California Slavic Studies, Volume XVI

Christianity and the Eastern Slavs, Volume I: Slavic Cultures in the Middle Ages offers an in-depth exploration of the cultural and historical developments of Eastern Slavic societies under the influence of Christianity, starting from the Christianization of Kievan Rus' in 988. Edited by Boris Gasparov and Olga Raevsky-Hughes, this volume is part of the California Slavic Studies series and features scholarly essays based on international conferences commemorating the Christian millennium of Eastern Slavs. The book investigates the interplay between Christian tradition and the cultural, literary, and institutional frameworks of early Slavic societies, emphasizing the transformative impact of Orthodox Christianity on Russian, Ukrainian, and Belorussian national identities.

This volume covers a wide range of topics, including the adoption of Christianity, the use of Church Slavonic as a liturgical language, and the cultural paradigms established in the medieval period. Through a multidisciplinary lens, the essays provide insights into the formation of religious practices, linguistic traditions, and literary expression that shaped the identity and heritage of the Eastern Slavs. This comprehensive examination is invaluable for scholars of Slavic studies, medieval history, and the intersection of religion and culture in Eastern Europe.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1993.