Battle of Kulikovo: wiki: Facts about Russia. Training of Russian troops
Battle of Kulikovo (Battle of Mamay), a battle between the united Russian army led by the Moscow Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich and the army of the Temnik of the Golden Horde Mamai, which took place on September 8, 1380 on the Kulikovo field (a historical area between the rivers Don, Nepryadva and Beautiful Mecha in the south east of the Tula region.
Strengthening of the Moscow principality in the 60s of the XIV century. and the unification around him of the rest of the lands of North-Eastern Russia went almost simultaneously with the strengthening of the power of the Temnik Mamai in the Golden Horde. Married to the daughter of the Golden Horde Khan Berdibek, he received the title of emir and became the arbiter of the fate of that part of the Horde, which was located west of the Volga to the Dnieper and in the steppe expanses of the Crimea and Ciscaucasia.
The militia of the Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich in 1380 Lubok XVII century.
In 1374, Prince Dmitry Ivanovich of Moscow, who also had a label for the Grand Duchy of Vladimir, refused to pay tribute to the Golden Horde. Then the khan in 1375 handed over the label to the great reign of Tver. But virtually the entire North-Eastern Russia came out against Mikhail of Tverskoy. The Moscow prince organized a military campaign against the Tver principality, which was joined by the Yaroslavl, Rostov, Suzdal and regiments of other principalities. Dmitry was supported by Novgorod the Great. Tver capitulated. According to the concluded agreement, the Vladimir table was recognized as the "fatherland" of the Moscow princes, and Mikhail of Tverskoy became Dmitry's vassal.
However, the ambitious Mamai continued to consider the defeat of the Moscow Principality, which had come out of subordination, as the main factor in strengthening own positions in the Horde. In 1376, the Khan of the Blue Horde, Arab-shah Muzzaffar (Arapsha of Russian chronicles), who transferred to the service of Mamai, ruined the Novosilsky principality, but returned back, avoiding a battle with the Moscow army that had gone beyond the Oka line. In 1377, he was on the river. Drunk did not defeat the Moscow-Suzdal army. The governors sent against the Horde showed carelessness, for which they paid: “And their princes, and boyars, and nobles, and governors, consoling and having fun, drinking and fishing, acting like a house,” and then ruined the Nizhny Novgorod and Ryazan principalities.
In 1378, Mamai, trying to force him to pay tribute again, sent an army to Russia led by Murza Begich. The Russian regiments that came forward were led by Dmitry Ivanovich himself. The battle took place on August 11, 1378 in the Ryazan land, on the tributary of the Oka river. Vozhe. The Horde were utterly defeated and fled. The battle on the Vozha showed the increased power of the Russian state, which was taking shape around Moscow.
To participate in the new campaign, Mamai attracted armed detachments from the conquered peoples of the Volga region and North Caucasus, in his army there were also heavily armed infantrymen from the Genoese colonies in the Crimea. The allies of the Horde were the great Lithuanian prince Jagiello and the prince of Ryazan Oleg Ivanovich. However, these allies were on their own minds: Jagiello did not want to strengthen either the Horde or the Russian side, and as a result, his troops did not appear on the battlefield; Oleg Ryazansky agreed to an alliance with Mamai, fearing for the fate of his border principality, but he was the first to inform Dmitry about the advance of the Horde troops and did not participate in the battle.
In the summer of 1380, Mamai began a campaign. Not far from the confluence of the Voronezh River with the Don, the Horde broke their camps and, wandering, expected news from Jagiello and Oleg.
In the terrible hour of danger hanging over the Russian land, Prince Dmitry showed exceptional energy in organizing a rebuff to the Golden Horde. At his call, military detachments, militias of peasants and townspeople began to gather. All Russia rose to fight the enemy. The collection of Russian troops was appointed in Kolomna, where the core of the Russian army marched from Moscow. By different roads the yard of Dmitri himself walked separately, his regiments cousin Vladimir Andreevich Serpukhovsky and regiments of Belozersky, Yaroslavl and Rostov princes. The regiments of the Olgerdovich brothers (Andrey Polotsky and Dmitry Bryansky, the Jagiello brothers) also moved to join the troops of Dmitry Ivanovich. The brothers' troops included Lithuanians, Belarusians and Ukrainians; citizens of Polotsk, Drutsk, Bryansk and Pskov.
After the arrival of the soldiers in Kolomna, a review was held. The assembled army on the Maiden's Field was striking in its large number. The gathering of troops in Kolomna had not only military, but also political significance. Ryazan Prince Oleg finally got rid of hesitation and abandoned the idea of joining the troops of Mamai and Jagiello. In Kolomna, a marching order of battle was formed: Prince Dmitry led the Big Regiment; Serpukhov Prince Vladimir Andreevich with Yaroslavl - the regiment of the Right Hand; in the regiment of the Left Hand, Gleb Bryansky was appointed commander; The advanced regiment was made up of Kolomna.
Saint Sergius of Radonezh blesses Saint Prince Demetrius of the Don.
Artist S.B. Simakov. 1988
On August 20, the Russian army set off from Kolomna on a campaign: it was important to block the way for the hordes of Mamai as soon as possible. On the eve of the campaign, Dmitry Ivanovich visited Sergius of Radonezh in the Trinity Monastery. After the conversation, the prince and abbot went out to the people. Having overshadowed the prince with the sign of the cross, Sergius exclaimed: “Go, lord, to the filthy Polovtsy, calling on God, and the Lord God will be your helper and intercessor.” Blessing the prince, Sergius predicted victory for him, albeit at a high price, and released two of his monks, Peresvet and Oslyabya, on the campaign.
The entire campaign of the Russian rati to the Oka was carried out in a relatively short time. The distance from Moscow to Kolomna, about 100 km, the troops passed in 4 days. They arrived at the mouth of Lopasna on 26 August. Ahead was a sentry guard, which had the task of protecting the main forces from a sudden attack by the enemy.
On August 30, Russian troops began crossing the Oka near the village of Priluki. Okolnichiy Timofey Velyaminov with a detachment controlled the crossing, waiting for the approach of the foot rati. On September 4, 30 km from the Don River in the Berezuy tract, the allied regiments of Andrei and Dmitry Olgerdovich joined the Russian army. Once again, the location of the Horde army was clarified, which, in anticipation of the approach of the allies, wandered around Kuzmina Gati.
The movement of the Russian troops from the mouth of Lopasna to the west was intended to prevent the connection Lithuanian army Jagiello with the forces of Mamai. In turn, Jagiello, having learned about the route and the number of Russian troops, was in no hurry to join the Mongol-Tatars, trampling around in the Odoev area. Russian command, having received this information, resolutely sent troops to the Don, trying to prevent the formation of enemy units and strike at the Mongol-Tatar horde. On September 5, the Russian cavalry reached the mouth of the Nepryadva, which Mamai learned about only the next day.
To work out a plan further action On September 6, Prince Dmitry Ivanovich convened a military council. The votes of the council members were divided. Some suggested going beyond the Don and fighting the enemy on the south bank of the river. Others advised to stay on the northern bank of the Don and wait for the enemy to attack. final decision depended on the Grand Duke. Dmitry Ivanovich said the following significant words: "Brothers! Better an honest death than an evil life. It was better not to go out against the enemy than, having come and done nothing, to return back. Today we will all cross over the Don and there we will lay our heads for the Orthodox faith and our brothers. The Grand Duke of Vladimir preferred offensive actions that allowed him to keep the initiative, which was important not only in strategy (beating the enemy piecemeal), but also in tactics (choosing the battlefield and surprise strike on the enemy’s army). After the council in the evening, Prince Dmitry and the governor Dmitry Mikhailovich Bobrok-Volynsky moved beyond the Don and examined the area.
terrain, elected prince Dmitry for the battle, was called the Kulikovo field. On three sides - west, north and east, it was bounded by the Don and Nepryadva rivers, cut up by ravines and small rivers. The right wing of the Russian rati, which was being built in battle order, was covered by rivers flowing into the Nepryadva (Upper, Middle and Lower Dubiki); the left one is a rather shallow river Smolka, which flows into the Don, and dried up stream beds (beams with gentle slopes). But this lack of terrain was compensated - behind the Smolka rose a forest in which it was possible to place a general reserve, guarding the fords across the Don and strengthening the battle order of the wing. Along the front, the Russian position had a length of more than eight kilometers (some authors significantly reduce it and then question the number of troops). However, the area convenient for the action of the enemy cavalry was limited to four kilometers and was located in the center of the position - near the converging upper reaches of the Lower Dubik and Smolka. Mamai's army, having an advantage in deploying over 12 kilometers along the front, could attack the Russian battle formations with cavalry only in this limited area, which excluded the maneuver of horse masses.
