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One of the most revered ancient Russian princes- Prince Yaroslav the Wise, son of the great (Baptist). He received the nickname “Wise” for his love of education and the creation of the first code of laws known in Rus', later called “Russian Truth”.

He is also the father, uncle and grandfather of many European rulers. At baptism, Yaroslav received the name George (or Yuri). The Russian Orthodox Church reveres him as a faithful believer and even included the day of his memory in the calendar. In a leap year it is March 4th, and in a normal year it is March 5th.

Childhood and youth

The date of birth of Yaroslav Vladimirovich is still debated today. But most historians and scientists are inclined to believe that the prince was born in 978, although no one is completely sure of this. His birthday is even more unknown.

His parents were Vladimir Svyatoslavovich, who belonged to the Rurik family, and the Polotsk princess. Although there is no agreement here either. For example, the famous historian Nikolai Kostomarov doubted that Rogneda was Yaroslav’s mother. And his French colleague Arrignon even believed that the Byzantine princess Anna gave birth to the prince. Allegedly, this circumstance explains his intervention in internal Byzantine affairs in 1043.

But for the sake of fairness, it is worth noting that the rest of the historians are inclined to consider Rogneda to be the woman who gave birth to the most famous of the ancient Russian princes.

All four offspring born in marriage with Rogneda, Izyaslav, Mstislav, Yaroslav and Vsevolod, Grand Duke Vladimir sent princes to different cities. Yaroslav got Rostov. But since the boy was barely 9 years old, a breadwinner and governor Budy was assigned to him (in other sources of Buda). Later, when the matured Prince Yaroslav the Wise began to rule Novgorod, the breadwinner and mentor turned into his closest ally.

Governing body

This period is in the nature of traditions and legends. The time of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, as well as the personality himself, is tended to be idealized by some historians, and demonized by others. The truth, as usual, is somewhere in the middle.

The reign of Novgorod had more than high status than the management of Rostov. And yet, the Novgorod ruler had a subordinate status in relation to the Kyiv ruler, that is, Vladimir. Therefore, Prince Yaroslav the Wise mandatory Every year he paid his father 2/3 of the tribute collected from the Novgorod lands. It was the amount of 2 thousand hryvnia. 1 thousand remained for the maintenance of the nobleman himself and his squad. It must be said that its size was only slightly inferior to Vladimir’s squad.

Probably, it was precisely this circumstance that prompted the son to rebel and in 1014 refuse to pay a huge tribute to his father. The Novgorodians supported their mayor, as there is information about in the surviving chronicles. Vladimir became angry and began to prepare a campaign to pacify the rebels. But at that time he was advanced in age. Soon he fell ill and died suddenly, without punishing his son.

The place of his father was taken by the eldest son, Svyatopolk the Accursed. To protect himself and keep power in his hands, he destroyed three brothers: Boris, whom the people of Kiev especially loved, Gleb and Svyatoslav. The same fate awaited the Novgorod mayor. But he managed to defeat Svyatopolk in the bloody battle of Lyubech and in 1016 entered Kyiv.

The fragile truce between the brothers who divided Kyiv along the Dnieper from time to time passed into a “hot” stage. But in 1019 Svyatopolk died, and Yaroslav the Wise began undivided rule of the Kyiv throne.

The great merit of Prince Yaroslav the Wise was the victory over the Pechenegs. This happened in 1036. As the chronicles say, the city was besieged by nomads during the period when the ruler went to Novgorod, where he took part in the foundation of the temple. But having received news of the danger, he quickly returned and defeated the Pechenegs. From that moment on, their devastating and bloody raids on Rus' stopped for a while.

The “golden” time of Yaroslav the Wise began. After the victories won, the nobleman took up grandiose construction. At the site of the brilliant victory over the nomads, the St. Sophia Cathedral was founded. In many ways it was a copy of the cathedral in Constantinople. Decorated with magnificent frescoes and mosaics, the temple amazed its contemporaries with its beauty and delights the eye today.

The nobleman spared no expense on the church splendor and invited the best Greek craftsmen to decorate the cathedral. And the famous Golden Gate appeared in the city, which was repeated in Constantinople. The Church of the Annunciation grew above them.

Domestic and foreign policy

The ruler made considerable efforts to break the dependence of the Russian Orthodox Church on Byzantium, which dominated it. Therefore, in 1054, for the first time in the history of Rus', its church was headed by a Russian, and not a Greek, metropolitan. His name was Illarion.

