Prince Yaroslav the Wise. Years of reign of Yaroslav the Wise

The name and portrait of Yaroslav the Wise are well known even to those who have completely forgotten the history of Russia. He was one of the twelve sons of Vladimir the Baptist. an extremely bright personality, and above all, Yaroslav actively continued the work of his father.

Yaroslav the Wise. short biography

Little Yaroslav was lame from birth. Overcoming this illness, he began to practice with the sword every day. Therefore, his right shoulder was much larger than his left. Moreover, the prince was considered one of the best warriors among his contemporaries.

The chronicle, which describes the biography of Yaroslav the Wise, reports that in the summer of one thousand and eleven he went to baptize the pagans, and they put a bear in front of the prince, but he was able to defeat her. And when people saw this, they joyfully began to be baptized, because they believed that heavenly truth is always on the winning side.

Yaroslav thought the same thing at that time. His own, as yet limited, experience convinced him of this. After all, his father appointed him to rule the principality only after he was convinced that his son had a powerful will, which allowed him to overcome the illness acquired from birth.

System of ascension to the throne

During his lifetime, Vladimir divided the lands between his sons. Svyatopolk receives the Principality of Turov, Yaroslav - Rostov, the eldest son, Vysheslav, sits in Novgorod. And this system of princes ascending the throne, which is created by Vladimir, continues to operate for two more generations. It's called ladder.

All principalities are ranked according to their status. For example, Novgorod is considered the most prestigious after Kyiv, where my father sits. Therefore, the eldest son will rule in Novgorod. Then Polotsk, Turov, Rostov and so on.

As soon as the eldest brother dies (during the life of the father), all the remaining ones rise one step up. That is why it is called ascension to the throne. The exception is if one of the middle brothers dies, then the principality is inherited by his children and grandchildren.

One death that saved thousands of lives, or the death of a sovereign

An interesting fact that the biography of Yaroslav the Wise describes concerns the death of Vysheslav, after which the redistribution of principalities begins. And here a very strange thing is observed: Yaroslav immediately finds himself in Novgorod. Why this happened is unclear. The chronicles are silent about this.

After some time of reign, Yaroslav quarreled with his father because he refused to pay tribute to Kyiv. And Vladimir was going to go to war against his own son, but did not have time. He died unexpectedly while preparing for this campaign. But by that time Yaroslav had already managed to invite the Varangians to participate in the battle with his father.

Close ties with Scandinavian countries

Unlike previous times, in the era of Yaroslav a consistent and stable foreign policy of the ancient Russian state was formed. Moreover, just like Vladimir, he acutely feels his family ties with the Scandinavian north. When the struggle in Rus' flares up and the lives of Vladimir and Yaroslav are in danger, they try or even flee to Scandinavia. Mercenaries are invited from there.

Ambassadors are exchanged with them when a marriage is concluded, for example, Yaroslav with the Swedish princess. A trade agreement is drawn up with Norway. Moreover, Yaroslav interferes in internal affairs. In particular, in Norway he actually places Olav's son Magnus the Good on the throne, bribing all the nobility in his favor.

Bloody battle for the throne

While the Varangians are robbing the local population, raping and killing. Naturally, the Novgorodians did not like this, and one night they gathered and killed all the tormentors. In response to this, Yaroslav gathers the best residents and kills them. And on the same night he receives news from Kyiv that Vladimir has died suddenly. This happened on the fifteenth of July, one thousand and fifteen.

This is the first date that the biography of Yaroslav the Wise reports with an accuracy of one day. Svyatopolk seizes power in Kyiv. The squad of Boris, the next brother, invites him to seize power into his own hands. But he refuses. He says that Svyatopolk is like a father to him and the throne belongs to him by right. However, that same night, mercenaries sent by Svyatopolk arrive and kill Boris.

At the same time, he sends his people to his second brother, Gleb, and, moreover, even wants to kill Yaroslav. But he receives news of this from his sister Predslava. And the next morning he already assembles a regiment and goes to war against Svyatopolk. He defeats him and expels him from Kyiv. And then the biography of Yaroslav the Wise for two years does not report any facts about his life.

Two years later, or the return of Svyatopolk

In one thousand and eighteen, Svyatopolk suddenly appears, and not alone, but with Borislav the Brave, the Polish king, who supports him. Kyiv is captured because Yaroslav the Wise flees. A brief biography of that period reports that he was not even going to defend the city.

Borislav robs Kyiv, captures Yaroslav's sisters and his stepmother and returns to Poland. And Svyatopolk again rules in the city. Yaroslav flees to Novgorod, where he again gathers an army for a new battle and again wins. This is what Rus' experienced under Yaroslav the Wise.

But the new ruler still had brothers, whom he always treated very coldly. Then he puts one of them in prison. He sat there until the death of the heir to the throne, and only then the sons of Yaroslav the Wise freed him from prison. And he deals with others no less cruelly.

Political line of rapprochement with the West

The history of Yaroslav the Wise is not replete with facts. But one thing is certain. During his reign, that is, closer to the middle of the eleventh century, Ancient Rus' became widely known to Western Europe.

And the point is not only that he pursued an active matrimonial policy. The daughters and sons of Yaroslav the Wise entered into marriages with representatives of Western European ruling dynasties. This was precisely the political line of Yaroslav the Wise for rapprochement with the West - Hungary, Poland and other states.

For example, Izyaslav was married to the sister of the Polish king Casimir the First, whose name was Gertrude. Vsevolod - on the Greek princess Irina Monomakh. From this marriage the famous prince Vladimir Monomakh will appear. And Igor was married to the German princess Cunegonde. At this time, the father is preparing for war with Byzantium.

But not as gloomy as it might seem against the backdrop of all the events preceding his ascension to the throne. After he became a full-fledged prince in Kyiv, Yaroslav began vigorous activity. In one thousand thirty-six he begins grandiose construction.

New capital of the world

This is an act that testifies not only that Yaroslav the Wise was a good business executive. Such actions were also important politically. He built the Church of St. Sophia of Kyiv, at the same time the oldest chronicle was created, and the “Sermon on Law and Grace” was pronounced.

That is, Yaroslav the Wise is doing a tremendous amount of work to give a very special status to the state that he headed. Under him, Kyiv becomes the “new capital of the world.” He also organizes activities to translate books into Slavic.

And just before his death, Yaroslav assigned a certain principality to each of his sons, so that there would be no further internecine strife. He lays the foundations for a completely new government structure, which is a much wiser system of government.

Father, grandfather, uncle of some European rulers. During his reign, the first set of laws in Rus' was published in Kyiv, which went down in the history of the state as “Russian Truth”. Canonized and revered by the Russian Orthodox Church as “the faithful.”

Birth

Prince Yaroslav Vladimirovich, known in history as Yaroslav the Wise, was born into the family of the baptist of Rus', Prince of Novgorod and Kyiv Vladimir Svyatoslavovich and presumably the Polotsk princess Rogneda in 979. He is from the Rurik family. The year of birth, as well as the prince’s mother, have not been reliably established. The famous historian N. Kostomarov expressed doubt about Rogneda as the mother of Yaroslav.

A historian from France, Arrignon, was sure that Yaroslav’s mother was the Byzantine princess Anna. His confidence is confirmed by the intervention of Yaroslav Vladimirovich in the internal political affairs of Byzantium in 1043. The official version is that Rogneda was Vladimir’s mother, as most sources point to this. This is what most Russian and world historians adhere to.

If doubts about the mother can be explained by the lack of proper information, a series of certain events that researchers need to explain in some way, then the dispute about the date of birth confirms the assumption of historians that the struggle for the great reign of Kiev was difficult and fratricidal.

It should be recalled that the rule of Kiev gave the title of Grand Duke. In the ladder form, this title was considered the main one, and it was passed on to the eldest sons. It was to Kyiv that tribute was paid by all other cities. Therefore, all sorts of tricks were often used in the struggle for seniority, including changing the date of birth.

