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* VLADIMIR. 196 VLADIVOSTOK. china clay are the principal minerals. The climate is colder than that of .Moscow. A considerable part of the government is still under forest. The soil i.s largely stony and clayey, and the domestic output of grain is sufficient only to satisfy in part the demand. In manufacturing, however, Vladimir occupies a prominent position among the governments of Russia. Next to iloscow it is the largest centre of the textile industries in the country. In 1898 there were in the government 1347 establishments, employing over 200,000 per- sons, with an output of about .$140,000,000, of which textiles (chielly cotton and linen) repre- sented over $120,000,000. The household indus- tries produce cotton and silk goods, woodenware, metal articles, pottery, and icons. Local artisans migrate to other parts of Russia, and peddlers from Vladimir penetrate even as far as Austria and Siberia. Population, in 1897, 1,570,733, al- most exclusively Russian. VLADIMIR. The capital of the Government of Vladimir, in Central Russia, situated on the Klyazma. 114 miles cast-northeast of Moscow (Map: Russia, F 3). It is an ancient town in a sad state of decline. It still has i-enniants of its former splendor, such as the Golden Gate, the Uspensky Cathedral (twelfth century), which is the burial place of the Princes of Vladimir, the Dmitrievsky Cathedral, and a number of ancient monasteries. Population, in 1897, 28.300. The prominence of Vladimir dates from the twelfth century, when Andrew Bogolyubsky made it the capital of the Grand Principality of Vladimir, known also as Suzdal. It attained great prominence and was the seat of a metropoli- tan. In the fourteenth century it began to decline, and with the absorption of the grand principality by Moscow entirely lost its impor- tance. VLADIMIR. The name of several Russian princes. — Vl.mjimik I., the Cireat or the Saint, the first Christian sovereign of Russia, ruled from 980 to 1015. The facts of his life must be gleaned from the sagas, and are subject to doubt. The account generally accepted is as follows: After the death of his brothers he became ruler of all Russia, and by conquest he increased his territory very greatly. Russia at this time was an ill-compacted empire: the various Slavic tribes which dwelt within its boundaries acknowledged the sovereignty of the Russian princes solely by the payment of tril)ute. and that only when the princes -were |iow(rful enniigli to enforce it. Vladimir sought to increase the central autliority. Many of his subjects were Greek Christians, his mother, Olga, had become one, and he wished to be allied with the Byzantine Im- perial family, and for these and other reasons resolved to adopt Greek Cliristianity. He first made an attack upon the Byzantine lOmpire. then sent an embassy to Constantinople, promising peace and liis conversion, in exchange for the hand of Anna, the sister of Constantine IX., threatening war in ease of refusal. TTis demands were gladly comi)licd with, and after his mar- riage and ba])lism at Kherson in 988, he returiicil to Kiev, destroyed all his idols, and commanded his subjects to be baptized. Churches were built, •schools established, capital punishment was sup- planted by fines, and excessive lenity shown to all criminal. lie riled .Iwlv 15, 1015. The Russian Church has decreed him the epithets of 'saint' and "equal of the Apostles.' The Order of Vladi- mir was founded in his honor by Catharine II. (q.v. ) in 1782, and the University of Kiev was also named for him. — Vladimir II. (1053-1125), surnamed Monomachls. the great-grandson of the preceding, was Grand Prince of Kiev from 1113 to 1125. In his youth he led a band of auxiliaries to join ISoleslas II. of Poland in the wars with Bohemia, gaining such renown that on his return he was ranked at the head of Russian warriors. Vladimir's father succeeded to the Grand Principality of Kiev (1078), and Vladimir wrested from their lawful possessors Smolensk, Tchernigov, and Novgorod ; though some years afterwards his cousin Oleg, the dis- possessed Prince of Tchernigov, with the aid of the Polovtzes (a Turkic nation which was at that time the terror of the Russians), re- covered his dominion. Vladimir, having subse (|uently routed the Polovtzes in several engage- ments, became so popular that in 1113 he was chosen Grand Prince of Kiev, and for twelve years he displayed his eminent qualities as a ruler and a warrior. Jlost of Vladimir's fame, however, rests on his writings, which present an interesting picture of the internal life of Russia at the beginning of the twelfth century. Vladi- mir's mother was a daughter of the Byzan- tine Emperor. Constantine Monomachus; and Alexis Comnenus, who wished to Ix; on good terms with his powerful northern neighbor, is said to have sent him the crown, sceptre, and sword of his grandfather, which are still shown as such, and which are employed in the coro- nation of the Czar. Consult Rambaud, Bislory of Russia, vol. i. (Boston. 1880). VLADIMIR - VOLHYNSK, vo-linsk'. An ancient town in the Government of Volhynia, Russia, situated on a tributary of the Bug. 210 miles west-northwest of Zhitomir. The Church of Mstislav, originally erected in the twelfth century, has been rebuilt several times. The town is mentioned by Nestor (q.v.) in 988. and judging from the writings of contemporary chron- iclers as well as from existing remains, it was .1 place of considerable prominence and splendor as the chief town of Volhynia. Population, in 1807, 9095. mostly Jews. VLADISLAV, vla'dis-lav. The name of sev- eral I'oli-h kings. See Ladlslas. VLADIVOSTOK, v!a'dye-v6s-t6k'. The capi- tal of the Mariliine Province of Siberia, and the chief Russian commercial :iiid naval port on the Pacific, situated at the southern end of the .Muravieflf-Amursky Peninsula and on the Golden Horn (Map: Asia. N 4). The harbor is spacious, safe, and ice-free for nine months in the year. The mean annual temperature is somewhat over 40°. The town is well built. The commerce is very important and is largely in the hands of the Chinese. The imports consist principally of man- ufactures, and the exports of raw materials. Population, in 1880. 7300: in 1897. 2S.S9r.: in 1901, 38,000. of whom 24.700 were military. SOOO Chinese, 2300 Japanese, and 2200 Korean. Vladivostok was founded as n military po^^t in 1802 and was declared a free port in 187."?. It ruse raiiidly, and has been strongly fortified. Its posi- tion as the eastern terminus of the Trans-Siberian itailway greatly adds to its iniportance, but the