Prince Yaroslav the Wise

It is better to suffer an offense than to inflict it.

Plato

Prince Yaroslav the Wise was born in 978. His father was Prince Vladimir, who placed his young son on the princely throne of the city of Novgorod, which he ruled until 1019. After the death of Prince Vladimir, the Kiev throne was seized by Svyatopolk, who, blinded by the thirst for power, killed his three brothers: Boris, Gleb and Svyatoslav. Wanting to punish his brother, Yaroslav gathers an army to march on Kyiv. In total, the army consisted of forty thousand Slavs and thousands of mercenary Varangians. This campaign began in 1016. The confrontation with Svyatopolk continued until 1019, and ended with the murder of the latter.

Beginning of reign

So Prince Yaroslav The wise began his reign, which lasted 35 years. This time can undoubtedly be called a golden time in the history of Kievan Rus. But initially everything was not so smooth. The reign of Yaroslav, even after the death of Svyatopolk, was not unconditional. Mstislav Udaloy, who at that time held a princely post in the city of Tmutarakan, refused to recognize his brother as the sole ruler of Kievan Rus. Mstislav gathered an army and went to war against Kyiv. The key battle of this confrontation took place on river Ruda in 1023. In this battle, Yaroslav was defeated and went to Novgorod to gather a new army. It should be noted that Mstislav showed rare generosity and decided not to challenge his brother’s reign. He invited Yaroslav to rule all lands according to right side Don, leaving behind left side. Yaroslav refused.

Division and unification of the country

However, after returning to Novgorod, Prince Yaroslav the Wise gathered a new army and went to a meeting with his brother, which took place near Kiev. The brothers agreed to conclude an alliance and divided the lands of Kievan Rus among themselves. Mstislav took control of all the eastern lands, Yaroslav - the western ones. The only border between the brothers' possessions was the Dnieper. This event was truly key for Rus'. For the first time, the country, previously constantly tormented by internal and external enemies, found peace. The consent of the princes was complete and they did not dare to violate the terms of the signed peace. This continued until 1036, when Mstislav died. After the death of his brother, Prince Yaroslav the Wise became the rightful ruler. Now all of Kievan Rus was under his control: its western and eastern parts.

The year 1036 is marked not only by the reunification of the western and eastern lands of Rus'. It was this year that the battle with the Polovtsians took place near Kiev. The Russian army won a magnificent victory, completely defeating the enemy. From now on they did not represent such a formidable force. Now the prince could concentrate on solving other pressing problems.

End of reign

Prince Yaroslav went down in history under the name Wise. That’s what the people of Kiev called it, because it was under them that the first educational institutions, and also compiled the first written set of laws - “Russian Truth”.

Recent years This ruler directed his life towards the fight against a possible internecine war after his death. To do this, he himself decided to divide the country between his sons. So, Izyaslav, the eldest son, was bequeathed to the administration of the city of Kyiv, Svyatoslav became the ruler of Chernigov, Vsevolod was succeeded by Pereyaslav, Igor became a prince in the Vladimir-Volyn land, Vyacheslav became the ruler of Smolensk.

Yaroslav the Wise died in 1054, leaving his sons a great country, which, after a long period of calm, declared itself as a strong power.

Yaroslav is the son of the Polotsk princess Rogneda and Vladimir Svyatoslavich. Already in 987, the Rostov lands were given to him to reign. But, after the eldest son of the Grand Duke Vysheslav died, the reign of Yaroslav in Novgorod began. The death of the Grand Duke of Kyiv provoked a fierce power struggle between his children. The Kiev throne was captured by Svyatopolk, who was popularly nicknamed the Accursed. He killed his brothers Boris and Gleb, who reigned respectively in the Rostov and Smolensk lands, and Svyatoslav, who was planted by his father in the lands of the Drevlyans. Only Yaroslav, who after that became the Grand Duke, was able to defeat Svyatopolk. But he was unable to cope with the prince of Tmutarakan Mstislav, and all the lands of Rus' again came under the rule of Kyiv only after the death of Mstislav in 1036. The characteristics of Yaroslav the Wise and the entire period of his reign are ambiguous, but all historians agree that the prince fully justified his nickname.

The prince was married to Ingigerda, the daughter of the king of the Swedes. Since the chronicles mention two names of Yaroslav’s wife, Irina and Anna, historians conclude that she received the name Irina at baptism, and Anna after entering the monastery.

During the reign of Yaroslav the Wise 1019 - 1054, the state of Kievan Rus reached its peak. It became one of the strongest in Europe. The activities of Yaroslav the Wise were aimed at strengthening not only the capital city, but also all of his vast possessions. Several new cities were founded under him.

Thanks to the reasonable foreign policy of Yaroslav the Wise, the authority of the state in the international arena has grown significantly. The prince was also successful in military affairs. His campaigns against Poland, the Principality of Lithuania, and lands that belonged to the Finnish peoples were successful. But one of the most important for Rus' was the victory over the nomadic Pechenegs in 1036.

The last time Kievan Rus under Yaroslav the Wise collided with Byzantium. The conflict ended with the signing of a peace treaty, supported by a dynastic marriage. Prince Vsevolod's son married the Byzantine princess Anna. Yaroslav used dynastic marriages as a means of promoting peace. The sons of Yaroslav Vladimirovich the Wise, Svyatoslav, Vyacheslav and Igor, married German princesses. The eldest daughter Elizabeth was the wife of Harald, a Norwegian prince. Anna, his second daughter, married King Henry 1 of France, and Anastasia married King Andrew 1 of Hungary.

The reforms of Yaroslav the Wise covered almost all spheres of society. The Grand Duke attached great importance to education, and domestic politics Yaroslav the Wise was aimed at increasing education and literacy. The prince built a school where boys were taught “church work.” It should be noted that under Yaroslav, a metropolitan of Russian origin appeared in Rus' for the first time. To strengthen the position of the church in Yaroslav’s domains, the payment of “tithes” previously established by Vladimir was resumed. The prince's vigorous activity significantly changed Kievan Rus. Stone monasteries and temples were built, architecture and painting developed rapidly. The publication of the first set of laws, called “Russian Truth,” is also of great importance. This document regulated under Yaroslav the Wise the amount of tribute (vira) and punishments for various violations. A little later, a set of church laws “The Helmsman’s Book” (“Nomocanon”) appeared.

The answer to the question why Yaroslav was nicknamed the Wise lies not only in the prince’s love for books and the church, but also in his great deeds, which made Rus' one of the strongest states. True, this nickname appeared relatively recently, in the second half of the 19th century. During his reign, the prince was known as "Khromets". He was indeed lame, but this defect was considered a sign of special strength and intelligence. And a short biography of Prince Yaroslav the Wise confirms that these qualities were fully inherent in him. The prince lived a long life and died in 1054 at the age of 76. After his death, another bloody strife ensued.

