Changes

The adoption of the Byzantine version of Christianity, by Grand Prince Vladimir, was revolutionary. Grand Prince Vladimir and his successors, especially Yaroslav the Wise modeled their church on that of that in the Byzantine Empire. Its hierarchy and organization were identical to that of Byzantium and so too was its theology and rituals. It should be noted that Christianity did not supplant paganism but often integrated it into its religious calendar and festivities.<ref>Billington, James. Icon and Axe: An Interpretative History of Russian Culture. (London, Vintage, 2010),p. 101</ref>.  Following to the conversion of Vladimir, churches, and monasteries began to develop and soon became very important landowners and a dominant force in Russian society. The teachings of the Orthodox Church over time became very influential and began to change society, for instance, they helped to improve the status of women. <ref>Angold, Michael. The Byzantine Empire, 1025-1204: a political history (New York, Longman Publishing Group, 1997), p 118</ref>. The Orthodox Church in Russia, following the example of the Byzantine Church, saw itself as distinct from Latin Christianity, which it viewed as heretical.<ref> Shepard, J. The expansion of Orthodox Europe: Byzantium, the Balkans and Russia (London, Routledge, 2017), p 116</ref> This was to result in Russia remaining outside the influence of Europe for many centuries, in a conscious effort to preserve the purity of its religion which they held was the only orthodox form of Christianity. It also ensured that the Russian Church, closely related to Byzantine practices and beliefs, became central to Russian national identity