Yaroslav Vladimirovich the Wise (978-1054) - Rostov and Novgorod prince, Grand Duke of Kiev, son of the Baptist of Rus. After numerous battles with his brothers, he was able to secure the southern and western borders of the state. Also during the reign of Yaroslav, dynastic ties with European countries were established. It was under him that the "Russian Truth" was compiled. In addition, under this statesman, the Golden Gate, the Pechersky Monastery and the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kiev were built. To soften the dependence of the Russian Orthodox Church on Byzantium, the ruler sent his Metropolitan Hilarion to the church.
Family ties
There are discussions among historians about the years of Yaroslav's life, but most of them adhere to the version about 978 year of birth. He was born into the family of Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavovich, who christened Kievan Rus. The statesman's mother was Rogneda Rogvolodovna.
Already in 987 he received the title of Prince of Rostov. It was in this year that a city called Yaroslavl was founded. Since the boy was very young, he was assigned a breadwinner and the governor of Buda. He helped the ruler to get used to, later he became the closest associate of Yaroslav.
After the death of Vysheslav in 1010, Yaroslav was recognized as the prince of Novgorod. In 1014, he first refused to pay tribute to Kiev, which led to disagreements with Father Vladimir, who at that time was the head of state. He became furious, began to prepare a campaign to punish his son. However, he later fell ill and died suddenly.
The task of pacifying the brother was taken over by other sons of Vladimir. Since 1015, Yaroslav's conflicts with Svyatopolk the Accursed and Mstislav Tmutarakansky began. They lasted for several years. During this time, the borders of the state moved several times.
Conflicts with brothers
When Vladimir died, Svyatopolk took his place. He had to destroy three brothers in order to maintain power. Boris, Svyatoslav and Gleb died at the hands of the governor's assassins. This fate awaited his younger brother, but he managed to win the battle of Lubich. In 1016 Svyatopolk fled to his father-in-law Boleslav, two years later they tried to attack Yaroslav together. The battle took place in Volyn, on the banks of the Bug. For a while Boleslav managed to take possession of Kiev, but later he quarreled with his son-in-law and left. At this time, the Wise again attacks together with his Varangians and wins.
In 1019 Yaroslav succeeded in becoming a Kiev prince. He saw his main goal as protecting his native land from the Pechenegs and other conquerors. Under his rule, the ruler united almost all the ancient Russian territories. But for full control, the man needed to deal with other relatives.
In 1021 he expelled his nephew Bryachislav of Polotsk, after which he divided the state along the Dnieper with his brother Mstislav. In 1036 he dies, and Yaroslav again becomes the only prince. At the same time, he sends his son Vladimir to the post of sovereign of Novgorod.
The wise preferred to solve all issues with the help of diplomacy, resorting to violence only as a last resort. Studies of his remains showed that the statesman's leg was almost completely severed. He could not do without outside help, because he was severely limping.
Some historians claim that the injury was sustained during civil strife with the brothers. Other scientists believe that Yaroslav was limping since childhood. The chronicles contain confirmation of the second version, allegedly in his youth the ruler suffered paralysis of the legs. But this did not detract from his physical strength.
Management of Kievan Rus
The Wise ruled Kiev from 1019 to 1054, during which time Russia became the strongest country in Europe. The territory was surrounded by a stone wall, and the main gates of the city were named "Golden". The Church of the Annunciation towered above them. Thanks to this statesman in Russia, the first full-fledged code of laws "Russian Truth" was published. To strengthen the defense of the state, several fortresses were cut down along the Ros River.
He also founded several monasteries, including Yuryev and Kiev-Pechersky, as well as the Cathedral of St. Sophia. The foundation for the last of them was laid on the site of the enchanting victory over the nomads. Even now, the temple amazes the townspeople with its splendor, the frescoes and mosaics are perfectly preserved. The statesman invited the best craftsmen from Greece for the decoration. Not far from the cathedral are the monasteries of St. George and St. Irene.
The sovereign paid special attention to the church and the development of writing. He gathered numerous translators and book-writers to expand the library of Kievan Rus. Throughout the world, children learned to read and write thanks to a school for boys opened in Novgorod. Yaroslav himself spent a lot of time reading. The specialists hired by him translated books into Old Russian and Church Slavonic languages.
In 1054, the prince feels the approach of death, therefore he divides all his lands between his sons, bequeathing them to live in peace. The Kiev throne went to Prince Izyaslav. The statesman died on February 20, 1054. He was buried in a marble coffin, the ceremony took place in the Church of St. Sophia.
Dynastic marriages
Yaroslav Vladimirovich was married only once in his life, however, two names of his wife are mentioned in the annals - Irina and Anna. The statesman's wife was named Ingigerde, she was the daughter of the Swedish king Olav. According to historians, at baptism, the girl received the name Irina, after she was tonsured as a nun, they began to call her Anna.
To strengthen his power, Yaroslav gave all his daughters to the kings of other countries. Elizabeth became the wife of the Norwegian Harald, Anastasia married the Hungarian ruler Andrei. Historians have devoted a lot of time to studying the fate of Anna Yaroslavna, who became the wife of the French king Henry I.
The prince married the son of Vsevolod to a Greek princess, two more offspring tied the knot with German princesses. Izyaslav married the sister of the Polish prince Casimir, who, in turn, married the sister of the Wise. Her name was Dobrogneva. Yaroslav Vladimirovich strove to build a policy on love and diplomacy, avoiding the use of weapons. He hoped that his sons would continue his work, but the death of the sovereign was the impetus for the beginning of feudal fragmentation.
During his life, the statesman managed to do more than many other rulers. He had a strong character, constantly striving for enlightenment, for which he was nicknamed the Wise. The Russian Orthodox Church remembers and annually honors the memory of its prince. In a leap year, this date falls on March 4, at all other times - on the 5th.
Name: Yaroslav the Wise (Yaroslav Vladimirovich)
Date of Birth: 978 BC
Age: 76 years
Height: 175
Activity: Prince of Rostov, Novgorod and Kiev
Family status: widower
Yaroslav the Wise: biography
One of the most revered ancient Russian princes is Prince Yaroslav the Wise, the son of the great (Baptist). He received the nickname Wise for his love of enlightenment and the creation of the first code of laws known in Russia, 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 venerates him as a faithful and even included the day of his memory in the calendar. In a leap year it is March 4th, and in a normal year it is March 5th.
Childhood and youth
The date of birth of Yaroslav Vladimirovich is still being argued about. But most historians and scientists are inclined to believe that the prince was born in 978, although no one has full confidence in this. His birthday is all the 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 it was Rogneda who was Yaroslav's mother. And his French colleague Arrignon believed that the Byzantine princess Anna gave birth to the prince. Supposedly, this very circumstance explains his interference in internal Byzantine affairs in 1043.
But for the sake of justice, it is worth noting that the rest of the historians are inclined to consider Rogneda as the woman who gave birth to the most famous of the ancient Russian princes.
All four offspring born in a marriage with Rogneda, Izyaslav, Mstislav, Yaroslav and Vsevolod, the 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 the closest ally.
Governing body
This period is in the nature of legends and legends. The time of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, like the personality itself, some historians tend to idealize, others demonize. True, as usual, somewhere in the middle.
The reign of Novgorod had a higher status than the government of Rostov. And yet the Novgorod ruler had a subordinate status in relation to the Kiev one, 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 sum of 2 thousand hryvnias. 1 thousand remained for the maintenance of the nobleman himself and his squad. I must say that its size was only slightly inferior to Vladimir's squad.
Probably, it was 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 in the surviving chronicles. Vladimir became angry and began to prepare a campaign to pacify the rebels. But at that time he was in his advanced years. Soon he fell ill and died suddenly, without punishing his son.
The father's place was taken by the eldest son - Svyatopolk the Damned. To protect himself and keep power in his hands, he destroyed three brothers: Boris, whom the people of Kiev especially loved, Gleb and Svyatoslav. The same fate awaited the Novgorod mayor. But he managed to defeat Svyatopolk in the bloody battle near Lyubech and in 1016 entered Kiev.
The fragile truce between the brothers, who divided Kiev along the Dnieper, from time to time turned into a "hot" stage. But in 1019 Svyatopolk died, and Yaroslav the Wise began undivided rule of the Kiev 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 left for 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 Russia briefly ceased.
The "golden" time of Yaroslav the Wise has begun. After the victories won, the nobleman took up the grandiose construction. On the site of the brilliant victory over the nomads, the St. Sophia Cathedral was laid. It was in many ways a copy of the Cathedral in Constantinople. Decorated with magnificent frescoes and mosaics, the temple amazed with the beauty of its contemporaries and is pleasing to the eye today.
The nobleman spared no expense for church splendor and invited the best Greek craftsmen to decorate the cathedral. And also the famous Golden Gate appeared in the city, repeated the same in Constantinople. The Church of the Annunciation rose above them.
Domestic and foreign policy
The ruler made great efforts to break the dependence of the Russian Orthodox Church on Byzantium, which dominated over it. Therefore, in 1054, for the first time in the history of Russia, its church was headed by a Russian, not a Greek, metropolitan. His name was Hilarion.
The internal policy of Yaroslav the Wise was aimed at raising 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 to translate Greek handwritten books into the Slavic language. He himself loved to read and tried to instill a love of reading and enlightenment in his subordinates. The clergy began to teach children to read and write. A school for boys appeared in Novgorod, which accepted the first 300 students.
The number of books grew rapidly and book wisdom was elevated into a kind of fashion of the time. It became prestigious to be enlightened.
The Tale of Bygone Years speaks of a certain collection of books and documents, which is commonly called the Library of Yaroslav the Wise. Scientists talk about different quantities: from 500 to 950 volumes. According to some reports, the library was transferred by the prince (according to other sources - his great-grandson) to the Sophia Cathedral.
Since ancient books, which are a thousand years old, have not been found, there are many hypotheses where they can be stored. Some argue that it could be the dungeons of the St. Sophia Cathedral, others talk about the catacombs of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, and still others - about the Vydubitsky monastery. But there are also skeptics who believe that the priceless tomes could not survive after the devastating Polovtsian raids and fires.
Another version that has the right to exist - 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 also at this wonderful time, "Russian Truth" by Yaroslav the Wise appeared. This is the first set of laws of Russia, which the followers added and multiplied.
Historians also highly appreciate the foreign policy of the nobleman, in which he also achieved tremendous success. It seems that he was the first of the Russian princes to emphasize diplomacy, not force of arms.
At that time, dynastic marriages were considered the main way to establish relations with other states. And since Kievan Rus during the reign of the Wise turned into an enlightened and strong state, many rulers of European countries expressed a desire to "become related" with it.
The wife of Yaroslav the Wise was the daughter of King Olaf of Sweden - Ingigerd, who received the name Irina after baptism. From her father she got a rich dowry - the city of Aldeygaborg (later Ladoga). The lands adjacent to it were named Ingermanlandia (which translates as the lands of Ingigerda).
The prince's son - Vsevolod - married a Greek princess. Two more offspring are on the German princesses. The son Izyaslav married the sister of the Polish prince Kazimir, and Kazimir himself married the sister of the Wise - Dobrognev.
The daughters of the Kiev nobleman had the same dynastic marriages. Elizabeth was married to the Norwegian king Harald, Anastasia - to the Hungarian ruler Andrew. But the most famous and revered was the daughter Anna Yaroslavna, who became the wife of the French king Henry I. As a result of such a foreign policy, Prince Yaroslav the Wise was bound by ties of kinship with many strong neighbors, near and far.
Founding cities
Prince Yaroslav the Wise founded Yuryev. This happened in 1030, when he went on a campaign against Chud. A new city named after its angel appeared on the shores of Lake Peipsi. It is now 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 Yuryev, which was founded by the prince. This city turned out to be at the same time a fortress, which was part of the Poros defensive line. It was built to protect Kiev from nomads. In 1240, the Tatar-Mongols destroyed it, leaving only the ruins of the church. Around it, the city was revived, receiving the name White Church. It is called that way today.
Personal life
Many historians agree that Ingigerd's wife, who became Irina after baptism, had a tremendous influence on her husband and left a noticeable mark on the history of Russia. On the lands inherited from her father in 1703, St. Petersburg was built.
In Kiev, thanks to Princess Irina, the first nunnery appeared. It was built at the Church of St. Irene. One of its columns "survived" until the middle of the twentieth century. Now only the quiet Irininskaya street reminds of the existence of the temple.
How the personal life of Yaroslav the Wise and Ingigerda-Irina developed is difficult to say today. It is only known that 6 sons and 3 daughters were born in marriage with her. The wife shared the views of her husband and converted to his faith, doing a lot to promote it.
The great nobleman, it seems, was not handsome. A strongly protruding nose and the same chin, a sharply defined mouth and large eyes did not add to the attractiveness. He was also lame due to the different lengths of his legs. According to one version - due to the hip and knee joints damaged in battle, and according to the other - due to hereditary Perthes disease.
There is a historical puzzle-puzzle on which different historians have their own opinion. Some of them claim that Prince Yaroslav the Wise was married twice.
His first wife was allegedly Norwegian Anna. In this marriage, a son, Ilya, was even born. But in 1018, together with his mother, he was captured by the Polish king Boleslav the Brave and forever taken to Poland. This version is allegedly confirmed by the fact that Anna's name is found in some chronicles.
But there are also opponents of this controversial version. They argue that everything is much simpler. Anna is the monastic name of Ingigerdy-Irina. Allegedly, at the end of her life, she cut her hair 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 numbered among the saints 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 by 2 the eldest of his sons, Vladimir.
The date of the death of the prince is considered February 20, 1054. He was buried in the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kiev, in a 6-ton marble sarcophagus. Unfortunately, the remains of the great ruler have 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 really belongs to the prince. Anthropologist Mikhail Gerasimov was able to restore the appearance of the ruler from the found skull.
The remains were returned to Kiev. 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 more ancient - from the Scythian period. And in the tomb they found the newspapers Izvestia and Pravda in 1964.
Many historians and researchers are inclined to believe that the remains should be sought in the United States. Allegedly, they were taken there in 1943, when the German troops were retreating.
Yaroslav was the son of Prince Vladimir Saint. There are many versions regarding the seniority of Yaroslav among his many brothers, which gives reason to see it in the personality of Yaroslav as the prince of his time, a man who managed to overcome all difficulties and establish a legal order of inheritance, which determined the development of Russia for the next two centuries.
Initially, Yaroslav received Rostov as his inheritance from his father, but he ruled not independently, but under the tutelage of the governor of Buda (or Budai). After the death of his brother Vysheslav, Yaroslav in 1011 received his inheritance - the Novgorod land, which stood second in status after the Kiev lands. Traditionally, the princes of Novgorod did not live in Novgorod itself, but not far from it - in the Gorodishche, but Yaroslav became the first prince who created his own court (Yaroslav's court) in the city itself.
The Novgorod prince was supposed to annually send a tribute to Kiev in the amount of 2000 hryvnia, but in 1014 Yaroslav unexpectedly refused to send a tribute to his father and hired a Varangian squad for this amount to march on Kiev. However, the Varangians in Novgorod provoked its inhabitants and were killed, and Yaroslav was actually left without military force. In the same year, the Grand Duke of Kiev Vladimir also died.
After his death, it was not clear which of the sons should become the next prince in Kiev. Vladimir's beloved son Boris was ready to cede this right to his elder brother Svyatopolk, who took advantage of his brother's peacefulness, killing him and the youngest of the Vladimirites, Gleb. Prince Yaroslav was warned about the atrocities of Svyatopolk by his sister Predslav.
Yaroslav gathered a new army from the Varangians and Novgorodians and marched against Svyatopolk, capturing Kiev in 1016. Note that before the campaign, in which many Novgorodians participated, Yaroslav collected the first written code of laws - Yaroslav's Pravda, which later became the basis for the formation of the national law of Russia. In 1018 the Polish king Boleslav, an ally of Svyatopolk, defeated Yaroslav on the river. Bug and occupied Kiev. The Kievans did not accept the power of Boleslav, demanding that they leave Svyatopolk as prince. This destroyed the allied relations between Boleslav and Svyatopolk, who, left without Polish help, in 1019 was defeated on the river. Alta, and Yaroslav established himself in Kiev.
Yaroslav, having become a Kiev prince, did not forget about the support that the Novgorodians gave him. In 1030 he defeated the Chudi tribe and founded the fortress city of Yuryev in the Baltic. During the years of his reign, Yaroslav stopped the Pechenegs' raids on Russia, defeating them in 1038 at the walls of Kiev, in honor of which the Cathedral of St. Sophia was laid. In an effort to strengthen international ties, Yaroslav used dynastic marriages, in particular, he married his daughter, Princess Anna Yaroslavna, to the French king Henry I.
Prince Yaroslav died in 1054, leaving his children a will, in which he determined the next (ladder) order of government. Some historians believe that it was this order that became one of the reasons for the fragmentation in Russia.
They played a significant role in the fate of the Russian state: sons ruled various principalities, and daughters became wives of foreign kings, which increased the influence of Kievan Rus.
However, the sons of Yaroslav, like their parent, did not manage to completely avoid bloody internecine wars for the right of supremacy in the state - the union created in 1054 by the three senior Yaroslavichs (called by historians "The Triumvirate of Yaroslavichs") collapsed by 1073.
Children of Yaroslav the Wise - genealogical diagram
Vladimir Yaroslavich
He was planted in the Novgorod reign by his father, according to various chronicles, in 1030 or 1034. In the administration of the principality, he was assisted by the voivode Vyshata and Bishop Luka Zhidyata, who was later canonized.
In 1042, Vladimir made a victorious campaign against pit(the territory of Southern Finland), and in the next 1043 he went together with Harald the Harsh to Byzantium. The Byzantine campaign ended in failure.
Canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church in the 15th century, as "the holy noble prince Vladimir Yaroslavich of Novgorod."
Anastasia Yaroslavna
(about 1023-1074 / 1094)
The eldest (presumably) daughter of Yaroslav the Wise and Ingigerda of Sweden. Around 1038, Anastasia Yaroslavna married the Hungarian duke András (Andrew), who, fleeing persecution from King Istvan I, fled to Kiev. In 1046, Andrash, together with Anastasia, returned to Hungary, and, having seized the throne, became king.
In 1060, Andrash was defeated by his brother Bela, soon after which he died, and Anastasia with her children was forced to flee to the German king Henry IV. A few years later, Anastasia was able to take advantage of the situation and, with the help of the German king, returned the throne to her son.
Izyaslav (Dmitry) Yaroslavich
The second son of Yaroslav and Ingigerda, received reign in Turov from his father. After the death in 1052 of the elder brother of the Novgorod prince Vladimir, Izyaslav put his son Mstislav in Novgorod and, according to the then dynastic rules, became the heir to the Kiev table (although Vladimir left his son). After the death of his father, he became the Grand Duke of Kiev.
Together with the brothers Svyatoslav and Vsevolod, he was Yaroslavich Triumvirate- the princes ruled the southern lands of Kievan Rus in 1054-1073 without entering into opposition. In 1073, enmity broke out between the brothers, and in 1078 Izyaslav died during a battle with the troops of his nephews.