Yaroslav Vladimirovich (Wise)- was born, according to the most common version, around 978. By origin he belonged to the Rurik family, and was the grandson of the famous Svyatoslav the Brave, who defeated the Khazars and was subsequently killed by the Pechenegs on the Dnieper. Yaroslav himself became the father, grandfather and uncle of many European rulers. At baptism he was named George. His biography intersects with epic tales and legends.

Father - Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich (who has the nickname “Baptist” and is often identified with the character of the epic epic Vladimir the Red Sun).

Mother - Polotsk princess Rogneda, who gave birth, besides Yaroslav, to seven more children: sons Izyaslav, Vsevolod, Mstislav; daughters Predslav, Premislav, Mstislav. Rogneda's fate is tragic - she was kidnapped by Prince Vladimir, who killed her father Rogvold and forcibly took her as his wife.

Childhood and youth

Board in Rostov

For 6496 (988) years It is reported that Vladimir Svyatoslavich sent his sons to various cities. Among the listed sons is Yaroslav, who received Rostov.

Since Yaroslav received the Rostov table as a child (at the age of 9), real power was in the hands of the mentor “breadwinner and governor named Buda (or Budy)” sent with him. Helping the young prince rule at the beginning of his journey, the voivode was subsequently mentioned during the reign of Yaroslav in Novgorod.

The founding of the city of Yaroslavl, named after the prince, is associated with the reign of Yaroslav in Rostov. However, there are legends that attribute the founding of the city to Yaroslav himself.

According to one of them, Yaroslav traveled along the Volga from Novgorod to Rostov. According to legend, on the way he was attacked by a bear, which Yaroslav, with the help of his retinue, hacked to death with an axe. After this, the prince ordered to cut down a small wooden fortress on an impregnable cape above the Volga, named after him - Yaroslavl. These events are reflected on the city's coat of arms. This legend was reflected in “The Legend of the Construction of the City of Yaroslavl,” published in 1877.

Memorial sign at the legendary founding site of Yaroslavl
Inscription: “At this place in 1010 Yaroslav the Wise founded Yaroslavl”

Yaroslav reigned in Rostov until the death of his elder brother Vysheslav, after which he took his place.

Reign in Novgorod

After the death of Vysheslav, Svyatopolk was considered the eldest son of Vladimir Svyatoslavovich. However, according to Thietmar of Merseburg, he was put in prison by Vladimir on charges of treason.

The next eldest son, Izyaslav, had also died by that time, but even during his father’s life he was actually deprived of the right to inherit - Polotsk was allocated to him as an inheritance. And Vladimir installed Yaroslav in Novgorod.

In terms of status, the Novgorod reign followed immediately after the Kyiv reign - Novgorod was always the key shopping center and gave its ruler great profits.

The Novgorod prince annually paid a tribute of 2,000 hryvnia in silver to Kyiv, which amounted to 2/3 of the tribute collected in Novgorod and the lands subordinate to it. The remaining money was spent on the maintenance of the prince and his squad, the size of which was second only to the size of the troops of the Kyiv prince.

The period of the Novgorod reign of Yaroslav until 1014 is just as little described in the chronicles as the Rostov one. The princely court of Yaroslav in Novgorod was located on the Trade side of the Volkhov, this place was called “Yaroslav’s courtyard”.

During excavations in Novgorod, archaeologists found the only copy of the lead seal of Yaroslav the Wise, which was once suspended from a princely charter. On one side of it are depicted the holy warrior George with a spear and shield and his name, on the second - a man in a cloak and helmet, relatively young, with a protruding mustache, but without a beard, as well as inscriptions on the sides of the chest figure: “Yaroslav. Prince Russian." Apparently, the seal contains a rather conventional portrait of the prince himself, a strong-willed man with a humpbacked predatory nose, whose dying appearance was reconstructed from the skull by the famous scientist - archaeologist and sculptor Mikhail Gerasimov.

Rebellion against father

In 1014 Yaroslav refused to pay his father, Prince of Kyiv Vladimir the Baptist, an annual fee of two thousand hryvnia. Historians suggest that these actions of Yaroslav were connected with Vladimir’s desire to transfer the throne to one of his younger sons, the Rostov prince Boris, whom he brought closer to himself in recent years and transferred command of the princely squad, which actually meant the recognition of Boris as heir. It is possible that this is precisely why the eldest son Svyatopolk the Accursed rebelled against Vladimir, and together with his wife he was subsequently imprisoned. And it was precisely this news that could push Yaroslav to break the established order.

In order to confront his father, Yaroslav, according to the chronicle, hired the Varangians overseas, who arrived led by Eymund Ringsson, a descendant of the first king of Norway, Harald Fairhair.

“We ask to be the Defenders of this possession, (we want) to agree with you on terms and receive gold and silver from you...”— Eymund's Saga

Vladimir, who in recent years lived in the village of Berestovo near Kiev, ordered to “break the way and pave bridges” for a campaign against his rebellious son, but fell ill. In addition, in June 1015, the Pechenegs invaded and the army gathered against Yaroslav, led by Boris, was forced to set off to repel the raid of the steppes, who, having heard about Boris’s approach, turned back.

At the same time, the Varangians hired by Yaroslav began to cause riots in Novgorod out of boredom. According to the Novgorod first chronicle:

“... the Varangians began to commit violence on married wives”

As a result, the Novgorodians, unable to withstand the violence committed, rebelled and killed part of the Varangians in one night. Yaroslav at this time was at his country residence in Rakom. Having learned about what had happened, he called to himself representatives of the Novgorod nobility who participated in the rebellion, promising them forgiveness, and when they arrived to him, he brutally dealt with them. This happened in July-August 1015.

After this, Yaroslav received a letter from his sister Predslava, in which she reported on the death of his father and the events that happened after that. This news forced Prince Yaroslav to make peace with the Novgorodians. He also promised to pay the viru for each person killed. And in subsequent events, the Novgorodians invariably supported their prince.

The struggle for the Kyiv throne

Death of father and murder of brothers Boris and Gleb

Version 1 (according to Russian chronicles)

July 15, 1015 Vladimir Svyatoslavich died in Berestovo, without having time to punish his son for the rebellion. That same night, Yaroslav received news from Kyiv from his sister Predslava:

“Your father died, and Svyatopolk sits in Kyiv, killed Boris and sent for Gleb, be very careful of him.”

Prince Boris, sent by Vladimir against the Pechenegs, did not meet the enemy anywhere and, returning back, stopped on the Alta River. Here he learned about the death of his father and about the occupation of the grand-ducal throne by his brother Svyatopolk. The squad offered to go to Kyiv and seize the throne, but Boris did not want to violate the sanctity of family relations and indignantly rejected this proposal, as a result of which his father’s squad left him and he remained with his closest people.

