand the recognition of Rus’ as a state and therefore the guarantee

of save international trade.

It was only him and already grownup

Igor Rurikovich who knew about this plan.

Im 907 leaving Igor' in Kiev, Oleg attacked the Greeks.

He took with him a multitude of Varangians,

Slavs, Chuds, Krivichians, Merians, Derevlians, Radimichians,

Polyanians,Severians, Viatichians.

With this entire force, Oleg sallied forth by horse and by ship.

His fleet had to sail almost 950 kilometers down the Dnieper river to the Black Sea.

The most dangerous part of the journey were the rapids.

The distance of 65 kilometers

with the steep rocks in the river made sailing almost impossible.

The height of the waterfalls could reach 5 meters

and the river speed of 4 m\s

was 8 times faster than on the rest of Dnieper.

Sometimes the ships had to be dragged along

the shores putting the planking and the timber covered

with grease underneath them.

The barrage is narrow.

Against these, then, comes the water and wells up

and dashes down with a mighty and terrible din.

Therefore the Russes do not venture to pass between them,

but put in to the bank hard by, disembarking the men on to dry land leaving

the rest of the goods on board they then strip and feeling

with their feet to avoid striking on a rock.

This they do, some at the prow, some amid ships,

while others again in the stern, punt with poles

and with all this careful procedure they pass this first barrage,

edging round under the river-bank.

After the rapids were left behind the fleet went to the Black Sea near the islands

Khortytsia and Berezan for the coastal voyage

along the shore straight to the Bosporus Strait.

And then through the narrow creek,

the Golden Horn to Constantinople.

But it turned out to be impossible.

The Greeks knew that the great Rus’ fleet is coming.

They remembered too well that 40 years ago

the northern robbers almost conquered the city.

But this time Constantinople was ready.

The Golden Horn was blocked up with a giant chain

that no ship could pass through.

And the walls facing Bosporus were inapproachable.

The Greeks calmly observed the barbarians fleet

that stopped by the creek,

they looked tiny from the high of the walls.

They pulled in and the barbarians

started to bustle about, unload their ships and pull them

out of water to the dry land..

The Greeks had never seen anything like that before,

hundreds of ships sailed on the dry land

Oleg commanded his warriors to make wheels which they attached to the ships,

and when the wind was favorable, they spread the sails

and bore down upon the city from the open country.

In no time next to the walls facing the Golden Horn the huge

army was standing ready to attack.

The sun was reflecting in their armor and their number seemed to be endless.

Oleg took his time. He allowed the Greeks to realize the terror of the situation.

The sun was shining. The armor became red-hot.

Finally, the gates opened.

The delegates came out to offer the payoff.

But Oleg didn't want any gifts or money.

The Greeks then brought out to him food and wine,

but he would not accept it, for it was mixed with poison.

The Greeks got scared and begged for peace lest Oleg should conquer the land of Greece.

Oleg agreed to sign the Peace Treaty with the Byzantine Empire.

Excepted the yearly tribute from the Greeks.

But the main terms were about the trade benefits

for the Rus’ merchants in Constantinople.

Never in history the Empire allowed anyone, let alone the barbarians,

to trade in Constantinople without paying the taxes.

Oleg always achieved what he wanted.

And before he left the Great city he could not resist the grandstanding:

his battle shield was fixed above the gates of Tsar'grad.

His warriors were extremely proud of him.

Even the Greeks, without knowing barbarian traditions,

understood this sign correctly.

The shield on the gates meant that Oleg promised city

his protection and patronage.

Five years later Oleg will send his embassy to Tsar'grad to confirm the contract.

From the Greek side it will be signed by the Emperors Leo and Alexander,

from the Rus’ side - by Oleg’s warriors.

This agreement will state that the Byzantine Empire

recognizes the legitimacy of the state of Rus’

within the borders set by Oleg.

Oleg came back from Tsar'grad not as a winner,

but as a living legend.

His glory was well ahead of his army.

People were telling each other incredible news,

which acquired fantastic details -

about the shield on the Tsar'grad gates, about the magic ships on wheels,

about the treacherous Greeks who wanted to poison their Prince,

but he discerned their plans.

It didn't even matter if the wine was really poisoned

or why Oleg refused to accept the payoff.

From now on people started to call him "Oracular".

The word oracular comes from the proto-Slavic and means wise,

someone who has the secret knowledge.

The Slavs used it to describe fortune-tellers.

In Scandinavian tradition Oraculars were linking the worlds

and could see anything in the future apart from their own death.

He had made inquiry of the magicians as to the cause of his death.

One magician replied,

"Oh Prince, it is from the steed which you love'you shall meet your death."

Oleg then reflected and determined never to mount this horse again.

Upon his return to Kiev, he summoned his squire

and inquired as to the whereabouts of the horse.

The squire answered that he was dead.

He rode to the place where the bare bones and skull lay.

Dismounting from his horse, he laughed and remarked,

"So I was supposed to receive my death from this skull?"

And he stamped upon the skull with his foot.

But a serpent crawled forth from it and bit him in the foot,

so that in consequence he died.

The man who went down in history as Oleg the Oracular

came from beyond the sea into the strange country

in search of silver and glory.

He found enough of both not for himself,

but for the land that became his Motherland.

When this chief died, his wives were asked,

"Which one of you will die with him?"

One of them answered, "I".

She stepped on the hands of two men and, elevated, said,

"I see my master. Take me to him." And they took her to the ship.

Then six men had sex with her and told her,

"Tell the master I did this out of love to him."

The men began to beat upon their shields, in order to drown out the noise her cries.

They put her down next to her master.

The old woman known as the Angel of Death

knotted a rope around her neck and handed the ends to two men to pull.

Then with a broad dagger she stabbed her between ribs

while the men strangled her. Until she died.

His closest relative came, and lit the ship with a torch.

He said, "God sent the wind out of love to him.

'So in an hour he will take him."

The ship was soon aflame, as the man and the girl,

terrible wind blew and the fire became unbridled.

Oleg the Oracular - the first Rus’ Prince who without any doubts existed.

But there are hardly any personal facts about him known.

Even his real name is unknown.

Oleg - is a Slavic form of the Scandinavian word Helga,

which means "holy", "favorite of gods" and also "Oracular".

Oleg's death is a legend as well.

There are two burial mounds called "Oleg's grave" in Ladoga and Kiev.

Others say, he left beyond the sea.