Yaroslav the Wise: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|Grand Prince of KyivKiev from 1019 to 1054}}

| succession = [[Grand Prince of KyivKiev]]

| predecessor = [[Sviatopolk I of KyivKiev|Sviatopolk the Accursed]]

| successor = [[Iziaslav I of KyivKiev|Iziaslav I]]

| issue = {{ubl|[[Elisiv of KyivKiev|Elisiv, Queen of Norway]]|[[Anastasia of KyivKiev|Anastasia, Queen of Hungary]]|[[Anne of KyivKiev|Anne, Queen of the Franks]]|{{nowrap|[[Agatha, wife of Edward the Exile|Agatha]] <small>(possibly)</small>}}|Ilya|[[Vladimir of Novgorod]]|[[Iziaslav I of KyivKiev|Iziaslav I]]|[[Sviatoslav II of KyivKiev|Sviatoslav II]]|[[Vsevolod I of KyivKiev|Vsevolod I]]|[[Igor Yaroslavich]]|[[Vyacheslav Yaroslavich]]}}

| burial_place = [[Saint Sophia's Cathedral, Kyiv|Saint Sophia's Cathedral, KyivKiev]]

'''Yaroslav I Vladimirovich'''{{efn|Sometimes spelled '''Iaroslav'''; {{lang-orv|Ꙗрославъ Володимѣровичъ|Jaroslavŭ Volodiměrovičŭ}}; {{lang-ru|Ярослав Владимирович}}; {{lang-uk|Ярослав Володимирович|Yaroslav Volodymyrovych}}; {{lang-non|Jarizleifr Valdamarsson}}<ref>''Olafr svænski gifti siðan Ingigierði dottor sina Iarizleifi kononge syni Valldamars konongs i Holmgarðe'' (''[[Fagrskinna]]'' ch. 27). Also known as Jarisleif I. See [https://books.google.com/books?id=bCTVLNFK4w4C&q=%22king+jarisleif+and+his+queen+ingegerd%22 Google books]</ref>}} ({{circa|978–20 February 1054}}), better known as '''Yaroslav the Wise''',{{efn|{{lang-ru|Ярослав Мудрый}}, {{IPA-ru|jɪrɐˈslaf ˈmudrɨj|IPA}}; {{lang-uk|Ярослав Мудрий|Yaroslav Mudryi}}. "Mudryi" ("the Wise") is a nickname made up by 19th-century nationalist historians; it does not appear in medieval sources.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Revising Kyivan Rus' for the Twenty-First Century. Christian Raffensperger and Olenka Pevny |first=Christian |last1=Raffensperger |first2=Olenka |last2=Pevny |work=PostgraduateKMA |date=1 June 2021 |access-date=13 March 2024 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekGIDYNdDu8&t=4393s&ab_channel=PostgraduateKMA}} {{rp|at=1:13:10}}</ref>}} was [[Grand Prince of KyivKiev]] from 1019 until his death in 1054.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Morby |first1=John E. |title=Dynasties of the world: a chronological and genealogical handbook |date=2002 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford |isbn=9780198604730 |page=167}}</ref> He was also earlier [[Prince of Novgorod]] from 1010 to 1034 and [[Prince of Rostov]] from 987 to 1010, uniting the principalities for a time. Yaroslav's [[baptismal name]] was George{{efn|{{lang-orv|Гюрьгi|Gjurĭgì}}}} after [[Saint George]].<ref name="britannica1">{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/652106/Yaroslav-I |title=Yaroslav I (prince of KyivKiev) - Britannica Online Encyclopedia |encyclopedia=Britannica.com |access-date=2012-04-07}}</ref>

Yaroslav was a son of [[Vladimir the Great]] and [[Rogneda of Polotsk]]. Yaroslav ruled the northern lands around [[Rostov, Yaroslavl Oblast|Rostov]] before being transferred to [[Veliky Novgorod|Novgorod]] in 1010. He had a strained relationship with his father and refused to pay tribute to KyivKiev in 1014. Following Vladimir's death in 1015, Yaroslav waged a complicated war for the Kievan throne against his half-brother [[Sviatopolk I of KyivKiev|Sviatopolk]], ultimately emerging victorious in 1019.