Meanwhile, Svyatopolk, who, informing Boris about the death of his father, offered to be with him in love and increase his inheritance, wanted to eliminate his rivals for the possession of the principality by killing the sons of Vladimir.

Svyatopolk sent Putsha and the Vyshgorod boyars to kill his brother - since the sympathy of the people and squads for Boris made him a dangerous rival. Putsha and his comrades came to Alta, to Boris’s tent, on the night of July 24; Having heard the singing of psalms coming from the tent, Putsha decided to wait until Boris went to bed. As soon as Boris, doubly saddened by both the death of his father and rumors about his brother’s villainous intentions, finished his prayer and went to bed, the murderers burst in and pierced Boris and his Hungarian servant George, who was trying to protect the master with his own body, with spears.

The killers wrapped Boris, who was still breathing, in a tent cloth and took him away. Svyatopolk, having learned that he was still alive, sent two Varangians to kill him, which they did, piercing him with a sword in the heart.

Murder of Gleb

After the murder of Boris, Svyatopolk called Gleb to Kyiv, fearing that he might want revenge. When Gleb stopped near Smolensk, he received news from Yaroslav about the death of his father, about the occupation of Kyiv by Svyatopolk, about his murder of Boris and his intention to kill him, Gleb; at the same time, Yaroslav advised him not to go to Kyiv.

Goryaser, who was at the head of the killers sent by Svyatopolk, came to him and ordered his own cook to kill the prince. The murder of Gleb occurred on September 5, 1015. Gleb's body was buried by the killers “in an empty place, on a gap between two decks”(that is, in a simple coffin consisting of two hollowed out logs).

Murder of Gleb in the boat. Brand icon from Boris and Gleb Church in Zaprudy in Kolomna

Having learned about the death of Boris and Gleb, Svyatoslav Drevlyansky left his capital and tried to escape to the Carpathians. The chase caught up with Svyatoslav on the bank of the Opir near the present city of Skole - in the battle with the troops of Svyatopolk, seven sons of Svyatoslav and the prince himself died.

Yaroslav, as the chronicles tell, gathered a thousand Varangians, and forty thousand other soldiers, and went against Svyatopolk, and, calling out to God, said:

“It was not I who began to beat my brothers, but he, may God be the avenger for the blood of my brothers, because without guilt he shed the righteous blood of Boris and Gleb. Or should I do the same? Judge me, O Lord, in truth, so that the sinner’s atrocities may cease.”

Version 2 (based on "Eymund's Saga")

In 1834, a professor at St. Petersburg University, Osip Senkovsky, having translated “Eymund’s Saga” (“Eymund’s Strand”) into Russian, discovers that the Varangian Eymund, together with his retinue, was hired by Yaroslav the Wise. The saga tells how King Yarisleif (Yaroslav) fights with King Burisleif, and in the saga Burisleif is killed by the Varangians by order of Yarisleif. Some researchers suggest Boris under the name "Burisleif", others - the Polish king Boleslav, whom the saga confuses with his ally Svyatopolk.

“I will not do any of this: I will neither set anyone up for a (personal, chest-to-chest) battle with King Burisleif, nor will I blame anyone if he is killed.”- Yarisleif sends Eymund to kill Burislaf.

F. A. Bruni The Assassination of Boris.

In the Scandinavian sagas, Yaroslav appears as Yarisleif the Miser. Actually, if you analyze the constant disputes about payment for the services of the Varangians that appeared in these sagas, it is not surprising.

The tragic fate of Boris and Gleb (in the baptism of Roman and David) made them the first Russian saints to be canonized as martyrs. The Church made them patrons of the Russian land and “heavenly helpers” of the Russian princes.

Some of the first monuments of ancient Russian literature are dedicated to the story of Boris and Gleb: “The Legend” of Jacob Chernorizets and “Reading” of Nestor the Chronicler. Many temples and monasteries were built in honor of the brothers.

Monument to Boris and Gleb at the walls of the Boris and Gleb Monastery in Dmitrov (2006, sculptor - A. Yu. Rukavishnikov)

Civil strife between Yaroslav and Svyatopolk
1015-1019

In 1016 Yaroslav, at the head of a 3,000-strong Novgorod army and mercenary Varangian troops, moved against Svyatopolk, who called the Pechenegs for help. The two troops met on the Dnieper near Lyubech and throughout three months Until late autumn, neither side risked crossing the river. Finally, the Novgorodians did it, and they got the victory. The Pechenegs were cut off from Svyatopolk's troops by the lake and were unable to come to his aid. Yaroslav generously rewarded the Novgorod squad, giving each warrior ten hryvnia. From the chronicles:

“... And let them all go home, - and having given them the truth, and having written off the charter, he said to them: walk according to this letter, just as it was copied to you, keep it in the same way.”

The victory at Lyubech did not end the fight with Svyatopolk: soon he again approached Kyiv with the Pechenegs. This siege is mentioned by academician B.A. Rybakov. and is described in detail in the Saga of Eymund.

In 1017 Svyatopolk and the Pechenegs approached Kyiv, on the walls of which tree crowns were fortified to protect against arrows, and around the city a ditch with water was dug, covered on top with logs and earth. Some of the besiegers fell into a trap. The two gates of Kyiv were left open, and the warriors of Yaroslav and the Varangians of Eymund were stationed in them, respectively. During the battle, the Pechenegs even managed to penetrate inside the city, but then they were driven out. The besieged undertook a sortie and during the pursuit captured the banner of Svyatopolk.

Svyatopolk and Boleslav the Brave capture Kyiv

In 1018 the Polish king Boleslav the Brave, who had previously given him his daughter as a wife, supported Svyatopolk. The Pole pursued two goals - to install a relative in Kyiv and to capture the Cherven cities, through which the most important trade route of Eastern Europe, connecting Kyiv with Krakow and Prague, passed.

Boleslav's army, in addition to the Poles, included 300 Germans, 500 Hungarians and 1000 Pechenegs. Yaroslav, having gathered his squad, moved towards Boleslav. The opponents met on the Western Bug. The Poles suddenly crossed the river, Yaroslav did not have time to react, and as a result of the battle, the army of the Kyiv prince was defeated. Yaroslav fled to Novgorod, and the road to Kyiv was open.

August 14, 1018 Boleslav and Svyatopolk entered the capital of Kievan Rus, which amazed the Poles and Germans. Boleslav captured rich booty and many prisoners in Kyiv, and also, according to the Chronicle of Thietmar of Merseburg, Predslava Vladimirovna, Yaroslav’s beloved sister, whom he took as a concubine.