The internal policy of Yaroslav the Wise was aimed at increasing the education of the people and eradicating the remnants of the pagan faith. Christian faith vaccinated with new strength. In this, the son continued the work of his great father, Vladimir the Baptist.

The son ordered the translation of Greek handwritten books into Slavic language. He himself loved to read and tried to instill a love of reading and education in his subordinates. The clergy began teaching children to read and write. A school for boys appeared in Novgorod, which accepted its first 300 students.

The number of books grew rapidly and book wisdom became a kind of fashion of the time. It became prestigious to be enlightened.

The Tale of Bygone Years talks about a certain collection of books and documents, which is usually called the Library of Yaroslav the Wise. Scientists talk about different quantities: from 500 to 950 volumes. According to some sources, the library was transferred by the prince (according to other sources - by his great-grandson) to the St. Sophia Cathedral.

Since ancient books that are a thousand years old have not been found, there are many hypotheses about where they could be stored. Some claim that these may be the dungeons of the St. Sophia Cathedral, others talk about the catacombs of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, and still others talk about the Vydubitsky Monastery. But there are also skeptics who believe that the priceless tomes could not have survived the devastating Polovtsian raids and fires.

Another version that has the right to exist is that the Library of Yaroslav the Wise became part of the no less legendary Library.

Prince Yaroslav the Wise stood at the origins of the appearance of the first Russian monasteries, including the main one - Kiev-Pechersk. The monastery not only made a huge contribution to the promotion and popularization of Christianity and Orthodoxy, but also played a huge role in enlightenment. After all, chronicles were compiled here and books were translated.

And at this wonderful time, “Russian Truth” by Yaroslav the Wise appeared. This is the first set of laws of Rus', which followers added and expanded.

Historians also highly appreciate the foreign policy of the nobleman, in which he also achieved enormous success. It seems that he was the first of the Russian princes to emphasize diplomacy rather than force of arms.

At that time, dynastic marriages were considered the main way to improve relations with other states. And since Kievan Rus During the reign of the Wise, it became an enlightened and strong state, and many rulers of European countries expressed a desire to “marry” with it.

The wife of Yaroslav the Wise was the daughter of King Olaf of Sweden, Ingigerda, who received the name Irina after baptism. From her father she inherited a rich dowry - the city of Aldeigaborg (later Ladoga). The lands adjacent to it were called Ingermanlandia (which translates as the lands of Ingigerda).

The prince's son, Vsevolod, married a Greek princess. Two more offspring are among the German princesses. Son Izyaslav married the sister of the Polish prince Casimir, and Casimir himself married the sister of the Wise, Dobrogneva.

The daughters of a Kyiv nobleman had similar dynastic marriages. Elizabeth was married to the Norwegian king Harald, Anastasia - to the Hungarian ruler Andrew. But the most famous and revered was the daughter Anna Yaroslavna, who became the wife of the French king Henry I. As a result of such a foreign policy, Prince Yaroslav the Wise found himself connected by ties of kinship with many powerful neighbors, near and far.

Founding of cities

Prince Yaroslav the Wise founded Yuryev. This happened in 1030, when he went on a campaign to Chud. A new city named after its angel appeared on the shore Lake Peipsi. Now it is called Tartu and is the second largest Estonian city after Tallinn.

Another city of Yaroslav the Wise is Yaroslavl, although some historians consider the fact of its founding by the prince not indisputable.

There is another Yuriev, which was founded by a prince. This city turned out to be at the same time a fortress that was part of the Poros defensive line. It was erected to protect Kyiv from nomads. In 1240, the Tatar-Mongols destroyed it, leaving only the ruins of the church. The city was reborn around it, receiving the name White church. It is still called that today.

Personal life

Many historians agree that Ingigerd’s wife, who became Irina after baptism, had a huge influence on her husband and left a noticeable mark on the history of Rus'. On the lands she inherited from her father, St. Petersburg was built in 1703.

In Kyiv, thanks to Princess Irina, the first convent. It was built at the Church of St. Irene. One of its columns “survived” until the mid-twentieth century. Now only the quiet Irininskaya Street reminds of the existence of the temple.