As the Grand Prince of KyivKiev, Yaroslav focused on foreign policy, forming alliances with Scandinavian countries and weakening [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] influence on KyivKiev. He successfully captured the area around present-day [[Tartu]], Estonia, establishing the fort of Yuryev, and forced nearby regions to pay tribute. Yaroslav also defended his state against nomadic tribes such as the [[Pechenegs]] by constructing a line of forts. He was a patron of literary culture, sponsoring the construction of [[Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv|Saint Sophia Cathedral]] in 1037 and promoting the first work of [[Old East Slavic literature]] by [[Hilarion of KyivKiev]].

It has been suggested that [[Family life and children of Vladimir I#Yaroslav's parentage|he was a child begotten out of wedlock]] after Vladimir's divorce from Rogneda and marriage to [[Anna Porphyrogenita]], or even that he was a child of Anna Porphyrogenita herself. French historian [[:fr:Jean-Pierre Arrignon|Jean-Pierre Arrignon]] argues that he was indeed Anna's son, as this would explain his interference in Byzantine affairs in 1043.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> William Humphreys also favors a reconstruction making Yaroslav the son, rather than the step-son, of Anna, by invoking onomastic arguments. It is curious that Yaroslav named his elder son [[Vladimir of Novgorod|Vladimir]] (after his own father) and one of his daughters [[Anne of KyivKiev|Anna]] (as if after his own mother). There is a certain pattern in his sons having Slavic names, and his daughters having Greek names only.<ref name=":0">William Humphreys, "Agatha, mother of St. Margaret: the Slavic versus the Salian solutions - a critical overview", ''Foundations'', 1(1):31-43; Joseph Edwards, "Editorial", ''Foundations'', 1(2):74; William Humphreys, "Agatha ‘the Greek’ – Exploring the Slavic solution", ''Foundations'', 1(4):275-288.</ref> Furthermore, Yaroslav's maternity by [[Rogneda of Polotsk]] has been questioned by [[Mykola Kostomarov]] in the 19th century.<ref>Kuzmin A. G. ''Initial stages of the Old Russian annals.'' - <abbr>M</abbr> .: Press of Moscow State University, 1977. - pp. 275-276. [https://web.archive.org/web/20160304123237/http://hbar.phys.msu.ru/gorm/chrono/kuzmin.htm Archived] March 4, 2016 at the [[Wayback Machine]].</ref><ref>[[Mykola Kostomarov|Kostomarov, Mykola]]. ''Russian history in the biographies of its main figures''. - <abbr>M.</abbr> , 1991 .-- S. 8.</ref><ref>Kuzmin A. G. ''Yaroslav the Wise // Great statesmen of Russia''. - <abbr>M.</abbr> , 1996 .-- S. 26.</ref>

In his youth, Yaroslav was sent by his father to rule the northern lands around [[Rostov, Yaroslavl Oblast|Rostov]]. He was transferred to Veliky Novgorod,<ref name="Cross178">''Yaroslav the Wise in Norse Tradition'', Samuel Hazzard Cross, '''Speculum''', 178.</ref> as befitted a senior heir to the throne, in 1010. While living there, he founded the town of [[Yaroslavl]] (literally, "Yaroslav's") on the [[Volga River]]. His relations with his father were apparently strained,<ref name="Cross178" /> and grew only worse on the news that Vladimir bequeathed the Kievan throne to his younger son, [[Boris and Gleb|Boris]]. In 1014 Yaroslav refused to pay tribute to KyivKiev and only Vladimir's death, in July 1015, prevented a war.<ref name="Cross178" />

During the next four years Yaroslav waged a complicated and bloody war for KyivKiev against his half-brother [[Sviatopolk I of KyivKiev]], who was supported by his father-in-law, Duke [[Bolesław I the Brave]] ([[List of Polish monarchs|King of Poland]] from 1025).<ref name="Cross179">''Yaroslav the Wise in Norse Tradition'', Samuel Hazzard Cross, '''Speculum''', 179.</ref> During the course of this struggle, several other brothers ([[Boris and Gleb|Boris, Gleb]], and Svyatoslav) were brutally murdered.<ref name="Cross179" /><ref>{{Cite web|date=2008-10-07|title=Princes Boris and Gleb|url=http://www.roca.org/OA/76-77/76s.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081007191902/http://www.roca.org/OA/76-77/76s.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2008-10-07|access-date=2020-06-12}}</ref> The ''[[Primary Chronicle]]'' accused Sviatopolk of planning those murders.<ref name="Cross179" /> The saga {{lang|non|[[Eymundar þáttr hrings]]}} is often interpreted as recounting the story of Boris' assassination by the [[Varangians]] in the service of Yaroslav.

