Presidential Library marks the anniversary of the Battle of Kulikovo

640 years ago, on September 8, 1380, the Battle of Kulikovo took place - a battle between the Russian troops under the united command of Prince Dmitry of Moscow and the armies of the Golden Horde under the command of Mamai. The bloody battle was at the Kulikovo Field between the Don, Nepryadva and Krasivaya Mecha rivers in the southeast of modern Tula Region.

The Presidential Library's portal provides an extensive collection featuring this battle, the victory in which was of great importance for the Russian people. It includes diverse studies and interpretations of ancient sources, for example, "The Tale of the Battle of Grand Prince Dimitri Ioannovich Donskoy with the Unholy Tsar Mamai..." (1835 ) by historian Nikolai Golovin, "The History of the Campaign of the Grand Prince Dimitri Ioannovich Donskoy against Mamai..." (1824) and other historical and biographical works - "The Rout of Mamai" (1881) by the writer and historian Daniil Mordovtsev, "About the Evil Times of the Tatar Reign and the Terrible Rout of Mamai" (1891) by Academician Konstantin Bestuzhev-Ryumin, "Dmitry Donskoy" (1942) by the Soviet prose writer Sergei Borodin, as well as artworks and graphic materials.

The result of the reign of Ivan Kalita (1325-1340) was a significant strengthening of the Moscow positions in the north-east of Russia. The 1360s covers the several simultaneous events: the strengthening of the Moscow state, the consolidation of the rest of the lands around it and the growth of the Mamai's power in the Golden Horde.

"Kalita's grandson Dimitri Ivanovich was an adolescent when his father died. He, under the guidance of wise Moscow boyars, managed to consolidate his position at the throne of Vladimir Princes ... When he grew up, he began to display remarkable courage and consciousness. Employing the united forces of northeastern Russia, he boldly entered the fight against all rivals and enemies of Moscow... There was a turn of the barbarian conquerors of Russia, the Tatars", wrote the famous historian Dmitry Ilovaisky in his essay "Kulikovo Victory of Dmitry Ivanovich Donskoy" (1880).

In 1374, the Moscow prince refused to pay tribute to the Golden Horde and broke off relations with it. Mamai tried to force the Moscow state to resume the payment and sent ambassadors to negotiations, but, they achieved nothing. In 1378, he decided to launch the war. However, the army under the command of Murza Begich was completely defeated on the Vozha River by Russian regiments led by Dmitry Ivanovich. The outcome of this battle proved that victory over the eastern enemy is possible.

"The idea of the historical mission of Moscow - to consolidate Russian forces to abolish the Tatar yoke, had been longing by Russians for a long time. By the times of Dmitry Ioannovich, it became an urgent task", is written in the book "The Battle of Kulikovo and its Significance in the History of Russian Statehood and the Russian Church" (1880), by historian Mikhail Koyalovich.

Mamai wanted to avenge his defeat on Vozha and recover his authority to resist in the struggle with his rival Khan Tokhtamysh the throne in the Golden Horde.

Dmitry Ilovaisky states that, "... in the summer of 1380, shocking news came to Moscow: Mamai arose with his entire horde and went to Russia. He was not content with gathering all the Tatar and Polovtsian forces. The old khan hired detachments of the Trans-Caspian Muslims, Alans, Circassians and warriors from Gazaria (Crimea). Moreover, he entered into an alliance with the enemy of Moscow, the Grand Prince of Lithuania Yagail Olgerdovich... ". Mamai also secured an alliance with the Ryazan Prince Oleg, but both allies played the waiting game, looking out for themself.

From the captured prisoners, Dmitry Ivanovich learned about the forthcoming attack and ordered to collect Russian troops. "The Grand Prince Dimitri Ioannovich, having learned that Mamai, the Khan of the new Horde, gathered a large army, and was going to war against Russia, grew sad, and with this feeling... sent heralds to other Princes and Voevods", says the publication "Defeated Mamai..." (1798) by Second Lieutenant Ivan Mikhailov.

The assembly of Russian troops was scheduled for August 15 in Kolomna. "The Russian people rejoiced looking at the Russian troops gathered in Moscow. The felt the desire to pit the strength against the Tatar Horde in the open field and finally destroy the hated yoke", wrote Ilovaisky about this.

Dmitry Ivanovich visited hegumen (abbot) Sergius of Radonezh at the Trinity Monastery, who blessed him, predicted victory and sent two monks - Peresvet and Oslyabya, to fight. After inspection of troops on the Devichye Pole, on August 26, a large Russian army set out from Kolomna to stop the hordes of Mamai. Soon it crossed the Oka and on September 7 approached the Don.

Mikhail Koyalovich wrote, "They reached Don by some miracle, with an open rear and unharmed flanks. Despite the cowardice of many, they decided to cross the Don promptly, cutting off their own ways to retreat".

At night before September 8, 1380, Russian troops tried to get ahead of Mamai and built for battle on the right bank of the Don. The bridges for the return were burned. Prince Dmitry lined up the army in the usual battle order but left a reserve detachment in the forest. Dmitry himself fought in the clothes of a simple warrior, passing his royal dress and standard to the boyar Mikhail Brenok. Afterwards, Brenok was killed in battle, and Dmitry was wounded.

The battle began with the famous duel of the monk Peresvet with the Horde warrior Chelubey (Temir-bey), both died.

At the beginning of the battle, Mamai unsuccessfully attacked the centre and right flank of the Russians. Then he concentrated his efforts against the left flank, forcing it to retreat. Then the decisive moment of the battle came. The reserve detachment unexpectedly struck the flank and rear of the advancing cavalry of Mamai. This attack decided the outcome of the battle - the Tatars retreated"... Then the Grand Prince Dmitri Ivanovich and his brother, Prince Vladimir Andreevich, made the enemy regiments to retreat. They started to beat and slash busormans without mercy..." describes Zadonshchina, a Russian literary monument of the late XIV century, edited by the Proceedings of the Imperial Academy of Sciences on the Department of Russian language and literature. Vol. 6, Issue 5 (1858).

The Battle of Kulikovo was of great historical importance. This is what the historian Nikolai Barsov says in his lecture "Marking the five hundredth anniversary of the Battle of Kulikovo..." (1880): "The conquest of Kazan and Astrakhan, the conquest and settlement of Siberia to the Pacific Ocean, the elimination of the Crimean horde... successes in Central Asia, the liberation of the Balkan Slavs - all this is political and the ethnographic distribution of the Russian people, which originates from the Battle of Kulikovo. The vitality and strength of the people's consciousness and unity are the reasons for awakening enslaved Russia and victory in the battle".