Medal issued to commemorate the Millennium (988-1988) of the Baptism of Rus' (Крещение Руси) in Kiev in the river Dnieper. The Baptism of Russia here denotes the baptism of Holy Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich, his entourage and the population of the largest cities of Kievan Rus, as well as the measures taken by the princely authorities to create Christian churches and adopt Christianity as the official religion. The obverse is based on the painting Baptism of Kiev by Klavdy Vasiliyevich Lebedev (1852-1916).
Depicted on the reverse are the New Russian Martyrs, central among are Patriach Tikhon of Moscow (1865-1925) and Metropolitan Peter of Krutitsy (1862-1937). They pray before an altar table and a Russian Orthodox cross. Their prayer reads: "Holy New Martyrs of Russia, pray to God for us.
СВЯТЫЕ ПОКОМУЧЕНИКИ
РОССІЙСКІЕ МОЛИТЕ
КОГДО НАСЪ