Prince Vladimir and Anna of Byzantium. Armenian princess Anna - the baptist of Kievan Rus

Used materials from the sites www.days.ru pravoslavie.ru www.rv.ru

In August 987, a rebellion broke out in Byzantium. Varda Foka proclaimed himself emperor and moved to Constantinople, in the fall of the same year, the ambassadors of Emperor Basil were in Kyiv. Through ambassadors, the emperors began to ask for help from Kyiv - Vladimir agreed to help in suppressing the rebellion, and as a reward he asked for the hand of the sister of the emperors Anna, which was unheard of impudence for the Byzantines. Blood princesses never married "barbarian" sovereigns, not even Christians. At one time, the hands of the same Anna were sought for by the emperor Otto the Great for his son, and he was refused, but now Constantinople was forced to agree.

By that time, Vladimir had been married many times.

An agreement was concluded, according to which Vladimir was to send six thousand Varangians to help the emperors, accept holy Baptism and, on this condition, receive the hand of Princess Anna. Grand Duke Vladimir is baptized and sends military assistance to Byzantium. With the help of the Russians, the rebellion was crushed, and Varda Foka was killed. But the Greeks, overjoyed by the unexpected deliverance, are in no hurry to fulfill their part of the bargain.

Outraged by the Greek slyness, Prince Vladimir “gathered all his own in the borze” and moved “to Korsun, the Greek city”, ancient Chersonesos. The "impregnable" stronghold of Byzantine domination on the Black Sea, one of the vital nodes of the empire's economic and trade ties, fell. The blow was so sensitive that it echoed throughout the Byzantine borders.

The decisive argument was again for Vladimir. His ambassadors, governor Oleg and Zhdbern, soon arrived in Tsargrad for the princess. Eight days were spent preparing Anna, whom the brothers comforted, emphasizing the significance of the feat ahead of her: to contribute to the enlightenment of the Russian state and their land, to make them forever friends of the Roman state.

In ancient Chersonese, where every stone remembered St. Andrew the First-Called, the wedding of St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Vladimir and Blessed Anna took place.

Princess Anna, with the blessing of the Constantinople Patriarch, brought to her marriage to the prince an icon of the Mother of God in Greek writing. The sister of the ruling Byzantine emperors Basil II and Constantine VIII became the only legal wife of Vladimir. Anna was 26 years old at the time of her marriage - she was several years younger than Vladimir.

The Grand Duke in the spring of 988 sets off with his wife through the Crimea, Taman, the Azov lands, which were part of his vast possessions, on his way back to Kyiv. Crosses, icons, holy relics were carried ahead of the grand duke's train with frequent prayers and incessant sacred hymns. It seemed that the Holy Ecumenical Church itself moved into the expanses of the Russian land, and Holy Rus', renewed in the Baptismal font, opened itself to meet Christ and His Church.

The unforgettable and the only morning in Russian history of the Baptism of the people of Kiev came in the waters of the Dnieper. On the eve of St. Vladimir announced in the city: "If someone does not come tomorrow to the river - rich or poor, beggar or slave - will be my enemy." The sacred desire of the holy prince was fulfilled unquestioningly: “at one time our whole earth glorified Christ with the Father and the Holy Spirit.”

Grand Duchess Anna was an associate of Vladimir in many of his good undertakings, for example, she helped to purchase a skete for Russian monks on Mount Athos. The Russian Skete of the Theotokos Xilurgu is the oldest Russian monastery in the area. The first mention of it dates back to 1030. According to legend, St. Anthony of the Kiev Caves was tonsured here. Anna contributed to the acquisition of a large plot of land, with a mill on the mountain. This fact is little known to modern historians.

The names and lives of the sons of Vladimir and Anna are known to everyone: Anna became the mother of the first two canonized Russian saints Boris and Gleb (in the baptism of Roman and David). “The eldest son Boris could have received his baptismal name Roman after Anna’s father, Emperor Roman II, while the princely name Boris was in honor of the baptist of Bulgaria, Boris-Michael. Boris-Roman was born around 990, when Vasily II, with the participation of the Russian squad, began the conquest of Bulgaria, and historians believe that there are reasons to attribute to Anna and Vladimir a plan to provide the Bulgarian table for their first child.

The name of the biblical king David, at that time perceived as a model of a Christian ruler, given to Gleb, born around 1000, sheds light on the mother's plans.

Having lived for years in Kyiv, Anna was well aware that the appearance of male offspring puts the issue of succession to the throne on the agenda. For Tsarina Anna, it was obvious that Vladimir's table was supposed to be an inheritance of her royal blood to her sons, and she perfectly understood that without a struggle this right could not be realized. The biblical David, personifying royal power, ascended the throne not as a legitimate heir, but as the chosen one and anointed of God as a result of a single combat with Goliath. The Byzantine institution of the co-ruler Caesar suggested how to harmoniously combine the interests of both sons Vladimir and Anna.

It is precisely the provision of the place of co-ruler, i.e., the direct heir, to the minor Gleb that explains why the sent executors of Svyatopolk's sentence, following Boris, slaughtered the young prince. (V. Mikhailov “Orthodox Rus' was built on the blood of martyrs”)

Queen Anna died in 1011. After her death, the prince entered into a new marriage - with the youngest daughter of the German count Kuno von Enningen, the granddaughter of Emperor Otto the Great.

1055 years ago, on March 13, 963, a girl of high birth and tragic, according to compatriots, fate was born. She was given in marriage against her will, but that's not so bad. Anna, namely the name of the newborn, in 25 years she will become the wife of a Russian Prince Vladimir.

The fact that the marriage between the Russian prince and the Byzantine princess became a big event is probably known to everyone. In the end, the charming cartoon "Prince Vladimir" ends with a touching scene of absentee matchmaking. The stately tall Anna Byzantine receives a pitiful pipe from her Russian fiance and is imbued with the lyricism of the melody. Brown eyes twitch with a veil, a strand of raven-colored hair gracefully leans back ... Everything is very beautiful, but it doesn’t correspond to the truth in any way.

Red-red - a dangerous person?

The first question that gossip-hungry gossips ask as soon as they hear about the wedding is: “Well, is the bride at least beautiful?” Let's ask this question too.

And immediately you have to tighten up. The fact is that the description of the appearance of Anna of Byzantium did not reach us. However, something can still be found out. Anna was the sister of the reigning emperor Basil II Bulgar-slayers and his co-ruler brother Constantine VIII. It is very well known how these representatives of the Armenian dynasty looked like.

Height is below average, but the physique is harmonious and graceful. The eyes are gray or blue. The hair is blond, but not whitish, but with a thick golden sheen. Very white skin. It is possible that with freckles, as is often the case with fair-haired people with a slight reddish bias. Most likely, Anna just had freckles - the only more or less accurate indication of her appearance is the nickname given to the princess by her compatriots. Rufa. That is, "Red".

"Anna of Byzantium". The series has 12 episodes. main character is in the center of intrigues, wars, redistribution of territories pic.twitter.com/jmiUMuL1bH

— ISPU Library (@biblio_ispu) June 9, 2016

In crimson and gold

In addition to appearance, as a rule, the bride's family is also interested. Anna was fine with that. Belonging to the Byzantine imperial dynasty is the highest standard of generosity for the Middle Ages. You simply cannot find it higher - any representative of any royal house in Europe was, compared with the Byzantine dynasty, not even a commoner, but yesterday's monkey, which barely got off the tree.

However, Anna stood out even in her family. She was purple. This is a special category of representatives of the ruling house of the Roman Empire.

Porphyrogenites - the so-called children of the emperor, born during his reign. All of them were born only and exclusively in the Porphyry (Crimson) Hall of the Grand or Holy Imperial Palace, which was founded by Constantine the Great. During the first year of life, they were swaddled in diapers of the appropriate purple color. For 1 kg of fabric for such diapers, it was necessary to spend 200 gr. purple dye. That is, 30 thousand purple mollusks, from which this rarest paint was extracted. Whom this figure does not convince, we will translate into money. 1 silk diaper, dyed purple, cost up to 30 thousand solidi. Or, if you like, about 6 thousand current dollars. Truly golden children.

But the main thing is not even that. And the fact that such a child was considered blessed. Simply for the reason that his parents were the bearers of divine, sacred power.

To whom and the mare is the bride

Of course, such children were protected more than the eyes. There was no question of giving the purple-born princess in marriage to some barbarian.

In any case, this is what the grandfather of our heroine, the emperor, ordered Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus: “If ever the people of any of these unfaithful and impious northern tribes ask for kinship through marriage with the basileus of the Romans, that is, either get his daughter as a wife, or give his daughter, whether to basileus as a wife or to the son of basileus, you should reject this unreasonable request of theirs."

There were exceptions, but extremely rare. More or less people from all Europeans in Byzantium considered the family of the emperor of the Franks and the house of the Bulgarian kings. You could still be related to them. The rulers of these states were called in diplomatic correspondence "bright archon", which was significantly higher than just "archon" - something like a "tribal leader".

But marriages were not always concluded with them. Married to the same Anna founder of the French Capet dynasty Hugh Capet- he wanted to marry his son to a Byzantine princess. And got rejected. We do not give Porphyrogenitus in Europe.

Russian variant

This elite club of European rulers also included Russian princes. Which, of course, is surprising. Both the Franks and the Bulgarians were by that time at least Christians, but Rus' remained thoroughly pagan. Nevertheless, the "bright archon" was also called Oleg. The very one who, according to legend, "approved the shield on the gates of Constantinople."