Year of birth

Based on chronicles, historians have established that Yaroslav Vladimirovich was the third son of Rogneda, after Izyaslav and Mstislav. After him came Vsevolod. This is confirmed in the chronicle “The Tale of Bygone Years.” The eldest son, it is assumed, was Vysheslav, whose mother is considered to be Vladimir’s first wife, the Varangian Olov.

Between Mstislav and Yaroslav walked another son of Prince Vladimir, Svyatopolk, born of a Greek woman, the widow of his brother, the Kyiv prince Yaropolk Svyatoslavovich. He died in the struggle with Prince Vladimir for the Kiev throne, and his wife was taken by the latter as a concubine. Paternity was controversial, but Prince Vladimir considered him to be his own son.

Today it is precisely established that Svyatopolk was older than Yaroslav Vladimirovich, his year of birth was in 979. This is confirmed by a number of chronicles. It was established that the marriage of Prince Vladimir and Rogneda took place in 979. Taking into account that he is the third son of Rogneda, it can be assumed that the date of birth is not set correctly.

Many scientists, including S. Solovyov, believe that Yaroslav Vladimirovich could not have been born in 979 or 978. This is confirmed by studies of bone remains in the 20th century; they indicate that the remains presumably belonged to a person aged 50 to 60 years.

Even the historian Soloviev expressed doubts about Yaroslav’s life expectancy - 76 years. Based on this, we can conclude that the date of birth was incorrectly established. This was done in order to show that Yaroslav was older than Svyatopolk, and thereby justify his right to rule in Kiev. According to some sources, Yaroslav's date of birth should correspond to 988 or 989 years.

Childhood and youth

Prince Vladimir granted various cities to his sons. Prince Yaroslav Vladimirovich got Rostov. At this time he was only 9 years old, so a so-called breadwinner was assigned to him, who was a governor and was called Budy or Buda. Almost nothing is known about the Rostov period, since the prince was quite young to rule. After the death of Prince Vysheslav of Novgorod in 1010, Prince Yaroslav of Rostov, who was 18-22 years old at that time, was appointed ruler of Novgorod. This once again confirms that the time of his birth in the chronicle of bygone years is indicated incorrectly.

Founding of Yaroslavl

A legend is connected with the history of the emergence of Yaroslavl, according to which Prince Yaroslav Vladimirovich the Wise founded the city during his journey from Rostov to Novgorod along the Volga River. During the stay, the prince and his retinue went to a large cliff, suddenly a bear jumped out from the thicket of the forest at him. Yaroslav, with the help of an ax and running servants, killed him. A small fortress was built on this site, from which a city later grew, called Yaroslavl. Maybe this is just a beautiful legend, but, nevertheless, Yaroslavl considers the date of its birth to be from 1010.

Prince of Novgorod

After the death of Vysheslav, the question of government in the Novgorod principality arose. Since Novgorod was the second most important city after Kyiv, where Vladimir reigned, control should have been inherited by the eldest son, Izyaslav, who was in disgrace with his father, and had died by the time the ruler of Novgorod was appointed.

After Izyaslav came Svyatopolk, but he was in prison on charges of treason against his father. The next son in seniority was Prince Yaroslav Vladimirovich the Wise, whom Prince Vladimir appointed to reign in Novgorod. This city had to pay tribute to Kyiv, which amounted to 2/3 of all taxes collected; the rest of the money was only enough to support the squad and the prince. This displeased the Novgorodians, who were waiting for a reason to rebel against Kyiv.

In the short biography of Yaroslav Vladimirovich the Wise, the period of Novgorod rule is not well known. All generations of Rurik ruling in Novgorod lived in Gorodishche, located near the settlement. But Yaroslav settled in the city itself in the trading place “Yaroslav’s Dvorishche”. Historians also date Yaroslav’s marriage to this period. His first wife, according to some sources, was named Anna (not established verbatim). She was of Norwegian origin.

Revolt against Kyiv

At the end of his life, Grand Duke Vladimir brought his youngest son Boris closer to him, to whom he transferred control of the army and was going to leave him the Kiev throne, contrary to the rules of inheritance by eldest sons. Svyatopolk, at that time his elder brother, whom Vladimir threw into prison, spoke out against him.

Yaroslav decides to go to war against his father for the abolition of tribute to Kyiv. Not having enough troops, he hires the Varangians who arrived in Novgorod. Having learned this, Vladimir prepared to go on a campaign against the rebel Novgorod, but became very ill. In addition, in the mid-summer of 1015, the Pechenegs invaded Kievan Rus. Instead of going against Novgorod, Boris was forced to fight against the steppe nomads, who fled under the onslaught of the Russian army.

At this time, in Novgorod, the Varangians, languishing from idleness, took up robbery and violence, which aroused local residents against them, who killed them. Yaroslav was in his country village of Rakome. Having learned about what had happened, Yaroslav ordered the instigators of the massacre to be brought to him, promising to forgive them. But as soon as they appeared, he ordered them to be captured and executed. This brought upon himself the wrath of most of Novgorod.

At this point, he receives a letter from his sister, who informed him about Vladimir's death. Realizing that unresolved problems cannot be left, Yaroslav asks for peace from the Novgorodians, promising to give a certain amount of vira (ransom) for each killed.

The struggle with Svyatopolk for the throne in Kyiv

Prince Vladimir dies in the city of Berestov on June 15, 1015. The eldest of the brothers Svyatopolk, whom the people nicknamed the Damned, took over the reign. To protect himself, he kills his younger brothers: Boris, Gleb and Svyatoslav, beloved by the people of Kiev. The same fate awaited Yaroslav Vladimirovich; the time of Novgorod rule strengthened him as a politician, and he posed a danger to Svyatopolk.

Therefore, Yaroslav, with the support of the Novgorodians and the summoned Varangians, defeated Svyatopolk’s army near Lyubich in 1016 and entered Kyiv. The accursed man approached the city several times in alliance with the Pechenegs. In 1018, the King of Poland Boleslav the Brave, Svyatopolk's father-in-law, came to his aid. He entered Kyiv and captured Yaroslav's wife Anna, his sisters and stepmother there. But instead of transferring the throne to Svyatopolk, he decided to seize it himself.

The saddened Yaroslav returned to Novgorod and decided to flee abroad, but the townspeople did not let him go, declaring that they themselves would go against the Poles. The Varangians were also called upon again. In 1019, the troops moved to Kyiv, where local residents rose up to fight the Poles. On the Alta River, Svyatopolk was defeated and wounded, but managed to escape. Yaroslav Vladimirovich - Grand Duke Kyiv reigned on the throne.

Personal life of Yaroslav

Historians also disagree on how many wives Yaroslav had. Most are inclined to believe that the prince had one wife, Ingigerda, the daughter of King Olaf Shetkonung of Sweden, whom he married in 1019. But some historians suggest that he had two wives. The first is the Norwegian Anna, with whom he had a son, Ilya. They, allegedly, with the sisters and stepmother of the Great Yaroslav Vladimirovich, were captured by King Boleslav and taken to the Polish lands, where they disappeared without a trace.

There is a third version, according to which Anna is Ingigerda’s monastic name. In 1439, nun Anna was canonized and is the patroness of Novgorod. Ingigerda's father gave him lands that were adjacent to the city of Ladoga. They were later named Ingria, where Peter I built St. Petersburg. Ingigerda and Prince Yaroslav had 9 children: 3 daughters and 6 sons.

Kiev rule

The years of Yaroslav Vladimirovich's reign were full of military confrontations. In 1020, the prince's nephew Bryachislav invaded Novgorod, taking many prisoners and booty. Yaroslav's squad overtook him on the Sudoma River near Pskov, where he was defeated by the prince, abandoned prisoners and booty, and fled. In 1021, Yaroslav gave him the cities of Vitebsk and Usvyat as his inheritance.

