He ruled the lands of
Kievan Rus, centred on Kiev and encompassing territories that today form parts
of Ukraine, Belarus and western Russia. The Christianisation of these lands
came relatively late. Under Vladimir's rule, Christianity gradually supplanted
the pagan deities and religious practices that had long held sway among the
peoples of Rus.
Saint Vladimir used princely authority to promote the Christianisation of his realm. This process almost certainly involved varying degrees of coercion and compulsion, though historians continue to debate the extent to which conversions were forced.