However, Anna Porphyrogenitus, according to contemporaries, having barely learned that the kind brothers-emperors had married her to the Russian “bright archon” Vladimir, was, to put it mildly, dissatisfied: “I’m going to Rus', as if I’m full, it would be better for me to die here” .

Yet the brothers knew what they were doing. Such an ally as Prince Vladimir should have been valued. By by and large, the brothers paid off with their sister for Russian military assistance - Vladimir sent 7 thousand soldiers to suppress the rebellion inside Byzantium. In fact, he saved the throne for the dynasty, and the dynasty itself too. By labor and reward.

Which immediately brought Rus' to the first place in Europe. The purple-born princess went to the Russian, who yesterday was a pagan and was baptized only for marriage - this is unthinkable. This is an insult to all European ruling houses proud of their origins.

Unfortunately, Vladimir could not extract full benefits from this marriage. He and Anna had only one common child a daughter who died in infancy. If there were more children in this marriage, things would have gone differently. Each child born from Porphyrogenitus could, with a successful set of circumstances, claim the throne of Byzantium. Since the Armenian dynasty ended in the 11th century, the only legitimate contenders for the throne of Constantinople would have been the descendants of Vladimir and Anna. Now imagine a united Orthodox power from the Baltic to the Mediterranean.

Byzantine princess Anna Romanovna

(L. E. Morozova. From the book "Great and Unknown Women of Ancient Rus'")

Among the numerous wives of Vladimir I Svyatoslavich, the Byzantine princess Anna Romanovna was undoubtedly the most noble and culturally prominent woman. After all, she came from a family of Byzantine emperors who once claimed the role of rulers of the world. True, in the second half of the 10th century, the rulers of Constantinople were not so powerful, and their possessions were rather modest. But among the European sovereigns, they still occupied the first place. All kings sought to intermarry with them. In this respect, Prince Vladimir was by no means an exception. After all, he was a representative of one of the youngest dynasties, who had not yet departed from barbarism and was striving to merge into a single European family through the Christianization of his country.

However, Vladimir, undoubtedly, knew about the sad experience of his grandmother, Olga, who was unable to baptize Rus' because of the fear of falling into dependence either on Constantinople or on Rome. Although the princess was able to become the spiritual daughter of the emperor, this would not free her subjects from dependence on him in the event of baptism.

Therefore, it was important for the prince to become a true relative of the Byzantine emperors and enter their family on an equal footing with them. Marrying the sister of Vasily and Konstantin, who ruled at that time, gave such a chance. Obviously, Vladimir Svyatoslavich was guided by precisely such considerations when, in the second half of the 80s, he wooed Princess Anna Romanovna.

Undoubtedly, the bride in many ways surpassed the groom: both in origin, and in education, and in upbringing, and in general cultural level. After all, she grew up in the cultural capital of all of Europe and Asia Minor - Constantinople. In addition, she herself and many generations of her ancestors were Christians, and Vladimir was a pagan.

With all the undoubted merits that Anna Romanovna possessed, the Russian chronicles contain very little information about her. The reason for this, apparently, is that their creators did not want to pay tribute to a foreign woman who played a big role in the baptism of Rus' and the spread of Christian culture and ideals on its territory. This tendency was laid down by Metropolitan Hilarion, who wished not to depend on the Patriarch of Constantinople and therefore asserted that Russian state baptized by Prince Vladimir himself without any participation of the Greeks.

There is little information about Anna in Byzantine sources, since her main activity was carried out in Rus'. Apparently, therefore, the personality of the Byzantine princess never attracted special attention historians. Even N.M. Karamzin, collecting all kinds of information about her, could not recreate her historical portrait. He was unable to find out either Anna's date of birth or whether she had children.

Analyzing the oldest chronicles, Karamzin considered the version of Vladimir's marriage to the princess suggested in them to be reliable. It seemed quite plausible to him that at first the prince captured Chersonese (Korsun), and then demanded that the Byzantine emperors give up Anna's hand. In case of refusal, he threatened to attack Constantinople already. According to the historian, for Anna, the upcoming marriage seemed worse than death, since she had to leave forever for a wild country and become the wife of a loving barbarian. But the brothers did not want to reckon with the opinion of their sister, pursuing own interests and for the security of the country.

According to Karamzin, the princess had to accomplish a feat in the name of the motherland, and also take on the mission of educating the "misguided pagans." As a result, for posterity, "Anna was an instrument of heavenly grace that brought Russia out of the darkness of idolatry."

On the whole, the historian treated with complete confidence all the information of the most ancient chronicles, even the report that after the capture of Chersonesus the prince became blind, but he regained his sight immediately after baptism. In some foreign sources, including Arabic, he found data confirming the fact of the marriage of a Russian ruler to a Byzantine princess. Particularly interesting to him were the notes of the German chronicler Dietmar that in the first half of the 11th century he saw the tombs of Anna and Vladimir standing nearby in the Tithes Cathedral.

Karamzin studied in more detail this question and in the “historical description of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra” he discovered information about the find in 1636 during the dismantling of the Church of the Tithes of the sarcophagi of Vladimir and Anna that collapsed in 1240. For some unknown reason, only the skull of the prince was transferred to the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, and everything else was buried again. In the 18th century, during excavations in the area of ​​the Church of the Tithes, two marble lids from sarcophagi with inscriptions in Greek and various carved decorations were discovered. The builders involved in the restoration of the cathedral knocked down these decorations for making paints, and the covers themselves were again buried in the ground. According to Karamzin, this was the last information about the sarcophagi of Anna and Vladimir. However, he turned out to be wrong. At the end of the 30s of the XX century, excavations were again carried out in the area of ​​the Church of the Tithes, and a cache with fragments of white marble covers was found under the floor. During the study, it was possible to find out that earlier they were decorated with crosses and bas-reliefs, similar to those that adorn the sarcophagus of Yaroslav the Wise.

Since Anna died before her husband, it is obvious that the first marble sarcophagus was made for her. Previously, there have never been such burial methods in Rus', so the assumption suggests itself that the Greeks were the manufacturers of the tomb. Marble was also foreign, apparently from the Crimea. After the death of Vladimir, a similar sarcophagus was made for him, perhaps even by Russian stone cutters, who took the Greek counterpart as a model. In the same way, a sarcophagus for Yaroslav the Wise could have been made. Since it was installed in St. Sophia Cathedral, which did not collapse for many centuries, it has survived to this day and gives an idea of ​​​​Anna's tomb.

Russian historian S.M. Solovyov also paid attention to the Byzantine princess. He repeated the information of the most ancient chronicles about the circumstances of Vladimir's marriage to her, also considering them reliable. But at the same time, the historian also used the data of the legendary Joachim Chronicle, which came down in the form of quotations in the work of V.N. Tatishchev, who reported that Anna was the mother of Boris and Gleb. To reconcile this statement with the data of the chronicles that the mother of the princes was a Bulgarian, Solovyov suggested that Anna was not native, but two sister emperors Basil and Constantine. Her mother was allegedly their aunt, who married the Bulgarian Tsar. In this case, it turned out that Anna was not a Byzantine princess, but a Bulgarian one, whom the Kyiv prince had no particular interest in marrying. In addition, modern historians have proven that the mother of Boris and Gleb was a representative of the Volga Bulgaria, and not the Bulgarian kingdom. To this we can add that, by age, Boris and Gleb could not have been Anna's children, since they received (both or one of them) destinies before Vladimir's marriage to the princess. Therefore, Solovyov's version of the origin of Anna and her children must be rejected as untenable.

In general, the famous historian highly appreciated the activities of the princess in Rus', believing that she gave important advice to her husband, in particular when he drew up the Charter - a kind of code of laws.

The opinion about the participation of Anna, together with Prince Vladimir, in the development of the Charter was repeated by N.L. Pushkarev. In addition, the researcher believed that the princess had personal contacts with the German emperor Otto in 989 and 990, however, there are no references to the source of this information in her work.

The well-known researcher of princely charters Ya.N. Shchapov was wary of the suggestion that the Charter, attributed to Prince Vladimir, was drawn up with the participation of a Byzantine princess. In his opinion, Anna helped her husband on legislative basis regulate relations with church authorities. With her participation, the charter of the Church of the Tithes was drawn up, which later formed the basis of the Charter.

In the works of recent years, only the question of the date of the wedding of Vladimir and Anna and, accordingly, the baptism of the Russian prince is discussed. Due to some inconsistency in these sources, several years are offered at once - from 987 to 990. However, for our study, this issue is of no fundamental importance, so we will focus on the message of the oldest chronicles that the wedding and baptism took place in 988. It should be noted that the same date is contained in the Byzantine chronicles of John Skylitzes and John Zonar. These authors should have known exactly when such an important event for Byzantium took place. After all, Vladimir, having become a new relative of the emperors, helped them defeat the rebel Varda Faku. In the chronicles, both events are connected and it is noted that in the summer of 988, detachments of Prince Vladimir, who by this time had become related to Basil and Constantine, participated in the battle with the rebel at Chrysopolis.