In 1023, the Tmutarakan prince Mstislav, the younger brother of Yaroslav, invaded the lands of Kievan Rus. He defeated Yaroslav's army near Listvenny, capturing the entire left bank. In 1026, having gathered an army, Yaroslav returned to Kyiv, where he concluded an agreement with his brother that he would rule on the right bank, and the left bank would belong to Mstislav.

In 1029, together with Mstislav, they made a campaign to Tmutarakan, where they defeated and expelled the Yas. In 1030, he conquered Chud on the Baltic and founded the city of Yuryev (Tartu). In the same year he went to the city of Belz in Galicia and conquered it.

In 1031, the King of Norway, Harald III the Severe, fled to Yaroslav, who would later become his son-in-law by marrying his daughter Elizabeth.

In 1034, Yaroslav installed his beloved son Vladimir as Prince of Novgorod. In 1036 he brought him sad news - Mstislav suddenly died. Concerned about the possibility of challenging the Kyiv possessions of the last of the brothers, Sudislav, he imprisons Prince Pskov under a slander.

The significance of Yaroslav's reign

Grand Duke Yaroslav Vladimirovich the Wise ruled over these lands as a zealous owner. He constantly increased his territories; strengthened the borders, settling captive Poles across the steppe expanses of the southern borders, who defended Rus' from the steppe nomads; strengthened the western borders; stopped the Pecheneg raids forever; built fortresses and cities. During his reign, military campaigns did not stop, which made it possible to preserve the state from enemies and expand its territories.

But the significance of the board lay not only in this. The time of his reign was the highest flowering of the state, the era of prosperity of Kievan Rus. First of all, he helped spread Orthodoxy in Rus'. He built churches, contributed to education in this area and the training of priests. The first monasteries were opened under him. His merit is also in the liberation of the Russian Church from Greek and Byzantine dependence.

At the site of the final victory over the Pechenegs, he built the Cathedral of St. Sophia, decorated with frescoes and mosaics. Two monasteries were also built there: St. George, in honor of their patron Saint George the Victorious, and St. Irene, in the name of the angel of his wife. The Kiev Church of St. Sophia was built in the likeness of the Tsaregrad one, this can be seen in the photo. Yaroslav Vladimirovich the Wise contributed to the construction of the cathedrals of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra and the establishment of the monastery.

The whole of Kyiv was surrounded by a stone wall in which the Golden Gate was built. Yaroslav, being an enlightened man, ordered books to be purchased and translated from Greek and other languages. He bought a lot himself. All of them gathered at the St. Sophia Cathedral and were available for public use. He ordered priests to teach people, and schools were founded under him in Novgorod and Kyiv.

Why was Prince Yaroslav Vladimirovich nicknamed Yaroslav the Wise?

Historians attach particular importance to the collections of laws compiled during Yaroslavl that were in force in Kievan Rus. The Russian Pravda code of laws was the first legal document that laid the foundation for the legislation of the Russian state. In addition, it was supplemented and developed at a later time. This suggests that the laws were used in everyday life.

A church charter was drawn up and translated from the Byzantine language. Yaroslav cared about the spread of Christianity, did everything to make churches shine with splendor, and ordinary Christians were taught basic Orthodox laws. He cared about the prosperity of cities and the peace of people inhabiting the lands of Kievan Rus. It was for these deeds that Yaroslav Vladimirovich was given the nickname Wise.

During Kievan Rus, dynastic marriages played an important role. They were the ones who helped establish foreign policy ties. He became related to many noble families of Europe, which allowed him to resolve many matters without bloodshed. His policy allowed him to establish good relations with his brother Mstislav and participate with him in new campaigns.

Prince Yaroslav the Wise died, as is commonly believed, on February 20, 1054, in the arms of Vsevolod, his son. They were given a covenant to their children: to live in peace, never to fight with each other. Many famous historians do not agree on the date of death, but it is nevertheless the generally accepted date. He was buried in St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv. In the 20th century, the crypt was opened three times; in 1964, during the autopsy, his remains were not discovered. It is believed that they were taken out in 1943 by Ukrainian henchmen of the Nazis. The remains are allegedly located in the United States.

Brief biography of Yaroslav the Wise

Prince Yaroslav Vladimirovich the Wise (born ca. 978 - death February 20, 1054) is one of the most famous ancient Russian princes. Prince of Rostov (987 -1010) then he founded the city of Yaroslavl; Prince of Novgorod (1010 -1034); Grand Duke of Kiev (1016-1018, 1019-1054)

Origin. early years

The son of the baptist of Rus', the great Russian prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich the Saint (the Rurik family) and the Polotsk princess Rogneda (Anastasia) Rogvolodovna. At baptism he received the name George, Yuri. The early years of the life of Yaroslav the Wise are associated with the struggle for the Kiev throne. When Yaroslav reached adulthood, father Vladimir endowed his son with the Rostov land and after the death of Vysheslav, Yaroslav became the prince of Novgorod. 1014 - Yaroslav ceases to obey his father and pay the established tribute to Kyiv.

The struggle for the Kyiv throne

1015-1019 — Yaroslav waged a fierce struggle with his cousin Svyatopolk the Accursed for supreme power. For the first time he was able to occupy Kyiv in 1016, but he finally managed to establish himself in it only in 1019. 1021 - Yaroslav defeated his nephew, the Polotsk prince Bryachislav Izyaslavich, who captured Novgorod.

1023-1026 — fought with his brother Mstislav Vladimirovich the Brave. Having lost the battle of Listven in 1025, Yaroslav had to abandon the Dnieper left bank in favor of Mstislav. 1036 - after Mstislav died, he again subjugated the ceded lands.

Foreign policy

Like his father, Yaroslav actively pursued foreign policy: he successfully fought with Poland and was able to return the Cherven cities lost to Russia in 1018; conducted a victorious campaign against Chud and built the fortress city of Yuryev (now Tartu) in the Chud land. 1036 - defeated the Pechenegs near Kiev, putting an end to their raids on Rus'; he made successful campaigns against the Yasovians, Yatvingians, Lithuanians, Mozovshans, and Yams. 1043 - but the campaign against Byzantium, which he organized, and which was commanded by his son Vladimir, was unsuccessful. Yaroslav created a defensive line along the river. Roshi.

Wife. Children

Yaroslav was married to Ingigerda (daughter of the Swedish king Olaf). He married his daughters Anastasia, Elizabeth and Anna (respectively) to the Hungarian, Norwegian and French kings, and his sons Izyaslav and Vsevolod married the Polish and Byzantine princesses.

Results of the reign of Yaroslav the Wise

Yaroslav was engaged in improving Russian Truth and church regulations. During his reign, the territory of Kyiv increased greatly. In Kyiv, the following were erected: the grandiose St. Sophia Cathedral, decorated with amazing frescoes and mosaics, the stone Golden Gate, the monasteries of St. George and St. Irene. The Pechersky Monastery, which became famous over time, was built near Kiev.

The chronicler Nestor notes that during the reign of Yaroslav the Wise, the Christian faith began to “be fruitful and expand, and the monasteries began to multiply and monasteries to appear.” He compared the prince to a sower who “sowed the hearts of believers with bookish words.” At the court of Yaroslav, many “book writers” were gathered who translated books from Greek into Slavic. An extensive library appeared at the St. Sophia Cathedral.

1051 - by princely order, a council of Russian bishops elected monk Hilarion as Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Rus', thereby emphasizing the independence of the Kyiv Metropolis from the Patriarchate of Constantinople. For all these deeds, Yaroslav was nicknamed the Wise.

Death

Yaroslav the Wise died on February 20, 1054 in Vyshgorod. Vsevolod Yaroslavich, who was with his father, brought his body to Kyiv. He was buried in a marble tomb in the Kiev St. Sophia Cathedral. In the inscription on the wall of this temple he is referred to as “Tsar” (king). Metropolitan Hilarion called Yaroslav the “Russian Hagan.”

