attacked, resulting sometimes in
repulse, and at others in exacting heavy tribute from the Eastern
Emperor. Treaties were executed and a gradual growth of commerce and
intercourse between the Greeks and Russians took place. Olga, the famous
and popular widow of Ruric's son, Igor, became a Christian and was
baptized in Constantinople in 955, and during the rest of her life lent
her powerful influence to the spread of the faith. And though her son,
the emperor Sviatoslaf, remained a pagan throughout his reign,
Christianity continued to grow, and the general Christianization of
Russia during the reign of her grandson, Vladimir, was aided materially
by the great example of the good queen Olga.

In 970 Sviatoslaf divided his empire among his three sons, Iaropolk I,
Oleg, and Vladimir. After the death of Sviatoslaf in 972 civil war began
between the three brothers. Oleg was killed and Vladimir fled to Sweden.
In 980, supported by a force of Varangians, Vladimir returned, captured
Novgorod and Kieff, and put Iaropolk to death. Under Vladimir, later
known as Vladimir the Great, Russia increased in importance, and
civilization was enhanced by the spread of Christianity through the
missionary efforts of the Greek Church, now the Holy, Orthodox,
Catholic, Apostolic, Oriental Church. It is, therefore, not strange that
the Russian prelates were distinguished by their loyalty and fidelity to
the Greek Church throughout the continued conflicts between it and the
Roman Church which resulted in their separation in 1054.

In the fifteenth century, with the consent of the patriarchate of
Constantinople, the Orthodox Graeco-Russian Church assumed national
independence, and became the state church; and after the establishment
of Mahometanism in Constantinople, since its capture by Mahomet II in
1453, the reigning Czar of Russia has come to be regarded not only as
the temporal and spiritual head of the Greek Church by the great mass of
adherents which form the bulk of the population in Russia, but also as
the champion of all the followers of the church in Greece and throughout
the orient.

The story of the introduction of Christianity into Russia presents an
interesting psychological study of the growth and development of the
religious sentiment inherent in man--be he never so brutalized and
barbarous. Notwithstanding its display of national pride and bias,
pardonable in a native historian, Mouravieff's account is exceedingly
interesting.