аÄÃÅ¿ª½±½á¹û

Stamp of Yaroslav the Wise- Author; Укрпошта-

Top 10 Remarkable Facts about Yaroslav the Wise

Officially known as Yaroslav I Vladimirovich, he became to be known as Yaroslav the Wise due to the great legacy he left behind.

He was the Grand Prince of Kiev from 1019 until his death. He was also the Prince of Novgorod on three occasions, uniting the principalities for a time. Yaroslav’s baptismal name was George after Saint George.

The early years of Yaroslav’s life are mostly unknown. He was one of the numerous sons of Vladimir the Great, presumably his second by Rogneda of Polotsk, although his actual age would place him among the youngest children of Vladimir.

1. There have been so many speculations regarding his heritage

Photo by Vitolda Klein on

It has been suggested that he was a child begotten out of wedlock after Vladimir’s divorce from Rogneda and marriage to Anna Porphyrogenita, or even that he was a child of Anna Porphyrogenita herself.

French historian Jean-Pierre Arrignon argues that he was indeed Anna’s son, as this would explain his interference in Byzantine affairs in 1043.

Furthermore, Yaroslav’s maternity by Rogneda of Polotsk has been questioned since Nikolay Kostomarov in the 19th century.

Yaroslav figures prominently in the Norse sagas under the name Jarisleif the Lame; his legendary lameness (probably resulting from an arrow wound) was corroborated by the scientists who examined his remains.

2. Yaroslav was sent to rule the Northern lands by his father while still a youth

Monument to Yaroslav the Wise in Kharkiv- Author; Venzz-

In his youth, Yaroslav was sent by his father to rule the northern lands around Rostov. He was transferred to Veliky Novgorod, as befitted a senior heir to the throne, in 1010.

While living there, he founded the town of Yaroslavl (literally meaning, “Yaroslav’s”) on the Volga River.

His relations with his father were apparently strained and grew only worse on the news that Vladimir bequeathed the Kievan throne to his younger son, Boris.

In 1014 Yaroslav refused to pay tribute to Kiev and only Vladimir’s death, in July 1015, prevented a war.

3. He waged a very bloody war against his half brother

Depiction of the Battle of Vercellae- Author; Giovanni Battista Tiepolo – Metropolitan Museum of Art-

During the next four years, Yaroslav waged a complicated and bloody war for Kiev against his half-brother Sviatopolk I of Kiev, who was supported by his father-in-law, King of Poland from 1025.

During the course of this struggle, several other brothers (Boris, Gleb, and Svyatoslav) were brutally murdered.

The Primary Chronicle accused Sviatopolk of planning those murders. However, the victim’s name is given there as Burizaf, which is also the name of Boleslaus I in the Scandinavian sources.

It is thus possible that the Saga tells the story of Yaroslav’s struggle against Sviatopolk (whose troops were commanded by the Polish duke), and not against Boris.

4. Defeated his brother in their first battle in 1016

Brother killing brother (cain and abel depiction)- Source; Metropolitan museum of art-

Yaroslav defeated Sviatopolk in their first battle, in 1016, and Sviatopolk fled to Poland.

Sviatopolk then returned in 1018 with Polish troops furnished by his father-in-law, seized Kiev, and pushed Yaroslav back into Novgorod. Yaroslav prevailed over Sviatopolk, and in 1019 firmly established his rule over Kiev.

One of his first actions as a grand prince was to confer on the loyal Novgorodians, who had helped him to gain the Kievan throne, numerous freedoms and privileges. Thus, the foundation of the Novgorod Republic was laid.

5. He was presented with a model of virtue terming him as “the wise”

Coin of Yaroslav the Wise with his lifetime image- Author; Unknown-

r Ukrainian historians often presented him as a model of virtue, styling him “the Wise”.

A less appealing side of his personality is however revealed by his having imprisoned his youngest brother Sudislav for life. In response, another brother, Mstislav of Chernigov, whose distant realm bordered the North Caucasus and the Black Sea, hastened to Kyiv.

Despite reinforcements led by Yaroslav’s brother-in-law King Anund Jacob of Sweden, Mstislav inflicted a heavy defeat on Yaroslav in 1024.

Yaroslav and Mstislav then divided Kievan Rus’ between them: the area stretched west from the Dnieper River, with the capital at Chernigov, was ceded to Mstislav until his death in 1036

6. His remains were supposedly found to have been buried by an unknown female

Sarcophagus (stone coffin) of Yaroslav the Wise- Author; Stas-Adolf-

Following his death, the body of Yaroslav the Wise was entombed in a white marble sarcophagus within Saint Sophia’s Cathedral.

In 1936, the sarcophagus was opened and found to contain the skeletal remains of two individuals, one male and one female. The male was determined to be Yaroslav.

The identity of the female was never really established. The sarcophagus was again opened in 1939 and the remains removed for research, not being documented as returned until 1964.

In 2009, the sarcophagus was opened and surprisingly found to contain only one skeleton, that of a female. It seems the documents detailing the 1964 reinterment of the remains were falsified to hide the fact that Yaroslav’s remains had been lost.

7. Four countries have been named after Yaroslav

Honoring Yaroslav the wise- Author; Machachacka-

Four towns in four countries were named after Yaroslav, three of which he also founded: Yaroslavl (in today’s Russia), JarosÅ‚aw in Poland, Yuryev (now Bila Tserkva, Ukraine), and another Yuryev in place of conquered Tarbatu (now Tartu) between 1030 and 1061 in Estonia.

Following the Russian custom of naming military objects such as tanks and planes after historical figures, the helmet worn by many Russian soldiers during the Crimean War was called the “Helmet of Yaroslav the Wise”.

It was the first pointed helmet to be used by a modern army, even before German troops wore pointed helmets.

8. He was placed first by a tv show in their ranking of greatest compatriots

Yaroslav the wise- Author; Unknown-

In 2008 Yaroslav was placed first (with 40% of the votes) in their ranking of “our greatest compatriots” by the viewers of the TV show Velyki Ukraintsi.

9. There is a feature film based on his life

Photo by Myke Simon on

Iron Lord was a 2010 feature film based on Yaroslav’s early life as a regional prince on the frontier.

10. Yaroslav was named a saint but was not formally canonized

Yaroslav the wise- Author; unknown-

Yaroslav was at the earliest named a saint by Adam of Bremen in his “Deeds of Bishops of the Hamburg Church” in 1075, but he was not formally canonized.

On 9 March 2004 on his 950th death anniversary, he was added to the calendar of saints of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate).

On 8 December 2005, Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow added his name to Menologium as a local Ukrainian saint.