Opening of the sarcophagus of Yaroslav the Wise

The sarcophagus of Yaroslav the Wise was opened three times in the 20th century: in 1936, 1939 and 1964. 2009 - the sarcophagus of the prince in the St. Sophia Cathedral was opened again, and the remains were sent for examination. 2011, March - the results of a genetic examination were published, the conclusion is as follows: in the tomb there are not male, but only female remains, consisting of two skeletons that date back to completely different times: one skeleton from the time of Kievan Rus, and the second 1000 years older , that is, the time of Scythian settlements. The female remains of the Kyiv period, according to anthropologists, belong to a woman who during her life did a lot of hard physical labor - clearly not of a princely family.

Yaro-slav I, in the Baptism Ge-or-giy (Yuri), Vla-di-mi-ro-vich, the Wise (c. 978-989 - 1054), blessed Great Prince of Kiev. Remember March 4 (February 20) on the day of the end.

According to various sources, he was born between 978 and 989, and was the second son of Vladimir’s equal from according to Princess Ro-g-ne-dy. According to some reports, in childhood he suffered from a leg problem, which he suffered in 988, but remained lameness.

Prince during the life of Saint Vladimir

Even during his life, he made the first division of land between his sons, Saint Vladi-mir de-sa-dil Vya-ti-years-not Yaro-slav-va in Ro-sto-ve. In 1011, when Yaro-slav baptized Vol-ga, the pagan inhabitants of the Med-vezhy corner you-pu-sti-against him “Holy Med-ve-di-tsu”, but the prince, armed with a se-ki-roy, defeated the beast.

In 1012, after the death of the eldest son of Vy-she-slav-va, Saint Vladi-mir transferred Yaro-slav-va to prince in Nov-gorod, mi-no-vav of the elder, the Holy Pol-ka, who was then under the wrath of his father. Having become the prince of Novgorod, Yaro-slav wanted to break the barrier from Ki-e-va and become an independent go-su-da-rem of the vast Novgorod region. He started in 1014 to pay his father an annual tribute of 2000 hryvnia, how did everything go in the garden of the new city? -skie. His-la-nie s-pa-da-lo and with the str-le-ni-em of the new-city-tsev, who-ry-go-ti-were on-la-ha-e- my yes-new on them. Yaro-slav was also dissatisfied with the fact that his father showed respect to his younger brother, Bo-ri-su. Having once become angry with Yaro-slav, Vladimir decided to personally go against him, but soon fell ill and died. Yaro-slav, meanwhile, hired a friend of the va-ryagov for the upcoming struggle.

Internecine wars

The princely table was taken over by the eldest in the family, the Holy Regiment Oka-yan, who, wishing to do- Being the sole ruler of all Russia, he died through the hired killers of three brothers - the passionate-sufferers Bo-ri-sa and Gle-ba, and also St.-glory. The same danger threatened Yaro-slava, but he, the pre-pre-glorified sister of the Pre-slava, himself went to Kiev. Previously, Yaro-slav was in a quarrel with the new city for the fact that he often supported Var-ryazh’s friend in her home -there have been skirmishes with the towns in the town, but now the new towns easily agreed to go together with him against his brother. Gathering together 40 thousand new townsmen and several thousand Va-Ryazh na-em-niks, Yaro-slav moved against the Holy Paul -ka, calling upon the pe-che-ne-gov for help. Yaro-slav defeated the Holy Pol-ka in a furious battle near Lu-be-than, entered Ki-ev, and took over the princely table in 1016, after which he generously rewarded the Novgorod residents and sent them home. The fleeing Holy Regiment returned with the troops of his father-in-law, the Polish king Bo-le-slav-va Khrab -ro-go, and also with friends of the Germans, Ven-Grov and Pe-che-ne-gov. In 1017 or 1018, Yaro-slav was defeated on the banks of the Bug and fled to Novgorod. He was ready to sail to Scandi-na-Via, but the new towns in Russia, the prince’s boats and bowed to Yaro-sla- let's continue to live and fight. With a new large army, he defeated the Holy Regiment and his co-union of pe-che-ne-gov on the Al River - those in 1019, at the same place where his brother Saint Boris was killed. The holy regiment fled to Poland and died on the way, and Yaroslav in the same year became the Great Prince of Kiev. Now he has firmly established himself in Ki-e-ve and, according to the summer scribe, “wiped the dust with his friend "

In 1021, Yaro-slav’s nephew, Prince Brya-chi-slav Izya-s-la-vich Po-lotsky, declared a claim on part of New Year -native regions. Having received the refusal, he attacked Novgorod, took it and plundered it. Hearing about the approach of Yaro-slav, Brya-chi-slav left Nov-gorod with many captives and lie-s . Yaro-slav drove him into the Pskov region, on the Su-dom river, defeated him and freed the captives of the new towns. After this victory, Yaro-slav made peace with Brya-chi-slav, ceding to him the Vi-Tebsk parish with the cities of Vi-Tebsk and Usvyat. As soon as this war was over, Yaro-slav had to begin a more difficult struggle with his younger brother Vengeance Tmu-ta-ra -kan-skim, who demanded from him the division of Russian lands in a ditch, and went with an army to Ki-e-v in 1024. Yaro-slav at that time was in Novgorod and in the north, in the Suzdal land, where there was famine and strong rebellion , called by the sorcerer. In Novgorod, Yaro-slav gathered a large army against Vengeance and called upon the Va-ryags under the command of the nobles. but vi-tya-zya Yaku-na Sle-po-go. The army of Yaro-slav-va met with the army of Revenge-slav-va at the town of List-ve-na, near Cher-ni-go-va, and in the same that would have happened once. Yaro-slav again retired to his faithful Novgorod. Vengeance sent him to tell him that he recognized his seniority and did not care about Ki-e-va, but Yaro-slav did not believe brother and returned, only having gathered a strong army to the north. That's when, in 1025, he made peace with his brother at Gorod (probably, near Ki-e-va), for some reason The Russian land was divided into two parts along the Dnieper River: the regions along the eastern side of the Dnieper River went away to Msti-slav, and in the west - to Yaro-slav.

In 1035, Msti-slav died and Yaro-slav became the sole ruler of the Russian land - “he was the ruler himself,” as you say le-to-scribe. In the same year, Ya. put his brother, Prince Su-di-slava of Pskov, in the “po-rub” (that-ni-tsu) , okle-ve-tan-no-go, according to the words of le-to-pi-sey, before the elder brother. In the hands of Yaro-sla-va were now all the Russian regions, with the exception of Prince Po-lots-ko -zh-stva.