Elizaveta Yaroslavna
(1025 - 1066/1067)
The second daughter (fourth child) in the family of the Kiev prince Yaroslav the Wise and Ingegerda of Sweden. Elizabeth grew up at the princely court in Kiev, where she received a good education.
In the winter of 1043/1044, she married Harald, who long and stubbornly sought her hand from Yaroslav the Wise. In 1046, Harald became king of Norway, he and Elizabeth moved to his kingdom. She gave birth to her husband two daughters - Maria and Ingigerd, who later married the Danish king Olaf Sveinsson and became Queen of Denmark.
Svyatoslav (Nikolay) Yaroslavich
The third son of Yaroslav the Wise and Ingegerda of Sweden. In 1054-1073 he was a member of the Yaroslavich Triumvirate. During his reign, construction intensified in Chernigov, and the local bishop accepted the status of metropolitan.
On November 1, 1068, near Snovsk, Svyatoslav defeated the Polovtsy after he and his brothers were defeated by them on the Alta River.
In 1073, having entered into a conspiracy with Vsevolod, he overthrew Izyaslav, who fled to Europe. On December 27, 1076, Svyatoslav died at the age of 50, becoming the first victim of an unsuccessful surgical operation known in Russia: he died from "cutting a gland" (cutting a tumor).
Vsevolod (Andrey) Yaroslavich
The fourth son of Yaroslav and Ingigerda. During the life of his father, Vsevolod was not his governor in any city and lived in Kiev with his parents. From 1054 to 1073 - reigned in Pereyaslavl-Russky and Rostov lands, belonged to the "Yaroslavich triumvirate".
In 1046 he married a relative (presumably a daughter) of the Byzantine emperor Constantine IX Monomakh, from whose marriage Vladimir Monomakh, the future Grand Duke, was born
He reigned in Kiev in 1076-1077 and from 1078 until the end of his life, the first ruler of Kiev, who used the title "Prince of All Russia".
Anna Yaroslavna
(1032/1036 - 1075/1089)
The youngest of the three daughters of the Kiev prince Yaroslav the Wise. In Russian sources, including chronicles, no information about Anna (as well as about other daughters of Yaroslav) has survived.
The 17th century historian François de Mesere wrote that before Henry I of France "The fame of the charms of the princess reached, namely Anna, daughter of George(name of Yaroslav in baptism) , King of Russia, now Muscovy, and he was fascinated by the story of her perfections. " Anna gave birth to Henry four children, including the future king of France Philip I. She was known in France as Anna of Russia or Anna of Kiev.
Vyacheslav Yaroslavich
Almost nothing is known about Vyacheslav. Born, probably in Kiev, where he lived until he came of age. In 1054, after the death of Yaroslav, he received the Smolensk principality. He died three years later, in 1057.
Igor Yaroslavich
The youngest son of Yaroslav and Ingigerda. In 1054, according to his father's will, he received the Volyn principality, and in 1057, after the death of his brother Vyacheslav, he was appointed by the three senior Yaroslavichs to reign in Smolensk.
Like his brother Vyacheslav, Igor died at an early age - in 1060. At the time of his death, he was about 24 years old. He left young sons: Davyd and Vsevolod, who became outcast princes and, by the decision of the older Yaroslavichs, did not inherit their father.
There is a theory according to which Yaroslav's first wife (before 1019) existed - presumably a Norwegian named Anna, who was captured in Kiev in 1018 by the Polish king Boleslav the Brave along with Yaroslav's sisters and was forever taken to Poland.
Presumably, the list of children of Yaroslav the Wise can be supplemented with the name Ilya (up to 1018 -?) - the son of Yaroslav the Wise from Anna. Ilya is mentioned only in the Novgorod Chronicle of the younger edition in the list "And behold, according to holy baptism, about the reign of Kiev ...":
And I was born to Yaroslav's son Ilya, and plant him in Novgorod, and die. And then Yaroslav was angry at Kosnyatin, and imprison and; and put your son Volodymyr in Novgorodѣ.
Yaroslav Vladimirovich (Wise)- was born, according to the most common version, around 978. By origin, he belonged to the Rurikovich family, 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 rulers of Europe. At baptism he was named George. His biography intersects with epic legends and legends.
Father - Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich (who has the nickname "Baptist" and is often identified with the character of the epic epic Vladimir Krasnoe Solnyshko).
Mother - princess of Polotsk Rogneda, who, besides Yaroslav, gave birth to seven more children: the sons of Izyaslav, Vsevolod, Mstislav; daughters Predslav, Premislav, Mstislav. The fate of Rogneda is tragic - she was kidnapped by Prince Vladimir, who killed her father Rogvold and forcibly took her as his wife.Childhood and youth
Management Board in Rostov
For 6496 (988) years it is reported that Vladimir Svyatoslavich put his sons in various cities. Among the sons listed is Yaroslav, who received Rostov.
Since Yaroslav received the Rostov table as a child (at the age of 9), the real power was in the hands of the mentor sent with him “a breadwinner and governor named Buda (or Budy)”. Helping the young prince to rule at the beginning of his journey, later the voivode is mentioned during the reign of Yaroslav in Novgorod.
During the reign of Yaroslav in Rostov, the foundation of the city of Yaroslavl, named after the prince, was associated. However, there are legends that attribute the foundation 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 ax. After that, the prince ordered to cut down a small wooden fortress, named after him - Yaroslavl, on an impregnable promontory above the Volga. These events are reflected on the coat of arms of the city. This legend was reflected in the "Legend of the construction of the city of Yaroslavl", published in 1877.
Memorable sign at the legendary foundation site of Yaroslavl
Inscription: "On this place in 1010 Yaroslav the Wise founded Yaroslavl"
Yaroslav reigned in Rostov until the death of his older 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 Titmar 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 during his father's life he was actually deprived of the right to inherit - for him Polotsk was allocated as an inheritance. And Vladimir put Yaroslav in Novgorod.
In terms of status, the Novgorod reign followed immediately after the Kiev reign - Novgorod has always been a key trade center and gave its ruler a large profit.
The Novgorod prince annually paid tribute to Kiev in 2000 hryvnia in silver, which was 2/3 of the tribute collected in Novgorod and the lands subordinate to him. The remaining money went to the maintenance of the prince and his squad, the size of which was second only to the size of the troops of the Kiev prince.
The period of Yaroslav's reign in Novgorod until 1014 is as little described in the annals as that of Rostov. Yaroslav's princely court in Novgorod was located on the Volkhov's Trade Side, this place was named "Yaroslav's Court".
During excavations in Novgorod, archaeologists have found the only copy of the lead seal of Yaroslav the Wise, once suspended from the prince's letter. On one side of it is 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 bust figure: “Yaroslav. Prince Russian ". Apparently, a rather conventional portrait of the prince himself is placed on the seal, a strong-willed man with a hunchbacked predatory nose, whose dying appearance was reconstructed from the skull by the famous scientist - archaeologist and sculptor Mikhail Gerasimov.
Rebellion against the father
In 1014 Yaroslav refused to pay his father, Prince of Kiev Vladimir the Baptist, an annual fee of two thousand hryvnia. Historians suggest that these actions of Yaroslav were associated with Vladimir's desire to transfer the throne to one of the younger sons, the Rostov prince Boris, whom he had brought closer to him in recent years and transferred the command of the princely squad, which actually meant the recognition of Boris as the heir. It is possible that this is precisely why the eldest son Svyatopolk the Accursed rebelled against Vladimir, who, together with his wife, was then imprisoned. And it was this news that could push Yaroslav to disrupt the established order.
In order to resist his father, Yaroslav, according to the chronicle, hired the Varangians overseas, who arrived led by Eimund Ringsson, a descendant of the first king of Norway, Harald the Fair-Haired.
"We ask to be the Defenders of this possession, (we want) to agree with you on terms and receive from you gold and silver ..."- Saga of Eimund
Vladimir, who in recent years lived in the village of Berestovo near Kiev, ordered to "demand a path and bridge bridges" to hike his rebellious son, but fell ill. In addition, in June 1015, the Pechenegs invaded and the army assembled against Yaroslav, led by Boris, was forced to repulse the raid of the steppe inhabitants, who, hearing about Boris's approach, turned back.
At the same time, the Vikings hired by Yaroslav, out of boredom, began to organize riots in Novgorod. 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 being committed, rebelled and killed part of the Vikings in one night. Yaroslav at this time was in his country residence in Rakoma. Upon learning of what had happened, he summoned the representatives of the Novgorod nobility, who participated in the rebellion, promising them forgiveness, and when they arrived at him, he brutally dealt with them. It happened in July-August 1015.
After that, Yaroslav received a letter from Predslava's sister, in which she reported on the death of her father and the events that followed. This news made Prince Yaroslav make peace with the Novgorodians. He also promised to pay the virus for every one killed. And in subsequent events, the Novgorodians invariably supported their prince.
Struggle for the Kiev throne
The death of the father and the murder of the brothers Boris and Gleb
Version 1 (according to Russian chronicles)
July 15, 1015 in Berestovo, Vladimir Svyatoslavich died, who did not manage to punish his son for the rebellion. On the same night, Yaroslav received a message from Kiev from his sister Predslava:
"Your father died, and Svyatopolk is sitting in Kiev, killed Boris and sent for Gleb, beware of him very much."
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 Kiev and seize the throne, but Boris did not want to violate the sanctity of clan relations and indignantly rejected this offer, as a result of which his father's guards left him and he remained with the closest people.
Meanwhile, Svyatopolk, who, informing Boris about his father's death, offered to be in love with him and increase his inheritance, wanted to kill rivals for the possession of the principality by killing Vladimir's sons.
Svyatopolk sent Putsha and the boyars of Vyshegorod to murder 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; Hearing the singing of the 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 the rumors of the villainous intention of his brother, finished his prayer and went to bed, the murderers rushed in and pierced Boris and his Hungarian servant George, who was trying to protect the master with his own body, with spears.
The murderers wrapped Boris still breathing in a tent canvas and drove him away. Svyatopolk, learning that he was still alive, sent two Varangians to kill him, which they did, stabbing him in the heart with a sword.
The murder of Gleb
After the murder of Boris, Svyatopolk called Gleb to Kiev, 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 Kiev by Svyatopolk, about his murder of Boris and about the intention to kill him, Gleb; at the same time, Yaroslav advised him not to go to Kiev.
Goryaser, who came to him, who was at the head of the assassins sent by Svyatopolk, ordered the prince to be stabbed to death by his own cook. The murder of Gleb took place on September 5, 1015. The killer buried Gleb's body "From scratch, between two decks and two decks"(that is, in a simple coffin consisting of two hollowed out logs).
The murder of Gleb in the boat. The stigma of the icon from the Borisoglebsk Church in the Zaprudy in Kolomna
Having learned about the death of Boris and Gleb, Svyatoslav Drevlyansky left his capital and tried to flee to the Carpathians. The chase caught up with Svyatoslav on the banks of the Opir near the present town of Skole - in the battle with the troops of Svyatopolk, seven of Svyatoslav's sons and the prince himself were killed.
Yaroslav, as the chronicles tell, gathered a thousand Varangians, and other soldiers forty thousand, and went to Svyatopolk, and, calling to God, said:
“It was not I who began to beat my brothers, but he, may God be an 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, Lord, in truth, may the sinful deeds end. "
Version 2 (based on the "Saga of Eimund")
In 1834, a professor at St. Petersburg University Osip Senkovsky, translating into Russian "The Saga of Eimund" ("Eymund's strand"), discovers there that the Varangian Eymund, along with his squad, was hired by Yaroslav the Wise. The saga tells how King Yarisleif (Yaroslav) fights with King Burisleif, and in the Burisleif saga the Varangians are killed by order of Yarisleif. Some researchers assume under the name "Burisleif" Boris, others - the Polish king Boleslav, whom the saga confuses with his ally Svyatopolk.
"I will not do any of this: I will not motivate anyone to (personal, chest to chest) battle with Konung Burisleif, nor will I blame anyone if he is killed."- Yarisleif sends Eymund to kill Burislaf.
F. A. Bruni Murder of Boris.
In the Scandinavian sagas, Yaroslav appears as Yarisleif the Miser. Actually, if we analyze the constant disputes about payment for the services of the Varangians that figured 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-martyrs. The Church made them patrons of the Russian land and "heavenly helpers" of Russian princes.
Some of the first monuments of Old Russian literature are dedicated to the history of Boris and Gleb: "The Legend" by Jacob Chernorizets and "Reading" by Nestor the Chronicler. Many temples and monasteries were built in honor of the brothers.
Monument to Boris and Gleb near the walls of the Borisoglebsk monastery in Dmitrov (2006, sculptor - A. Yu. Rukavishnikov)
Between Yaroslav and Svyatopolk
1015-1019
In 1016 Yaroslav, at the head of the 3-thousandth Novgorod army and mercenary Varangian detachments, moved against Svyatopolk, who called for the help of the Pechenegs. The two troops met on the Dnieper near Lyubech and for three months, until late autumn, neither side risked crossing the river. Finally, it was done by the Novgorodians, who won the victory. The Pechenegs were cut off from the troops of Svyatopolk by the lake and could not come to his aid. Yaroslav generously rewarded the Novgorod squad, endowing each warrior with ten hryvnias. From the annals:
"... And let them all go home, - and having given them the truth, and having written off their tiredness, tako rekshi them: follow this literacy, as if you have copied you, keep it as well"
The victory at Lyubech did not end the struggle with Svyatopolk: soon he again approached Kiev with the Pechenegs. This siege is mentioned by academician B.A. Rybakov. and is detailed in The Eimund Saga.
In 1017 Svyatopolk with the Pechenegs approached Kiev, on the walls of which the crowns of trees were reinforced to protect against arrows, and a moat with water was dug around the city, covered from above with logs and earth. Part of the besiegers fell into a trap. Two gates of Kiev were left open, and the warriors of Yaroslav and the Varangians of Eimund were located in them, respectively. During the battle, the Pechenegs even managed to get inside the city, but then they were knocked out. The besieged undertook a sortie and, in the course of the pursuit, captured the banner of Svyatopolk.
Svyatopolk and Boleslav the Brave seize Kiev
In 1018 Polish king Boleslav the Brave, who had previously given him his daughter in marriage, supported Svyatopolk. The Pole pursued two goals - to place a relative in Kiev and to seize the Cherven cities, through which the most important trade route of Eastern Europe passed, connecting Kiev with Krakow and Prague.
Boleslav's army, in addition to the Poles, included 300 Germans, 500 Hungarians and 1000 Pechenegs. Yaroslav, having gathered his squad, moved towards Boleslav. 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 Kiev prince was defeated. Yaroslav fled to Novgorod, and the road to Kiev was open.
August 14, 1018 Boleslav and Svyatopolk entered the capital of Kievan Rus, which struck the Poles and Germans. Boleslav captured rich booty and many prisoners in Kiev, and also, according to the Chronicle of Titmar of Merseburg, Predslav 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 Kiev uprising, but Titmar of Merseburg and Gall Anonymous write the following:
“Boleslav put in his place one Russian in Kiev in his place, related to him, and he himself, with the remaining treasures, began to gather in Poland.”
And Yaroslav prepared to run "across the sea." But the Novgorodians, led by the mayor Konstantin Dobrynich, chopping down his ships, told the prince that they wanted to fight for him with Boleslav and Svyatopolk. They collected money, concluded a new treaty with the Varangians of King Eimund, and armed themselves.
In the spring of 1019 Svyatopolk fought with Yaroslav in the decisive battle on the Alta River. The chronicle did not preserve the exact place 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 an illness, he died.
Hold on to power
Personal life - Ingigerd's wife
In the summer of 1018 Ambassadors from the Novgorod “Konung Yaritsleiv” arrived to Olaf Shötkonung - the Swedish king married his daughter to the future Kiev prince and ruler of Russia Yaroslav the Wise. Ingigerda arrived in Novgorod in the summer of 1019.
According to the Sagas of Olaf the Saint, according to the marriage contract, Princess Ingigerda received the dowry of the city of Aldeigaborg (now the village of Staraya Ladoga) with the adjacent lands, which have since received the name of Ingria (the land of Ingigerda, in the Finnish pronunciation - "Inkerinmaa"), and the mayor of Ladoga at Ingigerda's request, Jarl Rögnwald 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, the Polotsk prince Bryachislav Izyaslavich, made a surprise attack on Novgorod. On the way back, laden with loot, he was overtaken by Yaroslav on the Sudoma River and, after being defeated in the battle, fled, leaving the prisoners and booty to the victor.
Yaroslav pursued him and forced the next year to agree to peaceful conditions, appointing him two cities 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 the chronicle says, continued to fight with Yaroslav.
The version arising from the Scandinavian "Saga of Eimund" looks completely different: the troops converged, but the battle did not take place. The Norman mercenaries from Bryachislav's detachment made their way to the enemy camp and managed to kidnap the wife of the Kiev prince, Ingigerda, while she was driving along a forest road with the guards. Upon learning of that, Yaroslav was forced to enter into negotiations and agree to the terms of Bryachislav, although he had the advantage. The Polotsk prince freed the prisoners of Novgorod, returned Ingigerd, 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 favor of Yaroslav.
Conflict with brother Mstislav
In the year 1023 a mutiny broke out near Suzdal. In this difficult situation, the Kiev prince had another rival - his brother, Prince Mstislav, who ruled in Tmutarakan on the shores of the Sea of Azov - a remote Russian colony that had existed since the campaigns of Svyatoslav.
While Yaroslav pacified the rebellion in Suzdal (because of the drought and poor harvest, the Magi went against the governors of the prince, demanding excessive fees for the already meager provisions), Mstislav approached Kiev with his allies, the Khazars and Kasogs, however, the city did not surrender to him ... Mstislav did not besiege Kiev and occupied Chernigov. Having extinguished the rebellion in Suzdal, Yaroslav returned to Novgorod, hired the Varangians and moved against Mstislav.
In the year 1024 the troops of Yaroslav and Mstislav met near Chernigov near the town of Listven. The battle took place at night in a strong thunderstorm. Yaroslav's squad, commanded by the Varangian Yakun Blind, was opposed not only by the knights of Mstislav, but also by the mercenary 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 continuous line, while Mstislav, for the first time in the history of Kievan Rus, used a battle formation dismembered along the front (later this formation became the main one, used by Yaroslav himself in 1036 against the Pechenegs, his grandchildren in 1093 against the Polovtsians). Mstislav's squad struck the enemy from the flanks and defeated him. Yaroslav fled to Novgorod with the remnants of the soldiers.
Mstislav moved his capital to Chernigov and, sending ambassadors to Yaroslav who had fled to Novgorod, offered to divide the lands with him along the Dnieper and end the wars:
"Sit down in your Kiev, you are an older brother, and let this side be for me."