How it turned out personal life Yaroslav the Wise and Ingigerda-Irina - it’s hard to say today. What is known is that 6 sons and 3 daughters were born in her marriage. The wife shared the views of her husband and converted to his faith, doing a lot to promote it.

The great nobleman, it seems, was not handsome. A strongly protruding nose and the same chin, a sharply defined mouth and large eyes did not add to the attractiveness. He was also lame due to different lengths of his legs. According to one version - due to hip and knee joints damaged in battle, and according to another - due to hereditary Perthes disease.

There is a historical puzzle-riddle about which different historians have their own opinions. Some of them claim that Prince Yaroslav the Wise was married twice.

His first wife was allegedly a Norwegian, Anna. In this marriage even a son, Ilya, was born. But in 1018, he and his mother were captured by the Polish king Boleslav the Brave and taken to Poland forever. This version is allegedly confirmed by the fact that Anna's name appears in some chronicles.

But there are also opponents to this controversial version. They claim that everything is much simpler. Anna is the monastic name of Ingigerda-Irina. Allegedly, at the end of her life, she took monastic vows as a nun, taking this name for herself. In 1439, Archbishop Euthymius canonized Anna. She is considered heavenly patroness Novgorod.

It is noteworthy that Prince Yaroslav the Wise himself was canonized as a saint only in the 21st century.

Death

Prince Yaroslav the Wise spent the last years of his life in Vyshgorod. He died on the feast of the Triumph of Orthodoxy in the arms of one of his sons, Vsevolod, having outlived his wife by 4 years and his eldest son, Vladimir, by 2 years.

The date of the prince's death is considered to be February 20, 1054. He was buried in the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, in a 6-ton marble sarcophagus. Unfortunately, the remains of the great ruler disappeared. It is known that the sarcophagus was opened three times in the 20th century: in 1936, 1939 and 1964. And they did not always do it skillfully and conscientiously.

After the autopsy in 1939, the remains of Yaroslav the Wise were sent to Leningrad, where scientists from the Institute of Anthropology confirmed for the first time that one of the 3 skeletons (male, female and child) from the opened burial actually belonged to the prince. Using the found skull, anthropologist Mikhail Gerasimov was able to reconstruct the appearance of the ruler.

The remains were returned to Kyiv. But in 2009, the tomb was opened again and it was discovered that there were no remains of the oldest of the Rurikovichs. Two female skeletons were found at the site - one from the times of Kievan Rus, the second even older - from the Scythian period. The newspapers Izvestia and Pravda from 1964 were also found in the tomb.

Many historians and researchers are inclined to believe that the remains should be looked for in the USA. Allegedly, they were taken there in 1943, when German troops were retreating.

And the Polotsk princess Rogneda. Even in his youth, in 987, his father appointed him Prince of Rostov, and in 1010, after the death of Vysheslav, the eldest son of Vladimir Svyatoslavich, Yaroslav became Prince of Novgorod.

After the death of Prince Vladimir, a struggle began between the brothers for the Kiev throne. First, Kyiv was captured by Svyatopolk, killing his brothers, Prince Boris of Rostov, Gleb of Smolensk and Svyatolav of Drevlya. Having defeated Svyatopolk, Yaroslav had to fight with his brother Mstislav, the Tmutarakan prince. Mstislav won in this fight, but in 1036 he died, then the entire Russian land united in the hands of Yaroslav.

Yaroslav Vladimirovich the Wise was married to the daughter of the Swedish king Olav, Ingigerda. Old Russian chronicles mention two names of Yaroslav's wife, Irina and Anna. Apparently, Ingigerda received the name Irina at baptism, and she took the name Anna when she was tonsured as a nun.

During the reign of Yaroslav the Wise (1019-1054), Kievan Rus reached its peak and became one of the strongest states in Europe. To strengthen his possessions, Yaroslav the Wise built several new cities, Kyiv was surrounded stone wall, and the main city gate is called “Golden”.

The foreign policy of Yaroslav the Wise was worthy of a strong monarch and was aimed at strengthening the international authority of Rus'. He made several successful military campaigns against the Finnish peoples, the Principality of Lithuania, and Poland. In 1036, Yaroslav won the final victory over the Pechenegs, the most long-awaited victory for the fatherland. And on the site of the battle he built the Church of St. Sophia.

During the reign of Prince Yaroslav, the last clash between Rus' and Byzantium took place, as a result of which a peace treaty was signed, supported by a dynastic marriage. His son Vsevolod married the Greek princess Anna.