External relations

Yaro-sla-v still had to make many moves against external enemies - almost all of his reign -us. In 1017, he successfully repelled the pe-che-ne-gov to Ki-ev and then fought with them as a union -no-ka-mi Holy-pol-ka Oka-yan-no-go. In 1036, le-to-pi-si from-me-cha-yut osa-du Ki-e-va pe-che-ne-ga-mi in the absence of Yaro-slava, from- lu-chiv-she-go-sya in Novgorod. Having received the news about this, he hurried to help and smashed the pe-che-ne-gov under the very walls -mi Ki-e-va. After this, the na-pa-de-niya of pe-che-ne-gov to Rus' stopped. From the West, Yaro-Sla-va moves to the north against the Finns. In 1030, he went to Chud and established his power on the shores of Lake Chud, where he built a city and named it Yurye in the honor of one's saint. In 1042, Yaro-slav left the son of Vladimir on a march to the pit. The move was successful, but friend Vladi-mi-ra returned almost without her as a result of the pas-de-ja. There is news about the march of the Russians at Yaro-slava to the Ural ridge under the leadership of Ule-ba in 1032. On the western borders, Yaro-slav waged wars with Lithuania and Yat-vya-ga-mi, to stop their on-running, and with Poland neck. In 1022, Yaro-slav went to besiege Brest; in 1030 he took Belz (in northeastern Galicia); in the next year, with his brother Vengeance, he returned the Cher-Ven-skie cities to Russia and brought many people of the captives, whom he settled along the Ro-si River in towns to protect the lands from the steppe nomads. cov. He finally recaptured Brest in 1044. Several times Yaro-slav went to Poland to help King Ka-zi-mir to pacify the rise of Ma-zo-via; The last move was in 1047. Prince Yaro-slava is also known for the hostile confrontation between Rus and the Greeks . One of the Russian merchants was killed in a quarrel with the Greeks, after which, not receiving satisfaction for the offense, Yaro-slav sent a large fleet to Byzantium in 1043 under the command of the eldest son of Vladimir Nov-gorod-sko- go and vo-e-vo-dy you-sha-you. Bu-rya race-se-ya-la Russian co-slaves. Vladimir sought the Greek fleet sent to pursue him, but you were surrounded and captured at Varna. In 1046, peace was concluded; prisoners on both sides were returned and friendly from the marriage of my beloved son Yaro-glory, All-in-lo-yes, with the Viz-zan-Tiy tsar-rev-noy.

Although he liked to fight a war, well, according to the scribe, he didn’t like to fight . In external terms, Yaro-slav, like his father, was more focused on diplomacy and mutual from-no-she-niya than on weapons. His time was an era of epoch-making relations with the states of Za-pa-da. Yaro-slav was related to the Norsemen: he himself was married to the Swedish princess In-gi-ger-de, in baptism nii Irina, and the Norse Prince Harald the Bold took his hand before Eli-sa-ve-you. Four sons of Yaro-slava, among them Vse-vo-lod, Svyato-slav and Izya-s-lav, so would you foreign princes. Foreign princes, such as Olaf the Holy, Magnus the Good, Harald the Bold, and noble Norsemen on-ho-di-li- They defend Yar-o-sla-va, and the Var-Ryazh merchants benefit from its special protection. Yaro-slava's sister Dob-ro-gree-va-Maria was married to Ka-zi-mir Pol-skiy, his second daughter, An-na, Gen-ri-hom I of France, third, Ana-sta-sia - behind An-dre-em I of Hungary. There is news from foreign scribes about family ties with the English ko-ro-la-mi and about the former research at the court of Yaro-slav of two English princes who sought refuge.

Internal management

The significance of Yaro-slava in Russian history is based mainly on his works on internal affairs. the structure of the Russian land. Yaro-slav was the prince-of-the-next-to-no-one of the land, who established it with his blessing. Like his father, he settled the steppe spaces, built new cities, such as Yuryev (now Tartu) and Yaro- Slavl, continued to follow the predecessors in protecting borders and trade routes from nomads and protecting -those in-te-re-sov of Russian trade in Viz-zan-tiya. He fenced off the southern border of Russia with the steppe and in 1032 began to build the city here - Yuryev (now Be- barking Church), Tor-chesk, Kor-sun, Tre-pol and others.

The capital of Yaro-slava, Ki-ev, seemed to be in contact with Western foreign-countries; her liveliness, caused by the intensity of the trade at that time, amazingly la-la pi- sa-te-ley-foreign-country-tsev of the 11th century - for-ka-za-tel-but that the son of Yaro-slav-va, All-in-lod, without leaving Ki-e -wow, you learned five languages. Decorating Ki-ev with many-gi-mi but-you-mi-build-mi, he led him around and but-you-mi-ka-men-ny-mi-ste-on-mi (“go -rod of Yaro-slav-va"), having built in them the famous Golden Gates, and above them - a church in honor of the Good-ve- sche-nii. Yaro-slav founded in Ki-e-ve at the place of his victory over the pe-che-ne-ha-mi the temple of St. Sophia, ve-li-ko- sculpted, but decorated it with frescoes and mo-za-i-koy, and also built here the mo-on of St. George and mo-na -styr of Saint Irene (in honor of An-ge-la of her su-pru-gi). About these buildings there were ar-hi-tech-tour-buildings of Kon-stan-ti-no-po-la and Jeru-sa- Lima. Completion of the construction of the Soviet Union with the co-building of the ancient Russian lyre te-ra-tu-ry, “Words about the Law and Bla-go-da-ti”, which was about-from-not-this-but will-be-sacred ti-te-lem March 25, 1038. Then where was the first Russian le-to-write - the so-called. "The most ancient vault."

The core of the internal de-i-tel-no-sti of the holy prince was the promotion of the spread of Christianity on Ru-si, the development is necessary for this purpose for illumination and preparation of sacred-serve-those lei from Russians. Both in Ki-e-ve and in other cities, Yaro-slav did not spare funds for church benefit, inviting for this Greek masters. Under Yaro-slava, church singers came to Rus' from Byzantium, who taught the Russians axis-mo-voice singing . Le-to-pi-sets noted that under Yaro-slava the Christian faith began to “be fruitful and expand, and black “But the robes have begun to multiply, and they can appear.” When, at the end of his reign, it was necessary to establish a new mit-ro-po-li-ta on the Ki-ev mit-ro-po- Liyu, Yaro-slav in 1051 ordered the Russian bishops to establish a mit-ro-to-the-holy Ila-ri -o-na, first-of-ar-hi-pas-ty-rya Russian mit-ro-po-ly from the Russians.

In order to instill in the people the Christian faith, Yaro-slav ordered the re-translation of hand-written books from the Greek what in Slavic and bought a lot of them myself. Co-bi-paradise of book-scribes and re-vo-chi-kovs, he multiplied the number of books in Russia and gradually -but introduced them into universal use. All these ru-ko-pi-si Yaro-slav lived in the bib-lio-te-ku built after the So-fiy-bo-ra for the public go use-zo-va-niya. For the development of the country, Yaro-slav ordered the spirituality to educate children, and in Nov-go-ro-de, later Given this summer's data, he set up a school for 300 boys.

In the end, Yaro-slav remained the most well-known person as a for-a-body. Already in Nov-go-ro-de, when he was appointed there-in-place-no-one, he was called the Right-to-Court - it was there work has begun on pi-sa-nyh laws of Ru-si. Yaro-slav-wu is proud of the ancient Russian monument to the right - “Russian Truth” (same name -my “Charter” or “Court of Yaro-Slavl”), which is a collection of laws and customs, orally “For-the-horse Russian”, which was mentioned back in the do-go-vo-rah of Ru-si and Vi-zan-ti-ey. "Russian Truth" was born on Novgorod in 1016 and was the first written code of laws for the -loving, civil and administrative. He was first of all concerned with the security of society in a row. Under Yaro-slava, the Church Charter, or the Korm-tea book, appeared, compiled on the basis of the Byzantine But -mo-ka-no-na. In it, for the first time, there were definitions of sin and crime: every crime is a sin, but not all -what sin is a crime.

Ha-rak-ter and kon-chi-na

According to le-to-pi-si, the great prince “was lame, but he had a kind mind and was brave in battle.” Describe his character, the le-to-pi-sets speaks about intelligence, bliss, compassion for the poor, brave -ro-sti. Yaro-slav's character was strict, and his life was modest, unlike his father, who loved merry feasts. Contemporary people know that Yaro-slav himself was a well-read man in God's service books and a ruler - a big personal bib-lio-te-coy. He, in the words of the scribe, considered books “re-ka-mi, capable of gaining wisdom.” The prince's blessing is due to his diligence in faith. According to one of the legends, he ordered to dig up the bones of princes Yaropolka and Oleg and, having christened them, buried them in Kiev Church of the Assumption of the Most Holy God, hoping to save their souls from eternal torment and -gi-be-li.

