Is Ukraine Central or Eastern European country?

[StasUA]

You're right about that, but what slavic countries adopted Christianity between 12-15 centuries? I know that Ukraine did in 988 AD.

[ILay]

2 StasUA:

uff, it seems it will be another long message.

lets take it step by step.

I don't want to argue about the name of the country but i believe you understand the differencies between the territory of todays Ukraine and the area traditionally called Kiiv (or Ancient) Rus' (Kievskaya ili Drevnyaya Rusj)?

For the purpose of this message i will call this area simply Rusj, ok?

If we check the map of Rusj for the year 988 we inter alia will see on the far north the areas populated by tribes vesj and vodj - assimilated by slavs quite long ago (cities of Ladoga and Beloozero). They were not chrisitans at the time than Rusj officialy adopted christianity.

Furthermore, let's see the areas conquerred by Vladimir in the years 981-983 (including cities of Chervenj, Peremyshlj, areas of White Croats (on Tisa river) Yatvjags (on Bug river) etc.). As you understand there was not enough time to bring christianity to the whole territory of Rusj, especially to the new regions (and it was not really needed). So, than the idols of Perun and others were floating by Dnepr river same did not happend neither on Tisa or Bug nor on Ladoga or Onega.

So many of the areas being part of Rusj by the year 1054 still remained pagans by the year 1184 then Rusj collapsed.

So, as i told in my previous message Galicko-Volynskoe Knyazhestvo (established as separate state 1189) could simply become catholic in 13th century.

Actually, after the collapse of Rusj slavic countries adopted christianity just by two ways: peacfully accepting catholisism or being conquerred by the germans. (After the pope Urban the 2nd by the year 1095 blessed the 1st crusade).

Good example is Vendskaya Derzhava (3 infidel tribes - Bodrichi, Lyubichi and Pomoryane united in 1044 under the Bodrichs prince Gotshalk and created this state on the Laba river). But even though his son Genrich tried to adopt chrisitianity this did not work very good and the Vendskaya Derzhava was fully conquerred till the 13th century. (after the next crusade in 1147 through 1180 and Lipsk became Leipzig, Braniy Bor - Brandenburg etc.). This was the example of adopting chrisitanity (read catholisism) by being conquerred.

Same happend with slavic tribe of Prussi (who gave the name for the Preussen) and baltic tribes - Zhemaits, Yatviags.

Another example is The Great Pricipality of Lithuania(As you know Kiiv became the part of it by 1362 (until 1654)) who signed the Krev unia in 1385 and officially adopted catholisism in 1387. (if you doubt that it was a slavic country here is some info: in the beginning the main population was Aukshaits - a baltic tribe, Litvins - western slavic tribe. Afterwards the lands of Black Rusj were added (with the cities Slonim, Volkovyisk, Novogorodok which became a capital. Official language was ancient russian.)

Of course there are other examples about the slavic principalities on the Danube, in Poland etc. But i don't want to abuse your attention tooo long

[StasUA]

Wow, are you historian? I knew less then half of what you wrote there, but I believe you

So, Kyivska Rus(Ukraine) OFFICIALLY became Christian state in 988, but as we all know, not everybody welcome it, and quite opposed it, at the beginning, so I see that people were being converted to Christianity from 988 and so on... So it's 10th-15th centuries right?

And again, - I'm amazed by your knowledge.

Stas

[ILay]

Hello Stas!

well I am not a historian. I simply like to find out more about my motherland.

The history of Rusj (including Rusj Beluyu, Maluyu and Velikorossiyu) is the history of 3 great slavic countries - Poland, Litva and Moscovia. But we usually know only one version of what happend.

I could advise you a nice book on the subject:
"Russia which never existed part 2 - Russian Atlantis" by Andrey Burovskiy and Alexandr Bushkov. (i'm not sure if there is a version on Ukrainian, tthe russian name is: "пНЯЯХЪ, ЙНРНПНИ МЕ АШКН 2 - пСЯЯЙЮЪ юРКЮМРХДЮ")

I used it quite heavily then writing the previous messages.

All the best to you.
Ilia.