Name: Yaroslav the Wise (Yaroslav Vladimirovich)
Date of Birth: 978
Age: 76 years old
Height: 175
Activity: Prince of Rostov, Novgorod and Kyiv
Family status: widower
Yaroslav the Wise: biography
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 leap year This is March 4th, and usually the 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 to reign in 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 obligatorily paid his father 2/3 of the tribute collected from the Novgorod lands every year. 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 bloody battle near 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 short time.
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 interrupt the dependence of the Russian Orthodox Church from 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 Hilarion.
Domestic policy Yaroslav the Wise was aimed at increasing the education of the people and eradicating the remnants of the pagan faith. The Christian faith was instilled with renewed vigor. 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 emergence 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, the main way to improve relations with other states was considered dynastic marriages. 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 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, such 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. New town, named after his angel, appeared on the shores of 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 revived around it, receiving the name Bila Tserkva. 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 because different lengths legs According to one version, due to hip and knee joints, and on the other – because hereditary disease Perthes.
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 the heavenly patroness of 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.
YAROSLAV VLADIMIROVICH THE WISE(c. 978–1054) (Christian name George or Yuri) (in Novgorod during his governorship - Justice, in the Scandinavian sagas - Yarisleif the Miser) - Grand Duke of Kiev (from 1019), a major statesman and commander, second son of the Kyiv prince Vladimir Red Sun and Polotsk princess Rogneda Rogvolodovna.
The chronicle reports that in childhood he suffered paralysis of his legs, which left him with a limp for the rest of his life, which did not prevent him from being physically strong. As a nine-year-old boy, he was sent by his father to reign in Rostov, and later he was transferred to Novgorod. As an appanage prince, he paid Kyiv (until he became the Grand Duke of Kyiv) an annual tribute of 2 thousand hryvnias of silver. In 1014 he refused to pay tribute and made an attempt to separate from his father and Kyiv. Prince Vladimir began to prepare an army. Yaroslav, having learned about his father's preparations, hired the Varangians to fight back with their help, but the Grand Duke unexpectedly died. Power in Kyiv was seized by Vladimir's stepson Svyatopolk. Fearing the rivalry of the Grand Duke's own children - Boris, Gleb and others, Svyatopolk first of all sent assassins to the first contenders for the table in Kyiv - Boris and Gleb, for which he received the nickname Damned.
Yaroslav's sister Predslav warned that Svyatopolk was going to eliminate him too. Having gathered a thousand Varangians and three thousand Novgorodians, Yaroslav went to Kyiv. After a three-month confrontation, he met with Svyatopolk near Lyubech in 1016. After an active attack by the Novgorodians, the utterly defeated Svyatopolk fled to Poland to his father-in-law, King Boleslav I the Brave, and Yaroslav took the Kiev table.
In 1018, Boleslav, together with Svyatopolk, expelled Yaroslav from Kyiv. Yaroslav fled to Novgorod and wanted to “flee further overseas,” but the Novgorodians, having cut down his boats, promised support in the fight for Kyiv. Having collected money, they again hired the Varangians and went against Svyatopolk for the second time. After defeating him in the Battle of Alta in 1019, Yaroslav finally established himself in Kyiv.
In 1021, Yaroslav began an unsuccessful struggle with the Polotsk prince Bryachislav, to whom he was forced to give the cities of Usvyat and Vitebsk. In 1024 he ceded part of the lands east of the Dnieper to Mstislav the Udal. A few years later, Yaroslav tried to expand the borders of his principality to the north and northwest and by 1030–1031 he returned part of the lands captured by the Poles. It was then that he asserted his power west bank Lake Peipsi in the fight against the Chud tribe.
After the death of Mstislav of Tmutarakan in 1036, Yaroslav took possession of the entire Seversk land, achieving relative unity of the state. Having strengthened the defense against Pecheneg raids along the Ros River, he defeated them in 1036, after which Pecheneg raids on Russian soil practically ceased.
By 1037 Yaroslav united almost the entire territory in his hands ancient Russian state. Although he, according to the chronicler, did not like to fight, in 1038 he still “went to war” against the Yatwigs, in 1040 against Lithuania, in 1042 against southern Finland. In 1043–1046 he waged war with Byzantium.
Yaroslav did a lot to strengthen international situation Ancient Rus' and connections with Western Europe, using dynastic marriages of their family members. The Polish prince Casimir was married to his sister Dobrogneva; Yaroslav's son Izyaslav married the sister of the Polish king Casimir, another son, Vsevolod, was married to a Greek princess, and two more of his sons were married to German princesses. The Norwegian king Harald entered into a marriage alliance with Yaroslav's daughter Elizabeth, hungarian king Andrey - with his daughter Anastasia, french king Henry I was married to his third daughter, Anna Yaroslavna.
An important step in spiritual and political life Principality of Kyiv There was a consistent desire of Yaroslav to free himself from the tutelage of Byzantium in church affairs. In 1051, under Yaroslav, not a Greek, but a Russian metropolitan named Hilarion, a brilliant orator, author of the famous Words about law and grace(1037–1050). This work asserted the equality of all peoples and glorified the Russian land, which, in the opinion of its author, should have been “known and heard, the end of the earth.”
