The domestic policy of Yaroslav the Wise is an issue worthy of special attention. Story Kievan Rus would have taken a completely different path if not for the actions of this ruler. What was the peculiarity of his domestic policy? We will answer this and other questions below.

Ascension of Yaroslav to the throne

In 1015, Prince Vladimir dies. Naturally, a struggle began between the heirs for the throne. During four years of fratricidal strife, Gleb, Svyatopolk, Boris and Svyatoslav died.

Yaroslav ascended the throne in Kyiv. Remarkable. that from 1024 to 1036 in Kievan Rus there were two princes who did not fight among themselves, but reigned together from two administrative centers - Kyiv and Chernigov. As chroniclers note, the internal policy of Yaroslav the Wise, briefly described, was the policy of an educator and builder of a centralized state. But first things first.

Domestic policy of Yaroslav the Wise regarding the church

Yaroslav the Wise, wanting to get out from under the “tutelage” of Byzantium, appointed the church leader Hilarion as metropolitan in 1051. This becomes the beginning of the complete and final establishment of Christianity in Rus'. As mentioned above, Yaroslav mainly became famous not for his conquests, but for his work on the improvement of Kievan Rus. In particular, he did a lot for christian church, continuing the work of Vladimir - the introduction of Christianity. In addition, with the spread of the new faith, an increasing need for clergy arose. Vladimir also ordered that boyar children be taught to read and write, in order to later turn them into clergymen, so necessary for Kievan Rus. The mothers of these children cried for them, because they were not yet strengthened in the faith. Yaroslav continued this tradition, subsequently organizing a theological school in Novgorod for 300 boys, sons of elders and priests.

The prince was distinguished by his love of books and hired scribes to copy Bulgarian manuscripts. Sometimes he even instructed to correct Bulgarian translations or translate directly from Greek. The chronicle says that he himself copied some books, and then brought them as a gift to the Church of Hagia Sophia. It was under Yaroslav the Wise that monastic communities began to appear, which were engaged in rewriting books.

Legal legislation of Rus' - the merit of Yaroslav

It was the internal policy of Yaroslav the Wise that was marked by the creation of the first set of laws - “Russian Truth”. The prince took a serious approach to the issue of reforming the legal system of the state. Historians associate the appearance of the oldest part of “Russian Truth” with the name of Yaroslav the Wise. And they even name the approximate place of its publication - Novgorod. Unfortunately, the original version of the code has not reached us. It is reliably known that in the 11th-12th century the sons of Yaroslav changed the text of the scripture and called it “The Truth of the Yaroslavichs”. With the introduction of Christianity, pagan concepts of morality, crime and punishment began to be replaced by the norms and rules of Christian morality.

Crime in "Russian Truth" was defined not as a violation of the will of the prince or anyone else, but as causing damage. That is, a criminal violation did not differ from a civil violation, since the culprit had to pay certain compensation to the injured party. Thus, the internal policy of Yaroslav the Wise was mainly aimed at strengthening the state. The description of punishments for this or that crime in Russkaya Pravda clearly shows that Yaroslav sought to create a system of legislation that was uniform for all.

Culture and urban planning of Kievan Rus during the reign of Yaroslav

The reign of this enlightening prince is often called by historians the “golden age” of the development of culture and science in Kievan Rus. In addition to the development of Christianity and the census of books, the internal policy of Yaroslav the Wise was characterized by an unprecedented flowering of urban planning.

The Church of Hagia Sophia, a pearl of medieval architecture, was erected, as well as other large and small churches. Moreover, if before the adoption of Christianity all buildings in cities were wooden, then with the new faith stone architecture also came to Rus'. Mostly temples were built, since developing Christianity was in dire need of places of worship. In Kievan Rus, the most popular model of the temple was the cross-domed one, since the temples were a cross of two vaults, topped with a dome. In a nutshell, this was the internal policy of Yaroslav the Wise. The table is presented below.

As we see, Yaroslav acted in three main directions. A rather complex topic is the internal politics of Yaroslav the Wise. The table will help you understand it better.

II. VLADIMIR THE GREAT, YAROSLAV I AND THE TRIUMPH OF CHRISTIANITY

(ending)

Svyatopolk. - The murder of Boris and Gleb. - Yaroslav in Kyiv. - Intervention of Boleslav the Brave. - The triumph of Yaroslav. - Mstislav Chermny. - Unity of Yaroslav. - The last sea campaign against Byzantium. - Close connections with the Normans. - Church dispensation.

Princes Boris and Gleb and their murder by Svyatopolk

Hearing about the death of Vladimir, Svyatopolk of Turov immediately galloped to Kyiv and sat down on the grand-ducal table as the eldest in his family. He began to generously give gifts to the noblest citizens in order to attract the people of Kiev to his side. But they showed hesitation. They were well aware of Vladimir’s dislike for Svyatopolk; Perhaps the late prince did not intend for him to serve on the Kiev table. Moreover, the Kiev army was then on a campaign with Boris, and the citizens did not yet know whether Boris and the army would recognize Svyatopolk as the Grand Duke. The latter sent messengers to his brother with the news of his father’s death and with flattering offers, i.e. with promises to increase his lot. But fears on this side turned out to be in vain. Boris did not meet the Pechenegs and, returning back, set up camp near the city of Pereyaslavl on the Alta River, which flows into Trubezh. This good-natured, pious prince was saddened by the death of his parent and did not harbor any ambitious plans. Some warriors expressed a desire to place him on the Kiev table; but Boris replied that he would not raise his hand against his elder brother, whom he considered “to be his father’s place.” Then the army, apparently dissatisfied with his compliance, went home, and he remained on the bank of Alta with a few youths.

Having seized the great reign into his own hands, Svyatopolk hurried not only to secure it for himself, but also, if possible, to take possession of the inheritance of other brothers, i.e. restore autocracy. The means he chose for this were consistent with his treacherous, ferocious character. Thus, almost from the very first pages of our history, we see in Rus' a constantly renewed struggle between two principles: the autocratic and the appanage, a struggle that then took place among other Slavic peoples. In addition to the example of Vladimir the Great himself, Svyatopolk had similar examples before his eyes: in the Czech Republic, where Boleslav the Red tried to exterminate his brothers, and in Poland, where Svyatopolk’s father-in-law, Boleslav the Brave, actually managed to partly expel, partly blind the brothers and thus become autocratic . It is very possible that Svyatopolk was encouraged in his plans by his own father-in-law, who now hoped not only to seize part of the Russian lands, but also to please the Roman Church by introducing Catholicism in Russia with the help of his son-in-law.

