Kievan Rus convert to Catholicism

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.
 
Kievan Rus' was highly dependent on the Black Sea trade routes with the Byzantine Empire. The trade routes up the Russian rivers were instrumental in the formation of the Kievan state, and this mercantile exchange initiated great Byzantine influence in state structure, culture, etc. The adoption of Orthodox Christianity was a result of this process, and can't be explained by the traditional story of Vladimir's conversion.

Constantinople will always exert the greatest influence on Rus'. The Russian trade routes ensure that this will be the case. With an early enough POD you could destroy the Byzantine Empire but that would have to predate the foundation of Kievan Rus' (and would probably inhibit the formation of a similar state anyway).
 

MSZ

Banned
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.
 
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.
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.

And one more effect of 'Kievan Rus convert to Catholicism': when Russia became nearly the only independent orthodox christian state in the world it felt like the only one righteous in the world of infidels.

So the Russians developed mentality of 'besieged castle' and some messianism. These would be butterflied away as well.
 
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.

It's not so simple. The two churches were united at that point, and conversion to "Orthodoxy" was more a matter of geography. It's more than likely that even if they had been converted by "Latin," "Catholics," in time they'd end up resembling the "Orthodox," anyway.
 

yourworstnightmare

Banned
Donor
The problem with Catholicism is that Rus was far from any Catholic powerhouses at the time, and the religious policy had to give Rus a strong alliance. Thus conversion to Greek Orthodoxy made sense since it gave Rus an alliance with the Roman Empire. Both Islam and Judaism would make more sense than Catholicism since they'd both give the Rus regional allies (Volga Bulgars and Khazars).
 
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 thread
 
The conversion was for the economic and political factors already mentioned by others in this thread

Why the Rus converted to Orthodoxy is not in dispute. It is so obvious. The closest country with most economic ties and international political prestige and ancient fame.

The issue is about other religions, namely Catholicism.

I am making kind of calculation of chances Rus choose religions at that period. Probability:

Orthodox Christianity - 80%
Islam - 10%
Catholicism - 5%
Old Russian (Slav) pagan religion(s) thoroughly reformed - 5%
Judaism - 0,01%
Buddhism - 0,001%
Zoroastrianism - 0,0000001%
Maya religion - 0,0000000000000000000000000001% :D (too far, too few economic relations)

ChacDresden.jpg
 
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