Prince of Rostov, Novgorod and Kiev Yaroslav Vladimirovich, who went down in history as Yaroslav the Wise, was a truly far-sighted politician.
In order to strengthen and expand his possessions, to make them prosperous, the prince made many efforts. With his assistance, the first code of laws was drawn up, many temples were built, several cities were founded, many books were translated from Byzantine into Old Russian. But one of the main confirmations of the ruler's wisdom was his decision to maintain peace and friendship with neighboring states.
A. Kivshenko. Reading to the people of the Russian Truth in the presence of Grand Duke Yaroslav.
Kinship alliances with European rulers helped to prevent civil strife. Prince Yaroslav himself was married to foreign women, and tried to arrange profitable dynastic marriages for his children.
Wives
According to the chronicles, Yaroslav the Wise had two wives - Anna and Ingegerda. Both of them were considered foreigners: Anna is Norwegian, Ingegerda is Swedish.
Very little is known about Yaroslav's first wife, and the marriage, most likely, did not last more than a year - King Boleslav captured Anna and, together with Yaroslav's sisters, was forever taken to Poland.
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Ingegerda came from a royal family - her father was the first Christian ruler of Sweden, Olaf Shoetkonung. The princess lived with Yaroslav until the end of her days, gave birth to several children. She took an active part in state affairs, for example, promoted close ties between Russia and Scandinavia.
A. Trankovsky. Yaroslav the Wise and the Swedish princess Ingigerda.
Daughters
Yaroslav and Ingegerda had three (according to other assumptions, four) daughters - Elizabeth, Anastasia, Anna, and they all became the spouses of European rulers. Elizabeth married the Norwegian king Harald the Severe, Anastasia went to Hungary to András Bely, and Anna was married to the ruler of France, Henry the Conqueror.
Although the fates of all three daughters of Yaroslav the Wise were quite dramatic, the princesses helped their father establish ties with the kings of Europe.
For example, Harald the Severe, before receiving the throne of Norway, took part in Yaroslav's campaigns against the Poles, and then entered the service of the Byzantine emperor. Harald sent all the gold earned in Byzantium for storage to Yaroslav.
The Hungarian king Andras Bely, with the assistance of his wife, built several Orthodox monasteries in his country, and when he was paralyzed, it was Anastasia who took over the rule of the country.
Thanks to Anna's marriage with the king of France, Yaroslav received a powerful ally, which he intended to use against the Byzantine Empire.
M. Klodt. Departure of Princess Anne to France for the wedding with King Henry I.
And sons
As for the sons, Yaroslav the Wise had seven of them (according to other sources - six): Ilya, Vladimir, Izyaslav, Svyatoslav, Vsevolod, Vyacheslav, Igor. Each of them received a patrimony from his father, thus all of Russia was in the hands of the Yaroslavichs.
Although the sons remained at home, their wives, at the insistence of Yaroslav, were also notable foreigners.
B. Chorikov. Yaroslav's admonition to his sons.
Vladimir, according to one version, was married to Oda, the daughter of the Hungarian margrave, Izyaslav - to the Polish princess Gertrude, Svyatoslav - to Cecilia. The first wife of Vsevolod was the daughter of the Byzantine emperor Maria, the second - the Polovtsian princess Anna. Igor most likely married Kunigund, a girl from the Germanic Margrave.
Thus, the ruler of Russia became related to many powerful foreign rulers. And although this did not save Yaroslav the Wise one hundred percent from border conflicts, it still greatly facilitated the position of the prince.
