On the high bank of the Volga lies Yaroslavl', a city which has preserved magnificent reminders of yore, and which has formed a school of architecture and art uniquely its own.
According to legend, in 1010 prince Yaroslav Mudriy (the Wise) along with his men captured an old Russian settlement, and with his battle axe split in two a pagan image of a bear. Another version has the prince killing a live bear. Still, whatever happened, Yaroslav founded a fortress, naming it in his own honour — Yaroslavl'. The new city's coat of arms showed a bear holding an axe in its paws. On the prince's orders the city was girded by a wooden wall with towers. A hundred years later, it became the capital of an independent principality.
Yaroslavl' did no escape the fate of many other Russian cities, and was burned and looted by the Tartars in 1238. In 1436, the Yaroslavl' principality became part of the Grand Principality of Moscow. Situated along trade routes with Western Europe (Moscow-Arkhangelsk) and the East (the Volga), Yaroslavl' eventually became the Russian state's most prominent trade centre. In 1608, the city was overrun by Polish-Lithuanian invaders. An army from Vologda came to Yaroslavl's aid, and the enemy was ousted. The next year, in 1609, the Poles were again at the ancient city's gates.
Yaroslavl' became a stronghold of opposition to the aggressors. In 1612, Minin and Pozharskiy's army entered the city and remained there for four months while preparing tor a liberating march to Moscow. I he war years damaged the city heavily, but reconstruction progressed at a fast pace, and soon Yaroslavl' was second only to Moscow in terms of its area and the number of inhabitants. In the 18th century, Yaroslavl' was rebuilt according to a 'standard' plan, ll'yinskaya Square became the city's centre, with streets emanating from it in the manner of rays from the sun. In the 18th century, Yaroslavl' became home to the first theater in Russia accessible to the general public, created by Fyodor Volkov. Today, Yaroslavl' is a prominent industrial and cultural centre.