Not relying on the Kyiv squad, Svyatopolk went to nearby Vyshgorod, and persuaded the Vyshgorod boyars to help him in his intentions. There were several villains here who took it upon themselves to rid him of Boris; these were Putsha, Talets, Elovich and Lyashko, partly of non-Russian (maybe Lyash) origin; judging by their names. With a detachment of armed men they went to Alta, attacked Boris's tent at night and killed him along with several of his youths. It is curious that two Varangians are mentioned among his murderers, like the two Varangians who killed Yaropolk. These corrupt people played an important role in the Russian civil strife of that time and often served as an instrument of various kinds of atrocities. Not daring to show the body of Boris to the people of Kiev, Svyatopolk ordered to take him to the Vyshegorodsky castle and bury him there near the church of St. Vasily. Almost at the same time as Boris, his younger brother Gleb, whom Vladimir kept with him in Kyiv in his youth, also died. At the first sign of danger, the young prince boarded a boat with several youths and hurried from Kyiv to his Murom inheritance. But Svyatopolk sent him in pursuit along the Dnieper. She overtook Gleb near Smolensk; The youths of the young prince became afraid, and his own cook, a native of Torchin, on the orders of Goryaser, the head of the chase, stabbed Gleb to death. His body was enclosed between two logs (i.e., hollowed out stumps) and buried in the forest on the banks of the Dnieper. In the same way, Svyatopolk managed to destroy another brother, Svyatoslav Drevlyansky. The latter thought to flee to the Ugric king; the chase overtook him somewhere near the Carpathian Mountains and killed him. But with him the villainous extermination of the brothers ended. Resistance to Svyatopolk's further enterprises was to come from the north from the strong Novgorod prince. According to the chronicle, he received news of the beating of the brothers and Svyatopolk’s plans from Kyiv from his sister Predislava.

The fight between Yaroslav and Svyatopolk

Yaroslav used the funds collected to fight his father to fight Svyatopolk. He and his wife Ingigerda indulged the hired Varangians too much. The latter, with their greed, arrogance and various kinds of violence, especially against the female sex, aroused hatred against themselves and sometimes bloody retribution on the part of the Novgorodians. The prince in such cases took the side of the mercenaries and executed many citizens. However, the Novgorodians did not refuse to help him with money and troops, just so as not to submit to the Kyiv prince, not to pay him heavy tributes and not to accept his mayors. Around this time, two Norwegian knights, Eimund and Ragnar, arrived with a small squad to Yaroslav; they entered into his service for a certain period of time, having negotiated for themselves, in addition to an abundant supply of food supplies, a certain amount of silver for each warrior; due to the lack of silver, this rent could have been paid to them in expensive furs, beaver and sable. According to the boastful Icelandic saga, Eymund and his comrades allegedly played the first role in the successful struggle of Yaroslav with Svyatopolk.

The meeting of the northern militia with the southern one took place on the banks of the Dnieper near Lyubich. Svyatopolk, in addition to his own army, brought with him the hired hordes of Pechenegs. For a long time the two militias stood on opposite banks of the river, not daring to cross it. Sometimes, according to the custom of that time, they showered each other with ridicule and abuse. For example, the southern warriors shouted to the Novgorodians: “Hey you, carpenters! Why did you come with your lame man? (Yaroslav was lame). Now we will force you to cut down our mansions!” Frosts set in, the Dnieper began to become covered with ice, and there was a shortage of food supplies. The resourceful Yaroslav, meanwhile, made friends in Svyatopolk’s camp, from whom he received news.

One night he crossed the Dnieper and attacked the enemy at a time when he did not expect. Northern warriors had their heads tied with ubruses to distinguish their own from their enemies. The fight was stubborn. The Pechenegs, standing somewhere across the lake, could not arrive in time. By morning, Svyatopolk was completely defeated and fled. Yaroslav entered Kyiv and occupied the grand-ducal table; after which he generously rewarded the Novgorodians and sent them home (1017). But this was only the beginning of the struggle. Svyatopolk found refuge and help from his father-in-law Boleslav the Brave. Boleslav was glad to have the opportunity to intervene in the affairs of Rus' and take advantage of its unrest; but he was then at war with the German Emperor Henry II. The emperor also wanted to take advantage of the circumstances and invited Yaroslav to attack their common enemy, the King of Poland. Yaroslav really started the war with the Poles, but for some reason he waged it sluggishly and hesitantly. Henry II, dissatisfied with him, made peace with Boleslav. Then the latter hastened to attack the Russian prince, leading behind him, in addition to the Polish army, also squads of Germans, Ugrians and Pechenegs. Yaroslav met him on the banks of the Bug. According to the chronicle, governor Yaroslav Budy, mocking the enemy, shouted to Boleslav: “Here we will pierce your fat belly with a cod (spear). The Polish king was very fat, so that he could hardly sit on a horse. It was this abuse that allegedly prompted him to quickly swim across the river and attack Yaroslav. The latter was defeated and went back to the north, to his Novgorod. After a short siege, Kyiv surrendered to Boleslav, who restored his son-in-law to the princely throne. Here the Polish king captured part of the Yaroslav family and his sisters, of whom one, Predislava, became his concubine, out of revenge: he once asked for her hand in marriage, but was refused due to differences in religion.

Part of the Polish army was stationed in Russian cities. Her stay soon became a great burden for the residents. Svyatopolk himself was obviously dissatisfied with his father-in-law, who ruled Rus' as a conqueror. In the cities, bloody clashes between residents and Poles began and the latter were beaten. Then Boleslav left Kyiv and left, burdened with huge booty and many prisoners, including Yaroslav’s sisters. He retained some border areas, for example the Cherven cities.

Meanwhile, Yaroslav did not waste time in Novgorod and gathered new forces. The chronicle says that after his defeat he even wanted to flee across the sea to the Varangians; but the Novgorodians with their mayor Kosnyatin, the son of Dobrynya, did not let him in, cutting up the boats he had prepared. They expressed their readiness to fight again for Yaroslav and sacrifice property to hire soldiers, just not to submit to Svyatopolk. They began to collect money: ordinary citizens were subject to an army contribution of 4 kunas, elders - 10 hryvnia, and boyars - 18 hryvnia. New squads of Varangians were called from overseas. But Yaroslav’s success was most helped by the aforementioned discord between Svyatopolk and Boleslav. When the northern militia again went to Kyiv, Svyatopolk, not loved by the Kievans, sought help from the Pechenegs and hired large crowds of them. He met Yaroslav on the banks of the Alta, already famous for the murder of Boris. The chronicle says that the slaughter was vicious and was renewed three times and that blood flowed copiously through the fields. They fought all day, and only in the evening Yaroslav won. Svyatopolk the Accursed fled to the west, to the Czechs; but died somewhere on the road. By all indications, this was far from a remarkable villain.

Yaroslav and Bryachislav Polotsky

Only after the death of Svyatopolk did Yaroslav firmly establish himself on the Kiev table; and, as the chronicle puts it, “wiped his sweat with his squad.” But the civil strife in Vladimir’s family is not over yet. Yaroslav's vast possessions aroused envy in his other relatives. His nephew Bryachislav Izyaslavich reigned in Polotsk at that time. He declared claims to part of the Novgorod regions; Having received a refusal, he attacked Novgorod, took it and plundered it (1021). The news of Yaroslav's approach with an army prompted Bryachislav to leave Novgorod; but he took with him a large number of prisoners and hostages. In the Pskov region, on the Sudom River, Yaroslav caught up with the Prince of Polotsk, defeated him and freed the Novgorod captives. After that, they made peace, according to which Yaroslav expanded the reign of Polotsk with the city of Vitebsk with its volost.

