Grand Duke of Kyiv (1016-1018, 1019-1054).

Yaroslav Vladimirovich was born around 978. He was the son of the Grand Duke of Kyiv and Grand Duchess Rogneda, daughter Prince of Polotsk Rogvold.

Yaroslav Vladimirovich was planted by his father to reign, first in, then in. In 1014, he stopped paying tribute to Kyiv, hoping to separate his possessions from South Russia. began gathering troops in order to force his son to submit to his authority, but died during preparations for the campaign.

After his death, the throne of Kyiv was seized by the Prince of Turov Svyatopolk the Accursed, the half-brother of Yaroslav Vladimirovich. Wanting to eliminate possible rivals, Svyatopolk organized the murder of his brothers, Prince Boris of Rostov and Prince Gleb of Murom, as well as the Drevlyansk prince Svyatoslav.

Enlisting the support of the Novgorodians, Yaroslav Vladimirovich in December 1015 in the battle of Lyubech defeated Svyatopolk and captured Kyiv. In 1018, together with his father-in-law, the Polish king Boleslav I the Brave, Svyatopolk invaded Russia, managed to defeat Yaroslav in the battle of the Bug and recapture Kyiv. Yaroslav Vladimirovich fled to, from where he intended to go to Scandinavia. But the Novgorodians cut down the princely boats and forced Yaroslav to continue the fight. In the battle of Alta in 1018, Svyatopolk suffered a crushing defeat, and Yaroslav again occupied Kyiv.

After the victory over Svyatopolk, Yaroslav Vladimirovich began a fight with his other brother, the Tmutarakan prince Mstislav, who also claimed the throne of Kyiv. In the battle near Listven (near Chernigov) in 1024, Mstislav won, but he allowed Yaroslav to reign in Kyiv. Nevertheless, Yaroslav did not dare to accept his brother's offer and continued to stay in, sending his posadniks to Kyiv.

According to the peace treaty of 1025, Yaroslav Vladimirovich received Russian land to the west of the Dnieper and with a center in Kyiv, and Mstislav received the eastern part, with Chernigov and Pereyaslavl. Only after the death of Mstislav in 1035 did Yaroslav Vladimirovich become "autocratic" in Russia.

In 1036, the Pechenegs were defeated near Kyiv, who stopped their attacks on Russia. In 1038-1042 Yaroslav Vladimirovich waged successful wars with Byzantium, Lithuanian and Finnish tribes.

The period of the sovereign rule of Yaroslav the Wise became a time of political power, cultural and economic prosperity ancient Russian state. This was evidenced by the marriages of Yaroslav's daughters with the kings of France, Norway, Denmark, and Hungary. He strengthened the internal position of the state by introducing a set of laws - "Russian Truth". The prince also contributed to strengthening his influence on the church by appointing the Russian monk Hilarion as metropolitan. Under him, the first monasteries were created, the majestic St. Sophia Cathedral was erected in Kyiv. Love for books, translations of Byzantine works into Slavic, the development of chronicle writing are a brilliant expression of the flourishing of the entire ancient Russian culture. Under Yaroslav the Wise, the first Russian chronicle was written - the so-called. Ancient vault. The Tale of Bygone Years contains a commendable review of the educational activities of the Grand Duke.

Chronicle data on the death of Yaroslav the Wise are contradictory. It is believed that he died on February 2, 1054, but other dates are also mentioned. Before death Grand Duke bequeathed the throne of Kyiv to the eldest of his sons, the Novgorod prince Izyaslav Yaroslavich, and divided the rest of the possessions into destinies, which marked the beginning feudal fragmentation. Yaroslav the Wise was buried in the tomb of St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv.

The reign of Yaroslav the Wise (briefly)

The reign of Yaroslav the Wise - a brief description

Yaroslav was the son of the Grand Duke of Kyiv Vladimir (Svyatoslavich) and Princess Rogneda. Already in his early youth (987), his father appointed him the prince of Rostov, and after the death of Vysheslav (the eldest son of Vladimir) in 1010, he became the prince of Novgorod.

