06/19/2025

The first mention of the powerful KYIV STATE is contained in the “Brussels Chronicle”, published in 1894 by the Belgian archaeologist and historian Franz Cumont. In it, in particular, we read that on the evening of June 18, 860, about 200 Rus’ ships, on which, according to various sources, there were from 5 to 8 thousand people, led by Prince Askold, came from Kyiv to the shores of the Bosphorus. Our prominent historian Mykhailo Hrushevsky wrote about this event as follows:

“The campaign took place in the summer of 860; in a recently discovered Byzantine chronicle it is dated June 18. Rus managed to plunder the outskirts of Constantinople, destroy the suburbs, and bring great fear to the city itself…”

The significance of the events of 860 is emphasized by another well-known historian, Mykhailo Braichevsky, who claims that Askold was the first to officially adopt Christianity and baptize Rus’ in 860. He argues that the campaign of the Kievan prince Askold in 860 is a kind of “triumph of Rus’,” because Byzantium, having concluded a peace treaty, had to reckon with the young Kievan state from then on. So the conversion of Rus’ to Christianity occurred long before Prince Volodymyr, and in 988 it received the status of a state religion.

The chronicler Nestor also believes that Askold’s expedition to Constantinople is the beginning of ancient Ukrainian history:

“That is why we will begin (the story) from this time and set a number (the number of years).”

I would also like to remind you that on June 27, 2013, on the occasion of the 1025th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus’~Ukraine, the Local Council of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate canonized and canonized Prince Askold-Nicholas as a righteous prince and martyr. Moreover, it proclaimed him the First Martyr.

That is why there is every reason to believe that Prince Askold was the founder and first consecrator of the Kyivan state, which began the history of the statehood of Ukraine. Therefore, the first mention of it in connection with the events of June 18, 860, legitimizes the current age of Ukraine at least 1,165 years.

Given this, it is appropriate to officially determine the date of the beginning of the history of our statehood as 860, not 988.

Let’s remember our history!

P.S.

More information about the history of the creation of the Kievan state and Prince Askold can be found in my book “The Alphabet of a Citizen of Ukraine”.

https://news.obozrevatel.com/ukr/society/ukrainskij-derzhavnosti-nini-schonajmenshe-1-165-rokiv-pro-zasnovnika-i-pershosvyatitelya-kiivskoi-derzhavi-knyazya-askolda.htm