The circumstances of Boleslav's return from the campaign are vague. The Tale of Bygone Years speaks of the expulsion of the Poles as a result of the uprising of the Kievites, but Thietmar of Merseburg and Gallus Anonymus write the following:

“Boleslav put in his place in Kyiv one Russian who became related to him, and he himself began to gather for Poland with the remaining treasures.”

And Yaroslav prepared to flee “over the sea.” But the Novgorodians, led by the mayor Konstantin Dobrynich, having chopped up his ships, told the prince that they wanted to fight for him with Boleslav and Svyatopolk. They collected money and made a deal new agreement with the Varangians of King Eymund and armed themselves.

In the spring of 1019 Svyatopolk fought with Yaroslav in a decisive battle on the Alta River. The chronicle did not preserve the exact location and details of the battle. It is only known that the battle lasted all day and was extremely fierce. Svyatopolk fled through Berestye and Poland to the Czech Republic. On the way, suffering from illness, he died.

Maintaining power

Personal life - Ingigerd's wife

Summer 1018 Ambassadors from the Novgorod “King Jaritsleiv” arrived to Olaf Shetkonung - the Swedish king married his daughter to the future Kyiv prince and ruler of Rus' Yaroslav the Wise. Ingigerda arrived in Novgorod in the summer of 1019.

According to the “Sagas of Saint Olaf”, according to the marriage contract, Princess Ingigerda received as a dowry the city of Aldeigaborg (now the village of Staraya Ladoga) with adjacent lands, which have since received the name Ingria (the lands of Ingigerda, in Finnish pronunciation - “Inkerinmaa”), and the mayor of Ladoga At the request of Ingigerda, Earl Rögnvald Ulvsson, her relative, was appointed.

In Novgorod, Ingigerda converted to Orthodoxy under the name Irina.

Bryachislav Izyaslavich, Prince of Polotsk
(artist: A. Kryvenka)

Conflict with Bryachislav

In 1021 Yaroslav's nephew, Prince of Polotsk Bryachislav Izyaslavich, made a surprise attack on Novgorod. On the way back, loaded with plunder, he was overtaken by Yaroslav on the Sudoma River and, after defeat in the battle, fled, leaving prisoners and booty to the winner.

Yaroslav pursued him and forced him to agree to peace terms the following year, assigning to him the two cities of Usvyat and Vitebsk as his inheritance. Despite this peace, hostilities between uncle and nephew did not stop: the latter “all the days of his life,” as stated in the chronicle, continued to fight with Yaroslav.

The version emerging from the Scandinavian “Eymund’s Saga” looks completely different: the troops converged, but the battle never happened. Norman mercenaries from Bryachislav’s detachment made their way to the enemy camp and managed to kidnap the wife of the Kyiv prince, Ingigerda, as she and her guards were driving along a forest road. Having learned about this, Yaroslav was forced to enter into negotiations and agree to Bryachislav’s conditions, although he had an advantage in power. The Polotsk prince freed the captured Novgorodians, returned Ingigerda, in return achieving peace, retaining all his possessions and additionally receiving two important cities that stood on the trade route - Vitebsk and Usvyat. The outcome of this confrontation was not in Yaroslav's favor.

Conflict with brother Mstislav

In 1023 A rebellion broke out near Suzdal. In this difficult situation the Kyiv prince had another rival - his brother Prince Mstislav, who ruled in Tmutarakan on the shore Sea of ​​Azov- a remote Russian colony that existed since the campaigns of Svyatoslav.

While Yaroslav pacified the rebellion in Suzdal (due to drought and crop failure, the Magi went against the prince’s governors, who demanded excessive collections of the already meager provisions), Mstislav approached Kyiv with his allies the Khazars and Kasogs, however, the city did not surrender to him . Mstislav did not besiege Kyiv and occupied Chernigov. Having extinguished the rebellion in Suzdal, Yaroslav returned to Novgorod, hired the Varangians and moved against Mstislav.

In 1024 The troops of Yaroslav and Mstislav met near Chernigov near the town of Listven. The battle took place at night during a severe thunderstorm. Yaroslav's squad, commanded by the Varangian Yakun the Blind, was opposed not only by Mstislav's knights, but also by the hired Varangians of the Tmutarakan prince, who occupied the center of the battle formation and took the main blow of the enemy. The Varangians fought in a solid line, while Mstislav, for the first time in the history of Kievan Rus, used a battle formation divided along the front (later this formation became the main one, used by Yaroslav himself in 1036 against the Pechenegs, and by his grandchildren in 1093 against the Polovtsians). Mstislav's squad hit the enemy from the flanks and defeated him. Yaroslav with the remnants of the soldiers fled to Novgorod.

Mstislav moved his capital to Chernigov and, sending ambassadors to Yaroslav, who had fled to Novgorod, offered to divide the lands along the Dnieper with him and stop the wars:

“Sit down in your Kyiv, you are the elder brother, and let me have this side.”

Yaroslav ruled Kiev through governors until 1026, until he gathered a large army, after which he returned to Kyiv and made peace with Prince Mstislav at Gorodets. The brothers divided the lands along the Dnieper. The left bank was retained by Mstislav, and the right bank by Yaroslav. Yaroslav, being the Grand Duke of Kyiv, preferred to stay in Novgorod until 1036 (the time of Mstislav's death).
In 1028, the first large school was founded in Novgorod, in which about 300 children of priests and elders were gathered.

Help Olaf II

In the same year 1028 Norwegian king Olaf II (later nicknamed the Saint) attacked Denmark, but was defeated and was forced to flee to Sweden and then further to Rus'. He fled there with his young son Magnus, leaving his wife Astrid in Sweden.

In Novgorod, Ingigerda, the half-sister of Magnus's mother, Yaroslav's wife and Olaf's former fiancée, insisted that Magnus remain with Yaroslav after the king returned to Norway in 1030, where he died in the battle for the Norwegian throne.

Help Bezprym in seizing the throne of Poland

In 1030 Yaroslav defeated the Chud and founded the city of Yuryev (now Tartu, Estonia). In the same year, he decided to support Prince Bezprym, who had previously fled to Kyiv, in his claims to the Polish throne, but as a result of the campaign he was only able to take the city of Belz in Galicia. At this time, an uprising arose against King Mieszko II in the Polish land, the people killed bishops, priests and boyars.

In 1031 Yaroslav attracted Mstislav, they gathered a large army and invaded Poland. The brothers recaptured the cities of Przemysl and Cherven, and, taking many Poles prisoner, divided them. Yaroslav resettled his prisoners along the Ros River.

Mieszko II tried to attract help from the Holy Roman Emperor, but the emperor did not send help and Mieszko II was forced to flee to the Czech Republic. Bezprym, with the support of Russian and German armed forces, seized the throne of Poland.