Dynastic marriages contributed to strengthening peace and friendship between states. Prince Yaroslav the Wise had three daughters and six sons. The eldest daughter Elizabeth was the wife of the Norwegian prince Harald. Yaroslav the Wise's second daughter Anna married the French king Henry I. Anastasia married the Hungarian king Andrew I. Three of Yaroslav the Wise's sons, Svyatoslav, Vyacheslav and Igor, were married to German princesses.

The internal policy of Yaroslav the Wise was aimed at increasing the literacy of the population. For this purpose, he built a school where boys were taught church work. Yaroslav cared about enlightenment, so he instructed the monks to translate and rewrite Greek books.

The activities of Yaroslav the Wise were very productive. He built many temples, churches, and monasteries. The first Metropolitan Hilarion, Russian by origin, was elected at the head of the church organization. With the construction of temples, architecture and painting appeared, and church tunes were adopted from Greece. Kievan Rus under Yaroslav the Wise was noticeably transformed.

To strengthen the influence of the church, the church tithe, previously introduced by Prince Vladimir, was renewed, i.e. a tenth of the tribute established by the princes was given to the needs of the church.

The reign of Yaroslav the Wise left its mark on the history of Russia with another great deed - the publication of "Russian Truth", the first collection of laws. In addition, under him, a set of church laws “Nomocanon” appeared, or in translation “The Helmsman’s Book”.

Thus, the reforms of Yaroslav the Wise covered a wide range of problems - political, religious, educational.

Yaroslav died in 1054 at the age of 76.

He received the nickname Wise for his love of books, the church, and for his godly deeds. Yaroslav did not acquire new lands with weapons, but returned what was lost in civil strife, and did a lot to strengthen the Russian state.

But Yaroslav was nicknamed the Wise only in the 60s of the 19th century. In those days he was called “Khromts”, because. Yaroslav was limping. In that era, it was believed that physical disability was a sign of special strength and intelligence. Chrome means wise. And perhaps “Wise” is an echo of the nickname “Lame,” and his actions only confirmed this.

Prince Yaroslav Vladimirovich is known to many under the nickname Wise, although only in the 19th century such a prefix was added to his name by the outstanding Russian historian Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin. However, he did this for a reason: during his reign, Yaroslav built new cities, under him monasteries appeared in Rus', he collected a grandiose library, and also published the first codes of laws. And yet, despite many commendable deeds, there is a lot in the prince’s biography that historians prefer to keep silent about.

The prince might not have been born

Yaroslav's parents were the baptist of Rus', Vladimir Svyatoslavich, and Rogneda, Princess of Polotsk, daughter of Prince Rogvolod of Polotsk. But, if you believe the Joachim Chronicle, Yaroslav might never have been born, since Vladimir once almost killed his wife. The fact is that Rogneda refused Vladimir, planning to marry his brother Yaropolk. But the prince did not tolerate refusal. He captured Polotsk, dishonored Rogneda in front of her parents, killed her father, mother and brothers, and then forcibly took the girl down the aisle (see “Secrets of the 20th Century,” No. 20). Rogneda spent a long time looking for a suitable opportunity to get even with her husband. And then one day, when the prince fell asleep, she wanted to use the knife. But the attempt failed - the prince opened his eyes and grabbed his wife’s hand. He would have hacked Rogneda to death, but then their first-born Izyaslav ran in at the mother’s cry.

If you want to kill her, cut me first! - the boy cried, shielding Rogneda with himself.

It saved her life. The time came - and she carried out the future ruler of the Russian land, Yaroslav.

Fight with a bear

In 988, Vladimir distributed the lands among his twelve sons. Yaroslav got Rostov. The young prince decided to settle not in the city itself, but founded a new settlement nearby - Yaroslavl. There is an interesting legend associated with its creation.
Its first version, recorded by Archbishop Samuil in 1771, says that one day Yaroslav’s squad, passing by the town of Medvezhy Ugol, saw a robbery of a merchant caravan. The prince saved the merchants and learned that pagans lived in these places, glorifying Veles. Yaroslav decided to baptize them. When he appeared with the priests, the rebellious pagans released a bear against him. But the prince did not flinch - he pulled out an ax and hacked the beast to death. Seeing this, the pagans bowed before the winner and agreed to accept Christianity. Yaroslav decided to build a new city on this site.
In 1820, Russian prose writer Pavel Yuryevich Lvov published another version of the legend. According to it, Christians lived on the site of the future Yaroslavl, and the bear sent by Veles terrorized them because they had renounced the faith of their ancestors. Yaroslav tracked down and killed the fierce beast.
However, both stories may be myths. Firstly, they were recorded quite late, in the 17th-19th centuries, and in earlier sources there is not a word about the bear. Secondly, the official date of birth of Yaroslav is considered to be 978, and at the time of the fight with the clubfoot, he was only ten years old. And yet, the coat of arms of Yaroslavl still features a bear holding an ax in its paws.