The blessed and great prince Yaro-slav the Wise died on February 20, 1054 in his out-of-town resi-den -tion You-sh-go-ro-de, near Ki-e-vom. They'll give him a good place in the marble coffin in the Kiev Sofiysky so-bo-re. One of the prince’s subjects wrote an inscription on the wall of the temple: “In the summer of 6562 of the month of February, 20th, the dormition of the king rya na-she-go...” Dividing the land between the sons and re-giving the Kiev throne to the eldest son Izya-s-la- wow, he left them the following message:

“Here I go from this light, my children. Love each other, for you are brothers, from one father and one mother. If you live in love between each other, then God will be with you. He will kill all your enemies, and you will live in peace. If you start to hate each other and quarrel, then you yourself will perish, and you will ruin the earth from -tsov and your grandfathers, for whom they did their great work.”

Memory, ratings and reading

The Prince of Yaro-slava is known for the blossom of the city of Ki-e-va and the strengthening of its eco-no-mi -human and cultural ties between different parts of the state. This was the era of the highest pro-flowering of Kiev Rus. With his work, Yaro-slav became so powerful that over time the nickname “Wise” was assigned to him. go." The name of the blessed prince Yaro-of-glory was outside the month-of-words of the Russian Right-of-Slav- Noah Church for the benefit of the pat-ri-ar-kha of Moscow and all Russia Alexia II December 8, 2005.

Family

Father: St. equal-to-ap. Vladimir Svyato-sla-vich (ca. 960-1015), led. book Ki-ev-sky.

Mother: Ro-g-ne-da Ro-gvo-lo-dov-na, in Kre-shche-nii Ana-sta-siya, book. Po-lots-kai.

Wife: St. In-gi-ger-da Ola-fov-na, in the Baptism of Irina, in the foreign language of An-na, bl-gv. Princess of Sweden.

Children:

Ilya († 1020), book. Novgorodsky 1015-1020.

St. bl-gv. Vladimir (1020-1052), book. Novgorodsky 1043-1052.

Izya-s-lav (1024-1078).

Holy glory (1027-1076), book. Cher-ni-gov-sky.

All-in-lod (1030-1093).

Vya-che-slav (1036-1057), book. Smo-lensky.

Igor (1036-1060), prince. Vla-di-mi-ro-Vo-lyn-sky.

An-na, the queen of France, wife of Gen-ri-ha I Ka-pe-ta.

Ana-sta-sia, queen of Hungary, wife of Andrei I.

Eli-za-ve-ta, the queen of Nor-vezh-skaya, and the wife of Garal-da Sme-lo-go.

Prayers

Troparion to the blessed prince Yaroslav the Wise

As the pious root of the most honorable branch you were, / blessed Prince Yaroslav, / having lived well in piety, / you have kept the faith immaculate, / and the temple is wonderful to the Wisdom of God having established in the capital city of Kiev,/ now in Heaven you stand before the Throne of the Holy Trinity, // praying to send down We have great and rich mercy.

Kontakion to the Blessed Prince Yaroslav the Wise

You appeared from early days, God-wise Yaroslav, / the divine vessel was chosen by God, / you lived in piety, / you built many holy churches; / we also praise you, our prince ,/ for you are a fertilizer to your people, // Glory to Kiev and the establishment of all the Russian lands .

Prayer to the blessed prince Yaroslav the Wise

Oh, holy, blessed Grand Duke Yaroslav, you are the gracious intercessor and patron of all who honor you with love! Offer this small prayer of your unworthy servants to the Lord Christ, that He may establish in His Holy Church the living spirit of the Orthodox faith, love, piety, and success in good deeds languishing; may the shepherds be given zeal to care for the salvation of people, to enlighten the unbelievers, guide those who have gone astray, and convert those who have fallen away; rather, so that all the children of the Orthodox Church will remain pure from worldly temptations, superstition, superstition and the obsessions of enemies. Hey, saint of God, do not despise us who pray to you, but help us with your speedy intercession, so that all troubles, misfortunes and sorrows in this temporary life will be avoided, the end of impermanence we will find the bottom and, having lived well on earth, we will be granted the life of paradise in heaven, where Together with you, we will glorify humanity and generosity in the Trinity, glorifying God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.

Canons and Akathists

Akathist to the holy noble prince Yaroslav the Wise

Kontakion 1

Chosen from the Eternal King of Heaven and the Church of the Creator, given to our country as a fair intercessor and a wonderful intercessor, holy Prince Yaroslav, accept the praise of the love of those who honor your holy memory and pray to Christ God to be preserved unharmed from enemies visible and invisible, and cry out to you with tenderness:

Ikos 1

Having loved the angelic life from youth and directed your thoughts to the search for the one thing needed, Prince Yaroslav, you were a wondrous image of Christian virtues and spiritual perfection; In the same way, you were exalted on earth before your brethren and you were glorified in heaven by the Lord. We, thanking the Creator and our Savior, glorify you as the great chosen one of God, calling with tenderness:

Rejoice, God-chosen prince of the Russian land.

Rejoice, most honorable branch of Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir.

Rejoice, heir to the trust of our ancestors.

Rejoice, imitator of the wisdom of Solomon.

Rejoice, you have served God with all your life.

Rejoice, patron of all ends of the Russian land.

Rejoice, faithful executor of Christ's commandments.

Rejoice, wondrous guardian, given to us all by God.

Rejoice, holy and faithful Grand Duke Yaroslav.

Kontakion 2

Having seen, while still a youth, most praised Yaroslav, your father come from evil deeds to good deeds and illuminated by the Light of Christ, together with your brothers you received holy baptism and with your God-enlightened heart you sang gratefully to the Lord: Alleluia.

Ikos 2

Your mind, servant of Christ, is illuminated by the spiritual knowledge of the Merciful Lord, as if you, having loved a life pleasing to God and being attentive to your pious parents, have grown in the passion of God, prayer and virtues. For this reason, Lord, seeing your faithfulness in small things, place you over many, but we cry out to you with love:

Rejoice, taught in the truths of Christianity from childhood.

Rejoice, having loved the Lord with all your heart since your youth.

Rejoice, wonderfully preserved by God in the trials of many.

Rejoice, deeds of courage, like a good warrior who showed himself in battle.

Rejoice, diligent to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Rejoice, having imitated the virtue of your glorious ancestors.

Rejoice, thou who hast acquired the gracious gifts of the All-Holy Comforter of the Spirit.

Rejoice, you who enrich us with the gift of wisdom.

Rejoice, holy and blessed Grand Duke Yaroslav.

Kontakion 3

Strengthened by the power of the Most High, blessed Yaroslav, you grew in meekness and humility of your soul, preparing yourself for princely service, and you prayed for heavenly help, crying out to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 3

Having the fear of God in your heart, faithful Prince Yaroslav, you showed obedience to your father Vladimir and, according to his will, you passed from the great Kyiv to the borders of the land of the Rostov princedom, where you established the inhabitants in faith in the true God and erected the temple of the great prophet Elijah there You, hereby show your great love for the Lord and His saints, and encourage us to cry out to you in praise:

Rejoice, unquenchable lamp of the Orthodox faith.

Rejoice, abundant love for your neighbors.

Rejoice, consolation to those who are inconsolable in sorrow.

Rejoice, blessed temple builder.

Rejoice, lover of the splendor of the church.

Rejoice, admonish those who do evil.

Rejoice, zealot of the Truth of Christ.

Rejoice, lover of the Heavenly Fatherland.

Rejoice, holy and blessed Grand Duke Yaroslav.

Kontakion 4

A storm of fratricidal enmity shook the Russian land, when Svyatopolk the Accursed, blinded by love of power, commanded the murder of your beloved brothers Boris and Gleb; But you, blessed Yaroslavl, grieving over their death, you placed your trust and hope in the Lord and by His power you established the truth in Rus', singing with all your might: Alleluia.

