The Blessed Prince Yaropolk, in Holy Baptism Peter, was the son of the great Prince of Kiev Iziaslav Yaroslavich and the grandson of Yaroslav the Wise. He was born no later than the 50s of the 11th century and was the third son of Iziaslav. His mother, Princess Gertrude, was a Polish princess.
In the difficult times of strife among the brother-princes, Yaropolk shared the sorrow of his father. After the death of Yaroslav, five sons remained, of whom Yaropolk was the son of the eldest, Iziaslav. In his life, many princes changed on the Kiev throne, and he himself participated in military actions.
In 1071, Yaropolk defeated Prince Vseslav, but soon new disputes arose among the brothers. Yaropolk governed the city of Vyshhorod, but in 1078 he found himself once again embroiled in internecine wars. He participated in the battle at the Nizhatina Niva, where his father, the great prince Iziaslav, fell.
After the death of Iziaslav, Yaropolk received the Volodymyr-Volynskyi principality, where he ruled peacefully for more than five years. However, his rule was disrupted by the actions of the Rostislavichs, who expelled him from Volodymyr in 1084. Yaropolk returned, but was soon treacherously killed on November 22, 1086.
The body of the prince was transported to Kiev, where he was buried with honor in the monastery of Saint Dimitri. Yaropolk was known for his pious life, generosity, and devotion to the Church, leaving behind a family and two sons, Yaroslav and Vyacheslav.
The celebration of the holy blessed prince Yaropolk is held locally in the Pochaiv Lavra.
