1378 battle on the river. Ancient Rus'

640 years ago, on August 11, 1378, the battle took place on the Vozha River. Russian squads under the command of the Grand Duke of Moscow and Vladimir Dmitry Ivanovich completely defeated the army of the Golden Horde under the command of Murza Begich.

Before the war

In the second half of the 14th century, the Mongol Empire turned into an extremely loose state formation that had lost its internal unity. The decline of the Yuan Empire, ruled by the descendants of Kublai Kublai, and Hulaguid Iran began. The ulus of Chagatai burned out in the ongoing civil war: over 70 years, more than twenty khans changed there, and only under Timur was order restored. The Ulus of Jochi, which consisted of the White, Blue and Golden Hordes, which included a significant part of Rus', was also not in the best position.

During the reign of Khan Uzbek (1313-1341) and his son Janibek (1342-1357), the Golden Horde reached its peak. However, the adoption of Islam as the state religion led to the erosion of the imperial organism. Revolts of princes who refused to accept Islam began, and they were brutally suppressed. At the same time, the bulk of the population of the Horde (like the Russians, these were Caucasians, descendants of Great Scythia) remained faithful to the old pagan faith for a long time. Thus, in “The Tale of the Massacre of Mamayev,” a Moscow monument of the 15th century, the gods worshiped by the Horde “Tatars” are mentioned: Perun, Salavat, Rekliy, Khors, Mohammed. That is, ordinary Horde people still continued to glorify Perun and Khors (Slavic-Russian gods). Total Islamization and the influx of a huge number of Arabs into the Golden Horde became the reasons for the degradation and collapse of the powerful empire. A century later, the Islamization of the Horde will divide the heirs of Great Scythia. The Islamized Eurasian part of the “Tatars” will be cut off from the superethnos of the Rus and will fall under the rule of the Crimean Khanate and Turkey, hostile to Russian civilization. Only after the reunification of the main part of the territory of the empire will the process of restoring unity begin and the Russians and Tatars will become the state-forming ethnic groups of the new Russian empire-horde.

Since 1357, in the Horde, after the murder of Khan Janibek by his son Berdibek, who himself was killed a little more than a year later, the “great turmoil” began - a continuous series of coups and changes of khans, who often ruled for no more than a year. With the death of Berdibek, Batu's dynastic line died out. With the death of Khan Temir-Khoja, who was killed by the temnik Mamai, who was married to Berdibek’s sister, the Jochi ulus actually collapsed. Mamai and his “tame” Khan Abdallah entrenched themselves on the right bank of the Volga. The Horde finally broke up into several independent possessions.

The White Horde maintained its unity. Its ruler, Urus Khan, led the war for the reunification of the Jochi ulus and successfully defended his borders from Timur’s attempts to spread his influence north of the Syr Darya. Once, as a result of a conflict with Urus Khan, the ruler of Mangyshlak, Tui-Khoja-oglan, lost his head, and his son Tokhtamysh, a prince from the house of Genghisids, was forced to flee to Tamerlane. Tokhtamysh fought the war for his inheritance unsuccessfully until Urus Khan died in 1375, and the following year Tokhtamysh easily captured the White Horde. Tokhtamysh's policy continued the strategy of Urus Khan, and it was based on the task of restoring the Jochi ulus. His most powerful and irreconcilable opponent was Mamai, ruler of the right bank of the Volga and the Black Sea region. In his struggle for power in the Horde, Mamai sought to rely on both Rus' and the Russian-Lithuanian Grand Duchy. However, the alliance turned out to be fragile.

Moscow Rus'

In 1359, the Grand Duke of Moscow Ivan Ivanovich the Red died and was succeeded by his son, ten-year-old Dmitry. By that time, thanks to the efforts of Dmitry Ivanovich’s predecessors, Moscow had occupied one of the most important places among other Russian principalities and lands. In 1362, at the cost of complex intrigues, Dmitry Ivanovich received a label for the great reign of Vladimir. The label for reign was issued to the young Prince Dmitry by Khan Murug, who was ruling in Sarai at that moment. True, the right to reign still had to be won from the Suzdal-Nizhny Novgorod prince Dmitry, who had received exactly the same label a little earlier. In 1363, a successful campaign took place, during which Dmitry subjugated Vladimir.

Then Tver stood in the way of Moscow. The rivalry between the two Russian centers resulted in a whole series of wars, where Tver was supported by the Prince of Lithuania, Olgerd, against its dangerously strengthened neighbor. From 1368 to 1375, Moscow was continuously at war with Tver and Lithuania, and Novgorod also joined the war. As a result, when in 1375, after a month-long siege, the lands of Tver were devastated, and the Lithuanian troops did not dare to attack the Moscow-Novgorod army, Prince Mikhail Tverskoy was forced to agree to a peace dictated to him by Dmitry Ivanovich, where he recognized himself as Dmitry’s “younger brother” Ivanovich and actually submitted to the Moscow prince.

During the same period, when the Horde was in turmoil, the Russian princes stopped paying tribute. In 1371, Mamai gave the Moscow prince Dmitry a label for the great reign. For this, Dmitry Ivanovich agreed to pay again for the “Horde exit”. In December of the same year, the Moscow army under the command of Dmitry Bobrok Volynsky opposed Ryazan and defeated the Ryazan army. However, the emerging alliance between Moscow and the Golden Horde was destroyed by the murder of Mamai’s ambassadors in Nizhny Novgorod, committed in 1374 at the instigation of the Suzdal bishop Dionysius, close to Dmitry of Moscow, and Moscow’s new refusal to pay tribute to the Horde.

As a result, from this moment on, Moscow finds itself in a situation of military confrontation with the Horde. In the same 1374, Mamai embarked on a campaign to the Nizhny Novgorod lands. In 1376, Mamai again attacked Nizhny Novgorod. The Moscow army comes to the aid of the city; upon learning of its approach, the Horde retreat. In the winter from 1376 to 1377, the Moscow and Suzdal-Nizhny Novgorod armies under the leadership of Dmitry Bobrok undertook a successful campaign against the Kama Bulgars. In March 1377, on the approaches, according to some researchers, to Kazan, a decisive battle took place, where the Bulgars were defeated. According to some reports, both sides used firearms, but without much success. One of the Horde lands was subordinated to Moscow: here the Russian governors left the Moscow governor and tax collectors.

However, in 1377 the Horde struck back. On August 2, Tsarevich Arapsha, commander Mamai, destroyed the Russian army on the Pyana River, which defended the eastern borders of Rus' and consisted of Nizhny Novgorod, Vladimir, Pereyaslavl, Murom, Yaroslavl and Yuryev residents. Then the Horde took and burned Nizhny Novgorod, which was left without protection. After this, the Horde invaded Ryazan and defeated it. Ryazan Prince Oleg Ivanovich barely managed to escape.

Battle of Piana. Facial chronicle vault

Russian army

The army played a major role in Moscow's victories during this period. Dmitry Ivanovich was able to organize a serious and combat-ready army. The Russian army of the 14th century was a feudal army, where the territorial principle was the basis of the organization. That is, in case of military necessity, the Grand Duke (suzerain) summoned all his vassals, according to principalities, cities, fiefs and fiefdoms, under his banner. The Russian consisted of such detachments, recruited on a territorial basis, it included appanage princes, boyars, nobles, boyar children, close feudal lords, free servants and city militias. The detachments were commanded by large and medium-sized feudal lords (boyars and princes). Service in the army at this time becomes mandatory, discipline becomes stronger, and, most importantly, there is a clearer organization of the army itself and its management. The smallest units were “spears”, that is, the commander was a noble warrior, and several fighters subordinate to him, about 10 people in total. Several dozen “copies” were united into a “flag,” that is, a larger unit under the command of boyars or petty princes. The number of Russian "banners" was from 500 to 1500 people. “Banner” had its own unique banner, by which the unit could easily be found in the thick of battle. The “flag” could carry out independent tasks and be part of larger units: regiments led by princes and governors were formed from “flags” (from 3 to 9). There were several regiments (like the Horde tumens) - the Big Regiment, the Left and Right Hand regiments (this was the traditional division of the Russian army), and also formed the Advanced and Sentinel regiments.

Moscow's previous diplomatic efforts played an important role in organizing the Russian army. According to the treaties of that time, first the appanages, and then the principalities independent of Moscow, were obliged to act together with the Moscow Grand Duchy against a common enemy. “And whoever is an enemy to our oldest brother is also an enemy to us, and whoever is a friend to our oldest brother is also a friend to us,” was the usual formula for such “finishings.” And, from here - “I will send you, mount your horse without disobeying.” The war of 1375 with Tver ended with just such a treaty, and both grand dukes were obliged to participate in joint campaigns. During the same campaign (against Tver), Moscow carried out the following mobilization: the troops of the Serpukhov-Borovsky, Rostov, Yaroslavl, Suzdal, Bryansk, Kashinsky, Smolensky, Obolensky, Molozhsky, Tarussky, Novosilsky, Gordetsky and Starodubovsky principalities acted as part of a joint army. According to the agreement, Novgorod also sent its army. In total, according to the chronicle, 22 detachments marched to Tver, which, apparently, were united into several regiments. Already during the campaign against Tver, the army assembled by the Moscow Grand Duke had a unified command. The Grand Duke became such a commander-in-chief, at whose command the united army of the Russian principalities was assembled. It is possible that during the same period, military lists were created - “ranks”, which regulated the number of units, their weapons, formation, and commanders.

At the same time, a kind of revival of the infantry was taking place in Rus'. Dense infantry formations, bristling with a hedgehog of spears, supported by archers and crossbowmen in the rear ranks, became a formidable force, capable of stopping enemy cavalry and giving time for their own cavalry to organize a counterattack. 1-2 lines of formation were occupied by heavily armed warriors, who were armed with a long spear with a long leaf-shaped tip, a sword and dagger, a shield, scale armor with mantles and legguards, as well as a high-quality helmet. The 3-4th line was occupied by medium-armed warriors, weapons - a sword, a combat knife and an ax, a klevet or war hammer, a shield and protective armor. At the beginning of the battle, archers and crossbowmen were in the first line, and during the enemy attack, archers and crossbowmen were in the 5th and 6th.

Over the course of the 14th century, ranged weapons played an increasingly important role in warfare. Crossbowmen and archers played a fairly significant role in Russian regiments during the Battle of Vozha and the Battle of Kulikovo. The crossbowmen were armed with a simple crossbow, loaded with a stirrup and a belt hook. Other weapons the warriors have are a cleaver, an ax and a long combat knife. Crossbow bolts were stored in a leather quiver suspended from the belt. The warrior’s head was protected by a spheroconic helmet; the body was covered with scale armor with a hem and shoulder straps, over which was worn a short jacket with short sleeves reaching to the elbows. There are protective plates on the knees. A large shield with a vertical groove played great importance in the crossbowman’s defensive armament complex. Behind such a shield, the crossbowman could not only completely hide, but also use it as a shooting rest. The role of archers in the Russian army at this time not only remained, but also increased.

Russian infantry: 1 - dismounted commander, 2 - heavily armed foot spearman, 3 - medium-armed infantryman, 4 - crossbowman, 5 - archer, 6 - trumpeter, 7 - drummer.

The Battle of the Vozha River is a battle between the Russian army under the command of Dmitry Donskoy and the army of the Golden Horde under the command of Murza Begich, which took place on August 11, 1378.

Prerequisites

In the spring of 1376, a Russian army led by Dmitry Mikhailovich Bobrok-Volynsky invaded the middle Volga and defeated the Bulgar army, took a ransom of 5,000 rubles from Mamaev’s proteges and put Russian customs officers there.

In 1376, Khan of the Blue Horde Arapsha, who came into the service of Mamai from the left bank of the Volga, ravaged the Novosilsk principality, avoiding a collision with the Moscow army that went beyond the Oka, in 1377 on the river. Pyana defeated the Moscow-Suzdal army, which did not have time to prepare for battle, and ruined the Nizhny Novgorod and Ryazan principalities. After Arapsha's successful raid on the Russian border the following year, Mamai moved his army against Dmitry of Moscow himself.

Progress of the battle

On the Vozha River, a tributary of the Oka, Dmitry, after successfully reconnaissance of the enemy’s plans, managed to block the ford along which the Tatars were planning to cross, and take up a convenient combat position on the hill. The Russian formation took the form of an arc; The flanks were led by the okolnichy Timofey Velyaminov and Prince Danila Pronsky (according to another version, Andrei Polotsky).

“Begich did not dare cross the river in full view of the Russian army and, according to the chronicler, “stood for many days.” Then Dmitry Ivanovich himself decided to move away from the river, “give the bank” to the Horde, in order to force them to “direct battle.” Begich fell into a trap laid out.”

The onslaught of the Tatar cavalry was repulsed, and the Russians, fighting in a semicircular formation, launched a counter-offensive. The Horde began to retreat in disorder; many of them drowned in the river.

unknown, Public Domain

The retreaters managed to avoid further persecution and complete defeat due to the onset of darkness. The next morning there was heavy fog, and only after it cleared did the Russian army cross the river and capture the convoy abandoned by the Horde. Four Horde princes and Begich himself died in the battle.

Consequences

The Battle of Vozha was the first serious victory of the troops of North-Eastern Rus' over the large army of the Golden Horde and had great psychological significance. It demonstrated the vulnerability of the Tatar cavalry, which could not withstand staunch defense and decisive retaliatory strikes.

For Mamai, the defeat on Vozha from Prince Dmitry Ivanovich was a serious blow, after which he began to rapidly lose his position in favor of Tokhtamysh, as well as the reason for the ruin of the Ryazan principality in 1379 and the campaign against Dmitry Ivanovich himself in 1380, with the significant involvement of mercenaries. Yes news that Mamai’s advisers told him:

“Your horde has become impoverished, your strength has failed; but you have a lot of wealth, let’s go hire the Genoese, Circassians, Yasses and other peoples.”

There is a version (V.A. Kuchkin) according to which the story about Sergius of Radonezh’s blessing of Dmitry Donskoy to fight against Mamai does not refer to the Battle of Kulikovo, but specifically to the battle on the Vozha River, and is connected in the life of the saint with the Battle of Kulikovo later, as with a deeper event. Among those killed in the Battle of Vozha, Dmitry Monastyrev is mentioned, whose death is also known in the Battle of Kulikovo.

Battle of the Vozha River- the battle between the Russian army and the army of the Golden Horde, which took place during the Begich invasion 11 August 1378.

In the spring of 1376, a Russian army led by Dmitry Mikhailovich Bobrok-Volynsky invaded the middle Volga, took a ransom of 5,000 rubles from Mamaev’s proteges and put Russian customs officers there.

The army of Murza Begich was sent to Rus' by Mamai for punitive purposes. Thanks to reconnaissance, the Russian prince Dmitry Ivanovich was able to determine the direction of Begich’s movement and block his ford on the Vozha River (a tributary of the Oka). The Russians took up a convenient position on a hill from which the entire area was clearly visible. Unable to use the factor of surprise, Begich did not dare to begin the crossing for three days. The Russian formation took the form of an arc, and the flanks were led by Timofey Velyaminov and Andrei Polotsky. Finally, on August 11, 1378, Begich’s cavalry began to cross the Vozha and rushed towards the Russian army, trying to encircle it from the flanks.

Begich's hopes that his rapid onslaught would cause panic in Dmitry's troops did not come true. The Russian regiments, built in a semicircle, steadfastly repulsed the onslaught and then counterattacked Begich's cavalry. Not expecting to meet such a decisive resistance, the Golden Horde retreated in disarray, abandoning their baggage train. During their flight, many soldiers drowned in the river. The presence of cavalry and the onset of night allowed the remnants of Begich’s army to break away from pursuit and avoid complete defeat.

The Battle of Vozha was the first serious victory of the Russians over a large army of the Golden Horde and had great psychological significance on the eve of the Battle of Kulikovo. It demonstrated the vulnerability of the Tatar cavalry, which could not withstand staunch defense and decisive counterattacks. For Mamai, the defeat on Vozha from Prince Dmitry Ivanovich meant an open challenge, because of which he himself moved to Rus' two years later.

The Tale of the Battle of the Vozha River

Per year 6886 (1378). In the same year, the Horde prince, the filthy Mamai, having gathered a large army, sent Begich with an army against the Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich and the entire Russian land.

Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich, hearing about this, gathered many soldiers and went to meet the enemy with a large and formidable army. And, having crossed the Oka, he entered the land of Ryazan and met the Tatars at the river near Vozha, and both forces stopped, and there was a river between them.

After a few days, the Tatars crossed to this side of the river, and, whipping their horses and shouting in their own language, they began to trot and struck at ours. And our people rushed at them: on the one hand, Timofey the okolnichy, and on the other hand, Prince Daniil Pronsky, and the great prince struck the Tatars in the forehead. The Tatars immediately threw down their spears and ran across the river for Vozha, and ours began to pursue them, chopping and stabbing, and a great many killed them, and many of them drowned in the river. And here are the names of their killed princes: Khazibey, Koverga, Karabuluk, Kostrov, Begichka.

And when evening came, and the sun set, and the light faded, and night fell, and it became dark, it was impossible to chase them across the river. And the next day there was heavy fog in the morning. And the Tatars, as they fled in the evening, continued to flee throughout the night. The great prince on this day only in the pre-dinner time went after them, chasing them, but they had already run far away. And they drove into the field to their abandoned camps, and tents, and vezhs, and yurts, and huts, and their carts, and in them there was an innumerable amount of all sorts of goods, and all this was abandoned, but there was no one themselves - they all ran to the Horde.

The great prince Dmitry returned from there to Moscow with a great victory and sent his army home with great booty. Then Dmitry Monastyrev and Nazariy Danilov Kusakov were killed. And this massacre took place on the eleventh of August, on the day of remembrance of the holy martyr Euplaus the Deacon, on Wednesday evening. And God helped the great Prince Dmitry Ivanovich, and he defeated the military, and defeated his enemies, and drove out the filthy Tatars.

And the accursed Polovtsians were put to shame, they returned in shame having been defeated, the wicked Ishmaelites fled, driven by the wrath of God! And they ran to the Horde to their king, or rather to Mamai, who had sent them, because their king, whom they had at that time, did not have any power and did not dare to do anything without the consent of Mamai, and all power was in the hands of Mamaia, and he owned the Horde.

Mamai, seeing the defeat of his squad, the remnants of which came running to him, and learning that princes, nobles, and Alpauts had died and that many of his soldiers had been beaten, became very angry and furious with malice. And that same autumn, having gathered his surviving forces and recruited many new soldiers, he quickly went as an army, in exile, without giving any news, to the Ryazan land. But the great prince Oleg did not prepare and did not stand up for battle against them, but fled from his land, abandoned his cities and fled across the Oka River. The Tatars came and captured the city of Pereyaslavl and other cities, and burned them, and the volosts and villages fought, and killed many people, and took others into captivity, and returned to their country, causing a lot of evil to the land of Ryazan.

(note: information about Oleg may be biased due to the specific relations in politics of that time).

In 1378, Mamai sent a large army under the command of Begich and several other Murzas to Rus'. Begich walked through the Ryazan lands, but the goal of the campaign was Moscow. Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich decided not only to repel the invasion, but also to inflict a decisive defeat on the enemy. Russian regiments under the command of the Grand Duke himself crossed the river. Oka and went along the Ryazan land towards Begich. Earlier than the Horde, they managed to approach the river. Go ahead and get ready for battle. Begich did not dare cross the river in full view of the Russian army and, according to the chronicler, “stood for many days.” Then Dmitry Ivanovich himself decided to move away from the river, “give the bank” to the Horde, in order to force them to “direct battle.” Begich fell into a trap. His cavalry began to cross the Vozha and accumulate on its left, Russian bank. The attack of the Russian army was swift and unstoppable. The enemy was hit “in the face” by a “large regiment” led by the Grand Duke, and two other regiments - the okolnichy Timofey and Prince Daniil Pronsky - came in from the flanks. The enemy cavalry rolled back to the river in disorder. Vozhe, and the Russian warriors, overtaking the Horde, “beat them, cut them, and barbed them, and killed many of them, and stamped them in the river”; Begich himself died in the attack. The pursuit of the defeated enemy continued until darkness, and rich booty fell into the hands of the victors. The remnants of Vegich's army "ran to the Horde." The Horde suffered a complete defeat.

THE TALE OF THE BATTLE ON THE VOZHA RIVER

After a few days, the Tatars crossed to this side of the river and, whipping their horses and shouting in their own language, they began to trot and struck at ours. And our people rushed at them: on the one hand, Timofey the okolnichy, and on the other hand, Prince Daniil Pronsky, and the great prince struck the Tatars in the forehead. The Tatars immediately threw down their spears and ran across the river for Vozha, and ours began to pursue them, chopping and stabbing, and a great many killed them, and many of them drowned in the river. And here are the names of their killed princes: Khazibey, Koverga, Karabuluk, Kostrov, Begichka.

And when evening came, and the sun set, and the light faded, and night fell, and it became dark, it was impossible to chase them across the river. And the next day there was heavy fog in the morning. And the Tatars, as they fled in the evening, continued to flee throughout the night. The great prince on this day only in the pre-dinner time went after them, chasing them, but they had already run far away. And they drove into the field at their abandoned camps, and tents, and vezhi, and yurts, and huts, and their carts, and in them there was an innumerable amount of all sorts of goods, and all this was abandoned, but there was no one themselves - they all ran to the Horde.

FORMATION OF THE ANTI-HORDYAN UNION OF RUSSIAN PRINCIPALITIES

Until the second half of the 14th century, the suzerainty of the Horde over North-Eastern Russia was not challenged either by politicians or figures of public thought. Acts of resistance to the Tatars were associated with inter-princely conflicts in Rus' (princes could find themselves in confrontation with the khan, who supported their rivals), and not with a conscious struggle to completely eliminate dependence. Only in “The Tale of Mikhail Tverskoy” (1319-1320) can one discern the idea of the temporary nature of Tatar domination over Russia, but it is carried out in an extremely veiled manner, in the form of a hint, by using examples from the history of Ancient Rome and Byzantium.

But with the beginning of the turmoil in the Horde, a fundamentally new situation arose. Firstly, it became common for the Horde to have two “kings” (and at times more). Secondly, the most powerful politician in this state became (for the first time) a person who did not belong to the “royal” family. Under him, the “kings” turned into marionettes, whom Mamai changed at his own discretion. In Rus' this situation was understood very clearly. The Khan, on whose behalf Mamai ruled, could be disparagingly called “Mamai’s Tsar”; it was directly stated that Mamai “installed another king in his Horde.” The sovereignty of Mamai is especially emphasized in the following chronicle characteristics: “... their king does not own anything, but Mamai holds all the elders”; “Someone is bad for them, but everything they do is for Prince Mamai.”

Thus, by 1374, for more than a decade, the state structure of the Horde was in an “abnormal” state: the kings did not have real power, it belonged to the usurper. After Mamai’s desire to transfer the great reign to Mikhail Tverskoy and, finally, his loss of Sarai was added to this fact, Moscow decided, probably in response to a monetary “request,” to make a break and not comply with the illegal, unreliable in terms of support for the Grand Duke and, moreover, the ruler of vassal relations who does not control the entire territory of the Horde.

In November 1374, a princely congress took place in Pereyaslavl. It is believed that the Russian princes agreed on a joint fight against the Tatars. It is likely that the decisions of the congress concerned a wider range of issues; they were talking about joint actions in general, including against the Horde. Relations with the latter, most likely, were built in the way that was recorded the following year in Dmitry’s agreement with Mikhail Tversky: “And from the Tatars there will be peace for us, according to the Duma. We will be given a way out, according to the Duma, but we will not be given a way out, according to the Duma. And the Tatars will come against us or you, and we and you will fight together against them. Or we will go against them, and you and us, together, go against them.” On the one hand, the possibility of peaceful relations with the Horde and payment of the exit is allowed here. On the other hand, this is the first fact that has reached us of the contractual consolidation of obligations on joint military actions against the Horde, both defensive and offensive.

In March 1375, another princely congress took place, the location of which is unknown. During it, Vasily, the son of Dmitry of Nizhny Novgorod, tried to tighten the maintenance of Saraika and his people; the Tatars resisted (their weapons were not taken away) and were killed. During the fight, Saraika shot at Bishop Dionysius, but the arrow only grazed his mantle. In response to the beating of the embassy, Mamai’s troops fought in the Nizhny Novgorod volosts - Kish and Zapyanye.

Meanwhile, the son of the last Moscow thousand-man Vasily Velyaminov (who died in 1374) and Nekomat Surozhanin ran over to Mikhail Tverskoy. Mikhail sent them to the Horde, and soon Ambassador Achikhozha (the same one who went with Dmitry of Nizhny Novgorod against the Bulgar in 1370) came from there with a label to the Tver prince for the great reign of Vladimir. In response, an army of unprecedented scale moved towards Tver. The list of princes who participated in the campaign makes it possible to determine the circle of participants in the Pereyaslav Congress, i.e. princes who agreed on joint actions and recognized the supremacy of Moscow. This (in addition to Dmitry Ivanovich himself and his cousin Vladimir Andreevich Serpukhovsky) is the Suzdal-Nizhny Novgorod prince Dmitry Konstantinovich, his son Semyon and brothers - Boris and Dmitry Nogot, the Rostov princes Andrei Fedorovich and Vasily and Alexander Konstantinovich, Prince Ivan Vasilyevich from the Smolensk branch (ruled in Vyazma), Yaroslavl princes Vasily and Roman Vasilyevich, Belozersk prince Fyodor Romanovich, Kashinsky prince Vasily Mikhailovich (who went over to the side of Moscow), Youth prince Fyodor Mikhailovich, Starodubsky prince Andrei Fedorovich, Prince Roman Mikhailovich Bryansky (he was then in Bryansk no longer owned, he was in the hands of Olgerd), Novosilsky prince Roman Semenovich, Obolensky prince Semyon Konstantinovich and his brother Tarusa prince Ivan. Thus, the suzerainty of Dmitry Ivanovich was recognized not only by all the principalities of North-Eastern Rus' (except for Tver, with the exception of his Kashin inheritance), but also by the princes of the three supreme principalities of the Chernigov land (Novosilsky, Obolensky and Tarussky), Roman Mikhailovich, who was considered Grand Duke of Chernigov and Prince of Vyazemsk. The latter passed under the hand of Dmitry back in 1371, when his uncle and overlord, the Grand Duke of Smolensk Svyatoslav Ivanovich, was an ally of Lithuania. But in 1375, Svyatoslav was already an ally of Dmitry, so even if Ivan lost control over Vyazma for some time, by the mid-70s. he probably returned it.

As a result of the campaign, Mikhail Tverskoy recognized himself as the “young brother” of Dmitry Ivanovich, and the great reign as his “fatherland”: “And our estates of Moscow, and of the entire great reign, and of Novagorod the Great, must be guarded and not offended. But these patrimony of ours, Moscow, and the entire Great Duchy, and Novgorod the Great, are not to be looked for under us, and to the belly, and to your children, and to your brothers.”...

At the beginning of 1377, the united forces of the Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod principalities (the Moscow army was led by the son of Koryad-Mikhail Gediminovich Dmitry Bobrok, who transferred to serve in Moscow, the Nizhny Novgorod army was led by the sons of Dmitry Konstantinovich Vasily and Ivan) set off on a campaign “against the Bulgarians”...

It is obvious that in relation to the Horde “princes” the Grand Duke of Moscow acted in the same way as in relation to the Russian princes. In fact, he tried, as it were, to take the place in relation to the first, which was occupied by the ruler of the Horde. However, to see here Dmitry’s desire to become equal to the “tsar” would be risky - rather, with such actions, the Grand Duke put himself on the same level as Mamai, who seven years earlier brought Volga Bulgaria to submission.

In the summer of the same year, the Moscow-Nizhny Novgorod army (the Moscow part was led by the governors, the Nizhny Novgorod part was led by Ivan Dmitrievich), expecting an attack by the “prince” Arabshah (Arapsha) who came from the Volga region, missed the attack of the Tatars from the Mamayev Horde and was defeated on the river. Drunk (Ivan Nizhny Novgorod died), after which the Horde ravaged Nizhny Novgorod. In the same year, Arabshah made war on Zasurye.

Inspired by success, Mamai in the summer of 1378 decided to strike directly at the Principality of Moscow, sending a strong army under the command of Begich against Dmitry Ivanovich. August 11 on the river Vozhe, within the Ryazan land, the Moscow-Ryazan army inflicted a crushing defeat on the Mamaev Tatars. Somewhat earlier, at the end of July, the Horde again managed to ravage Nizhny Novgorod. It remains unclear, however, whether these were Tatars from the Mamaev Horde.

In retaliation for the defeat at Vozha, Mamai attacked the Ryazan land that same year. Its capital Pereyaslavl-Ryazan was burned, and the Grand Duke of Ryazan Oleg Ivanovich escaped by fleeing across the Oka.

Gorsky A.A. Moscow and Horde

Battle of Kulikovo

An event of enormous historical importance was the victory of the Russian army in 1380 on Kulikovo field above the Tatar army Temnik Mamaia.
Temnik(from darkness - ten thousand) - Russian name of military rank tumenbashi in the Golden Horde.

Battle of Kulikovo, which took place September 8, 1380 near the confluence Nepryadva River to Don, is a key event in the history of Rus'’s struggle against the Mongol-Tatar yoke and the unification of Russian lands around Moscow.

Mamai counted on the help of the Lithuanian prince Yagaila and the Ryazan prince Oleg, who promised help, but did not provide it at the last moment.

In the army of Prince Dmitry, the princely squads of almost all the lands of North-Eastern Rus' were represented (only Ryazan and Novgorod detachments). The chronicle contains a story about Dmitry's meeting with the abbot of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra Sergius of Radonezh, who blessed the soldiers for victory and gave the prince two courageous warrior-monks - Oslyabyu and Peresvet. The gathering place for the Russian army was not Moscow, but Kolomna: Dmitry wanted to get ahead of the enemy and engage in battle with him until he united with the allies.

On August 8, having crossed the Don, the Russians took up positions on the Kulikovo field. Gully, surrounded by oak forests, it deprived the Horde cavalry of maneuver and made it impossible to encircle the Russian army from the flanks. Prince Dmitry, dressed in the clothes of a simple warrior, fought courageously on the battlefield.

The right flank of the Horde army came under attack from an ambush regiment led by the governor Dmitry Bobrok And Serpukhov Prince Vladimir. Having hidden the ambush regiment in an oak grove, Prince Dmitry showed remarkable talent as a commander. The confused Horde fled in panic.
The reasons for winning the battle are generally clear: Dmitry showed undeniable military leadership:

· gathering of troops in Kolomna,

· choosing a battle location,

· troop disposition,

· actions of the ambush regiment.

The meaning of the victory on the Kulikovo field:

· Moscow has strengthened its role as a unifier of Russian lands;

· a turning point occurred in relations between Rus' and the Horde;

· the amount of tribute that Rus' now paid to the Horde decreased significantly;

· The Horde continued to weaken.

3.First half of the 15th century. The main event of this stage was feudal war 1425-1453 between the Moscow prince Vasily II the Dark and the coalition of appanage princes, which was headed by his uncle Yuri, and after the death of Yuri - his cousins Vasily Kosoy and Dmitry Shemyaka. The long period of unrest ended with the victory of the Moscow prince.

Vasily I Dmitrievich(1371 - 1425) - Grand Duke of Moscow and Vladimir from 1389, eldest son of Dmitry Ivanovich Donskoy. He was married to Sophia - his only daughterGrand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas.

Vasily II Vasilievich Dark(1415 -1462) - Grand Duke of Moscow from 1425, son of the Grand Duke of Vladimir and Moscow Vasily I Dmitrievich and Sofia Vitovtovna.

4. Second half of the 15th - beginning of the 15th century. The final stage of the unification process is associated with the reign of Ivan III (1462-1505) and the first years of the reign of his son Vasily III (1505-1533).
-mostly completed gathering Russian lands around Moscow. Novgorod was annexed to Moscow ( 1478), Tver ( 1485), Pskov (1510), Ryazan (1521), Smolensk (1514);

July 14, 1471 on the river. Sheloni A decisive battle took place in which the Moscow army completely defeated the Novgorod militia. After this the Grand Duke demanded directly management Novgorod and the elimination of its independence. At first the Novgorodians refused to obey. But Ivan III besieged the city in January 1478, and soon its inhabitants had to capitulate:

· The veche bell was taken to Moscow,

· posadnichestvo was liquidated,

· govern the citybecome Moscow governors.

· The Novgorod Republic ceased to exist.

Portal about reinforcement and meshes

Prerequisites

Progress of the battle

Consequences

THE TALE OF THE BATTLE ON THE VOZHA RIVER

FORMATION OF THE ANTI-HORDYAN UNION OF RUSSIAN PRINCIPALITIES

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