On the night of September 7, 1380, the crossing of the main forces began. Foot troops and convoys crossed the Don along built bridges, the cavalry - wade. The crossing was made under the cover of strong guard detachments.
Morning on the Kulikovo field. Artist A.P. Bubnov. 1943–1947
According to the watchman Semyon Melik and Pyotr Gorsky, who had a skirmish with enemy reconnaissance on September 7, it became known that the main forces of Mamai were at a distance of one crossing and should be expected at the Don by the morning of the next day. Therefore, in order for Mamai not to preempt the Russian army, on the morning of September 8, the army of Russia, under the cover of the Guard Regiment, adopted a battle order. On the right flank, adjoining the steep banks of the Lower Dubik, stood the regiment of the Right Hand, which included the squad of Andrei Olgerdovich. In the center are the squads of the Big Regiment. They were commanded by the Moscow roundabout Timofey Velyaminov. On the left flank, covered from the east by the Smolka River, the regiment of the Left Hand of Prince Vasily Yaroslavsky was built. In front of the Big Regiment was the Advance Regiment. Behind the left flank of the Bolshoi Regiment, a reserve detachment was secretly located, commanded by Dmitry Olgerdovich. Behind the regiment of the Left Hand in the forest area Zelenaya Dubrava, Dmitry Ivanovich placed a select detachment of cavalry from 10-16 thousand people - ambush regiment, headed by Prince Vladimir Andreevich Serpukhov and an experienced governor Dmitry Mikhailovich Bobrok-Volynsky.
Kulikovo battle. Artist A. Yvon. 1850
Such a formation was chosen taking into account the terrain and the method of struggle used by the Golden Horde. Their favorite technique was to cover one or both flanks of the enemy with cavalry detachments, followed by an exit to his rear. Russian army took up a position, reliably covered from the flanks by natural obstacles. According to the conditions of the terrain, the enemy could attack the Russians only from the front, which deprived him of the opportunity to use his numerical superiority and use the usual tactical technique. The number of Russian troops, built in battle order, reached 50-60 thousand people.
Mamai's army, which approached on the morning of September 8 and stopped 7-8 kilometers from the Russians, numbered about 90-100 thousand people. It consisted of the vanguard (light cavalry), the main forces (the Genoese mercenary infantry was in the center, and the heavy cavalry deployed in two lines on the flanks) and the reserve. In front of the Horde camp, light detachments of reconnaissance and security scattered. The idea of the enemy was to cover the Russian. army from both flanks, and then surround it and destroy it. The main role in solving this problem was assigned to powerful cavalry groups concentrated on the flanks of the Horde army. However, Mamai was in no hurry to join the battle, still hoping for Jagiello's approach.
But Dmitry Ivanovich decided to draw Mamai's army into battle and ordered his regiments to advance. The Grand Duke took off his armor, gave it to the boyar Mikhail Brenk, and he himself put on a simple armor, but not inferior in its protective properties to the prince's. The Grand Duke's dark red (black) banner was placed in the Big Regiment - a symbol of honor and glory of the united Russian army. It was handed to Brenck.
Duel of Peresvet with Chelubey. Artist. V.M. Vasnetsov. 1914
The battle began at about 12 noon. When the main forces of the parties approached, a duel took place between the Russian warrior monk Alexander Peresvet and the Mongol hero Chelubey (Temir-Murza). As the folk legend says, Peresvet rode out without protective armor, with one spear. Chelubey was fully armed. The warriors dispersed the horses and hit the spears. A powerful simultaneous blow - Chelubey collapsed dead head to the Horde army, which was a bad omen. Re-light stayed in the saddle for several moments and also fell to the ground, but with its head towards the enemy. So the folk legend predetermined the outcome of the battle for a just cause. After the duel, a fierce slaughter broke out. As the chronicle writes: “The power of the Tatar greyhound is great with the Sholomyani coming and that packs, not acting, stash, for there is no place where they will part; and taco stasha, a copy of the pawn, the wall against the wall, each of them on the splash of their front property, the front ones are more beautiful, and the back ones are due. And the prince is also great, with his great Russian strength, from another Sholomian, go against them.
For three hours, Mamai's army unsuccessfully tried to break through the center and the right wing of the Russian rati. Here the onslaught of the Horde troops was repulsed. Andrei Olgerdovich's detachment was active. He repeatedly went on the counterattack, helping the regiments of the center to hold back the onslaught of the enemy.
Then Mamai concentrated his main efforts against the regiment of the Left Hand. In a fierce battle with a superior enemy, the regiment suffered big losses and started walking away. The reserve detachment of Dmitry Olgerdovich was introduced into the battle. The warriors took the place of the fallen, trying to hold back the onslaught of the enemy, and only their death allowed the Mongol cavalry to move forward. The soldiers of the Ambush Regiment, seeing the difficult situation of their brothers-in-arms, rushed into battle. Vladimir Andreevich Serpukhovskoy, who commanded the regiment, decided to join the battle, but his adviser, the experienced voivode Bobrok, kept the prince. Mamaev's cavalry, crowding the left wing and breaking through the battle formation of the Russian rati, began to go to the rear of the Big Regiment. The Horde, reinforced by fresh forces from the Mamaia reserve, bypassing the Green Oakwood, attacked the soldiers of the Big Regiment.
The decisive moment of the battle has come. The Ambush Regiment, the existence of which Mamai did not know, rushed to the flank and rear of the Golden Horde cavalry that had broken through. The strike of the Ambush Regiment came as a complete surprise to the Tatars. “The wickedness fell into great fear and horror ... and exclaimed, saying: “Alas for us! ... the Christians have been wiser over us, leaving Lutchia and daring princes and governors in secret and prepared them for us untiringly; our hands are weakened, and our splashes are tired, and our knees are numb, and our horses are tired, and our weapons are worn out; and who can be against them? ... ". Using the emerging success, went on the offensive and other regiments. The enemy took to flight. The Russian squads pursued him for 30-40 kilometers - to the Beautiful Sword River, where the convoy and rich trophies were captured. The army of Mamai was completely defeated. It has practically ceased to exist.
Returning from the chase, Vladimir Andreevich began to gather an army. Myself Grand Duke was shell-shocked and knocked off his horse, but was able to get to the forest, where he was found after the battle under a felled birch in an unconscious state. But the Russian army also suffered heavy losses, which amounted to about 20 thousand people.
For eight days, the Russian army collected and buried the dead soldiers, and then moved to Kolomna. On September 28, the winners entered Moscow, where the entire population of the city was waiting for them. The battle on the Kulikovo field was of great importance in the struggle of the Russian people for liberation from the foreign yoke. It seriously undermined the military power of the Golden Horde and accelerated its subsequent collapse. The news that "Great Russia defeated Mamai on the Kulikovo field" quickly spread throughout the country and far beyond its borders. For an outstanding victory, the people nicknamed Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich “Donskoy”, and his cousin, Prince Vladimir Andreevich of Serpukhov, nicknamed “Brave”.
Detachments of Jagiello, having not reached the Kulikovo field 30-40 kilometers and having learned about the victory of the Russians, quickly returned to Lithuania. Mamai's ally did not want to take risks, since there were many Slavic detachments in his army. In the rati of Dmitry Ivanovich there were prominent representatives of the Lithuanian soldiers who had supporters in the Jagiello army, and they could go over to the side of the Russian troops. All this forced Jagiello to be as careful as possible in making decisions.
Mamai, leaving your broken army, with a handful of associates fled to Kafu (Feodosia), where he was killed. Khan Tokhtamysh seized power in the Horde. He demanded that Russia resume the payment of tribute, arguing that in the Battle of Kulikovo, not Golden Horde, and the usurper of power is the temnik Mamai. Dmitry refused. Then in 1382, Tokhtamysh undertook a punitive campaign against Russia, seized and burned Moscow by cunning. were also ruthlessly destroyed Largest cities Moscow land - Dmitrov, Mozhaisk and Pereyaslavl, and then the Horde marched with fire and sword through the Ryazan lands. As a result of this raid Horde dominion over Russia was restored.
Dmitry Donskoy on the Kulikovo field. Artist V.K. Sazonov. 1824.
In terms of its scale, the Battle of Kulikovo has no equal in the Middle Ages and occupies a prominent place in the history of military art. The strategy and tactics used in the Battle of Kulikovo by Dmitry Donskoy surpassed the strategy and tactics of the enemy, they were distinguished by their offensive nature, activity and purposefulness of actions. Deep, well-organized intelligence made it possible to take right decisions and make an exemplary march to the Don. Dmitry Donskoy was able to correctly assess and use the conditions of the area. He took into account the tactics of the enemy, revealed his plan.
Burial of fallen soldiers after the Battle of Kulikovo.
1380. Front chronicle of the 16th century.
Based on the conditions of the terrain and used by Mamai tactics, Dmitry Ivanovich rationally located the forces at his disposal on the Kulikovo field, created a general and private reserve, and thought through the issues of interaction between the regiments. The tactics of the Russian army received further development. The presence of a general reserve (Ambush Regiment) in battle order and its skillful use, expressed in the successful choice of the moment of commissioning, predetermined the outcome of the battle in favor of the Russians.
Assessing the results of the Battle of Kulikovo and the activities of Dmitry Donskoy preceding it, a number of modern scientists who have most fully studied this question, do not believe that the Moscow prince set himself the goal of leading the anti-Horde struggle in broad concept of this word, but only spoke out against Mamai, as a usurper of power in the Golden Horde. So, A.A. Gorsky writes: “Open disobedience to the Horde, which grew into an armed struggle against it, occurred at a time when power there fell into the hands of an illegitimate ruler (Mamai). With the restoration of "legitimate" power, an attempt was made to confine itself to a purely nominal, without paying tribute, recognition of the supremacy of the "king", but military defeat 1382, it was torn off. Nevertheless, the attitude towards foreign power has changed: it has become obvious that, under certain conditions, its non-recognition and successful military opposition to the Horde are possible. Therefore, as other researchers note, despite the fact that the speeches against the Horde still take place within the framework of the previous ideas about the relationship between the Russian princes - "ulusniks" and the Horde "tsars", "The Battle of Kulikovo undoubtedly became a turning point in the formation of a new self-consciousness of Russians people", and "the victory on the Kulikovo field secured for Moscow the importance of the organizer and ideological center of the reunification of the East Slavic lands, showing that the path to their state-political unity was the only way to their liberation from foreign domination."
Monument-column, made according to the project of A.P. Bryullov at the factory of Ch. Byrd.
Installed on the Kulikovo field in 1852 on the initiative of the first researcher
battles of the Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod S. D. Nechaev.
The times of the Horde invasions were a thing of the past. It became clear that in Russia there are forces capable of resisting the Horde. The victory contributed to the further growth and strengthening of the Russian centralized state and raised the role of Moscow as the center of unification.
September 21 (September 8 to julian calendar) in accordance with federal law dated March 13, 1995 No. 32-FZ “On the days military glory and Memorable Dates of Russia" is the Day of military glory of Russia - the Day of the victory of the Russian regiments led by Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy over the Mongol-Tatar troops in the Battle of Kulikovo.
Chronicle collection, called the Patriarchal or Nikon Chronicle. PSRL. T. XI. SPb., 1897. S. 27.
Cit. Quoted from: Borisov N.S. And the candle wouldn't go out... historical portrait Sergius of Radonezh. M., 1990. S.222.
Nikon chronicle. PSRL. T. XI. S. 56.
Kirpichnikov A.N. Kulikovo battle. L., 1980. S. 105.
This number was calculated by the Soviet military historian E.A. Razin based on total population of Russian lands, taking into account the principles of recruiting troops for all-Russian campaigns. See: Razin E.A. History of military art. T. 2. SPb., 1994. S. 272. The same number of Russian troops is determined by A.N. Kirpichnikov. See: Kirpichnikov A.N. Decree. op. P. 65. In the works historians XIX in. this number varies from 100 thousand to 200 thousand people. See: Karamzin N.M. History of Russian Goverment. T.V.M., 1993.S. 40; Ilovaisky D.I. Collectors of Russia. M., 1996. S. 110.; Soloviev S.M. History of Russia since ancient times. Book 2. M., 1993. S. 323. Russian chronicles give extremely exaggerated data on the number of Russian troops: the Resurrection Chronicle - about 200 thousand. See: Resurrection Chronicle. PSRL. T. VIII. SPb., 1859. S. 35; Nikon Chronicle - 400 thousand. See: Nikon Chronicle. PSRL. T. XI. S. 56.
See: Skrynnikov R.G. Battle of Kulikovo // Battle of Kulikovo in the history of culture of our Motherland. M., 1983. S. 53-54.
Nikon chronicle. PSRL. T. XI. S. 60.
There. S. 61.
"Zadonshchina" speaks of the flight of Mamai himself-nine to the Crimea, that is, the death of 8/9 of the entire army in the battle. See: Zadonshchina // Military stories Ancient Russia. L., 1986. S. 167.
See: The Legend of the Battle of Mamaev // Military Tales of Ancient Russia. L., 1986. S. 232.
Kirpichnikov A.N. Decree. op. pp. 67, 106. According to E.A. Razin, the Horde lost about 150 thousand, the Russians killed and died from wounds - about 45 thousand people (See: Razin E.A. Decree. Op. T. 2. S. 287-288). B. Urlanis talks about 10 thousand killed (See: Urlanis B.Ts. History of military losses. SPb., 1998. P. 39). The "Tale of the Mamaev Battle" says that 653 boyars were killed. See: Military stories of Ancient Russia. S. 234. The figure of the total number of dead Russian warriors in 253 thousand, given there, is clearly overestimated.
Gorsky A.A. Moscow and the Horde. M. 2000. S. 188.
Danilevsky I.N. Russian lands through the eyes of contemporaries and descendants (XII-XIV centuries). M. 2000. S. 312.
Shabuldo F.M. The lands of Southwestern Russia as part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Kyiv, 1987. S. 131.
Battle of Kulikovo
On September 8, 1380, the Russian army defeated the hordes of Mamai.
Battle of Kulikovo, which took place on September 8, 1380 between the Russian army of Prince Dmitry Ivanovich and the Tatar hordes of Mamai, became a turning point in Russian history. And although Moscow Rus was freed from the Horde yoke for only two years as a result of the battle, the Battle of Kulikovo led to the mental unification of Russia and marked the beginning of the formation of the Great Russian nation - if on Kulikovo field they went, being Muscovites, Vladimirians, Mozhaytsy, Serpukhovites and Novgorodians, then they returned from there as Russians.
Background of the Battle of Kulikovo
Popular uprisings against Tatar yoke began to flare up immediately after its establishment. So, in 1259, the inhabitants of Novgorod dealt with the impudent Horde Baskaks. and in 1262 the inhabitants of Rostov the Great, Vladimir, Suzdal and many other Russian cities rose up against the oppressors. However, the Horde invariably drowned these performances in blood, since the Russian princes spoke on their side.
