Tragedy on Kalka. In the Polovtsian steppes and on the borders of Rus', a select detachment of Genghis Khan's troops operated under the leadership of his best generals - the young talented Dzhebe and the wise old Subede. The Polovtsian Khan Kotyan, within whose limits the Mongols entered, turned to the Russian princes for help. He wrote to his son-in-law, Prince Mstislav the Udaly, who at that time reigned in Galich: “Our land was taken away today, but tomorrow, when they come, they will take it.” However, in the Russian principalities, the Polovtsy's request for help was met with doubt. The princes did not trust their ancient opponents, and the appearance on the Russian borders of a new, hitherto unknown Mongol army was perceived as the exit from the steppe of another horde of nomads. There were Pechenegs, then Polovtsians. Now there are some Tatars. Even if they are strong, but there was confidence that the Russian squads would defeat these newcomers. Such sentiments were also reflected in the congress of princes in Kyiv, which met at the initiative of Mstislav Udaly. The Galician prince called for action against an unknown and terrible enemy. Not everyone responded to his call. The Prince of Kiev Mstislav Romanovich, Mstislav Svyatoslavich Chernigov, Daniil Romanovich, who reigned at that time in Vladimir-Volynsky (son-in-law of Mstislav Udaly), as well as smaller princes, agreed to participate in the campaign. In essence, the powerful Russian prince, the son of Vsevolod the Big Nest, Yuri Vladimiro-Suzdal, refused to help. True, he sent the Rostov regiment, but he did not have time to appear.

Having learned about the performance of the Russian army, the Mongols, true to their principle of splitting the enemies, sent an embassy to the Russian princes, which stated: “We hear that you are going against us, having listened to the Polovtsy, but we have not occupied your land, nor your cities, not on We have come to you, but for the lackeys and for our grooms, for the filthy Polovtsy. And you take the world with us." But, having already heard about the deceit and cruelty of the Mongols, the Russian princes refused to negotiate with them, killed the Mongol ambassadors and moved towards the enemy.

The first battle with the Mongols was successful. The advanced Mongol detachments fled to their main forces. Russian squads continued to move further into the steppe, trying, as in the days of confrontation with the Polovtsy, to solve the matter on enemy territory, away from their native lands.

Map. Battle on Kalka.

The decisive battle between the united Russian squads and the army of Dzhebe and Subede took place on May 31, 1223 on the Kalka River, not far from the coast of the Sea of ​​Azov.

This battle revealed the separatism and political egoism of the Russian princes. While the squads of Mstislav the Udaly, Daniil Volynsky and some other princes, with the support of the Polovtsian cavalry, rushed to the enemy, Mstislav of Kiev stood with his forces on one of the hills and did not participate in the battle. The Mongols managed to withstand the blow of the allies, and then went on the offensive. The Polovtsians were the first to waver. They fled from the battlefield. This put the Galician and Volyn rati in a difficult position. The squads fought courageously, but the overall preponderance of forces was on the side of the Mongols. They broke the resistance of the Russians, they ran. Mstislav Udaloy and Daniil Romanovich fought in the thick of the battle, arousing the admiration of the Mongol commanders. But their courage could not resist the military art and strength of the Mongols. Both princes with a few warriors escaped the chase.

Now it is the turn of the most powerful among the Russian troops of the Kyiv rati. An attempt to take the Russian camp by attack, the Mongols failed, and then they went to another trick. Dzhebe and Subede promised Mstislav of Kyiv and other princes who were with him a peaceful outcome of the case and the passage of their troops freely to their homeland. When the princes opened their camp and left it, the Mongols rushed to the Russian squads. Almost all Russian soldiers were killed. The princes, led by Mstislav of Kyiv, were captured. They were tied hand and foot, thrown to the ground, and boards were placed on them, on which the Mongol military leaders sat down during the victorious feast.

During battles on Kalka six princes died, only one in ten of ordinary soldiers returned home. Only the Kiev army lost about 10 thousand people. This defeat turned out to be one of the most difficult for Rus' in its entire history.

