Church of the Dormition
In the last half of the tenth-century political ties between the Rus and the Byzantines were forged, and a conversion from pagan beliefs to Orthodoxy took place. In 988 Vladimir (aka Volodymyr, later “the Great”, “the First” and “Saint”; commemorated July 15th), Grand Duke (or Prince) of Kiev (Kyiv) concluded a treaty with Emperor Basil…