Many are now trying to argue that the Tatar yoke is on Russia was not. The Tatars, they say, did not keep garrisons in Russian cities, but only limited themselves punitive expeditions against the rebellious cities. Yes, indeed, they did not keep garrisons in the cities - the obedience of the Russian people to the Tatar authorities was provided by the Russian princes themselves, and therefore Tatar yoke it was doubly burdensome - it was necessary to support not only the khan in Sarai, but also the prince in the Kremlin.
The princes themselves repeatedly brought Tatar detachments to Russia, using them both to restore order in their inheritance and to attack neighboring principalities. In addition, the Tatars themselves often used some Russian princes in the fight against others. So, in 1333, the Tatars went along with the Muscovites to Novgorod land who refused to pay tribute in an increased amount. In 1334, together with Dmitry Bryansk, the Tatars went against the Smolensk prince Ivan Alexandrovich.
But on November 13, 1359, after the death of Ivan the Red, nine-year-old Dmitry Ivanovich becomes the Grand Duke of Vladimir and Moscow. In the early years, Moscow was ruled on his behalf by Metropolitan Alexy, who was a supporter of an alliance with the Horde against Lithuania. Objectively, such a policy was correct: the Tatars looked at Russia only as a cash cow, and Lithuania as an object of genocide. Subjectively, such a policy of the metropolitan was due to the fact that it was Berdibek, and not some Jagiello, who issued Alexy a label confirming the release of the Russian Church from tribute and extortion.
However, in the same year, 1359, the twelfth Khan of the Golden Horde, Berdybek, was killed. The impostor Kulpa, who took his place, held out in Saray for five months and was killed by Nauryzbek, who was killed four months later by Khan Khyzyr. But in the same four months Khizyr became a victim of a conspiracy of his own eldest son Timur-Khadzhi. The latter ruled for five weeks, having only time to mint a coin with his name. In total, over the next 10 years, 25 khans were replaced in Saray.
Temnik Mamai, who served under Berdybek as the governor of the Crimea, took advantage of this situation. This representative of the Kyyat tribe had no rights to the Horde throne, but was married to the daughter of Berdybek, the last representative of a legitimate dynasty descended from Batu. In addition, at that moment, an eight-year-old representative of the Batu family, Muhammad-Bulak, was on vacation in the Crimea.
Having proclaimed this little boy Khan, Mamai declared himself the regent of the entire Golden Horde. However, he could not control the entire Horde - Saray and all East End The horde was under the control of other khans, and from 1377, Timur's protege Chingizid Tokhtamysh began to take over.
Taking advantage of the situation in the Horde, called the Great Zamyatnya by the chroniclers, Prince Dmitry decided not to send tribute to Saray anymore.
But Lithuania also decided to take advantage of the situation in the Horde: the Lithuanian prince Olgerd Gedeminvich, married to the daughter of Prince Alexander Mikhailovich of Tver, murdered in the Horde, Ulyana, declared himself the liberator of Russian lands from the Tatar yoke. The halo of the liberator and the appearance similar to the Russians, as well as the Russian wife and the Orthodox religion, allowed him to take possession of Bryansk, Kyiv, Smolensk and all of Volhynia in a short time. It seemed that he was about to take over the entire former Kievan Rus, but Moscow suddenly stood in the way of his plans.
In alliance with the princes of Tver, Olgerd began a war against Dmitry. Three times the Lithuanian prince went to Moscow, but he was unable to take it. In the midst of the confrontation on May 24, 1377, the 80-year-old Olgerd died. His 15-year-old heir, Jagiello, could not only expand, but also keep most of his father's conquests - one principality fell away from Lithuania after another. And then Jagiello decided to offer an alliance against Dmitry to the recent enemies of Lithuania, the Tatars. The condition of this alliance was the support of Mamai in his claims to the Horde throne and the division of Russia between Lithuania and the Horde.
This union was most welcome for Mamai: from the very beginning of his reign, he sought to make North-Eastern Russia not just a dependent territory, but also completely occupy and annex it. In this desire, he was indulged by the Krymchak Jews (not to be confused with the Karaites) and Genoese merchants for the most part of the same nationality, sometimes covered by a pectoral Catholic cross. Both those and others intended to open trading posts in Russia in order to exchange furs for Italian glass. Hoping for future dividends, they generously credited Mamai, who managed to gather a fairly significant military force. They were also interested in the ruin of Moscow for the reason that in the spring of 1376, the Russian army, led by Dmitry Mikhailovich Bobrok-Volynsky, made a trip to the middle Volga, defeated the Volga Bulgaria and instead of Mamaev’s henchmen planted Russian customs officers there. thus, the influx of furs to the Crimean merchants decreased.
It completely dried up after the following winter, Prince Boris Konstantinovich Gorodetsky, together with his nephew Semyon Dmitrievich and the Moscow governor Sviblo, made a trip to the Mordovian land. All Bulgarian and Mordovian furs now went to Russia and were sold through Novgorod to the Hanseatic cities.
To resume the supply of furs to the Crimea, Mamai sent an army under the command of Murza Begich to Russia, but this army was utterly defeated on August 11, 1378 in battle on the river Vozha. Begich himself also died.
Preparation of the Battle of Kulikovo
For the next two years, the opponents were preparing for a decisive battle. Finally, on July 23, 1380, the messenger Andrei Semyonovich Popov rode to Moscow with the news that the army led by Mamai himself had crossed the Voronezh River.
Letters were immediately sent to all the capitals of the Russian principalities, cities and lands: “let them be ready.” Kolomna, a fortress near the mouth of the Moskva River, was appointed the place of concentration of the main forces of the Russian army.
Soon, Russian intelligence officers Rodion Rzhevsky, Andrey Volosatov and Vasily Tupik managed to get the language, according to the testimony of which it became clear that Jagiello and Oleg Ryazansky.
Recently, a theory has emerged suggesting that Battle of Kulikovo happened not at all on the Don, but right under the walls of Moscow in the area of \u200b\u200bthe current Moscow Solyanka street. From point of view formal logic in this theory, everything looks perfect: why chase Mamai in an open field, risking that he, bypassing from the rear, will ruin defenseless Moscow? Wouldn't it be better to meet him under the walls of the city, if he goes to Moscow anyway?
However, this theory does not take into account the fact that in this case not only Mamai would come to Moscow, but also Jagiello with Oleg Ryazansky. Dmitry, on the other hand, wanted to break the opponents in parts, preempting their connection.
On the morning of August 20, the Russian army set out from Moscow along three roads. For the defense of the capital, the voivode Fedor Andreevich Koshka, a distant ancestor of the future Romanov family, was left with the army.
Russia put up against Mamai 24 thousand warriors of heavily armed infantry from city regiments, replenished with volunteer peasants, and about 12 thousand horsemen.
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Russian equestrian warrior |
Knights and their war horses were covered from head to toe in iron armor. Long-range crossbows were attached to the saddles of the knights, firing iron arrows at 800–1000 m, while the Horde bow, according to my information, hit only at a distance of 150–200 m. himself in heavy armor, since, after all, he was taught military affairs from the age of three.
The footmen at arms were armed with crossbows, swords, axes and spears, and according to some information there was also a small number of squeakers that fired not only bullets, but also arrows. Infantrymen were protected by armor and chain mail with bracers, metal gloves, legguards, knee pads and greaves, plate boots, helmets with steel masks, scarlet almond-shaped shields.
The Russian rati included regiments under the command of twenty-three princes and a governor, including the Tver regiment. For various reasons, there were no regiments of Smolensk, Nizhny Novgorod, Novgorod and, of course, Ryazan. But on the other hand, two Orthodox Lithuanian princes sent their squads - his half-brothers, who were in opposition to Jogaila. These were Andrei, who reigned in Pskov, and Dmitry, in whose inheritance Olgerd at one time allocated Bryansk and the Trubetskoy principality. This same Dmitry Olgerdovich became the ancestor of the princes Trubetskoy. It was to meet these detachments that Dmitry Ivanovich, leaving Kolomna with an army on the 24th, did not move directly towards Mamai, but first headed west along the Oka to the mouth of Lopasna. In addition, already knowing about the betrayal of Oleg Ryazansky, he did not dare to move through the center of the Ryazan principality, although the battle itself took place on Ryazan territory.
