Russian Orthodox Church

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/russian-orthodox-church

1. What is the date of christianization?
2. What is the architectural hallmarks?
3. Why does the Russian Orthodox Church have so many icons?
4. How did the Russian Orthodox Church survive when the Soviet government was against religion?

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the date of christianization?988 AD, under Grand Prince Vladimir I of Kyiv
2. What is the architectural hallmarks?Onion domes (symbolizing heaven), iconostasis, and frescoes
3. Why does the Russian Orthodox Church have so many icons?Icons are pictures that help people pray and remember God. They are an important part of worship and art in the church.
4. How did the Russian Orthodox Church survive when the Soviet government was against religion?Even when churches were closed and priests were punished, the church kept praying secretly and became a symbol of hope for many people.

Autocephalous: Self-governing, independent within the Eastern Orthodox communion.
Byzantine Christianity: The form of Christianity originating from the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire.
Conciliarity: The principle that church decisions are made through councils of bishops, not by a single authority.