After Vladimir Svyatoslavich died, the brothers began to fight for the right to the princely Kyiv throne. At first, Svyatopolk captured Kyiv, killing his own brothers (Boris, Svyatoslav and Gleb), after defeating whom Yaroslav had to fight the Tmutarakan prince Mstislav. And although Mstislav won this fight, after his death in 1036, the entire Russian land is united in the same hands of Yaroslav.

Yaroslav (the Wise) married the daughter of the Swedish king Olaf, Ingigerda. This can be confusing, since the ancient Russian chronicles indicate two names of Yaroslav's wives - Anna and Irina. According to the researchers, most likely Ingegerda received the name Irina at baptism, and Anna took the name when she was tonsured a nun.

During the reign of Yaroslav the Wise (1019-1054), Russia was able to flourish and become one of the strongest states in Europe. In order to strengthen his possessions, Prince Yaroslav decided to build several cities and surround Kyiv with a stone wall, and the main city gates were called both then and now "Golden".

Yaroslav's foreign policy was aimed at strengthening the authority of Russia among other countries and peoples. The prince made several important military campaigns against Poland and the Principality of Lithuania, and in 1036 he was able to win a complete victory over the Pechenegs, which he could not gain for so long Kievan Rus. On the site of this battle, the Church of St. Sophia was built.

Also during the reign of Prince Yaroslav, the last clash of Russia and Byzantium happened. It resulted in the signing of a peace treaty, which was backed up by a dynastic marriage. The son of Yaroslav (Vsevolod) married the Greek princess Anna.

In addition, a feature domestic policy It was wise to increase literacy among the population of Russia. For these purposes, schools were built where boys were taught church work. Also during the reign of the prince, Greek books were translated and copied.

The main asset of Yaroslav's reforms was Russkaya Pravda, the first collection of laws. Also under this prince, the church code of laws "Nomokanon" (The Pilot Book) appeared.

Yaroslav died at the age of seventy-six (1054).

The main events of the reign of Yaroslav the Wise:

Yaroslav Vladimirovich the Wise
Years of life: 980-1054
Years of reign: 1019-1054

The son of the Grand Duke of Kyiv Vladimir I Svyatoslavovich (from the Rurik dynasty) and the Polotsk princess Rogneda Rogvolodovna.

Upon reaching adulthood, the father planted Yaroslav the prince of Rostov (987-1010), and after the death of the eldest son of Vladimir Svyatoslavovich, Yaroslav became the prince of Novgorod (1010-1034). Yaroslav's residence was the Prince's Court, later called Yaroslav's Court.

Prince Yaroslav the Wise

In 1014 Yaroslav refused to pay tribute to Kyiv, which caused the anger of his father. Vladimir ordered to prepare for a campaign against Novgorod, but did not have time carry out your plan. July 15, 1015 Vladimir Svyatoslavovich died suddenly. Yaroslav began the struggle for the throne of Kyiv with his brother Svyatopolk. The rebellious people of Kiev freed Svyatopolk from prison and declared him their prince, but Yaroslav, having enlisted the support of the Novgorodians, continues the struggle, which lasts 4 years. In December 1015, near Lyubech, Yaroslav defeated Svyatopolk and captured Kyiv.

Yaroslav was the son of Prince Vladimir the Holy. There are many versions regarding the seniority of Yaroslav among his many brothers, which gives reason to see it in the personality of Yaroslav the prince of his time, a man who managed to overcome all difficulties and establish a legitimate order of succession that determined the development of Russia for the next two centuries.

Initially, Yaroslav received Rostov from his father, but he did not rule independently, but under the tutelage of the voivode Buda (or Budai). After the death of his brother Vysheslav, Yaroslav in 1011 received his inheritance - Novgorod land, which was second in status after the Kyiv lands. Traditionally, Novgorod princes did not live in Novgorod itself, but not far from it - in Gorodishche, but Yaroslav became the first prince who created his court (Yaroslav's Court) in the city itself.

The prince of Novgorod was supposed to annually send tribute to Kyiv in the amount of 2,000 hryvnias, but in 1014 Yaroslav unexpectedly refused to send tribute to his father and hired a squad of Varangians for this amount to march on Kyiv. However, the Varangians in Novgorod provoked its inhabitants and were killed, and Yaroslav was actually left without military force. In the same year, the Grand Duke Vladimir of Kyiv also died.

