Composing: Yaroslav the Wise 3

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Hearing of this, and not relying on the strength only of the militia of Novgorod, Yaroslav went for help to the Vikings. He was married to the daughter of Swedish king Olof Ingigerda (baptized Irene, in monasticism Anna), and to invite the aid of Norman troops was not for Yaroslav difficult. The Vikings started to rape women in Novgorod, and at the same time to plunder the population. The citizens in debt has not gone and killed many of the offenders. Yaroslav was angry and punished the participants of the beating the Vikings, invited them to her, ostensibly to stop them, but they were cut down by order of the Prince.

The development of the conflict prevented the news of his father's death and the claims of Sviatopolk, the great reign. By this time both older brother Yaroslav, Izyaslav and Vycheslav already died and he was left the eldest in the Grand-Ducal family. Svjatopolk also was of the lineage of Rurik, but he was not a native son of Saint Vladimir and the Kievan throne was not even formal rights. Candidates for the Grand Principality were considered half-brothers Jaroslav, Boris and Gleb. But it's another word from Kiev about the murder of Boris and Gleb Sviatopolk. Yaroslav had no choice but to ask help of the Novgorodians and the Vikings to fight for Kiev. Under Yaroslav gathered about thousands of Vikings to forty thousand Novgorodtsev. At Novgorod there was a reason, they have long weighed the dependence on Kiev and insulted the pride of the people of Kiev, who considered themselves their lords. The people of Novgorod in their calculations are not wrong – later Yaroslav gave them preferential letter of full financial independence and generously rewarded with money.

SVJATOPOLK AND JAROSLAV

Svyatopolk The Accursed

Engraving B. Charikova. XIX century

Justifying his campaign against Svyatopolk, and Yaroslav said: "I started kicking, but Svyatopolk; be it God omestic the blood of my brothers because without fault spilled the righteous blood of Boris and Gleb". After learning about the promotion of the retinue of Yaroslav, Svyatopolk called in the aid of the Pechenegs. The two forces met early in the winter of 1016 from the city of ljubech on the Dnieper. Svyatopolk fled, and Jaroslav in the beginning of 1017 solemnly entered Kiev.

The first thing the new Grand Prince made an Alliance with the German Emperor Heinrich II against Poland, where Svyatopolk fled to his father-in-law king Boleslav I the Brave. And soon had to repel the first attempt of Kiev Svyatopolk back with Pecheneg troops.

In 1018 following year Sviatopolk went to Kiev with the Polish army, and the battle on the banks of the border bug Druzhina of Yaroslav was defeated. To the Prince managed with a small retinue to return to Novgorod. He was going further in Sweden, but Novgorod didn't let him go – revenge of the city on the part of Sviatopolk did not arouse any doubts. Jaroslav cheered, he didn't expect from people that support. While Yaroslav gathered an army, Boleslav the Brave captured many cities in the South of Russia and 14 August 1016 entered Kiev. The militia of Novgorod and Varangian squad, which managed to hire on the donations of wealthy citizens moved to the South. From Svatopluk by the time he left the Polish army and he was defeated in the battle on the banks of the river Alta. In 1019 Yaroslav Vladimirovich finally established in Kiev.

AT THE HEAD OF POWER

Prince Yaroslav occupied the Kyiv throne, and appeared in Russia, it is peaceful times. Over the next four years Yaroslav managed more or less to unite the North and South. Refused to obey only Polotsk, ruled by the grandson of the murdered Vladimir Holy Prince Brjachislav Rogvold, and far Tmutarakan in the head with half-younger brother of Yaroslav Mstislav Vladimirovich. The Brjachislav even managed to capture Novgorod, but it quickly knocked out. But the fight with the Prince of Tmutarakan was delayed for a long time.

In 1023 year, taking advantage of the visit of Yaroslav in Novgorod, Mstislav with a large army came to Kyiv. The townspeople, fed up with the recent princely strife, did not accept it. The assault Mstislav decided not to, but took Chernigov, the Central city of the whole North-Eastern Rus. There near Chernigov in the next 1024 broke coming up with a Varangian army of Yaroslav. But Kiev to storm again did not. As it turned out later, Mstislav did not qualify for the capital city, and there continued to rule the people of Yaroslav.

At this time, Yaroslav showed another concern. In Suzdal the people rebelled because of hunger. Wealthy women were accused of witchcraft, to kill them and Rob their house. Yaroslav went to Suzdal, punished the instigators Matara. But the people calmed down only when have been procured wheat from the Volga people. Fed people do not revolt.