That Yaroslav was called wise. Why is Prince Yaroslav considered a wise ruler? Strengthening Kievan Rus by the “ruler of three thrones”

The name of the son of the great Kyiv prince Vladimir the Saint, Yaroslav, is widely known not only to historians, but also to ordinary people. During his more than thirty-year reign, he committed many serious actions for the state, for which Yaroslav was nicknamed the wise.

Early life

Future Grand Duke was born into the family of Vladimir Svyatoslavovich. He was the second eldest son, and from childhood he showed serious academic abilities, but early on he began to participate in the political life of the country. The powerful father tried to ensure that his sons from a very early age realized the need to think on a national scale, and, moreover, demanded unquestioning submission to himself. At first, young Yaroslav was appointed prince in Rostov, where he remained until the death of his brother Vysheslav, after which he was appointed prince-governor of the second most important city in Rus' - Novgorod. The prince had a rather difficult character, which was expressed more than once by his subordinates and squad, nevertheless he tried to resolve everything through negotiations, and only as a last resort would he make an open break. Perhaps this is why Yaroslav the Wise was called wise.

The beginning of the struggle for the throne

Being a Novgorod prince, he was considered, not without reason, the heir to the Kyiv throne. However, Vladimir, who was known among his contemporaries as a “loose woman-lover,” at the end of his life became very pious, and more than all his children he loved the offspring of Anna, Boris and Gleb. Perhaps the prince wanted to transfer his throne to the first of them. But Vladimir did not take into account that other brothers also laid claim to the title of supreme ruler of the country, and one of them was the Novgorod prince Yaroslav. In 1014, a conflict broke out between father and son. Vladimir even intended to go to war against his rebellious son, but in the midst of preparations for the campaign, the baptist of Rus' died. Immediately after this, large parts began to break away from the state - this always happened when the state weakened. central government. The situation was further aggravated by the fact that power in the state was seized by Foster-son Vladimir - Svyatopolk.

Path to power

The stepson did not want to lose power and decided to deal with his competitors. The first to fall under the attack of his cousin were Vladimir’s two favorite brothers - Gleb and Boris. Both did not want to enter into the struggle for the throne, for which their squad left them. In 1015, Prince Boris was killed near Kyiv, and soon the same fate befell the Murom prince Gleb; on the orders 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 the Novgorod prince Yaroslav enters into open struggle. Even at the time of preparing a response to his father’s threats, he turned to the Varangians for help, with the help of whom he organized his army. Svyatopolk, in turn, attracted the help of the nomadic Pechenegs, who more than once carried out devastating raids on Rus', and thereby even more turned the people against themselves. In this struggle, Yaroslav acted as the personification of centripetal forces, which is why Yaroslav the Wise was called wise.

Yaroslav at the head of state

The two opposing sides met in 1016 near the city of Lyubech. In the ensuing battle, Svyatopolk’s army was completely defeated, and he himself fled for help to his father-in-law, the Polish king. Together with the troops provided, he returned to Rus'. At the same time, the Poles behaved like invaders, which caused violent discontent among the population. The fight continued. Taking advantage of popular sentiment, Yaroslav defeated his cousin for the second time. However, immediately restore the former single state It didn’t work right away. Mstislav did not want to submit to the authority of Kyiv, and between the brothers in 1024 a meeting took place. major battle. In it, the Kiev prince was defeated, but he did not fight with his brother again, but only concluded an agreement with him, according to which the brothers divided their possessions, but at the same time together repelled the attacks of enemies and helped each other in different situations. That is why contemporaries called Yaroslav wise. After the death of Mstislav, all his lands were annexed to Kyiv.

Yaroslav the legislator

Having become united, 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 legal system, which Yaroslav Vladimirovich took up with remarkable energy. Already on initial stage During his reign, he introduced a set of laws called “Russian Truth”. This legal monument ancient Rus' became the first written collection of laws of the country. The norms regulated, first of all, public order and protected property. In addition, the one that caused significant damage to the country was prohibited; now it was allowed only by close relatives or was replaced by a fine. That is why Yaroslav the Wise was called wise.

What else did the Kyiv prince become 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 Norway, Hungary, Denmark, his sons married princesses from Byzantium, Germany, Poland. By this, the prince significantly strengthened the position of his dynasty and state. Before his death, he bequeathed that the eldest in the family should become the Grand Duke in Rus'. This ancient family tradition would later become one of the causes of destructive civil strife. In the meantime, the prince enjoyed nationwide fame, in fact, that’s why Yaroslav the Wise was called wise.

To the question Why was YaRoslav MudroGo called Wise? given by the author vitriol the best answer is
This is data from Russian chroniclers (from Wikipedia), and I think that since they called it that, it means that’s how it was...

Answer from Flush[guru]
Yaroslav the Wise (about 978-1054), - Grand Duke of Kiev, son of Prince Vladimir I Svyatoslavovich. It was under Yaroslav that the state of Kievan Rus reached its greatest power. Kyiv became one of the largest cities in Europe, rivaling Constantinople. Under Yaroslav the Wise, Rus' achieved wide international recognition - the largest royal courts in Europe sought to become related to the family of the Kyiv prince. Yaroslav received the nickname “Wise” for drawing up a code of laws - Russian Truth.
Yaroslav the Wise - 8th Grand Duke of Kiev
After the death of his childless brother Mstislav in 1035, Yaroslav became the sole ruler of a huge state. Great importance the Christianization of the population was completed. By persuasion and force, Yaroslav the Wise achieved the establishment of Christianity. The creation of a church hierarchical organization was completed. In 1037, the Patriarch of Constantinople formed the Kyiv metropolis, thus Kyiv became an ecclesiastical center.
When there were no rivals left around, Yaroslav, as they say, grew wiser and became known as the Wise. By the way, neither his contemporaries nor chroniclers called him such, and the epithet was invented by Karamzin. In general, Karamzin was not mistaken. The son of St. Vladimir, first the Novgorod and then the Kiev prince Yaroslav Vladimirovich, really turned out to be wise, turned out to be a worthy successor to the work of his great father and became one of the outstanding figures of Russian history.
This is how he is presented in the reconstruction of Academician M. M. Gerasimov
He quickly realized that the true power of the state is not achieved through constant civil war, but through peace and stability. The active energy accumulated among the masses should be directed not towards aggression against each other, but towards economic prosperity, dynamic and mutually beneficial trade, friendship with neighbors based on impressive military force, to strengthen faith and spirit, encourage construction, arts and crafts. This is true statesmanship.
Yaroslav the Wise was known as an educated man who knew several foreign languages and had a rich library. Under him, Kievan Rus reached its greatest power. Kyiv became one of the largest cities in Europe, rivaling Constantinople.
- here in more detail.

Answer from Aital Pavlov[newbie]

Answer from Sandals[newbie]
The prince did a lot to spread Christianity in Rus'. He built new churches (including the outstanding Cathedrals of St. Sophia in Kyiv and Novgorod), opened schools with them, and encouraged the translation of church books from Greek into Slavic. Under him, the famous Kiev-Pechersk Monastery was founded. Yaroslav was a literate and educated person. He bought many books abroad, read them, according to the chronicle, “day and night,” and knew the Bible well. For this he received the popular nickname of the Wise.

Answer from Artyom Hard[active]
He did a lot for Rus'.

Answer from Larka[master]
Yaroslav the Wise - because it is associated with the transformation of Rus' into one of the most influential countries of medieval Europe.

Answer from __ ? ? ? ? - Khalid - ? ? ? ? __ __ ? ? ? ? - Magomedov - ? ? ? ? _[newbie]
Old Russian chroniclers raise the topic of Yaroslav’s wisdom, starting with “praise of books”, placed under 1037 in the “Tale of Bygone Years”, which, according to their legends, consisted in the fact that Yaroslav is wise because he built the churches of Hagia Sophia in Kyiv and Novgorod, then there is dedicated the main temples of the cities of Sofia - the wisdom of God, to which the main temple of Constantinople is dedicated. Thus, Yaroslav declares that the Russian Church is on a par with the Byzantine Church. Having mentioned wisdom, chroniclers, as a rule, reveal this concept by referring to the Old Testament Solomon
This is data from Russian chroniclers (from Wikipedia), and I think that since they called it that, it means that’s how it was...

The stepson did not want to let power slip from his hands and decided to deal with his rivals. The first to fall under the attack of his cousin were Vladimir’s two favorite brothers - Gleb and Boris. Both did not want to fight for the throne, for which their wife abandoned them. In 1015, near Kyiv, Prince Boris was killed, and soon the same fate befell the Murom prince Gleb; on the orders of Svyatopolk, he was stabbed to death by his cook. He also lost another son of Vladimir I, Svyatoslav, who was destroyed by conspirators sent by the prince. And here the Novgorod prince Yaroslav enters into open struggle. Even at the time of preparing a response to his father’s threats, he turned to the Varangians for help, with the help of whom he organized his army. Svyatopolk, in turn, brought in the help of the nomadic Pechenegs, who more than once carried out devastating raids on Rus', and even more turned the people against themselves. In this struggle, Yaroslav acted as the personification of centripetal forces, which is why Yaroslav the Wise was dubbed the wisest.

Having become the sole ruler of Rus', Yaroslav directed all efforts to strengthen it. One of the important actions of the new ruler was to restore order in the state. To do this, it was necessary to create a legal system, which Yaroslav Vladimirovich undertook with extraordinary strength and energy. Already at the initial stage of his reign, he introduced a set of laws called “Russian Truth”. This legal monument of old Rus' became the first written collection of the country's laws. The rules regulated, first of all, public order and protected property. In addition, blood feud was prohibited. Caused significant damage to the country, now it was allowed only by close relatives or was replaced by a fine. That is why Yaroslav the Wise was dubbed the wisest.

The two opposing sides met in 1016 near the city of Lyubech. In the battle that began, Svyatopolk’s army was completely defeated, and he himself fled for help to his own 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 violent discontent among the population. The fight continued. Taking advantage of popular sentiment, Yaroslav suddenly defeated his cousin. But it was not immediately possible to return to the previous unified government. Mstislav did not want to submit to the authority of Kyiv, and a big clash took place between the brothers in 1024. In it, the Kiev prince was defeated, but he did not wage war with his brother again, but only concluded a contract with him, according to which the brothers divided their possessions, but at the same time jointly repelled the attacks of their opponents and helped each other in different situations. That is why contemporaries dubbed Yaroslav wisdom. After the death of Mstislav, all his lands were annexed to Kyiv.

Being a Novgorod prince, he was considered, not without reason, the heir to the Kyiv throne. But Vladimir, who became famous among his contemporaries for his “loose love of women,” in the West own life He became very pious, and fell in love more than all his children with the children of the Byzantine princess Anna, Boris and Gleb. To the first of them, perhaps, the prince wanted to transfer his throne. But Vladimir did not take into account that other brothers also laid claim to the title of supreme ruler of the country, and one of them was the Novgorod prince Yaroslav. In 1014, a conflict broke out between father and son. Vladimir even intended to go to war against his rebellious descendants, but in the midst of preparations for the campaign, the baptist of Rus' died. Immediately after this, large parts began to break away from the country - this always happened when the central government weakened. The situation was aggravated by the fact that Vladimir’s adopted son, Svyatopolk, seized power in the state.

