The emperors, trembling before the approach of such a power, replied that they would not withhold from him the hand of the princess if he would first embrace Christianity.  Vlademer of course assented to this, which was the great object he had in view; but demanded that the princess, who was a sister of the emperors, should first be sent to him.  The unhappy maiden was overwhelmed with anguish at the reception of these tidings.  She regarded the pagan Russians as ferocious savages; and to be compelled to marry their chief was to her a doom more dreadful than death.

But policy, which is the religion of cabinets, demanded the sacrifice.  The princess, weeping in despair, was conducted, accompanied by the most distinguished ecclesiastics and nobles of the empire, to the camp of Vlademer, where she was received with the most gorgeous demonstrations of rejoicing.  The whole army expressed their gratification by all the utterances of triumph.  The ceremony of baptism was immediately performed in the church of St. Basil, in the city of Cherson, and then, at the same hour, the marriage rites with the princess were solemnized.  Vlademer ordered a large church to be built at Cherson in memory of his visit.  He then returned to Kief, taking with him some preachers of distinction; a communion service wrought in the most graceful proportions of Grecian art, and several exquisite specimens of statuary and sculpture, to inspire his subjects with a love for the beautiful.

He accepted the Christian teachers as his guides, and devoted himself with extraordinary zeal to the work of persuading all his subjects to renounce their idol-worship and accept Christianity.  Every measure was adopted to throw contempt upon paganism.  The idols were collected and burned in huge bonfires.  The sacred statue of Peroune, the most illustrious of the pagan Gods, was dragged ignominiously through the streets, pelted with mud and scourged with whips, until at last, battered and defaced, it was dragged to the top of a precipice and tumbled headlong into the river, amidst the derision and hootings of the multitude.

Our zealous new convert now issued a decree to all the people of Russia, rich and poor, lords and slaves, to repair to the river in the vicinity of Kief to be baptized.  At an appointed day the people assembled by thousands on the banks of the Dnieper.  Vlademer at length appeared, accompanied by a great number of Greek priests.  The signal being given, the whole multitude, men, women and children, waded slowly into the stream.  Some boldly advanced out up to their necks in the water; others, more timid, ventured only waist deep.  Fathers and mothers led their children by the hand.  The priests, standing upon the shore, read the baptismal prayers, and chaunted the praises of God, and then conferred the name of Christians upon these barbarians.  The multitude then came up from the water.

Vlademer was in a transport of joy.  His strange soul was not insensible to the sublimity of the hour and of the scene.  Raising his eyes to heaven he uttered the following prayer: