Anna of Kyiv - Know Your Own

A daughter of Prince Yaroslav the Wise of Kyiv who became Queen of France in 1051. The mother of King Philip I of France; today she is a symbol of the old ties between Rus’ and Europe.

Who she was

Anna Yaroslavna, also called Anna of Kyiv, was a daughter of Grand Prince Yaroslav the Wise of Kyiv. The exact year of her birth is unknown: scholars give 1024–1025 or 1032. She was probably born in Kyiv. Only Western European sources tell us about her life.

Her story

After his wife’s death, King Henry I of France had no heir, and he sent an embassy to Rus’, which arranged his marriage to Anna. On 19 May 1051 (the date proposed by the scholar Marcel Prou), in the cathedral of Reims, Anna married Henry and was crowned Queen of France. The couple had three sons; the eldest, Philip, later became King of France.

After Henry’s death in 1060, Anna became the de facto, but not official, wife of Count Raoul of Valois, one of the most powerful lords of northern France. Historians suggest that this union gave protection to the queen and her young sons. Twenty-eight documents issued in Anna’s name or with her participation are known. They show that she regularly took part in meetings of the royal council. Between 1065 and 1069 Anna founded (or restored) the Monastery of Saint Vincent in the town of Senlis. She died between 1075 and 1079.

Why it matters today

Anna’s story shows that Kyivan Rus’ was part of the political life of medieval Europe. Today she is often used as a symbol of Ukraine’s long-standing ties with Europe: several monuments to her stand in France and Ukraine, the first erected in Senlis in 2005.

Interesting facts

In 1059 Pope Nicholas II wrote a letter to Anna praising her piety and generosity to the Church.
Historians regard the popular story linking Anna to the Reims Gospel as a myth.