Bloody legacy

But on the way to the throne, Yaroslav had to face not mythical, but real opponents. And with his own relatives.
In the early 1010s, Vysheslav, who reigned in Novgorod, died, and Vladimir transferred the city to Yaroslav. In 1014, Yaroslav declared that he would no longer pay tribute to Kyiv. The fact is that the sons of Vladimir, although they ruled the lands, regularly allocated part of the profits to their father. Vladimir became angry and decided to teach his son a lesson. But he, having learned that his father was preparing to lead an army to Novgorod, gathered his own army - he called Varangian mercenaries from across the sea. It is unknown how the confrontation between father and son would have ended if Vladimir had not suddenly died in 1015.
After the death of the Grand Duke, a bloody struggle broke out between the brothers for the Kiev throne. The eldest of them, Svyatopolk, became the head of the state. According to one version, he took the throne by killing his brothers Boris, Gleb and Svyatoslav. According to another, Yaroslav himself killed them, and only blamed them on Svyatopolk. (More details about these events can be found in No. 24 of our newspaper.) One way or another, the main confrontation arose between Yaroslav and Svyatopolk.
The fight went on with varying degrees of success. Yaroslav led the army to Kyiv. Svyatopolk moved forward and fortified himself on the opposite bank of the Dnieper. The forces were equal, and Yaroslav did not dare to attack. For three months the brothers' armies camped on different banks. Frost has set in. Yaroslav understood that he could not hesitate any longer. And then he learns from his informant, one of Svyatopolk’s close associates, that the next night his brother’s squad is going to get drunk. Under cover of darkness, Yaroslav transported his army across the Dnieper and in the morning defeated the drunken army taken by surprise.
Yaroslav occupied Kyiv, but not for long. Soon Svyatopolk returned and, with the support of the Polish army, took the throne from his brother. Yaroslav was forced to retreat to Novgorod. Fearing that he would be pursued here too, he was going to flee overseas, to the Norwegian lands, but he didn’t have time: the Novgorod mayor Konstantin chopped up his boats, declaring:

We want to fight Svyatopolk!

The Varangians hired by Yaroslav did not want to fight for the prince anymore, since he deceived them by not paying the amount agreed upon when hiring. Then Constantine collected money from the Novgorodians and extended the contract with the Varangians. Yaroslav's army again moved towards Kyiv. Svyatopolk met him halfway this time too. True, his army was greatly weakened, since the prince quarreled with the Poles and lost their support. The brothers met at the Alta River. Yaroslav managed to defeat Svyatopolk and seize the throne of Kievan Rus.

Someone else's bride

In ancient times, the territory Leningrad region called Ingria. It would seem, where did such a foreign name come from on the original Russian soil? According to one version, this happened thanks to Yaroslav’s marriage to the Swedish princess Ingigerda, to whom the prince granted Ladoga and the surrounding lands as a wedding gift.
The marriage of Yaroslav and Ingigerda was exclusively political. The bride herself was in love with King Olaf II of Norway. Moreover, her father, the Swedish king, swore an oath to the Norwegian that he would marry his daughter to him. But when Olaf arrived at the wedding site, to his surprise, neither the bride nor her father were there. And then it turned out that Sweden’s plans had changed: the girl was given to Yaroslav. Olaf II himself was offered to marry Astrid, Ingigerda's half-sister. And yet, according to the Scandinavian “Eymund’s Saga”, the Norwegian king visited Novgorod, where he had a secret relationship with the wife of the Russian prince.