Under Yaroslav, Kyiv became a large trade, craft, administrative and cultural center. Active church construction was carried out here, which intended to turn the capital of the ancient Russian state into new center Eastern Christianity, rival of Constantinople. In Kyiv, the St. Sophia Cathedral was built in stone according to the Byzantine model, which became the residence of the metropolitan, as well as the Golden Gate, the Church of the Annunciation of the Holy Virgin, the monasteries of St. George and St. Irene. The interior walls of the St. Sophia Cathedral were decorated with frescoes, on one of which Yaroslav, his wife, the daughter of the Swedish king Olaf Ingigerda (who received the name Irina at baptism), walked with candles in their hands - an educated woman who contributed to his reforms, an excellent teacher of their children, and also (in white veils) all four “Yaroslavnas”, future legendary queens of Western countries. The composition on the northern staircase depicted three female figures - Princess Irina and her maids leaving their palace. The third composition represented Prince Yaroslav sitting in a chair, next to whom stood two warriors with shields.
A significant part of Kyiv under Yaroslav was surrounded by high ramparts, 3.5 km long, 14 m high and 16–18 m wide. The name of this prince is associated with the foundation in 1024 in the northeast of the city of Yaroslavl, which he called by his pagan name. There is a legend that back in 1011, when he, being Rostov prince, “baptized the Volga,” the residents of the Medvezhiy Ugol tract released the Bear against him. The prince allegedly defeated her with an ax (the image of this ax in the paws of a bear is the coat of arms of the city of Yaroslavl). In the west in 1031 Yaroslav founded the city of Yuryev and called it his Christian name; now - the city of Tartu).
During the reign of Yaroslav, book-writing and translation activities of Byzantine and other books into Russian began to develop intensively in Kievan Rus. Contemporaries noted that Yaroslav was a well-read person in liturgical books, owned a large personal library, cared about spreading literacy, and organized schools and colleges for children. Since the time of Yaroslav, the custom of teaching children to read and write began to establish itself; for this purpose, the smartest children were “gathered from all over the world.” Big role The first Russian monasteries, including Kiev-Pechersk, began to play a role in the development of Russian books and chronicles.
Yaroslav, according to the chronicler, considered books “rivers capable of giving wisdom.” He collected and recorded ancient customs related to the legislation of the Slavs. The oldest part of the first set of Russian laws is associated with his name - Russian Truth(so-called Yaroslav's truth or The Most Ancient Truth. Composed around 1016 Russian Truth had its roots in common law Eastern Slavs. IN Kiev-Pechersk Monastery under Yaroslav, monk Nikon began to form chronicle, which ended after the death of Yaroslav in 1073. During Yaroslav’s life, many of the previous laws that his descendants adhered to were preserved, others were changed. The new chronicle, created by Yaroslav’s entourage, reflected the complex, eventful and strong characters people's life in the ancient Russian state.
Yaroslav died in Kyiv on February 20, 1054; he was buried in a marble coffin that has survived to this day in the St. Sophia Cathedral. Bequeathing Kyiv to his eldest son Izyaslav, Yaroslav called on his sons to live in peace and friendship, obeying their elder brother. After his death, the Old Russian state was divided between his five sons.
Emerging political fragmentation state became more and more obvious, a period of feudal fragmentation began in the history of the country, suspended for several decades by the reign of Vladimir Monomakh and his heir Mstislav.
A group of Russian anthropologists led by M.M. Gerasimov, having opened the tomb of Yaroslav the Wise, recreated his appearance.
There is an artistic depiction of Yaroslav the Wise (authors are Russian sculptors M.O. Mikeshin and I.N. Schroeder). In post-Soviet times, it was decided to award government officials who distinguished themselves by serving Russia with the Order of Yaroslav the Wise.
Lev Pushkarev
YAROSLAV VLADIMIROVICH nicknamed Wise (978−1054) - Prince of Rostov, Grand Duke of Kiev and Novgorod. Founder of Yaroslavl.
Blessed Prince Yaroslav the Wise. Artist S.N. Gusev. Icon painting workshop "Sofia" (Yaroslavl). 2009
The fourth son of Vladimir I Svyatoslavovich from Rogneda, Princess of Polotsk. He reigned in Rostov from the end of the 10th century. or the very beginning of the 11th century. and until 1010, when he accepted reign of Novgorod after the death of Vysheslav, the eldest son of Vladimir I. During his reign in Rostov, at the mouth of the river route from the Volga to Rostov, Yaroslavl was founded as a military princely outpost, in the vicinity of which there were military trading posts of the Scandinavians and Slovene-Novgorodians allied to Yaroslav.
The legend about the founding of Yaroslavl, which came down in the list of the 18th century ( published below), shows Yaroslav in the role of a prince-priest in the ritual of sacrifice of the sacred tribal bear cult and at the same time as a Christian prince who converted local pagans to the Christian faith. These legends speak in favor early date the emergence of Yaroslavl at the end of the 10th - beginning of the 11th century, at the time of the Christianization of Rus' during the life of Vladimir I Svyatoslavich, when Yaroslav controlled Rostov and the Upper Volga route to Novgorod. According to the old Yaroslavl legend, he built the first wooden church in Yaroslavl in the name of St. Prophet Elijah on the Volga at the mouth of the Medveditsa ravine.