Under Yaroslav the Wise, the role of the church in the state system developed. Yaroslav left a memory of himself in Russian history with his internal affairs. It was not for nothing that during the fight with Svyatopolk the people of Kiev called him “Khoromets” (hunter to build). He really had a passion for structures. This is evidenced primarily by monumental church construction. In honor of the victory over the Pechenegs, they attacked Kyiv in 1037 (since then their raids have not been repeated), on the spot where the brutal slaughter took place, Yaroslav built the Church of St. Sophia. The temple was built by Greek architects and decorated by Greek artists. Despite all the subsequent reconstructions and additions, the temple can still serve as an example of Byzantine architecture of that time not only in Rus', but throughout Europe. This is the only building of the 11th century that has survived in relatively better condition. The prince dedicated another, equally majestic cathedral and monastery to his heavenly patron, whose name he bore in Orthodoxy - St. Great Martyr George. By the way, it was the day of the consecration of this temple in Rus' that was celebrated in November as the famous “Yuriev Day”. Yaroslav also built the Church of St. Irene (now defunct) in Kyiv, Rashira borders of Kyiv on the western side and built the Golden Gate with the Church of the Annunciation above them. At the behest of Yaroslav, his son Vladimir built the Church of St. Sophia in Novgorod in 1045, following the model of the Kyiv one, although on a smaller scale. This church became the main shrine of Novgorod. Also, the majestic St. Sophia Cathedral was built in Polotsk. So, with the buildings of churches in Rus', stone appears. By patronizing the church, Yaroslav contributed to the emergence of the first Russian monasteries, libraries and schools. During his reign the first Russian original literary works(“The Sermon on Law and Grace” by Metropolitan Hilarion). At the same time, the Church Charter, written under Vladimir, was revised. Yaroslav's charter was drawn up already...

Yaroslav the Wise (c. 978-20.02.1054) - Outstanding statesman and commander Kievan Rus, Grand Duke of Kyiv (1019-1054). He was the son of Vladimir the Great and the Polish princess Rogneda. After the death of his father, Yaroslav had to wage war with his brother Svyatopolk, who, intending to take the Kiev throne, criminally killed his three brothers Boris of Rostov, Gleb of Murom and Svyatoslav of Drevlyansky. The first two, through the efforts of Yaroslav, were subsequently canonized as innocent martyrs who became victims of the internecine struggle of the princes. Yaroslav understood that he could become the next victim of the power-hungry Svyatopolk. Having gathered 40,000 Novgorodians and several thousand Varangian mercenaries, Yaroslav opposed Svyatopolk, who managed to call upon the Pechenegs to help him. A fierce struggle took place near the city of Lyubech. Svyatopolk was defeated and fled to Poland. And Yaroslav, having generously thanked the Novgorodians, entered Kyiv in 1016 and occupied the grand-ducal table. But the fight didn't end there. Svyatopolk returned to Rus' with the Polish regiments, which were led by King Boleslav the Brave himself. Among the interventionists there were also wives of Germans, Hungarians and Pechenegs. Yaroslav lost the second battle on the banks of the Bug. The Novgorodians rescued him again. Having secured their military support, Yaroslav for the third time opposed Svyatopolk and in 1019 defeated him and his Pecheneg allies on the Alta River. Svyatopolk fled to Poland again, but died on the way. This is how the chronicler described his death: “And during his escape, a demon attacked him, and weakening his joints, he could not sit on a horse, and they carried him on a stretcher... and he ran to a deserted place between Poland and the Czech Republic, and there he died his life was dishonorable. A righteous judgment befell him, an unrighteous one, and after death he suffered the damned torment... His grave stands in this deserted place to this day, and a cruel smell emanates from it... "(Nestor the Chronicler" The Tale of Bygone Years "). Svyatopolk was a fratricide. If the chroniclers called Yaroslav the Wise, his brother Mstislav...

Very soon, Rus' not only masters literacy, but also has its own literature. The prestige of Rus' under Yaroslav was very high. Kievan Rus was a strong European state. The high authority of Kievan Rus in Europe and Byzantium is confirmed by dynastic marriages. Yaroslav the Wise was married to a Varangian princess, daughter of the Swedish king Ingigerda. At baptism she received the name Irina. Later, before her death, the princess took monastic vows with the name Anna (she became the first princess to take monastic vows), under which she entered our calendar. It’s not for nothing that Yaroslav is called “the father-in-law of Europe.” The daughters of Yaroslav the Wise were married to the kings of France, Hungary, Norway, Denmark (one of the daughters, Anna, brought the Slavic Gospel to Reims, on which all the kings of France subsequently swore allegiance at the coronation); the sons were married to princesses from German, Polish lands, from Byzantium . Vladimir Monomakh enjoyed European fame. He was the grandson of Yaroslav the Wise. All these dynastic marriages indicated that under Yaroslav Kievan Rus was considered one of the first states in Europe. Western monarchs sought an alliance with the powerful Kyiv prince. Of course, the reason for such attention was, first of all, military power Rus', whose warriors were considered one of the best. But Yaroslav was truly Wise, because not only was he himself a champion of culture, but he also sought to involve his people in its treasury.