Earth - in half

In 1023, the army of Mstislav the Udal, another son of Vladimir, marched on Kyiv. It seemed unfair to him that Yaroslav rules all of Russia, while he has to be content with only Tmutarakan, one of the cities located on the territory of the present Krasnodar region. Yaroslav again called for help from the Varangian mercenaries, but Mstislav defeated his army and made a demand: “Sit down in your Kyiv: you are the elder brother, and let me have this side of the Dnieper.”
That's what they decided - they divided Rus' in half. True, Yaroslav, apparently, was afraid of his brother, since he preferred to live in Novgorod, and only after the death of Mstislav in 1036 he decided to move to Kyiv again. By that time, he still had one more competitor - Sudislav, who reigned in Pskov. Yaroslav did not wait for his brother to claim his rights to Rus', grabbed him and imprisoned him. After this, Yaroslav appropriated all the lands belonging to Mstislav and Sudislav and became the sole ruler of Rus'.

Wisdom

During his reign, Yaroslav built several cities in Rus', the most famous of which are Yaroslavl, Yuryev (now Tartu, Estonia), Yaroslav (in modern Poland), Yuryev (Belaya Tserkov) and Novgorod-Seversky (now in Ukraine). In 1031, the prince, together with Mstislav, went on a campaign against the Poles and returned the so-called Cherven cities lost due to the strife with Svyatopolk. In 1037, in honor of the victory over the Pechenegs, Yaroslav founded the still famous Hagia Sophia and the Golden Gate in Kyiv. Under Yaroslav, the first monasteries appeared in Rus' - the male Svyato-Yuryev in Veliky Novgorod and Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. Chroniclers noted the prince’s great love for books; it is known that he himself wrote many works. Information has been preserved about the great library of Yaroslav the Wise, which was kept for a long time in the dungeons of the St. Sophia Cathedral, and was subsequently lost. The prince is also famous for the creation of the first written laws of Rus' - the “Russian Truth” and the “Church Charter”.
Yaroslav reigned for 37 years and died in 1054. On his deathbed, he bequeathed to his sons: “Have love among yourselves, for you are all brothers. And if you live in love, God will be in you and will subdue your enemies. If you live in hatred, in strife and quarrels, you will perish yourself and destroy the land of your fathers and grandfathers...” And five years after the death of the prince, the heirs to the throne freed his brother Sudislav, who had spent 23 years in prison, “from the chopping block.” He received his freedom on the condition that he would never lay claim to the Kiev throne.

YAROSLAV THE WISE(c. 980-1054), Grand Duke of Kiev (1019). Son of Vladimir I Svyatoslavich. He expelled Svyatopolk I the Accursed, fought with his brother Mstislav, divided the state with him (1025), and united it again in 1035. With a series of victories he secured the southern and western borders of Rus'. Established dynastic ties with many European countries. It was under him that the Russian Truth was compiled.

YAROSLAV (George, Yuri) Vladimirovich the WISE (about 980 - February 20, 1054?), Grand Duke of Kiev (from 1019).

Origin. Family

Son of the great Prince of Kyiv Vladimir I Svyatoslavich and the Polotsk princess Rogneda. Married to the daughter of the Swedish king Olav, Ingigerda. Since ancient Russian sources mention two names of Yaroslav's wife - Irina and Anna, there is reason to believe that either Ingigerda, who received the name Irina at baptism, was one of Yaroslav's wives, or Irina-Ingigerda became a nun before her death, taking the monastic name Anna (under with this name she was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church as the first princess to take monastic vows before her death).

The first period of the life of Yaroslav the Wise was associated with the struggle for the Kiev throne. Upon reaching Yaroslav mature age his father made him the prince of Rostov, and around 1013, after the death of Vysheslav (the eldest son of Vladimir Svyatoslavich), Yaroslav became the prince of Novgorod. In 1014, Yaroslav's refusal to pay tribute to Kyiv angered his father and led to the order to prepare for a campaign against Novgorod. But on July 15, 1015, Vladimir Svyatoslavich died suddenly, not having time to carry out his plan.

Fight with brothers

According to the version of events reflected in the Tale of Bygone Years, the Kiev throne was seized by the Turov prince Svyatopolk I the Accursed, half-brother of Yaroslav Vladimirovich. Wanting to eliminate possible rivals, Svyatopolk kills his brothers, the princes of Rostov Boris, Gleb of Murom and Drevlyan Svyatoslav; tries to kill Yaroslav too, but his sister Predslav warns him in time about the danger. According to another version, it was not Svyatopolk, but Yaroslav, who was guilty of the blood of the brothers, which is confirmed by some Western European sources. Having secured the support of the Novgorodians, Yaroslav in December 1015, in the battle of Lyubech, defeated Svyatopolk and captured Kyiv.