Relying on hired Scandinavian squads and Novgorodians, from 1016 he established himself on the grand-ducal table in Kyiv, defeating his elder brother Svyatopolk, the murderer of the brother-princes Boris and Gleb. He created the preconditions for their future canonization as passion-bearers, the first holy patrons of the Russian land. As a Novgorod prince, Yaroslav made a campaign in 1024 to the Suzdal land to suppress the anti-Christian and anti-feudal uprising of the priests of the old pagan tribal cult.
In 1026 Yaroslav established himself in Kyiv, “dividing the Russian land along the Dnieper” with his brother Mstislav, and after his death in 1036 “he took over all his power and became the autocrat of the Russian land.” In 1037 he built the Cathedral of St. Sofia in Kyiv, under which he established a metropolitanate, a book-writing school and a library. He patronized the spread of bookish Christian culture in Rus', for which he received the nickname “Wise.” The chronicle article “The Tale of Bygone Years” under 1037 contains praise for the books and Prince Yaroslav the Wise.
He contributed to the installation of the first Rusyn metropolitan Hilarion as metropolitan in Kyiv, whose sermon for the consecration of St. Sophia in Kyiv - “The Sermon on Law and Grace” - became the programmatic manifesto of Russian Young Christianity.
The blessed prince Yaroslav the Wise began to be revered in Rus' immediately after his death, although formally he was not one of the saints of the Russian Orthodox Church. On March 9, 2004, in connection with the 950th anniversary of his death, he was included in the calendar of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, and in next year, by blessing His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II, February 20 (March 5) was included in the calendar as the day of remembrance of the blessed prince Yaroslav the Wise. The determination of the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church on February 3, 2016 established church-wide veneration of the blessed prince Yaroslav the Wise.
PUBLICATIONS
The legend about the construction of the city of Yaroslavl
(Based on the book: A. Lebedev. Temples of the Vlasevsky parish in Yaroslavl. - Yaroslavl, 1877.)
In those years, when the Grand Duke of Kiev Volodimir enlightened the Russian land with the light of the Christian faith, then this Christ-loving prince gave the city to every son as a possession, and the great city of Rostov with the region was given to his son Boris, and then to his brother Yaroslav. In this region, not many ways from the city of Rostov, there was a certain place 60 miles away at the border of the Volga and Kotorosl rivers, and on it the glorious city of Yaroslavl was later created. And this place was very empty: tall trees were growing, and grassy pastures were just found. Man was of one monastery. And behold, there was a settlement, the recommended Bear Corner, in which there were human inhabitants, pagans filthy of the faith, an evil being. And this place was a great, terrible place, because these people lived exactly according to their own will, as they committed a lot of robberies and bloodshed to the faithful. I cleave to the work of meaning whenever I go out to hunt an animal or catch fish, holding these people and many livestock, and satiating myself with these.
The idol, to whom these worshiped, became Volos, that is, the bestial god. And this Volos, the demon living in him, as if creating many fears, standing in the middle of the lair, called Volosova, henceforth the cattle, according to custom, he drove out into the pasture. To this many-witted idol a stone was quickly created and a sorcerer was given, and this unquenchable fire was held by the Hair and a smoke was sacrificed to it. This is when the first cattle came to the pasture, the sorcerer killed him a bull and a heifer, but in ordinary times they burned sacrificially from wild animals, and on some very sick days from people. This sorcerer, like a mentor of the devil, philosophizing with the power of the primordial enemy, from the origin of the incense of the sacrificial mind, understood all the secret and verb words of the person who happened to be like the words of this Hair. And this sorcerer was revered as great by the pagans. But we cruelly tortured you, when the fire was at Volos of the Presence: you decided to kill the sorcerer on the same day and hour, and chose another by lot, and this sorcerer was killed and, igniting the fire, burned his corpse in this, as if the sacrifice was enough to rejoice this formidable God. Thus the primordial enemy of the human race darkened the hearts of these people, and thus these people lived for many years.
But one summer, the noble prince Yaroslav happened to sail in boats with a strong and great army along the Volga River, near its right bank, where stood that village called Bear's Corner. The prince saw that some people were cruelly causing death in a court proceeding with goods along the Volga; The merchants on these ships strongly defended themselves, but it was impossible to overcome the power of the accursed, like these robbers and their ships were set on fire. Seeing all that was happening, the noble prince Yaroslav commanded his squad to frighten and disperse the vacillation of these lawless ones, so that they would be saved by disobedience. And the Prince’s squad bravely approached the enemies, as these curses began to tremble from fear and, in great horror, soon rushed in boats along the Volga River. The Prince’s squad and Prince Yaroslav himself chased after the infidels and destroyed them with weapons of war. And, oh greatness God's mercy, and how indescribable and unsearchable are his destinies, and who confesses his mercy to Christians! Through the prayers of the Most Pure Mother of God and the holy saints, his princely army defeated the enemies in the place where a certain stream of water went to Kotorosl, behind which that settlement stood. And the Blessed Prince teach their people how not to do harm to anyone, and especially, if their faith is abominable, pray for them to be baptized. And these people swore an oath at Volos to the prince to live in harmony and to give him tributes, but they did not want to be baptized. And so the Blessed Prince departed for his throne city of Rostov.