Yaroslav the Wise and Mstislav Tmutarakansky

As soon as the war with the Prince of Polotsk ended, another rival appeared, the fight against whom turned out to be much more difficult. It was Yaroslav’s younger brother, Mstislav Chermny, Prince of Tmutarakan, who managed to glorify himself with heroic exploits in the fight against the Tauride and Caucasian Circassians, known in the chronicles under the names Kozar and Kasogov. By the way, our chronicler has preserved the legend about his war with the neighboring Kasozh prince Rededei. According to the custom of that time, general battle was sometimes replaced by single combat. The strong Rededya proposed a similar combat to Mstislav. They grabbed hold. Mstislav overpowered, threw the enemy to the ground and stabbed him with a knife. According to the condition, he took the Rededi family and all its estate, and imposed tribute on the Kasogov. Upon returning to Tmutarakan, the prince built the Church of the Virgin Mary, fulfilling the vow he made in a difficult moment of his duel. This warlike prince declared his claims to divide the Russian lands equally, and went to Kyiv at the head of his Bulgarian-Russian squad and Circassian cavalry. Having met courageous resistance from the Kievites, Mstislav turned to Chernigov, took it and made it his capital city. Yaroslav was not in Kyiv at that time. He was in the north and pacified the rebellion in Suzdal land. There was a severe famine, and the Magi outraged the people, who were still devoted to their old pagan religion. Superstitious people rushed to beat the old women, who, according to the wise men, caused hunger with their witchcraft. Yaroslav managed to capture many magicians and often execute them, some of them imprisoned. Meanwhile, merchants brought a lot of grain from Kama Bulgaria; then the famine ceased and the rebellion subsided. This was in 1024.

In Novgorod, the Grand Duke gathered an army against Mstislav and called the mercenary Varangians from across the sea. They came under the command of the noble knight Yakun (i.e. Gakon), who attracted the attention of the Russians with his beautiful appearance and gold-woven luda, or outer clothing. Mstislav met the northern army not far from Chernigov near the town of Listven and attacked it on a dark, stormy night, when a strong thunderstorm with rain was raging. In the front of the northern army stood the Varangian squad; Mstislav set up the Chernigov, or Seversky, militia against her. The indomitable courage of the Normans was broken against this courageous militia. The Tmutarakan prince remained the winner; Yaroslav and Yakun escaped; and the latter lost his golden loaf. Inspecting the battlefield in the morning, Mstislav expressed particular joy that the largest number of fallen fell to the Northerners and Varangians; and his own Tmutarakan squad remained intact. Yaroslav again retired to his faithful Novgorod. The winner sent to tell him that he recognized his seniority and did not intend to seek Kyiv. However, Yaroslav did not trust his brother and returned to Kyiv only at the head of a strong militia newly assembled in the north. Then an agreement was concluded between the brothers, according to which they divided the Russian land among themselves, designating the Dnieper River as the border: the regions lying on the eastern side of the Dnieper were ceded to Mstislav (1025).

From that time on, the brothers lived amicably among themselves and fought external enemies with common forces. By the way, they went to Lyakhov together. In the same year that the brothers reconciled, Boleslav the Brave died, shortly after his solemn coronation with the royal crown. His successor Mieczysław II was not able to maintain his father's conquests and inspire respect from his neighbors. Neighboring peoples rose up against him from all sides, who wanted to return this or that land taken from them, namely; Czechs, Ugrians, Germans and Rus'. Yaroslav, in turn, took advantage of the circumstances; Together with his brother, he fought the border Polish land and took over the Cherven cities of Rus'. The brothers brought a large number of prisoners from the Polish campaign; He settled part of them, which fell to Yaroslav's share, along the Ros River in towns built for protection from steppe barbarians. The mutual agreement of the brothers continued until the death of Mstislav Chermny, who one day while hunting became very ill and soon died (1036). The chronicler says that Mstislav was obese; with a ruddy face and big eyes, he was very brave and affectionate towards his squad, for whom he spared neither property, nor drink, nor meat. He left no heirs behind, and all his lands went to Yaroslav. In the same year, the latter was planted in a log, i.e. to prison, his brother Sudislav of Pskov, it is unknown for what reason, probably for his claims to the division of lands. Thus, the Grand Duke of Kiev once again united in his hands all the Russian regions, with the exception of the Polotsk inheritance, and became the sole ruler. This autocracy gave the Russian land silence within and strength against external enemies.

Defeat of the Pechenegs by Yaroslav

In the very year of Mstislav’s death, when the Grand Duke went to Novgorod, the Pechenegs took advantage of his absence and large number approached Kyiv. Having received the news, Yaroslav hastened to help the capital city with the Varangians and Novgorodians. He gave a decisive battle to the barbarians under the very walls of Kyiv. In the center of his army stood the Varangians, on the right wing were the Kievans, and on the left were the Novgorodians. After a stubborn battle, the Pechenegs suffered complete defeat; During their flight, many of them drowned in Setomli and other nearby rivers. Since the time of this great battle, the chronicle no longer mentions the Pecheneg raids on the Kyiv region.

Foreign policy of Yaroslav the Wise

Under Yaroslav, Rus' expanded with the acquisition of new lands and tributaries, especially in the north in the country of the Finnish tribes. By the way, Yaroslav, even during the life of Mstislav, went to Chud, which lived on the western side of Lake Peipus, and in order to establish his dominance here, he built a city, which he named Yuryev in honor of his angel, for his Christian name was Yuri, or George (1031) . And after 10 or 11 years, he sends his son Vladimir of Novgorod in the same direction to conquer the Finnish people of Yam, neighboring Chud, who lived near the Gulf of Finland. Although the campaign was victorious, Vladimir’s squad returned almost without horses due to the severe death that befell them. The Russian campaigns to the northeast to the Ural ridge are evidenced by the news of a certain Ulba, who in 1032 walked from Novgorod beyond the so-called Iron Gates, no doubt in boats along the rivers; but on this campaign he lost most of his squad.

On the western borders of Rus', Yaroslav had to tame his restless neighbors, Lithuania and the Yatvingians. At least, the chronicle mentions his enterprises in that direction, probably caused by the raids of these tribes. In addition, he made several ship trips to Mazovia. In Poland, after the death of Mieczyslaw II (1034), severe unrest occurred: the nobles expelled his son Casimir and began to act without permission. The Czechs were in a hurry to take advantage of this anarchy to increase their limits at the expense of the Poles. Finally, Casimir, with the help of the Germans, regained his throne; he stopped the anarchy, but could not pacify a certain Moislav, who captured Mazovia and wanted to be its independent ruler. In this case, Casimir was helped by a family alliance with Yaroslav. The latter married his sister Maria to the Polish king (1043), who later converted to Catholicism and is known among the Poles under the name Dobrognev. Casimir, instead of a vena, that is, a marriage gift, returned to the Kyiv prince 800 Russian captives who had been taken in previous wars. And Yaroslav helped him pacify Mazovia, where he went two or three times; During the last campaign, Moislav was killed (1047). The alliance with Poland was further cemented by the marriage of Yaroslav's son Izyaslav to Casimir's sister.

The campaign of the Russian fleet against Byzantium in 1043

Yaroslav's reign, by the way, was marked by the last great campaign of the Russian fleet against Byzantium.

