Biography
The future princess of Kievan Rus was born two days before the death of his father, the Byzantine Emperor Roman II, so that the exact date of her birth was known.
Her mother of Fefano was born in a simple family of a charchiewnik, Armenian by origin, and was distinguished by an amazing combination of Divine beauty, an extraordinary mind and viciousness. Thanks to these qualities, she managed not only to win the heart of the heir of the Byzantine throne of the novel, but also to undergo confidence in the Emperor Konstantin VII and his wife Empress Elena.
After the death of Konstantin VII, Faofano made the spouse stubborn in the monastery of five sisters, and soon Elena brought his intrigues into the grave.
Emperor Roman II, Anna's father, was distinguished by pleasant appearance, education, as well as a tendency to jump and excessive carnal joy. According to him, it was destroyed, it is unknown, but, having spent only four years in the throne, he suddenly died at the age of 24. Even rumors were walking that the emperor was poisoned.
Fefano managed to give birth to her husband of four children, the last of them, Anna, was born two days before his death.
Childhood
After the death of the emperor of the novel, as a result of the Palace Intrigue, the head of Nikifor II Fock, married Feofano. Thus, the mother of Anna, who became the reserve on his sons, tried to protect himself and their children from the encroachment of insidious nobility. But after six years, she again organized a conspiracy, already against Nikifora, with the help of the next his lover John Tsimischiya, the associate of a gullible spouse. The emperor was insidiously killed in his bed, and the cuminischius became a new ruler. However, he did not marry Faofano, and treacherously sent her to a remote island, lost in the Aegean Sea. Alone and the mother went there allecent Anna.
Being in exile, the young princess was fascinated by the study of the rich heritage of his ancestors in the father's line. Her grandfather, Emperor Konstantin VII left the descendants a huge number of works on medicine, history and other sciences. She carefully studied his descriptions of the lives of saints, illustrated by amazing beauty and grace with artistic miniatures. From Chronicles Anna learned that grandfather was not alien to the interests of simple people. During his reign, he built hospitals and shelters for those who needed, organized the distribution of alms, was interested in fate of convicts, he stopped abuse of officials.
He studied Anna and the Treatises of Prapradlyashki Vasily I, designed to his son Emperor Lerl I wise, of which she also learned a lot of interesting and useful.
After the death of Tsimischiya in 976, the power passed to the sons of Feofano Vasily and Konstantin, who allowed Anna with his mother to return to the palace, however, the empress was not allowed to rule and managed to rule themselves. Their reign is remembered by incessant wars and rebellion. In addition to the dedication within the country, Constantinople itself was in the face of an external threat. Russian Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavovich threatened to master the Byzantine capital, and the power of emperors were on the outcome. As a result, the brothers promised to give him a princess Anna in his wife, provided that Vladimir will provide them with military assistance and will take Christianity.
Anna by that time turned into an enviable bride and a real beauty, her hands achieved the heir to the Roman Empire, the son of the French king and the Bulgarian prince. Marriage with Inozem and Barbar was unheard of humiliation for the girl, but the brothers managed to persuade her.
Wedding
The wedding flotilla of the three ships was sent to Korsun (now Chersonese on the territory of the modern Sevastopol). On board, in addition to Anna were priests who were supposed to produce baptism rites. Prince Vladimir personally met the bride and was struck by her beauty. The groom, in turn, also produced a pleasant impression on the princess.
In the main temple of Corsun, the Byzantine priests baptized the Grand Duke and made a new name to Vasily in honor of one of the bridal brothers. There is a legend that Vladimir, who suffered from the eye illness and almost nothing, immediately after the rite of baptism, he simulated and, inspired by God's grace, ordered himself to baptize his squad and accompanying his boyars.
There was also a wedding of 33-year-old Vladimir and 25-year-old Anne. The prince ordered the bride to return all the sent gifts to the brothers and he himself gave them a previously conquered Korsun as a ransom in Russian custom. This marriage helped the prince of Vladimir to gain independence from Constantinople and unlimited power over the Russian Church.