After crossing the Oka near Lopasnya, Dmitry and his commanders had to decide which of the opponents should be met first. The Grand Duke took into account that Jagiello and Oleg advanced in a narrow strip, mainly along the roads, and therefore their rati did not cause much damage to the local population. Mamai is different. The nomads, greedy for prey, promised great misfortunes for Russian villages, villages and villages. Therefore, having decided to beat the enemies separately, Dmitry wanted first of all to knock out the Horde from the coalition.
Dmitry Ivanovich hurried to cross the Don at an unusual time according to the then rules of war - at night. And in this risky venture there was a deep calculation: realizing that Mamai could know quite a lot about the Moscow rati from scouts, Dmitry hoped that the night crossing would exclude the possibility of a sudden attack on his rear by one of the opponents, and the next day the warriors would have time to prepare for battle.
Kulikovo fieldThe course of the Battle of Kulikovo
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pavezières
Tatar horseman |
In the morning September 8, 1380 two troops lined up on the Kulikovo field: 36 thousand Russian soldiers were opposed by 120 thousand of the Horde. The location of the Russian troops was covered by the Sentry Regiment of Semyon Melik, numbering up to a thousand equestrian knights in damask armor. Behind him were the Front Line and the Big Full, in the ranks of which there were 24 thousand foot warriors. Their flanks were covered by regiments of the Right and Left hands, which included 3-4 thousand heavily armed forged rati, seated in thick armor on armored horses. In the rear of the Bolshoi Regiment, Dmitry prudently deployed 3,600 reserve warriors, not far from which fluttered the grand ducal banner, protected by three hundred warriors. On the left, in the oak forest, the Ambush Regiment, consisting of 4 thousand knights Dmitry Bobrok and Vladimir Serpukhovsky, was waiting in the wings.
Mamai's army was also not purely cavalry - it also included Genoese infantrymen . They were recruited not only in the Crimean Cafe, but also in Genoa itself. Some of them were pikemen, and the rest were crossbowmen- pavezière ami - during the loading of the crossbow, they covered themselves with a standing shield stuck into the ground, called pavese. Each of them had two crossbows, a lamellar armor and a gorget, iron bracers and a bascinet, a sword and a dagger. For every 25 people, a commander relied, who received 10 florins a month. The ordinary crossbowman received five florins.
The main weapon of light, hitting a moving target At a trot, the rider is able to develop up to 12-15 km / h. at the same time, the nomads usually started shooting from five hundred paces, rapidly approaching the enemy.
The battle began at about 11 o'clock in the morning with a duel between the Horde giant Chelubey and the Russian knight Peresvet. Both our knight and the Tatar batyr died, killing each other, after which Mamai moved his advanced detachment of 44,000 light horsemen towards the Guard Regiment. Behind him, 14-15 thousand dismounted heavily armed horsemen were preparing for an attack.
The guard regiment of Semyon sowed and for the most part destroyed the light cavalry of the Horde forward detachment, but then the main enemy forces entered the battle. The Tatars, at full gallop, crashed into the thick chains of the Muscovites, who put up their spears. The Tatar horses jumped over the spears, and the Tatar riders chopped right and left with curved sabers. individual daredevils stood with their backs to each other, put up spears, built like hedgehogs, and successfully fought back. Then the Tatars, not converging closely, began to shoot them with bows. Thus, greatly thinned, the Advance Regiment withdrew, joining the regiments of the Right and Left Hands.
On the right flank, the Russian knights successfully repulsed the attacks of the Mamaev horsemen with iron arrows. In the center of the Big and Advanced Regiments, a hail of arrows was also rained down on the approaching Horde.
. Volleys from 4-6 thousand crossbows tore the air every eight seconds, and in fact the enemy cavalry was in their zone of action for at least 10 minutes, and the clumsy 50-line infantry from the Genoese mercenaries - for at least 25 minutes. And those who managed to break through to the Vanguard Detachment were met by a steel bristle of spears.On the left flank, the right wing of the Horde, reinforced by a reserve, attacked our regiment of the Left Hand, trying to go behind the lines of the Big Regiment. Here, in the front row, Prince Dmitry Ivanovich also fought. Mamai threw reserves into battle. The Tatars, regardless of the huge losses, climbed ahead.
In the center of the fighting, fierce logging continued, the Horde partly crashed into the ranks of the Advanced and Large regiments. At the same time, under the onslaught of superior enemy forces, the thinned regiment of the Left Hand retreated back, and the grand ducal warriors of the Moscow banner entered the battle. Mamai, seeing that the hour was not far off when the main forces of the Russians would be engulfed and surrounded, triumphed over the victory. However, in front of the enemy who had broken through, foot warriors of the reserve suddenly appeared, blocking his path with a wall of shields bristling with spears. Iron arrows fired from crossbows mowed down hundreds of Horde residents.
And at that moment, the Ambush Poly collapsed on the Horde from behind. Now the enemy, having already lost many soldiers, found himself between a hammer and an anvil - he was destroyed from three sides by Russian warriors and knights. The Horde could not bear this and rushed to run. At the same time, the heavily armed regiment of the Right Hand went on the offensive, scattering the light enemy horsemen. Now the Russians surrounded the main forces of Mamai, defeated them and went into pursuit, destroying those fleeing for almost 50 miles to the Red Sword River, covering the entire path with Tatar corpses. And on the Beautiful Sword, the same thing happened that the Mamaev warriors had already experienced on the Vozha: heavy weapons pulled to the bottom of those who wanted to cross the river.
The results of the Battle of Kulikovo
Dmitry Ivanovich himself was subsequently named for the Kulikovo victory Dmitry Donskoy, was shell-shocked and knocked off his horse, but was able to get to the forest, where he was found after the battle under a felled birch in an unconscious state. The Russians also got the whole huge convoy, on which Mamai kept everything that was necessary for the army, and, in addition, he hoped to take out Moscow booty on it. Having learned about the defeat of Mamai, Jagiello, who did not have time to reach the place of the battle, turned back and returned to Lithuania in such a hurry, as if they were chasing him on the heels. For a long time it was believed that the Russians lost almost the entire army on the Kulikovo field. However, according to military historian Dmitry Zenin, Russian losses amounted to 6% of the personnel. that is, a little over two thousand people. Mamai, on the other hand, lost more than a hundred thousand soldiers, and the Genoese infantrymen - both pikemen and paveziers - were almost completely exterminated - most of them were trampled by the horses of the fleeing Tatars. The carts from the captured Tatar convoy were useful for loading the wounded, but on way back the five thousandth army of Oleg Ryazansky attacked this convoy and, having cut the wounded, took all the trophies obtained by the Russians on the Kulikovo field. The defeated Mamai fled to the Crimea, managed to gather a new army there and again went to Russia, but on the way to the Kalka River, where in 1223
Mamai's army was completely defeated. Among the dead was Khan Mohammed-Bulak, who by that time had reached the age of 28, under which Mamai declared himself regent.
Dmitry Donskoy sent a greeting message to Tokhtamysh on the occasion of his accession to the throne and sent him generous gifts, but he did not ask for a label for reigning. Therefore, Tokhtamysh in 1382 made a trip to Moscow, after a long siege he took it fraudulently and burned it to the ground. The Horde yoke in Russia was restored and lasted another century.
