The ancient Kiev state, having originated from the call to the princely throne of Oleg Rurik, reached its peak during Yaroslav. No wonder the son of Vladimir the Red Sun went down in history under the nickname the Wise. He ruled really wisely, taking care not only of himself and his family, but also of ordinary people. He built schools and temples, founded cities, strengthened power in humane ways.
Rise to power
Foreign policy of Yaroslav the Wise will help to describe the historical portrait of this man. He was a smart, sensible ruler who really cared for his state. But first, you need to figure out how he came to power.
The father of Yaroslav, Vladimir the Red Sun, had twelve sons. Among them, he divided Russia, giving each his own destiny. Yaroslav got Novgorod, a glorious and rich city. Meanwhile, over time, he refuses to pay tax to capital Kiev, having secured the support of the Varangians. An angry father gathers a squad to pacify the rebel, but he suddenly dies.
Taking advantage of the death of his father and the support of his father-in-law Boleslav the Brave (Polish king), Svyatopolk (the other son of Vladimir) declares himself the Grand Duke. He kills his other brothers - Boris and Gleb. For this, he went down in history as the Cursed. Yaroslav collects the army and defeating his brother, captures Kiev. Then there were two more battles with Svyatopolk and the Polish army, after which Yaroslav finally strengthened in the capital.
Fighting Tmutarakan
After the victory over Svyatopolk, the new prince could not concentrate on state affairs, and the foreign policy of Yaroslav the Wise, which was sluggish at that time, was a confirmation of this. There were four more brothers alive, to whom he had to distribute the land. But the Grand Duke did not do this, which greatly angered them. Tmutarakan prince Mstislav organizes a trip to Kiev and wins. Having punished a greedy brother in the battle in 1023, he offers peace and division of the state along the Dnieper River. Terms have been accepted. Later, their united squad will celebrate a series of brilliant victories. Why will win and foreign policy of Yaroslav the Wise, and the state of the ancient Russian state.
Foreign policy
The foreign policy of Yaroslav the Wise was to strengthen the position of Kievan Rus in the international arena. First of all, the prince made a campaign together with Mstislav to Poland, from which he recaptured the Cherven cities. Then he turned his eyes to the Baltic states, where the Chud tribes settled. There he laid in his honor the city of Yuriev (today Tartu), because the Christian name of the prince is Yuri. Then, uniting the Novgorodians, the Kiev squad and the Varangian mercenaries in one army, he dealt a crushing blow to the Pechenegs, after which the nomads never recovered. There were also campaigns on the Yatvyag, Lithuania and Mazovia, Byzantium. Most of these campaigns were successful, except for a campaign in Byzantium, commanded by the son of Yaroslav.
But the foreign policy of Yaroslav the Wise (a table of confirmation to this) was based not only on war. The ruler used dynastic marriages, giving his daughters and sister overseas monarchs.
Foreign policy of Yaroslav the Wise: marriage table
| Yaroslav the Wise | Ingigerda, daughter of the Swedish king Olaf |
| sister Yaroslava Maria | Casimir, king of Poland |
| daughter Anna | Henry 1, king of France |
| daughter Elizabeth | Harold the Bold, King of Norway |
| daughter Anastasia | Andrew 1, King of Hungary |
| son Izyaslav | Polish princess Gertrude |
| son Vsevolod | Byzantine princess |
Domestic policy
Foreign policy of Yaroslav the Wise is briefly described above. But a portrait of a historical person, an outstanding ruler would be incomplete without a description of internal measures. The prince directed his efforts to urban development, development, as well as the construction of churches and monasteries. So, it was he who ordered to lay St. Sophia Cathedral in Kiev in 1037 , which coincided with his victory over the nomads. Thus, he equated the significance of his capital and power with Constantinople and Byzantium, where the temple of the same name also existed. Yaroslav built no less magnificent churches in Pskov, Yuryev and other cities of Russia.
Yaroslav is also known for his addiction to books, orders to massively translate them from Greek into Slavic. He opened schools where children were taught to read and write, favored chronicles. And it was he who wrote the first code of law, known as the “Russian Truth”.
Board Results
The results of the foreign policy of Yaroslav the Wise are as follows: Kievan Rus significantly strengthened its authority in the international arena, became the center of cultural, church and economic life in Eastern and Central Europe. Starting his reign with civil wars, he strengthened the state and his power, enlightened the people, spread Christianity. He left behind not only temples and cities, but also a smart successor, and also a testament to live in peace with all his sons.
The Russian prince died in 1054 on February 20. But the annals sometimes contradict each other, giving different dates. But the nickname "Wise" was assigned to Yaroslav only in the nineteenth century.