What did Yaroslav do for Rus'? Yaroslav the Wise - Grand Duke of Kievan Rus

The history of the Russian state cannot be called boring; it is filled with events that radically changed the face of the state, and great men who laid down their lives for the good of the Fatherland left their mark on it.

Even if we consider the reign of Yaroslav the Wise briefly, it should be attributed precisely to such turning points that are the impetus for the further progress of the country. The very nickname of the Kyiv prince, given to him by the people - the Wise, speaks of the people's attitude towards this statesman, who glorified and elevated Kievan Rus.

Origin of the future ruler

The exact date of birth of the future Grand Duke is unknown; historians are still arguing about it. Some call the year 978, some 979, and some, based on later historical sources, call 988 (the date of the baptism of Rus').

The first written literary monument, “The Tale of Bygone Years,” talks in detail about the marriage of Vladimir Krasno Solnyshko and Rogneda and about the four sons who came from this marriage: Izyaslav, Mstislav, Yaroslav and Vsevolod.

Since Yaroslav was the third son, he could not have been born earlier than 982, but the chronicler deliberately distorted the date of his birth, presenting him as the eldest and most worthy successor of his father.

The same chronicle tells that during his lifetime, Vladimir assigned each of his sons his own patrimony. Yaroslav got Rostov, where he went as a teenager.

To better understand the characteristics of Yaroslav the Wise, you need to remember the chronicle story about the founding of the city of Yaroslavl.

This is interesting! It is believed that while still a teenager, Yaroslav entered into a fight with a bear and, with the help of his retinue, killed it; a new city was founded in this place, named after the young prince.

But the young prince did not rule in Rostov for long; soon the father transported his son to Novgorod. But the prince did not stay there for long. And in 1014 he refused to pay tribute to Kyiv, and this aroused the just anger of his father. Only a quick death prevented Vladimir from speaking out against his rebellious son.

First steps in politics

The historical portrait of Yaroslav the Wise is extremely interesting and gives a lot for studying the history of Russia. He became the Grand Duke of Kyiv as a result of civil strife that tore the country apart and hindered its development.

His brother Svyatopolk, nicknamed the Accursed for the murder of Boris and Gleb, was defeated and expelled from Rus' in 1019. After this, the reign of Yaroslav the Wise began, which was very useful not only for increasing the international authority of Rus', but also for establishing order within the state.

But, I must say honestly, the civil strife did not end there. In 1021, a victory was won over another brother, Bryachislav, who also claimed power over the “mother of Russian cities.”

And after that, another rival, Mieczyslaw of Polotsk, appeared and captured Chernigov. It was difficult to fight him, and the brothers hastened to resolve the matter peacefully: they divided power over the country.

This is interesting! This dual power lasted until 1935, when Mieczysław died in Bose. From that time on, Yaroslav the Wise became the sole supreme ruler of Rus'.

Policy directions

The years of the reign of Yaroslav the Wise (1019-1054) can be noted as years aimed at the development of education and culture.

Achievements:

• He established a new order of succession to the throne, now the eldest of the sons - descendants of Rurik - received the throne.
• The ruler divided all Russian lands into five equal inheritances and during his lifetime assigned each son his own inheritance.
• Under him, Kyiv became one of the greatest cities, similar to Constantinople, he increased the international authority of Rus' by concluding dynastic marriages of his daughters with the rulers of the largest European powers.
• In 1024, after peace was concluded between Yaroslav and Mstislav, internecine wars practically ceased in Rus', which significantly strengthened its economy.
• The prince’s attitude towards religion was completely special. Under him, a large number of churches and cathedrals were built, and it was he who, without the consent of the Patriarch of Constantinople, appointed Hilarion Metropolitan of the Russian Church.
• Himself a big supporter of education, he tried to make even ordinary people want to embrace it. Under him, schools were actively built, books were translated into Old Church Slavonic. In his “Testament,” written for his sons, he called books “rivers that feed the Universe.” His handwritten “Testament” was included in the treasury of ancient Russian literature.

This is interesting! History has preserved most of the information about his daughter Anna Yaroslavna, who became the queen of France and taught her sovereign husband to read and write.

If we talk about what actions of Yaroslav strengthened the international authority of the Russian state, then we cannot help but recall the victorious military actions against external enemies.

In 1036, he spoke out against the Pechenegs, who constantly violated the borders of the state and completely burned out villages, and led the people away into captivity. In honor of this fateful victory for the country, the St. Sophia Cathedral was erected in Kyiv, which is still an amazing monument of medieval architecture.

Yaroslav the Wise returned to the state the original Russian cities in the fight against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth: Przemysl, Belz, Cherven and others, conquered by his brother Svyatopolk the Accursed in the struggle for the Kiev throne.

The meaning of "Russian Truth"

The historical portrait of Yaroslav the Wise will be incomplete if nothing is said about him as a legislator. Until the 11th century, legal proceedings in Kievan Rus were carried out according to ancient traditions and customs of the pre-Christian period, and only after the publication of a legislative collection did this process begin to be based on testimony and inferences.

