The battle of Kulikovo is briefly the most important. The battle of Kulikovo and Dmitry Donskoy A brief retelling of the battle on the Kulikovo field

The Battle of Kulikovo is a battle between the troops of Dmitry Donskoy and Mamai, which took place on September 8, 1380 on the Kulikovo field. IN modern Russia this field is located in the Tula region. This battle was preceded by the Battle of the Vozha River (1378). In this article, the battle event is briefly considered from different points of view.

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Background of the Battle of Kulikovo

In the second half of the 13th century, Russia was strengthening. Parallel to this Temnik Mamai in the Golden Horde also intensified, and the Russian princes partially contributed to its strengthening, defeating Tagai and Bulat-Timur, the Golden Horde princes who opposed Mamai.

In 1371, Mikhail Alexandrovich, Prince of Tver, received a label from Mamai to reign. However, Dmitry Ivanovich, Prince of Moscow, later known as Donskoy, refused to transfer power. In 1374 he refused to pay tribute to the Horde and gathered a congress of princes who supported his policy in Pereslavl-Zalessky.

The answer from the Horde was the ruin of the Novosilsky principality by Khan Arapsha in 1376. In 1377 he defeated the Russian troops at the Battle of the Pyana River. Later, he ruined the Nizhny Novgorod and Ryazan principalities.

In 1378, a battle took place between the troops of Prince Dmitry Ivanovich and the temnik Mamai, known in history as the battle on the Vozha River. The troops of Prince Dmitry defeated the troops of Murza Begich, who led the army of the Horde.

Assessment of the forces of the parties

There are different estimates of the number of troops on each side. The most famous estimates are shown in this table. However, in history there is a big difference between the estimates.

The number of Russian soldiers

The number of Tatar-Mongol warriors

Participants of the Battle of Kulikovo

The composition of the participants in the battle is also not precisely defined, since various sources in history point to different principalities, sent troops to help Dmitry Donskoy. As part of the Russian army, according to various sources, warriors from the principalities fought:

1. Moscow
2. Serpukhov
3. Belozersky
4. Yaroslavl
5. Rostov
6. Tver
7. Novgorod lands
8. Suzdal
9. Ryazan
10. Pronsky
11. Vyazma
12. Vladimir
13. Kolomna
14. Pskov
15. Bryansk
16. Smolensk

And also from small destinies in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania:

1. Drutsky
2. Dorogobuzh
3. Novosilsky
4. Tarusa
5. Obolensky
6. Polotsk
7. Starodubsky
8. Trubchevskiy.

There is also no agreement in history regarding the composition of the Mamai army. According to some reports, there were many mercenaries in the army of Mamai. In this army, according to various sources, were present:

1. Tatars
2. Mongols
3. Cumans
4. Armenians
5. Fryazians (immigrants from Italy)
6. Circassians
7. Burtases (union of tribes on the Volga)
8. Lithuanians
9. Poles
10. Ryazans (!)
11. Muslim mercenaries.

Place of battle

The chronicle source indicates that the battle took place "on the Don near Nepryadva." However, a careful study of all the possible places of this most important battle in history did not give an indication of the exact location of this battle. In all studied no remains found bodies of fallen soldiers, and the remains of weapons, armor, pectoral crosses, etc. were found in a very small amount (no more than 100 items). However, some items that could have been used by the warriors were found in the vicinity of the alleged battle site, but not in these places.

In addition, there were other battles near the battlefield at different times, albeit on a smaller scale. These battles took place in 1542, 1571, 1607, 1659. Therefore, finding the remains of weapons, armor, etc. may not indicate the place of the battle.

Moreover, many items found by archaeologists in this area could have been made even in the 17th century, so it is too early to say that the place of the legendary battle was found.

Russian troops were divided into five regiments: a large regiment stood in the center, the regiments of the right and left hands stood on the flanks, the guard regiment stood in front of the large one, the ambush regiment stood, according to various sources, to the left of the regiment of the left hand or to the right of the regiment right hand. The number of foot and cavalry soldiers in any of the regiments is unknown.

The construction of the Mamai troops remains a controversial issue. However, it is believed that this army was divided into three detachments and fired into a line in front of the Russian army, or was divided into three detachments - the vanguard, center and rearguard.

The battle itself began around noon: there was fog on the field, which did not allow the battle to begin.

Before the battle, there was a duel between Peresvet and Chelubey, as a result of which both died. Some historians believe that this duel did not actually take place.

The course of the battle began in the center. The Tatar-Mongols forced the regiment of the left hand to retreat, its retreat created a threat to attack in the rear of the Big Regiment. However, at this time, the Ambush Regiment attacked the rear of Mamai's troops, so his troops were crushed and put to flight. At the same time, according to some sources, the regiment of the right hand surrounded Mamai's army, which completed the rout. The cavalry was driven into the river and destroyed.

The persecution of the Tatar-Mongols lasted about 50 versts (about 53.3 km), after which, according to some sources, the Russian troops stopped the pursuit, according to others, they collided with the Lithuanian army of Prince Jagiello and retreated after the battle with him.

Losses

Sources of those years report that the Russian troops lost more than 500 boyars, the losses of ordinary soldiers are not specified - "without counting." The warriors lost 253 thousand people, 50 thousand remained. The losses of Mamai, according to the same sources, amount to 800 thousand, but there is an estimate of 1.5 million (!) Dead Horde.

According to modern sources, the losses of the Russian troops are, according to the historian Razin, 25-30 thousand, according to the historian Kirpichnikov, about 5-8 thousand ordinary soldiers and about 800 boyars. There is a version according to which the soldiers of Prince Jagiello finished off the wounded Russian soldiers in the wagon trains. Those killed in the battle were buried from 9 to 16 September.

Political implications

The Battle of Kulikovo and its significance are as follows: Russian principalities liberated from the Horde dominion for two years. In 1382, Khan Tokhtamysh returned the Russian principalities under the rule of the Horde. The result of Mamai is as follows: he fled with the remnants of the army to the Crimea, but was killed by Tokhtamysh in 1380. One heir to his part of the Golden Horde was killed, there were no other competitors for Tokhtamysh.

There is an opinion that it was Tokhtamysh who won the Battle of Kulikovo. He defeated Mamai, who actually led part of the Horde and united the entire Horde under his rule. He also forced the Russian principalities to pay tribute, which had not been done since 1374. In fact, the two enemies of Tokhtamysh were weakened, and after the battle he defeated them one by one. Also, its significance for the Russian principalities was that they gained experience of association, therefore, under the rule of the Moscow princes, they became a formidable force in the fight against the rule of the Horde.

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 a number of 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 primacy of the Tatars over all the lands of Russia did not cause discussion, now a situation began to develop when the princes began to feel their own strength, in which they saw an opportunity to repulse the 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 a 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 even more instilled confidence that the Mongols are ordinary people and they can be fought.

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. Recent events have shown that the Russians are not as weak as before, which means that the Mongols need 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 of the Mongol 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 decision was made the only correct one: 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 by the 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 the armor of a simple warrior and stood at the head of the Big 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 the corpses of the dead were dismantled from the field, the body of the prince was found. He was alive!

The historical significance of the Battle of Kulikovo

The historical significance of the Battle of Kulikovo 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 of a new country. After all, only after Dmitry Donskoy began to collect land around Moscow, there was a major victory over the Mongols.

For the horde itself, the significance of the defeat on the Kulikovo field was also extremely important. Mamai lost most of his troops, and was soon 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.

The Battle of Kulikovo took place on September 8, 1380. The battle, in which the Russian army and the army of the Golden Horde took part, largely predetermined the further history of the Russian state.

Events leading up to the battle

The Battle of Kulikovo was caused by a number of important events. Six years earlier, relations between Russia and the Horde began to seriously deteriorate. It was in 1374 that the Grand Duke of Moscow broke off relations with Mamai, who at that time ruled the western part of the Golden Horde on behalf of the Mongol khans. The Russian princes already felt their own strength and were ready to give a decisive rebuff to the enemy, who for a long time ravaged their lands and demanded tribute.

Two years before the historic battle, the news spread throughout Russia that the Tatar-Mongols advanced with a large army to get even with the recalcitrant Russians. Dmitry with his retinue went to meet the enemy and met him on the banks of the Vozha River, for the first time delving so far into the southern lands. The maneuver took the enemy by surprise, and the Russian detachment won a relatively easy victory. This finally convinced that the Horde is not omnipotent. In addition, internal strife was already in full swing within it.

Preparing for battle

The Horde sought revenge. By the beginning of the summer of 1380, Mamai prepared an army of over 100 thousand people for the campaign. The Grand Duke of Lithuania Jagiello expressed a desire to be an ally of the Khan. Having received information about the upcoming unification of the Horde and Lithuania for the war with Russia, Dmitry hastily gathered almost the same large army. At the end of August, his army of many thousands from Kolomna headed south at a rapid pace. The main goal of a quick maneuver was successful: Mamai's allies did not have time to join him.

On the night before the battle, Dmitry's army crossed the Don and reached the Kulikovo field. The place for the battle was chosen well: the grove made it possible to cover the ambush regiment, and deep ravines, invisible to the enemy, did not give his cavalry the opportunity to attack from the flanks.

The course of the battle

First, there was a duel between two heroes. Monk Alexander Peresvet represented the Russian side, the hero Temir-Murza, better known as Chelubey, became his opponent. As a result of their confrontation, they both hit each other with spears. This outcome meant that the main battle would be bloody.

As soon as Chelubey was on the ground, Mamai's cavalry rushed to the attack and immediately pushed back the advanced Russian regiment. However, the reserve brought into battle stopped the further advance of the Tatar-Mongols in the center of their attack. Mamai stepped up the attack on the left flank, where for some time he managed to push the Russian ranks. But the turning point in the battle, as often happened in the old days, brought an ambush regiment that hit the rear and flank of the enemy cavalry.

The outcome of the battle was largely influenced by several tactical military moves of the Russian squad:

• Prince Dmitry had previously studied the place of the upcoming battle and placed the troops in such a way as if they could be easily defeated;
• The spears of Russian soldiers had different lengths, which helped to make enemy attacks more difficult;
• Enemies who broke through to Dmitry's headquarters killed, as it seemed to them, the Grand Duke himself. In fact, it was his faithful boyar, who specially put on a princely caftan. Seeing some time later that Dmitry was alive, the Tatar-Mongols received a serious psychological blow.

It is believed that Mamaev's army was defeated in 4 hours. Prince Jagiello, having received news of this, turned his army in the opposite direction. Mamai himself, whose headquarters was captured, managed to retreat. The Battle of Kulikovo, in which the Tatar-Mongols were utterly defeated, was later called the Mamaev Battle. And the Grand Duke Dmitry for a brilliant victory in this battle received the respectful nickname Donskoy.

The Battle of Kulikovo is a fateful event in Russian history that took place on September 8, 1380. The result of the battle was the defeat of the Golden Horde, led by Mamai. Another name for the battle is Mamaevo or the Battle of the Don.

From the beginning of the XII century, the principalities in Russia lived in enmity. Fragmented, weak due to internal strife, the state could not resist the Tatar-Mongol invasion. As a result of the attack, Russia lost its economic independence for two hundred and forty years.

After the establishment of the power of the Golden Horde, the Russian princes were to receive labels for rule from the khans of the Golden Horde, and the principality of Vladimir began to have a special status. It served as a "great table". The Horde gave the Prince of Vladimir the right to judge the princes of other Russian principalities.

Russia had to pay tribute to its conquerors every year, which consisted not only of money, but also of food and handicraft goods. Annually, tributes were also collected for gifts to the Khan and his entourage. The development of Russia slowed down sharply, cities and villages were devastated, agriculture was destroyed.