Battle of Kulikovo 1380 the battle of Russian troops under the leadership of the Grand Duke of Vladimir and Moscow Dmitry Ivanovich Donskoy (See Dmitry Ivanovich Donskoy) with the Mongol-Tatars, led by the ruler of the Golden Horde Temnik Mamai (See Mamai) on the Kulikovo field in 1380. The fight against the Mongol-Tatars for liberation from Domination of the Golden Horde was headed by Moscow. In 1378 on the river. The leader of the troops of the Moscow principality defeated the Tatar army of Begich. Mamai decided to break the growing power of Russia, to increase its dependence on the Horde. He gathered an army of about 100-150 thousand people, which, in addition to the Mongol-Tatars, also included detachments of Circassians, Ossetians, Armenians, some peoples of the Volga region, and mercenary detachments of the Crimean Genoese. Mamai's ally was the Grand Duke of Lithuania Jagiello ;
his army followed along the Oka to connect with Mamai, who approached the Oka from the south. Some chronicles report that the Grand Duke of Ryazan Oleg Ivanovich spoke on the side of Mamai. Dmitry Ivanovich, having learned at the end of July about the movement of the Mongol-Tatars, appealed to the collection of Russian military forces in Moscow and Kolomna. The Russian army gathered at these points, numbering up to 100-150 thousand people, was homogeneous: they were Muscovites (mainly young people from artisans and peasants, unaccustomed to battle), as well as soldiers of the lands that recognized the authority of the Moscow prince, Ukrainian and Belarusian detachments; the soldiers of Novgorod, Tver, Nizhny Novgorod, Ryazan, Smolensk lands did not participate in the campaign. The plan of the campaign was to, without waiting for a connection on the Oka Mamaia with their allies, to cross the Oka and move towards the enemy to the upper reaches of the Don. The campaign of the troops took place in August - early September. On the morning of September 8, the Russian regiments crossed from the left to the right bank of the Don at the confluence of the river. Nepryadvy and settled on the Kulikovo field. The advanced regiment stood in front, behind it - a large regiment, next to it on the flanks - regiments right hand and left hand, behind them - a reserve (cavalry). Behind the left flank in the forest was an ambush (reserve) regiment led by Prince Vladimir Andreevich the Brave and Prince D. M. Bobrok-Volynsky. In the rear of the Russian troops were rr. Don and Nepryadva and deep ravines, which excluded the possibility of retreat; at the same time, such a position made it difficult for the Mongol-Tatar cavalry to maneuver around. Mamai's army stood in a deployed formation: the cavalry was located in the first line, the infantry was in the second. The battle began with a duel of heroes - Peresvet and Chelubey (both died). Then the Tatar cavalry, having crushed the advanced regiment, began to push the large regiment; Russian regiments suffered significant losses; boyar Mikhail Brenok, who fought in a large regiment in the armor of the Grand Duke and under his banner, was killed. Grand Duke Dmitry in the armor of an ordinary soldier fought among the soldiers of the same regiment. The onslaught of the Mongol-Tatars in the center was delayed by the commissioning of the Russian reserve. Mamai moved main blow on the left flank and began to push the Russian regiments. The unexpected powerful blow of the fresh forces of the ambush regiment to the rear and flank of the Tatar army and the transition to the offensive of other Russian regiments led to the crushing defeat of the Mamaeva rati, the remnants of which the Russian regiments pursued and destroyed for 50 km from the Kulikovo field. K. b. was of great historical importance in the struggle of the Russian and other peoples against the Mongol-Tatar oppression. Although it did not lead to the elimination of the Mongol-Tatar yoke in Russia, however, a strong blow was dealt to the dominance of the Golden Horde on the Kulikovo field, which accelerated its subsequent collapse. An important consequence of K. b. was the strengthening of the role of Moscow in the formation of the Russian state. In 1848, a monument was erected on Red Hill, where Mamai's headquarters was. Source: Complete collection of Russian chronicles, vols. 5-6, 8, 11, 18, 23, 25-28, St. Petersburg - M.-L., 1851-1963; Tale of the Battle of Kulikovo, M., 1959. Lit.: Grekov B. D., Yakubovsky A. Yu., Golden Horde and its fall, M. - L., 1950; Tikhomirov M.N., Battle of Kulikovo in 1380, Questions of History, 1955, No. 8. V. I. Buganov.
Big soviet encyclopedia. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. 1969-1978 .
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Russian battle. troops led by book. Dmitry Ivanovich Donskoy with the Mongols, Tatars, who headed the actual. ruler of the Golden Horde temnik Mamai. K. b. was a turning point in the struggle people against the Mongol Tat. yoke. Fight... ... Soviet historical encyclopedia
Mongol Tatar yoke ... Wikipedia
Mongol Tatar yoke miniature from the annals of the 17th century Date ... Wikipedia
KULIKOVSKAYA BATTLE- The battle of the Russian army led by Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich (see Dmitry Donskoy *) and the Mongol Tatar army under the command of the Horde temnik (commander who commanded "darkness", that is, 10,000 troops) Mamai, who usurped in Golden ... ... Linguistic Dictionary
KULIKOVSKAYA BATTLE, Russian regiments led by the Grand Duke of Moscow and Vladimir Dmitry Ivanovich (see DMITRY DONSKOY) and Horde army under the command of Mamai on September 8, 1380 on the Kulikovo field (on the right bank of the Don, in the area where the river flows into it ... Russian history
Battle of Kulikovo- Battle of Kulikovo. A.P. Bubnov. Morning on the Kulikovo field. 1943 47. Tretyakov Gallery. KULIKOVSKAYA BATTLE, 8/9/1380 on the Kulikovo field (between the Don and Nepryadva rivers, now in the Kurkinsky district of the Tula region). Russian army (warriors participated ... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary
Battle of Kulikovo- KULIKOVSKAYA BATTLE, took place on 8 snt. 1380 between Russian. armies of Dmitry Donskoy and Tatars. hordes of Mamai, at the confluence of the river. Nepryadvy in the Don, within the limits of the present. Epifansk. u., Tulsk. lips. The defeat of the Tatars on the river. Vozhe (see this word) hardened the horde ... ... Military Encyclopedia
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Russian regiments led by the Grand Duke of Moscow and Vladimir Dmitry Donskoy and Mongol Tatar troops under the command of Mamai on September 8, 1380 on the Kulikovo field. Warriors of many Russian principalities participated in the Battle of Kulikovo. Fight against the enemy... ... encyclopedic Dictionary
Battle of Kulikovo - (1380) … orthographic dictionary Russian language
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- Kulikovo battle. Historical essay, E. A. Tikhomirov. Kulikovo battle. Historical outline, compiled by E. Tikhomirov for the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Kulikovo. (September 8, 1380 - September 8, 1880). Reproduced by original…
Battle of Kulikovo briefly
Russian man harnesses for a long time, but drives fast
Russian folk proverb
The Battle of Kulikovo took place on September 8, 1380, but this was preceded by whole line important events. Beginning in 1374, relations between Russia and the Horde began to noticeably become more complicated. If earlier the issues of paying tribute and the supremacy of the Tatars over all the lands of Russia did not cause discussion, now a situation has begun to emerge when the princes began to feel own strength, in which he saw an opportunity to repulse a formidable enemy who had been devastating their lands for many years. It was in 1374 that Dmitry Donskoy actually broke off relations with the Horde, not recognizing Mamai's power over himself. Such free-thinking could not be ignored. The Mongols did not leave.
Background of the Battle of Kulikovo, briefly
Along with the events described above, the death of the Lithuanian king Olgerd occurred. His place was taken by Jagiello, who first of all decided to establish relations with the powerful Horde. As a result, the Mongol-Tatars received a powerful ally, and Russia was squeezed between enemies: from the east by the Tatars, from the west by the Lithuanians. This in no way shook the determination of the Russians to repulse the enemy. Moreover, an army was assembled, headed by Dmitry Bobrok-Valintsev. He made a trip to the lands on the Volga and captured several cities. Which belonged to the Horde.
The next major events that created the prerequisites for the Battle of Kulikovo took place in 1378. It was then that a rumor spread throughout Russia that the Horde had sent large army in order to punish the recalcitrant Russians. The previous lessons showed that the Mongol-Tatars burn everything in their path, which means that they cannot be allowed into fertile lands. Grand Duke Dmitry gathered a squad and went to meet the enemy. Their meeting took place near the Vozha River. The Russian maneuver had a surprise factor. Never before had the prince's squad descended so deep into the south of the country to fight the enemy. But the fight was inevitable. The Tatars turned out to be unprepared for it. The Russian army won quite easily. This further instilled confidence that the Mongols ordinary people and you can fight them.