The Mongols took possession of a huge territory - from China to Central Asia and the Caucasus. Genghis Khan divided it among his sons. The western lands went to the eldest son Jochi, who died in the same year as his father (1227). At the head of the Western ulus (part) of the Mongol Empire stood the son of Jochi - a young, energetic Batu (Batu). In 1235, at the kurultai of the Mongol khans, which was held under the leadership of the new great khan Ogedei, the son of Genghis Khan, it was decided to march to Europe, "to the last sea".

A new terrible danger loomed over Russia.

Each person should be interested in the history of his people. The times of the Golden Horde are very important for history lovers, in particular, the battle on the Kalka River, the results of which make us think about the tragic events in the life of the Russian people.

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Mongol campaigns in the Caucasus

At the beginning of the 13th century, the Mongol-Tatars owned vast territories. Lands from the Yellow to the Caspian Sea belonged to. In 1222, 3 tumens of the Mongol-Tatar troops, numbering 30 thousand units, went to Iran. Genghis Khan himself sent them, appointing the leaders of his faithful khans Tohuchar-noyon, Jebe-noyon and Subedei-bagatur. They were supposed to engage in battle with the warriors of Alad-Din Muhammad. Troops of the Tatar-Mongols during the clash suffered huge losses.

A year later, in 1223, two tumens of the most experienced Mongol-Tatar warriors, having fought through the northern part of Iran, approached the Caucasus. Here there was a battle with the Georgian troops under the command of Lashe, the son of Queen Tamara. As a result Mongol troops captured the Caucasus.

The defeat of the Alans

After the capture of the Caucasus, the Mongolian tumens, crossing the Daryal Gorge, headed for the Kuban, where the possessions of the ancient Alans were located. The Persian historian Rashid ad-Din later wrote that the Alans entered into an alliance with the nomadic Cumans and were able to give a crushing rebuff to the Mongol soldiers.

However, the Mongols went to the trick. They endowed the Polovtsian khans with fabulous wealth, persuading them to break with the Alans.

The Polovtsy succumbed to the persuasion to leave the Alans. Thus the betrayal took place. Alans without the support of the Polovtsy were defeated.

After winning a victory over the Alans, they committed terrible murders and robberies, seizing their lands, completely defeated the Polovtsy themselves and took possession of their wealth and jewelry.

There are many such cases of betrayal in history that lead to a tragic outcome.

The first clash with the Mongol-Tatars

The Polovtsians retreated towards the west, to the approaches of Kievan Rus. They had to ask for help with Russian princes. The Polovtsian Khan Kotyan Sutoevich personally turned to Mstislav the Udalny with a request to provide military assistance. He warned in his petition that if the princes did not help them, then the fate of the vanquished would overtake them.

Mstislav Udaloy did not refuse to help, he called out to the princes, explaining that the Polovtsy could join the Mongols and go against the princes. Prince Mstislav from Chernigov and Mstislav from Kyiv immediately responded to his request. Gathering their warriors, they went on a campaign to meet the Mongol-Tatar horsemen.

The squads decided to meet at Varyazhsky Island, not far from the mouth of the Trubezh River. Judging by the records of the chroniclers, the Russian troops consisted of warriors from different squads, and there were also troops of the Polovtsian khans. The squads did not differ in unity and cohesion, there was no supreme command, the combatants obeyed the order only of their princes.

Assassination of Russian ambassadors

The Mongol-Tatars became aware of the intentions of the Russian-Polovtsian troops, they sent their ambassadors to them. The princes knew that the Polovtsy committed a betrayal, breaking the alliance with the Alans. So that there would be no possibility of reconciliation between the Polovtsian khans and the Mongol-Tatars, it was decided to kill the Mongol ambassadors.

Attention! In those days, there was a law - do not touch the ambassadors, it was considered a particularly serious atrocity, requiring revenge. According to the code of Mongolian laws, such a crime deserved the death penalty. This terrible crime later became the cause of terrible disasters for the peoples.

First fight

Having killed the ambassadors, the troops of the Russian princes went down the Dnieper. At the mouth of the river, they were again met by ambassadors from the Mongols.

