What people of Russia adopted Christianity before Vladimir baptized Russia

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

The generally accepted date for the beginning of the Christian era on the territory of modern Russia is the 10th century. More precisely, the year 988. It was in this year that the Kiev prince Vladimir began to baptize Russia, making Christianity the official religion of the state. However, the Slavs were far from the first people (within the borders of the modern Russian Federation) who departed from paganism and accepted faith in Jesus Christ.

The Udins, one of the ancient peoples inhabiting the Caucasus, began to profess Christianity as much as 6 centuries earlier.

Who are the Udins

Scientists and ethnographers consider the Udins, as a people, to be direct descendants of the ancient indigenous inhabitants of Caucasian Albania. Although the origins of this nation are almost completely lost in the depths of past centuries. There are several historical references to various ethnic groups who are considered the ancestors of the Udins.

Some researchers, referring to the works of Herodotus, dated to the 5th century BC, believe that the Udins are none other than one of the peoples of the Persian state of King Darius, called by the Greek historian as “Utia”. However, according to Herodotus, the place of indigenous residence of this people was Baluchistan - a territory that is part of today's Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan.

Closer to the truth, apparently, are those historians who refer to the works of the ancient Roman scientist Pliny the Elder. In the written by him in the 1st century BC. NS. "Natural history" Pliny mentions a certain Udini people living near Caucasian Albania. If we make adjustments to geography (Pliny was not strong in this science), then we can say with a high degree of confidence that the Udins lived in the Caspian part of modern Dagestan.

Whatever it was, but the language of the Udins is in many respects similar to the language of documents created in Caucasian Albania - a state that arose in the territories of modern Dagestan and Western Azerbaijan around the 2nd-1st centuries BC. Although there has never been a single language in this ancient country, historians are nevertheless inclined to believe that it is in Caucasian Albania that it is worth looking for traces of the appearance of the Udins as a separate people.

The first preachers of Christianity among the people

If you believe the Udi legends, then the baptizer of the state of Caucasian Albania was Elisha - a disciple of the apostle from 70 Thaddeus. According to legend, after Elisha was ordained a bishop, he arrived in the country of the Udins. Here the newly made bishop built the first church and began to preach Christianity. All this took place in a certain town called Gis. By the way, immediately after a few years of preaching, the pagans killed Elisha.

Historians and researchers have come to the conclusion that the chronicle city of Gis is the modern village of Kish. It is located in Azerbaijan. Not so long ago this settlement was Udi. There is a well-preserved Christian church of the 12th century, which now houses a museum. Legends say that believers built this temple on the site of Elisha's church. It is also interesting that Elisha is an exclusively “local” revered saint. Indeed, in the Armenian-Gregorian Church (to which the Udins currently belong) this saint is not canonized.

Conversion of Udis to Christianity

According to chronicles, the ruling circles in Caucasian Albania began to accept Christianity in the 370s. Prior to that, Armenia and Georgia had already been baptized, so very favorable conditions were created for the preachers of faith in Christ in the region. According to historical data, from the beginning of its existence, the Albanian Church had wide autocephaly, granted to it by Constantinople.

However, at the IV Ecumenical Council (451), Monophysitism - the doctrine of the single nature of God Jesus Christ (which was professed by all 3 Caucasian churches), was condemned. After that, in 554, at the Dvin Cathedral, the Albanian, Armenian and Georgian churches left the jurisdiction of Constantinople and became independent. Georgians converted to Orthodoxy, while Armenians and Albanians remained committed to the Monophysite teaching. Subsequently, the Albanian Church lost its autonomy and was absorbed by the Armenian.

An interesting fact is that the Udins, even after being baptized, zealously observed certain pagan customs and rules. So, in the Udi house, the hearth never extinguished - the combustion in it was constantly maintained. It was believed that in this way, the clan (family) constantly lives. An even more interesting custom of the Udins, which they brought with them from the pagan past, is to pray to the moon. Even after becoming Christians, they presented evening and night prayers not to icons, but to the night luminary.

Where do the Udins live now?

Currently, the Udis do not have any national or ethnic center. Until the early 1990s, the largest number of Udis lived in Azerbaijan. However, then most of them moved to Armenia, Russia and Georgia. According to the 2009 census, 3,800 people lived in their historical homeland - Azerbaijan. Moreover, they all lived in one settlement - the village of Nij, in the Gabala region.

As for Russia, in 2010 there were 4,127 Udins living in the country. They mainly settled in the Caucasus and in the Rostov region. There are small Udi diasporas in Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine. In total, no more than 10 thousand representatives of this people live on the planet now. The people who were the first to be baptized from all the nations and ethnic groups living in the territory of modern Russia.