For example, the custom of blood feud, which existed everywhere, lost its meaning and began to be limited only to a narrow circle of immediate relatives. The same set of laws was used to resolve property disputes between free people.

The peculiarities of this legislative collection also lie in the fact that it establishes penalties for physical injury or death.

Moreover, for the death of a free person, a warrior or a serf, and a smerde, different fines were imposed. That is, the main feature in the reign of Grand Duke Yaroslav the Wise was the strengthening of supreme power and the protection of feudal property.

The meaning of government

Summing up the reign of Yaroslav the Wise, the following actions should be noted:

• Builds powerful defensive fortifications of the external border of the state.
• He builds new cities, and also actively expands the boundaries of the capital city (Kyiv increases seven times compared to what it was under Vladimir).
• Following Vladimir the Baptist, he continues to promote Christianity.
• Carries out administrative, legal and judicial reforms.
• Actively uses diplomacy as the first and surest way to solve foreign policy problems.
• Constantly engaged in the comprehensive development of culture (under him, the first Russian library was created at the St. Sophia Cathedral, the first chronicle was written).

If you have not yet found the answer to the question: exactly what actions of Yaroslav, Prince of Kyiv, strengthened the international authority of Rus', then know that not only many European monarchs, but also the emperor of Byzantium itself considered it an honor to become related to him. Yaroslav did not consider it shameful to interfere in the internal affairs of other powers, sacredly observing the interests of only Rus' alone.

After Svyatopolk the Accursed was expelled and died in a foreign land, one of his surviving brothers, Yaroslav, became the head of Kievan Rus. It would seem that under the leadership of the Grand Duke, Rus' should breathe easy and live a peaceful life. But not everything was so simple.

When Yaroslav began to reign in Kyiv, some of the family members continued to believe that his right to the grand-ducal throne could still be challenged. Thus, Bryachislav, who was Yaroslav’s nephew and reigned in Polotsk, organized a campaign against Novgorod. Yaroslav stopped Bryachislav’s aggressive actions, concluded a peace treaty with him and sent him back to Polotsk to reign.

Another of the Vladimirovich brothers, Mstislav, expressed wishes to take Yaroslav’s place. Having won the victory over the Kasog tribe, he felt the strength to march on Kyiv. Yaroslav at this time was in Suzdal, where he had to suppress a hunger riot. He ordered that bread from the Kazan Bulgarians be brought to Suzdal, fed and reassured the people.

Mstislav took Chernigov, after which he won another victory over the supporters of Yaroslav, and was ready to become a Grand Duke. Suddenly the understanding came to him that it was not suitable to go to war against the legitimate ruler, and perhaps he did not feel enough strength and skill to rule a large state - one way or another, he offered peace to Yaroslav and said that he was giving up his victory .

Yaroslav did not believe his brother at first. He continued to rule Kiev, but through governors. And only after meeting at Gorodets, the brothers were finally able to agree: they decided that joint rule would be the best option. Mstislav got the eastern, Yaroslav - the western part of Rus'. There have been no civil strife or fratricidal wars in the country for 10 years.

Yaroslav's foreign policy

In 1036 Mstislav died, and Yaroslav remained the sole ruler of Kievan Rus. First of all, he had to solve the problem with the Pechenegs, who again began to make frequent raids on Rus'. A grandiose battle took place near Kiev, which lasted the whole day. The Russians won a victory, as a result of which the state was forever freed from the attacks of cruel nomads.

Relations with the Greeks remained difficult. The reason for the escalation of the conflict was a quarrel that occurred in 1043 between Greeks and Russian merchants in Constantinople. Rusich was killed. The young son of Yaroslav, Vladimir, marched his army on a campaign against Byzantium, without accepting the apology of the emperor himself. Unfortunately, luck here was not on the side of the Russian squad. The battle took place at sea, and the Greeks lured the Russians into the open sea, away from the coast, and destroyed many ships with the help of Greek fire. However, the Russians fought desperately and were able to win. A battle also took place on land, but its outcome for the Russians was sad: the Greeks won, captured many prisoners and blinded them all by order of the emperor.

A far-sighted politician, Yaroslav subsequently managed to negotiate with Byzantium so successfully that all Russian prisoners were released home, and no more military conflicts occurred between Rus' and the Greek side.

Yaroslav strengthened relations with Poland - through the marriage of his sister with the Polish king, the grandson of Boleslav the Brave, who once, together with Svyatopolk, brought a lot of troubles to the Russians. Now relations with Poland had improved - there was no need to fear new invasions.

Yaroslav concluded several dynastic alliances that significantly improved the relationship of Kievan Rus with the states of Europe. So, the son of the Grand Duke Vsevolod married Anastasia, the daughter of the Greek emperor, although illegitimate. Yaroslav's daughter Elisabeth married the Norwegian king, Anna's daughter married the French king, and Anastasia's daughter married the Hungarian king. Yaroslav himself married the daughter of the Swedish king Anna.