After Vladimir, Rus' remained for some time a faithful ally of Byzantium, and auxiliary Russian squads were encountered more than once in its wars. Friendly ties were maintained by mutual trade benefits: Russian guests lived in Constantinople, Greek guests came to Kyiv. Since the baptism of Rus', active church relations have been added to military and trade relations. These friendly ties were broken in 1043. In Constantinople, over something, there was a dispute with some Russian traders; From an argument it came to a fight, and one of the most honorable Russian guests was killed. Hence arose displeasure between both governments. At that time, Constantine Monomakh, the third husband of Empress Zoe, sat on the Byzantine throne. It is known that Zoya and her unmarried sister Theodora, daughters of Constantine VIII and niece of Vasily II the Bulgarian Slayers, were the last scion of the famous Macedonian dynasty. Constantine Monomakh, a careless sovereign and devoted to his pleasures, apparently was in no hurry to give Rus' the necessary satisfaction for the insult. Yaroslav equipped a large boat fleet and sent it under the command of his eldest son, Vladimir of Novgorod, with the commander Vyshata. In this ship's army there were also hired Varangians. Byzantine historians exaggerate its number to 100,000. According to our chronicle, Rus' wanted to land on the Danube, probably with the intention of raising the Bulgarians against the Greeks; but the Varangians carried Vladimir further. The fleet approached the Bosporus and was preparing to attack Constantinople itself. Meanwhile, the emperor ordered that all Russian merchants and soldiers who were in Constantinople and other cities be taken into custody. More than once he sent ambassadors to Vladimir with peace proposals; but he made too high demands (the Byzantines say that he demanded three pounds of gold for each warrior). With these negotiations, the Greeks, of course, wanted to gain time to prepare for a rebuff. Indeed, they managed to assemble and equip a fleet, which, under the command of the emperor himself, blocked the entrance to the Bosporus; and on its banks there were mounted detachments. Battles at sea followed.

Small Russian ships tried to stay closer to the shore; here, with the help of flame-throwing shells, the Greeks managed to burn part of our fleet and throw the rest into confusion. Many Russian boats were thrown onto the coastal rocks by strong waves and were wrecked. Vladimir almost died; one of the governors, Ivan Tvorimirich, saved him and took him onto his ship. Part of the Russian army, which had escaped to the shore after the wreck of their ships, gathered there to the number of six thousand people. They decided to make their way to the fatherland by land. Vyshata did not want to leave them without a governor. “If I live, then with them, and if I die, then with the squad,” he said; went ashore and himself led them to the Danube. The emperor triumphantly returned to the capital, dispatching 24 ships to pursue the retreating Vladimir. These ships were surrounded by Russian boats and almost all died; Moreover, the Russians took many prisoners and thus had at least some success in their campaign. But the army led by Vyshata was mostly destroyed by the superior forces of the Greeks; the survivors were taken captives to Constantinople, where the emperor ordered many of them to be blinded. Three years later, peace was renewed and the prisoners were mutually returned. This world is sealed by the marriage of one of Yaroslav’s sons, his favorite Vsevolod, with a Greek princess, but it is unknown, with the daughter or with another relative of Constantine Monomakh.

Yaroslav the Wise and the Varangians

The time of Yaroslav was also the era of the most active and friendly relations with the Normans of Scandinavia, known to us under the name Varangians. The marriage with the Swedish princess and the assistance provided by the Varangian squads during the conquest of the Kyiv reign further increased their importance at the court and in the army of the Grand Duke of Russia. We see that in almost all the most important battles the Varangian squad takes the side of the Russian army. We see noble people, even Scandinavian kings and princes, who find shelter with the Russian prince, often enter his service, become his advisers and assistants in matters of internal administration and external defense. Varangian mercenaries and traders, without a doubt, enjoyed in Rus' the special patronage of the Grand Duchess Ingigerda (in Orthodoxy Irina), who had great influence on her husband. While still a Novgorod princess, she, as you know, delivered the city of Ladoga to her relative Ragenwald as an appanage principality. Subsequently, her sister's husband, the Norwegian king Olav the Saint, deprived of his throne by the Danish king Canute the Great, found refuge and honor at the Kiev court with his young son Magnus. Of course, not without the help of the Kyiv prince, he equipped a squad to regain his lost throne and landed on the shores of Norway, but died in the battle of Stiklestad (1030). Olav's son Magnus, nicknamed the Good, remained in the care of Yaroslav and was brought up with his children. A few years later, when the unrest in Norway and the oppression experienced by the Danes made many Norwegian nobles regret the expulsion of their own royal house, Magnus, with Russian help, returned to his fatherland and took the hereditary throne.

The younger brother of Olaf the Saint, Harald the Bold (Gardrada), after the battle of Stiklestad, where he was wounded, also found refuge at the Kiev court and served for some time in the Varangian squad of the Grand Duke. Harald fell in love with the eldest daughter of Yaroslav and Ingigerda, Elizabeth, and asked for her hand. The offer of the exiled prince, who had neither land nor wealth, was initially refused, but, apparently, not unconditionally. Harald then went to Constantinople and became the head of the same Varangian squad there. It was around this time that Byzantine historians first mention the Varang mercenary detachment in Byzantine service. It arose, probably, following the example of those detachments that served the Russian princes, and partly from those Varangians who left Rus' to seek even more profitable service in the rich Greek Empire. The mercenary Varangs, due to their courage and loyalty to the conditions they accepted, subsequently became the favorite army of the Byzantine emperors and, by the way, occupied the most prominent place in their guard. The saga of Harald the Bold tells fabulous examples of his courage and wit, as well as his romantic adventures during Byzantine service. According to her, he fought, won victories and took enemy cities for the Greeks in Asia, Africa and Sicily; went to Jerusalem; but he did not forget about his affection for the Russian princess and, being a poet himself, composed a song in her honor. In this song he talks about desperate battles, about the dangers he overcame, and laments the neglect shown to him by the Russian maiden. Meanwhile, the awards and booty looted during the campaigns made him a rich man. He could now abandon the life of an exile, an adventurer, and return to his fatherland, where his nephew Magnus reigned. Harald again came to Kyiv, finally received Elizabeth's hand and went to Norway, where, a few years later, he succeeded his nephew, who died in battle with enemies (1047). Subsequently, Harald the Bold himself, as is known, also fell during his desperate landing on the shores of England (1066).

We saw that at the end of his life Vladimir stopped elevating the Varangians; but Yaroslav, it seems, remained their friend to the end, partly under the influence of Ingigerda, and partly because the Varangians, like any mercenaries, in the hands of the Grand Duke were a reliable tool for supporting his autocracy. It is also imperceptible that Yaroslav, after the services rendered by the Novgorodians in his fight against Svyatopolk, freed them from the Varangian garrison. At least, the chronicle says that Novgorod, until the death of Yaroslav, annually paid the Varangians the amount of hryvnia established by Oleg. The Novgorod governor under Yaroslav was his eldest son Vladimir, who, judging by the news of some northern chronicles, was, like his father, married to some Norman princess. Ladoga and Novgorod continued to serve as the main refuges for the Varangians who came to Rus' as guests or seeking service, as well as for the Varangian princes going to the Kyiv court. There was another route from Scandinavia to Russia, along the Western Dvina. There is no doubt that Varangian traders and mercenaries visited Polotsk; but the latter then began to stand out from the general composition of Rus' under the ownership of its local princes.

Here, in these family, friendly ties of Igor’s house with the Varangians, in the position that these foreigners occupied in Russia under Vladimir the Great and especially under his son Yaroslav, in the origin of the subsequent Kiev princes, on their mother’s side, from the Scandinavian royal house, in frequent appeals Varangian squads and in the loud glory that the Norman Vikings enjoyed at that time - here we must look for the germ of that fable, which subsequently spread and strengthened. It is known that the entire Russian princely family began to hear this fable from the Varangian princes, who allegedly were once called to the Novgorod land to restore order in it.

In addition to family ties with the sovereigns of Byzantium, Poland and Scandinavia, Yaroslav entered into the same connections with other European rulers. Thus, his second daughter Anna was married to Henry I, King of France, and the third, Anastasia, to King Andrew I of Hungary. There were also family ties with the rulers of Germany: German chroniclers talk about the marriage of two German princesses with Russian princes (maybe with Vyacheslav and Igor, the youngest sons of Yaroslav). All this indicates friendly relations between the Kyiv court and almost all the most important courts in Northern and Central Europe. There is even news about the family alliance of the Russian princely house with the kings of England and the stay in Russia of two English princes who sought refuge at the court of Yaroslav. Obviously, Rus' at that time occupied not the last place in the international relations of Europe and lived a common European life.

Monument to Yaroslav the Wise at the Golden Gate in Kyiv

Domestic policy of Yaroslav the Wise

The great significance of Yaroslav I in Russian history, however, is based not so much on his successful wars and external relations, but on his works on the internal structure of the Russian land. In this regard, the first place belongs to his activities for the benefit of the Christian Church.

Vladimir the Great, together with Christianity, established the order of the Greek hierarchy in Russia. The Russian Church formed a special metropolis, dependent on the Patriarch of Constantinople. This dependence was expressed especially by the appointment of the highest spiritual dignitary, i.e. Metropolitan of Kyiv, and initially other hierarchs or bishops. We do not have accurate, undoubted information about the first Kyiv metropolitans. Later chronicles call the first Russian metropolitan Michael, who arrived with Vladimir from Korsun. They call Leontius his successor; Leonty was followed by John, who ruled the church in the second half of the reign of Vladimir and in the first half of Yaroslav; Ioannou was the successor of Theopemthe. These metropolitans, appointed by the Patriarch of Constantinople, were appointed from the clergy of the Greek Empire; but it is very likely that they were of Bulgarian origin or at least had information in the Slavic language; without which their activities in Rus' would be very difficult. It is known that along with Christianity, Rus' received worship and Holy Scripture in the Slavic-Bulgarian language. Together with the metropolitans, our first bishops and many priests were also, in all likelihood, from the Bulgarians. They brought with them liturgical books and other Bulgarian-Slavic translations.

The clergy, both arriving from the Byzantine Empire and previously existing in Kievan baptized Rus', could satisfy only the most basic needs. But with the spread of Christianity and the construction of churches in the Russian regions, the need for their own ministers of the church, for teachers of the faith, close to the people, completely understandable to them and capable of fighting paganism, which was strong even in the population considered Christian, increased greatly; We are not talking about distant regions that are still stuck in crude idolatry. Already Vladimir ordered to take the children and send them to their father’s princely local teaching, probably in order to prepare them for clergy. The chronicler adds an interesting feature: the mothers of these children cried for them as if they were dead, because they had not yet been established in the faith. Yaroslav continued the work of his father and instructed clergy to teach children to read and write; and in Novgorod, according to the chronicles (later records), he established a school consisting of 300 boys, sons of priests and elders.

In Rus', almost the same thing was repeated as we see in Danube Bulgaria. There Christianity was finally introduced by Prince Bogoris; and his son Simeon already brought about an era of prosperity for Bulgarian literature. So in our country, Yaroslav, the son of the prince who established Christianity in Rus', was distinguished by his special commitment to the book. He collected scribes to copy Bulgarian manuscripts; and sometimes he instructed to translate directly from Greek or correct Bulgarian translations. From the words of the chronicle we can conclude that he even copied some of the sacred books himself and brought them as a gift to the church of St. Sofia. Under Yaroslav and with his encouragement, monastic communities began to spread to Rus'; and one of the main activities of monasteries in the Middle Ages, as is known, was copying books.

Construction of St. Sophia of Kyiv

Yaroslav did not spare any expense on the external splendor of the church, which has such a strong effect on the imagination of a different, less developed society, not yet strengthened in the faith. The most magnificent buildings he completed, of course, belonged to the capital Kyiv and were produced with the help of Greek craftsmen. First, he surrounded the city with new stone walls. One of the gates in these walls was named Golden, in imitation of the same gates of Constantinople; and above them a church was built in honor of the Annunciation. The new walls were larger than the previous ones; by the way, they embraced part of the field on which the above-mentioned last battle with the Pechenegs took place, which ended in their complete defeat. In memory of this battle and in its place, Yaroslav founded the famous cathedral church of St. Sofia. A temple with the same name existed in Kyiv already under Vladimir the Great, but only in a different place; at least the German chronicler Dietmar mentions it, regarding the entry of Boleslav the Brave into Kyiv. During the internecine wars between Svyatopolk and Yaroslav, this temple burned down; Instead, Yaroslav built a new one, and in a more magnificent form. It was decorated with fresco paintings and luxurious mosaics or, as it was called then, musia. In addition, Yaroslav built the monastery of St. Irina (probably in honor of his wife). In general, the most ancient and main churches of Kyiv were built for the most part in imitation of those in Constantinople and bore their names, such as St. Sofia, St. Irina, as well as churches in honor of the Mother of God, so common in Byzantium (starting with the famous Blachernae). Following the example of Kyiv, in other main cities of Rus' we find cathedral churches, mainly either St. Sophia’s or the Mother of God’s (Nativity and Assumption). So, almost at the same time as the Kyiv Sophia, the glorious Novgorod Sophia was created. According to the chronicles, at first this St. Sophia church was wooden with thirteen tops, built by the first bishop of Novgorod, Joachim, on the banks of the Volkhov; but it burned out. Then the son of Yaroslav Vladimir, the appanage prince of Novgorod, together with Bishop Luka Zhidyata in 1045, laid the foundation for a new St. Sophia Cathedral, already made of stone and in a slightly different place, although also on the banks of the Volkhov. This temple was built and decorated with frescoes also with the help of Greek artists. Its builder, Vladimir Yaroslavich, died several years later and was buried in it.

Saint Sophia of Kyiv. Estimated appearance in the 11th century.
Photo from the publication "Orthodox Temples"

Thus, the construction of Christian churches led to the transplantation of fine arts from Byzantium to Russia. Under Yaroslav, according to the chronicles, church singers came to us from Greece, who taught the Russians the octal voice, or so-called. Demonic singing.

While recognizing the Russian hierarchy as dependent on the Constantinople patriarch, Yaroslav at the same time allowed this dependence only to a certain extent. He jealously guarded princely power in church matters and reserved the decision of hierarchical issues to himself. So, at the end of his reign it was necessary to install a new metropolitan, and meanwhile the Grand Duke was at odds with the Byzantine government. Then he convened a council of Russian bishops and ordered them to appoint to the metropolis a priest from the village of Berestov, Hilarion, who was distinguished by his book learning and was one of our first spiritual writers. This Hilarion is, therefore, the first Kyiv metropolitan of Russian origin. His conciliar installation, however, did not disrupt the connection between the Russian Church and the Greek Church, and, upon the resumption of friendly relations, the respectful, filial relations of the Kyiv Metropolitan to the Constantinople Patriarch were resumed. Our first Christian princes, i.e. Vladimir and Yaroslav, erecting churches and laying the foundation for the spiritual class, at the same time tried to provide material means for the existence and further development of this class. Following the example of the Byzantine emperors, they donated a certain part of the princely income for the maintenance of churches and their clergy, allocating them with lands and various lands. In addition, they allocated part of the proceeds from legal proceedings in favor of the clergy, subordinating the trial of certain legal cases and misdemeanors to the bishops. Yaroslav enjoys in history the glory of our first legislator; he was credited with the oldest set of Russian laws, known as the Russian Truth.