From the data of the Byzantine chronicles, one can more accurately determine the date of the wedding of Vladimir and Anna. It was supposed to take place at the end of May - beginning of June 988. Previously, this event could not take place, since it was dangerous to travel along the Black Sea in winter and early spring. Later, too, since in the battle of Chrysopolis Vladimir assisted the emperors already as a relative. Relatively recently, M.V. Bibikov found out that Anna's mother bore the name Feofano and was of an humble family. Her daughter was born to her two days before the death of her husband, the Byzantine emperor Roman II. Since this date is well known, it turns out that Anna was born on March 13, 963. She was the younger sister of Emperors Basil and Constantine. At the time of her marriage to Vladimir, she was already 25 years old, and she was considered quite an adult woman with established views, tastes and worldview. Therefore, in marriage, she could have a great influence on her husband, who was significantly inferior to her in education and culture. Data on Anna's origin and year of birth were contained in the chronograph of John Skylitzes, who made a mistake only in the year of her death. He believed that she outlived Vladimir and died either in 1022 or 1025. It is known that Vladimir died in 1015. However, this contradicts the data of the most ancient chronicles, which recorded the death of Anna under the year 1011. It can be assumed that Skylitsa made a mistake by confusing Anna with the last wife of Prince Vladimir, who really outlived him. This is known from the "Chronicle" of Titmar, who described the campaign against Kyiv of the Polish king Boleslav and his son-in-law Svyatopolk in 1018. This essay notes that after the capture of Kyiv, the stepmother of Yaroslav the Wise, the wife of the prince and nine sisters were in the hands of the winners. This stepmother was the last wife of Vladimir, whose name and origin are not exactly known.

It should be noted: Titmar believed that the Byzantine princess, whom he called Helen, was first betrothed to Otto III, but Prince Vladimir "in an insidious way kidnapped the bride of the German king."

This plot in the chronicle of Titmar caused a lot of various assumptions and disputes among historians. Some decided that the chronicler confused Anna with Princess Olga, who took the name Elena after baptism. Others suggested that Anna had a sister, Helen, who was to become the wife of the German king, but not Otto III, but Otto II.

All these disputes seem meaningless, since Titmar most likely simply made a mistake in the name of Anna and confused all the information about the marriages of German kings to Byzantine princesses. The researchers found out that Otto I married his son, the future king Otto II, the niece of Emperor John to Tzimisces in 967. At this time, Anna was only four years old. Otto III could not marry Anna, since he was born in 980 and, accordingly, was 17 years younger than her. When he reached marriageable age, Anna had long been married to Vladimir. Therefore, Otto III married another Byzantine princess in 995, although researchers do not have exact data on her name.

All this information clearly shows that it was considered very prestigious for European monarchs to marry Byzantine princesses. In this regard, Vladimir was no exception.

Anna's main activity was undoubtedly carried out in Rus'. M.V. Bibikov stressed that its role in the spread of Christianity and education can hardly be overestimated. Referring to modern art historians, he noted the great role of the princess in the construction of the first large stone church in Kiev - the Church of the Tithes - and even suggested that she participated in the development of the fresco composition of the main cathedral of Kiev - Hagia Sophia. The latter is highly questionable, since St. Sophia Cathedral began to be built when Anna was long gone. Under her, there was not even a project for this structure.

Thus, summing up all the information about Anna Romanovna, let's try to draw up her historical portrait.

The princess was born in the family of the Byzantine emperor Roman II, who ruled for only four years. Although he was the son of Emperor Constantine VII and the offspring of the ruling dynasty, Roman married a completely ignoble girl, the daughter of the owner of one of the taverns (according to Armenian historians, he was a native of Armenia), named Theophano. The bride's baptismal name was Anastasia. The choice of the future emperor fell on her because of her beauty. In a short time, Feofano gave birth to two sons, Vasily and Konstantin, and a daughter, Anna, who was born a few days before her father's death. Naturally, the princess could not remember her father. Being at a loss after the death of her husband, Theophano succumbed to the persuasion of the courtiers and very soon remarried the prominent commander Nicephorus Fok. He was proclaimed the new emperor. At this time, Anna's childhood probably passed in a fairly favorable environment. However, her mother soon became disillusioned with her new wife and fell in love with another prominent commander, John Tzimiskes. With her help, in 969 there was a coup: Nicephorus was killed, John ascended the throne. However, he not only did not want to marry Theophano, but also expelled her from the capital. Obviously, little Anna, who at that time was six years old, was also in exile.

John Tzimisces, to strengthen his power, married the daughter of Constantine VII, Theodora, aunt of Anna and her brothers. His reign lasted until 976. Then power passed to Anna's older brother Vasily. This allowed the exiles to return to the imperial palace again. Since that time, the grown-up Anna began to be considered one of the most enviable brides in Europe. She was distinguished not only by nobility, a rich dowry, but also by the beauty that she could inherit from her mother. Although there is no description of her appearance in the sources, it can be assumed that she resembled the brothers: she was blue-eyed, fair-haired, small in stature and beautifully built. Contemporaries gave her the nickname Rufa, that is, red.

Seeing all sorts of virtues of their sister, the brothers were in no hurry to marry her off. For them, Anna was a major trump card in the political game, given the great interest of European monarchs in marriage with Byzantine princesses. Naturally, no one was going to reckon with the feelings and interests of the girl herself. But at the same time, they tried to give her the best upbringing and education in order to further increase the price in the eyes of potential suitors.

Information about the merits of Anna, obviously, was so widespread everywhere that it reached the court of Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich, who already had many wives of different nationalities. It is likely that the Russian ruler, satiated with female charms, wanted to become the husband of the most famous and enviable bride in Europe. It is even possible that Vladimir more than once wooed Anna, but was refused under the pretext that he was not a Christian. However, in the late 80s of the 10th century, the situation in Byzantium changed: the position of Basil and Constantine became very precarious due to the uprising of Varda Foki, who tried to take the throne from them.

The situation was especially critical in September 987, when the rebel troops approached Chrysopolis, separated from Constantinople by the Bosporus Strait. There was a threat of the capture of the capital by Varda Foka. Since Basil and Constantine had few forces of their own, they turned to neighboring countries for military assistance. One of the first, apparently, responded Vladimir Svyatoslavich, interested in rapprochement with the Byzantine emperors. But for his help, he demanded the hand of Princess Anne.

Negotiations began, after which an agreement was signed that first the Russian prince would be baptized, then he would receive Anna's hand and marry her according to the Christian rite and immediately provide military assistance to new relatives in the fight against the rebel. Perhaps the baptism and wedding were to take place in Chersonese, so Vladimir went to this city with a large squadron, consisting of many ships full of well-armed combatants.

However, the bride for some reason did not go. The wait was becoming unbearable for everyone. In order to push the emperors to the speedy implementation of the treaty, Vladimir laid siege to Chersonese and after a while captured it. In this difficult situation, Vasily and Konstantin had to urgently put their sister on a ship and send them to the groom with a large retinue of clergy.

IN ancient chronicles It is described in sufficient detail how Vladimir besieged Chersonese (Korsun), how he conducted new negotiations with the emperors about the speedy arrival of the princess. They emphasize that at first Anna categorically refused to marry the barbarian, believing that she would be captured by him. She begged her brothers to let her die in her homeland. But they said that God entrusted her with a great mission - to convert an entire pagan country to the true faith. At the same time, she will save her relatives from a cruel enemy.

According to the chronicles, Anna sacrificed herself to lofty goals, not hoping to find happiness in a foreign country. This characterized her as a very pious, highly moral and patriotic woman.

It should be noted that not all researchers recognized as reliable the story of the chronicles about the capture of Chersonese by Vladimir, his baptism and marriage to Anna in this city. They decided that the whole plot was taken from some Korsun legend, but in fact the prince was baptized in Kyiv. However, a number of facts cast doubt on the correctness of this opinion.

Firstly, the Novgorod Chronicles, which did not have the Tale of Bygone Years at the beginning, reported that the first Archbishop of Novgorod was Joachim the Korsunian, that is, a man who arrived from Chersonesus. In the Novgorod St. Sophia Cathedral there were even the Korsun gates. Secondly, in the European chronicles describing the campaign of the Polish king Boleslav, it is noted that among his captives was the rector of the Church of the Tithes, Chersonese priest Anastas. So, two sources independent of The Tale of Bygone Years confirmed the information contained in it about the circumstances of Vladimir's baptism in Chersonese: Anastas helped the prince capture the city and therefore was taken to Kiev, Joachim, obviously, was part of the clergy who went with Vladimir to Rus' .

Thirdly, material monuments were also evidence of the reality of the circumstances of Vladimir’s baptism reported in the oldest chronicles: equestrian statues taken from Chersonesos, which were in Kiev at the end of the 11th century, when the “Initial Code” was being created, and the relics of Saints Clement and Thebes, donated by Chersonesos only that the baptized Russian prince. It was them that in 1007, obviously, were transferred to the Church of the Tithes, since there were no other holy relics in Kyiv at that time.

Researchers who believed that Vladimir was baptized in his homeland did not take into account the fact that there was no suitable church in Kyiv for such an important act for the whole country. The small church in honor of Elijah the Prophet, which had existed since the time of Prince Igor, was hardly suitable for this. As you know, the people of Kiev were baptized right in the waters of the Dnieper, but such a simplified rite was not suitable for the prince.

To this we can add that in the work of the monk Jacob "Memory and Praise to Prince Vladimir", created in the XI century, it is directly stated that Vladimir Svyatoslavich captured Korsun (Chersonese) in order to bring priests to his land who would teach Russian people "Christian law ". At the same time, God himself sent him victory. As a result, not only representatives of the clergy were brought to Rus', but also church vessels, utensils, icons, relics of Saints Clement and Thebes. Then, in order to further establish Christianity in his state, the prince engaged the Byzantine princess Anna.