It was not in the same time that Prince Yaroslav decided to come to Bear Corner again. And this came with the bishop, with the elders, deacons and churchmen, craftsmen and soldiers; but when you enter this village, release this people from the cage of a certain fierce beast and dogs, so that they will melt the Prince and those with him, but the Lord save the Blessed Prince; With this ax you defeated the beast, and the dogs, like lambs, did not touch anyone from them. And at the sight of godlessness and evil, all this people were horrified and fell on their faces to the Prince and were as if dead. The noble Prince, with a powerful voice, exclaim to this people: who are you, aren’t these the people who swore an oath before your Hair to faithfully serve me, your Prince? What kind of god is he, since you yourself transgressed and trampled on the oath taken under him? But you know that I did not come for the amusement of the beast or for a feast of valuable drink to drink, but to create victory. And hearing these verbs, unfaithful people are unable to answer a single word.
For this reason, the Blessed Prince dangerously looked at the whole place empty, and on the morning from his tent he carried out the icon of the Mother of God with Her eternal Child, our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the bishop, and with the presbyters, and with all the spiritual ranks, and with the craftsmen and with the soldiers came to the bank of the Volga, and there on the island, it was established by the Volga and Kotorosl rivers and the water flow, placed in the prepared place an icon of the Mother of God and commanded the bishop to create a prayer service before it and bless the water and sprinkle the earth with it; The Blessed Prince himself erected a wooden cross on this earth and laid the foundation for the holy temple of the prophet Elijah of God. And dedicate this temple in the name of this holy saint, as if you conquered a predatory and fierce beast on his day. Therefore, the Christ-loving Prince commanded the people to cut down trees and cleanse the place where they planned to create a city. And so the workers began to build the Church of St. the prophet Elijah and the city to build. This city, the Blessed Prince Yaroslav, called his name Yaroslavl, populated it with Christians, and installed presbyters, deacons and clergy in the church.
But when the city of Yaroslavl was built, the inhabitants of Bear's Corner did not join the city, living as individuals and bowing to Volos. In some days there was a great drought in this region, as if from the fierce heat and grass and every grain of the countryside were burned, and at that time there was a great sorrow among the people, and even the cattle came to death from hunger. In the calico sadness of unfaithfulness, these people prayed tearfully for their Hair, that the rain would bring down to the earth. At this time, on a certain occasion, one of the presbyters of the church of the prophet Elijah passed by the Volosovaya kermet, and this, seeing much weeping and sighing, he spoke to the people: O foolish one at heart! Why are you tearing up and crying pitifully to your God? Or are you blind, because Volos has succeeded strongly, so will your prayers and the sacrificial stench awaken him? All this is vain and false, like Volos himself, to whom you bow, as if he were a soulless idol. So labor for yourself in vain. But do you want to see the power and glory of the true God, to whom we bow and serve? This God created heaven and earth, so why can’t he create and give? Let us go to the city, that we may see His power and glory.
And I wanted to disgrace the presbyter because I spoke a lie and let the hail fall. And when she came, the pious presbyter commanded an individual from the church of St. St. Elijah, and yourself unite the entire sacred spiritual rite and shut yourself up in the temple with it. Wrapping yourself there in sacred robes, praying a lot and tearfully in the Trinity to the glorious God, the Most Pure Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ and the holy and glorious prophet of God Elijah, that these unfaithful people might turn to the true faith of Christ and be enlightened by the light of baptism. And, having created a prayer, the presbyter commanded that the church beatings be struck and taken out of the church. icons and place these on analogies at the place where the infidelity stands. Arrange all this, pious presbyter with the cross held in his hand, shout out; If through the intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos and the holy prophet Elijah, behold their mark, the Lord will accept the prayer of us, His sinful servants, as on this day rain will pour out on the earth, then will you believe in the true God and will Kiyjo be baptized by you in the name of the Father and the Son and Holy Spirit? And these people said: let us believe and be baptized!
And so the presbyter, with other elders and deacons and the church clergy and with all the Christians, performed prayer services before the icon and, bending the knees with weeping and great sighing, as he raised his hands to heaven, pray to the Lord and Creator of all things, that he will command the rain to pour out on the earth . And that hour the cloud was fraught and threatening, and great rain poured down; Having seen the elders and all the Christians who were together, they glorified God and the Most Pure Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ and St. the prophet of God Elijah. Unfaithful people, seeing this miracle, cry out: great is the Christian God! And coming out of the city, you did a lot of dirty tricks on the Hair, like spitting on it and tearing it into pieces and crushing the stone and setting it on fire. Follow these people with joy and go to the river on the Volga and there the presbyters, standing on the river’s edge and shouting in prayer, baptize all ages and genders, male and female, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Thus, by the grace of God, true faith arose here and the godless dwelling became a Christian abode.
