There were many wise rulers in Russia, but only this nickname 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 Yaroslav became Wise for a combination of reasons.
Yaroslav - the son of Vladimir
Undoubtedly, the sources of the answer to the question of why Yaroslav was called the Wise can also be found in his genealogy. 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 approximately 978th to 1054th. From childhood, his father prepared Yaroslav for great things, and at a young age he first made the Rostov prince, and after the death of his eldest son Vysheslav - Novgorod.
However, Yaroslav had more than one brother, and after the death of Vladimir (1015), a fierce struggle began between the brothers for the Kiev throne. The main rival was Svyatopolk, who first captured Kiev. He, according to most historical sources, did away with his brothers Boris, Gleb and Svyatoslav. Four years, Yaroslav has been fighting with him, and finally, in 1019, he occupies the throne of Kiev and declares himself the ruler of Russia.
However, his reign was still not sole. Chernihiv and left-bank lands obeyed brother Mstislav. And only after his death, in 1035, a huge state united under the leadership of Yaroslav.
The heyday of the state
So, he went down in history as Yaroslav the Wise. Why wise? This question can be answered by listing the accomplishments of the prince, aimed at strengthening the country. Indeed, it was during his reign that Kievan Rus forced the international community to reckon with itself. It has turned into a strong state, following the path of education and lawmaking.
Caring about the defense capabilities of Russia, Yaroslav conducted several military campaigns against Poland, the Principality of Lithuania, and the Finns. He won, finally, an important victory for Russia over the Pechenegs.
Strengthening the state, he built several cities, and Kiev surrounded by a stone wall. In his reign, feuds with Byzantium ended with the signing of a peace treaty, and the marriage of the son of Vsevolod to the Greek princess contributed to further peaceful ties.
By the way, one of the reasons why Prince Yaroslav was nicknamed the Wise may also be because he used dynastic marriages to strengthen the authority of Kievan Rus. To his three daughters and his six sons, this wise ruler tried to find worthy couples in the European ruling houses. By the way, he himself was married to the daughter of the Swedish king Ingigerde.
State domestic policy
In domestic politics, Yaroslav the Wise took the path of education and lawmaking. Why wise? Because he immediately attached great importance to improving the literacy of his subjects. In Novgorod, he even opened a 300-seat school for teaching boys. He not only bought and read books himself, but instructed the monks to translate them mainly from Greek into Slavic, and to rewrite so that Russian people could learn to read and write from these publications. During the excavation, birch bark manuscripts were found on which, at that time, children studying spelling wrote.
The first handwritten laws appeared also under Yaroslav. He belongs to the idea of creating a “Charter,” or “Russian Truth,” a collection of laws and customs that were characteristic of the time, but transmitted only verbally.
Trade also flourished with this Russian ruler, and Kiev could compete in beauty with Constantinople.
Church reform
The Russian spiritual hierarchy depended largely on Byzantium. Yaroslav gave her independence, starting with what he ordered to put at the head of the church organization of a Russian person, not a foreigner. The first Russian metropolitan was Illarion.
At the behest of the prince, the Byzantine Nomocanon was also translated into Russian and the church charter. The true Russian man was Yaroslav the Wise. Why wise? Because he understood that the people needed 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 Hagia Sophia the Wise. Perhaps this also lies in the answer to the question of why Yaroslav was called the Wise.
He was called Khromts.
In ancient times, it was believed that a person who has any physical disability is noted by the Gods, and he is necessarily endowed with intelligence, special strength.
Prince Yaroslav was lame from birth. In those days, many called it Khromts. True, more often enemies than ordinary people. But it is possible that the deeds of the Grand Duke strengthened the correctness of the expression among the people: "The lame means wise." Over time, the first nickname was replaced by the second.
Having lived a bright and fairly long life, Yaroslav the Wise died at age 76. Why wise? Because the actions of the prince were aimed at the good of the state, at its development and prosperity. Involuntarily, the thought creeps in that if the subsequent rulers of Russia were as wise as Yaroslav, the state could become the most advanced in Europe.