Bezprym's reign did not last long. The cause of his fall was extreme cruelty. According to the Annals of Hildesheim, he was killed by his own men no later than the spring of 1032. Mieszko II managed to restore his power, but not for long - on May 10, 1034 he was killed, apparently by conspirators from among the Polish feudal lords. His death marked the beginning of a period of return of paganism, chaos and unrest in Poland, resulting in the peasant uprising of 1037-1038, which in scope was one of the largest popular uprisings of that time. Pomerania and Mazovia separated from Poland.

The future king of Norway in the service of Yaroslav the Wise

Shortly before this, in 1031, Harald III the Severe stepbrother Olaf the Saint, fled to Yaroslav the Wise and served in his squad.

When the future king of Norway first asked for the daughter of a Russian prince as his wife, Yaroslav considered him not rich and status enough to become Elizabeth’s husband.

Then Harald began to win both wealth and status for himself. He entered the service of the Byzantine emperor and fought in Africa, Sicily and Palestine. He got it huge amount gold and precious stones, some of which he sent to Yaroslav the Wise for safekeeping during his service. At the same time, he did not forget about Elizabeth and his feelings for her in his songs, of which he wrote about sixteen during the years of wandering.

Final approval of Yaroslav the Wise in Kyiv

Porub is a dungeon made of logs, in the form of a well.

In 1036 Mstislav suddenly died while hunting, and Yaroslav, apparently fearing any claims to the reign of Kiev, imprisoned his last brother, the youngest of the Vladimirovichs - the Pskov prince Sudislav - in a dungeon (cut).

Sudislav spent 23 years in prison, outliving Yaroslav the Wise and being the last surviving son of Vladimir the Baptist.

His nephews, the “triumvirs” Izyaslav, Svyatoslav and Vsevolod, released their uncle from prison in 1059, subject to the renunciation of the right to the Kiev throne. Sudislav became a monk in the Kiev St. George Monastery, where he died in 1063.

Only after these events did Yaroslav decide to move with his court from Novgorod to Kyiv.

Yaroslav's reign in Kyiv

Defeat of the Pechenegs

In the same year 1036 The Pechenegs, after a fifteen-year truce, invaded Russian lands and besieged Kyiv. This attack came as a big surprise to Prince Yaroslav, who was in Novgorod at that moment. Kyiv, accordingly, was left without significant protection.

The Pechenegs only managed to burn the towns and suburbs, the local residents managed to go to the city and take away their property, and the cattle were driven into ravines. Kyiv held out until the arrival of Yaroslav the Wise, who gathered a large army of Varangians and Novgorodians. With these forces, he broke through into besieged Kyiv, and, together with local forces, launched a general sortie.

Yaroslav used a battle formation divided into three regiments along the front, which Mstislav used in the unsuccessful Battle of Listven for Yaroslav. A battle began that lasted all day. Despite the numerical superiority of the Pecheneg army, the victory of Yaroslav the Wise was unconditional. The remaining nomads fled in panic: many Pechenegs drowned in Setomli and other rivers, some went to the borders of Byzantium, some to the Don, where they became dependent on stronger tribes.

Library of Yaroslav the Wise

In honor of the victory under the Pechenegs, the Cathedral of St. Sophia of Kyiv was erected, and artists from Constantinople were called to paint the temple.

The only historical mention of the prince’s library dates back to 1037 and is contained in the “Tale of Bygone Years”:

“Yaroslav loves books, and having copied many, he placed them in the church of St. Sophia, which he created himself.”

In the 18th century, the first serious historians became interested in the library. Russian Empire, in particular, Mikhail Lomonosov. They conducted a series of studies and hypothesized that the library contained ancient Russian manuscripts, as well as books and scrolls from the Library of Alexandria and ancient texts from later times. Their studies mentioned “letters brought from India and East Asia in ancient times, when European people did not know these lands”.

Expanding the influence of the Russian state - diplomacy and war.

Many years of the reign of Yaroslav the Wise are characterized only by short lines in the chronicles.

Help for the Polish King Casimir I

In 1038-39, the Polish king Casimir I, with the help of mercenary German troops, restored his power and extinguished the peasant revolt. However, on the Vistula right bank, in Mazovia, the local nobility refused to recognize Casimir and named a certain Maslaw as their prince.

Casimir was unable to fight such a powerful enemy alone. Meanwhile, there was no longer any hope for German help: the restoration of a united, strong Poland was not in the interests of the German Empire.

Map of Poland. In the upper part, Mazovia is highlighted in a lighter tone.

Then Casimir asked for assistance in the fight against Maslav from the Russian prince, whose possessions bordered on Mazovia. The Polish king doubted that his proposal would be accepted.

Over the previous half century, Poland showed itself to be the worst enemy of the Russian land. The Polish hand brought the Pechenegs to Kyiv, devastated the treasury of the Russian princes, captured the Cherven cities, and took the Russians prisoner. It would seem that instead of helping, Rus' should have tormented the weakened enemy, as the Czech Republic did, which also suffered a lot from the Poles.

Casimir I the Restorer

However, Yaroslav did not remember previous grievances to the Poles. As a result of negotiations with Casimir, the Russian prince decided to support the Polish monarch and show good neighborliness. The Russian-Polish alliance concluded in 1038/1039 was sealed by two dynastic marriages: Casimir then married Yaroslav’s sister (possibly niece), Maria Dobronega, and married his sister, Gertrude, to Izyaslav, the son of Yaroslav the Wise. As a sign complete reconciliation with Russia, the Polish prince released all the Russian prisoners captured in Kyiv by his grandfather, Boleslav I.

But coping with the pagan coalition turned out to be difficult even for two largest states Eastern Europe. In the winter of 1038/39, Yaroslav went against the Lithuanian Yatvingian tribe, “and I can’t take them”, as reported by The Tale of Bygone Years. The repeated campaign of 1040, apparently, also did not bring tangible success, since the chronicler limited himself to a short note: "Idea Yaroslav to Lithuania". With the same suspicious brevity, PVL, under the year 1041, speaks of the campaign against Maslav:

“Ide Yaroslav na Mazovshan in Lodi”
(likely, Russian army sailed to Mazovia along the Western Bug).

Having encountered stubborn resistance from the Lithuanians and the Mazovian prince, Yaroslav made an attempt to strengthen the Russian-Polish alliance, supplementing it with a similar bilateral agreement between Rus' and Germany. Medieval German chronicles preserve news of two embassies of Yaroslav to Emperor Henry III in the early 40s of the 11th century. However, the goals of the first of them remain unclear. The anonymous "Saxon Annalist" only wrote that on November 30, 1040, while in Thuringia, “the emperor received ambassadors from Rus' with gifts”.

But at the end of 1042, Yaroslav directly proposed a dynastic union to the German emperor. According to the Annals of Lampert of Hersfeld, this year Henry III celebrated Christmas in Goslar, one of his Thuringian residences:

“There, among the ambassadors from many countries, there were also ambassadors of Rus', who departed in sadness, because they received a clear refusal regarding the daughter of their king, whom they hoped to marry Emperor Henry.”