But Svyatopolk did not accept defeat, and in 1018 he, together with his father-in-law, the Polish king Boleslav the Brave, invaded Rus'. This time, luck favored Svyatopolk, who managed to defeat Yaroslav in the Battle of the Bug and recapture Kyiv. Yaroslav fled to Novgorod, from where he intended to go to Scandinavia. But the Novgorodians cut down the prince's boats and forced Yaroslav to continue the fight. In the Battle of Alta in 1018, Svyatopolk suffered a crushing defeat, and Yaroslav reoccupied Kyiv.

After the victory over Svyatopolk, Yaroslav began a fight with his other brother, the Tmutarakan prince Mstislav, who also laid claim to the Kiev throne. In the battle of Listven in 1024, victory was on the side of Mstislav, but he allowed Yaroslav to reign in Kyiv. Nevertheless, Yaroslav did not dare to accept his brother’s offer and continued to remain in Novgorod, sending his mayors to Kyiv. In 1025, according to the peace treaty concluded at Gorodets, Yaroslav received the Russian land to the west of the Dnieper, with the center in Kyiv, and Mstislav - the eastern part, with Chernigov. Only after the death of Mstislav in 1035 did Yaroslav become an “autocrat” in Rus'.

Yaroslav the Enlightener

After the Battle of Listven, Yaroslav’s activities were mainly related to the enlightenment and Christianization of Rus'. Perhaps one of the reasons for Yaroslav’s refusal from the prince’s usual military activities was the serious injury he received during the fight with his brothers: an examination of Yaroslav's remains showed that his leg had been severed, which is why the prince had to limp heavily and at the end of his life he could hardly do without outside help.

In 1036-37, on his orders, powerful fortifications were built ("the city of Yaroslav"), the Golden Gate with the gateway Church of the Annunciation, the Church of St. Sofia, and the monasteries of St. George and Irina. The prototypes of these buildings were the architectural structures of Constantinople and Jerusalem; they were intended to symbolize the movement of the center of the Orthodox world to Kyiv. The completion of construction coincided with the creation of the “Sermon on Law and Grace,” which was pronounced on March 25, 1038. At the same time, the first Russian chronicle was written - the so-called. The oldest vault. The Tale of Bygone Years contains a commendable review of Yaroslav's educational activities. According to the chronicle, the prince took care of translating many Greek books into Russian, which formed the basis of the library he created in the Church of St. Sophia of Kyiv. Yaroslav is also credited with compiling the first Russian legislative act"Russian Truth".

Yaroslav's foreign policy last years life

In the field of foreign policy, Yaroslav sought to strengthen the international authority of the Old Russian state. On his initiative, the Novgorod prince Vladimir I Yaroslavich 1043 undertook the last major campaign of Rus' against Byzantium, but it ended in failure. Around 1050, the first Russian metropolitan, Hilarion, was installed in Kyiv, defending the independence of the Russian diocese from Constantinople. In addition, many of Yaroslav’s children were connected by family ties with representatives ruling dynasties Center. and Zap. Europe.

Chronicle data regarding the death of Yaroslav are contradictory; It is believed that he died on February 20, 1054, however, many researchers give other dates. Before his death, Yaroslav bequeathed the Kiev throne to the eldest of his surviving sons, the Novgorod prince Izyaslav, ordering his sons to live in peace.

The nickname “Wise” was assigned to Yaroslav in official Russian historiography only in the second half of the 19th century.

Prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich (1191-1246) - Prince of Vladimir, Prince of Pereyaslav-Zalessky, Prince of Pereyaslav, Prince of Novgorod, Prince of Vladimir, Grand Duke of Kiev; son of Vsevolod the Big Nest, father of Alexander Nevsky.

He took part in civil strife between princes and waged an active struggle for power with numerous relatives.

Yaroslav Vsevolodovich was the first of the Russian princes during the Tatar-Mongol invasion to receive from the Tatar Khan a label to reign in the new capital Ancient Rus'- the city of Vladimir.

