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Background • Moscow, along with many other Russian lands, was conquered by the armies of Batu Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan in the 13th century, and was made a tribute payer to the Golden Horde. Russian leaders long sought for independence. Under Prince Dmitri Ivanovich, Grand Duchy of Moscow became the most powerful of Russian princedoms. • In 1370, Tatar warlordMamai took the power in Golden Horde and accepted the title of Great Khan. As he wasn't a Genghisid, his position remained vulnerable as there were legal descendants of Genghis Khan who were in a position to lay claim to the throne. Mamai sought to affirm his sovereignty over the tributary lands of the Golden Horde. In 1378 he sent forces led by warlord Murza Begich to enforce the Moscow Prince's obedience. But the Horde army was defeated at the battle of the Vozha River and Begich was killed. • Two years later Mamai led his armies to Rus himself. Prior to invading, he conducted negotiations with Prince Jogaila of Lithuania and Russian prince , a fierce enemy to Dmitry. The armies of Lithuania and Ryazan were sent to join the Tatars. Mamai set his camp on the shore of Don, waiting for allies.
Forces • Combined Russian armies under the command of the Grand Prince of Vladimir, Dmitri Ivanovich of Moscow (called "Dmitry of the Don" afterwards) faced a much larger Tatar force under the command of Mamai, a strongman of the Golden Horde. Mamai's allies, Grand Prince Oleg of Ryazan and Grand Prince Jogaila of Lithuania were late to the battle. The old Russian poem Zadonshchina lists 150,000 Russians and 300,000 Tartaro-Mongols, but the actual size of the Kulikovo Field would not allow such a quantity of troops. Most likely the figures were closer to 80,000 Russians, including seven thousand rebel Lithuanians, and 125,000 Tatars.
The Battle • On the morning of September 8, a thick fog covered the Kulikovo Field. The fog cleared around 11 A.M, at which point both armies began simultaneously advancing on each other. The battle was allegedly opened by a single combat of two champions. The Russian champion was Alexander Peresvet, a monk from the Trinity Abbey sent to the battle by Saint Sergius. The Horde champion was Temir-murza (also Chelubey or Cheli-bey). The champions killed each other in the first run, though according to Russian legend, Peresvet did not fall from the saddle, while Temir-murza fell. • After approximately three hours of battle (from noon to 3 p.m.) the Russian forces were successful, although suffering great casualties, in holding off the Horde's attack. The cavalry of Vladimir, Prince of Serpukhov (Dmitri's cousin), led by Dmitri Bobrok, Prince of Volynia launched a flanking surprise counter strike and achieved victory over the Horde forces. Mamai escaped to Crimea, where he was assassinated by his enemies, leaving the Horde under the command of Tokhtamysh.
Legacy • This victory was the early signal of the end of the Mongol yoke, which officially ended with the great standing on the Ugra river a century later. Its spiritual importance for the unification of the Russian lands was even more important. As one historian put it[citation needed], the Russians went to the Kulikovo Field as citizens of various principalities and returned as a united Russian nation. This view was possibly not shared by prince , who allied with the losing side. • A minor planet2869 Nepryadva discovered in 1980 by Soviet astronomer Nikolai Stepanovich Chernykh was named to honor the Russian victory over Tataro-Mongols in the battle at Kulikovo near Nepryadva River on September 8, 1380. [1]
Battle of Kulikovo • The Kulikovo battle of 1380 is the most important event in the history of the Medieval Russia, which to a great extent defined the further destiny of the Russian State. The battle on the Kulikovo field commenced the North-West Russia liberation from the Yoke of the Golden Horde. The increasing power of Moscow Principality, the growth of its authority among other Russian Principalities, Moscow’s refusal to pay tribute became the main reasons for Mamai, the leader of the Golden Horde, to organize a big military campaign against Russia. In order to win victory over the Golden Horde it was necessary to unite Russia under expanding influence of Moscow Principality. • By the fall of 1380 the main forces of Mamai crossed the Volga River and slowly moved to the North to meet their allies in the basin of the Oka River. For the first time in Russian history of the XII-XIV centuries as well a great number of warriors joined the banner of the Grand Prince of Moscow Dmitry Ivanovich. Having crossed the Oka River the Russian warriors rapidly moved to the Kulikovo field. On the 6th of September Russian regiments reached the Don River by the Old Dankovskaya road. Military council decided to cross the Don River and meet the enemy. Late at night on September 7th the troops crossed the river and early in the morning, on September 8th, began to deploy in combat formation to the watershed, the place where Mamai’s forces were moving from.
Battle of Kulikovo • Russian troops formed up the traditional three line order. The Outpost regiment took position in the vanguard and the Front regiment was located behind it. The main line of the Russian combat formation had three part division. The Big regiment stood in the middle and its flanks were protected by the Right Hand and the Left Hand regiments. The reserves were located behind the Big regiment. Russian generals, predicting the course of the battle, located the Ambush regiment in the Green oak woods, to the east from the Left Hand regiment. Flanks of Russian warriors stood close to the Nizhni Dubik and Smolka Rivers banks, covered with forests. Mamai positioned his troops in the line order too. In the middle there was hired Genoese infantry. On the flanks and behind the infantry there were troops of the Horde’s cavalry and hired warriors. The reserves were just behind them. The battle began at about 11 o’clock by the attacks of the Horde’s infantry and cavalry against Russian Outpost and Front regiments. Having withstood the first onslaught, suffering heavy losses, the regiments went back to the main Russian forces. The Horde’s cavalry began severe front attacks along all the defense line of the Russian troops. Trying to create preponderance, Mamai sent his reserves against the Left Hand regiment. Despite the hard-fought resistance of Russian troops, the Horde’s army managed to break through its lines. Left Hand regiment began to drop back with great losses. Even the reserves could not save the situation. At about 2 o’clock the Golden Horde moved to the rear of the Russian troops, outflanking the Big regiment. Thus a real threat of encircling and destroying Russian forces arose. It was the culmination moment of the battle. And at this moment the Russian Ambush regiment attacked the back of the Horde’s cavalry. Unexpected involvement of new Russian troops drastically changed the situation. The attack of the Ambush regiment was the signal for Moscow warriors to launch an offensive. Mamai's army flew. Till night Russian troops pursued them. It was a clear victory. Golden Horde troops were completely destroyed. The threat of the total destruction of Russia, the results of which is hard to imagine, was eliminated. Dead warriors had been picked up on the field and buried in the communal grave during seven days.
Battle of Kulikovo • Christian church, its monasteries and hegoumenons (monks) assisted in faith consolidation in people’s hearts and in the growth of Moscow Principality. One of the most favorite spiritual tutors was Saint Sergy of Radonej. It was he who inspired in the Russian confidence the victory over the Golden Horde on the Kulikovo field. The Trinity Monastery, created by Sergy, became the symbol of Russia’s unification. • The Kulikovo battle turned out to be the largest fight of the middle Ages. More than one hundred thousand warriors participated in it. The Golden Horde was thoroughly defeated. The Kulikovo battle became the turning point in the struggle of Russia against the Tatar-Mongol Yoke and influenced the formation of the united Russian State, the creation of the Russian national consciousness. The victory on the Kulikovo field hastened the process of the Russian state consolidation and it had passed through the whole history of Russia as the connected thread. In the time of Ivan III the united Russia overthrew the Golden Horde Yoke forever at the Ugra River in 1480.