But after a certain time, when these people accepted the Christian faith, the devil, a hater of all good, did not even see this faith in people, gave them many insurances in the place where the Hair once stood: there was sniffling and harp and the singing was heard many times and some kind of dancing was visible formerly; The beasts, when they walked in this place, became unusually thin and sick. And these people, grieving greatly, told the presbyter about this, and said that this whole attack was the wrath of Volos, as if he had turned into an evil spirit, so that he would crush people and their cattle, as he had crushed him and become pregnant. The presbyter understood the charm of the devil, as if this primordial enemy only wants to destroy the people of Christ with this evil darkness and fear and illness of bestiality. And the presbyter taught the people a little, and then made a council, so that these people ask the Prince and the bishop in the place where the church is standing, to build that temple in the name of St. Blaise, Bishop of Sebaste, as this great saint of God is powerful with his petition to God to destroy the slander of the devil and preserve the bestiality of Christian people.
And so these people prayed to the Prince to command the construction of a temple, and the Prince prayed to the bishop to give his blessing to build a church to the village in the name of the Hieromartyr Blasius. And, oh great miracle! When you have consecrated the temple, create the devil of death and destroy the beasts in the pasture, and for this visible miracle people praise God, who is so beneficent, and thank his saint, Saint Blaise the Wonderworker.
Thus the city of Yaroslavl was built and this church of the great saint of God Blasius, Bishop of Sebaste, was created.
PUBLICATIONS
Yaroslav I Vladimirovich the Wise
(Article from Encyclopedic Dictionary Brockhaus and Efron)
Yaroslav - son of St. Vladimir and Rogneda, one of the most famous ancient Russian princes. During his lifetime, having made the first division of lands between his sons, Vladimir planted Yaroslav in Rostov, and then, after the death of his eldest son Vysheslav, he transferred him to Novgorod, in addition to the eldest - Svyatopolk of Turov, who, according to Dietmar, was then under the wrath of his father and even in custody.
As the Prince of Novgorod, Yaroslav wanted to break all dependence on Kyiv and become a completely independent sovereign of the vast Novgorod region. He refused (1014) to pay his father an annual tribute of 2000 hryvnia, as all Novgorod mayors did; his desire coincided with the desire of the Novgorodians, who were always burdened by dependence on southern Rus' and the tribute imposed on them. Yaroslav was also dissatisfied with the fact that his father showed preference to his younger brother, Boris. Angry with Yaroslav, Vladimir prepared to personally go against him and ordered the roads to be corrected and bridges to be built, but he soon fell ill and died. The grand ducal table was taken over by the eldest in the family, Svyatopolk, who, fearing Boris, beloved by the Tevlans, and wanting to become the sole ruler of all Rus', killed three brothers (Boris, Gleb and Svyatoslav); the same danger threatened Yaroslav.
Meanwhile, Yaroslav quarreled with the Novgorodians: the reason for the quarrel was the clear preference that Yaroslav and his wife, the Swedish princess Ingigerda (daughter of the Swedish king Olav Skötkokung), showed to the hired Varangian squad. The Varangians, using their influence, aroused the population against themselves with cruelty and violence; it came to bloody retribution on the part of the Novgorodians, and Yaroslav in such cases usually took the side of the mercenaries and once executed many citizens, luring them to himself by cunning. Considering the fight with Svyatopolk inevitable, Yaroslav sought reconciliation with the Novgorodians; the latter easily agreed to go with him against their brother; to refuse Yaroslav help and force his prince to flee would mean to resume dependent relationships to Kyiv and receive the mayor from there; in addition, Yaroslav could return from overseas with the Varangians and take revenge on Novgorod. Having gathered 40 thousand Novgorodians and several thousand Varangian mercenaries, whom he had hired earlier for the war with his father, Yaroslav moved against Svyatopolk, who called upon the Pechenegs to help him, defeated him in a vicious battle near the city of Lyubech, entered Kyiv and occupied the grand-ducal throne (1016). ), after which he generously rewarded the Novgorodians and sent them home.
The fleeing Svyatopolk returned with the regiments of his father-in-law, the Polish king Boleslav the Brave, who was glad to have the opportunity to cause unrest in Rus' and weaken it; Along with the Poles, squads of Germans, Hungarians and Pechenegs also came. The Polish king himself walked at the head of the troops. Yaroslav was defeated on the banks of the Bug and fled to Novgorod; Boleslav gave Kyiv to Svyatopolk (1017), but he himself soon left Kyiv, having learned about Yaroslav’s new preparations and having lost many Poles, killed by the Kyivians for violence. Yaroslav, having again received help from the Novgorodians, with a new large army completely defeated Svyatopolk and his Pecheneg allies on the river. Alte (1019), on the spot where Boris was killed. Svyatopolk fled to Poland and died on the way; Yaroslav became the Grand Duke of Kyiv that same year.
Only now, after the death of Svyatopolk, Yaroslav firmly established himself in Kyiv and, in the words of the chronicler, “wiped off his sweat with his squad.” In 1021, Yaroslav's nephew, Prince. Bryachislav Izyaslavich of Polotsk, declared claims to part of the Novgorod regions; having been refused, he attacked Novgorod, took it and plundered it. Hearing about Yaroslav's approach, Bryachislav left Novgorod with many captives and hostages. Yaroslav caught up with him in the Pskov region, on the river. Sudome, defeated it and freed the captured Novgorodians. After this victory, Yaroslav made peace with Bryachislav, ceding the Vitebsk volost to him.