At that time, dynastic marriages testified to the increased authority of Rus' and the strengthening of its international position.

Domestic political situation

One of the main acts of Yaroslav, which ensured his national fame and the title of “Wise” for centuries, was the publication of a code of laws - “Russian Truth”. This document contained rules of law that must be observed, thanks to which the great state machine gradually began to gain momentum.

The Grand Duke cared about the education of the people, built temples at which schools operated. The first school was opened in 1051. The famous magnificent Hagia Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv was built by order of Yaroslav. The Grand Duke collected books, the safety of which he was very concerned about. The prince read a lot; books were translated from Greek into Slavic for him. During his reign, the state lived a calm, peaceful life, trade developed, cities grew and became stronger.

Results of Yaroslav's reign

The Russian people very accurately give out nicknames to their rulers. Yaroslav was gratefully named the Wise, because it was he who managed to elevate Rus' in the eyes of European states. He was able to stop the raids of nomads, who caused a lot of trouble to the Russians, and stopped the wars with the Greeks forever. The Grand Duke became a real father for his people, built churches, created the first school, systematized and enshrined legal norms in writing.

Only one “minus” can be noted in the state activities of this smartest prince: he did not leave a legislative act that would consolidate the autocratic rule of one sovereign in Rus', thereby ending the strife. Before his death, Yaroslav the Wise endowed his sons with inheritance. It was in vain that he hoped that the children had inherited their father's statesmanship. After the death of Yaroslav, civil strife broke out with renewed vigor.

Grand Duke Yaroslav the Wise

A. Kivshenko. “Reading “Russian Truth” to the people in the presence of Grand Duke Yaroslav”

St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, where the tomb is located Yaroslav the Wise

1035 years ago, Yaroslav the Wise was born, the fourth son of the great Kyiv prince Vladimir, popularly nicknamed “Red Sun”, and the Polotsk princess Rogneda. Yaroslav's childhood was difficult - his legs hurt, he learned to walk later than other children. The boy learned to read and write and loved to read books.

In the sixth year of life they committed Yaroslav rite of tonsure: a lock of hair was cut off - as a sign that the prince had matured and would henceforth be raised not by his mother, but by a mentor. Every year he became stronger and wiser in the presence of Grand Duke Yaroslav. But the lameness remained from the previous illness, for which the prince received the nickname - the lame man.

And at the age of 11 he was sent by his father to reign in the city of Rostov, and then to Novgorod. And he paid Yaroslav father, Prince of Kyiv, an annual tribute of 2 thousand silver hryvnia. In 1014, he ceased to obey his father, and 5 years later he himself became the Grand Duke of Kyiv.

During his reign, he united almost all Russian lands. He successfully fought with Poland, defeated the tribes of the Yatvingians, Lithuanians, and Mozovians, and defeated the Pechenegs.

At Yaroslav the Wise The first written laws appeared on Slavic land. By order of the prince, those customs by which people were judged in Rus' were collected and recorded. Yaroslav knew well the church and civil statutes in force in the Russian principalities. So in 1020 the first collection of laws “Russian Truth” was written. This was a list of punishments and fines for certain misdeeds, offenses and crimes.

The prince was very educated. He founded the first state library in Rus'. It was not only a repository of books, but also a book-writing workshop: translators, artists, parchment makers, and jewelers worked here.

Yaroslav cared about the education of children. To spread literacy, he ordered the clergy to educate children and set up a school for 300 boys in Novgorod.

The prince founded the cities of Yaroslavl, Yuryev (now Tartu), decorated Kyiv with many buildings, built new stone walls, arranging the famous Golden Gate in them.

Yaroslav occupied an honorable place among European sovereigns. Under him, Rus' was known in all corners of the earth. The rulers of the first countries of the world sought the friendship of the Russian prince and considered it an honor to become related to him. The prince's daughter Anastasia became the queen of Hungary, Elizabeth - of Norway, and Anna - of France, son Izyaslav married a Polish princess, Vsevolod - a Byzantine one.

For his intelligence and erudition, for the construction of cities and temples, for his wisdom in governing Russian lands, the prince was called “Wise.” Yaroslav Vladimirovich ruled Kievan Rus for 37 years - until 1054 - and made his country one of the largest, strongest and most cultural states in Europe.

Yaroslav was buried in a marble tomb in the Kiev St. Sophia Cathedral.

The material was prepared by the Central Children's Library named after. Yaroslav the Wise, Yaroslavl

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

This is how Prince Yaroslav the Wise began his reign, which lasted 35 years. This time can without a doubt 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 the lands on the right side of the Don, leaving the left part behind him. 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. This is what the people of Kiev called it, because it was under them that the first educational institutions were opened in the country, and the first written set of laws was compiled - “Russian Truth”.

This ruler devoted the last years of his life to fighting 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 seized by Svyatopolk, who received the popular nickname 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 the internal policy of 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, for the first time in Rus', a metropolitan of Russian origin appeared. 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 really was 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.