Thus, in the work of Jacob, the fact of the capture of Chersonese by Vladimir and the baptism of Rus' with the help of his clergy is once again confirmed. But it does not explain why the Chersonese priests agreed to fulfill the demand of the Russian prince and went to his country with a missionary purpose. The answer to this question is contained in the most ancient chronicles, which indicated, however, not entirely accurately, that Chersonesos became the payment to the Greeks for the princess: “Korsun, again, the queen dividing the Greek for a vein.” In fact, the concept of "veno" meant that Anna received Chersonese for her own maintenance, the income from this city had to go to her personal treasury. Until her death, the princess was considered the ruler of Chersonesus, and it was to her, as the closest relative of the Byzantine emperors, that the Chersonese clergy had to obey. Formally, after baptism, Russian people became Anna's subjects, and she herself became the head of the Russian Church, which in fact was headed by the Chersonese metropolitan, who founded several bishops. Of these, the eldest was in Novgorod, which was considered the capital city. In Kyiv at that time there was not only a metropolis, but even a bishopric. At the head of the local clergy was the Chersonesos priest Anastas, who was later appointed rector of the princely cathedral - the Church of the Tithes. These conclusions can be drawn from information about church buildings in Novgorod and Kyiv at the very end of the 80s of the 10th century. As you know, at that time in Novgorod, the large oak Sophia Cathedral was immediately built, in which Archbishop (or Bishop) Joachim Korsunyanin began to serve. There are no data on any other impressive church buildings and other hierarchs. In Kyiv at that time there was only the church of Elijah the Prophet and a very small wooden church in honor of St. Basil, built by Vladimir on the site of a pagan temple. Neither the metropolitan nor even the bishop was supposed to serve in them. They were suitable only for ordinary priests. The Metropolitan Cathedral - St. Sophia - and the Metropolitan Residence were built in Kyiv only under Yaroslav the Wise.

Although some later chronicles contain information that the metropolitan came to Kyiv with Vladimir after his baptism, they are hardly reliable. There would simply be nowhere for this hierarch to live or serve. Only the metropolitan of Chersonesos could come to Kyiv for a while to get acquainted with his new flock and appoint bishops to large cities.

In addition, it should be noted that the concept of "vein" is well explained in the 32nd article of the Russian Truth - the first Russian code of laws that appeared under Vladimir's son Yaroslav the Wise. It contains the following entry: "Children of the first wife inherit her property or vein appointed by the father for their mother." Therefore, if Anna had children, then by inheritance they would have inherited Chersonese in their possession. But since their princess did not give birth, the city returned to the possession of the Byzantine emperors.

To this we can add that the wife of Yaroslav the Wise, the Swedish princess Ingigerd, received from the prince the city of Ladoga as a vein. She put one of her relatives in charge of it. After the death of Ingigerd, he did not want to return the city to the Novgorodians, and he had to be beaten off by force.

Thus, by marrying Princess Anna, Vladimir managed to avoid dependence on the Byzantine emperors and the Greek Church. True, after the death of Anna and the return of Chersonesus to the Greeks, the question of the subordination of the Russian Church, apparently, had to be decided again. This, apparently, was already taken up by the son of Vladimir, Yaroslav the Wise.

Consider once again the circumstances of the baptism of Vladimir, described in the oldest chronicles. After the capture of Chersonese, Vladimir began to look forward to the arrival of the bride. Chambers were even specially built for her, as well as for the prince himself. When the Byzantine ships arrived at the city, all the locals came out to meet the princess and took her to her mansions with honor. Preparations began for Vladimir's baptism and wedding. Both events, according to the author of the Laurentian Chronicle, were supposed to take place in the church of St. Basil, allegedly standing on central square cities. But could the central church of the metropolitan city be dedicated to St. Basil? In our opinion, it is unlikely. Most likely, the author of the Laurentian Chronicle was mistaken, confusing the city cathedral with the temple built by Vladimir in honor of his patron Saint Basil. Obviously, more correct data on this subject are contained in the Radziwill chronicle, which indicates that Vladimir's baptism, and then the wedding with Anna, took place in the temple Holy Mother of God. In honor of these events, the Church of the Tithes, also the Mother of God, was built in Kyiv. In addition, it is known that the cult of the Virgin was developed in Chersonesus since antiquity. In Byzantium itself, the temples dedicated to the Mother of God were considered the second most important after the Sofia ones. The latter were built in the capital.

In the Ipatiev Chronicle, the Chersonesos temple is called St. Sophia, and built by Vladimir - in honor of John the Baptist. It seems that both names are incorrect. They testify that the author of the most ancient chronicle (“Initial Code”) was never in Chersonese, although he claimed that “to this day” in its main city cathedral behind the altar there are “the crown of the queen, and on the edge - the coat of Vladimir” .

If by "platy" we mean a place specially built in the temple, then it is not very clear why for Anna it was built behind the altar, that is, where women were not supposed to go. If the “polats” meant residential buildings outside the church, then again it is not clear to specify their location “behind the altar” located inside the church building. Perhaps the establishment of a “polata” or a special place for Anna is precisely evidence that she became the head of the Russian Church, like the emperors of the Greek?

The author of the most ancient chronicle, apparently, learned from the merchants who visited Chersonese about the circumstances of Vladimir's baptism there and about the presence in this city of some structures related to this event. He placed their story in his work.

The annals do not contain exact data on the date and month Vladimir captured Chersonese, when he was baptized and married. But we can assume that all this was at the beginning of the summer of 988. Then the troops of the prince helped the Byzantine emperors to strike at the rebels near Chrysopolis, and closer to the fall, the baptism of Russian people began in the main cities. Later this could not be, since ordinary people became Christians right in the waters of local rivers - in late autumn or winter this rite would hardly have been possible among the pagan population. Then in the autumn of 989, Prince Vladimir went to Byzantium and in April of the following year he took part in the battle with Varda Foka at Abydos.

Some historians stretch out for several years the events associated with the baptism of Vladimir and his marriage to Anna. In our opinion, this is not justified, since it does not agree with the data of the main sources.

In later chronicles, the description of Vladimir's baptism and the wedding with Anna are generally similar to the most ancient chronicles, with the exception of errors in the name of the main Chersonesos temple. Only in the Nikon Chronicle there are details that are absent in the early texts. Thus, it notes that during the wedding feast on the streets of Chersonese, vessels with wine and honey, vats with meat, fish and vegetables were taken out for ordinary people. Then the newlyweds distributed money to the beggars and widows. Among the military trophies of Vladimir are three lions. It seems that all these new details were invented by the chronicler of the 16th century to add color to his narrative. In fact, they reflected the realities not of the 10th, but of the 16th century.

In the most ancient chronicles there is no information about the life and work of Anna Romanovna in Rus'. Last message about her refers to 1011 - this is the date of her death. In the Byzantine chronicles, on the contrary, it is noted that she built many churches in the Russian state. This message seems to be quite reliable, since even at home the princess agreed to take on the mission of enlightening a pagan country. She perfectly understood that without the construction of churches and the training of priests, it was impossible to carry out the Christianization of a large state. Perhaps, at first, the clergy and craftsmen who came with her built small churches in different places, including in Chersonesos and Kyiv in honor of her husband's heavenly patron, St. Basil. But then Anna, apparently, decided to build a grandiose cathedral in her princely residence in Kyiv. Unlike Novgorod, here she was the sovereign mistress, it was easier to deliver the necessary materials here: marble, glass, paints, and it was easier for all craftsmen from Byzantium to get there. So, apparently, the construction of the majestic Kyiv Cathedral in honor of the Assumption of the Virgin, later nicknamed the Church of the Tithes, since it existed on a tenth of the prince's income, began.

According to the Laurentian Chronicle, this was not entirely true. In 989, Prince Vladimir allegedly himself "thought to create a church of the Holy Mother of God and, sending, bring a master from the Greek." When the temple was built, the prince decorated it with icons, vessels and crosses, which he brought from Chersonesos. Anastas was ordered to serve in it with the Korsun clergy.

From this text it turns out that the new Kiev temple was erected by Greek masters invited by Prince Vladimir, and they did it in one year 989. However, further from the chronicle text it turns out that only in 996, returning from a campaign against the Pechenegs, the prince saw a new beautiful church. On the occasion of its completion, a big celebration was arranged. This means that the temple was built without a prince.

In the Ipatiev Chronicle, the beginning of the construction of the Kyiv temple is attributed to the year 991, and the completion - to the same year 996. According to the Nikon Chronicle, the Tithes Church was started to be built only in 993, and before that, in 992, the cathedral in Vladimir on the Klyazma was allegedly laid. The latest news seems absolutely fantastic, since at that time this city, most likely, did not yet exist. In addition, it is difficult to assume that Vladimir was the first to start building a church on the outskirts of the state, in a remote area, and only then in his Kyiv residence.

From the annals one can learn that in 988 and later, Prince Vladimir was engaged in the construction of fortress cities on the southern border of his state: on the Desna, Trubezh, Ostra, Sula, Stugna. After that, he resettled the Slovenes, Krivichi, Vyatichi and representatives of other tribes there in order to organize a barrier against the attack of the Pechenegs with their help. Naturally, this matter was very complicated and required not several months at the end of 988, but several years. Under these conditions, Vladimir, of course, had no time to oversee the construction of the temple in Kyiv. Therefore, the conclusion suggests itself that Anna Romanovna was still doing this.