Having barely finished this war, Yaroslav had to begin a more difficult struggle with his younger brother Mstislav of Tmutarakan, famous for his victories over the Kasogs. This warlike prince demanded that Yaroslav divide the Russian lands equally and approached Kyiv with his army (1024). Yaroslav at that time was in Novgorod and in the north, in Suzdal land, where there was famine and a strong rebellion caused by the Magi. In Novgorod, Yaroslav gathered a large army against Mstislav and called in hired Varangians, under the command of the noble knight Yakun the Blind (see). Yaroslav's army met with Mstislav's army near the town of Listven (near Chernigov) and was defeated in a brutal battle. Yaroslav again retired to his faithful Novgorod. Mstislav sent him to tell him that he recognized his seniority and did not seek Kyiv. Yaroslav did not trust his brother and returned only after gathering a strong army in the north; then he made peace with his brother at Gorodets (probably near Kyiv), according to which the Russian land was divided into two parts along the Dnieper: regions along east side The Dnieper went to Mstislav, and on the western side - to Yaroslav (1025).
In 1035, Mstislav died and Yaroslav became the sole ruler of the Russian land (“he was an autocrat,” in the words of the chronicler). In the same year, Yaroslav put his brother, Prince, in “cut” (dungeon). Sudislav of Pskov, slandered, according to the chronicles, before his elder brother. The reason for Yaroslav's anger at his brother is unknown; Probably, the latter expressed claims to the division of escheated volosts, which passed entirely to Yaroslav. In the hands of Yaroslav, all Russian regions were now united, with the exception of the Principality of Polotsk.
In addition to these wars related to princely feuds, Yaroslav still had to make many campaigns against external enemies; Almost his entire reign was filled with wars. In 1017, Yaroslav successfully repelled the Pechenegs' attack on Kyiv and then fought with them as allies of Svyatopolk the Accursed. In 1036, chronicles record the siege of Kyiv by the Pechenegs, in the absence of Yaroslav, who had gone to Novgorod. Having received news of this, Yaroslav hastened to the rescue and utterly defeated the Pechenegs under the very walls of Kyiv. After this defeat, Pecheneg attacks on Rus' ceased.
Yaroslav's campaigns to the north against the Finns are known. In 1030, Yaroslav went to Chud and established his power on the shores of Lake Peipsi; he built a city here and named it Yuryev, in honor of his angel (the Christian name of Yaroslav is George or Yuri). In 1042, Yaroslav sent his son Vladimir on a campaign against Yam; the campaign was successful, but Vladimir’s squad returned almost without horses, due to death.
There is news about the Russian campaign under Yaroslav to the Ural ridge, under the leadership of some Uleb (1032).
On western borders Yaroslav waged wars with Lithuania and the Yatvingians, apparently to stop their raids, and with Poland. In 1022, Yaroslav went to besiege Brest, whether successfully or not is unknown; in 1030 he took Belz (in north-eastern Galicia); the next year, with his brother Mstislav, he took the Cherven cities and brought many Polish captives, whom he resettled along the river. Rosi in towns to protect lands from steppe nomads. Several times Yaroslav went to Poland to help King Casimir to pacify the rebellious Mazovia; last trip was in 1047
The reign of Yaroslav was marked by the last hostile clash between Rus' and the Greeks. One of the Russian merchants was killed in a quarrel with the Greeks. Not receiving satisfaction for the insult, Yaroslav sent a large fleet to Byzantium (1043), under the command of his eldest son, Vladimir of Novgorod, and the governor Vyshata. The storm scattered the Russian ships; Vladimir destroyed those sent to pursue him greek fleet, but Vyshata was surrounded and captured near the city of Varna. Peace was concluded in 1046; prisoners on both sides were returned, and friendly relations were sealed by the marriage of Yaroslav's beloved son, Vsevolod, with a Greek princess.
As can be seen from the chronicles, Yaroslav did not leave behind such an enviable memory as his father. According to the chronicle, “he was lame, but he had a kind mind and was brave in the army”; At the same time, it was added that he himself read the books - a remark testifying to his amazing learning for that time.
The reign of Yaroslav is important as the era of the highest prosperity of Kievan Rus, after which it quickly began to decline. The significance of Yaroslav in Russian history is based mainly not on successful wars and external dynastic ties with the West, but on his works on the internal structure of the Russian land. He contributed greatly to the spread of Christianity in Rus', the development of the education and training of Russian clergy necessary for this purpose. Yaroslav founded the Church of St. in Kyiv, at the site of his victory over the Pechenegs. Sofia, magnificently decorating it with frescoes and mosaics; built the monastery of St. George and the monastery of St. Irina (in honor of his wife’s angel). Kyiv Church of St. Sofia was built in imitation of Tsaregrad. Yaroslav spared no expense on the church splendor, inviting Greek craftsmen for this. In general, he decorated Kyiv with many buildings, surrounded it with new stone walls, installing the famous Golden Gate in them (in imitation of the same ones in Constantinople), and above them - a church in honor of the Annunciation.
Yaroslav made a lot of efforts for the internal improvement of the Orthodox Church and successful development Christian faith. When, at the end of his reign, it was necessary to install a new metropolitan, Yaroslav ordered the council of Russian bishops to install priest S. as metropolitan. Berestov Hilarion, originally from the Russians, wanting to eliminate the dependence of the Russian spiritual hierarchy on Byzantium. In order to instill in the people the principles of the Christian faith, Yaroslav ordered handwritten books to be translated from Greek into Slavic and bought a lot of them himself. Yaroslav placed all these manuscripts in the library of the St. Sophia Cathedral he built for common use. To spread literacy, Yaroslav ordered the clergy to teach children, and in Novgorod, according to later chronicles, he set up a school for 300 boys. Under Yaroslav, church singers came to Rus' from Byzantium and taught the Russians octal (demonic) singing.