Over time, the economy recovered, trade and handicrafts began to return to their usual pace of development. Nationalist sentiments grew, and with them territorial, spiritual and cultural divisions disappeared. The most powerful principalities during the reign of the Horde yoke remained:

• Moscow;
• Suzdal;
• Ryazan;
• Tverskoe;
• Nizhny Novgorod.

Note! Moscow became the center of the unification of Russian principalities. This was facilitated by several factors at once: the central location, the high level of development of crafts and agriculture.

Reasons for the start of the confrontation

The Tatar-Mongol yoke tried to prevent the growth of national self-consciousness in Russia. Observing the rallying of the Russian princes, Mamai tries to quarrel them and punish the Moscow prince Dmitry for his disobedience.

He wanted to deprive him of the throne of Vladimir, transferring the title to the prince of Tver, Mikhail. Dmitry does not accept Mamai's decree and begins to concentrate around him an army capable of repulsing the enslavers.

The Russian princes began to understand that their strength was in unity. With each new victory in the battle over the Tatar-Mongols, the belief in their invincibility and exclusivity dissipated among the Eastern Slavs.

When the principality of Moscow refused to pay tribute, Mamai gathered his army and went to Moscow. The prince believed that he had the right not to pay tribute, since Mamai came to power in a not entirely legal way. Dmitry called his supporters to a congress in Pereslavl-Zalessky.

Dmitry began to gather other princes to unite against a common enemy. Troops were sent to help from all over the North-East of Russia: Smolensk, Tver, Suzdal. The troops were formed from people of various social classes: artisans, townspeople, peasants.

The armament of the Russian warrior consisted of:

• sabers;
• spears;
• Luke.

It's important to know! Many mistakenly believe that Russian soldiers fought under a black banner. In fact, the annals say that the banner was not black, but black, that is, red.

Participants of the Battle of Kulikovo

Historians disagree on the number of warriors who took part in the battle. Most researchers believe that there was a significant numerical superiority on the side of the Tatar-Mongols.

The approximate number of Russian soldiers ranged from 50,000 to 150,000 people, and from the side of the Horde, from 60,000 to 200,000 who fought. Moscow was also joined by forces controlled by the Principality of Lithuania.

Mamai, realizing that his army was greatly weakened after fighting with Russian squads, hired the inhabitants of the Caucasus and the Volga region to his side, they were also joined by allies from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, led by Jagiello. The latter sided with the Horde because of their interest in the western Russian territories. In addition, they were afraid of a new upsurge in the development of Russia. Oleg Ryazansky also went over to the side of the Horde against Moscow. The national composition of the Mamai army was diverse, it also included:

• flasks;
• cheremis;
• Circassians;
• Adyghe peoples;
• Kabardians;
• Genoese mercenaries.

Dmitry Ivanovich understood the serious danger of this association. Due to a well-planned strategy, the Russian princes did not allow the enemy troops to unite.

Dmitry Ivanovich's strategy was very risky. He crossed the Oka River, and then the southern bank of the Don, and destroyed the crossing. With such a maneuver, the Tatars would not have been able to choose the tactics of encirclement, but the main disadvantage of this strategy was that the Russian troops had nowhere to retreat in case of defeat. In the cities of Russia, the Oka crossing strategy was regarded as very dangerous, many considered it a voluntary march to death. But the plan turned out to be effective and brought victory to the Russian princes.

The battle took place on September 8, 1380 on the Kulikovo field, in the interfluve of the Don and Nepryadva rivers. The fierce, bloody battle lasted for three hours.

Useful video: Battle of Kulikovo

Description of the Battle of Kulikovo

Due to the fact that the morning was especially foggy, the battle did not begin until 12 o'clock in the afternoon. After the skirmishes of the advanced infantrymen, a duel took place between the Tatar Chelubey and the Russian warrior Alexander Peresvet. As a result of the duel, both warriors died, but Peresvet was able to knock his opponent out of the saddle.

During a fierce battle, Prince Dmitry Ivanovich, who led the regiment, was dressed in an ordinary warrior and inspired Russian soldiers with his courage and fearlessness. He exchanged clothes with the boyar M.Brenko, who was killed during the battle. At the beginning of the battle, the Horde prevailed: they were able to defeat the entire advanced detachment of Russian troops. The combatants suffered particular losses. The Tatars tried to go behind the lines of the Russian troops and surround them.

Suddenly, the ambush cavalry of Prince Serpukhov stabbed the subjects of the Horde in the back, thereby driving the mounted Tatars into the river and destroying them. The blow from the rear was decisive. Following her, the Russian cavalry from the reserve rushed to the offensive. Such a military trick allowed the Eastern Slavs to turn the tide of the battle.

Mamai, according to Mongolian custom, looked at the battle from afar, from the Red Hill. When the superiority of forces finally secured the Russian troops, he fled along with the remnants of his troops. Slavic warriors caught up with the Tatar-Mongols for many kilometers from the Kulikovo field and finished off the soldiers of Mamai.

During the battle, Dmitry Ivanovich was wounded and found unconscious in the forest under a felled birch. After the battle, the corpses of people were collected for 8 days. Russian losses were staggering - half the troops. A church was erected on the site of the battle in memory of the dead. Until now, the shrine has not been preserved.

It's important to know! In the troops of the Eastern Slavs among the nobility, the losses amounted to more than 60%.
Mamai's army lost about 70% of its soldiers. The subjects of the Golden Horde suffered the main losses when the Russian soldiers caught up with them after the defeat far from the Kulikovo field.

Goals of the Battle of Kulikovo

After the battle, the Grand Duke visited the Cossack town of Sirotin. In this place, he was presented with an icon of the Mother of God, which later became a shrine in the Russian Empire. She was approached with a plea for help when there was a danger of a bloody war.

The result of the battle

After the victory over the Golden Horde, Prince Dmitry received the nickname Donskoy, and Vladimir began to be called the Brave. Mamai tried to gather soldiers for a rematch, but did not have time, and was defeated by the new ruler of the Golden Horde.

The battle was not decisive and did not free the Russian people from the Tatar-Mongol invaders.

After the defeat of the Golden Horde in 1380, Khan Tokhtamysh gained power, who set fire to Moscow two years later.

For another 100 years, the Horde regularly raided Russia and forced them to pay tribute (but in a much smaller amount). After the battle, the independence of the Moscow princes increased.

Many more bloody battles were committed until the Russian people finally gained independence. The date of liberation from the Mongol yoke is officially considered to be 1480.

Useful video: the historical significance of the Kulikovo battle

Exploring the battlefield

The first historian and archaeologist who began to study the site of the great battle was S.D. Nechaev.

Historians collect information about the epoch-making battle on the basis of four main ancient Russian chronicles, where, to one degree or another, there is a retelling of the events of those days:

1. "A Brief Chronicle of the Battle of Kulikovo". It was compiled by an unknown writer. It is considered the earliest and most reliable source of a description of the battle.
2. "Zadonshchina". The exact date of writing the work is unknown.
3. "The Life of Sergius of Radonezh". The book contains a partial description of the battle.
4. “The Legend of the Battle of Mamaev” (the most voluminous of the surviving documents).

On the site of the battlefield, there is now a historical museum, the doors of which are open to visitors.

Conclusion

The greatest victory of the squad of Dmitry Ivanovich is a key one in history due to the fact that it gave confidence to the Russian troops in the possibility of getting rid of centuries of oppression. It was the Battle of Kulikovo that became the turning point of this segment of history and shook the blind confidence in the invincibility of the enemy.

However, there is another opinion about the Battle of Kulikovo and its significance. Some historians tend to believe that this battle differs little from others, that this is just one of the many military episodes that predetermined the revival of Russia and the weakening of the enemy. Russian Orthodox Church considers the battle a victory of Christian Russia over the Muslims.

