Internal and foreign policy of Yaroslav the Wise. The policy of Yaroslav the Wise in relation to the church

Yaroslav the Wise - the prince of Kiev, who ruled during 1019-1054. Also took the place of the ruler of Rostov and Novgorod lands. He was one of the sons of the baptizer of Rus Vladimir the Great. Mother of Yaroslav - Princess Rogneda Rogolvodna of Polotsk.

Biography of the prince

The future ruler was born around 980. At the baptism he was given the name of George. The prince's wife was Olav Ingygerda, the daughter of a Swedish king. After the Battle of Leaf, the internal and foreign policy of Yaroslav the Wise was aimed at increasing the popularity of Christianity among the people. Thus, he continued the work of his father.

He got the nickname Wise for his legislative and educational activities. As a child, a little Yaroslav was limping, because at birth one leg was slightly shorter than the other. Because of this physical peculiarity, the father did not take the boy with him to hunt.

To somehow entertain himself, Yaroslav found solace in reading books. Thanks to this, he became the first educated person who knew the letter. You can also find in ancient sources information about the prince, where he was called "Lame". True, this was not the name of the Slavs of Kiev, but of the enemy.

Internal and foreign policy of Yaroslav the Wise distinguished himself with prudence and benefited the Russian people. That is why at that time the rightness of expression was strengthened: "Lame means wise".

The first period of Yaroslav's life was the struggle for Kiev. When he reached adulthood, Vladimir Svyatoslavich appointed him Rostov prince. After the sudden death of Vysheslav, Yaroslav the Wise became a Novgorod ruler.

When Vladimir the Great died, a struggle arose between his sons for the throne of Kiev. The events of the internecine war are described in The Tale of Bygone Years. Kiev was captured by Svyatopolk I Cursed, who was a Turov prince. He, having the goal to remove all rivals, kills the brothers Yaroslav the Wise. And he would have reached the last, but the prince of Kiev warned of the danger of his sister Predslav.

Domestic policy

At the beginning of his reign the prince invested a great deal of effort in raising the literacy of his subjects. In Novgorod, a school for boys was founded, in which children were taught church affairs.

He bought folios, and the monks translated them. Soon these books began to serve as textbooks for Slavic people. During excavations, historians discovered manuscripts on which children were taught spelling.

The internal policy of Yaroslav the Wise, briefly, was also aimed at urban development. The capital of Kievan Rus in beauty, one might say, competed with Constantinople.

In honor of the long-awaited victory over the nomads in 1037, the famous St. Sophia Cathedral was erected. Thus, Kiev came to the same level as Byzantium, where there also existed temples with this name. No less significant cathedrals were built in Yuryev, Pskov and other Russian cities. Yaroslav the Wise also founded such cities as Yaroslavl (one is in Poland, the other is on the Volga).

The prince's foreign policy

The ruler of Kievan Rus first of all worried about the safety of the inhabitants of the state, because neighboring principalities also strove to conquer large territories. Therefore, the internal and foreign policy of Yaroslav the Wise consisted in strengthening the defense, but not by erecting castles and walls around the country, but by non-aggression treaties, campaigns and bribes.

Also, the prince cared about the authority of the state in the international arena. First, Yaroslav and Mstislav made a campaign against Poland, during which they repulsed the Cherven cities. Later, he was interested in the Baltic region, where the Chudi tribe lived. Here in 1030 the prince founded the city of Yuryev, now it is called Tartu.

Having created a single army from Novgorod, Kiev squad and hired Varangians, he dealt a devastating blow to the Pechenegs. Similar trips were also carried out to Lithuania, Yatvjagov, Mazovia and, of course, Byzantium. All of the above campaigns were successful, except the last. Most likely, because this trip was led by the son of the Wise.

Dynastic marriages became a special feature of his policy. He gave his sister and children for foreign monarchs and princes. He himself was married to the daughter of the Swedish ruler Olaf. His sister married the King of Poland - Casimir, daughter Anna became the wife of Henry I, Elizabeth - the wife of Harold the Bold, Anastasia - Andrew I. Sons Izyaslav and Vsevolod, in turn, became the husbands of Polish and Byzantine princesses.

The development of culture in Kievan Rus

"The Tale of Bygone Years" is almost the main source of information about the enlightenment activities of the prince. It states that Yaroslav the Wise's policy in the field of culture was based on the translation of a large number of historical books from Greek into Russian. This is not surprising, since the ruler himself was very fond of reading, which is why he was called the Wise. Translations of books laid the foundation for the creation of the first library in the St. Sophia Cathedral, and hence the development of science and education among the peoples of Kievan Rus.

The Grand Duke created a collection of laws "Russian Truth". This arch became the main source of legal, economic and social relations of the Slavs. During his reign, painting and architecture developed.

Construction of temples

The policy of Yaroslav the Wise towards the church was positive, moreover, he tried in every possible way to spread Christianity among the people. According to his order in 1036-1037. Were built the famous Golden Gate and the Church of the Annunciation. In addition, the Cathedral of St. Sophia and two monasteries - Saint George and Irina - were built. An example for these structures were the architectural buildings of Jerusalem and Constantinople.

Yaroslav the Wise made Illarion the first Kiev metropolitan. It is not known for certain, in 1050 or in 1054 there was this event, but the main thing is the acts committed by this person. Illarion defended the independence of Rus from Constantinople and the independence of the Kyiv diocese.

Historical meaning

What was the policy of Yaroslav the Wise? The conclusion from the received knowledge can be made the following: the lands of Kievan Rus prospered during the reign of the prince, it is indisputable. The actions of an intelligent ruler benefited people and for the good of the state.

Kiev strengthened the status of a strong state among the neighboring principalities, becoming the cultural, ecclesiastical and economic center of Europe. During his lifetime, he managed to leave behind not only cities and cathedrals, but also a will for his sons with the call to avoid civil strife.

When the inner and foreign policies of Yaroslav the Wise became, in a small part, an example for his successors, then Kievan Rus could be one of the advanced states in Europe.