St. Vladimir the Apostolic King of the Russians was the son of the ruler of Kiev Sviatoslav. He was born in the year 958 AD. His mother's name was Malusa and she was the first servant of her husband's mother, that is, Queen Olga, who was the first to become a Christian in Russia and led many to piety.
When Vladimir seized the throne of Kiev, at first he was a pagan and so he acted. He had many wives and had 12 sons and 11 daughters. But then, with the fervent prayers of his holy grandmother and divine enlightenment - many say about his conversion to Christianity - he believed in Christ and was baptized in Kiev. He married Anna, the sister of the Byzantine emperor Basil II the Bulgarian, and demolished all the idols in the country. He baptized most Russian Christians and built two beautiful churches in Kiev. His life changed radically and he became a true Christian and helped a lot for the spread of Christianity. He passed away peacefully on July 15, 1015 AD.
It celebrates on July 15 of each year.
