Vladimir I continued to expand his territories when in 981 he conquered territories close to modern day Lithuania and Poland. These and other outposts of his kingdom provide numerous clues to Vladimir’s beliefs and ideas. He was a thorough pagan up to this point and erected numerous statues to pagan deities. He possessed a personality well suited to rule a land in constant flux: he was dominant enough to quell the most anxious of warlords, he commanded respect from his own army as he showed bravery in battle and when needed he was violent. Vladimir’s later history takes a sharp turn as he accepts Eastern Christian Orthodoxy, which in turn leads to the Baptism of Rus.
Vladimir I - Christian reign
Vladimir turned to religion as he sought to improve relations with his neighbours. In the year 987, he sent his boyars to neighbouring lands to study and report to him on the lived led by people of other religions. The result was an expedition that has shaped the history of Russia ever since. The boyars had been impressed to no end by the pomp and pageantry of the Greek Orthodox Church. Vladimir was greatly impressed not only because of the beauty of the Byzantine religion but also the prospects of having close ties with Constantinople.
Vladimir I set out to conquer land near Constantinople as was the practice of his predecessors and tried to negotiate for the hand of Emperor Basil’s sister; however, he was refused as no such marriage had ever been arranged between a princess and a barbarian lord. Hearing this, Vladimir declared that he would be willing to accept Christianity and return land he had annexed in return for the princess’ hand in marriage. In 988, Vladimir became the first Russian ruler to be baptised as a Christian; he returned home with his new wife and declared that all pagan statues should be broken and that all those who loved him in his lands should come to the river the next morning to embrace their new faith. Thus, Kievan Rus became a Christian domain. A few years later, Vladimir I died on his way to meeting his son, Yaroslav. With his death the Varangian period of eastern Slavic history ceases and the Christian tradition comes into dominance.
The reign of Yaroslav the Wise
After his death, the strife that had marked Vladimir’s succession to the throne overtook his sons too. Yaroslav was a senior heir to the throne of Kiev and as such was given his own domain, Novgorod the Great where the young prince showed his prowess. However, due to being born out of wedlock, Yaroslav did not receive the throne if Kiev which Vladimir eventually gave to his son, Boris. Yaroslav’s relations with his father were strained and seeing himself thrust out of power, Yaroslav refused to pay homage to Kiev. Vladimir’s untimely death was the sole reason for the prevention of war between father and son.
Yaroslav waged a relentless bloody war with his half brother Svyatopolk over the next four years in his hopes of attaining the throne of Kiev. After years of war which included the brutal murders of his three half-brothers, Yaroslav triumphed and asserted control over the throne of Kiev. Immediately following his victory, Yaroslav granted the Novgorodians special privileges and freedoms. The foundation of the Novgorod Republic was set. At the same time, Yaroslav introduced the first ever Russian code of law which came to be known as Yaroslav’s Justice.
While his father had depended on the Byzantine empire for support, Yaroslav looked upon his Scandinavian roots and tried to weaken Byzantine’s influence on Kiev. Yaroslav used his daughters and sisters to forge alliances with distant kings and patrons in order to consolidate his power; he looked upon this as a means to not only heighten the prestige of Kiev but to form alliances that would serve Kiev well if and when it came under attack from nomadic tribes or neighbouring kingdoms. His most influential legacy however, remains his contribution to the Russian code of law which he set up and put into practice.
Yaroslav’s Justice
Yaroslav introduced a code of law to Russia that is seen by many as the foundation of a lawful society. His ideas and beliefs can be pinpointed with ease using the code as a guide. His understanding of land and property rights is remarkable for a man ruling a relatively small kingdom in the years 1000. There are detailed punishments included in the code for larceny, for damage done to forests or hunting grounds or to the land of another. Yaroslav focused on debt relations that had bound down a society controlled by money lenders; he introduced laws that brought in rules of heavy interest charges, significantly limiting the control that moneylenders held upon society. These moves can be seen as the first steps by any government anywhere towards a controlled economy. Yaroslav’s understanding of law is further proven by his elaborate attempts to safeguard not only victims but also those that have been accused of crimes. The law dictated that proper authorities should investigate accusations to check for their factual accuracy. The code directs investigators to use a variety of methods to catch culprits such as hot pursuit, witnesses, and evidence collection from crime scenes. These are modern day rules of crime investigation that were not only though of by Yaroslav but were actually put into practical use throughout his domain.
The code does have its backward aspects however, as it explains how one can treat, sell or claim a slave. These rules seem backward now, but at the time they served to stabilize a haphazard feudal society where there were no laws governing the treatment and procurement of slaves. Yaroslav’s laws out into place strict rules of what could be done in certain situations, what penalties could be placed and how, it differentiated between the crimes of slaves in order to put a curb on brutal punishments for the most minute offences. In many ways, Yaroslav’s ideas lead to curb in feudal influence and cruelty. It is clear to see from his most influential legacy why Yaroslav is known as the Wise ruler of Kiev. He not only consolidated his kingdom but put it in a stable situation to outlast his reign and march towards a relatively progressive society.
Valdimir I and Yaroslav the Wise – legacy
Kievan Rus rose to the zenith of its power under Vladimir I and his son, Yaroslav the Wise. The father and son share a common route to the throne, however the similarities between their rules extend no further than their aspirations to attain the throne and expand its power. However, the influence of both emperors was long lasting and their major achievements not only shaped Kievan Rus in particular, they also helped to lay the seeds of a world power that would rise after their own demise. While Vladimir brought Christianity to Kievan Rus, Yaroslav provided it with the system of law it needed to become a prosperous and enviable state. The formation of a church within society introduced aspects such as language, literacy and cohesion in to a many a time disparate society. Yaroslav furthered this progress by establishing the hegemony of church over all other societal systems. He built churches, appointed officers in his court that were learned, and furthered in many ways what his father had set out to begin. More than any other reason, their legacy has been far reaching and impact-ful because of their long reigns. A region desperate for stability achieved exactly that with Kievan princes who ruled for a combined 70 years propelling Kievan Rus towards economic, cultural and social stability.
Both monarchs asserted control on the throne using their armies that constantly expanded their realms while also exporting ideas and beliefs to new people. Yaroslav and Vladimir I both share a common tactic of forging alliances through carefully arranged marriages for relatives with distant kings and monarchs. These moves helped, Kievan Rus gain alliances with various regimes from Constantinople to the Slavs in the east. The reigns of Vladimir I and Yaroslav the Wise were influential to no end to the development of the Russian empire and especially to that of Kievan Rus. While they shared some commonalities, the legacies they left behind are markedly different.
Ryan, J. F. (1990). The Russian Chronicles. Surrey: Quadrillion Publishing Limited. p. 47
Polons’ka-Vasylenko, N. (1944). Kyïv chasiv Volodymyra ta Iaroslava. Prague [Electronic Version- Retrieved November 27, 2005 from http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com (keywords: Yaroslav’s Justice]
