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 hard time with his father and later worked to become the ruler of Kiev. He won in 1019 and then helped make his country strong. He made friends with countries in Scandinavia and protected his lands from attacks. 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. He taught them to live together peacefully. After he died, his body was placed in a special resting place, but it was lost later. Many towns and places are named after Yaroslav today because of his good works.

Rise to the throne

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

Yaroslav the Wise was a son of Vladimir the Great. When he was young, he was sent to rule in northern lands. In 1010, he moved to Veliky Novgorod and founded the town of Yaroslavl on the Volga River.

Yaroslav wanted to rule Kiev. After his father died, he fought for many years against his half-brother, Sviatopolk I of Kiev. In 1019, Yaroslav won and became the Grand Prince of Kiev. To thank the people of Novgorod for helping him, he gave them special freedoms. This helped create what later became the Novgorod Republic. Yaroslav also made important laws called the Russkaya Pravda.

Reign

Yaroslav the Wise was Grand Prince of Kiev from 1019 until 1054. He worked to bring peace and order to his lands. Sometimes, he had disagreements with his brothers, like when his brother Mstislav challenged him. They later 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.

Saint Sophia's Cathedral in Kiev has a painting that shows Yaroslav, his wife, and their children. Yaroslav arranged for some of his daughters to marry important leaders from faraway lands. 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.

Yaroslav had several sons. He taught them to stay peaceful with each other. One of his older sons, Vladimir of Novgorod, built the Cathedral of St. Sophia, Novgorod. Three of Yaroslav's other sons later ruled in Kiev.

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 they did not know who the female was. 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 seems 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.

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 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 1075, but he was not officially a saint then. Much later, in 2004, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church added him to their list of saints. In 2005, a church leader in Moscow also recognized him as a saint. Finally, in 2016, leaders of the Russian Orthodox Church decided to honor Yaroslav as a saint in their whole church.