The high relief on display in the museum is made in the form of a rectangular frame with a rounded protrusion on the upper edge. In the center is a full-face convex pectoral portrait of Prince Yaroslav the Wise: it is a middle-aged man with long hair, mustache and beard, wearing a shirt with a round neckline and a cloak with a wide decorative band on the edge. The cloak is fastened on the right shoulder and decorated with geometric and floral patterns.
Yaroslav has a hat on his head with a soft rounded crown and upward-curved brim decorated with precious stones. Two pendants in the form of chains of large round beads are attached to the sides of the hat. Behind Yaroslav on the upper part of the frame is an image of a banner with inscriptions in Church Slavonic and winged figures of angels.
The high relief is made of plaster and has a framework of wooden slats and metal rods, which are partially visible on the reverse side. The front side is covered with bronze-colored paint. The reverse side has a white uneven surface and notches in the center.
This exhibit is a copy of Mark Antokolsky’s sculpture of 1889. Yaroslav the Wise was Prince of Rostov, Prince of Novgorod and Grand Prince of Kiev. He is grandfather, father, uncle to numerous European rulers. Baptized as George, he is honored by the Russian Orthodox Church as Faithful Prince. The day of his remembrance is March 4 in a leap year or March 5 in other years. Unfortunately, the annals have not preserved a detailed description of his appearance. It is known that he was lame of one leg: either from birth, or after being wounded in battle. He was characterized as intelligent, diligent in faith, brave and compassionate to all the poor. He lived very modestly.
During the years of Yaroslav the Wise’s reign, the Kievan principality reached a new level of military and political power and significantly expanded its territories. He established ties with foreign countries and promoted dynastic marriages. According to one of the legends, Yaroslav was traveling along the Volga River from Novgorod to Rostov, when he was attacked by a bear, which Yaroslav killed with an ax.
After that, the prince ordered to build a small
wooden fortress on an impregnable promontory above the Volga, which was named
after him — Yaroslavl.
