Prince Vladimir of Kiev had 12 sons. One of them, Yaroslav, ruled over the principality of Novgorod in Northern Russia. Once a year he would collect tribute from his subjects and send a considerable portion of it to Kiev. After many years in that distant trading center, with its extensive overseas connections, Yaroslav decided to end the practice of collecting tribute.  This angered his father, Vladimir, who  zealously  watched  over  Russian  unity. In order to subdue his recalcitrant son, Vladimir built bridges and kept the forest roads in good condition for a campaign against  Novgorod.  Yaroslav also began to prepare for a war against his father, bringing in Viking mercenaries from Sweden. He was married to a daughter of  the  Swedish  King and  maintained  direct  ties  with  the  Vikings.

While waiting for the fighting to break out, the mercenary soldiers became dissipated; they ran amok and ill-treated the citizens of Novgorod.

The indignant population decided to put an end to this abuse. On a dark night, in August of 1015, they attacked and killed the mercenaries. This infuriated Yaroslav, because the mercenaries comprised the backbone of his armed forces. That same night he had Novgorod's best warriors slaughtered.

Next morning a courier from Kiev brought the news that the old prince was dead and that  his  adopted  son, Svyatopolk, seized  the  throne.  Since Yaroslav also coveted the throne, he now bitterly regretted that night's work, for it had  weakened  him  at such  a  decisive  time. To  win  the  support  and  military  aid he so  badly needed, he got the people of Novgorod together that same  morning and  said: “Oh, my beloved, honest warriors, whom in my madness I had slaughtered  yesterday! No amount of gold can compensate for their death. Brothers, my father, Vladimir, is dead and Svyatopolk  rules  now  in  Kiev.  I want  to  wage  a war  against him. Give  me  your  support!”

To gain their support Yaroslav granted the people of Novgorod a covenant guaranteeing their lives, honour and possessions against any attempts by the mercenary Vikings. The citizens, now content, provided 3,000 warriors, whereupon Yaroslav marched against Kiev.

The war between the brothers grew in ferocity, claiming ever new victims.   Svyatopolk had his other two brothers, the princes  Boris  and  Gleb,  murdered.   Burning with thirst for power and total rule, he did not spare his closest  relatives,   even  those  who  laid  no  claim  to  the throne.  Many of  Vladimir's  12  sons  met  the  same  cruel  fate.

Yaroslav and  Svyatopolk were  the  strongest  and most  implacable  of  all  the  combatants. The grim struggle for power  went on  and  on  with varying  success  for  both  sides. In  the  end,  Yaroslav, backed by a strong  force  of  Vikings, defeated  Svyatopolk  and  was  enthroned  in  Kiev  in  1019.

Yaroslav proved to be a wise and far-sighted ruler that’s why the people named him Yaroslav the Wise. Here's what a chronicle, The Tale of Bygone Days, says about him:

“Like those who plough the soil, while others sow and still others enjoy the abundant food, Prince Vladimir softened the hearts of the people  by  introducing  them to baptism.  His son, Yaroslav, planted bookish words in their hearts so  that  we  now  enjoy  the  fruits  of  their book  learning.”

Kiev Russ  thrived  under  Yaroslav  the  Wise, a reign which  lasted  from  1019  until  1054.  The ruling  families  of medieval  Europe  considered  it  an  honour  to  be  related  to the  Kiev  princes.  Yaroslav’s  sister  was  married  to  the Polish King, Kazimir the  First, while his three daughters married Hungarian,  French  and  Norwegian  kings. 

Yaroslav  now  ruled  over  a  huge  state.   It  stretched from  the  White  Sea  in  the  north  to  the  Black  Sea  in  the  south, and  from  the  Baltic  Sea  in  the  west  to  the Ural  foothills  in the  east. Half  of  that  boundless  area    was  the  sparsely settled  northern  forest  land,  which  teemed  with game; the settled  farmlands  also  accounted  for  fairly  large areas. It was  no  easy  task  to govern  such  a  huge  territory. The big distances  enabled  the  local  authorities  to  rule  uncontrolled. Every  landed  estate  comprised  a  miniature  state,  with  its  own laws  and  economies.

As  the  unifying  center  of  the  ancient  Russian  state, Kiev  played  a  primary  role  both  politically  and  economically. Through  it  passed  the  famous  trade  route  ‘from  the  land  of the  Vikings  to  the  land  of  the  Greeks’,  thus  joining  the north  to  the  south.

This splendid, unique city, with its numerous churches, was situated on the  banks  of  the  Dnieper  river. By its wharves were moored  ships  and  smaller  sailing  vessels laden with  furs,  wax,  amber  from  Novgorod  and  other  northern towns,  wines  from  Byzantium,  precious  stones,  paints  and spices  from  the  Orient. Trade was brisk  in  Kiev. Its  master craftsmen had  something  to  offer  the  visiting  merchants. The products  of  the  potters,  blacksmiths,  gunsmiths  and  foundry men were  famous  far  and  wide. Foreign merchants were especially taken with the encrusted, chased  and  filigreed  jewelry  made of gold,   silver  and  bronze. These were in  great  demand  in  the circles  of  the  rich  and  noble.

After  he  had  grown  rich  and  consolidated  his  hold  on the  throne,  Yaroslav  spared  no  money  to  beautify  the  capital. Kiev  began  to  compete  with  the  capital  of  Byzantium.     Around Kiev  Yaroslav  built  a  ring  of  fortifications  unparalleled  in Russia. The main entrance, known as the Golden Gate, symbolized  the  city's  indomitable  strength  for  seven  centuries. The gate is still standing. One of Kiev's most beautiful temples of worship, St.Sophia’s Cathedral, with its  13 domes, marble  walls  and  splendid  frescoes,  was  built  with  the  help  of Byzantine  masters.

The rivalry with Byzantium also made itself felt in the attitude to the church.  Wishing independence, Yaroslav put a Russian, the Metropolitan Illarion, at the head of the Russian Orthodox Church without the knowledge of the Patriarch in Constantinople. Until then the Metropolitan of the Russian church had always been a Greek.

A well-educated and devout Christian, Yaroslav fully realized the spiritual strength inherent in Christianity. We read in the Tale of Bygone Days:

“Yaroslav was very fond of church rituals. He treated the men of  holy  orders  very well,  especially  the  monks,  and read  books  assiduously, often  night  and  day. He brought together large  numbers  of  scribes,  who  translated  Greek  books
into  Slavonic. They also wrote  numerous  books,  by  which believers  learn  and  enjoy  God's  teachings.”

Yaroslav  built  churches,  maintained  the  clergy at  his  own  expense  and  commanded  them  to  teach  the  people. 

Yaroslav the Wise lived a long life. On his deathbed he said  to  his  sons:

“I am leaving this world, my sons. Love one andther, for you are all brothers, born of one father and one mother. If you live in harmony with one another, God will be with you and will defeat your enemies. And you will  live  in peace. If, on  the  contrary,  you  harbour  hatred  in  your hearts,  live  in  discord  and  quarrel with  one  another,  you yourselves will  perish  and  destroy  the  land  of your  fathers, who  gained  it  with  such great  effort.  Live  in  peace  together, brother  listening  to brother.”

Yaroslav the Wise passed  on his  power, together  with  the city  of Kiev, to  his  oldest son;  the  other  ancient  Russian towns  he  distributed  to  the  rest  of his  sons. Upon his death in  1054  he was  buried  in  St.Sophia’s  Cathedral.