Henry III returns from a campaign in Italy

The young German emperor, widowed in 1038 (his first wife Cunegilda died of a pestilence), was really looking for a bride. But his preference was given to the French princess. However, Henry III tried to soften his refusal so that it would not look offensive to the Russian prince. As the Altaikh Annals specify:

“The ambassadors of Rus' brought large gifts, but set off on the return journey with even larger ones”.

In 1043 Yaroslav twice more “walk in lodii na mazovshan”, on next year fought with Lithuania, and again to no avail. The chain of military and diplomatic failures was broken only in 1047:

“Yaroslav went to the Mazovshans, and defeated them, and killed their prince Moislav [Maslav], and subjugated them to Casimir.”

March on Constantinople

Tensions between the two states began to appear after the accession of Emperor Constantine Monomakh in June 1042. The beginning of Constantine's reign was marked by a mutiny of troops under the command of George Maniak in Italy; it is known that Russian-Varangian troops also fought under his command.

According to academician G.G. Litavrin Konstantin disbands military detachments that enjoyed the special favor of the former Emperor Michael V, perhaps trying to disband the Varangian-Russian corps. A manifestation of this was the desire of the Viking Harald the Severe to return to his homeland. However, Constantine not only refuses, but, according to the sagas, throws Harald into prison. Tom manages to escape to Rus', to Yaroslav the Wise.

The reason for the war, according to the Byzantine chronicler Skylitzes, was the murder of a noble Russian merchant (“noble Scythian”) in the market of Constantinople. Emperor Constantine sent envoys to apologize, but they were not accepted.

Yaroslav sent his son Vladimir together with Harald Surov and governor Vyshata on a campaign against Constantinople. Skilitsa estimates the Russian army at 100 thousand soldiers, another Byzantine historian, Michael Attaliat, indicated the size of the Russian fleet at 400 ships. The Russian “boat army” went down the Dnieper, entered the Black Sea (in those years the Russian Sea) and headed towards the mouth of the Danube. Here, according to the chronicle, the warriors stopped and began to decide how to continue the campaign - by land or by sea. The opinion of the Varangian warriors prevailed, and the Russian ships continued moving towards Constantinople.

Constantine learned about the upcoming campaign in the spring of 1043 and took action: he expelled Russian mercenaries and merchants from Constantinople, and instructed the strategist (military leader) Kekavmen to guard the western shores of the Black Sea. In June 1043, the fleet of Prince Vladimir passed the Bosphorus and settled in one of the bays of the Propontis, not far from Constantinople. According to Psellus, the Russians entered into negotiations, asking for 1,000 coins per ship. According to Skylitza, Emperor Constantine Monomakh was the first to begin negotiations, which led to nothing, since the Russians asked for 3 liters (almost 1 kg) of gold per warrior.

Russian commanders landed some of their soldiers ashore and organized a camp. Naval forces Vladimir on the morning of the battle, they lined up and were ready for battle.

Constantine IX gave the order to attack at noon. His three dromons from the sea and at the same time two legions from land attacked the Russian fleet and camp. The Byzantine ships were armed with Greek fire; they set fire to Russian boats, which caused confusion in the actions of Vladimir’s soldiers. However, the princely warriors fought bravely, threw spears and arrows at the enemy, and tried to break through the sides of enemy ships with logs suspended on chains.

Byzantine dromon attacks Slavic warships

Greek fire in those days was truly the ultimate weapon - imperial ships began to gain the upper hand. According to Skylitsa, Vasily Theodorokan burned seven Russian ships and sank three along with the crew. The main Byzantine fleet set out from the harbor. The rooks had to retreat. At that moment a storm broke out, the consequences of which were described by Michael Psellus:

“Some ships were immediately covered by the rising waves, while others were dragged along the sea for a long time and then thrown onto the rocks and onto the steep shore; Our dromons set off in pursuit of some of them, they sent some canoes under the water along with the crew, while other warriors with dromons made holes and brought them half-submerged to the nearest shore. And then they organized a true bloodletting for the barbarians, it seemed as if a stream of blood flowing from the rivers had colored the sea.”

The Tale of Bygone Years begins the story of the unsuccessful campaign with a storm, keeping silent about what happened naval battle. The east wind threw up to 6 thousand soldiers ashore, and the prince’s ship was wrecked. Prince Vladimir was taken into his boat by the governor Ivan Tvorimirich, and he and his squad decided to make their way home by sea. Voivode Vyshata, on the contrary, landed on the shore to the soldiers with the words:

“If I live, then with them, if I die, then with the squad”

The emperor sent 24 dromons in pursuit of the Russians. In one of the bays, Vladimir attacked his pursuers and defeated them, possibly during a coastal stop, after which he returned safely to Kyiv. A group of 6 thousand Vyshata warriors, making their way to Rus' on foot along the Black Sea coast, was overtaken and destroyed near Varna by the troops of the strategist Katakalon Kekavmen. Vyshata, along with 800 soldiers, was captured. Almost all the prisoners were blinded.

Peace was concluded three years later.

Dynastic marriages

In addition to the marriages described above between family members of the Russian and Polish states, Yaroslav the Wise entered into a number of other, no less important and profitable dynastic alliances, which seriously strengthened the country’s position in the foreign policy arena.

Daughter Anastasia and the King of Hungary

Around 1038, Anastasia Yaroslavna married the Hungarian Duke Andras (Andrey), who, fleeing persecution from King Stephen I, fled to Kyiv. In 1046, Andras returned to Hungary with Anastasia, and, seizing the throne, became king. The Queen founded several Orthodox monasteries in Hungary.

Daughter Elizabeth and the King of Norway

In the winter of 1043/1044, Harald the Severe returned to Kyiv. The accumulated wealth and fame during his long wanderings and service to various rulers made him a worthy son-in-law for Yaroslav. He married Elizaveta Yaroslavna (Ellisif in the sagas). And then, with a significant number of people loyal to him, he returned to Norway, where he became king in 1046. It was he who founded Oslo in 1048, which is now the capital of Norway.

The daughter of Harald and Elizabeth, Ingigerda married the Danish king Olaf Sveinsson and became Queen of Denmark.

Son of Vsevolod and relative of the Emperor of Byzantium

In 1046, three years after the unsuccessful campaign against Constantinople, in honor of the conclusion of peace between Byzantium and Russia, Emperor Constantine Monomakh gave one of his relatives (most likely she was his daughter) to the son of Yaroslav the Wise - Vsevolod.

From this marriage Vladimir II Monomakh was born - Grand Duke, who played key role in the development of the Russian state.

Daughter Anna and the King of France

In 1048, ambassadors of Henry I of France arrived in Kyiv to ask for the hand of Yaroslav's youngest daughter Anna.