Svyatopolk’s bitterness against his brothers and his previous relationship with his father give some probability to our chronicle that he was not Vladimir’s own son. The latter, she says, after the death of Yaropolk, took his Greek wife, already pregnant from her previous husband, as his wife. As for Gleb, we do not follow the chronicle story that Gleb was in Murom at the time of Vladimir’s death and that Svyatopolk sent to call him to himself on behalf of his sick parent, hiding his death. We find much more probable and natural the news we have given, taken from the Legend of Boris and Gleb according to the ancient, or Nesterov, edition; whereas in its later editions, richly decorated with rhetoric, the story about Gleb agrees with the chronicle (see Legends of St. Boris and Gleb, published by Sreznevsky, St. Petersburg, 1860, and Reading about the life and miracles of Boris and Gleb, published by Bodyansky in Thurs. Ob. I. and D. 1859. No. 1). This circumstance, in turn, points to a later edition of the chronicle itself, incorrectly attributed to the same Nestor. That Gleb’s body was enclosed between two decks, see also Vasiliev: “Canonization of Russian Saints” in Read. About. I. and D. 1893. III. It talks about two decks: the top and the bottom.

Eymund's saga in Antiquites Russes. T. II. (It was translated into Russian by Senkovsky and published in the "Library for Reading" 1834 Vol. II.) This saga attributes to Eymund the murder of Svyatopolk, whom she calls Burisleif. Then she talks about the war between Yaroslav and Vartislav (i.e. Bryachislav) of Polotsk; Moreover, he tells a fabulous story that Eymund, who transferred to the service of the Prince of Polotsk, arranged a peace treaty between the brothers, according to which they divided Gardarikia (i.e., Rus') among themselves: Yaroslav remained the Prince of Novgorod, Vartislav received Kiev, and the Principality of Polotsk was given to Eymund. The latter, dying, handed over this principality to his comrade Ragnar. The fabulous nature of the saga is also indicated by the fact that, while telling about the struggle between Yarisleif and Burisleif, it does not mention at all the participation of the Polish king in it.

Before the start of these events, the Russian chronicle contains a story about the clash between the Novgorodians and the Varangians of Yaroslav; and the first beat up many mercenaries in the courtyard of some Paramon. Then the prince retired outside the city to his village of Rakoma, called here the instigators of this massacre and ordered them to be killed. But that same night, news came from Kyiv from his sister Predislava about the death of Vladimir and the atrocities of Svyatopolk. The next day, Yaroslav convenes a meeting and repents of his cruel act towards the Novgorodians; and the latter reconcile with him and arm themselves against Svyatopolk. This whole story has an artificial, dramatic construction. Clashes between citizens and violent Varangians occurred, of course, often. But the death of Vladimir and the actions of Svyatopolk were not such secret events, the news of which could only reach Novgorod with help. Predislava and no other than at the critical moment of the treacherous killing of Novgorod citizens.

Only the Russian Chronicle tells about the battles of Yaroslav with Svyatopolk near Lyubech and on the Alta River; she also talks about the battle on the Bug. The altercations she reported with the enemy were in the spirit of the times, and are confirmed, although in a slightly different form, by the news of the most ancient Polish chroniclers, such as Martin Gall and Kadlubek, who wrote in the 12th century (See Monumenta Poloniae of Belevsky. Vol. I and II).

Apart from the Russian Chronicle, we have foreign news about the war between Yaroslav and Boleslav the Brave. The first place between them belongs to the German chronicler Dithmar (Dithmari Chronicon. Chapter III and partly VII). His news is most reliable as a contemporary of these events. Regarding chronology, he agrees with our chronicle. However, he does not always make accurate messages in relation to Rus', which is distant from him. So, speaking about the capture of Kiev by Boleslav (which he calls Kitava), Ditmar adds that in this great city there were already 400 churches - an incredible number - and that its population was made up of some runaway slaves, and mainly from the fast Danes, or Danaev. (The latter option is more likely.) Then follows the news of the Polish chroniclers, Martin Gall, Bogufal, Kadlubka and Dlugosz. But this news is characterized by great boasting and rhetoric. For example, they say that Boleslav, entering Kiev, cut down its Golden Gate with his sword as a sign of his victory; The Golden Gate had not yet been built. In this case, Dlugosh is distinguished by his particular verbosity and fabulousness, although he also made a lot of use of Russian chronicles. So, according to him, Boleslav allegedly placed some iron pillars on the Dnieper, at the confluence of the Sula, to distinguish the boundaries of his kingdom. The King of Poland gives long speeches to the army in the spirit of classical writers; he wins four great victories over Yaroslav, almost all on the same Bug River, etc. His chronology of these events is also incorrect. Subsequent Polish historians (Kromer, Sarnicki, etc.) for the most part repeat the same stories. Karamzin also pointed out their contradictions and unreliability (See notes 15 - 18 to volume II of his History).

The older chronicles do not mention the campaign of 1032, i.e. Lavrentievsky and Ipatsky; the later ones speak about him, namely: Sofia, Voskresensky and Nikonovsky. But, obviously, it was borrowed from an ancient source. Regarding the area called the Iron Gate, different opinions were expressed. Tatishchev meant here the Ural ridge and the country of the Ugra; Miller accepted his opinion. Karamzin meant the land of Mordovian and Cheremissky (to vol. II note 64). Shegren pointed to the Zyryansky region, namely the village of Vodchu in Ust-Sysolsky district on the river. Sysole: near this village there is a hill or fortification, called in folk legend the Iron Gate (Sjogrens Gesam. Shriften. I. 531). His opinion was accepted by Solovyov, as well as by Barsov (“Geography of the Initial Chronicle.” 55). Finally, Mr. K. Popov in his essay Zyryan (News of the General. Lovers of Natural Science. Moscow. T. VIII. Issue 2., p. 39) also points to the Zyryansky region and Ust-Sysolsky district, but only further to the east near the Ural ridge. He cites an extract from the notes of Mr. Arsenyev (Vologda. Provincial Ved. 1866. No. 47), namely: the Shutora River, a tributary of the Pechora, originating in the Ural ridge, in one place is so constrained by rocky steep banks that the place belongs to the natives called Uldor Kyrta, i.e. Iron Gate. Obviously, such a name did not belong exclusively to any locality and was encountered more than once. (Recall that the same Russian Chronicle also calls Caucasian Derbent the Iron Gate.) We consider it probable that the campaign of the Novgorodians was undertaken precisely in the Zyryansky or Yugra region; but we do not think that the chronicler under the Iron Gate meant any insignificant area on pp. Sysole or Shutora, known only among the surrounding natives, and Tatishchev was hardly closer to the truth than others, pointing generally to the Ural Mountains.

In addition to the Russian Chronicle, Martin Gall, Bogufal, the Saxon Chronicler (Annalista Saxo) and Dkugosh speak about the marriage of the Russian princess with Casimir. If Maria, according to Dlugosz, was the daughter of Anna, the wife of Vladimir the Great, who died in 1011, then at the time of her marriage to Casimir she could not have been less than 32 years old. The Saxon chronicler calls her not a sister, but the daughter of the Grand Duke of Kyiv. The marriage of Izyaslav Yaroslavich to Casimir’s sister is mentioned in our later chronicles, i.e. Sofia, Voskresensky and Nikonovsky.

