The 1,025th anniversary of the baptism of Kyivan Rus
Eastern approaches 2013-09-11
Summary:
UNLIKE its western counterpart, eastern Christianity has always maintained close ties to the state. But the visit to Kyiv on July 27th of Patriarch Kirill I of the Russian Orthodox Church and Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, took the concept to a new level. Celebrating the 1,025th anniversary of the baptism of Kyivan Rus, a medieval federation of eastern Slavic princedoms, both sent a clear message: Don’t stray from the common space of our Russian-Orthodox civilisation.
The event took place amid rising concerns in Russia over Ukraine’s future. European Union officials hope to sign an Association Agreement with the post-Soviet nation at the Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, in November this year. If the agreement comes into force, a recent report from Chatham House, a think tank in London, argues, this could mean “game over for Russia”.
To prevent this outcome Moscow has extended both carrots and sticks, most recently warning Ukraine it would lose its observer status in the customs union of Russia, Belarus and...Continue reading