Henry was originally betrothed to the daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor, but she died in 1034. In 1043, Henry married for the first time, also unsuccessfully - a year later his wife died as a result of an unsuccessful caesarean section.

At the age of forty three years Henry married a second time. The wedding took place in cathedral Reims in 1051. Anna bore Henry four children, including the future King of France, Philip I. She was known in France as Anna of Russia or Anna of Kiev.

Anna Yaroslavna - Queen of France
(Diplomatic work by I. Tomilov)

Last years of life

In 1051, having gathered bishops, he himself appointed Hilarion as metropolitan, for the first time without the participation of the Patriarch of Constantinople. Hilarion became the first Russian metropolitan. Intensive work began on translating Byzantine and other books into Church Slavonic and Old Russian languages. Huge amounts of money were spent on copying books.

V. Nagornov, “Yaroslav the Wise”

The reign of Yaroslav the Wise lasted 37 years. Yaroslav spent the last years of his life in Vyshgorod.

Testament of Yaroslav the Wise to his sons

Before his death, Yaroslav the Wise divided the Russian land between his children, and from then on the appanage system began to develop in Rus'. Yaroslav gave his sons a will on how they should treat each other, and this will served as the basis for mutual relations princes during the appanage period.

“Here I am leaving this world, my children! love one another, because you are brothers, from the same father and from the same mother. If you live in love with each other, then God will be with you. He will subdue all your enemies, and you will live in peace. If you begin to hate each other and quarrel, then you yourself will perish and destroy the land of your fathers and grandfathers, which they acquired through their great labor. So live peacefully, obeying each other; I entrust my Kyiv table in my place to my eldest son and your brother Izyaslav: obey him, as they obeyed me, let him be for you in my place.”

Death of Yaroslav the Wise

The exact date of death of Yaroslav the Wise is still controversial. On February 17 or 20, 1054, in Vyshgorod, he died in the arms of his son Vsevolod, outliving his wife Ingigerda by four years and his eldest son Vladimir by two years. If we consider Yaroslav's approximate date of birth to be 978, he was about 76 years old at the time of his death. For that time ( average duration life was about 35-40 years old) it was a very advanced age.

Grave and missing remains

Yaroslav was buried in St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv. In a six-ton ​​tomb made of Prokones marble, which was once the last refuge of the holy Pope Clement and taken by Yaroslav’s father, Vladimir Svyatoslavich, from the Byzantine Chersonese he conquered.

According to Newsweek magazine, when the box with the remains of Yaroslav the Wise was opened on September 10, 2009, it was found that it contained, presumably, only the skeleton of Yaroslav’s wife, Princess Ingegerda. During the investigation conducted by journalists, a version was put forward that the prince’s remains were taken from Kyiv in 1943 during the retreat of German troops and may currently be in the United States.

Each historical milestone corresponds to some outstanding personality. So, at the dawn of the formation of Rus', princes are known who united the people and territories, baptized the Russian people and strengthened Christian faith. The name of Yaroslav Vladimirovich, Prince of Kyiv, is associated with the appearance of the “Russian Truth”, a document defining by what laws the Russian state should exist, the foundations of the future legislation of the state. It is known that he was born around 972 and died on February 2, 1054.

Son of Vladimir Red Sun

Grand Duke Vladimir is popularly called the Baptist for his actions associated with the emergence of Christianity in Rus'. The people called him the Red Sun because, according to N.I. Karamzin, he was a father to the poor people.
George, which was the name of Yaroslav I at birth, was born to the concubine and then to the wife of Vladimir Svyatoslavovich Rogneda. The son of a Polotsk princess, Yaroslav was one of the many children of the Grand Duke of Kyiv. And just like other sons, he received a fiefdom in which he could reign - the city of Rostov, later called Yaroslavl. Yaroslav reigned in the same way and in Novgorod he was a rebellious prince. Being Vladimir's unloved son, he did not obey his will, refusing to pay tribute. The father’s plans were to punish his disobedient son, but this was prevented by the death of Vladimir.

Yaroslav - Grand Duke

The main throne of Rus', Kyiv, was supposed to go to the beloved sons of Prince Vladimir, Boris and Gleb. But prince of Kyiv became Vladimir's nephew the Red Sun - Svyatopolk Yaropolkovich, popularly called the Damned. Having cunningly ascended the throne, he treacherously killed Vladimir's beloved sons, after which they were canonized by the church - the first saints in Rus'.
The same fate awaited Yaroslav, but he, uniting with his brother Mstislav, popularly called the Udaly, conquered Kyiv. The residents of Novgorod, outraged by the actions of Svyatopolk, helped him in this. It is interesting that the Novgorodians did not always respect Yaroslav, being indignant at his preference for Varangian warriors. This was due to the fact that the prince's wife, baptized Irina, was the daughter of the King of Norway. Novgorodians changed and began to support Yaroslav after he changed his attitude towards the residents of free Novgorod.
Using the funds collected by the townspeople, Yaroslav hired the Varangians, which decided the fate of the Kyiv throne after the battle with Svyatopolk. A few years later, after the death of his nephew Vladimir the Baptist, Yaroslav became the full sovereign of Kyiv. Yaroslav's brother Mstislav remained in Novgorod; he did not interfere with the sole power of the Kyiv prince.
Changes in domestic and foreign policy during the reign of Yaroslav the Wise
Yaroslav's first achievements are considered to be his complete victory over the Pechenegs. In honor of this event, a cathedral was erected in Kyiv, called St. Sophia. This was followed by the conquest of the Chud tribes and the erection of the city of Yuryev. It was not only with the sword that the former lands were returned and new ones were annexed. The prince wisely conducted his foreign policy, without unnecessary bloodshed, using his family ties. Yaroslav was a relative of many rulers of Western countries thanks to his wife Ingegerda and his second wife, Anna, a Byzantine princess. But he also strengthened family ties through marriages between his children and the children of Swedish, Norwegian and Polish rulers.

Prince's achievements

The reign of Yaroslav Vladimirovich led to the heyday of Kievan Rus, a time when Rus' became the strongest European state. Powerful states sought an alliance with Kievan Rus, and Rus itself was catching up with other states in the development of social, political and cultural relations.
Under Yaroslav, the first Christian monasteries of Rus' appeared: Kiev-Pechersk and Yuryev Novgorod. By order of the prince, a stone wall was erected around Kyiv, and the Golden Gate was erected near it.
The prince appointed Hilarion, the creator of the “Sermon on Grace and Law,” as Metropolitan.
The actions of Yaroslav the Wise contributed to the growth of literacy of the people in Rus', thanks to the opening of the first monastic schools.
The prince was married twice and had nine children. Having lived for 73 years, having been a prince for 37 years, Yaroslav was buried in the Kiev St. Sophia Cathedral, but it is currently unknown where his remains are located.
In the chronicles, the prince is characterized as a man with a kind mind and brave in the army. A man who loved to read, who did a lot for the appearance of books for Russians, copied from Greek by monks.
The people called the commander and prince of Kiev the Wise; this is how all his deeds can be called, including the structure of the Russian state and the honorable place of Kievan Rus among other countries.

