1895 AD., Nicholas II, 19th century bronze electrotype copy of a Medal on the Construction of St. Vladimir's Cathedral in Kiev in 1895, by V. Nikonov and M. Skudnov, cf. Diakov 1170.

Russian Empire, Nicholas II (1894-1917), 19th century bronze electrotype copy of a Medal on the Construction of St. Vladimir's Cathedral in Kiev in 1895, by V. Nikonov and M. Skudnov, dated (in Cyrillic) 1895 AD.,
Medal (ø 66-67 mm / 135 g), bronze electrotype copy, axes medal alignment ↑↑ (0°), plain smoothed edge, original dimensions: 68,06 mm ; 155,39 g.
Obv.: ... , Facing bust of Prince Vladimir, holding cross, with view of cathedral behind, legend around reading: "Saint Apostle-Like Prince Vladimir Teacher of the Russia".
Rev.: ... , front view of the Cathedral with date below (1862-1895), legend around reading: "Kievovladimirsky Cathedral Consecrated in the Reign of Sovereign Emperor Nicholas the Second, by the Grace of God Autocrat of all Russia".
cf. Diakov 1170 ; - Smirnow 1115 .

St Volodymyr's Cathedral (Ukrainian: Патріарший кафедральний собор св. Володимира, Patriarshiy kafedralniy sobor sv. Volodimira) is a cathedral in the centre of Kiev. It is one of the city's major landmarks and the mother cathedral of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kiev Patriarchy, one of two major Ukrainian Orthodox Churches.The cathedral was built to commemorate the 900 year celebration of the baptism of the Kievan Rus. The cathedral was completed in 1882, but the paintings adorning the church in 1896.

Vladimir Sviatoslavich the Great (Old East Slavic: Володимѣръ Свѧтославичь Volodimærù Svętoslavičì, Old Norse as Valdamarr Sveinaldsson, Russian: Влади́мир, Vladimir, Ukrainian: Володимир, Volodymyr, Belarusian: Уладзiмiр, Uladzimir; c. 958 – 15 July 1015, Berestove) was a prince of Novgorod, grand prince of Kiev, and ruler of Kievan Rus' from 980 to 1015.
Christianization of the Kievan Rus': The Primary Chronicle reports that in the year 987, after consultation with his boyars, Vladimir the Great sent envoys to study the religions of the various neighboring nations whose representatives had been urging him to embrace their respective faiths. The result is described by the chronicler Nestor. Of the Muslim Bulgarians of the Volga the envoys reported there is no gladness among them, only sorrow and a great stench. He also reported that Islam was undesirable due to its taboo against alcoholic beverages and pork. Vladimir remarked on the occasion: "Drinking is the joy of all Rus'. We cannot exist without that pleasure." Ukrainian and Russian sources also describe Vladimir consulting with Jewish envoys (who may or may not have been Khazars), and questioning them about their religion but ultimately rejecting it as well, saying that their loss of Jerusalem was evidence that they had been abandoned by God. His emissaries also visited Roman Catholic and Orthodox missionaries.[citation needed]. Ultimately Vladimir settled on Orthodox Christianity. In the churches of the Germans his emissaries saw no beauty; but at Constantinople, where the full festival ritual of the Byzantine Church was set in motion to impress them, they found their ideal: "We no longer knew whether we were in heaven or on earth," they reported, describing a majestic Divine Liturgy in Hagia Sophia, "nor such beauty, and we know not how to tell of it." If Vladimir was impressed by this account of his envoys, he was even more attracted by the political gains of the Byzantine alliance.