…his older brother Samsam al-Dawla escapes from…

Vladimir, returning to Kiev in triumph, orders the conversion of the Rus' to Constantinople’s form of Christianity in 989.

Requiring his subjects to undergo baptism, he destroys pagan monuments and initiates the establishment of many churches, starting in 989 with the splendid Church of the Tithes, designed by Greek architects as the first stone church in Kiev.

Originally named the "Church of Our Lady", in honor of the Dormition of the Theotokos, Vladimir has set aside a tithe of his income to finance the church construction, which gives the church its popular name.

Vladimir also founds monasteries on Mt.

Athos in Greece.

The basilica known as the Hagia Sophia had suffered damage, first by a great fire in 859, and again by an earthquake on January 8, 869, that had caused the collapse of a half-dome.

Emperor Basil I had ordered the church to be repaired.

After the great earthquake of October 25, 989, which ruins the great dome of Hagia Sophia, Emperor Basil II asks for the Armenian architect Trdat, creator of the great churches of Ani and Agine, to repair the dome.

His main repairs are to the western arch and a portion of the dome.

The extent of the church's destruction means that reconstruction will last six years; the church will be reopened on May 13, 994.

Sharaf al-Dawla, now senior Buyid amir, next plans to subdue the Kurd Badr ibn Hasanwaih, who had taken over Diyarbakr during Samsam al-Dawla's reign and is an ally of Fakhr al-Dawla.

The campaign fails, and not long afterwards Sharaf al-Dawla dies, either in 988 or 989.

He had managed to mostly preserve 'Adud al-Dawla's empire, but …

…the Buyids of Rey under Fakhr al-Dawla have become effectively independent.

He is succeeded by his brother Baha' al-Dawla, but …

…Kerman and …

…Khuzestan.

Bardas Phokas proceeds to lay siege to Abydos in Phrygia, thus threatening to blockade the Dardanelles.

At this point Basil obtains timely aid, in the shape of Varangian mercenaries, from his newly acquired brother-in-law Prince Vladimir of Kiev, and marches to Abydos.

The two armies are facing each other on April 13, 989 when Basil gallops forward, seeking a personal combat with Phokas, who is riding in front of the lines.

Phokas, just as he prepares to face him, falls from his horse and is found to be dead.

His head is cut off and brought to Basil.

This ends the rebellion.

Certain of the Scandinavian soldiers lent by Vladimir remain in Basil’s service, forming the famous imperial Varangian guard.

The Bulgarian troops have penetrated deep into imperial territory by 989 and seized many fortresses, including such important cities as Veria and …

…Servia.

In the south, …

…the Bulgarians march throughout Epirus and in the west they seize the area of modern Durrës (medieval Dyrrhachium or Drach) on the Adriatic Sea.