The dedication of the Kyiv Cathedral to the Virgin indicates that the initiator of its construction was a woman who was well acquainted with similar buildings in Byzantium. The fact is that the main court temple of the Byzantine emperors was dedicated to the Mother of God, and the Church of the Tithes, in its essence, was also a court church. Some connoisseurs of the history of architecture even expressed the opinion that the Kiev temple was built on the model of the Pharos Church at the Grand Imperial Palace in Constantinople. Unfortunately, neither the Pharos nor the Church of the Tithes have come down to us.

Art historian O.E. Etingof noted a certain similarity of the Church of the Tithes with the second most important temple in Constantinople - Blachernae, also dedicated to the Mother of God. It was built in 450-453 by Empress Pulcheria and then repeatedly renovated and decorated by many emperors. It is believed that in this temple there were four most revered images of the Virgin Mary, which became models for all subsequent iconography: Oranta, Sign, Hodegetria and Caressing, or Tenderness. It is likely that Anna brought copies of these icons and decorated the Tithes Cathedral with them. At first, perhaps the most popular was the image of Oranta, presented on the mosaics of St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv. Then, in the princely families, the image of Tenderness, depicted on the icon of Our Lady of Vladimir, began to be especially revered. It was portable and was used during the celebration of the Assumption of the Mother of God. Since the Council of the Tithes was dedicated to this holiday, it can be assumed that under Anna this holiday, which falls in August, was the first to be celebrated in Rus'.

Although in the time of Vladimir and Anna, Kiev, judging by the archaeological excavations, was hardly a significant city, it was undoubtedly more convenient for the princess to live in it than in northern Novgorod. Here the climate was milder, from here there was a direct waterway to her homeland, and merchants could deliver her usual things for everyday use and food: clothes, jewelry, fruits, vegetables, etc. The city of Chersonesos, which belonged to her, was also relatively close, from which significant funds to its treasury. From the Crimea, probably, the building material necessary for the temple and the palace, in particular marble, was also delivered.

The annals note that Greek masters were engaged in the construction of the Church of the Tithes, however, archaeologists who studied the ruins of the temple found in the features of its foundation features characteristic of Transcaucasian buildings. These are logs dug into the foundation and filled with liquid clay. They were supposed to strengthen the clay slope of the Dnieper, on which the building was erected. A similar technique was used to strengthen the foundation of the stone palace built next to the Church of the Tithes, in the Church of the Savior on Berestov, located in the country residence of Vladimir, and in the Church of the Apostles in Belgorodka, founded by the prince in 991. According to archaeologists, because of these logs, which eventually turned into dust, the buildings of the late 10th - early 11th centuries turned out to be short-lived.

It turns out that to lay the foundation of the Church of the Tithes and other buildings in Kyiv, craftsmen from Transcaucasia were invited, who, obviously, were well known in Chersonese. They were supposed to help the Greek architects, who faced difficulties in a new place.

Although the Church of the Tithes did not reach us (it collapsed in 1240 during the Batu invasion), archaeologists were able to reconstruct its appearance. It was a very imposing structure, 27.2 m long and 18.3 m wide, with three naves, three apses and inside with three pairs of pillars to support the vaults. It was crowned with 5 large domes. The message of some sources that there were 25 domes was not confirmed during excavations. On the south and north sides, the temple was surrounded by lowered galleries with shed roofs.

Lead sheets were used as roofing material. The building itself was made of flat, thin, pink plinth bricks, with one recessed row plastered over with white plaster. It was a typical technique of Byzantine architecture - with its help, the building acquired an elegant decorative look, as it looked striped. The temple was decorated with semi-columns, arches, jagged cornices, edging the corners of the walls, covered with white plaster. At the same time, a floral ornament was applied to the semi-columns and cornices. The windows were mostly square and glazed.

According to architectural historians, the general appearance of the Church of the Tithes has become a model for copying during the construction of cathedrals in the 11th-12th centuries in many Russian cities. All of them were three-aisled, six-pillared, cross-domed and five-domed. That building, erected with the participation of Anna Romanovna, had a huge impact on the development of all pre-Mongolian ancient Russian architecture. Russian masters in other cities could not only copy the interior decoration of the Kyiv church, which was unusually magnificent. The main decoration of the Church of the Tithes was marble. Columns with carved capitals, parapets at the choirs, an altar barrier, as well as carved cornices at the main windows were made of it. The floor was of extraordinary beauty. At the altar it was made of multicolored marble tiles, jasper and smalt. All together it was a colorful carpet. In the vestibules, the floor was made of grouted tiles. In the central part of the temple, a circle was laid out of multi-colored tiles - an omphalion, denoting the navel, the middle. The priest was supposed to stand at this place during the service. Similar omphalia were in the hall of Justinian in the Palace of Constantinople, as well as in the temples of Jerusalem and Delphi. In other parts of the temple, the floor was laid out of white marble and red slate tiles in a checkerboard pattern. The lower part of the walls was also decorated with marble, slate and tile tiles. For this, contemporaries called the Church of the Tithes "marble".

Since there was no marble or jasper in the Kyiv region, they were obviously brought from the Crimea by order of the princess. Undoubtedly, this was a very costly undertaking.

The frescoes and mosaics that adorned the entire upper part of the walls and the dome gave special elegance to the Church of the Tithes. It should be noted that in Byzantine churches there was no combination of frescoes and mosaics, usually there was one thing. Therefore, in this case The decoration of the Kyiv Cathedral was a certain innovation. The mosaics were made of colored glass, which, according to Yu.L. Shchapova, began to be produced at that time in Kyiv itself. The principle of its cooking was borrowed from Byzantine masters. In addition to mosaics, it was used to make window panes in buildings - round and square, dishes, bracelets, beads and even rings.

Glass jewelry was especially fond of Russian women. It was them that archaeologists found in almost all female burials of the 11th century. Therefore, it suggests that the fashion for glass jewelry was introduced in Rus' by Anna and her entourage. It is likely that at first Byzantine glassmakers were invited only to make mosaics and window panes for the Church of the Tithes. But then they got into women's jewelry, which was very much loved by fashionistas all over the country. Russian artisans learned the art of colored glassmaking, and the manufacture of various glass products became a mass phenomenon in pre-Mongolian Rus'. But after the invasion of the Mongol-Tatars, the glass-making technology was lost.

Studying the architectural structure of the Church of the Tithes and comparing it with similar buildings in Byzantium, archaeologists and architectural historians discovered one feature: in the Kiev temple there was no special place at the altar where the emperor was supposed to stand - the vicar of God on earth. However, it had extensive choirs, in which during the service there were not only women, but also Prince Vladimir himself. There were also choir stalls in Byzantine temples, but usually they were cramped and semi-dark, since only women of the imperial family stood on them. Emperors rarely went up to the choirs - only to perform certain ceremonies.

In Rus', as you know, the whole princely family stood in the choirs, so starting from the 11th century they began to make them lighter and more spacious, and the lower space, intended for commoners, was getting darker and narrower. It was only around the 16th century that choirs ceased to occupy a leading position in churches, since after Ivan IV assumed the royal title, the sovereign took a place at the altar, like the Byzantine emperors.

An example is the special royal place in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin.

It can be assumed that it was Anna Romanovna who introduced the custom of standing in the choirs of the entire princely family, including her husband, since she did not believe that he should occupy a more honorable place in the temple than she herself. This tradition took root very well in Rus' and existed for many centuries.

Among the merits of Anna, as already noted, should be attributed the establishment, first in Kyiv, and then in other cities of the festival in honor of the Assumption of the Mother of God. For the first time this holiday was celebrated in the fall of 996, when the construction of the Church of the Tithes was completed. Then similar Assumption cathedrals were erected in all major cities where the princely residences of the sons of Vladimir were located: Rostov, Vladimir-Volynsky, Tmutarakan, etc. Over time, the feast of the Assumption of the Mother of God became the favorite for Russian people. At the same time, no one remembered that the Byzantine princess Anna Romanovna was the first to install it in Rus'.

The construction of not only the Church of the Tithes, but also the palace complex next to it can be associated with the name of Anna. It consisted of several stone structures located next to each other. Archaeologists have decided that these were princely palaces. The most extensive was in the northeast of the temple. It turned out that its foundation is older than the Church of the Tithes, so it was decided to consider it Olga's palace. However interior decoration it was very similar to the decoration of the temple: the walls were decorated with colorful frescoes and bright mosaics, below there were slate slabs with bas-reliefs; the doors and windows were with carved marble architraves, the doors themselves were made of red slate slabs, the windows were round, with glass. All this led the researchers to suggest that Olga's palace was richly decorated for Anna. Her own palace was located south of the Church of the Tithes. It was built of plinth with one row recessed, so it looked as striped as the Church of the Tithes. Inside there were three large rooms, luxuriously decorated with marble, mosaics, frescoes and carved stone. All the building material of this palace is similar to the Church of the Tithes, and archaeologists believe that it was built at the same time and by the same craftsmen.

The third palace was located to the north of the church and looked like the second. In general, the entire palace complex, including the Church of the Tithes, looked very beautiful and resembled similar buildings in Byzantium. On the square in front of him stood copper statues of horses taken out of Chersonese. Patios in the Greek style, they may have been decorated with ornamental plants and flowers. There have never been such magnificent ensembles in Rus' before. It arose, undoubtedly, on the initiative and with the active participation of Anna Romanovna. She could receive funds for its construction and building material from Chersonesos.

