Fall of a Pagan, Rise of a Saint

How a pagan king turned Christian changed the religious histories of Russia forever. .
             To answer the questions asked one must look back to a time before Vladimir of Kiev. Decades in fact to a time well before Vladimir, when Christianity first emerged as a powerful religion in Kiev. Which for the most part was believed to have begun with Vladimir's grandmother Olga of Kiev. Believed to have been married at a young age Olga spent many years at the side of Kiev's then pagan ruler Igor of Kiev. For years they ruled together till Igor's tragic death in 945. Olga and Igor's son Svaitoslav, Vladimir's fathers was only three at the time so he was unfit to rule Kiev. So in that absence Olga decided to take over as the ruler of Kiev, until her son came of age. For the years to fallow Olga would resist marrying again so that one day her son could take to the thrown like his father Igor had. This is when Olga look to convert to Christianity. In what is believed to be 957 Olga was baptized in Constantinople. In doing so she became the first Christian ruler of Kiev and be proclaimed saint Olga of Kiev. And as saint she began to spread the word of Christianity across her homeland, for years converting many of the people of Kiev. One of the most notable things about all her conversions was that of her inability to convert her very son. For by this time he had come to age and was the true ruler of Kiev even though due to his constant military campaigns he split leadership with his mother. But with this failure came some hope as because of the military campaigns Olga spent much time with her three grandchildren W.H Frere states "Her influence was greater over her grandson than over her own son"1. .
             The grandson in reference to Vladimir. For years Olga shifted her religious teachings to her three grandchildren. This in hopes of one day having a Christian rule who could make a difference in the nation in which she had ultimately failed to in her own son.