Erection of the greatest Orthodox churches next to princely politics general education and with monastic feat was a powerful means of Christian education. Under Yaroslav, the scale of church construction in Rus' increased many times over. These temples were gigantic in size. Moreover, they were huge not because there was a practical need for it. The majestic cathedrals amazed the imagination of the Russian people and in themselves served as an effective means of preaching Christianity. These temples were the embodiment of the culture that Rus' was baptizing after centuries of vegetating in ignorance and barbarism. These were examples of an amazing synthesis of church arts: beautiful architecture, icon painting, mosaics, frescoes - united by a solemn Orthodox service. The churches built by Yaroslav, with their extraordinary beauty, themselves transformed the souls of people. It was something similar to what happened to Vladimirov's ambassadors in Sophia of Constantinople, which made a deep impression on them. It is known that when Yaroslav erected Sophia of Kyiv, the temple of St. Irene and St. George, other Kyiv churches and the famous Golden Gate, contemporaries compared Kyiv with Constantinople. At this time there were already several hundred churches in Kyiv. According to Thietmar of Merseburg, there were already about 400 of them at the beginning of Yaroslav’s reign. By the end of his life, there could have been up to a thousand churches in Kyiv. Contemporaries compared not only Kyiv with Constantinople. They compared Vladimir and his son Yaroslav with David and Solomon. David laid the foundation for Jerusalem and prepared everything for the creation of the temple of the Wisdom of God, and Solomon built the building itself, so in Rus' Vladimir lays the foundation of a Christian state, and Yaroslav is already creating the temple of Sophia - the Wisdom of God, which goes back to the biblical and Byzantine prototypes.

AUGUST 2009

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Ivan is the Terrible, Peter is the Great, and Yaroslav is the Wise. The Grand Duke of Kiev Yaroslav Vladimirovich received his nickname five centuries after his death: Moscow chroniclers of the 16th century, and later the historian Nikolai Karamzin, named him that way. But why, out of dozens of ancient Russian princes, was it Yaroslav who received such an honorable nickname?

To form an opinion about the first princes, both Karamzin and the Moscow chroniclers of the 16th century turned to the Tale of Bygone Years. Let us also look into the oldest Russian chronicle. And here a surprise awaits us. Habitual with his wisdom, Yaroslav finds himself either without a nickname at all or with a nickname that is far from flattering. Usually “The Tale of Bygone Years” calls our hero simply Yaroslav, and once reports on the prince’s opponents calling him “Khromets,” that is, lame.

It is worth, however, reading the list of princely affairs, as everything seems to fall into place. The chronicler seeks to convince the reader of Yaroslav’s high intelligence, piety and political skill. In the struggle for the Kiev throne, the prince had to defeat his treacherous brother, Svyatopolk the Accursed, by whose will the innocent brothers Boris and Gleb, the future first Russian saints, were killed. Yaroslav himself, as the chronicle says, read night and day, “sowed bookish words in the hearts of believers,” and founded a library in the St. Sophia Cathedral. Clerks and translators worked under her - a whole academy by the standards of the 11th century! Yaroslav did not forget about enlightening the common people: he paid salaries to the monks for disseminating knowledge. In addition, the prince became famous for the founding of great cathedrals, including the famous Sophia of Kyiv.

