So the scattered clans of the Slav race were roughly drawn together into something resembling a nation by the strong arm of the Scandinavian.  But the course of national progress is never a straight one.  Nature understands better than we the value of retarding influences, which prevent the too rapid fusing of crude elements.  This work of retardation was performed for Russia by Sviatoslaf.  When, instead of leaving his dominions to his oldest son, he divided them among the three, he introduced a vicious system which was to become a fatal source of weakness.  This is known as the system of Appanages.  To his son Yaropolk he gave Kief, to Oleg the territory of the Drevlians, and to Vladimir Novgorod.  But as Vladimir quickly assassinated Yaropolk, who had already assassinated Oleg, the injurious results of the system were not directly felt!

Vladimir became the sole ruler.  He then started upon a course of unbridled profligacy.  He compelled the widow of his murdered brother to marry him—­then a beautiful Greek nun who had been captured from Byzantium—­then a Bulgarian and a Bohemian wife, until finally his household was numbered by hundreds.  But this sensual barbarian began to be conscious of a soul.  He was troubled, and revived the worship of the Slav gods; erected on the cliffs near Kief a new idol of Perun, with head of silver and beard of gold.  Two Scandinavian Christians were by his orders stabbed at the feet of the idol.  Still his soul was unsatisfied.  He determined upon a search for the best religion; sent ambassadors to examine into the religious beliefs of Mussulmans, Jews, Catholics, and the Greeks.  The splendor of the Greek ceremonial, the magnificence of the vestments, the incense, the music, and the presence of the Emperor and his court, filled the souls of the barbarians with awe—­and the final argument of his boyars (or nobles) put an end to doubts:  “If the Greek religion had not been the best, your grandmother Olga, the wisest of mortals, would not have adopted it.”

Vladimir’s choice was made.  He would be baptized in the faith of Olga.  But this must be done at the hand of the Greek Patriarch; so he would conquer baptism—­and ravish it like booty—­not beg for it.  He besieged and took a Greek city.  Then demanded the hand of Anna, sister of the Greek Caesar, threatening in case of refusal to march on Constantinople.  Consent was given upon condition of baptism, which was just what the barbarian wanted.  So he came back to Kief a Christian, bringing with him his new Greek wife, and his new baptismal name of Basil.

Amid the tears and fright of the people, the idols were torn down; Perun was flogged and thrown into the Dnieper.  Then the old pagan stream was consecrated, and men, women, and children, old and young, master and slave, were driven into the river, the Greek priests standing on the banks reading the baptismal service.  The frightened Novgorodians were in like manner forced to hurl Perun into the Volkhof, and then, like herded cattle, were driven into the stream to be baptized.  The work of Olga was completed—­Russia was Christianized (992)!