Prince Boris I

Prince Boris I was a Bulgarian ruler who reigned from 852 to 889. He succeeded in converting the population of the Bulgarian state and establishing Christianity as the common religion of all his subjects. He was a son of Khan Presian and belonged to Khan Krum’s dynasty. Historical accounts provide no further information about Boris I’s life before he assumed power in the Bulgarian state. He was probably influenced not only by his father, Khan Presian, who had halted the persecution of Christians, but also by his sister, whose name remains unknown. According to historical accounts, she spent a long time in Constantinople as a hostage and was baptised there. Tradition relates that, after his conversion, Boris I devoted himself to spiritual life. During the day he appeared before the population in his royal guise, but in the evening he spent his time praying in church. In 889, he abdicated and became a monk in the Monastery of St Panteleimon near the new capital, Preslav. He died on 2 May 907.

As soon as he assumed the government of the Bulgarian state in 852, Boris I recognised the need to adopt Christianity as the common religion of the Bulgarian population. This would allow power to be centralised in the ruler’s hands and bring Bulgaria into Europe’s material and spiritual culture. After the deaths of the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius, Boris welcomed their disciples. Two centres of learning and culture were established, at Ohrid and Preslav, supporting Bulgarian spiritual development and education.

Boris I’s foreign policy included several unsuccessful military conflicts with Byzantium, Croatia and the Kingdom of East Francia. His reign was predominantly peaceful, without ambitions to expand Bulgaria’s borders. Initially, Boris allied himself with the German king Louis II the German. Later, in order to break this alliance, Byzantium, together with Croatia and Great Moravia, attacked Bulgaria. The battle ended in defeat for the Bulgarian ruler, who was compelled to end his alliance with the German kingdom and accept Eastern Orthodox Christianity from the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

The question of the Bulgarian Church’s independence after the conversion also remained unresolved for a long time. Boris I initially negotiated with Pope Nicholas I in Rome. A papal delegation was sent in response, but its mission was unsuccessful. Negotiations continued with Pope Adrian II, who also insisted that a member of the Roman clergy be ordained Bulgarian archbishop. The issue of the Bulgarian Church was finally settled at the Photian Council in Constantinople on 24 December 879. It decided that the Church of Constantinople would no longer ordain clergy in Bulgaria, effectively making the Bulgarian Church autocephalous, or independent. Joseph I, archbishop and first patriarch of Bulgaria, was placed at its head.