Reign Yaroslav the Wise

1 reign

1.1 power struggles between siblings
1.2 scandinavian allies
1.3 campaign against byzantium
1.4 protecting inhabitants of dniper pechenegs
1.5 establishment of law

reign

coins of yaroslav , descendants represent trident.



depiction of yaroslav wise granovitaya palata.


power struggles between siblings

leaving aside legitimacy of yaroslav s claims kievan throne , postulated guilt in murder of brothers, nestor chronicler , later russian historians presented him model of virtue, styling him wise . less appealing side of personality revealed having imprisoned youngest brother sudislav life. yet brother, mstislav of chernigov, distant realm bordered north caucasus , black sea, hastened kiev and, despite reinforcements led yaroslav s brother-in-law king anund jacob of sweden (as jakun - blind , dressed in gold suit ), inflicted heavy defeat on yaroslav in 1024. yaroslav , mstislav divided kievan rus between them: area stretching left dnieper river, capital @ chernihiv, ceded mstislav until death in 1036.

scandinavian allies

in foreign policy, yaroslav relied on scandinavian alliance , attempted weaken byzantine influence on kiev. in 1030, reconquered red ruthenia poles , concluded alliance king casimir restorer, sealed latter s marriage yaroslav s sister, maria. in successful military raid same year, captured tartu, estonia , renamed yuryev (named after yury, yaroslav s patron saint) , forced surrounding province of ugaunnia pay annual tribute.

campaign against byzantium

in 1043, yaroslav staged naval raid against constantinople led son vladimir of novgorod , general vyshata. although navy defeated in rus –byzantine war (1043), yaroslav managed conclude war favourable treaty , prestigious marriage of son vsevolod of kiev emperor s daughter. has been suggested peace advantageous because kievans had succeeded in taking key byzantine possession in crimea, chersonesus.

protecting inhabitants of dniper pechenegs

to defend state pechenegs , other nomadic tribes threatening south constructed line of forts, composed of yuriev, bohuslav, kaniv, korsun-shevchenkivskyi, , pereiaslav-khmelnytskyi. celebrate decisive victory on pechenegs in 1036 (who thereupon never threat kiev) sponsored construction of saint sophia cathedral in 1037. same year there built monasteries of saint george , saint irene. mentioned , other celebrated monuments of reign such golden gate of kiev perished during mongol invasion of rus , later restored.

establishment of law

yaroslav notable patron of book culture , learning. in 1051, had slavic monk, hilarion of kiev, proclaimed metropolitan bishop of kiev, challenging byzantine tradition of placing greeks on episcopal sees. hilarion s discourse on yaroslav , father vladimir cited first work of old east slavic literature.