• Born: Abt 978, Kiev, Ukraine
• Married (1):
• Married (2): 1019, Uppsala, Sweden
• Died: 20 Feb 1053/4, Vyshgorod, Ukraine

  Research Notes:

Prince of Rostov 988-1010. Prince of Novgorod 1013-1015. He rebelled against his father and refused to pay tribute from Novgorod in 1014. Challenged by his cousin Sviatopolk I Grand Prince of Kiev, following the latter's accession in Kiev, he defeated Sviatopolk at Liubech in [1016] and forced him to flee to Poland, succeeding as IAROSLAV I "Mudriy/the Wise" Grand Prince of Kiev. Sviatopolk returned in Jul 1018 with an army led by his father-in-law, Boleslaw I King of Poland, and defeated Iaroslav at the Western Bug and forced him to retire to Novgorod. Sviatopolk entered Kiev again 14 Aug 1018 and resumed his rule. After King Boleslaw returned to Poland, Iaroslav advanced once more on Kiev. Sviatopolk fled south to raise another force with the Pechenegs but was finally defeated by the river Alta in 1019, when Iaroslav resumed power in Kiev. In 1024, his half-brother Mstislav Prince of Tmutorokan moved his headquarters north to Chernigov to challenge Iaroslav, whom he defeated at Listven. The half-brothers agreed a division of territories, Iaroslav taking the land on the western bank of the Dnieper including Kiev and Novgorod. While Iaroslav was absent in Novgorod, the Pechenegs laid siege to Kiev, but were defeated after Iaroslav returned with a formidable army to relieve the siege. He succeeded in the territories of his half-brother Mstislav on the latter's death in 1036, becoming sole ruler or "Autocrat of the land of the Rus". His greatest project was the conquest of Constantinople but his armies were defeated in decisive battles in 1043. He supervised the rapid expansion of the city of Kiev, modelled on Constantinople. His law code Rus'ka Pravda also contributed to the development and consolidation of his administration especially in the area around Kiev, although it appears to have had little impact in the north.

The Primary Chronicle records the death of Iaroslav 19 Feb 1054 at Vyshgorod aged 76 and his burial place. He left a testament dividing his territories between his sons, the substance of which is recorded in the Primary Chronicle although no original text has survived. ¹