Moscow, July 28./TASS/. Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill led the Holy Cross Procession to the Monument to Vladimir the Great on Moscow’s central Borovitskaya Square after a prayer service at the Kremlin’s Assumption Cathedral earlier on Sunday.

Prince Vladimir [b. circa 960, d. 1015], the ruler of Novogorod from 970 through 988 and of Kiev from 988 through 1015, who brought the Orthodox Christian faith from Constantinople to Kiev, was canonized as an equal to the Apostles. Tradition based on olden Russian chronicles suggest the baptism took place in 988.

The Orthodox communities around the world mark Day of Christianization of Rus on July 28.