The main sources for explaining the war of 1043 are the Russian Chronicle, Psellus, Kedren and Zonara. In addition, a brief mention of it is found in Glika and Ephraim. It is remarkable that the participation of the Varangians in this war and their advice to go to Constantinople itself is reported not by the oldest sets of chronicles, but by the later ones. Their news is confirmed by Skylitsa-Kedren, who says that among the Russian troops were allies living on the northern islands of the ocean. (It is clear that in the previous campaigns of Rus' near Constantinople in 860 and 941, the Varangian squads did not participate; otherwise Byzantine historiography would not have kept silent about it.) In this case, we give preference to Skylitsa-Kedren over Psellos, although the latter was an eyewitness to the event; according to him, the Russians started the war supposedly for no reason, out of sheer hatred of Greek hegemony. The news of the Russian Chronicle about this campaign is completely independent of Greek sources. The chronicler could have heard about him from the old men who participated in the campaign itself; and most likely, he conveyed the event from the words of the famous boyar Yan Vyshatich, who was the son of the governor Vyshata; which partly explains such a prominent place given to the latter in the chronicle story.

For connections with Scandinavian and other European dynasties, see the sagas of St. Olaf, Magnus the Good, and Harald the Bold in Antiquites Russes. Acta Santrorum. Rerum Galiicarum et Francicarum scriptires. Lambert Aschaffenburg. Turoc Chronic. Hung. Snorro Sturleson. Adam of Bremen, etc. About the family alliances and relations of Yaroslav with European sovereigns, the most detailed discussion with reference to sources remains the one that belongs to Karamzin. See notes 40 – 48 and 59 to volume II. The French king Henry I sent an embassy to Kyiv headed by Bishop Roger of Chalons to ask for the hand of Anna Yaroslavna. See also Schlumberger in The Story of Zoe and Theodora. Page 560.

In the later chronicle vaults, Sophia, Voskresensky and Nikonovsky, the foundation of the Kyiv Sophia and the Golden Gate is dated back to 1017, while in the oldest vaults, i.e. Laurentian and Ipatsky, it is mentioned under the year 1037. From here arose different opinions and disputes between scientists about the time of the founding of St. Sophia. (All these opinions are compared in “Description of Kiev” by Zakrevsky, pp. 760 ff.) We accept the year of the oldest codes, which is more consistent with the circumstances: until 1037, the place of Sophia was still outside the boundaries of old Kiev, in the field. The testimony of Dietmar, who died in 1018, clearly indicates that before the construction of this temple by Yaroslav, a temple of the same name already existed in Kyiv; Dietmar adds that he and his monastery suffered a fire in 1017.

Regarding the construction of the old and new Sofia in Novgorod, the sources also present some contradictions. Thus, the Ipatievskaya and Lavrentievskaya simply speak about the foundation of a stone cathedral in 1045 by Prince Vladimir. The same is said in the First Novgorod Chronicle with the addition of news about the fire of the old church: “In the summer of 6553 (1045) St. Sophia burned on Saturday after matins at the 3rd hour of the month of March at the 15th. That same summer the foundation of St. . Sofia Novgorod Vladimir Prince". In the Second Novgorod it is the same year and it is added that the burnt wooden church was about 13 tops, built by Bishop Iakim and stood for 4 years; and its position is defined as follows: “The end of Episcopal Street above the Volkhov River, where now (i.e. during the chronicler’s time) Sotko erected the Church of Boris and Gleb.” In the Novgorod Third Chronicle, the death of Bishop Iakim is dated to 1030; therefore, if he was the builder of the wooden Sophia, then the latter stood not for 4 years, but much longer. The same chronicle adds that the new stone church, founded in 1945, took 7 years to build, and was painted by icon scribes brought from Constantinople. There is also a legend about the image of the Savior with the blessed hand. In the Resurrection, Sophia and Nikon chronicles, the laying of the stone Sophia is also dated to 1045, but its consecration - to 1050; and between these years, precisely under 1049, there is news, erroneous of course, about the fire of the old wooden church.

During the reign of Yaroslav the Wise, the Slavic state of Kievan Rus reached its peak, becoming one of the most powerful in Europe. The foreign and domestic policies of this ruler were aimed at strengthening the capital city and the state as a whole. Under Yaroslav, many new cities were built.

Thanks to his strategic mind and sensible foreign policy, Prince Yaroslav the Wise was able to raise the authority of Kievan Rus. The military campaigns undertaken by the Kiev prince (the Polish campaign, the campaign in the Principality of Lithuania, as well as the Finns) were very successful, but his most important victory, which opened the second wind of Rus', was the victory over the Pechenegs in 1036.

In addition, under Yaroslav, Kievan Rus faced Byzantium for the last time. This military conflict was resolved peacefully by signing an agreement supported by a dynastic marriage. The Byzantine princess Anna married Vsevolod, the son of the Kyiv prince. It should be noted that Yaroslav himself used such dynastic marriages more than once to strengthen peace. The prince's sons Igor, Vyacheslav and Svyatoslav were also married to princesses, but German ones. The prince's daughters Elizabeth, Anna and Anastasia were also married off.

Yaroslav the Wise's innovative internal reforms covered every area of ​​society. Great Kyiv prince attached great importance to the cultural education of the masses, and his internal policy was aimed at increasing the literacy and education of society.

During his reign, the prince ordered the construction of a school, where boys later studied “church work.” It is also worth noting that it was during the reign of Yaroslav the Wise that a Slavic metropolitan appeared in Rus'. In order to strengthen the position of the church in the domains, the prince resumes the payment of the so-called “tithe”, which had previously been established by Vladimir the Great.

Such active princely activity greatly changed Kievan Rus. At this time, stone churches and monasteries were erected, thanks to which painting and architecture rapidly developed. Yaroslav’s publication of the first set of laws, which was called “Russian Truth,” is also of great importance. This document regulated the amount of vira (tribute), as well as punishments for various violations. After some time, a set of church laws appeared, called “Nomocanon” or “The Helmsman’s Book”.

Foreign policy. Yaroslav proved himself wise statesman. Near Kiev, he inflicted a severe defeat on the Pechenegs, nomads, the then opponents of Rus'. This defeat was so strong that the Pechenegs no longer risked attacking Russian lands and disappeared from Russian history. (They were replaced by new nomads - the Polovtsy). Under Yaroslav the Wise in 1043, Rus' made its last campaign against Byzantium. The campaign was unsuccessful, and Rus' no longer fought with its southern neighbor. Relations between the two states became increasingly friendly.

Domestic politics Under Yaroslav, Kyiv became one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. Yaroslav wanted Kyiv to be in no way inferior to Constantinople. After all, Byzantium is a large state, and Rus' is a large state, Constantinople is located in a beautiful place - on the banks of the Bosphorus Strait, and Kyiv is located in a beautiful place - on the banks of the Dnieper. In Kyiv, under Yaroslav, about 400 churches and 8 markets were built. Kyiv was surrounded by a high stone wall, the main entrance to Kyiv was built - the Golden Gate.

St. Sophia Cathedral In 1037, near Kiev, on the very spot where he defeated the Pechenegs, Yaroslav built St. Sophia Cathedral - after all, the main temple of Byzantium was St. Sophia. The cathedral was built by Byzantine craftsmen from stone, and was decorated with frescoes and Byzantine icons that had never been seen before in Rus'. Kyiv Sofia amazed the imagination of contemporaries.

The frescoes have survived in some places to this day. They give us an idea of ​​life in the 11th century. They depict the prince in formal clothes, horsemen, archers, squires, dancers, musicians, and buffoons. The frescoes of the St. Sophia Cathedral in Constantinople depicted Emperor Justinian and his family to perpetuate the memory of the creator of this cathedral. Yaroslav and his family were depicted on the frescoes of Kyiv Sofia. St. Sophia cathedrals under Yaroslav were also built in Polotsk and Novgorod, and St. Sophia of Novgorod has survived to this day in its original form.

With the construction of temples in Rus', stone architecture appeared. The first masters in Rus' were the Byzantines, but gradually the Russians adopted their skills. The first Russian painting arose - icon painting, since for a long time its subjects were religious: images of saints, images of Jesus Christ, images of the Virgin Mary. In Rus', the image of the Mother of God became especially beloved among icon painters and people. According to a figurative expression, the Russian people dedicated as many icons to the Mother of God “as there are stars in the sky.” Over time, the cult of the Mother of God developed in Rus'.

Under Yaroslav the Wise, the organization of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Russian lands was finally formed. In 1031, a metropolitan appointed by the Patriarch of Constantinople appeared in Kyiv. Proof of Yaroslav's authority and strength is that in 1051, Yaroslav, without the knowledge of the Patriarch of Constantinople, himself appointed Hilarion, a metropolitan of Kyiv - Russian by birth. Hilarion was an outstanding church figure and a talented writer. His most famous work, “The Word on Law and Grace,” was dedicated to the Christian exploits of Vladimir, the Baptist of Rus'. Speaking about the rulers of Kievan Rus, Hilarion wrote: “They were not rulers in a bad land, but in a Russian one, which is known and heard in all ends of the earth.”

Yaroslav cared about educating the people. With him the first appeared public Schools, where both boys and girls were taught. In Novgorod, on his order, a higher school was established for 300 boys for the children of elders and clergy. It taught: writing, counting, reading, the basics of Christian doctrine; studied Greek and Latin, and were engaged in regular translations of church literature from Greek.

Under Yaroslav the Wise, the first monasteries appeared, the largest of which was Kiev-Pechersk, founded in the middle of the 11th century. It was in the monasteries that literature began to develop, in particular regular chronicle writing. Yaroslav ordered singers from Byzantium. This is how church singing appeared in Rus'. In Rus', church singing received further development and is currently a unique phenomenon of Russian singing culture.

Along with the adoption of Christianity, all church orders and laws were transferred from Byzantium. The set of Byzantine church laws came to us under the name "The Helmsman's Book." Yaroslav decided to arrange a better order of justice and punishment in worldly affairs. According to the chronicle, judicial customs were written down on his orders. The first collection of Russian laws appeared - "Russian Truth".

Under Yaroslav, Rus' entered the international arena and was accepted into the family of European monarchs. Yaroslav himself in 1019 married the Swedish princess Ingigerd for the second time and had seven sons and three daughters from her. He married his daughter Elizabeth to the Norwegian king Harald, Anna to the French king Henry I, Anastasia to the Hungarian king Endre I. Yaroslav's granddaughter married the German emperor. One of his sons married the daughter of the Polish king, the other - Vsevolod - the daughter of the Byzantine emperor Constantine Monomakh.

The era of Yaroslav the Wise has an enduring significance: 1. Thanks to the efforts of Yaroslav, the existence (existence) of such a unique phenomenon in world culture as Russian culture began. 2. Later, Rus' will face difficult trials more than once, but the historical memory of the people will preserve the image of the great Ancient Rus'. 3. The image of a great state will always cry out for resurrection in the people's memory. Yaroslav died on February 19, 1054 at his country residence in Vyshgorod. He was buried in Kyiv, in St. Sophia Cathedral. Eventually…. “In the summer of 6562 (1054) of the month of February 20th, the Dormition of our king...”

From 1019 to 1054, the Kiev throne was occupied by one of the sons of Vladimir the Great - Prince Yaroslav, popularly nicknamed the Wise. His policy was aimed, in general, at the cultural development of the state and the education of the people. He accomplished many deeds and transformations. In particular, thanks to his efforts, Rus' flourished, both culturally and spiritually. He contributed to a deeper introduction of the Christian faith.

The prince earned the nickname Wise due to both his love and desire for enlightenment, and the fact that he really made wise decisions. And they concerned both internal political issues and relations with other states.

His actions had the most positive impact on international relations, and on the life of ancient Russian society too. During his reign, the land of Kiev became the strongest among other principalities.

Domestic policy

Introducing Christianity into the masses, Yaroslav took care of providing the people with spiritual literature and their education. Schools were opened at churches. Foreign chronicles were translated and served as the basis for textbooks. Both spiritual and historical literature were translated. After all, the prince himself was an educated and literate man.

Yaroslav opened a school for boys in Novgorod specifically for teaching church affairs.

Urban planning also developed. A lot of cathedrals, temples, monasteries, and other significant architectural buildings were erected during the reign of the prince. In addition, Rus' developed its own individual cultural style. In terms of beauty, the Kyiv buildings were not inferior to the Byzantine ones and even surpassed them.

Yaroslav also founded new cities. These include Yaroslavl and Yuryev. Painting and architectural art actively developed.

Yaroslav was the creator of “Russian Truth” - the first written code of laws of Ancient Rus'. This code was a collection of norms regulating the relations of the people in various spheres: economic, social and others.

Foreign policy

And as for international relations, then here too Yaroslav tried to act wisely. Thus, in order to strengthen the security of his lands, he acted mainly through peaceful means. He strengthened relations with neighboring states and principalities in every possible way and concluded peace treaties. But, of course, it could not have happened without aggressive campaigns, as a result of which the prince’s possessions expanded. Also, they dealt a decisive blow to the nomadic tribes of the Pechenegs, who were ravaging the Russian principalities.

Another feature of his reign was the conclusion of dynastic marriages. He himself was married to the daughter of the ruler of Sweden. And his children, following the example of their father, also entered into similar alliances. He himself married off his daughters to foreign princes. The sons took as wives the princesses of Byzantium and Poland. And even the prince’s sister entered into such a marriage with the Polish king. Of course, this contributed to strengthening relations with other states.

During his reign, Rus' also rose in the general international arena. It became an economic and cultural center. In addition, its importance has increased in the Christian world. It was under Yaroslav that the first metropolitan of Kiev, Hilarion, appeared. The activities of this person also brought a lot of fruit. Thus, he fought for the independence of the Kyiv diocese from Constantinople.

In general, Prince Yaroslav the Wise made a huge contribution to the overall development of Rus' in many areas, increasing its importance and influence among neighboring states. And, undoubtedly, under him Kievan Rus flourished. His contribution to the education of the people and to the development of Christianity and culture is enormous.

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  In the first half of the 14th century, Rus' was ruled by Ivan I, also known as Ivan Kalita. This prince continued the Rurik dynasty at the head Russian state, replacing his brother Yuri Danilovich on the throne.