ABSTRACT
Striving after goodness awakens in human beings as soon as they become conscious of their moral weakness. When this striving after purity and holiness encompasses a whole people, it (the people) becomes the bearer and defender of an idea, an idea that is so strong and noble that it necessarily has significant consequences for the whole course of world history. In 988 the Christianization of Russia led by Prince Vladimir gave birth to a centralization: common belief, common holy things, and common understanding of the goal and meaning of human existence. This chapter emphasizes that the distinctive principles which appeared in the cited documents are in no way outdated but in recent times are being more honored. Russia survived the Revolution and the frightful patricidal Civil War, the awful mass repression, and the terror of collectivization, and nevertheless endured the battlefield strife of the Second World War through miracles of heroism and bravery was able to save its Western allies.