Yaroslav defeated Sviatopolk in their first battle, in 1016, and Sviatopolk fled to Poland.<ref name="Cross179" /> Sviatopolk returned in 1018 with Polish troops furnished by his father-in-law, seized [[KyivKiev]],<ref name="Cross179" /> and pushed Yaroslav back into [[Novgorod]]. Yaroslav prevailed over Sviatopolk, and in 1019 firmly established his rule over KyivKiev.<ref>''Yaroslav the Wise in Norse Tradition'', Samuel Hazzard Cross, '''Speculum''', 180.</ref> One of his first actions as a grand prince was to confer on the loyal Novgorodians, who had helped him to gain the Kievan throne, numerous freedoms and privileges.

Leaving aside the legitimacy of Yaroslav's claims to the Kievan throne and his postulated guilt in the murder of his brothers, [[Nestor the Chronicler]] and later Russian historians often presented him as a model of virtue, styling him "the Wise".{{citation needed|date=April 2023}} A less appealing side of his personality is revealed by his having imprisoned his youngest brother [[Sudislav]] for life. In response, another brother, [[Mstislav of Chernigov]], whose distant realm bordered the [[North Caucasus]] and the [[Black Sea]], hastened to KyivKiev.

In his foreign policy, Yaroslav relied on a Scandinavian alliance and attempted to weaken the Byzantine influence on KyivKiev. According to ''Heimskringla'', Olaf the Swede made an alliance with Yaroslav, even though the alliance was not liked in Sweden, in order to declare war against [[Olaf II of Norway]]. This was sealed in 1019 when King Olof of Sweden married his daughter to Yaroslav instead of the Norwegian king. That led to protests in Sweden because the Swedes wanted to reestablish control over their lost eastern territories and bring in tribute from Kievan Rus', as his father [[Eric the Victorious]] had, but after years of war against Norway, Sweden no longer had the power to collect regular tributes from Kievan Rus', according to ''Heimskringla''. In 1022 Olaf was deposed and forced to give power to his son [[Anund Jakob]].<ref name="Snorre Sturluson 1992, pp. 89-95">Snorre Sturluson, Nordiska kungasagor. Vol. II. Stockholm: Fabel, 1992, pp. 89-95 (Olav den heliges saga, Chapters 72-80).</ref>

Yaroslav presented his second direct challenge to Constantinople in 1043, when a Rus' flotilla headed by one of his sons appeared near Constantinople and demanded money, threatening to attack the city otherwise. Whatever the reason, the Greeks refused to pay and preferred to fight. The Rus' flotilla defeated the Byzantine fleet but was almost destroyed by a storm and came back to KyivKiev empty-handed.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Plokhy |title=The gates of Europe : a history of Ukraine |date=December 2015 |isbn=978-0-465-05091-8 |pages=37–38|publisher=Basic Books }}</ref>[[File:Daughters of Yaroslav the Wise.jpg|thumb|right|11th-century fresco of [[Saint Sophia's Cathedral, KyivKiev]], representing the daughters of Yaroslav I, with [[Anne of KyivKiev|Anne]] probably being the youngest. Other daughters were [[Anastasia of KyivKiev|Anastasia]], wife of [[Andrew I of Hungary]]; Elizabeth, wife of [[Harald Hardrada]]; and possibly [[Agatha, wife of Edward the Exile]].]]