Ikos 4

Hearing about the premicted sorrowed by you, the holy noble Prince Yaroslav, from the Svyatopolk, the stupid of the Lord, the form of the gentlemen, preserved, was forced by the former limits of Kiev’s abandonment and pretended to be the natives of the Novgorod, from them, with their widespread packets to the land, the truth, the truth, the truth, the truth. You have established God. We, imitating your faith and courage, cry out to you:

Rejoice, former dweller in your land.

Rejoice, you who diligently sought the city from above.

Rejoice, wise pilgrim, having directed your feet on the path of salvation.

Rejoice, God's chosen one, having endured many sorrows.

Rejoice, you who have returned meekly and peacefully to the princedom of Veliky Novgrad.

Rejoice, prince there in a godly and righteous manner.

Rejoice, you who loved the yoke of Christ with all your heart.

Rejoice, having received him with all your heart.

Rejoice, holy and blessed Grand Duke Yaroslav.

Kontakion 5

You have shone like a godly star through your godly deeds, Prince Yaroslav, and now you stand before the throne of the Almighty; For this reason, we pray to you: together with your saints, make a prayer to the King of those who reign, so that, for the sake of your conciliar intercession, He will add His mercy to the Slovenian peoples, and confirm us in the Orthodox faith, crying out to Him now: Alleluia.

Ikos 5

Having seen your righteous life, the people of Russia glorified you, their merciful ruler, blessed Yaroslav; You, imputing human praise to nothing, remained unscathed by pride, showing everyone the image of true humility, learning from it, crying out to you with love:

Rejoice, fulfiller of the truth of the Gospel.

Rejoice, image of spiritual poverty.

Rejoice, rich treasure of virtues.

Rejoice, great glory to the pious.

Rejoice, nourisher of widows and orphans.

Rejoice, comforter of sorrowful hearts.

Rejoice, for you have served the Lord in every way that pleases you.

Rejoice, for you interceded for us with your intercession.

Rejoice, holy and blessed Grand Duke Yaroslav.

Kontakion 6

You appeared as a preacher of Christian virtues, most blessed Prince Yaroslav: you, zealous for piety not only in words, but with all your life, built and decorated churches, you were a merciful intercessor and trustee of the people. For this reason, we, sinners, relying on your merciful care for us, diligently resort to your intercession, crying out with gratitude to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 6

You have shone in our country with the light of your good deeds, Saint Yaroslav, and you have been appointed on the candlestick of the Orthodox Church, so that you may shine upon your earthly Fatherland and bring the Russian people to the Sun of Truth, with such hope offering you such praises:

Rejoice, faithful follower of Christ.

Rejoice, diligent seeker of the Heavenly Fatherland.

Rejoice, you who laid your hands on the Lord's side.

Rejoice, you who have never turned back your face.

Rejoice, blessed preacher of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.

Rejoice, with your godly words enlighten many minds.

Rejoice, those who love and honor you, the mediator of eternal salvation.

Rejoice, you who enlighten sinners to correction.

Rejoice, holy and blessed Grand Duke Yaroslav.

Kontakion 7

Wanting to glorify our Divine Redeemer and His Most Pure Mother, you commanded, the all-wise Yaroslav, to erect the Golden Gate in the capital city of Kyiv, which you crowned with the Church of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, so that everyone who is in this city, under the grace-filled cover of the Queen of Heaven and earth, will have spiritual joys. Let this be fulfilled by constantly singing: Alleluia.

Ikos 7

The new Justinian the Great truly appeared, O God-wise Prince Yaroslav, as you created a great and glorious temple in honor of St. Sophia - the Hypostatic Wisdom of God, and you laid the foundation for just laws and merciful judgments in your power, planting Christian piety and book learning. For this reason, we pray to you: instruct all of us, who honor your holy memory, to be heirs of your good deeds and to follow your godly virtues, singing these praises to you:

Rejoice, abundant outpouring of soul-helping knowledge.

Rejoice, bright illumination of the darkness of the soul.

Rejoice, merciful enlightenment of wrong meanings.

Rejoice, sudden overthrow of those who think wrongly.

Rejoice, unshakable assurance of the faithful.

Rejoice, thou who taketh away spiritual darkness.

Rejoice, filling our souls with peace and love.

Rejoice, thou wisest destroyer of the enemy's slander.

Rejoice, holy and blessed Grand Duke Yaroslav.

Kontakion 8

Thinking of being a wanderer and a stranger on earth, blessed Yaroslav, you did not know peace in your labors, your people affirmed in piety and protected your dominion with peace; For this reason, now you abide in the presence of the holy noble princes, rejoicing with them and singing to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 8

Having served the Lord with all your soul and pleasing Him with all your life, you became famous for your piety, Grand Duke, and, having achieved your blessed dormition, you gave up your spirit to God in peace. We, remembering your righteous life and blessed repose, cry out to you:

Rejoice, many cities adorned with the temples of God.

Rejoice, having served the greatness of the Russian land.

Rejoice, jealous of the faith of Christ in all your life.

Rejoice, thou who hast created the strength of thy power.

Rejoice, you who have shown great wisdom in governing the people.

Rejoice, you have been diligently concerned about the good of your people.

Rejoice, organizer of common peace within the borders of your country.

Rejoice, God-given helper to your people.

Rejoice, holy and blessed Grand Duke Yaroslav.

Kontakion 9

You are all in the highest, God-blessed Prince Yaroslav, having settled in the abodes of paradise, and you do not abandon us, who warmly honor you, instructing us to the mind of the Divine and diligently doing the commandments of Christ. and fulfill all our beneficial requests, urging us to sing gratefully to the Heavenly Father: Alleluia.

Ikos 9

The prophets of much talk and skilled rhetoricians will not be able to adequately sing of your deeds, for they are perplexed to utter the praise worthy of you, O righteous prince. But we, in all our labors and struggles, seeing the grace of God in you and, trusting in your intercession, cry out to you:

Rejoice, shining ray of the radiant sun of Christ, the land of Russia.

Rejoice, never ceasing in your prayers to the Lord for us.

Rejoice, for the sake of your fatherland before the Lord, merciful sorrowful one.

Rejoice, teacher of Christ-like life on earth.

Rejoice, unshakable pillar of God's orthodoxy.

Rejoice, invincible champion of truth.

Rejoice, consolation to the sorrowing and strong fence to the offended.

Rejoice, firm protection and consolation to all who are hated.

Rejoice, holy and blessed Grand Duke Yaroslav.

Kontakion 10

You left saving instructions for your sons and your people, God-wise prince, saying: “Love one another; If you live in love with each other, then God will be with you and subdue your enemies.” Remembering this, we ask you: pray to the miraculous God, so that we too may abide in love with everyone and achieve eternal salvation through your intercession, forever singing with gratitude: Alleluia.

Ikos 10

You were a faithful servant and a great servant of the Heavenly King, blessed Grand Duke Yaroslav; Therefore, for the sake of prudence, we decorate with wings, you easily flew through all the networks of the enemy. We, marveling at the height of your virtuous life, sing to you with love and zeal:

Rejoice, great servant of God, having ended earthly life holy and righteously.

Rejoice, you who have come from many sorrows to eternal rest.

Rejoice, crowned by Christ with the crown of incorruptible glory.

Rejoice, and after death do not leave us through your intercession.

Rejoice, you teach us to do the commandments of the Lord.

Rejoice, turning petrified hearts into sources of mercy.

Rejoice, you return those who have retreated from the right faith to the path of salvation.

Rejoice, thou who wisely nourish those wandering on the sea of ​​this life.

Rejoice, holy and blessed Grand Duke Yaroslav.

Kontakion 11

Accept the prayer song from us, holy blessed Prince Yaroslav, and lift up your prayer for us, who honor your holy memory, to the Throne of the Almighty, so that, rejoicing in your glorification in heaven and on earth, and in your everlasting intercession, we cry out in gratitude to the Holy Father in Heaven : Alleluia.