Preparation for the battle - the battle of Kulikovo briefly
The events near the Vozha River were the last straw. Mom wanted revenge. He was haunted by the laurels of Batu and the new khan dreamed of repeating his feat and going through fire throughout Russia. Latest events showed that the Russians were not as weak as before, which means that the Mughals needed an ally. He was found fairly quickly. The role of Mamai's allies was:
- King of Lithuania - Jagiello.
- Prince of Ryazan - Oleg.
Historical documents indicate that the prince of Ryazan took a controversial position, trying to guess the winner. To do this, he entered into an alliance with the Horde, but at the same time regularly reported to other principalities information about the movement Mongolian army. Mamai himself gathered a strong army, which included regiments from all the lands that were controlled by the Horde, including the Crimean Tatars.
Training of Russian troops
The impending events demanded decisive action from the Grand Duke. It was at this moment that it was necessary to assemble a strong army that would be able to repulse the enemy and show the whole world that Russia was not completely conquered. About 30 cities expressed their readiness to provide their squad to the united army. Many thousands of soldiers entered the detachment, commanded by Dmitry himself, as well as other princes:
- Dmitry Bobrok-Volynits
- Vladimir Serpukhovsky
- Andrey Olgerdovich
- Dmitry Olgerdovich
At the same time, the whole country rose to fight. Literally everyone who could hold a sword in their hands was recorded in the squad. Hatred of the enemy became the factor that united the divided Russian lands. Let it be just for a while. The united army advanced to the Don, where it was decided to repulse Mamai.
Battle of Kulikovo - briefly about the course of the battle
On September 7, 1380, the Russian army approached the Don. The position was quite dangerous, since holding the raki had both advantages and disadvantages. Advantage - it was easier to fight against the Mongol-Tatars, since they would have to force the river. The disadvantage is that at any moment Jagiello and Oleg Ryazansky could arrive at the battlefield. In this case, the rear of the Russian army would be completely open. The only correct decision was made: the Russian army crossed the Don and burned all the bridges behind them. This managed to secure the rear.
Prince Dmitry resorted to cunning. The main forces of the Russian army lined up in a classical manner. Ahead was a "large regiment", which was supposed to hold back the main onslaught of the enemy, along the edges were a regiment of the right and left hands. At the same time, it was decided to use the Ambush Regiment, which was hidden in the thicket of the forest. This regiment was led best princes Dmitry Bobrok and Vladimir Serpukhovsky.
The Battle of Kulikovo began in the early morning of September 8, 1380, as soon as the fog cleared over the Kulikovo field. According to chronicle sources, the battle began with the battle of the heroes. The Russian monk Peresvet fought with the Horde Chelubey. The blow of the spears of the heroes was so strong that both of them died on the spot. After that, the battle began.
Dmitry, despite his status, put on armor simple war and stood at the head of the Great Regiment. With his courage, the prince infected the soldiers for the feat that they were to accomplish. The starting onslaught of the Horde was terrible. They threw all the force of their blow onto the regiment of the left hand, where the Russian troops began to noticeably lose ground. At the moment when Mamai's army broke through the defenses in this place, and also when it began to make a maneuver in order to go into the rear of the main forces of the Russians, the Ambush Regiment entered the battle, which with terrible force and unexpectedly hit the attacking Horde themselves in the rear. The panic began. The Tatars were sure that God himself was against them. Convinced they had killed everyone behind them, they said it was the dead Russians rising up to fight. In this state, the battle was lost by them quickly enough and Mamai and his horde were forced to hastily retreat. Thus ended the Battle of Kulikovo.
Many people were killed in the battle on both sides. Dmitry himself could not be found for a very long time. Toward evening, when they were dismantling the pipes of the dead from the field, they found the body of the prince. He was alive!
The historical significance of the Battle of Kulikovo
Historical meaning Kulikovo battle cannot be overestimated. For the first time, the myth of the invincibility of the Horde army was broken. If previously it was possible for various armies to succeed in minor battles, then no one has yet managed to defeat the main forces of the Horde.
Important point for the Russian people was that the Battle of Kulikovo, briefly described by us, allowed them to feel faith in themselves. For more than a hundred years, the Mongols forced them to consider themselves second-class citizens. Now this was over, and for the first time, talk began that the power of Mamai and his yoke could be thrown off. These events found expression literally in everything. And it is precisely with this that those cultural transformations that affected all aspects of the life of Russia are largely connected.
The significance of the Battle of Kulikovo also lies in the fact that this victory was perceived by everyone as a sign that Moscow should become the center new country. After all, only after Dmitry Donskoy began to collect land around Moscow, it happened big win over the Mongols.
For the horde itself, the significance of the defeat on the Kulikovo field was also extremely important. Mamaia lost most his army, and soon was completely defeated by Khan Takhtomysh. This allowed the Horde to join forces again and feel their own strength and significance in those spaces that had not even thought of resisting it before.
KULIKOVSKAYA BATTLE- the battle of the Russian regiments led by the Grand Duke of Moscow and Vladimir Dmitry Ivanovich and the Horde army under the command of Khan Mamai on September 8, 1380 on the Kulikovo field (on the right bank of the Don, in the area where the Nepryadva River flows into it), a turning point in the struggle of the Russian people with the yoke Golden Horde.
After the defeat of the Golden Horde troops on the Vozha River in 1378, the Horde temnik (military commander who commanded the "darkness", that is, 10,000 troops), chosen by the khan, named Mamai, decided to break the Russian princes and increase their dependence on the Horde. In the summer of 1380 he gathered an army numbering approx. 100-150 thousand warriors. In addition to the Tatars and Mongols, there were detachments of Ossetians, Armenians, Genoese, Circassians, and a number of other peoples living in the Crimea. Mamai's ally agreed to be the Grand Duke of Lithuania Jagiello, whose army was supposed to support the Horde, moving along the Oka. Another ally of Mamai - according to a number of chronicles - was Ryazan prince Oleg Ivanovich. According to other chronicles, Oleg Ivanovich only verbally expressed his readiness to ally, promising Mamai to fight on the side of the Tatars, he himself immediately warned the Russian army about the threatening union of Mamai and Jagiello.
At the end of July 1380, having learned about the intentions of the Horde and Lithuanians to fight with Russia, the Moscow prince Dmitry Ivanovich appealed to gather Russian military forces in the capital and Kolomna, and soon gathered an army slightly smaller than Mamai's troops. Basically, there were Muscovites and warriors from the lands that recognized the power of the Moscow prince, although a number of lands loyal to Moscow - Novogorod, Smolensk, Nizhny Novgorod- did not express readiness to support Dmitry. The main rival of the prince of Moscow, the prince of Tver, did not give his "wars". Conducted by Dmitry military reform, having strengthened the core of the Russian army at the expense of the princely cavalry, gave access to the number of warriors to numerous artisans and townspeople who made up the "heavy infantry". On foot warriors, by order of the commander, were armed with spears with narrow-leaved triangular-shaped tips, tightly mounted on long strong shafts, or with metal spears with dagger-shaped tips. Against foot soldiers of the Horde (of which there were few), Russian soldiers had sabers, and for long-range combat they were provided with bows, helmets, shishaks, metal naushi and chain mail aventails (collars-shoulders), the warrior’s chest was covered with scaly, plate or typesetting armor, combined with chain mail . The old almond-shaped shields were replaced with round, triangular, rectangular and heart-shaped ones.
The plan of Dmitry's campaign was to prevent Khan Mamai from connecting with an ally or allies, to force him to cross the Oka or do it himself, unexpectedly going out to meet the enemy. Dmitry received a blessing for the fulfillment of his plan from Abbot Sergius from the Radonezh Monastery. Sergius predicted victory for the prince and, according to legend, sent two monks of his monastery “to fight” with him - Peresvet and Oslyabya.