Having received all this information from the chronicle, the later compilers of Russian history simply could not help but conclude that Yaroslav was the Wise. But a lot of water has passed under the bridge since the 16th century. Modern historians also have other information about Yaroslav at their disposal. There was an opportunity to check the story of the ancient chronicler. For example, from the story of the Scandinavian warrior, “Eymund’s Saga,” it follows that Yaroslav himself sent the killers to Boris. He, in all likelihood, “made sure” that the innocent Svyatopolk appeared in the chronicles as “Cursed” (fratricide). As for Yaroslav’s construction activities, there were some “additions” here too. The Tale of Bygone Years states: St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv was founded in 1037 by Yaroslav. But recent archaeological research has shown that construction of Sofia began 12 years earlier, in 1015. The founder of the greatest ancient Russian cathedral was not Yaroslav, but his father, Vladimir, the baptist of Rus'.

So, there is no need to idealize Yaroslav. But it’s also impossible not to recognize his talents. Diplomatic successes, extensive construction, the beginning of legislation - all these are the achievements of Yaroslav Vladimirovich. Yes, he wanted to seem better than he was. Yaroslav and his sons made sure that a “corrected” version of the prince’s political biography was included in the chronicle. And here we are faced with some confusion. But more about this in the next issue of the magazine.

There were many famous princes in Russian history. But not everyone was honored to be called wise and great. So why and why was Prince Yaroslav the Wise called wise? I believe that the relevance of this topic is that every self-respecting person should know history, and especially the history of their homeland. And Yaroslav the Wise is an integral part of Russian history. And knowing his biography is very important and necessary.

Yaroslav the Wise (b. 978-1054), (b. 1019-1054) Grand Duke of Rus'. Son of Vladimir Red Sun. Moscow chroniclers of the 16th century called him wise, and later - the historian Nikolai Karamzin... And it is no coincidence, because Yaroslav was a wise ruler, a ruler who protects borders, develops culture, takes care of residents, establishes relations with other countries and takes care of his country.

He accomplished his first feat by defeating his brother Svyatopolk in a civil strife, avenging his father and other brothers. Perhaps killing a brother is not the best feat, but in this battle the qualities of an intelligent and prudent commander were revealed, which is very important for a wise ruler in order to defend his state. Then he himself began to rule in Kyiv. He began his reign with the development of science and culture. He created a workshop in Kyiv, where the monks copied ancient parchments and translated Greek and possibly Roman books. Also, under him, as under Vladimir, events that took place in Rus' began to be regularly recorded.

In 1037, they began to build the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv in honor of the defeat of the Pechenegs, in which the book workshop was located. The cathedral was erected from pink brick - plinths by Greek craftsmen. By order of Yaroslav in Kyiv, one of the three city gates was decorated with a church, and the gates were covered with gilded copper. They also built in other cities. In Novgorod, the Chernigov Spassky Cathedral and the Church of St. Sophia still stand. He founded a new city on the Volga - Yaroslavl, and in the land of the Estonians the city of Yuryev.

He also excelled in foreign policy. Under Svyatopolk, Poland captured the cities of Cherven and Belz from Rus'. In 1030-1031, Yaroslav and Mstislav recaptured these cities. The princes resettled Polish prisoners in fortified cities along the Ros River, creating a defensive line on the coast of the Dnieper. Soon relations with Poland improved. The Russians even helped King Casimir 1 stop the civil strife.

The largest victory of Rus' was the defeat of the Pechenegs near Kiev in 1036. After this, the Pechenegs went to Hungary and a small part of them settled in the Russian steppe borderland, becoming a kind of guardian of Rus'. So Yaroslav expanded the borders and improved relations with Poland. In foreign policy, he used diplomacy more than weapons. This is smarter and safer for the state. Before this, the princes resorted more to wars. He also strengthened relations with other states through dynastic barque marriages between different dynasties or countries, matchmaking his children with the children of rulers of other countries.

In addition to culture, he also introduced one of the first written laws into domestic policy - “Yaroslav's Truth”, thereby streamlining the order, unifying the state and establishing governance.

If you go back to the beginning of the essay and re-read it again, you can conclude that Yaroslav fully justifies his nickname - the wise one. Why and for what? - for good and wise government, for the development of culture and science, for strengthening the country's defense, for strengthening government, for improving relations with other countries and foreign policy, and finally for the love of science and education. Because he was a wise ruler, he was nicknamed the Wise.

Updated: 2017-02-23

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