Merit
Returning to the young wife in Kiev, Vladimir immediately baptized his sons at the source, which later received the name of Khreshchatyk. On August 1, the prince baptized Kievans, convening all residents of the city to the shore of the Dnieper, and ordered all the pagan symbols.
Crossing into the Christian faith, Prince Vladimir refused to all his many previous women and concubines and proclaimed Anna the only wife giving him God.
Having become the great princess of Kiev, Anna was engaged in the spread of Christianity and the construction of churches in Russia. The first church of the Most Holy Theotokos in Kiev (the Tenty Church), created in the image and likeness of the beloved Farm Church of Anna in Constantinople, became the first temple. It introduced elements from stained glass windows, which were decorated with the temples Byzantine masters.
Thanks to her, the annual magnificent celebration of the Assumption of the Most Holy Virgin was introduced into the church source. On the recommendation of the Spouse, Prince Vladimir acquired on Mount Athos Skit for Russian Orthodox monks.
Not forgotten Anna and on educational activities, guided by the heritage of his great ancestors. The Greek Church Charter "Nomocanon" was put into the foundation of the Russian Church, and the icons and church utensils became a model for copying Russian icon painters and artisans. She created special educational institutions to train local clergy.
Thanks to Anna spirit of Christianity, the sons of Vladimir were penetrated and began to actively introduce it among their subjects. Even the former wife of Prince Rogneda became a zealous Christian and founded the first female monastery in Russia, having taken it in him.
Death
Have Anna have children from Prince Vladimir? The historians argue so far on this topic. According to one of the existing versions, the princess gave birth to a spouse of the sons of Boris and Gleb. Of all the twelve sons of Prince from different wives, these were the most loved ones. Their life was tragic. Vladimir kept the sons a great future, Boris dreamed of put on the Bulgarian throne.
But fate ordered otherwise, and the Senior Unloved Son of Prince Svyatopolk became guilt. In the people, he was called the "son of two fathers", so his mother went to Vladimir already pregnant from Brother Yaropolk, they were also killed. It so happened that it was Svetopolk who was next to his father in the last minutes of his life. Historians still doubt his non-involvement in the death of the Father.
However, the Kievans were opposed to his climb on the throne and began to demand for the kingdom of Boris. Then Svyatopolk decided to get rid of the summary brothers and sent murderers to them. For this, the people nicknamed His Svyatopolki Okayann, and in honor of the Great Martyr Boris and Gleb in 1021 they built a church in Vyshgorod.
Anna did not live to these tragic events. She died four years earlier aged 48 years. Vladimir ordered marble sarcophagus made by the best Byzantine masters, and placed it in the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Later, his sarcophagus took an honorable place next to his beloved wife.
Films
At the end of 2016, the large-scale film "Viking" came to Russian screens, whose central character was Prince Vladimir performed by Danille Kozlovsky. The picture is based on real historical events and talks about the bloody struggle of the three brothers Vladimir, Oleg and Yaropolk, which have despicable related bonds and forced to send weapons against each other. Work on the picture lasted about six years. A unique combination of the latest computer technology and the actor's workshop turned this film to the main cinematic event of the year.
The ribbon is employed by a whole constellation of popular Russian actors: Kirill Pletnev, Svetlana Khodchenkova, Igor Petrenko, Andrei Smolyakov, Maxim Sukhanov and many others. To achieve perfect similarities with historical characters, costumes, decorations and weapons were manually manufactured. For this, the costumes and investors used genuine descriptions of the appearance of the heroes taken from historical sources. Unfortunately, Princess Anna In this film, the authors undeservedly bypassed their attention.
In 2017, another loud premiere is expected, this time fully dedicated to the life of this great woman. The screens will be released a 12-serial picture "Anna Byzantine". This is a new project of Star Media, which has become the result of joint activities with American colleagues. An English version of the series is also planned.