Characteristics of the consequences of the Battle of Kulikovo. Composition and number of troops. Final stage and significance

The victory in the Battle of Kulikovo, which took place on September 8, 1380 near the confluence of the Nepryadva and Don rivers, was the main impetus for the start of Rus'’s struggle against the Golden Horde, and the dream of the Russian people of getting rid of the Mongol-Tatar yoke became quite real. The Battle of the Kulikovo Field raised the importance of the Russian people in their eyes, and there was an awareness that only by uniting can we defeat the enemy. Prince Dmitry of Moscow was able to unite the Russians and create a single all-Russian army. He understood that the passive defense of individual princely appanages from the raids of the Golden Horde would not bring results. Prince Dmitry used offensive tactics and repulsed Mamai for the first time, going out with an army to meet him in a wild field, and not sitting behind the walls of his principality and passively defending. For the first time, a single Russian army fought, consisting of only sixty percent Muscovites, the rest being warriors from other principalities. Russian warriors practically left the Mongols no chance of victory, although they outnumbered them, because spiritual strength, unity and a sense of responsibility for their homeland gave them unprecedented strength. This was the first serious victory over the Horde and its significance was very great.
It became clear that it was not fragmentation, but the unity of individual principalities that could save Rus' from the centuries-old yoke. And the center of this unity became Moscow, which rallied the Russian people around itself and became the political and spiritual center of Russia. After the Battle of Kulikovo, the unification of the appanage principalities around the Moscow principality accelerated significantly; the Russian people considered Dmitry, who received the honorary nickname Donskoy, their only sovereign. Prince Dmitry also understood that the significance of the battle he won was very great and ordered to call himself nothing less than “Grand Duke of All Rus',” thereby confirming his authority.
The victory in the Battle of Kulikovo became an example of the fight against invaders for the peoples of other countries: Romanians, Slavs, Moldovans, etc. They perceived it as an example of the overthrow of their oppressors. Europe was also grateful to the Russian people for being able to stop the invasion of the Mongol-Tatars on their territory and the Horde infection was stopped.
The Horde had a hard time recovering from this battle, because the losses were very great. But the desire to regain its former influence on Rus' did not go away even after such a crushing defeat. Two years later, Khan Tokhtamysh, with the help of the Ryazan and Nizhny Novgorod princes-traitors, tricked himself into Moscow, carried out a massacre and almost completely burned the city. The Mongol khans now tried to avoid battles in the open field with the Russians, preferring to act with cunning and deceit. Russian princes paid tribute to the khans of the Golden Horde for about a hundred years. And, although almost a hundred years remained before the final liberation from the yoke, the Russian people acquired a firm conviction that this time would come, and the feeling of hopelessness and fear of the enemy disappeared. The amount of tribute paid by Russia to the Golden Horde was significantly reduced, which made it possible to use these funds in the development of the country's economy and the creation of a unified Russian squad, and the military power of Rus' increased. In the Horde at this time, feudal fragmentation began, internecine wars between the rulers of the separating hordes; it was losing its power, which made the cessation of its former influence on neighboring peoples, including the Russians, inevitable.

The significance of this victory is great in military history Russia. Dmitry Donskoy is undoubtedly a talented commander, who was the first in the history of numerous wars with the Golden Horde to use offensive tactics, preempting the enemy’s actions, concentrating his main forces on the main direction of attack. The Battle of Kulikovo became victorious largely thanks to military cunning: a regiment lying in ambush was hidden in a forest area located near the battlefield. He entered the battle in time, when Mamai’s troops were almost completely confident of their victory, hitting the unsuspecting Mongol-Tatars in the rear. This military move decided the fate of the battle: the troops of the Khan of the Golden Horde were defeated and fled. This victory influenced the development of military science in Russia; the Battle of Kulikovo, as an example of skill, was and is being studied in many educational institutions. The military art of the Russians in this battle eclipsed forever the military knowledge of the Mongol-Tatars.
The Battle of Kulikovo has a high moral significance - many generations have grown up from the examples of the feats performed by its participants. Every Russian knows the name of the hero Peresvet, who died on the battlefield, but won the battle in battle with the Mongol Chelubey. The Battle of Kulikovo is an event that will forever go down in the history of Russia, instilling a sense of pride in one’s ancestors and the feat they accomplished. It is such victories that make a people great and its history eternal.

Battle of Kulikovo - briefly the most important event in the history of Russia. The battle took place in 1380 on the Kulikovo Field, hence the name of the battle. This is probably one of the most famous battles of the period of Medieval Rus'; many people know its date along with the Battle of Kalka and the Battle of the Ice.

There is a huge amount of information about the causes, course and results of the Battle of Kulikovo. It is often very difficult for an ordinary person, and even a professional historian, to isolate the most important information from a large flow of information. In this article we will briefly try to understand the origins of the battle, its participants, the course and significance of this event.

Battle of Kulikovo briefly

In general, in historical science in the Battle of Kulikovo, briefly, there are two sections called:

“White myth” - from about the 16th century. people began to become interested in the event of 1380, in connection with this, many vivid myths and legends were invented related to the Battle of Kulikovo; historians of a later time began to use these myths in their works. We are talking, for example, about exaggerating the scale of the battle or about idealizing the personality of Dmitry Donskoy, although it is clear that he is a great commander and hero;
The “black myth” began to be created much later. Here there is a huge misleading of the population, the expression of the most incredible theories. For example, that the Horde yoke did not exist in principle, and accordingly the events on the Kulikovo field should be viewed differently. There is even a theory that the battle actually took place in Moscow between Alexander Nevsky and Ivan the Terrible. These theories are absurd and should not be considered, but you should know that in principle these arguments exist.

If we take purely information from sources, we must admit that the events of the battle are presented very well there, even in foreign sources. But it is important to know that the chronicle is not the “ultimate truth”; all records must be checked and considered extremely objectively. If the basis for some reasoning is incorrect conclusions, then the further construction of the reasoning will be fundamentally incorrect. In order to correctly assess the events of the battle, one should carry out comparative analysis, based on:

Chronicle data (most of them);
Documents (much less);
Archaeological data;
Numismatics and other sciences.

But no matter how deep the analysis is carried out by historians and ordinary people, this will not allow them to obtain the most reliable information about this event, as it actually happened. The same applies to many others historical facts. No historian can say about any event in the past: “I know how it really happened!” This statement rather speaks of his lack of professionalism. A historian must question facts and look for evidence.

Sources of the Battle of Kulikovo briefly

The sources of the Battle of Kulikovo are presented in a very diverse manner, first of all we're talking about about chronicles. The earliest information about those events is brief chronicle., which tells about the battle on the Don. The term “Battle of Kulikovo” itself was introduced in the 19th century. The chronicle story was recorded in the Trinity Chronicle, its approximate writing was 1406-1408. The Trinity Chronicle itself was lost in a fire in 1812, but historians can only use Karamzin’s records mainly. It is worth considering that the story about the battle on the Don is the most reliable source.

The legend about the Battle of Mamaev is a source of the 16th century; the narrative about the course of the battle is presented there colorfully, but historians have come to the conclusion that it is not reliable. This source rather sets out the meaning of the battle for people in the 16th century.

Another source is the Synodikon of the Murdered. Its dating is between the 14th and 15th centuries. This source mentions several princes and boyars who died in the battle.

Let’s also not forget about such a famous historical literary monument- “Zadonshchina.” There are several opinions about when the work was written. Some believe that it was written immediately after the battle, others argue that in the first half of the 15th century. However, this source does not contain detailed information about the battle itself. This is just a literary work that conveys to us the vision of the author himself. But this is a wonderful work and you can still glean some information from it.

So, the main sources about the Battle of Kulikovo:

“A short chronicle story about the massacre on the Don”;
“The Tale of the Massacre of Mamayev”;
Synodik on the murdered;
"Zadonshchina."

Reasons for the Battle of Kulikovo briefly

The most important fact, which influenced the causes of the Battle of Kulikovo - these were the relations between Russia and the Golden Horde. In 1359, Khan Berdibek, son of Janibek, died; he did not die himself. The “Great Rebellion” begins in the Horde - 25 khans changed in 20 years. It was then that the temnik Mamai became popular; he was not a Genghisid and was not from the highest aristocracy, but he was still able to make excellent career advancement in the Horde.

Relations with the Horde were very important for Rus'; sometimes there were those who refused to pay the “Horde exit”. The output is a domestic tax. Refusal to pay this tax entailed consequences, namely the arrival of a punitive expedition of the Ordynts to the territory. In general, we tried not to quarrel with the Horde.

For the absence of a constant threat, one had to pay a “way out.” On the one hand, this state of affairs had a good effect on the principalities. Many got a chance to improve their inner lives, and Moscow took advantage of this. Since the reign of Ivan Kalita, the Moscow prince received the status of the Vladimir prince, and he himself began to collect tribute from all the principalities in favor of the Horde. There are some assumptions that not all the tribute went to the Horde, some ended up in Moscow.

At the beginning of the 14th century. Civil strife began within the Golden Horde. Dmitry Donskoy in the second half of the 14th century. decided that this was the right time to try to weaken the influence of the Horde on Rus', here are some reasons for the Battle of Kulikovo:

Donskoy stopped paying tribute to the Horde;
The desire of Rus' to free itself from the Horde;
In 1378, the Russians won a victory on the river. Vozhe;
Internecine wars within the Golden Horde;

Prince Dmitry gathers other princes and calls on them to unite. Khan Mamai gathers an army and sets off on a campaign against Rus'.

The troops of the Golden Horde represented a very serious opponent. It was a perfectly organized army according to the Mongol model. Which included light steppe cavalry, plus bagaturs - elite heavy cavalry. By and large, the Russians had not won large battles, especially in the steppe zone, for a long time against the Mongols - there was no such experience. We were increasingly interested in the West - the threat from their side.

The course of the Battle of Kulikovo briefly

The Battle of Vozha, one might say, became the prologue to the victory on the Kulikovo Field. Let's take a closer look at the course of the Battle of Kulikovo. Mamai began to prepare for war; he no longer considered carrying out some kind of solo raid; after the defeat of 1378, his intentions were very tough. Two years of preparation and in 1380 the army went to Rus'. At the same time, he was able to negotiate with Jagiel, Prince of Lithuania, so that he would also act with the Mongols against Rus'. The Ryazan principality was forced to fight on the side of Mamai, since it was captured back in 1374 by the Horde.

In the first days of August 1380, Donskoy was informed. That Mamai’s army came to Rus'. Dmitry reacted instantly; we need to mobilize our troops. By August 15, everyone was supposed to arrive in Kolomna, near Moscow. By August 20, all the troops united and set off towards Serpukhov, where the troops of the local prince were also waiting for them. Near Serpukhov there were convenient fords across the river. Oku - Senkin Ford, for example. Therefore, localization is precisely this locality was not accidental.

On August 26, Russian troops crossed the Oka River and are heading towards the Great Steppe. On September 6, 1380, the troops stopped near the river. Untruths. It is worth noting that the troops moved extremely slowly, even at that time. Early in the morning of September 8, the united Russian army crosses to the other side of the Don.

We have an idea of exactly how the battle took place only from such a source as the “Mamaevo Massacre”, but this source is extremely unreliable, as we discussed above. It is clear that the Horde sent light cavalry each time to fire at the Russian troops. The Russians responded with advanced skirmishers, pulling heavy cavalry forward. And apparently a special role was played by the leadership talent of such a commander as Bobrov-Volynsky - the most experienced of all. His strategy could bring the Tatars under the attack of heavy cavalry, which overthrew the Tatar troops. As for the attack by the ambush regiment, it is difficult to judge whether it actually happened (data about it is dated much later).

As for the number of troops, it is difficult to determine the number. There are even cosmic figures of 400-500 thousand people. But such a number of soldiers could not fit on the landscape of the Kulikovo Field. Many historians, based on available data, suggest that there were about 10-12 thousand Russian troops. There were more Mongols, this is evidenced by the fact that they were constantly advancing, which means they had significant forces for this. But calculating the exact amount is quite difficult.

Summary of the Battle of Kulikovo

The result for the Mongols was disappointing. The rest of the army, led by Mamai, had to flee to Crimea. Mamai soon died there. The Mongol failed to gather the strength to go to Rus' again. The victory had a huge impact on the Russian people. It became clear that the Horde was not so invincible, it could be fought. And for the Golden Horde, the defeat on the Kulikovo Field was almost the first such large-scale and devastating one.

The results of the Battle of Kulikovo were briefly as follows:

The fall of the myth of the invincibility of the Horde;
The Russian people got the opportunity to fight the Mongol yoke;
Moscow rose in power, its authority on the territory of Rus' became indisputable.

Battle of Kulikovo briefly the most important video

Vozhe Mamai began to prepare a big campaign against Moscow. Considering the bitter lesson of the battle on Vozha, he decided to gather as much force as possible. The new Lithuanian prince also promised to come to Mamai’s aid. Jagiello- son of Olgerd, who died in 1377.

Moscow was also preparing for the decisive battle. Prince Dmitry looked for allies both among the Russians and among the Lithuanian princes - rivals and enemies of Jagiello. He gathered forces, stockpiled weapons and closely monitored the actions of the enemy. This continued until July 1380, when Moscow learned that Mamai’s huge army had moved to Rus'...

The news of the beginning of the grandiose campaign of the Horde and Lithuanians plunged many Russian princes into confusion. Those who, until recently, spoke most of all about the liberation of the “filthy” from power, now remained embarrassedly silent and looked for a reason to avoid participating in a war whose outcome was doubtful.

Prince Dmitry's main concern was to gather as many forces as possible. After all, there were more “filthy” than he expected, and fewer Russian soldiers. Prince Mikhail Alexandrovich of Tver refused to participate in the campaign, the Novgorodians did not appear, the old Prince Dmitry of Suzdal went into the shadows, Oleg Ryazansky behaved ambiguously. Only the Rostov, Yaroslavl and Belozersk princes turned out to be true to their word. But their fighting forces were rather modest.

Sergius of Radonezh

The only way to significantly replenish the Moscow army was to gather militias from peasants and the urban poor. Eternal workers, they rarely participated in princely wars and did not have good weapons or combat experience. It was possible to raise them on a campaign and lead them to certain death only in the name of some very important goal, for example, protection Orthodox faith or the salvation of the Fatherland.

However, not everyone believed that the war between Prince Dmitry and Mamai was a necessary and righteous matter. Many considered the policy of the Moscow prince to be a dangerous adventure, a rejection of the wise behests of their ancestors. And therefore it was very important for Dmitry to receive the blessing of the church before the campaign. Among the church leaders of that time, only one enjoyed the unconditional trust of the people. This was the humble elder Sergius of Radonezh.

Before the Battle of Kulikovo

The Battle of Kulikovo became the finest hour of Moscow Prince Dmitry Ivanovich. During these historical days, he proved himself not only as an outstanding commander and organizer, but also as a man of great personal courage. Analyzing his actions, historians come to the conclusion that he did not make a single serious mistake. All his decisions were correct and far-sighted. He did not wait for the Tatars to arrive, locking himself in the Moscow fortress, but boldly set out to meet them, into the unknown Wild Field. Approaching the Don River, the prince ordered his regiments to cross to the right bank and burn the bridges behind them. By this he made it clear that there was no turning back, that victory or death lay ahead.

On the eve of the battle, Prince Dmitry determined his own fate. In front of the entire army, he rode forward in the armor of a simple warrior, to the Advanced Regiment doomed to death. Now everyone knew that the Grand Duke was ready to drink the common cup in the bloody feast of the Kulikovo Field.

Beginning of the Battle of Kulikovo

September 8, 1380 two huge armies came together for a decisive battle on the right bank of the Don, not far from the confluence of the Nepryadva River. The huge Kulikovo field could hardly accommodate so many soldiers. According to various estimates, each army had from 50 to 100 thousand people.

On this day, the morning fog hung over the field for a long time. It seemed that nature itself was giving people the last chance to come to their senses, end the matter peacefully and return to their homes alive. However, the “mill of war” had already spun its heavy millstones, and it was impossible to stop them... Around 11 am, when the fog finally cleared, the regiments began to move. The famous Battle of Kulikovo began.

Troop disposition

“The place of military operations is the general’s chessboard; it is his choice that reveals the ability or ignorance of the military leader,” said Napoleon. Prince Dmitry very successfully chose a position for his army. Forests, ravines and small rivers did not allow the Tatar cavalry to enter the rear of the Russians. In addition, the forest on the left flank of the Moscow army (Green Oak) made it possible to prepare a surprise for the Tatars in the form of an ambush regiment. Dmitry instructed his cousin Prince Vladimir Serpukhovsky to command it, as well as the experienced governor Prince Dmitry Volynsky by nickname Bobrok.

The disposition of the main Russian forces was quite traditional: in the center stood the Big Regiment, to the left of it was the Regiment of the Left Hand, to the right was the Regiment of the Right Hand. A reserve detachment was left in the rear. A feature of the battle plan developed by Prince Dmitry was a reinforced vanguard. The Guard Regiment and the Advance Regiment stood in front, one after the other. They were given a special role. The prince correctly guessed Mamai's plan. Unable to use the favorite technique of the Horde armies - to encircle the Russians or go to their rear - Mamai decided to put all his strength into the first crushing blow. The avalanche of cavalry, rushing with a whistle and howl, was supposed to instill fear in the hearts of the “unprecedented” militias by its very appearance, overturn the Moscow army, and send it into a stampede. To prevent this, Dmitry moved forward two cavalry regiments. They consisted of experienced, well-armed warriors of the princely squad. The first, most formidable wave of the cavalry attack was supposed to break on this living rock. However, the warriors themselves had no chance to survive... Material from the site

Battle of the Battle of Kulikovo

The battle unfolded exactly as Dmitry had foreseen. After three hours of desperate fighting, the Tatars, having destroyed the advanced Russian forces, tried to overthrow the Great Regiment. But now the militia, inspired by the feat of the prince and his warriors, fought to the death. Then Mamai threw all his forces into the left flank of the Russian army. The Horde’s special attention was attracted by a rider on a white horse and wearing a princely red cloak. Deciding that this was Prince Dmitry, the enemies, forgetting about everything, rushed after him. However, this was just another trick: the role of the Grand Duke was played by his favorite servant Brenko, who was similar in height and stature to Dmitry. Carried away by the hunt for the imaginary “Grand Duke,” Mamai’s warriors lost all caution and moved too far forward towards Nepryadva. This is exactly what Vladimir Serpukhovskoy was waiting for. With his Ambush Regiment, he suddenly struck in the rear "filthy".

Not expecting such a turn of events, the Horde turned back and fled. Seeing this, the entire Russian army went on the offensive. Soon the Kulikovo field was cleared of enemies. Abandoning their carts and weapons, the Horde fled in panic to the south, into the steppe. The Russians pursued them, destroying scattered enemy detachments.

Prince Dmitry was wounded in the battle. He lay unconscious under a fallen tree. The soldiers sent by Vladimir Serpukhovsky barely managed to find him among the many killed and wounded. Having come to his senses, Dmitry mounted his horse and rode to inspect the battlefield. The victory came at a high price. However, it was a great victory...

Dmitry Donskoy. Prince of Moscow, Grand Duke of Vladimir, from 1363 Prince of Novgorod. Born October 12, 1350. Son of Ivan the Red and Princess Alexandra, his second wife. The Don Prince received the nickname after his victory in the Battle of Kulikovo in 1380.

Battle of Kulikovo and Dmitry Donskoy

At the beginning of the 14th century, the power of the Golden Horde weakened, and Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich. Feeling this, he refused to pay tribute to the Baskaks. Not wanting to tolerate such arbitrariness, Khan Mamai gathered an army and moved to Rus' to punish the disobedient.

Having addressed all the Russian principalities with a call for help, Dmitry Ivanovich went to meet him. Two armies converged on the Kulikovo field - and Dmitry, cutting off even the very thought of defeat, ordered burn bridges behind you.

At dawn on September 8, 1380, the Russian monk Alexander Peresvet and the Mongol warrior Chelubey, according to tradition, fought one-on-one battle. The battle did not bring victory to either of them - having mortally wounded each other with spears, both warriors fell. And then the Mongol army and the squad of Dmitry Donskoy, blessed by Sergius of Radonezh, began the battle.

Ambush Regiment.

Although the Russian troops fought bravely, the Mongols greatly outnumbered them. It was already beginning to seem that Mamai would win this battle - but Dmitry Donskoy relied not only on the courage of his soldiers, but also on cunning tactics.

A regiment of more than ten thousand soldiers under the command of Dmitry Bobrok was left in the ambush. At the most difficult moment of the battle, the cavalry unexpectedly flew out of the forest. Deciding that the main Russian forces had arrived at the battlefield, the Mongols fled.

After this battle, Prince Dmitry Ivanovich received the nickname under which he went down in history - “Donskoy” .

Results and historical significance of the Battle of Kulikovo.

Despite the fact that the Tatar-Mongol yoke lasted in Rus' for exactly another hundred years, the Battle of Kulikovo was of great importance for the people. After it, it became clear that the Golden Horde is not invincible, that it can be broken, and that Russia’s gaining freedom is only a matter of time.

reasons for the victory of the Russian army in the Battle of Kulikovo

The main reasons for the victory of Russian troops in the Battle of Kulikovo were:

the unification of Russian lands, the center of which was Moscow, which allowed Prince Dmitry Ivanovich to field an all-Russian army against Mamai;

the liberating nature of the struggle of the Russian people against the Horde yoke;

mass heroism, courage and resilience of Russian soldiers;

the military art of Prince Dmitry Ivanovich, which also manifested itself in the development strategic plan war with Mamai, and in setting operational-tactical tasks, and in organizing a mobile and disciplined army, in choosing the location of the battle, in the formation of Russian troops before the battle.

5. The importance of the Battle of Kulikovo is difficult to overestimate:

although it was not possible to overthrow the Horde yoke, this historical task was put on the agenda, and its implementation became a matter of time;

the myth of the invincibility of the Golden Horde was dispelled;

after the defeat of Mamai, the process of disintegration of the Horde accelerated;

The Battle of Kulikovo strengthened the role of Moscow as the center of unification of all Russian lands into a single state;

and most importantly, the Kulikovo victory marked the beginning of a spiritual revival and growth of self-awareness of the Russian people.

Farewell and Blessing of St. Sergius of Radonezh.

The reason for the Battle of Kulikovo was the worsening of relations with the Golden Horde and the growing influence of the Moscow Principality. However, the formal reason for the outbreak of the conflict was the refusal of the Moscow prince to increase the amount of tribute paid. Mamai planned an armed conflict with the Moscow squad back in 1378. But the army of Murza Begich suffered a serious defeat on the Vozha River. Despite the serious strengthening of Moscow, Dmitry needed the support of other appanage princes. In many ways, for this, the prince sought and received the blessing of Sergius of Radonezh, whose icons can be seen today in many churches. But, despite this, neither Ryazan nor Tver responded to his call. And the princes of Suzdal generally took the side of Mamai.

Participants in the Battle of Kulikovo sought to gather as many troops as possible. Dmitry Donskoy had at his disposal only the soldiers of the Moscow and Vladimir principalities, as well as the soldiers of Prince Andrei Olgerdovich. According to modern estimates by historians, their total number reached 50 - 100 thousand people. The Lithuanian prince Jagiello hurried to the Horde army, which, according to various experts, numbered from 60 to 150 thousand soldiers. Dmitry tried to prevent the connection of Mamai’s troops and he succeeded. Also, in Mamai’s army there were about 4 thousand Genoese, Muslim mercenaries, Yasses and others.

From chronicle sources it is known that the Battle of Kulikovo took place near the mouth of the Nepryadva and Don. However, it is reliably known that at that time the left bank of the Nepryadva was covered with forest. And the small field that exists today is too small for such a large-scale battle to take place. No ancient weapons or remains were found in these places. Thus, the question of the location of the battle remains open for many researchers.

A brief description of the Battle of Kulikovo, which took place on September 8, 1380, will not take much time. From the life of Sergius of Radonezh it is known that the battle was preceded by a duel between two heroes Peresvet and Chelubey. However, early sources do not mention him. Before the start of the Battle of Kulikovo, September 7, Russian troops were lined up in battle formations. The main regiment was located in the center and was under the command of the okolnichy Velyaminov. The regiment of the right hand was placed under the command of Andrei Olgerdovich, the Lithuanian prince, the regiment of the left hand was commanded by Dmitry Mikhailovich Bobrok-Volynsky. It is not known exactly where the ambush regiment was located. Probably behind the shelf of the left hand. It was he who decided the outcome of the battle.

The result of the Battle of Kulikovo was the flight of Mamai and his troops. Moreover, the ambush regiment pursued the enemies another 50 versts to the Krasnaya Mecha River. Dmitry Donskoy himself was knocked off his horse in this battle. He was found only after the end of the battle.

The consequences of the Battle of Kulikovo had a serious impact on the further history of Rus'. Although the Horde yoke did not end, as many had hoped, the amount of tribute collected decreased. The authority of Moscow and Prince Dmitry increased, which allowed the Moscow Principality to become the center of unification of the lands of Rus'. The significance of the Battle of Kulikovo is also that it showed the possibility of a final victory over the Horde and the closeness of the end of the yoke.

Battle of Kulikovo and its background

In the second half of the 14th century, the Golden Horde experienced an increasingly distinct decline. This state, like many large-scale entities, was faced with fragmentation and internal strife, which seriously weakened its military power. At the same time, against this background, the revival of the Russian principalities took place. Moscow becomes the new center of the Eastern Slavs. In the Golden Horde, torn apart by civil strife, the temnik Mamai comes to power. The first attempt to break the towering Moscow was made back in 1378. However, then Mamai’s horde was defeated on the Vozha River. Two years later, the formal reason for the Battle of Kulikovo was the demonstrative refusal of Dmitry Donskoy to increase the amount of tribute, which had been paid to the Tatar khans for a century and a half. In response to this, the Horde temnik again began to gather an army.

By September 1380, Dmitry Donskoy had a combined squad of several principalities with a total number of 50-100 thousand people. On the side of Mamai, the Horde army directly came out, numbering from 60 to 150 thousand men, as well as mercenaries and allies from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The latter had an interest in the western Russian territories and also did not want a new rise of Rus'. The great strategic success of the princely commanders was that they prevented the unification of the two armies. This fact, not least of all, made it possible to win the battle. Authentic sources describe the course itself quite briefly. The Battle of Kulikovo took place at the mouth of the Don and Nepryadva rivers. For a long time, modern historians doubted the veracity of this chronicle message. However, in recent years, much of the scientific community has accepted this fact. According to the same chronicle sources, the general battle was preceded by a battle between the strongest heroes of the two sides: Chelubey and Peresvet. However, this mention is not everywhere. Apparently, this is only beautiful story medieval chroniclers. Quite little is known about the battle itself. The chronicles only say that the Russian commanders used a military trick in the form of luring out the Tatar cavalry and then striking it in the rear from the ambush regiment. The Horde were pushed back to the river and killed.

As we see, this historical episode is full of innuendo, and its complete historical reconstruction is no longer possible today due to the lack of consistent sources. It is difficult to briefly express the significance of the Battle of Kulikovo, but we will try. As a result of this victory, Rus' did not escape the Horde yoke at all. The princes continued to pay tribute for hundreds of years. However important point was that the Principality of Moscow continued its victorious march. This made it possible to rally the majority of Russian lands around themselves and in the future put an end to the yoke.

Sources: historykratko.com, infoogle.ru, otvet.mail.ru, historykratko.ru, fb.ru

1. In 1370 - 1380s. and until 1480 there was a turning point in relations between Russia and the Golden Horde, which was characterized by the following features:

the Moscow princes stopped faithfully serving the Horde khans;
from mutual support, the Moscow princes and khans of the Golden Horde switched to periodic confrontation;
Moscow princes began to make attempts to reconsider the fundamental issue of relations between Russia and the Golden Horde - the question of tribute (reducing tribute, paying tribute not every year), while the Horde khans for about 150 years helped create the Moscow autocratic state as a tool for collecting tribute from Russian lands ;
For the first time, military clashes began between the Principality of Moscow and the Golden Horde;
Relations between Muscovite Rus' and the Golden Horde ceased to be stable; they either normalized or deteriorated depending on the political moment.

The sharp change in relations between Russia and the Golden Horde had an external impetus:

in the 1370s hordes of nomads (including Tamerlane from Central Asia) began to attack the Golden Horde from the south, and the Golden Horde found itself on the brink of destruction;
as a result of the devastating invasion of the hordes, the Golden Horde weakened several times;
the defeat of the Golden Horde led to “Zamyatin” within the Horde - a leapfrog of the khans, the beginning of strife among the top of the Tatars, the actual collapse of the Golden Horde and the beginning of the formation of the Tatar appanage khanates (Kazan, Astrakhan, Nogai, Crimea).

2. The grandson of Ivan Kalita, Moscow prince Dmitry Ivanovich Donskoy, took advantage of the emerging political situation and became the first prince to try to overthrow the Mongol-Tatar yoke. In 1376, taking advantage of the weakening of the Golden Horde, which was attacked from the south by Tamerlane’s horde, for the first time in history he refused to pay tribute to the Horde, and in 1377 he forced the newly created Kazan Khanate to pay tribute to the Moscow principality.

To pacify Rus' in 1378, an army led by military leader Begich was sent from the Golden Horde. During the Battle of the Vozha River, the Russian army defeated Begich's army. By 1380, the situation in the Horde was stabilized by the military leader Mamai, who established his dictatorship in the Horde. Wanting to curb the rebellious Rus', Mamai gathered an international army and, together with it, invaded Russian lands. In response, Dmitry Ivanovich created an all-Russian army, which included both the army of the Moscow principality and the troops of other principalities. For the first time in several centuries, Russian troops presented a united front.

On September 8, 1380, a battle took place between the armies of Mamai and Dmitry on the Kulikovo field in the upper reaches of the Don.

Mamai's international army included:

Tatar army (Golden Horde);
a regiment of Genoese;
united army of the North Caucasian peoples;
The Lithuanian army led by Prince Jagiello was approaching. A unified Russian army came out from the Russian side.

During the battle, the military leadership talent of Dmitry Donskoy emerged, who:

took Mamai's army by surprise;
misinformed the Lithuanian army, which was late for the battle;
chose a terrain that was advantageous for the Russian army;
exhausted the opponent with the preliminary battle;
used an ambush regiment, which entered the battle with fresh forces and turned the tide of the battle;
separated and confused control in Mamai's army, as a result of which the army of the Golden Horde acted inconsistently with the Genoese and North Caucasians, and Jagiello's army did not enter the battle at all.

As a result of the Battle of Kulikovo, Mamai’s international army was defeated, and Rus', 140 years after Batu’s invasion, overthrew the Mongol-Tatar yoke for 2 years.

3. In 1382, the Mongol-Tatar yoke was restored. Khan Tokhtamysh, who overthrew Mamai and restored the unity of the Golden Horde, invaded Rus', burned Moscow and forced the Principality of Moscow to pay tribute again after a 5-year break.

Despite the restoration of the yoke by Tokhtamysh, the liberation struggle of 1377 - 1382 and the Battle of Kulikovo were of historical significance:

for the first time since the times of Genghis Khan and Batu, a precedent was created for victory over the Mongol-Tatars and their allies;
the vulnerability of the Golden Horde was demonstrated, the image of the invincibility of the Mongol-Tatar army was destroyed;
Rus' received a short-term experience of freedom from the yoke; it did not pay tribute for 5 years;
for the first time in more than 200 years, the Russian army acted as a single force;
The Golden Horde was forced to take more into account Russia and avoid open conflicts;
there was a belief in the possibility of overthrowing the yoke.

In 1380, a historical battle between the Russian army and the Tatar-Mongol Horde took place between the Don and Nepryadva. Until now, Rus' from the middle of the 13th century was under the rule of the Tatar-Mongol khans. The Russian principalities paid tribute to the Horde.

In the 60s of the 7th century, the power of Moscow Prince Dmitry Ivanovich strengthened. This energetic and talented person gradually reunites the feudal princes around him. After the defeat of the Lithuanian troops in 1372, the Grand Duke forced the Tver Principality into a general union, which by that time had received the label of the Horde for the supreme rule of Russia. Before this important union, Moscow expanded its influence over the Ryazan principality. Both principalities opposed the power of the future capital.

In 1377, Khan Mamai, not wanting to put up with the increase in the centralized power of the princes, defeated the Russian troops near Nizhny Novgorod. In 1378, another battle took place on the territory of the Ryazan principality, in which Russian troops won.

In 1380 Mamai begins a big campaign against Rus', because Dmitry refused to pay more tribute than it was. In August of the same year, the prince marched with his troops to meet the troops of the khan. During the movement, Russian troops cross the Oka River and unite with the Lithuanian regiments of the Olgerdovich princes. Having crossed the Don, the Russian army lined up in battle formations. It is assumed that the crossings on the river were destroyed in order to strengthen the spirit of resistance among the troops.

On September 8, at 12 o'clock in the afternoon, the first clashes occurred between the advanced detachments of the parties. According to legend, before the battle there was a duel between the monk Alexander Peresvet and Chelubey, in which both died. But the victory remained with the monk, because his horse carried his body to the ranks of the troops, and the Tatar remained lying on the field.

Soon after the start of the battle, Dmitry Ivanovich exchanges armor and clothes with the boyar Brenk. The latter will die during the battle.

The main blow of the Tatar-Mongols fell on the left-hand regiment. The regiment could not stand it and began to lose ground. As a result of a deep breakthrough of the Horde troops, their rear was exposed, where the Russian ambush regiment struck. The attack turned out to be decisive, and the Tatars fled. The Grand Duke himself was stunned during the battle. After the battle, the convoys of Russian troops were attacked by the troops of the Lithuanian prince Jagiello, who did not dare to help Mamai.

Presumably, the Russian army consisted of 50-60 thousand people (6 regiments), the Horde army - of 100 thousand. Although, according to modern estimates, the number of each side hardly reached 30 thousand. For the most part, both troops fought on horseback. The battle lasted a total of about 3 hours.

The choice of location was not accidental. The Russian army was covered from the flanks by ravines and potholes. This is confirmed by the fact that the Tatars’ attack on the right-hand regiment failed due to the terrain.

At the moment, the location of the battle is being questioned, because... As a result of archaeological excavations, not a single reliable burial was found and few objects from that time were found. In addition, it was established that there was a forest at the site of the battle.

The result of the battle only affected the political prestige of the Horde itself. In any case, raids on Rus' continued until the 16th century, but battles of this scale never occurred again. Moreover, as a result of the Russian victory, Khan Tokhtamysh took power in the Horde, who in 1381 made a new campaign against Rus'.

Despite many contemporary controversies, the September Battle was significant for the country. The very fact of victory pushed the state towards centralization and the revival of national unity. The Horde will avoid major clashes with the princes in the future.

In honor of the battle, Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich is nicknamed Donskoy.

Dmitry Donskoy 1359-1389.

Death of Dmitry Donskoy's father Ivan Ivanovich Krasny

When Dmitry Ivanovich was 9 years old, his father Ivan Ivanovich, the Red Prince of the Moscow Principality, died. The Mongols feared that the nine-year-old boy would not enjoy the authority that the other princes of the Russian land and the Khan of the Golden Horde gave the label to Suzdal, the Suzdal prince Dmitry, who was literally old enough to be Dmitry Ivanovich’s father.

The Suzdal prince ruled for three years. The Moscow boyars are dissatisfied that the label for the great reign went to Suzdal.

Metropolitan Alexy, the brightest figure in Russian history of the second half of the 14th century, goes to the Horde, then to Suzdal and, as a result of his diplomatic abilities, negotiates with both the Horde Khan and the Suzdal prince that the label returns to Moscow.

In 1362, a twelve-year-old boy, Dmitry Ivanovich, became the Grand Duke of Vladimir and Moscow.

In 1367, the first Stone Kremlin made of white stone was erected in Moscow.

Two years later, the Mongols decided, according to their long-standing tradition, to play off the two strongest Russian princes of the Moscow and Suzdal principalities, but they did not succeed, since Dmitry of Suzdal himself refused the label, for a reason, and his daughter Epraxia married the Moscow prince. Almost ten years will pass and in the early 70s the Horde will again decide to take away the label from the strengthened Moscow prince. This time the label will be given to Tver.

In 1374, Russian troops led by Dmitry Ivanovich of Moscow. At the congress of princes in Pereslavl in the same year, a huge Russian army gathered. The army includes Rostov troops, Suzdal troops, Moscow troops. And even the appanage prince of the Tver principality Kashensky also sent his squad to help Dmitry Donskoy and this entire army approaches Tver, and thus the Tver prince Mikhail refuses the label.

In 1375, an extremely important event took place - for the first time in 130 years, the Russian princes themselves, without the participation of the Horde, decided the fate of the great reign.

Dependence on the Mongols, as we remember, was expressed in three main things:

Baskaks (after the uprising in Tver, Baskaks were no longer sent to Rus')
Label for the great reign (became free from the Mongols and was subsequently inherited by his son Vasily)
Tribute (continued to pay)

Dmitry Donskoy tried to unite the princes of different lands to fight a common enemy. He assumed that in order to fight and win the Russian troops over the Mongols, it was necessary to completely unite all the Russian principalities.

For most of his reign, Dmitry Donskoy relied on the support of Metropolitan Alexy (this was not a diplomat, who became famous for the creation of a monastic reform (compared with the reform of Sergei Radanevzhsky) (Transition of Monasteries from a hagiographic charter to a communal charter). Monastic communities cease to be secluded Cells of Monks, but become the same community as in the cities. The monasteries are thus switching to exactly the charter that is familiar to them to this day. Alexy was also an obvious opponent of hesychasm (a trend in Orthodoxy that was very popular in Byzantium at that time, the fact is that Byzantium was perishing under the blows of the Turks, and a trend was spreading there that called on churchmen to leave worldly affairs and devote themselves to serving God. In 1380, the Byzantines appointed their Metropolitan Cyprian, but Dmitry Ivanovich Donskoy tried to appoint his man Mikhail (in the chronicles referred to as Metropolitan). Mityai). But Mikhail, before reaching Constantinople, dies and, at the same time, Pimen is elected second metropolitan using forged documents. And at the very moment when two metropolitans were almost elected, Dionysius sails to Constantinople, who is trying to expose, as he believes, the scam of Dmitry Donskoy. And, subsequently, Dionysius becomes Metropolitan of Rus'. There are three metropolitans in Rus'.

Foreign policy:

In 1368, 1370, 1372, the Moscow lands were attacked by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

In the mid-14th century, the Principality of Lithuania strengthened significantly. The Lithuanian lands will include former lands Kievan Rus and Minsk, Turvopievsk, Chernigov, Smolensk and other principalities. The Lithuanian princes always supported Tver. Lithuanian Prince Algert will support Mikhail. All three times the campaign against Moscow was led by Algert Litovsky. Dmitry Donskoy repelled all the Lithuanian raids despite the fact that he was 18-22 years old at that time.

Second direction foreign policy was the Horde direction. In the Horde, from the end of the 50s, the division of the Horde into two parts began: western and eastern. In the western part, the power was established not by Genghis, but by the Temnik Mamai. In the 60-70s, clashes between Russian forces and the forces of the Horde princes continued.

In 1377, on the Piana River, the troops of the Russian princes suffered a rather severe defeat. But in 1378, on the Vozha River, Mamai’s forces were defeated. In 1378, Dmitry Donskoy stopped paying tribute to the Horde. In 1380, Mamai’s army marches on Moscow. Mamai managed to reach the Don River, where the Russian army led by Dmitry Ivanovich came out to meet him.

On September 8, 1380, the Battle of Kulikovo took place, which lasted all day. The outcome of the battle was decided by the ambush regiment, commanded by Vladimir Andreevich Serpufaskoy and his commander Bobrok. And thus the battle ends with our victory.