Yaroslav, during his long reign as Grand Prince, has consolidated the power of Kievan Rus', codified laws, encouraged the spread of Christianity, and beautified Kiev with new edifices, including the Cathedral of Saint Sophia at Kiev.

Yaroslav had In 1019 married Ingegerd Olofsdotter, daughter of the king of Sweden, and had given her Ladoga as a marriage gift.

The Saint Sophia Cathedral houses a fresco representing the whole family: Yaroslav, Irene (as Ingegerd is known in Rus), their five daughters and five sons.

Yaroslav has had three of his daughters married to foreign princes who lived in exile at his court: Elizabeth of Kiev to Harald III of Norway (who attained her hand by his military exploits on behalf of Constantinople; Anastasia of Kiev to the future Andrew I of Hungary; Anne of Kiev to Henry I of France; she was the regent of France during their son's minority; (possibly) Agatha, to Edward the Exile, of the royal family of England; she is the mother of Edgar Ætheling and St. Margaret of Scotland.

Yaroslav has one son from the first marriage (his Christian name was Ilya (?-1020)), and six sons from his second marriage.

The eldest of these, Vladimir of Novgorod, best remembered for building the Saint Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod, has predeceased his father.

Apprehending the danger that could ensue from divisions between brothers, he exhorted them to live in peace with each other.

Following his death in 1054, the three older sons—Iziaslav, Sviatoslav, and Vsevolod—will reign in Kiev one after another.

The youngest children of Yaroslav are Igor (1036–1060) of Volyn and Vyacheslav (1036–1057) of Smolensk.

About the last there is almost no information.