This year, 2015, Ukraine is marking 1000 years after the death of Volodymyr the Great, grand Prince of Kyiv. An outstanding ruler, he is one of the most famous figures in Ukrainian and European Middle Age history. With his efforts East Slavic tribes were united into Kyiv state, which started strengthening its power to become later a mighty empire with capital city of Kyiv - the centre of Eastern Slavic culture. Volodymyr the Great`s most significant deeds include Christianizing the country, the Kyiv Rus, in the year 988, which helped to overcome country`s political and cultural isolation, thus becoming the turning point in it`s history. During Volodymyr`s rule it occupied the highest positions among the countries of Byzantine community. The evidence for this was marriage of Volodymyr the Great with the Byzantine princess Anna, emperor Basil II's sister.

Volodymyr the Great was the first Rus prince to mint his own coins, also he started using trident as his personal emblem, which became later Ukrainian coat of arms. He discovered many new cities including Volodymyr, Pereyaslav and many others. For his wise rule he was vastly loved by people, they gave him the name Volodymyr Krasne Sonechko (the Fair Sun). Indeed, as the Ukrainian historian Mykhailo Hrushevsky said, Volodymyr the Great can truly be considered the “Father of Kyiv Rus”.  Canonized in the 13^th century, the prince has been perpetuated in monuments in Ukraine and abroad, banknotes and the names of the streets.

Marking the 1000 years from Volodymyr`s death, the exhibition is being held in Kyiv, it contains a lot of interesting display units telling  about Volodymyr`s life and his time, including a number of units, excavated during the recent exploration of the ancient Desiatynna Church substructure and surrounding territory (Church of the Tithes, built by Volodymyr). Except for the mentioned objects, which were kindly given by the Institute of Archeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, there are other objects given by National Museum of History of Ukraine: weapons, jewelry, home items of Scandinavian origin from the 10^th century armed force soldiers` burials, 4-7<sup>th</sup> century early Christian cult items, cult items of Syrian and Byzantine origin, crosses belonging to ancient Rus time, Volodymyr`s golden and silver coins, plinthite with trident (nowadays coat of arms of Ukraine), modern coins, orders and medals with a portrait of Volodymyr the Great.