Yaroslav Vsevolodovich. short biography

Prince Yaroslav was born in 1191 and was one of the many offspring of Vsevolod the Big Nest. In 1212, after the death of his father, Yaroslav became prince in the city of Pereyaslavl Zalessky, but was soon forced to leave it in order to take part in the struggle for power between his two brothers - Yuri (Yaroslav acted on his side) and Konstantin - in 1213 and 1214.

After the civil strife between the brothers, he took an active part in the struggle for Novgorod, which lasted with varying success from 1215 to 1236 (during this period, Yaroslav acquired and lost the title of Prince of Novgorod several times). In 1236 he became the Prince of Vladimir, appearing to bow in Golden Horde and received a label for reign there.

Death overtook Yaroslav during his second trip to the Golden Horde, when he was called to bow to the khan’s mother, where he accepted a treat from her hands. A week later, Yaroslav died. The exact cause of death is unknown, but it is believed that the prince could have been poisoned.

Yaroslav Vsevolodovich's struggle for power

In domestic policy Particularly noteworthy is Yaroslav’s long-term struggle for the right to reign in Novgorod. He was first called upon by the Novgorodians in 1215, when Mstislav Mstislavich left the city. Yaroslav arrived in the city, but was dissatisfied with the unrest that happened there because of his arrival, so he soon left to reign in Torzhok, however, accepting the title Prince of Novgorod. Yaroslav's governor remained in Novgorod. Some time later, Yaroslav, by cunning and force, tried to win power in Novgorod during the famine that overtook the city, refusing help and sending messengers from Novgorod back. Mstislav learned about the difficult situation in the city and immediately offered Yaroslav to release all the captured Novgorodians, but he refused. Thus began a long-term struggle.

On March 1, 1216, Mstislav, dissatisfied with Yaroslav’s behavior and worried about the Novgorodians, gathered the townspeople and moved to Torzhok with a proposal for a truce. Yaroslav rejected the offer, and Mstislav's army moved towards Tver, destroying all the cities along the way. Soon Mstislav was joined by Yaroslav's brother Konstantin (against whom Yaroslav had fought at one time), Yuri, Svyatoslav and Vladimir sided with Yaroslav. An internecine conflict ensued.

On April 21, 1216, the famous battle took place on the Lipitsa River between the troops of Mstislav and Yaroslav, as a result of which Yaroslav was defeated and was forced to give the title of Prince of Novgorod back to Mstislav.

However, the struggle for Novgorod did not end there. Yaroslav became the Prince of Novgorod several more times: in 1218 he was sent there by his fathers, in 1221 and 1224 he was called to reign by the townspeople themselves. Only after his calling in 1224 did Yaroslav finally remain in Novgorod for a long time with the title of prince and began to rule the city.

Already, together with the Novgorodians, Yaroslav made several successful military campaigns. In 1225, he opposed the Lithuanians, driving them from Russian lands back to the Principality of Lithuania; in 1227, a campaign against Finnish tribes took place on Yam, and in 1228, Yaroslav successfully repelled a retaliatory attack from the Finns.

In 1226, Yaroslav was again forced to prove his right to rule in Novgorod. This time, Prince Mikhail Vsevolodovich of Chernigov opposed him, but the struggle was not successful for Mikhail. Moreover, in 1231 Yaroslav, together with his brother Yuri, gathered an army and invaded Chernigov.

In 1234 Yaroslav opposed German troops near the city of Yuryev, the result of the battle was the defeat of the enemy troops and peace beneficial for Rus'.

In 1236, Yaroslav received the title of Grand Duke of Kyiv and went to Kyiv, leaving his son in Novgorod.

In 1238, Yaroslav returned to Vladimir and began reigning there. After several years of successful reign, during which Vladimir finally becomes the capital of Rus', Yaroslav receives an order to appear from Khan Batu. From a trip to the Golden Horde, Yaroslav returns with a label for the Great Reign in Vladimir. During this period, Kyiv finally lost its status as the capital of Ancient Rus'.

Results of the reign of Yaroslav Vsevolodovich

During the years of Yaroslav's reign, Vladimir officially became new capital Rus', Kyiv loses its power, political and economic. Also, thanks to the activities of Yaroslav, Rus' was able to recover from the attack of the Western crusaders, while maintaining its statehood and not breaking up into separate territories.

In foreign policy Yaroslav tried to regulate relations with the Golden Horde, as well as to protect the country, which was already in a difficult situation, from attack by the Germans and Lithuanians.