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Vladimir was the King of Bulgaria from 889 to 893.
He became the king in 889, when his father Boris-Mikhail I
decided to retire to a monastery, after ruling for 36 years. According to some authors, the reason for this decision was purely
religious, while according to others, the former khan was befallen by a disease.
The oldest of Michail's sons - Rasatte, or Vladimir was appointed to become the new king. Vladimir-Rasatte did not enjoy the
popularity his father had. In 892 AD he signed a treaty with the German king Arnulf of Carinthia against Great Moravia, and
indirectly against the Byzantine Empire. This was a serious
straying from the pro-Bysantian policy of the country in the previous 30 years. Another unpopular act was Vladimir’s
attempt to restore the pagan cults in the country and forbid Christianity. These actions lead to a widespread discontent among both commoners and nobility.
Vladimir did not have the opportunity to continue his policies, due to the fact that his father emerged from the monastery,
and assumed the throne for a second time. In the meantime, Boris-Michail ordered his son be captured and blinded, as a punishment
for his heretical deeds. After the sentence was carried out, Boris-Michail appointed his third son, Simeon to be the new tsar.
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