Yaroslav ruled Kiev through governors until 1026, until he gathered a large army, after which he returned to Kiev, and made peace at Gorodets with Prince Mstislav. The brothers divided the lands along the Dnieper. The left bank remained for Mstislav, and the right bank for Yaroslav. Yaroslav, being the Grand Duke of Kiev, 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 called the Saint), attacked Denmark, but was defeated and was forced to flee to Sweden and then further to Russia. 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 fiance, insisted that Magnus stay with Yaroslav after the king's return to Norway in 1030, where he died in the battle for the Norwegian throne.
Help Bezprim 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 Bezprim, who had previously fled to Kiev, in his claims to the Polish throne, but as a result of the campaign he was able to take only 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 conquered the cities of Przemysl and Cherven, and, having captured many Poles, divided them up. Yaroslav settled his prisoners along the Ros River.
Mieszko II tried to attract the help of the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, but the emperor did not send help and Mieszko II was forced to flee to Bohemia. Bezprim, with the support of Russian and German armed detachments, seized the throne of Poland.
Bezprim's reign did not last long. The reason for his fall was extreme cruelty. According to the Annals of Hildesheim, he was killed by his own people 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 the period of the return of paganism, chaos and unrest in Poland, which resulted in the peasant uprising of 1037-1038, which in its scope was one of the largest popular uprisings of that time. Pomorie and Mazovia separated from Poland.
The future king of Norway in the service of Yaroslav the Wise
Not long before that, in 1031, Harald III, the Harsh half-brother of 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 enough and not high-status enough to become Elizabeth's husband.
Then Harald began to conquer for himself both wealth and status. He entered the service of the Byzantine emperor, fought in Africa, Sicily and Palestine. He mined a huge amount of gold and precious stones, some of which during the service he sent for storage to Yaroslav the Wise. At the same time, he did not forget about Elizabeth and his feelings for her in the songs, which he wrote about sixteen over the years of wandering.
The final approval of Yaroslav the Wise in Kiev
The cut is a dungeon made of logs, in the form of a well.
In 1036 suddenly, Mstislav died on a hunt, and Yaroslav, apparently fearing any claims to Kiev reign, 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 becoming the last surviving son of Vladimir the Baptist.
His nephews - "triumvirs" Izyaslav, Svyatoslav and Vsevolod in 1059 freed his uncle from prison, subject to the renunciation of the right to the Kiev throne. Sudislav became a monk at the Kiev St. George Monastery, where he died in 1063.
Only after these events did Yaroslav decide to move with the yard from Novgorod to Kiev.
Yaroslav's reign in Kiev
Defeat of the Pechenegs
In the same year 1036 After a fifteen-year armistice, the Pechenegs invaded the Russian lands and laid siege to Kiev. This attack came as a big surprise to Prince Yaroslav, who at that moment was in Novgorod. Kiev, accordingly, was left without significant protection.
The Pechenegs only managed to burn the villages and suburbs, the local residents managed to go to the city and take away their property, and the cattle were driven into the ravines. Kiev held out until the arrival of Yaroslav the Wise, who gathered a large army of the Varangians and Novgorodians. With these forces, he broke through into the besieged Kiev, and together with local forces undertook a general sortie.
Yaroslav used a battle order dismembered into three regiments along the front, which was used by Mstislav in the Battle of Listven, which was unsuccessful for Yaroslav. The battle began, which lasted all day. Despite the quantitative 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 fell into dependence on stronger tribes.
Library of Yaroslav the Wise
In honor of the victory under the Pechenegs, the Cathedral of St. Sophia of Kiev was erected, artists from Constantinople were summoned 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, however, love books, and after having copied many, put them in the church of St. Sophia, and then he created himself."
In the 18th century, the first serious historians of the Russian Empire, in particular, Mikhail Lomonosov, became interested in the library. They conducted a number of studies and hypothesized that the library contained ancient Russian manuscripts, as well as books and scrolls from the Alexandrian library and ancient texts of later times. Their research mentioned "Writings brought from India and East Asia in ancient times, when European people did not know these lands".
Expansion of 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 annals.
Help to the Polish king Casimir I
In 1038-39, the Polish king Casimir I, with the help of hired 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 Maslav as their prince.
To fight alone with such a powerful enemy, Casimir was beyond his strength. Meanwhile, there was no longer any hope for German help: the re-establishment 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 has shown itself to be the worst enemy of the Russian land. The Polish hand directed the Pechenegs to Kiev, devastated the treasury of the Russian princes, captured the Cherven cities, took the Russians prisoner. It would seem that instead of help, Russia 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 mention the 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 at once: Kazimir 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 of complete reconciliation with Russia, the Polish prince released all Russian prisoners captured in Kiev by his grandfather, Boleslav I.
But coping with the pagan coalition was not easy even for the two largest states of Eastern Europe. In the winter of 1038/39, Yaroslav went to the Lithuanian tribe of the Yatvingians, "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: "Ide Yaroslav to Lithuania"... With the same suspicious brevity, the PVL under 1041 speaks of the campaign against Maslav:
"Ide Yaroslav on mazovshan in lodia"
(probably the Russian army sailed to Mazovia along the Western Bug).
Faced with stubborn resistance from the Lithuanians and the Mazovian prince, Yaroslav made an attempt to strengthen the Russian-Polish alliance, complementing it with a similar bilateral agreement between Russia and Germany. In medieval German chronicles, news of Yaroslav's two embassies to Emperor Henry III in the early 40s of the 11th century has been preserved. However, the goals of the first of them remain unclear. The anonymous Saxon Annalist wrote only that on November 30, 1040, while in Thuringia, "The emperor received ambassadors from Russia with gifts".
But at the end of 1042, Yaroslav directly proposed a dynastic alliance to the German emperor. According to the Annals of Lampert of Hersfeld, Henry III celebrated Christmas this year at Goslar, one of his Thuringian residences:
"There, among the ambassadors from many countries, were the ambassadors of Russia, who had departed in sorrow, for they received a clear refusal about the daughter of their king, whom they hoped to marry the emperor Henry."
Henry III returns from a campaign in Italy
The young German emperor, widowed in 1038 (his first wife Kunegilda died of a pestilence), was indeed looking for a bride. But his preference was given to the French princess. Nevertheless, Henry III tried to soften his refusal so that it did not look offensive to the Russian prince. As the "Altaih Annals" clarify:
"The ambassadors of Russia brought great gifts, but on the way back they set off with even more".