From Kolomna, where Dmitry's army of many thousands gathered, at the end of August he gave the order to move south. The rapid march of the Russian troops (about 200 km in 11 days) did not allow the enemy forces to connect.
On the night of August 7-8, having crossed the Don River from the left to the right bank along floating log bridges and destroyed the crossing, the Russians reached the Kulikovo field. The rear of the Russians was covered by the river - a tactical maneuver that opened new page in Russian military tactics. Prince Dmitry rather riskily cut off his possible retreat, but at the same time covered his army from the flanks with rivers and deep ravines, making it difficult for the Horde cavalry to carry out detours. Dictating to Mamai his terms of battle, the prince placed the Russian troops in echelons: the Vanguard Regiment stood in front (under the command of the princes of the All-Volga Dmitry and Vladimir), behind him was the Big of the Foot Army (commander Timofey Velyaminov), the right and left flanks were covered by horse regiments of the “right hand "(commander - Kolomna thousand Mikula Velyaminov, brother of Timofey) and" left hand "(commander - Lithuanian prince Andrey Olgerdovich). Behind this main army stood a reserve - light cavalry (commander - Andrei's brother, Dmitry Olgerdovich). She was supposed to meet the Horde with arrows. In a dense oak forest, Dmitry ordered the reserve Ambush Floor to be located under the command of Dmitry's cousin, Prince Vladimir Andreevich of Serpukhov, who after the battle received the nickname Brave, as well as an experienced military governor, boyar Dmitry Mikhailovich Bobrok-Volynsky. The Moscow prince tried to force the Horde, in the first line of which there was always cavalry, and in the second - infantry, to a frontal attack.
The battle began on the morning of September 8 with a duel of heroes. On the Russian side, Alexander Peresvet, a monk of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, was put up for a duel, before being tonsured, a Bryansk (according to another version, Lyubech) boyar. His opponent was the Tatar hero Temir-Murza (Chelubey). The warriors simultaneously plunged spears into each other: this foreshadowed great bloodshed and a long battle. As soon as Chelubey fell from the saddle, the Horde cavalry moved into battle and quickly crushed the Vanguard Regiment. The further onslaught of the Mongol-Tatars in the center was delayed by the commissioning of the Russian reserve. Mamai transferred the main blow to the left flank and began to push the Russian regiments there. The situation was saved by the Ambush Regiment of Serpukhov Prince Vladimir Andeevich, who emerged from the oak forest, hit the rear and flank of the Horde cavalry and decided the outcome of the battle.
It is believed that Mamaev's army was defeated in four hours (if the battle lasted from eleven to two in the afternoon). Russian soldiers pursued its remnants to the river Beautiful Sword (50 km above the Kulikovo field); the Headquarters of the Horde was captured there. Mamai managed to escape; Jagiello, having learned about his defeat, also hastily turned back.
The losses of both sides in the Battle of Kulikovo were enormous. The dead (both Russians and the Horde) were buried for 8 days. In the battle fell 12 Russian princes, 483 boyars (60% commanders Russian army). Prince Dmitry Ivanovich, who participated in the battle on the front line as part of the Big Regiment, was wounded during the battle, but survived and later received the nickname "Donskoy".
The Battle of Kulikovo inspired confidence in the possibility of victory over the Horde. The defeat on the Kulikovo field accelerated the process of political fragmentation of the Golden Horde into uluses. Two years after the victory on the Kulikovo field, Russia did not pay tribute to the Horde, which marked the beginning of the liberation of the Russian people from the Horde yoke, the growth of their self-consciousness and the self-consciousness of other peoples who were under the yoke of the Horde, strengthened the role of Moscow as the center of the unification of Russian lands into a single state.
The memory of the Battle of Kulikovo has been preserved in historical songs, epics, stories Zadonshchina, The Legend of the Battle of Mamaev, etc.). Created in the 90s of the 14th - the first half of the 15th century. Following the chronicle stories, the Legend of the Battle of Mamaev is the most complete coverage of the events of September 1380. More than 100 lists of the Legend are known, from the 16th to the 19th century, which have come down in 4 main editions (Basic, Common, Chronicle and Cyprian). Common contains detailed presentation events of the Battle of Kulikovo, which are not found in other monuments, starting with prehistory (the embassy of Zakhary Tyutchev to the Horde with gifts in order to prevent bloody events) and about the battle itself (participation in it of the Novgorod regiments, etc.). Only in the Legend have information about the number of Mamai’s troops, descriptions of the preparations for the campaign (“teams”) of Russian regiments, details of their route to Kulikovo Field, features of the deployment of Russian troops, a list of princes and governors who took part in the battle.
The Cyprian edition highlights the role of Metropolitan Cyprian, in which Mamai is called an ally (as it really was) Lithuanian prince Jagiello. There is a lot of didactic church literature in the Tale: both in the story about the trip of Dmitry and his brother Vladimir to St. Dmitry Bobrok-Volynets included the words that “the cross is the main weapon”, and that the Moscow prince “does a good deed”, which is led by God, and Mamai - darkness and evil, behind which the devil stands. This motif runs through all the lists of the Legend, in which Prince Dmitry is endowed with many positive characteristics(wisdom, courage, courage, military talent, courage, etc.).
The folklore basis of the Legend enhances the impression of the description of the battle, presenting an episode of single combat before the start of the battle between Peresvet and Chelubey, a picture of Dmitry dressing up in the clothes of a simple warrior with the transfer of his armor to the voivode Mikhail Brenk, as well as the exploits of voivodes, boyars, ordinary warriors (Yurka the shoemaker, etc. ). There is also poetics in the Tale: comparison of Russian warriors with falcons and gyrfalcons, description of pictures of nature, episodes of farewell of soldiers leaving Moscow to the battlefield with their wives.
In 1807 the Legend was used by the Russian playwright V.A. Ozerov when writing the tragedy Dmitry Donskoy.
The first monument to the heroes of the Kulikovo battle was the church on the Kulikovo field, assembled shortly after the battle from the oaks of the Green oak forest, where the regiment of Prince Vladimir Andreevich was hidden in ambush. In Moscow, in honor of the events of 1380, the Church of All Saints on Kulichiki was erected (now located next to modern station metro "Kitay-Gorod"), as well as the Mother of God-Rozhdestvensky Monastery, which at that time gave shelter to widows and orphans of warriors who died in the Battle of Kulikovo. On the Red Hill of the Kulikovo Field in 1848, a 28-meter cast-iron column was erected - a monument in honor of the victory of Dmitry Donskoy over the Golden Horde (architect A.P. Bryullov, the painter's brother). In 1913–1918, a church was built on Kulikovo Field in the name of St. Sergei of Radonezh.
The Battle of Kulikovo was also reflected in the paintings of O. Kiprensky - Prince Donskoy after the Battle of Kulikovo, Morning on the Kulikovo field, M. Avilov - The duel of Peresvet and Chelubey, etc. The theme of the glory of Russian weapons in the 14th century. presented by Y.Shaporin's cantata On the field of Kulikovo. The 600th anniversary of the Battle of Kulikovo was widely celebrated. In 2002, the Order "For Service to the Fatherland" was established in memory of St. in. book. Dmitry Donskoy and the Monk Abbot Sergius of Radonezh. Attempts to prevent the announcement of the day of the Battle of Kulikovo as the day of glory of Russian weapons, which came in the 1990s from a group of Tatar historians, who motivated their actions by the desire to prevent the formation of the “image of the enemy”, were categorically rejected by the President of Tatarstan M. Shaimiev, who emphasized that Russians and Tatars had long been "gathered in a single Fatherland and they must mutually respect the pages of the history of the military glory of the peoples."
In Russian church history, the victory on the Kulikovo field began to be honored over time simultaneously with the feast of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, celebrated annually on September 21 (September 8, old style).
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