The "brainchild" of Vladimir himself should be considered the new defensive structures around Kyiv, which had grown in territory. Archaeologists have discovered the remains of earthen ramparts and stone gates that existed even in the 18th century. At first they bore the name of Sofia, then - Batuev and led to the bridge over the moat that separated the city of Vladimir from the city of Yaroslav the Wise. Excavations have shown that the gate consisted of two parallel brick walls connected by a semicircular arch. The width of the passage was only 4–5 m, the thickness of the walls was 2 m, and their length was 5–6 m. A road lined with round timber led from the gate to the palace complex.

The defensive structures created by Vladimir can be considered among the first to use stone structures, in particular gates. Perhaps they looked like similar Byzantine ones.

Anna Romanovna undoubtedly fulfilled the behest of the brothers-emperors and became the first enlightener of Rus'. The representatives of the clergy surrounding her taught the Russian people the basics of the Christian religion and trained local priests. For this, most likely, a special school was created. Icons brought by the princess, church utensils turned into models for copying by local painters and artisans. They were sent to newly built churches in all cities.

Anna herself, apparently, took up educational activities in the grand ducal family and among the nobility. It is known that all the numerous children of Prince Vladimir readily accepted Christianity and spread it in their possessions. Even the former wives of the Kyiv ruler turned into zealous Christians, especially Rogneda. Following the example of Anna, she took up the Christianization of the Polotsk land. Then she founded the first nunnery and became its tonsured.

Some researchers, as already noted, believe that Anna helped Vladimir in creating legislation regarding the legal status of the Russian Church. They were prompted to this conclusion by the following phrase of the Charter of Vladimir: “Behold, Prince Volodymyr, having guessed with your princess Anna and with your children ...”. From its content it follows that Anna took part in the compilation of this monument. The mention of the name of the princess is not accidental, because she herself and all her merits were very quickly forgotten not only ordinary people but also representatives of the Church. Perhaps it is direct evidence of Anna's real participation in the drafting of the Church Charter even under Prince Vladimir.

The Byzantine princess was married to Prince Vladimir for 22 years, but there is no information about her children in any source. The assumption that Boris and Gleb were her sons does not stand up to scrutiny. The youngest princes, Pozvizd and Sudislav, could not have been her children either, since they bore frankly pagan names. But, perhaps, the princess had daughters whose birth the chronicler did not record. According to the chronicle of Titmar, during the capture of Kyiv by the Polish king Boleslav in 1018, 9 daughters of Prince Vladimir were captured. Who their mothers were is unknown.

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For many centuries, representatives of the ruling dynasties rarely entered into love marriages. Princesses were seen more as a tool in the political game.

And few people saw them as girls dreaming of personal happiness, especially if a family union between royal persons could bring peace and prosperity to the country on long years. So Princess Anna from the Macedonian dynasty in 988 left her native Constantinople to marry Prince Vladimir I Svyatoslavich. How did the fate of the representative of the Byzantine imperial house, who became the Kyiv princess?

enviable bride

Princess Anna was born on March 13, 963, literally two days before the death of her 24-year-old father, Emperor Roman II. The reason for the tragic event that left the newborn girl an orphan has remained unclear. Most historians believe that the ruler of Byzantium was poisoned.

The mother of the princess, Theophano, was a woman of humble origin, an Armenian by nationality. In addition to her daughter, she had two sons from the emperor: Vasily and Konstantin. After the death of her husband, the widow married the commander Nicephorus Fok, who occupied the Byzantine throne.

Some researchers have an ambiguous attitude towards Queen Theophano. This woman is called an insidious seductress, who first enchanted Emperor Roman II, and then Nicophorus Foka. It is believed that in 969 it was at the suggestion of the queen that the coup d'état: Theophano placed her next lover, John I Tzimisces, on the Byzantine throne. However, he did not want to marry the emperor's widow. Apparently, he was afraid of becoming a new victim of her political intrigues.

Theophano with her children was expelled from the capital. However, the political game never ends. And seven years later, in 976, after the death of Tzimisces, the representatives of the Macedonian dynasty regained their throne. And Anna's brothers - Vasily II the Bulgar-Slayer and Constantine VIII - became co-rulers. Note that this is a great rarity in the history of mankind when two people occupy the same throne at the same time.

At the age of 13, Anna became an enviable bride, to whom princes and kings from all over Europe began to woo. It is known that the girl received an excellent education. She was one of the most educated women of her era. History has preserved her nickname - Rufa, which means "redhead".

IN different years German and Bulgarian rulers wooed a representative of a noble family, but Anna's most influential and promising fiancé was, according to most historians, the French king Robert II from the Capetian dynasty. Why the courtship of the Franks was not successful, one can only guess.

One way or another, the most enviable bride in Europe remained unmarried for a long time - up to 25 years, which by the standards of the 10th century was already too late for marriage.

Prince's courtship

If Anna was considered by all enlightened Europe of that time to be an exemplary girl: she was noble, rich, and well-read, then Prince Vladimir I Svyatoslavich could not be called a suitable party. At the time of the matchmaking, he was the ruler of a pagan people, which caused a negative reaction from the Christian powers.

In addition, the Kyiv prince had a whole harem: five official wives and a large number of concubines. Being only three years older than his bride, the Kiev prince managed to become the father of 13 sons and more than 10 daughters from different women (exact information about all the children of Vladimir I has not been preserved).

Marriage with Princess Anne was beneficial to the prince for several reasons. Firstly, Byzantium was the most influential and wealthy state of that era, an alliance with such an empire could bring many benefits. Secondly, a dynastic marriage with a representative of such a noble family would contribute to the state formation of Rus' as one of the European powers. And, thirdly, marriage to a Byzantine princess raised the personal status of Prince Vladimir I, putting him on a par with representatives of an influential European house.

There are two main versions of the events that prompted Basil II and Constantine VIII to marry their younger sister to the prince of Kyiv. "The Tale of Bygone Years" tells about the successful campaign of Vladimir and his combat squad to the Crimea, where the Russian army captured the city of Chersonesus (Korsun). This strategically important port belonged to Byzantium. In addition to everything, the Kiev prince sent a letter to Constantinople, in which he threatened that the capital of the empire would become the next point of his conquest campaign. The only way for Basil II and Constantine VIII to avoid this attack was the marriage of Anna and Vladimir I.

So, according to the first version, the reason for the wedding was a direct threat of military intervention. By the way, after the marriage, the prince returned Chersonese to Byzantine rule as a gesture of goodwill.

Other sources claim that the courtship of Vladimir I was more peaceful. The co-rulers of Byzantium asked the prince of Kyiv to help them suppress the armed rebellion, which was organized by famous commander Varda Foka. In exchange for support in this struggle, Vasily II, according to some sources, himself promised to give Princess Anna to Vladimir I as his wife, which happened after the successful defeat of the rebels by the Russian squad.

One way or another, but Byzantium sought to extend its influence to neighboring lands through missionary activities. Having adopted Orthodoxy, the former pagans became brothers in faith and began to defend the borders of the empire from the raids of other warlike tribes. Therefore, the condition of the bride of Prince Vladimir I is to be baptized in Greek church canon before marriage was politically justified.

The prince of Kiev complied with the demand of Princess Anna. They got married in 988. She was 25 years old, he was 28. After the wedding, the newly converted Christian disbanded his large harem.

Baptism of Rus'

Prince Vladimir began to be called the Saint and Baptist of Rus' only after his marriage to Anna of Byzantium. This woman, who did not have the opportunity to control her own destiny, largely determined the further path of development of our country. If earlier in each locality they prayed to their gods, then after the baptism of Rus', initiated by the Kiev prince, a common Orthodox religion that united the people.

Anna of Byzantium did a lot to spread Christianity in Rus'. Together with her, scientists, theologians, priests, architects and craftsmen came to the country. On the initiative of the princess, several churches were built, including the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos in Kyiv. This religious building is often called the Church of the Tithes, since one tenth of the treasury of the Kyiv prince was directed to its maintenance. Vladimir the Holy consulted with his wife in dealing with various religious issues.

Byzantine architecture had a great influence on Russian architecture. And the spread of Christianity led to the creation of the famous Cyrillic alphabet, which, albeit in a modified form, we still use. And in all this there is the merit of Princess Anna.

She died in 1011 when she was 48 years old. Most historians consider the cause of death to be an infectious disease, while epidemics claimed thousands of lives. The Kyiv prince died four years later. They were both buried in the Church of the Tithes.

Information about the children of this married couple has not been preserved. Some sources claim that they did not exist at all. Others say that the wife of King Casimir I of Poland - Maria - was the daughter of Vladimir I and Anna of Byzantium.

She was sent as a wife to Prince Vladimir in order to fulfill the terms of the agreement on Russian military assistance to Byzantium. The circumstances preceding the dynastic marriage are set out in the articles: Vladimir I Svyatoslavich and the Russo-Byzantine War of 988.

Biography

Byzantine princess

Anna, daughter of the Byzantine emperor Roman II, was born on March 13, 963. Anna's mother came from a family by no means noble, and her name was Theophano. Leo the Deacon, a Byzantine priest and historian of Armenian blood, described Theophano as "the most beautiful, seductive and refined woman of her time, equally distinguished by her beauty, abilities, ambition and depravity." The daughter of the Constantinopolitan tavern Krotir, a native of Armenia, she was named Anastasia in her childhood. Captivated by the charm and grace of the figure, as well as the whiteness of the skin, the intelligence and grace of Roman, the young heir to the throne, she fell in love with him and captured the heart of an ardent lover. Blinded by a passion for her charms, he completely forgot about his lawful young wife Berta, the illegitimate daughter of the King of Italy.

