Who is Prince Yaroslav the Wise? Why Wise and Chromatic?

There were a lot of wise rulers in Russia, but only this name was attached to Yaroslav. Why? There are many versions of the answer to this question. But perhaps the only one simply does not exist. And the wise Yaroslav became for a combination of reasons.

Yaroslav the son of Vladimir

Undoubtedly, the origins of the answer to the question of why Yaroslav was called Wise can be found in his pedigree. After all, he was the son of the great Vladimir I, prince of Kiev, and Polotsk princess Rogneda. The years of his life are determined by the period from about 978th to 1054th. My father from childhood prepared Yaroslav for great deeds, and at a young age made first Rostov prince, and after the death of his elder son Vysheslav - Novgorod.

However, Yaroslav had not one brother, and after the death of Vladimir (1015) between brothers began a fierce struggle for the throne of Kiev. The main rival was Svyatopolk, who was the first to capture Kiev. He, according to most historical sources, got rid of the brothers Boris, Gleb and Svyatoslav. Four years Yaroslav is fighting with him and finally, in 1019, occupies the Kiev throne and declares himself the ruler of Russia.

However, his reign was still not individual. Chernigov and the left-bank lands were subordinate to Mstislav's brother. And only after his death, in 1035, a huge state united under the leadership of Yaroslav.

Blossoming of the state

So, he went down in history as Yaroslav the Wise. Why Wise? Reply to this question can be by listing the prince's accomplishments aimed at strengthening the country. After all, during the years of his reign Kievan Rus was forced to consider the international community with him. It has become a strong state, following the path of enlightenment and lawmaking.

Concerned about the defense of Russia, Yaroslav conducted several military campaigns against Poland, the Lithuanian principality, the Finns. He finally won an important victory for Rus over the Pechenegs.

Strengthening the state, he built several cities, and Kiev surrounded by a stone wall. In his reign, the quarrels with Byzantium ended with the signing of a peace treaty, and the marriage of Vsevolod's son to the Greek princess promoted further peaceful ties.

By the way, one of the reasons why Prince Yaroslav was nicknamed Wise can also be that to strengthen the authority of Kievan Rus he used dynastic marriages to the full. Three wise daughters and six sons, this wise ruler tried to find worthy couples in European ruling houses. By the way, he himself was married to the daughter of the Swedish king Ingigerde.

Domestic policy of the state

In the domestic policy, along the path of enlightenment and lawmaking Yaroslav the Wise went. Why Wise? Because he immediately attached great importance to increasing the literacy of his subjects. In Novgorod, for the training of boys, he even opened a school for 300 seats. He not only bought and read books himself, but instructed the monks to translate them, mainly from Greek to Slavonic, and rewrite so that Russian people could learn to read through these publications. During the excavations birch bark manuscripts were found, which at that time were written by children learning spelling.

The first manuscript laws appeared also under Yaroslav. He owns the idea of creating a "Charter", or "Russian Truth", a collection of laws and customs characteristic of that time, but transmitted only orally.

The Russian ruler flourished at the same time and trade, and Kiev in beauty could compete with Constantinople.

Reform of the Church

The Russian spiritual hierarchy largely depended on Byzantium. Yaroslav gave her independence, beginning with the fact that he ordered to put at the head of the church organization of a Russian person, and not a foreigner. The first Russian metropolitan was Hilarion.

At the behest of the prince, the church charter, the Byzantine Nomocanon, was translated into Russian. The true Russian was Yaroslav the Wise. Why Wise? Because I understood that people need their own religion and their own church, and not someone else's, foreign.

In Russia, during the reign of Yaroslav, many temples and monasteries were built. Architecture and painting developed. The two most significant cathedrals, in Novgorod and Kiev, were dedicated to St. Sophia the Wise. Perhaps this also hides an answer to the question of why Yaroslav was nicknamed the Wise.

He was called Khromtz

In the old days it was believed that a person who has any physical defect is marked by the Gods, and he is necessarily endowed with a mind, a special power.

Prince Yaroslav from birth was lame. At that time, many called it Khromts. True, more enemies than ordinary people. But it is possible that the deeds of the Grand Duke strengthened the people's rightness of expression: "Lame means wise". Over time, the first nickname was replaced by the second.

After living a bright and long enough life, Yaroslav the Wise died at the age of 76. Why Wise? Because the deeds of the prince were directed to the benefit of the state, to its development and prosperity. Involuntarily creeps in the thought that if the subsequent rulers of Russia were as wise as Yaroslav, then the state could become the most advanced in Europe.