After his death, it was not clear which of the sons should become the next prince in Kyiv. Vladimir's beloved son Boris was ready to cede this right to his older brother Svyatopolk, who took advantage of his brother's peacefulness by killing him and the youngest of the Vladimirovichs, Gleb. Prince Yaroslav was warned about the atrocities of Svyatopolk by his sister Predslava.

Yaroslav gathered a new army of Varangians and Novgorodians and opposed Svyatopolk, capturing Kyiv in 1016. It should be noted that before the campaign, in which many Novgorodians participated, Yaroslav collected the first written code of laws - Yaroslav's Truth, which later became the basis for the formation of the national law of Russia. In 1018, the Polish king Boleslav, an ally of Svyatopolk, defeated Yaroslav on the river. Bug and occupied Kyiv. The people of Kiev did not accept the power of Boleslav, demanding that they leave Svyatopolk as prince. This destroyed the allied relations between Boleslav and Svyatopolk, who, left without Polish help, was defeated in 1019 on the river. Alte, and Yaroslav established himself in Kyiv.

Yaroslav, having become the prince of Kyiv, did not forget about the support that the people of Novgorod gave him. In 1030, he defeated the Chudi tribe and founded the fortress city of Yuryev in the Baltic. During the years of his reign, Yaroslav stopped the Pecheneg raids on Russia, defeating them in 1038 near the walls of Kyiv, in honor of which the Hagia Sophia was founded. In an effort to strengthen international ties, Yaroslav used dynastic marriages, in particular, married his daughter Princess Anna Yaroslavna to the French King Henry I.

Prince Yaroslav died in 1054, leaving his children a will, in which he determined the next (ladder) order of government. Some historians believe that it was this order that became one of the reasons for the fragmentation in Russia.

And Princess Rogneda of Polotsk. Even in his youth, in 987, he was appointed Prince of Rostov by his father, 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, the struggle between the brothers for the throne of Kyiv began. First, Kyiv was captured by Svyatopolk, killing the brothers, Prince Boris of Rostov, Gleb of Smolensk and Svyatolav of Drevlyane. Having defeated Svyatopolk, Yaroslav had to fight with his brother Mstislav, the prince of Tmutarakan. Mstislav won this fight, but in 1036 he died, then the whole Russian land was united in the hands of Yaroslav.

Yaroslav Vladimirovich the Wise was married to the daughter of the Swedish king Olaf, Ingigerda. The ancient 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 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 by a stone wall, and the main city gates were called "Golden".

The foreign policy of Yaroslav the Wise was worthy of a strong monarch, aimed at strengthening the international authority of Russia. He made several successful military campaigns against the Finnish peoples, the Lithuanian principality, and Poland. In 1036, Yaroslav won the final victory over the Pechenegs, the most long-awaited 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 Russia and Byzantium took place, as a result of which a peace treaty was signed, backed up by a dynastic marriage. His son Vsevolod married the Greek princess Anna.

Dynastic marriages contributed to the strengthening of peace and friendship between states. Prince Yaroslav the Wise had three daughters and six sons. Eldest daughter Elizabeth was the wife of the Norwegian prince Harald. The second daughter of Yaroslav the Wise Anna was married to the French king Henry I. Anastasia married the Hungarian king Andrew I. Yaroslav the Wise's three 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. To do this, he built a school where boys were taught church work. Yaroslav cared about education, therefore he instructed the monks to translate and rewrite Greek books.

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

To strengthen the influence of the church, the church tithe, introduced earlier by Prince Vladimir, was renewed, i.e. a tenth of the amount of 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 Russkaya Pravda, the first collection of laws. In addition, under him appeared a set of church laws "Nomocanon", or in the translation of "The Pilot'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, for his charitable deeds, Yaroslav did not acquire new lands with weapons, but returned what was lost in civil strife, 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 "Lame", because. Yaroslav was limping. In that era, it was believed that a physical handicap was a sign of special strength and intelligence. Chrome means wise. And perhaps "Wise" is an echo of the nickname "Lame", and his deeds only confirmed this.