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The Battle of Kulikovo is a battle between a coalition of Russian princes led by Dmitry Ivanovich and the army of the Golden Horde under the command of Khan Mamai. The battle took place on September 8, 1380 on the Kulikovo field (near the Don and Nepryadva rivers). It ended with the victory of the Russian troops.

The Mongol-Tatar yoke became a real disaster for the Russian principalities. After 1237, when the troops of the Golden Horde marched through Russian cities and villages, burning them to the ground, killing or driving the inhabitants into captivity, Russia was deprived of independence for more than 240 years. Labels for reigning had to be obtained from the rulers of the Horde. At times, the Russian princes were forced to take part in the campaigns of the Horde. The huge tribute imposed by the Horde - the "Horde exit" - contributed to the impoverishment of even rich principalities.

By the 60s of the XIV century, the situation began to change. The right to the Grand Duke's throne in 1359 was given to the nine-year-old Moscow Prince Dmitry Ivanovich.

Dmitry was the grandson of Ivan Kalita, a prince known as "the collector of the Russian land." Under Kalita, the principalities began to move closer to Moscow, entering into an alliance with her and recognizing her dominant role. Ivan Kalita, where by force, where by peaceful means (the Yaroslavl principality, for example, was simply bought by Moscow), added more and more lands to Moscow. By the accession of Dmitry to the throne, it was clear that Moscow would play a leading role in the future fate of Russia. True, she also had rivals, including the Suzdal-Nizhny Novgorod principality.

Metropolitan Alexy, a wise man, a strong politician, took care of the young Dmitry. He managed to instill in his pupil the idea of ​​the need to create a union of Russian principalities, because this was the only way to resist the common enemy - the Golden Horde.

Prehistory of the Battle of Kulikovo

Dmitry Ivanovich had a powerful rival in the matter of unifying the principalities in the person of the head of the Suzdal-Nizhny Novgorod prince Dmitry Konstantinovich, who undertook a trip to the Horde in order to achieve a label for himself for a great reign. The Horde gave him a label, but Dmitry also went to the Horde and was able to set the rulers in the opposite direction: the label was eventually granted to him, and he became the legal representative of the supreme power in the Russian lands.

The rivalry between the two princes ceased, Dmitry Konstantinovich recognized the primacy of Dmitry Ivanovich.

Moscow continued to strengthen its position as the city - the center of Russia. Stone construction was going on at an active pace in it, the Kremlin was built in 2 years. Warriors-combatants and craftsmen moved here for permanent residence. The heads of the principality had a growing understanding: it was easier and easier to be behind a strong Moscow than to defend one's independence.

Meanwhile, the Golden Horde was also changing. If once, a hundred years ago, it was a nomadic state with a strict hierarchy and the unshakable power of the khan, now the Horde was constantly shaken by internecine wars. The strife between the khans for primacy weakened the Horde, and it became increasingly difficult for it to retain the position of leader, to whom the conquered states unconditionally obeyed.

Thus, by the 1460s, the political layout had changed, Russia felt that resistance to the Horde was not only possible - it was inevitable.

Causes of the Battle of Kulikovo

Dmitry Ivanovich allowed himself to stop paying tribute to the Golden Horde. At this time, Khan Mamai stood at the head of the steppes. He wished not only to return the tribute, but also to achieve its payment in the amount when the Horde was experiencing its heyday.

At the end of the summer, Russian troops gave battle to Emir Begich on the Vozha River, in which they won a decisive victory. Mamai was not going to put up with this state of affairs, he wanted to return the Horde to its former influence and force the Russian principalities to again collect the “Horde exit”. Therefore, he planned a major campaign against Russia, which began in the summer of 1380.

Preparing for battle

Mamai thoroughly prepared for the performance. He counted not only on his own forces, but also on the help of allies. As the last, he attracted the Lithuanian prince Jagiello, who had at his disposal a 6,000-strong army.

At the end of the summer of 1380, Mamai left the Horde and moved to the upper reaches of the Don River. He hoped to meet the allies along the way and move on, but they were late. Mamai also assumed that the Ryazan prince, who had taken his side, would help him.