Ikos 11

A luminous luminary, shining with the rays of Christian virtues, you appeared, decorating the church sky, to the wise God Yaroslav, and to all those wandering in the darkness of unbelief, doubt, lack of faith and wickedness, give a ray of hope for salvation and give a guide to the Sun of Truth to Christ Jesus, and in the light of His commandments Marching with all the faithful, they will joyfully sing to you:

Rejoice, for with your soul's eyes I will contemplate the Lord.

Rejoice, before Him, as a son before the Father, as a disciple walking before the Teacher.

Rejoice, having sought Him all the days of your life and set your intention in Him.

Rejoice, thou who shone brightly upon the earth with the brilliance of virtues.

Rejoice, you have received an imperishable crown from the Lord in heaven.

Rejoice, for through you we avoid various temptations.

Rejoice, for through your intercession we receive gracious help.

Rejoice, for you will soon precede those who call upon you.

Rejoice, for you have saved those who love you from various troubles and misfortunes.

Rejoice, holy and blessed Grand Duke Yaroslav.

Kontakion 12

Having been enriched by the grace of God in the unceasing creation of the commandments of Christ, after your departure from the earthly, especially to the three-sun throne of the Most Holy Trinity, you did not retreat from your people in the spirit of your love; For this reason, we pray to you: pour out your warm prayer to the Lord, that He may preserve His Holy Church unharmed from heresies and schisms, and may all her children have mercy and save those who cry out to Him: Alleluia.

Ikos 12

Singing your virtues and miracles, blessed prince, how great are your labors and exploits, which you have raised for the well-being of our state, we earnestly thank and praise you, calling with love:

Rejoice, Grand Duke Yaroslav, stand before the Throne of the Heavenly King.

Rejoice, offer up silent praise to the Most Holy Trinity.

Rejoice, you who have received eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Rejoice, for the wondrous image of the love of the Heavenly Father has been revealed within you.

Rejoice, quick helper to the helpless.

Rejoice, warm prayer book for the salvation of sinners.

Rejoice, for the Lord graciously listens to your prayers.

Rejoice, joint heir with the saints of God.

Rejoice, holy and blessed Grand Duke Yaroslav.

Kontakion 13

O glorious servant of Christ, Great Prince Yaroslav, listen to the voice of our prayer and through your intercession ask us from the Lord in this life for affirmation in faith and virtues, preservation from heresies and schisms, deliverance from sorrows and misfortunes, forgiveness of our sins and firm salvation in the hour of death. hope that we may be worthy to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven and sing to God forever: Alleluia.

(This kontakion is read three times, then ikos 1 and kontakion 1)

Prayer

O holy faithful, Grand Duke Yaroslav, all who lovingly honor you, gracious intercessor and patron! Offer this small prayer of your unworthy servants to the Master Christ, that the living spirit of the Orthodox faith, love, piety, and success in good deeds may be established in His Holy Church; may zeal grant the shepherds care for the salvation of people, so as to enlighten the unbelievers, guide those who have gone astray, and convert those who have fallen away; rather, so that all the children of the Orthodox Church will remain pure from worldly temptations, superstition, superstition and the obsessions of the enemy. To her, servant of God, do not despise us who pray to you, but help us with your speedy intercession, so that having escaped all troubles, misfortunes and sorrows in this temporary life, we will find a shameless death and, having lived so well on earth, we will be worthy of heavenly life in heaven, where together with you we will glorify the love of mankind and generosity in the Trinity of the glorified God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.

Kiev state in the 11th-12th centuries

§ 16. Prince Yaroslav the Wise

After the death of Vladimir the Saint (1050), just as after the death of Svyatoslav, princely civil strife arose in Rus'. Vladimir's eldest son Svyatopolk, having occupied the Kiev "table", sought to exterminate his brothers in order to achieve autocracy himself. Of the five brothers, he managed to kill three (Boris, Gleb and Svyatoslav). Two of them are princes Boris and Gleb , were taken by surprise by the killers and did not think of opposing their older brother. Their martyrdom and their moral righteousness aroused general indignation against Svyatopolk and aroused reverent respect for the memory of the dead. The Church canonized them, and in ancient Rus' the suffering princes became an example of brotherly love and meekness. Svyatopolk, for his fratricide, was likened to Cain and received the nickname of the Damned. Svyatopolk's fourth brother Yaroslav , who was in Novgorod, saved himself from Svyatopolk’s assassination attempt, gathered an army of Novgorodians and Varangians and went to war against Svyatopolk. Despite the fact that Svyatopolk was helped by the Polish king (Boleslav the Brave), Yaroslav defeated Svyatopolk and established himself in Kyiv, and Svyatopolk died somewhere in exile. However, defeat and death Svyatopolk the Accursed The strife did not end. Yaroslav's last surviving brother was Mstislav , reigned in Tmutarakan. A war broke out between him and Yaroslav, the consequence of which was the division of the state: Yaroslav received Kyiv and the lands west of the Dnieper; Mstislav received Chernigov and the lands east of the Dnieper. And only after the death of Mstislav of Chernigov, Yaroslav managed to restore autocracy in the Russian land (1034).

Yaroslav's reign earned him great fame and love in Rus'; for his intelligence and erudition he was given the nickname Wise. Yaroslav loved to read books and collected them. For him, books were translated from Greek and Slavic books were bought. The collection of books, organized by Yaroslav at the main Kiev church of St. Sophia of the Wisdom of God, served for the general benefit and was available to everyone who loved book wisdom. Yaroslav, according to the chronicler, “sown the hearts of faithful people with bookish words”: he established schools, built churches and ordered the clergy to teach people, instructing them in the new Christian faith. Thus, Yaroslav was the enlightener of Rus'.

He was also its strong defender, actively protecting the borders of the state from external enemies. By the way, he managed to completely defeat the Pechenegs and drive them away from Kyiv forever (1034). The main masses of the Pechenegs soon after left for the Balkan Peninsula; those of them who remained in the Russian steppes, on the borders of the Kyiv state, recognized the power of the Russian princes and were pacified. Together with other small nomadic tribes of the Torques, they formed a semi-sedentary foreign population along the Rosi River (the right tributary of the Dnieper) and on that side received the name “black hoods” (Karakalpaks) from the Russian people because of their black fur hats. The significance of this victory of Yaroslav over the Pechenegs was not overshadowed even by the failure of the raid on Byzantium undertaken under him (1043). The three-year war with the Greeks caused by this raid was the last clash between Rus' and Byzantium and ended with the release of Russian prisoners captured by the Greeks during the raid.

The Kiev state under Yaroslav undoubtedly strengthened and prospered. Yaroslav possessed great wealth, which allowed him to undertake extensive and magnificent buildings (§15). In Kyiv, he built the wonderful Church of St. Sophia and several other stone churches and monasteries. In Novgorod, under him, they also began to build the Church of St. Sofia. For his buildings, Yaroslav ordered craftsmen and building materials from Greece and, sparing no expense, achieved amazing results. St. Sophia Church in Kyiv was for that era one of the richest and most beautiful buildings in all of Europe. The trade of Rus' under Yaroslav connected Kyiv with lively relations with almost all countries of the European south and west. Yaroslav sent his ambassadors and merchants to Germany, France, Hungary, Poland and the Scandinavian countries. The Kiev prince entered into family ties with friendly rulers of even distant states. Yaroslav himself was married to the Swedish princess Ingigerd (Irina); three of his sons married the daughters of German rulers; his daughters married the kings of France, Hungary and Norway; finally, his fourth son Vsevolod was married to a relative of the Byzantine emperor Constantine Monomakh. Thus, under Yaroslav, Rus' became part of the European states and the city of Kyiv acquired the status of one of the major European centers, which owned a trade medium between European markets and the east.