the Bible was
taught in the Slav language. At first the people objected to send
their children, because they looked upon reading and writing as magic.
But Vladimir had persuasive ways, and was not likely to be deterred by
such opposition. Nestor admired him very much. He says that Vladimir
was a different man after he had been converted; that he was so afraid
of committing a sin, that he hesitated to inflict capital punishment,
until the bishop reminded him that crime must be punished. He also
divided his income among the churches, and thus became the Saint (p. 044)
Vladimir of Russia. Popular ballads keep alive the memory of the first
Christian prince. He is often mentioned in them as "The Beautiful Sun"
of Kief.

It cannot be supposed that the Russian people were converted at once
into good Christians by Vladimir's forceful method. Several centuries
were to pass away before the peasants could be induced to part with
their heathen customs. The priests preferred to let them remain under
a Christian name. There is something mystic in the Slav character. He
nurses the belief in magicians and sorcerers, which has never been
uprooted. It is seen at present in the worship of the _eikon_ or
saint's image.

Vladimir died in 1015. He, too, divided Russia among his numerous
sons. One of them, Iaroslaf, received Novgorod, where he began to
interfere with the rights of the people. A deputation of leading
citizens came to him with a protest. He ordered their arrest and
condemned them to death. Meanwhile Vladimir's other heirs had indulged
in the usual quarrels and wars, until it seemed as if Sviatopolk, a
nephew, would become the sole ruler. Iaroslaf then called the
principal people of Novgorod together, and threw himself upon their
generosity. They forgave him and promised their support. They kept
their word, and after a long and bloody war he entered Kief as his
father's successor.

Iaroslaf was unfortunate in a war with the Byzantine Empire. The
Russian fleet was badly defeated in the Bosphorus; 8,000 men were
killed, and 800 prisoners were taken to Constantinople.

Of greater importance was Iaroslaf's work at home. He built (p. 045)
churches and monasteries; St. Sophia church was the pride of Kief; the
monastery of The Catacombs still draws pilgrims from all parts of
Russia. Kief became known as "the city of four hundred churches." He
also founded a school for three hundred boys at Novgorod, thereby
showing that