Yaroslav remained the most famous to posterity as a legislator: the oldest Russian legal monument is attributed to him - the “Charter” or “Yaroslavl Court” or “Russkaya Pravda”. Most scientists (Kalachev, Bestuzhev-Ryumin, Sergeevich, Klyuchevsky) for very compelling reasons believe that Pravda is a collection of laws and customs in force at that time, compiled by private individuals. As can be seen from the monument itself, Pravda was compiled not under Yaroslav alone, but also after him, during the 12th century.
In addition to Pravda, under Yaroslav, a church charter or the Pilot’s Book appeared - a translation of the Byzantine Nomocanon. With his legislative activities, concerns about the spread of Christianity, about church splendor and enlightenment, Yaroslav rose so high in the eyes of ancient Russian people that he received the nickname of the Wise.
Concerns about the internal improvement of the land, its peace and security also played a significant role in Yaroslav’s activities: he was the prince of the land. Like his father, he populated the steppe spaces, built cities (Yuryev - Dorpat, Yaroslavl), continued the policy of his predecessors to protect borders and trade routes from nomads and to protect the interests of Russian trade in Byzantium. Yaroslav fenced with guards southern border Rus' with the steppe and in 1032 began to build cities here, settling captive Poles in them.
The time of Yaroslav was an era of active relations with Western states. Yaroslav was in family ties with the Normans: he himself was married to the Swedish princess Ingigerda (in Orthodoxy Irina), and the Norwegian prince Harald the Bold received the hand of his daughter Elizabeth. Some of Yaroslav's sons were also married to foreign princesses (Vsevolod, Svyatoslav). Princes and noble Normans found shelter and protection with Yaroslav (Olav the Holy, Magnus the Good, Harald the Bold); Varangian traders enjoy his special patronage. Yaroslav's sister Maria was married to Casimir of Poland, his second daughter Anna was married to Henry I of France, and the third, Anastasia, was married to Andrew I of Hungary. There is news from foreign chroniclers about family ties with English kings and about the stay at the court of Yaroslav of two English princes who sought refuge.
Yaroslav's capital, Kyiv, seemed to Western foreigners to be a rival to Constantinople; its liveliness, caused by fairly intense trading activity for that time, amazed foreign writers of the 11th century.
Yaroslav died in Vyshgorod (near Kiev), 76 years old (1054), dividing the Russian land between his sons. He left a will in which he warned his sons against civil strife and urged them to live in close love.
Yaroslav the Wise was great Prince of Kyiv(1015-1018, 1019-1054), Rostov prince (989-1010), Novgorod prince (1010-1034).
Yaroslav was born around 982 year, was the second son of Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich from the Rurik dynasty from the Polotsk princess Rogneda.
At the age of 10, Vladimir sent his son to take the Rostov princely table, and in 1100, Yaroslav became the Novgorod prince.
At the end of the reign of Vladimir the Great in 1014, Yaroslav refused to pay the annual tribute to Kyiv, which amounted to 2,000 hryvnia, and marched against his father. While preparing for the campaign, Vladimir died.
After the death of his father Vladimir on November 26 (St. George's Day) 1015 Yaroslav the Wise, in a fierce struggle for the Kiev throne, defeated the troops of Svyatopolk at Lyubech and took the Kiev throne, but 1018 under pressure Polish troops King Boleslav, whom Svyatopolk took to help him, had to leave Kyiv and fled to Novgorod. After the final victory at the Battle of the Altoi River 1019 Yaroslav the Wise became the Grand Duke of Kyiv.
In an effort to unite all Russian lands under his rule, Yaroslav Vladimirovich fought against his brother Mstislav Vladimirovich, Prince of Tmutarakan and Chernigov. After the battle that Yaroslav lost in Listveny near Chernigov in 1024, Yaroslav was forced to retreat to Mstislav Chernigov and all the lands east of the Dnieper, except for Pereyaslav. Subsequently, after the peace concluded in 1026 in Gorodok near Kiev, understanding and cooperation began between the brothers. Yaroslav the Wise helped Mstislav in the fight between the Zkasogama and the Yasami in 1029, expanding his possessions to Caucasus Mountains; and Mstislav - in binding and spreading the state of Yaroslav the Wise to the west of the Dnieper. 1030 in the north, Yaroslav occupied the lands between Lake Peipsi and the Baltic and there he founded the city of Yuryev (now Tartu), in 1030 - 1031 the troops of Yaroslav and Mstislav recaptured the Cherven gardens, which were captured by Boleslav 1 in 1018. At the same time, Yaroslav received from the Polish kingdom a strip of land between the San and Bug rivers. According to information contained in the Tale of Bygone Years, in 1030 he recaptured the city of Belz, and in 1031 he founded a city named after himself Yaroslav.