Anna was the only sister of the reigning Emperor Basil II the Bulgar-Slayer (-) and his co-ruler brother Constantine VIII (-). She was born just 2 days before the death of her father, Emperor Roman II, which was noted by the Byzantine historian John Skylitsa, thanks to which her date of birth became known: March 13, 963.

According to Skylitsa, the death of 24-year-old Roman II was caused by " exhausting the flesh with the most shameful and voluptuous deeds”, but according to rumors, he was poisoned. The emperor was the commander of the troops of the East, Nikephoros II Phocas, who immediately married Anna's mother, Queen Theophano.

“If ever the people of any of these unfaithful and impious northern tribes ask for kinship through marriage with the basileus of the Romans, that is, either get his daughter as a wife, or give his daughter, whether to basileus as a wife or son of basileus, you should reject and this unreasonable request of theirs [...] Since each nation has different customs, different laws and regulations, it must adhere to its own rules, and make and create alliances for the confusion of lives within the same people.

An exception was made by Constantine Porphyrogenitus for the ruling houses of Western Europe, the "Franks". However, circumstances forced the Greek emperors to enter into kinship with their neighbors. So, Nikephoros II Phocas wanted to marry his stepsons Vasily II and Constantine VIII to Bulgarian princesses, but was deposed from the throne by his wife Theophano, who elevated John I Tzimiskes to the throne.

Tzimiskes, however, did not marry Theophano, as she expected, but sent her into exile. 6-year-old Anna probably followed with her mother.

Matchmaking of Germans, Franks and Bulgarians

An even more confusing story is told by the Armenian historian Stefan Taronsky (Asohik) about the matchmaking for Anna () of one of the Bulgarian princes:

Asohik reported this incident primarily to mark the retribution that befell the Sevastian metropolitan, who oppressed the Armenian clergy, he was less interested in Bulgarian affairs. Historians doubt the consent of Basil II to intermarry through marriage with the leader of a country that had recently rebelled against Byzantine rule. All the more strange is such a marriage against the backdrop of Vasily's unsuccessful campaign against the Bulgarians in the same () year.

Russian princess

Anna in the annals was called not as usual - the princess, but the queen, retaining her dignity as a member of the imperial family. queens, in the usual sense of the title as the wife of the king, appeared in Rus' only under Ivan the Terrible.

Anna died in the year 6519 from the creation of the world according to the Byzantine calendar, which corresponds to / 1012 ( New Year counted from September 1), 4 years before the death of Prince Vladimir. According to Titmar of Merseburg, her tomb was located in the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos in Kyiv, next to the tomb of St. Vladimir the Baptist.

After about 35 years, another queen appeared in Rus' - Monomakhinya, daughter (or niece) of the Byzantine emperor Constantine IX Monomakh, wife of Prince Vsevolod Yaroslavich and mother of Vladimir Monomakh. She was not purple-born, that is, she was born before the accession of Constantine Monomakh. Her history remained unknown, and even the name is known only presumably: Maria or, according to other sources, Anastasia. In literature, she is often also called Anna, confused with her daughter or with the Christian name of her mother-in-law Ingegerda.

Children

Chronicles do not report anything about her children, listing in detail the sons of Vladimir and their mothers. She may have had a daughter, but there is no exact data.

Anna of Byzantium in fiction

Anna of Byzantium is one of the notable characters in the historical novel "The Dove over Pontus" ("When Chersonese fell") by Antonin Ladinsky.

In modern culture

• film Vladimir the Holy (; Russia) directed by Yuri Tomoshevsky, in the role of Anna Elena George.
• cartoon Prince Vladimir (; Russia) directed by Yuri Kulakov, Anna is voiced by Irina Bezrukova.

see also

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Notes

1. // Small Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 4 volumes - St. Petersburg. , 1907-1909.
2. . noev-kovcheg.ru. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
3. L.E. Morozov. .
4. Porphyrogenitus - according to the Byzantine chronicler Michael Psellos, this meant born in scarlet diapers. The crimson color was considered imperial, born during the reign of his imperial parents had an undoubted right to the Byzantine throne. Synonym - porphyrogenic.
5. Titmar of Merseburg, Chronicle, v. 7
7. According to practice, the choice of the bride remained with the Byzantine side. The German emperor Otto II married Theophano, however, Titmar of Merseburg noted some displeasure of Otto II that Theophano was not a Byzantine princess, but only the niece of the Byzantine emperor.
8. Some historians believe that Anna was the purpose of the matchmaking. Anna should be betrothed to Prince Vladimir of Kyiv around 987, so that the Russian army received in exchange could arrive in Byzantium in 988.
9. 435 year of the Armenian chronology, that is
10. Stefan Taronsky (Asohik), General history, book 3, chapter 22
11. A. V. Nazarenko, Vladimir Svyatoslavich, Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince of Kiev, article from the VIII volume of the Orthodox Encyclopedia, M. 2004:
12. N. N. Nikitenko. Rus' and Byzantium in the monumental complex of St. Sophia of Kyiv: Historical problems. Kyiv, 1999. S. 65 - 122
13. // Russian biographical dictionary: in 25 volumes. - St. Petersburg. -M., 1896-1918.
14. Krymsky A., Kezma T. Opovіdannya Arab istorika XI century. Abu Shodzhi Rudraverskogo about those, how Rus was christened // Yuvileyniy zb. for the sake of acad. D. Bagaliya. K., 1927. S. 383-395
16. Other Russian tsesaritsa - derived from lat. Caesar (emperor)
17. See Vladimir's church charter.
18. According to the found lead seal with the name Maria Monomakh
19. According to the Synods of the Vydubitsky Monastery in Kyiv

