The name of the son of the great Kiev prince Vladimir the Holy, Yaroslav, is widely known not only to historians, but also to ordinary people. For his more than thirty years of rule, he committed many serious actions for the state, for which Yaroslav was called wise.
Early life
The future Grand Duke was born in the family of Vladimir Svyatoslavovich. He was the second son in seniority, from childhood he showed serious abilities to study, but he began to participate in the political life of the country early. The imperious father tried to make his sons from the earliest times aware of the need to think on a state scale, and, in addition, demanded unconditional submission to himself. At first, young Yaroslav was appointed prince to Rostov, where he stayed until the death of his brother Vysheslav, after which he was appointed prince-governor of the second most important city in Russia - Novgorod. The prince had a rather difficult character, which was repeatedly expressed by his subordinates and the squad, nevertheless he tried to resolve all conflict situations through negotiations, and only in extreme cases he went to an open break. Perhaps this is why Yaroslav the Wise was called wise.
The beginning of the struggle for the throne
Being the prince of Novgorod, he was not without reason considered the heir to the throne of Kiev. However, Vladimir, who was known among his contemporaries as a “loose woman lover”, at the end of his life became very devout, and more than all his children he loved the offspring of the Byzantine princess Anna, Boris and Gleb. The first of them, perhaps, the prince wanted to transfer his throne. But Vladimir did not take into account that other brothers also claimed the title of supreme ruler of the country, and one of them was Prince of Novgorod Yaroslav. In 1014, a conflict broke out between father and son. Vladimir even intended to go to war against his disobedient son, but in the midst of preparations for the campaign, the baptist of Russia died. Immediately after this, large parts began to break away from the state - this always happened when the central government was weakening. The situation was aggravated by the fact that the adopted son of Vladimir, Svyatopolk, seized power in the state.
The path to power
Stepson did not want to lose power and decided to deal with his competitors. The first to be hit by a cousin were two of Vladimir's favorite brothers, Gleb and Boris. Both did not want to enter the struggle for the throne, for which they were abandoned by the squad. In 1015, Prince Boris was killed near Kiev, and soon the same fate befell Murom Prince Gleb, at the order of Svyatopolk he was stabbed to death by his own cook. He also killed another son of Vladimir I, Svyatoslav, who was killed by conspirators sent by the prince. And here Novgorod Prince Yaroslav enters into an open struggle. Even at the time of preparing a response to the threats of his father, he turned for help to the Varangians, with the help of whom he organized his army. Svyatopolk, in turn, attracted the help of nomadic Pechenegs, who more than once made devastating raids on Russia, and thereby set the people against themselves even more. In this struggle, Yaroslav was the personification of centripetal forces, which is why Yaroslav the Wise was called wise.
Yaroslav at the head of state
The two warring parties met in 1016 near the city of Lubech. In the battle that began, Svyatopolk’s army was completely defeated, and he fled for help to his father-in-law, the Polish king. Together with the troops provided, he returned to Russia. At the same time, the Poles behaved like invaders, which caused strong discontent among the population. The fight continued. Using popular sentiment, Yaroslav again defeated his cousin. However, it was not possible to immediately restore the former united state immediately. Mstislav did not want to submit to the power of Kiev, and between the brothers in 1024 a major battle took place. In it, the Kiev prince was defeated, but he did not again fight with his brother, but only concluded an agreement with him according to which the brothers shared their possessions, but at the same time they repelled the attacks of enemies and helped each other in different situations. That is why contemporaries called Yaroslav the wise. After the death of Mstislav, all his lands were annexed to Kiev.
Yaroslav the legislator
Having become the sole ruler of Russia, Yaroslav directed all efforts to strengthen it. One of the most important actions of the new ruler was to restore order in the state. To do this, it was necessary to create a legal system, for which Yaroslav Vladimirovich took up with remarkable energy. Already at the initial stage of his reign, he introduced a code of laws, called the “Russian Truth”. This legal monument of ancient Russia was the first written collection of laws of the country. Norms regulated, first of all, public order, protected property. In addition, blood feud was banned . Causing significant damage to the country, now it was allowed only by close relatives or replaced by a fine. That is why Yaroslav the Wise was called wise.
What else is the Kiev prince famous for?
The name of Yaroslav the Wise is known for the fact that he became related to many ruling European dynasties. His daughters became wives of the kings of France, Norway, Hungary, Denmark, sons married princesses from Byzantium, Germany, Poland. By this, the prince significantly strengthened the position of his dynasty and state. Already before his death, he bequeathed that the eldest in the family should become the Grand Duke in Russia. This ancient family tradition will later become one of the causes of destructive feuds. And while the prince enjoyed popular fame, in fact, that's why Yaroslav the Wise was called wise.