1036 - after the death of Mstislav, Yaroslav becomes the sole owner Kyiv State, except Principality of Polotsk, which was allocated by Vladimir the Saint to the inheritance of the Izyaslav family. 1036, according to the chronicle, Yaroslav the Wise defeated the Pechenegs near Kyiv and allegedly, according to the chronicle, began to build the St. Sophia Cathedral in 1037 on the site of the victory over them. Although latest research Sophia of Kyiv refuted this statement of the chronicle.
In 1038-1042, Yaroslav led successful campaigns against the Lithuanian tribes - the Yatvingians, against Mazovia, against the Baltic-Finnish tribes Yam and Chud. In 1043, under the leadership of his son Vladimir and governor Vyshata, he prepared a campaign against Byzantium, which ended in defeat, many soldiers were captured or died. To protect his state against attacks by nomads, Yaroslav strengthened the southern border, building cities above the Ros and Trubezh rivers of Korsun, Kanev, Pereyaslav; as well as the second fortification line over Sula Lubny, Lukoml, Voin.
Yaroslav spent the last years of his life in Vyshgorod. Died 20 February 1054, and a power struggle developed between his five sons. This period is known in historiography as the Yaroslavich Triumvirate, from which the collapse of Kievan Rus began and after a century and a half it actually ceased to exist as a single state.
Yaroslav the Wise meaning of activity
During his reign of Yaroslav the Wise, Kievan Rus turned into a powerful European state. To consolidate power in the state and streamline legal and social relations citizens during the reign of Yaroslav the Wise, a collection of laws was concluded, the so-called Truth of Yaroslav, constitutes the oldest part laws of Russian law - Russian Pravda.
The expansion of the borders of the capital of Rus' - Kyiv, begun by Vladimir the Saint, was completed, new defensive ramparts were poured under Vladimir the Saint (research by P. Rappoport) (one of them was laid along the modern Yaroslav Val street), and Yaroslav only placed a visor on them.
The Golden Gate, the Polish Gate, the Jewish Gate, St. George's and Irininsky Cathedrals, and St. Sophia Cathedral were built. Created the library of St. Sophia Cathedral. During his reign, the cities of Korsun and Gyurg (now Bila Tserkva) were founded, Chernigov, Pereyaslav, Vladimir-Volynsky, Turov were developed, and dynastic ties were established with the royal courts of Sweden, Norway and France.
The minting of silver coins continued.
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, daughters Prince of Polotsk Rogvolda.
Yaroslav Vladimirovich was placed by his father to reign, first in, then in. In 1014 he stopped paying tribute to Kyiv, hoping to separate his possessions from Southern Rus'. began gathering troops in order to force his son to submit to his authority, but during preparations for the campaign he died.
After his death, the Kiev throne was seized by the Turov prince Svyatopolk the Accursed, half-brother of Yaroslav Vladimirovich. Wanting to eliminate possible rivals, Svyatopolk organized the murder of his brothers, Prince of Rostov Boris and Prince of Murom Gleb, as well as the Drevlyan prince Svyatoslav.
Having secured 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, Polish king Boleslav I the Brave, Svyatopolk invaded Rus', 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 prince's boats and forced Yaroslav to continue the fight. In the Battle of Alta in 1018, Svyatopolk suffered crushing defeat, and Yaroslav reoccupied Kyiv.
After the victory over Svyatopolk, Yaroslav Vladimirovich began a fight with his other brother, the Tmutarakan prince Mstislav, who also laid claim to the Kiev throne. Mstislav won the battle of Listven (near Chernigov) in 1024, 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 mayors to Kyiv.
According to the peace treaty of 1025, Yaroslav Vladimirovich received Russian land to the west of the Dnieper and with the center in Kyiv, and Mstislav - eastern part, with Chernigov and Pereyaslavl. Only after the death of Mstislav in 1035 did Yaroslav Vladimirovich become an “autocrat” in Rus'.
In 1036, the Pechenegs were defeated near Kiev, stopping their attacks on Rus'. In 1038-1042 Yaroslav Vladimirovich led successful wars with Byzantium, Lithuanian and Finnish tribes.
The period of the autocratic rule of Yaroslav the Wise became a time of political power, cultural and economic prosperity of the ancient Russian state. This was evidenced by the marriages of Yaroslav's daughters with the kings of France, Norway, Denmark, and Hungary. He strengthened internal position state by introducing a set of laws - “Russian Truth”. The prince also helped strengthen his influence on the church by installing the Russian monk Hilarion as metropolitan. Under him, the first monasteries were created, and the majestic St. Sophia Cathedral was erected in Kyiv. The love of books, translations of Byzantine works into the Slavic language, the development of chronicles are a brilliant expression of the flowering of all ancient Russian culture. Under Yaroslav the Wise, the first Russian chronicle was written - the so-called. The most ancient vault. The Tale of Bygone Years contains a commendable review of the educational activities of the Grand Duke.
Chronicle data regarding the death of Yaroslav the Wise are contradictory. It is believed that he died on February 2, 1054, but other dates are also given. Before his death, the Grand Duke bequeathed the Kiev throne to the eldest of his sons, the Novgorod prince Izyaslav Yaroslavich, and divided the remaining possessions into appanages, which marked the beginning of feudal fragmentation. Yaroslav the Wise was buried in the tomb of the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv.