Anna Porphyrogenita

Anna Porphyrogenita
Grand Princess of Kievan Rus
Reign	989–1011
Born	March 13 963 Constantinople, purple chamber of the Byzantine Emperor's Palace.
Died	1011
Spouse	Vladimir the Great of Kiev
House	Macedonian dynasty
Father	Byzantine Emperor Romanos II
Mother	Theophano

Anna Porphyrogenita (Greek: Άννα Πορφυρογέννητη, Russian: Анна Византийская, Ukrainian: Анна Порфірогенета; 13 March 963 – 1011) was a Grand Princess consort of Kiev; she was married to Grand Prince Vladimir the Great.^[1]

Anna was the daughter of Byzantine Emperor Romanos II and the Empress Theophano. She was also the sister of Emperors Basil II Bulgaroktonos (The Bulgar-Slayer) and Constantine VIII. Anna was a Porphyrogenita, a legitimate daughter born in the special purple chamber of the Byzantine Emperor's Palace. Anna's hand was considered such a prize that some theorize that Vladimir became Christian just to marry her.^[2]

Anna did not wish to marry Vladimir and expressed deep distress on her way to her wedding. Grand Prince Vladimir was impressed by Byzantine religious practices, this factor, along with his marriage to Anna led to his decision to convert to Eastern Christianity. Due to these two factors, Grand Prince Vladimir also began Christianizing his kingdom. By marriage to Grand Prince Vladimir, Anna became Grand Princess of Kiev, but in practice, she was referred to as Queen or Czarina, probably as a sign of her membership of the Imperial Byzantine House. Anna participated actively in the Christianization of Rus: she acted as the religious adviser of Vladimir and founded a few convents and churches herself. It is not known whether she was the biological mother of any of Vladimir's children, although some scholars have pointed to evidence that she and Vladimir may have had as many as three children together.^[3]

See also

• Family life and children of Vladimir I

References

1. Reuter, Timothy; McKitterick, Rosamond (1995). The New Cambridge Medieval History: c. 900-c. 1024. Cambridge University Press. p. 597. ISBN 9780521364478.
2. Skylitzes, John; Wortley, John (2010). A Synopsis of Byzantine History, 811-1057. Cambridge University Press. p. 319 (footnote). ISBN 9780521767057.
3. Shepherd, Jonathan (2003). "Marriages Towards the Millennium". In Magdalino, Paul. Byzantium in the Year 1000. BRILL. pp. 25–26. ISBN 9789004120976. Retrieved January 27, 2013.