Yaroslav the Wise

Yaroslav the Wise
The only contemporary image of Yaroslav I the Wise, on his seal
Grand Prince of Kiev
Reign	1019–1054
Predecessor	Sviatopolk the Accursed
Successor	Iziaslav I
Prince of Novgorod
Reign	1010–1034
Prince of Rostov (?)
Reign	978–1010
Born	c. 978 or c. 988
Died	28 February 1054 (aged 75 or 76) Vyshgorod
Burial	Saint Sophia's Cathedral, Kiev
Spouse	Ingegerd Olofsdotter of Sweden
Issue Details...	Elisiv, Queen of Norway Anastasia, Queen of Hungary Anne, Queen of the Franks Agatha (possibly) Ilya Vladimir of Novgorod Iziaslav I Sviatoslav II Vsevolod I Igor Yaroslavich Vyacheslav Yaroslavich
Names Yaroslav Vladimirovich Grand Prince Iaroslav Mudryi Yaroslav I
Dynasty	Rurik
Father	Vladimir the Great
Mother	Rogneda of Polotsk or Anna Porphyrogenita
Insignia

Yaroslav I Vladimirovich^[a] (c. 978–20 February 1054), better known as Yaroslav the Wise,^[b] was Grand Prince of Kiev from 1019 until his death in 1054.^[3] He was also earlier Prince of Novgorod from 1010 to 1034 and Prince of Rostov from 987 to 1010, uniting the principalities for a time. Yaroslav's baptismal name was George^[c] after Saint George.^[4]

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

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

Yaroslav married Ingegerd Olofsdotter in 1019 and had several children who married into foreign royal families. His children from his second marriage went on to rule various parts of Kievan Rus'. Yaroslav was known for promoting unity among his children and emphasizing the importance of living in peace. After his death, his body was placed in a sarcophagus within Saint Sophia's Cathedral, but his remains were later lost or stolen. Yaroslav's legacy includes founding several towns and having numerous monuments and institutions named after him.

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