{short description of image}  
 

RUSSIAN ART AND ARCHITECTURE
THROUGH THE CENTURIES

 
 

Yaroslav Vladimirovich

 
 

During the long reign of Grand Duke Yaroslav Vladimirovich, 1015-1054, important strides were made in the cultural development of Kievan Russia. The new Christian religion and the church itself were firmly established. By appointing Hillarion, a Russian priest from the village of Berestov as the first Russian Metropolitan of Kiev, Yaroslav demonstrated his independence from Constantinople and the Greek Patriarch. The Chronicler described Yaroslav as very fond of reading. He invited to Kiev literary men, translators and copyists who, in his time, completed many hand written books in the Church-Slavonic alphabet. Hillarion himself was one of the first highly educated Russians and a distinguished speaker.

With similar eagerness Yaroslav approached the arts. Here the advance was particularly marked most probably because of the existence of a strong national folklore. During his reign several magnificent stone churches were erected throughout the realm. Yaroslav wanted to pull his people out of the dark and reduce the cultural inequality that existed between his and other leading countries. For his hard work he became known to his people as Yaroslav the Wise.

 
 

GO BACK
NEXT

 

Return to Xenophon. Return to Ruscity. Return to Rushistory. Return to Ukraine.