Which ruler of Kiev reigned from 980 to 1015 and converted the kingdom to Orthodox Christianity?

• A. Yaroslav I
• B. Vladimir I
• C. Vladimir II
• D. Ivan IV

Answer: (B)

Vladimir I, known as Vladimir the Great, was the ruler who reigned from 980 to 1015 and led the Christianization of Kyivan Rus. In 988, he ordered the baptism of his people and adopted Orthodox Christianity, aligning Kyivan Rus with Byzantium. This conversion unified the realm under a single faith, strengthened political and cultural ties with Byzantium, and laid the groundwork for a thriving church structure and Christianized society. Later leaders like Yaroslav the Wise continued development, but the move to Orthodoxy began with Vladimir I. Ivan IV came centuries later in a very different region, so the timing and context don’t fit.