Well, I don't see how this could butterfly away the Great Eastern Schism. This issue was decided in Rome and in Constantinople. Russia does not have much to do with it.Conversion of the Rus to Catholicism butterflies away the Great Eastern Schism, which in turn led to the division between West and East slavs for one thing. It propably butterflies away the use of the Cyryllic Alphabet as well, brings the Rus closer culturally to Poland and Bohemia, possibly moves the bulk of the trade conducted by the ruthenian principalities from the Black Sea to Poland and the Baltic Sea, further upping the chances of Ruthenia "Westernizing" very early.
Essentially what might happen if instead of converting to Orthodox Christianity the Rus instead converted to Roman Catholicism. I am not sure how to achieve this, maybe the Hagia Sophia isn't as beautiful, or the observers don't decide the Catholic Church is dull.
That story was likely apocryphal and probably did not happen. I am taking a class on this currently and that is the view of the Professor. The conversion was for the economic and political factors already mentioned by others in this threadEssentially what might happen if instead of converting to Orthodox Christianity the Rus instead converted to Roman Catholicism. I am not sure how to achieve this, maybe the Hagia Sophia isn't as beautiful, or the observers don't decide the Catholic Church is dull.
The conversion was for the economic and political factors already mentioned by others in this thread