To defend his state from the [[Pechenegs]] and other nomadic tribes threatening it from the south he constructed a line of forts, composed of [[Bila Tserkva|Yuriev]], [[Bohuslav]], [[Kaniv]], [[Korsun-Shevchenkivskyi|Korsun]], and [[Pereiaslav|Pereyaslavl]]. To celebrate his decisive victory over the [[Pechenegs]] in 1036, who thereafter were never a threat to KyivKiev, he sponsored the construction of the [[Saint Sophia's Cathedral, KyivKiev|Saint Sophia Cathedral]] in 1037.<ref>{{Citation | title=Saint Sophia's Cathedral: Sarcophagus of Prince Yaroslav the Wise | url=http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/sarcophagus-of-prince-yaroslav-the-wise-at-saint-sophias-cathedral |website=Atlas Obscura | access-date=10 December 2022}}

In 1037 the [[:UK:Ірининський собор (Київ)|monasteries of Saint George and Saint Irene]] were built, named after patron saints of Yaroslav and his wife. Some mentioned and other celebrated monuments of his reign such as the [[Golden Gate, KyivKiev|Golden Gate of KyivKiev]] were destroyed during the [[Mongol invasion of Rus']], but later restored.

Yaroslav was a notable patron of literary culture and learning. In 1051, he had a Slavic monk, [[Hilarion of KyivKiev]], proclaimed the [[metropolitan bishop]] of KyivKiev, thus challenging the Byzantine tradition of placing [[Greeks]] on the episcopal sees. Hilarion's discourse on Yaroslav and his father Vladimir is frequently cited as the first work of [[Old East Slavic]] literature.

Saint Sophia's Cathedral in KyivKiev houses a [[fresco]] representing the whole family: Yaroslav, Irene (as Ingegerd was known in Rus'), their four daughters and six sons.<ref>Andrzej Poppe: Państwo i kościół na Rusi w XI wieku. Warszawa: Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, 1968, p. 65.</ref> Yaroslav had at least three of his daughters married to foreign princes who lived in exile at his court:

* [[Elisiv of KyivKiev]] to [[Harald Hardrada]]<ref name="Cross181" /> (who attained her hand by his military exploits in the [[Byzantine Empire]]);

* [[Anastasia of KyivKiev]] to the future [[Andrew I of Hungary]];<ref name="Cross181" />

* [[Anne of KyivKiev]] married [[Henry I of France]]<ref name="Cross181" /> and was the regent of [[France]] during their son's minority (she was Yaroslav the Wise's most beloved daughter);

[[File:Отъезд княжны Анны Ярославны.jpg|thumb|[[Anne of KyivKiev]]]]

Three other sons—[[Iziaslav I of KyivKiev|Iziaslav I]], [[Sviatoslav II of KyivKiev|Sviatoslav II]], and [[Vsevolod I of KyivKiev|Vsevolod I]]—reigned in KyivKiev one after another. The youngest children of Yaroslav were [[Igor Yaroslavich]] (1036–1060) of [[List of rulers of Galicia and Volhynia|Volhynia]] and [[Vyacheslav Yaroslavich]] (1036–1057) of the [[Principality of Smolensk]]. There is almost no information about Vyacheslav. Some documents point out the fact of him having a son, [[Boris Vyacheslavich]], who challenged Vsevolod I sometime in 1077–1078.

In 2003, a monument to Yaroslav the Wise was erected in [[Kyiv]], Ukraine. The creators of the monument are [[Borys Krylov|Boris Krylov]] and Oles Sydoruk. There is also a Yaroslavska Street in KyivKiev, and there are various streets named after him in cities throughout Ukraine.

|caption= Yaroslav the Wise's consolidation of KyivKiev and Novgorod as depicted at Zoloti Vorota mosaics

|patronage= Statesmen, Judges, Jurists, Prosecutors, Temple Builders, Librarians, Research, Scientists, Teacher, Students, Kievans<ref>{{Cite web|title=Святой благоверный великий князь Киевский Ярослав Мудрый {{!}} Читальный зал|url=https://xpam.Kyivkiev.ua/svyatoyi-blagovernyyi-velikiyi-knyaz-kievskiyi-yaroslav-mudryyi.html|access-date=2021-07-09|website=xpam.Kyivkiev.ua}}</ref>

{{s-bef|before=[[Sviatopolk I of KyivKiev|Sviatopolk I Vladimirich]]}}

{{s-ttl|title=[[Grand Prince of KyivKiev]]|years=1019–1054}}

{{s-aft|after=[[Iziaslav I of KyivKiev|Iziaslav I Yaroslavich]]}}

[[Category:Grand Princes of KyivKiev]]