Yaroslav the Wise

Yaroslav the Wise, born around 978 and passing away on 20 February 1054, was a very important leader in old Russia. He was known as the Grand Prince of Kiev from 1019 until he died in 1054. Before that, he was the Prince of Novgorod from 1010 to 1034 and the Prince of Rostov from 987 to 1010. He was a son of Vladimir the Great and Rogneda of Polotsk.

Yaroslav had a difficult time with his father and later fought a long struggle to become the ruler of Kiev. He finally won in 1019 and then worked hard to make his country strong. He made friends with countries in Scandinavia and protected his lands from attacks by groups like the Pechenegs. He also built important buildings, such as the Saint Sophia Cathedral, and helped create the first pieces of writing in Old East Slavic literature.

Yaroslav married Ingegerd Olofsdotter and had children who later became leaders in different parts of his country. He taught them to live together peacefully. After he died, his body was placed in a special resting place in the Saint Sophia Cathedral, but it was lost or stolen later. Many towns and important places are named after Yaroslav today because of his many good works.

Rise to the throne

Main article: Bolesław I's intervention in the Kievan succession crisis

Yaroslav the Wise was one of the many sons of Vladimir the Great. Little is known about his early years, but he was sent to rule in northern lands as a young man. In 1010, he moved to Veliky Novgorod and founded the town of Yaroslavl on the Volga River.

Yaroslav wanted to become the ruler of Kiev. After his father died, Yaroslav fought a long and difficult war against his half-brother, Sviatopolk I of Kiev. In 1019, Yaroslav defeated Sviatopolk and became the Grand Prince of Kiev. As a thank you to the people of Novgorod for their support, he gave them special freedoms. This helped create what later became known as the Novgorod Republic. Yaroslav also made important laws called the Russkaya Pravda.

Reign

Yaroslav the Wise was Grand Prince of Kiev from 1019 until his death in 1054. He worked to bring peace and order to his lands. Sometimes, he had disagreements with his brothers, such as when his brother Mstislav challenged him. They eventually split the lands between them.

Yaroslav made alliances with countries near the Baltic Sea and worked to protect his lands from attackers. He built forts to keep safe the people living along the Dnieper River. He also supported learning and culture, helping to grow the literary traditions of his time.

Family life and posterity

In 1019, Yaroslav married Ingegerd Olofsdotter, the daughter of Olof Skötkonung, the king of Sweden. He gave Ladoga to her as a special gift for their marriage.

Saint Sophia's Cathedral in Kiev has a painting that shows Yaroslav, his wife Irene (known as Ingegerd in Rus'), and their many children. Yaroslav arranged for some of his daughters to marry important leaders from other lands who lived far away from home at his court. These included Elisiv of Kiev who married Harald Hardrada, Anastasia of Kiev who married Andrew I of Hungary, and Anne of Kiev who married Henry I of France and helped guide France while her son was young.

Yaroslav had several sons. He taught them to stay peaceful with each other to avoid problems. One of his older sons, Vladimir of Novgorod, is remembered for building the Cathedral of St. Sophia, Novgorod. Three of Yaroslav's other sons later ruled in Kiev. His younger sons ruled in other places, but not much is known about some of them.

Grave

After Yaroslav the Wise passed away, his body was placed in a white marble sarcophagus inside Saint Sophia's Cathedral. In 1936, people opened the sarcophagus and found bones from two individuals, one male and one female. The male was Yaroslav, but the identity of the female was unclear. In 1939, the bones were taken for study and were not put back until 1964.

In 2009, the sarcophagus was opened again, but this time only one set of female bones was inside. It appears that records from 1964 were not true, and Yaroslav's bones were lost. Some think his bones were hidden before the German occupation of Ukraine and may have been taken to the United States for safety.

Legacy

Yaroslav the Wise inspired many places and items named after him. Four towns in different countries carry his name, including Yaroslavl in Russia and Jarosław in Poland. During the Crimean War, Russian soldiers wore a special helmet called the "Helmet of Yaroslav the Wise," which was one of the first pointed helmets used by a modern army.

In 2008, viewers of a TV show in Ukraine ranked Yaroslav as their greatest compatriot. A monument to him was built in Kyiv in 2003. Many streets in Ukraine are named after him, and there is even a university in Kharkiv that bears his name. In 2022, another monument to Yaroslav was unveiled in Novgorod. His image appears on banknotes and coins in Ukraine.

Veneration

Yaroslav was called a saint by a writer named Adam of Bremen in the year 1075, though he was not officially made a saint at that time. Much later, in 2004, he was added to the list of saints by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. In 2005, a leader of the church in Moscow also recognized him as a saint. Finally, in 2016, leaders of the Russian Orthodox Church decided to honor Yaroslav as a saint across their entire church.