Links

Missionaries in the Northern Black Sea region before the emergence of the state of Rus: Andrew the First-Called George I George II Etherius of Chersonesus Inna, Pinna and Rimma and Bishop Godda John of Gotha Longinus Nikita (VIII century) Nikita Gotsky Pope Clement of Rome Pope Martin I Hieromartyrs of Chersonesos Simon Kananit Stefan Surozhsky Stephen Cyril and Methodius Theophilus of Goth Unila Missionaries in the pre-Christian state of Rus': Adalbert Anna Byzantine Askold Libutius Duchess Olga Mission centers: Inkerman (Inkerman cave monastery) Kachi-Kalyon Kostomarovsky Spassky Monastery Assumption Cave Monastery Chilter Marmara Shuldan Panticapaeum Chersonese Tauride Ancient dioceses: Abazgian diocese Alan diocese Bosporan diocese Gothic diocese Doros Metropolis Diocese of Zikhia Scythian (Tomitan) diocese Sugdeyskaya diocese Tamatarch diocese The general frowned. Although there was no positive news about the defeat of the Austrians, there were too many circumstances confirming the general unfavorable rumors; and therefore Kutuzov's assumption about the victory of the Austrians was very similar to a mockery. But Kutuzov smiled meekly, still with the same expression that said that he had the right to assume this. Indeed, the last letter he received from Mack's army informed him of the victory and the most advantageous strategic position of the army. “Give me this letter here,” said Kutuzov, turning to Prince Andrei. - Here you are, if you want to see it. - And Kutuzov, with a mocking smile on the ends of his lips, read the following passage from the letter of Archduke Ferdinand from the German-Austrian general: “Wir haben vollkommen zusammengehaltene Krafte, nahe an 70,000 Mann, um den Feind, wenn er den Lech passirte, angreifen und schlagen zu konnen. Wir konnen, da wir Meister von Ulm sind, den Vortheil, auch von beiden Uferien der Donau Meister zu bleiben, nicht verlieren; mithin auch jeden Augenblick, wenn der Feind den Lech nicht passirte, die Donau ubersetzen, uns auf seine Communikations Linie werfen, die Donau unterhalb repassiren und dem Feinde, wenn er sich gegen unsere treue Allirte mit ganzer Macht wenden wollte, seine Absicht alabald vereitelien. Wir werden auf solche Weise den Zeitpunkt, wo die Kaiserlich Ruseische Armee ausgerustet sein wird, muthig entgegenharren, und sodann leicht gemeinschaftlich die Moglichkeit finden, dem Feinde das Schicksal zuzubereiten, so er verdient.” [We have a fully concentrated force, about 70,000 people, so that we can attack and defeat the enemy if he crosses the Lech. Since we already own Ulm, we can retain the advantage of commanding both banks of the Danube, therefore, every minute, if the enemy does not cross the Lech, cross the Danube, rush to his communication line, cross the Danube lower and the enemy, if he decides to turn all his strength on our faithful allies, to prevent his intention from being fulfilled. Thus, we will cheerfully look forward to the time when the imperial Russian army completely ready, and then together we can easily find an opportunity to prepare the fate of the enemy, which he deserves. Kutuzov sighed heavily, having finished this period, and carefully and affectionately looked at the member of the Hofkriegsrat. “But you know, Your Excellency, the wise rule of assuming the worst,” said the Austrian general, apparently wanting to end the jokes and get down to business. He glanced involuntarily at the adjutant. “Excuse me, General,” Kutuzov interrupted him and also turned to Prince Andrei. - That's what, my dear, you take all the reports from our scouts from Kozlovsky. Here are two letters from Count Nostitz, here is a letter from His Highness Archduke Ferdinand, here's another,” he said, handing him some papers. - And from all this cleanly, on French, compose a memorandum, a note, for the visibility of all the news that we had about the actions of the Austrian army. Well, then, and present to his Excellency. Prince Andrei bowed his head as a sign that he understood from the first words not only what was said, but also what Kutuzov would like to tell him. He collected the papers, and, giving a general bow, quietly walking along the carpet, went out into the waiting room. Despite the fact that not much time has passed since Prince Andrei left Russia, he has changed a lot during this time. In the expression of his face, in his movements, in his gait, there was almost no noticeable former pretense, fatigue and laziness; he had the appearance of a man who has no time to think about the impression he makes on others, and is busy with pleasant and interesting business. His face expressed more satisfaction with himself and those around him; his smile and look were more cheerful and attractive. Kutuzov, whom he caught up with back in Poland, received him very affectionately, promised him not to forget him, distinguished him from other adjutants, took him with him to Vienna and gave him more serious assignments. From Vienna, Kutuzov wrote to his old comrade, the father of Prince Andrei: “Your son,” he wrote, “gives hope to be an officer who excels in his studies, firmness and diligence. I consider myself fortunate to have such a subordinate at hand.” At Kutuzov's headquarters, among his comrades, and in the army in general, Prince Andrei, as well as in St. Petersburg society, had two completely opposite reputations. Some, a minority, recognized Prince Andrei as something special from themselves and from all other people, expected great success from him, listened to him, admired him and imitated him; and with these people, Prince Andrei was simple and pleasant. Others, the majority, did not like Prince Andrei, they considered him an inflated, cold and unpleasant person. But with these people, Prince Andrei knew how to position himself in such a way that he was respected and even feared. Coming out of Kutuzov's office into the waiting room, Prince Andrei with papers approached his comrade, adjutant on duty Kozlovsky, who was sitting by the window with a book. - Well, what, prince? Kozlovsky asked. - Ordered to draw up a note, why not let's go forward. - And why? Prince Andrew shrugged his shoulders. - No word from Mac? Kozlovsky asked. - No. - If it were true that he was defeated, then the news would come. “Probably,” said Prince Andrei and went to the exit door; but at the same time to meet him, slamming the door, a tall, obviously newcomer, Austrian general in a frock coat, with his head tied with a black handkerchief and with the Order of Maria Theresa around his neck, quickly entered the waiting room. Prince Andrew stopped. - General Anshef Kutuzov? - quickly said the visiting general with a sharp German accent, looking around on both sides and without stopping walking to the door of the office. “The general is busy,” said Kozlovsky, hurriedly approaching the unknown general and blocking his way from the door. - How would you like to report? The unknown general looked contemptuously down at the short Kozlovsky, as if surprised that he might not be known. “The general chief is busy,” Kozlovsky repeated calmly. The general's face frowned, his lips twitched and trembled. He took out a notebook, quickly drew something with a pencil, tore out a piece of paper, gave it away, went with quick steps to the window, threw his body on a chair and looked around at those in the room, as if asking: why are they looking at him? Then the general raised his head, stretched out his neck, as if intending to say something, but immediately, as if carelessly starting to hum to himself, made a strange sound, which was immediately stopped. The door of the office opened, and Kutuzov appeared on the threshold. The general with his head bandaged, as if running away from danger, bent over, with large, quick steps of thin legs, approached Kutuzov. - Vous voyez le malheureux Mack, [You see the unfortunate Mack.] - he said in a broken voice. The face of Kutuzov, who was standing in the doorway of the office, remained completely motionless for several moments. Then, like a wave, a wrinkle ran over his face, his forehead smoothed out; he bowed his head respectfully, closed his eyes, silently let Mack pass him, and closed the door behind him. The rumor, already spread before, about the defeat of the Austrians and the surrender of the entire army at Ulm, turned out to be true. Half an hour later already different directions adjutants were sent out with orders proving that soon the Russian troops, still inactive, would have to meet with the enemy. Prince Andrei was one of those rare officers on staff who considered his main interest in the general course of military affairs. Seeing Mack and hearing the details of his death, he realized that half of the campaign was lost, understood the whole difficulty of the position of the Russian troops and vividly imagined what awaited the army, and the role that he would have to play in it. Involuntarily, he experienced an exciting joyful feeling at the thought of shaming presumptuous Austria and that in a week, perhaps, he would have to see and take part in a clash between Russians and French, for the first time after Suvorov. But he was afraid of the genius of Bonaparte, who could be stronger than all the courage of the Russian troops, and at the same time he could not allow shame for his hero. Excited and irritated by these thoughts, Prince Andrei went to his room to write to his father, to whom he wrote every day. He met in the corridor with his roommate Nesvitsky and the joker Zherkov; they, as always, laughed at something. Why are you so gloomy? asked Nesvitsky, noticing the pale shining eyes the face of Prince Andrew. “There is nothing to have fun,” answered Bolkonsky. While Prince Andrei met with Nesvitsky and Zherkov, on the other side of the corridor Strauch, an Austrian general who was at Kutuzov's headquarters to monitor the food of the Russian army, and a member of the Hofkriegsrat, who had arrived the day before, were walking towards them. There was enough space along the wide corridor for the generals to disperse freely with three officers; but Zherkov, pushing Nesvitsky away with his hand, said in a breathless voice: - They're coming! ... they're coming! ... step aside, the road! please way! The generals passed with an air of desire to get rid of troubling honors. On the face of the joker Zherkov suddenly expressed a stupid smile of joy, which he seemed unable to contain. “Your Excellency,” he said in German, moving forward and addressing the Austrian general. I have the honor to congratulate you. He bowed his head and awkwardly, like children learning to dance, began to scrape one leg or the other. The General, a member of the Hofkriegsrath, looked sternly at him; not noticing the seriousness of the stupid smile, he could not refuse a moment's attention. He squinted to show he was listening. “I have the honor to congratulate you, General Mack has arrived, in perfect health, only a little hurt here,” he added, beaming with a smile and pointing to his head. The general frowned, turned away, and walked on. Gott, wie naive! [My God, how simple he is!] – he said angrily, moving away a few steps. Nesvitsky embraced Prince Andrei with laughter, but Bolkonsky, turning even paler, with an evil expression on his face, pushed him away and turned to Zherkov. That nervous irritation into which the sight of Mack, the news of his defeat, and the thought of what awaited the Russian army had brought him, found its outlet in bitterness at Zherkov's inappropriate joke. “If you, dear sir,” he spoke piercingly with a slight trembling of his lower jaw, “want to be a jester, then I cannot prevent you from doing so; but I announce to you that if you dare another time to make a fuss in my presence, then I will teach you how to behave. Nesvitsky and Zherkov were so surprised by this trick that they silently, with their eyes wide open, looked at Bolkonsky. “Well, I only congratulated you,” said Zherkov. - I'm not joking with you, if you please be silent! - Bolkonsky shouted and, taking Nesvitsky by the hand, he walked away from Zherkov, who could not find what to answer. “Well, what are you, brother,” Nesvitsky said reassuringly. - Like what? - Prince Andrei spoke, stopping from excitement. - Yes, you understand that we, or officers who serve their tsar and fatherland and rejoice at the common success and grieve about the common failure, or we are lackeys who do not care about the master's business. Quarante milles hommes massacres et l "ario mee de nos allies detruite, et vous trouvez la le mot pour rire," he said, as if by this French phrase reinforcing your opinion. - C "est bien pour un garcon de rien, comme cet individu, dont vous avez fait un ami, mais pas pour vous, pas pour vous. [Forty thousand people died and the army allied with us was destroyed, but you can joke about it. This forgivable to an insignificant boy, like this gentleman, whom you made a friend to yourself, but not to you, not to you.] Boys can only be so amused, - said Prince Andrei in Russian, pronouncing this word with a French accent, noticing that Zherkov could still hear his. He waited for the cornet to answer. But the cornet turned and walked out of the corridor. The Pavlograd Hussar Regiment was stationed two miles from Braunau. The squadron, in which Nikolai Rostov served as a cadet, was located in german village Salzenek. The squadron commander, captain Denisov, known to the entire cavalry division under the name of Vaska Denisov, was assigned best apartment in the village. Junker Rostov had been living with the squadron commander ever since he caught up with the regiment in Poland. On October 11, on the very day when everything in the main apartment was raised to its feet by the news of Mack's defeat, camping life at the squadron headquarters calmly went on as before. Denisov, who had been losing all night at cards, had not yet returned home when Rostov, early in the morning, on horseback, returned from foraging. Rostov, in a cadet uniform, rode up to the porch, pushed the horse, threw off his leg with a flexible, young gesture, stood on the stirrup, as if not wanting to part with the horse, finally jumped down and called out to the messenger. “Ah, Bondarenko, dear friend,” he said to the hussar, who rushed headlong to his horse. “Let me out, my friend,” he said with that brotherly, cheerful tenderness with which good young people treat everyone when they are happy. “I’m listening, your excellency,” answered the Little Russian, shaking his head merrily. - Look, take it out well! Another hussar also rushed to the horse, but Bondarenko had already thrown over the reins of the snaffle. It was evident that the junker gave well for vodka, and that it was profitable to serve him. Rostov stroked the horse's neck, then its rump, and stopped on the porch. “Glorious! Such will be the horse! he said to himself, and, smiling and holding his saber, he ran up to the porch, rattling his spurs. The German owner, in a sweatshirt and cap, with a pitchfork, with which he cleaned the manure, looked out of the barn. The German's face suddenly brightened as soon as he saw Rostov. He smiled cheerfully and winked: “Schon, gut Morgen! Schon, gut Morgen!" [Wonderful, good morning!] he repeated, apparently finding pleasure in greeting the young man.