Moscow Prince Dmitry Ivanovich took measures to prevent the meeting of Mamai and his accomplice from the Ryazan principality, as a result, the attacking side was left without reinforcements.

Knowing about the approach of Mamai, Dmitry Ivanovich prepared as much as possible for the upcoming battle. He:

• sent letters to all the principalities, urging them to join the Moscow army;
• appointed a meeting place for the combined Russian forces - the Kolomna fortress near the Moscow River;
• equipped the squad with all available weapons;
• appointed experienced commanders.

More than 20 thousand foot and horse warriors were in the Russian army.

Army Mamaia

Mamai's forces were somewhat larger - about 30 thousand soldiers. Other sources put the figure at 40,000. These sources differ, so it is impossible to indicate the number of troops with absolute certainty.

Who was in the lineup? This:

• Golden Horde;
• Crimean Armenians;
• Kama Bulgars;
• Circassians.

Mamai gathered all the strength he could. The poem "Zadonshchina" tells that Mamai's army included 9 hordes and 70 princes. Even the Italians, who owned trading posts in the Crimea, supplied several hundred soldiers.

The basis of the army was the cavalry.

The course of the battle

The battle began in the early morning of September 8, 1380, when the Russian warriors crossed the Don and took a convenient position on the Kulikovo field.

The Russians had 3 regiments:

• left hand;
• right hand;
• great regiment.

In the regiment that acted first, that is, the great one, Prince Dmitry Ivanovich fought, inspiring the soldiers by personal example.

The rear of the Russian army was well protected by the rivers - Nepryadva and Don. For Mamai, the Russians left a narrow corridor where he immediately fell into a trap, because the heavy cavalry could not turn around there for a powerful maneuver.

The battle took place in 2 stages.

Mamai's army fled from the battlefield, pursued by Russian squads.

results

The Battle of Kulikovo ended in an unconditional victory for the Russians. The pursuit of the enemy continued 50 miles (53 km) after the Kulikovo field.

The results and significance of the Battle of Kulikovo

The victory of the Russians in the battle with the Horde clearly demonstrated: there is no longer an invincible Golden Horde army. Holding together, the combined efforts of the Russians managed to defeat the enemy, who had previously inspired terror.

The losses of the Russians in the battle were enormous, and many died not so much from the swords and arrows of the enemy, but from the “great tightness”. The Russians lost the Belozersky princes Fedor and his son Ivan Romanov, the governor Velyaminov and many more representatives of noble families.

The battle took place on September 8, but only by the 14th did our troops manage to gather all the wounded, bury the dead and move towards Kolomna.

The victory of the Russian army strengthened the influence and authority of the Moscow princes.

Consequences

The Russian princes realized how important it was to unite, because this was the only way to deal with a strong enemy. The significance of the Battle of Kulikovo was enormous. True, the raid on Russia by Khan Tokhtamysh in 1382 led to the resumption of tribute payments. But for everyone, both for the winners in the Battle of Kulikovo and for the vanquished, it became clear: from now on, Russia can no longer be defeated as easily as before. It was an excellent successful experience of the joint struggle of the Russian princes against foreign invaders.

The military talent of Dmitry Donskoy

After the battle on the Kulikovo field, Dmitry Ivanovich began to be called Dmitry Donskoy. The victory became possible largely due to his ability to organize the course of the battle in the most beneficial way for the Russians. Dmitry Ivanovich managed:

• create a single Russian army;
• arrange the soldiers so that he always had a fresh reserve at his disposal;
• set a trap for the enemy, pinning him in a tight and inconvenient area for maneuver;
• force the enemy to immediately exhaust the main forces.

An important role was played by the personal courage of Prince Dmitry, who rushed into battle with the advanced regiment and inspired the combatants with his example. In the battle he was wounded, but this did not prevent him from continuing to command the battle.

The Battle of Kulikovo was the first step towards the liberation of Russian lands from the hardships of the Golden Horde yoke.