In 1043 Yaroslav twice more "Walk in boats on Mazovshan", the next year he fought with Lithuania, and again to no avail. The chain of military and diplomatic setbacks was broken only in 1047:
"Yaroslav's ideals to the Mazovians, and defeat them, and kill their prince Moislav [Maslav], and subdue them to Kazimira."
Hike to Constantinople
Tension in relations between the two states began to manifest itself after the accession in June 1042 of Emperor Constantine Monomakh. The beginning of the reign of Constantine was marked by the mutiny of the troops under the command of George Maniak in Italy, it is known that under his command the Russian-Varangian detachments also fought.
According to Academician G.G. Litavrina Constantine dissolves military detachments that enjoyed the special disposition of the former emperor Michael V, possibly 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 Russia, to Yaroslav the Wise.
The reason for the war, according to the Byzantine chronicler of Skylitsa, was the murder of a noble Russian merchant (“noble Scythian”) in the market of Constantinople. Emperor Constantine sent ambassadors with apologies, but they were not accepted.
Yaroslav sent his son Vladimir together with Harald the Harsh and the voivode Vyshata on a campaign against Constantinople. Skilitsa estimates the Russian army at 100 thousand soldiers, another Byzantine historian, Mikhail Attaliat, indicated the size of the Russian fleet at 400 ships. The Russian "ledeynaya 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 they should continue their campaign - by land or by sea. The opinion of the Varangian warriors prevailed, and the Russian ships continued to move 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 ordered the strategos (military leader) Kekavmenu to guard the western shores of the Black Sea. In June 1043, the fleet of Prince Vladimir passed the Bosphorus and stood in one of the bays of Propontida, not far from Constantinople. According to Psellus, the Russians entered into negotiations, requesting 1,000 coins each for the ship. According to Skilitsa, Emperor Constantine Monomakh was the first to start negotiations, which did not lead to anything, since the Russians asked for 3 liters (almost 1 kg) of gold per soldier.
Russian commanders landed some of their soldiers on the shore and organized a camp. The naval forces of Vladimir on the morning of the battle, lined up in a line, were ready for battle.
Constantine IX gave the order to attack at noon. Three of his dromons from the sea and simultaneously two legions from land attacked the Russian fleet and camp. 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 soldiers fought bravely, threw spears and arrows at the enemy, tried to pierce the sides of enemy ships with logs suspended from chains.
Byzantine dromon attacks the battle boats of the Slavs Greek fire in those days was truly the ultimate weapon - the imperial ships began to gain the upper hand. According to Skilitsa, Vasily Theodorokan burned seven Russian ships and sank three together with the crew. The main fleet of the Byzantines 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 rearing waves, while others were dragged along the sea for a long time and then thrown onto rocks and onto a steep bank; after some of them our dromons set off in pursuit, they launched some canoes under the water together with the team, and other warriors with dromons made holes and, half-submerged, brought them to the nearest shore. And then they arranged a true bloodletting for the barbarians, it seemed as if the stream of blood poured out of the rivers colored the sea. "
With a storm begins the story of the unsuccessful campaign "The Tale of Bygone Years", keeping silent about the naval battle that took place. The east wind threw up to 6 thousand soldiers ashore, and the prince's ship was wrecked. Prince Vladimir was accepted by the voivode Ivan Tvorimirich on his boat, 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 stay, after which he returned safely to Kiev. A group of 6 thousand Vyshata warriors, making their way to Russia on foot along the Black Sea coast, was overtaken and destroyed near Varna by the troops of the Katakalon Kekavmena strategos. Vyshata was taken prisoner along with 800 soldiers. Almost all of the captives 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 beneficial 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 András (Andrew), who, fleeing persecution from King Istvan I, fled to Kiev. In 1046, Andrash, together with Anastasia, returned to Hungary, and, having seized the throne, became king. The Queen founded several Orthodox monasteries in Hungary.
Daughter Elizabeth and King of Norway
In the winter of 1043/1044, Harald the Harsh returned to Kiev. 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 a relative of the emperor of Byzantium
In 1046, three years after the unsuccessful campaign to Constantinople, in honor of the conclusion of peace between Byzantium and Russia, the emperor Constantine Monomakh gave one of his relatives (most likely she was his daughter) for the son of Yaroslav the Wise - Vsevolod.
From this marriage, Vladimir II Monomakh was born - the Grand Duke, who played a key role in the development of the Russian state.
Daughter Anna and the King of France
In 1048, the ambassadors of Henry I of France arrived in Kiev 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, Heinrich married a second time. The wedding took place in the Reims Cathedral in 1051. Anna gave birth to 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 of I. Tomilov)
last years of life
In 1051, having gathered the bishops, he himself appointed Metropolitan Hilarion, for the first time without the participation of the Patriarch of Constantinople. Hilarion became the first Russian metropolitan. Intensive work was launched to translate Byzantine and other books into Church Slavonic and Old Russian languages. Huge funds were spent on the correspondence of 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 that time on, a specific system began to develop in Russia. Yaroslav gave his sons a testament how they should treat each other, and this testament served as the basis for the mutual relations of the princes in the specific period.
“Here I am leaving, from this light, my children! love each other, because you are brothers, from the same father and from the same mother. If you live in love with one another, then God will be with you. He will conquer all your enemies, and you will live in peace. If you begin to hate each other, quarrel, then you yourself will perish and destroy the land of your fathers and grandfathers, which they acquired by their great labor. So live peacefully, obeying one another; I entrust my table Kiev instead of myself to my eldest son and your brother Izyaslav: obey him, as they listened to me, let him be you instead of me "
Death of Yaroslav the Wise
The exact date of the 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, having outlived his wife Ingigerda for four years and his eldest son Vladimir for two years. If we consider the approximate date of birth of Yaroslav to be 978, at the time of his death he was about 76 years old. For that time (the average life expectancy was about 35-40 years) it was a very old age.
The grave and the loss of the remains
Yaroslav was buried in St. Sophia Cathedral in Kiev. In a six-ton tomb made of Proconnesian marble, which was once the last refuge of the Holy Roman Pope Clement and was taken out by Yaroslav's father, Vladimir Svyatoslavich, from the Byzantine Chersonesos he conquered.
According to the Newsweek magazine, upon opening the box with the remains of Yaroslav the Wise on September 10, 2009, it was established that, presumably, only the skeleton of Yaroslav's wife, Princess Ingegerda, was found in it. In the course of an investigation carried out by journalists, a version was put forward that the remains of the prince were removed from Kiev in 1943 during the retreat of German troops and are currently, possibly, in the United States.