The name and portrait of Yaroslav the Wise are well known even to those who have completely forgotten the history of Russia. He was one of the twelve sons of Vladimir the Baptist. an extremely bright personality, and above all, Yaroslav actively continued the work of his father.

Yaroslav the Wise. Brief biography

Little Yaroslav was lame from birth. Overcoming this illness, he began to practice with the sword every day. Therefore it right shoulder was much larger than the left one. Moreover, the prince was considered one of the best warriors among his contemporaries.

The chronicle, which describes the biography of Yaroslav the Wise, reports that in the summer of one thousand and eleven he went to baptize the pagans, and they put a bear in front of the prince, but he was able to defeat her. And when people saw this, they joyfully began to be baptized, because they believed that heavenly truth is always on the winning side.

Yaroslav thought the same thing at that time. His own, as yet limited, experience convinced him of this. After all, his father appointed him to rule the principality only after he was convinced that his son had a powerful will, which allowed him to overcome the illness acquired from birth.

System of ascension to the throne

During his lifetime, Vladimir divided the lands between his sons. Svyatopolk receives the Principality of Turov, Yaroslav - Rostov, the eldest son, Vysheslav, sits in Novgorod. And this system of princes ascending the throne, which is created by Vladimir, continues to operate for two more generations. It's called ladder.

All principalities are ranked according to their status. For example, Novgorod is considered the most prestigious after Kyiv, where my father sits. Therefore, the eldest son will rule in Novgorod. Then Polotsk, Turov, Rostov and so on.

As soon as the eldest of the brothers dies (during the life of the father), all the remaining ones rise one step up. That is why it is called ascension to the throne. The exception is if one of the middle brothers dies, then the principality is inherited by his children and grandchildren.

One death that saved thousands of lives, or the death of a sovereign

An interesting fact that the biography of Yaroslav the Wise describes concerns the death of Vysheslav, after which the redistribution of principalities begins. And here it is observed very strange thing: Yaroslav ends up immediately in Novgorod. Why this happened is unclear. The chronicles are silent about this.

After some time of reign, Yaroslav quarreled with his father because he refused to pay tribute to Kyiv. And Vladimir was going to go to war against his own son, but did not have time. He died unexpectedly while preparing for this campaign. But by that time Yaroslav had already managed to invite the Varangians to participate in the battle with his father.

Close ties with Scandinavian countries

Unlike the previous time, in the era of Yaroslav a consistent and stable foreign policy ancient Russian state. Moreover, just like Vladimir, he acutely feels his family ties with the Scandinavian north. When the struggle in Rus' flares up and the lives of Vladimir and Yaroslav are in danger, they try or even flee to Scandinavia. Mercenaries are invited from there.

Ambassadors are exchanged with them when a marriage is concluded, for example, Yaroslav with the Swedish princess. A trade agreement is drawn up with Norway. Moreover, Yaroslav interferes in internal affairs. In particular, in Norway he actually places Olav's son Magnus the Good on the throne, bribing all the nobility in his favor.

Bloody battle for the throne

While the Varangians are robbing the local population, raping and killing. Naturally, the Novgorodians did not like this, and one night they gathered and killed all the tormentors. In response to this, Yaroslav gathers the best residents and kills them. And on the same night he receives news from Kyiv that Vladimir has died suddenly. This happened on the fifteenth of July, one thousand and fifteen.

This is the first date that the biography of Yaroslav the Wise reports with an accuracy of one day. Svyatopolk seizes power in Kyiv. The squad of Boris, the next brother, invites him to seize power into his own hands. But he refuses. He says that Svyatopolk is like a father to him and the throne belongs to him by right. However, that same night, mercenaries sent by Svyatopolk arrive and kill Boris.

At the same time, he sends his people to his second brother, Gleb, and, moreover, even wants to kill Yaroslav. But he receives news of this from his sister Predslava. And the next morning he already assembles a regiment and goes to war against Svyatopolk. He defeats him and expels him from Kyiv. And then the biography of Yaroslav the Wise for two years does not report any facts about his life.

Two years later, or the return of Svyatopolk

In one thousand and eighteen, Svyatopolk suddenly appears, and not alone, but with Borislav the Brave, the Polish king, who supports him. Kyiv is captured because Yaroslav the Wise flees. Brief biography of that period reports that he is not even going to defend the city.

Borislav robs Kyiv, captures Yaroslav's sisters and his stepmother and returns to Poland. And Svyatopolk again rules in the city. Yaroslav flees to Novgorod, where he again gathers an army for new battle and wins again. This is what Rus' experienced under Yaroslav the Wise.

But the new ruler still had brothers, whom he always treated very coldly. Then he puts one of them in prison. He sat there until the death of the heir to the throne, and only then the sons of Yaroslav the Wise freed him from prison. And he deals with others no less cruelly.

Political line of rapprochement with the West

The history of Yaroslav the Wise is not replete with facts. But one thing is certain. During his reign, that is, towards the middle of the eleventh century, Ancient Rus' becomes widely known in Western Europe.

And the point is not only that he pursued an active matrimonial policy. The daughters and sons of Yaroslav the Wise entered into marriages with representatives of Western European ruling dynasties. This was precisely the political line of Yaroslav the Wise for rapprochement with the West - Hungary, Poland and other states.

For example, Izyaslav was married to the sister of the Polish king Casimir the First, whose name was Gertrude. Vsevolod - on the Greek princess Irina Monomakh. From this marriage the famous prince Vladimir Monomakh will appear. And Igor was married to the German princess Cunegonde. At this time, the father is preparing for war with Byzantium.

But not as gloomy as it might seem against the backdrop of all the events preceding his ascension to the throne. After he became a full-fledged prince in Kyiv, Yaroslav began vigorous activity. In one thousand thirty-six he begins grandiose construction.

New capital of the world

This is an act that testifies not only that Yaroslav the Wise was a good business executive. Such actions were also important politically. He built the Church of St. Sophia of Kyiv, at the same time the oldest chronicle was created, and the “Sermon on Law and Grace” was pronounced.

That is, Yaroslav the Wise is doing a tremendous amount of work to give a very special status to the state that he headed. Under him, Kyiv becomes " new capital peace." He also organizes activities to translate books into Slavic.

And just before his death, Yaroslav assigned a certain principality to each of his sons, so that there would be no further internecine strife. He lays the foundations for a completely new government structure, which is a much wiser system of government.