They transmitted words that sounded like the threat of a boomerang. These ambassadors were not touched.

The squads of the Russian princes, having crossed to the left bank of the Dnieper, attacked the advanced detachment of the Mongol troops and forced to flee.

During the pursuit of the retreating Mongol warriors for two weeks, the Russian soldiers did not encounter any enemy forces.

Standing on the river Kalka

Soon the Russian squads reached the banks of the Kalka, where a battle ensued with another detachment of the Mongol-Tatars during which he was eliminated. When the persecution of the enemy began, the troops of Prince Daniel set off in pursuit of enemies, and collided with the cavalry of the Mongol detachments. Rested, refreshed, enemy cavalry defeated warriors of Prince Daniel, who by this time had lost their morale and military order.

If you are asked: "Describe the course of the battle on the Kalka," then you can briefly outline the course of events. The Mongols consistently began to destroy the Russian squads, which did not have a common interaction. The Mongol commanders had their own tactics of warfare. With a small number of the enemy, they surrounded him. And if they met detachments with a numerical superiority, they made a hole in the ranks of the troops of their opponents.

Seeing that the Russian troops were defeated, princes Daniel and Mstislav Udaloy, with the remaining soldiers, rushed to the boats tied up near the shore. Having immersed themselves in them, in order to escape from the persecution of the enemy, they untied other boats and let them go downstream along the river. The combatants who were on the opposite bank could no longer escape. The Mongols overtook Prince Mstislav of Chernigov and his soldiers in the steppe, where they became easy prey.

Thus, the defeat in the battle on the Kalka claimed the lives of many fearless warriors of Rus'.

Results for Prince Mstislav

And only Mstislav of Kyiv managed to repulse the Mongols, having built fortifications on the battlefield, he resisted. The Mongols surrounded the warriors, and it was impossible to break through to the river. Mstislav fought fiercely for three days, repulsing numerous attacks by the Mongol cavalry. Seeing how stubbornly the Russian warriors did not want to surrender, not wanting bloodshed, the Mongols decided to send a truce to them, who swore an oath on the cross to Prince Mstislav that the Mongols would not touch the prisoners, would not take revenge on the Russians. Prince believed the oaths and surrendered.

According to the laws that are written in Yasa, the Mongols had to fulfill the promise. But the same Yasa dictated that the perpetrators should be punished for the murder of ambassadors. The Mongols decided to take revenge.

The victors tied up the warriors taken prisoner together by the princes and commanders, then laid everyone on the ground, put heavy boards on top, then arranged a feast on them. prisoners, suffocated under the weight of those feasting, have died. As required by Yasa's law, not a single drop of blood was spilled.

After clashes with the Mongols and Tatars on the river, nine out of ten Russian soldiers did not return home from the battlefields.

Now, at the supposed site of the battle, one can see piles of stones, which indicate that it was here that there was a standing on the Kalka River.

Battle of the Kalka: balance of power

The number of warriors in two tumens of the Mongols who participated in the battle on Kalka was about 20 thousand horsemen. Prior to that, they lost many soldiers in combat battles in battles with Iranians, Georgians, for the lands of the Alans in the North Caucasus. The Mongols had in their tumens well-trained military leaders and battle-hardened warriors. And what was the number of warriors of the Russian-Polovtsian formations?

According to the assumptions of some historians who mistakenly believe that the number of Russian warriors, together with the Polovtsian troops after the unification, could be about 100 thousand soldiers, while others believe that there were no more than 40-50 thousand. However, in the 13th century, according to archaeological excavations, it became known that the population of ancient Kyiv was less than 40 thousand people. The number of combatants among the princes was usually no more than 400-500.

According to the simplest calculations, it can be assumed that the army of Russian warriors and Polovtsy, when the battle happened, consisted from about 20 thousand soldiers, theoretically the same was the number of Mongolian horsemen.

Attention! How did the bloody battle on Kalka end? Defeat and with huge human losses.

The historical significance of the Battle of Kalka

According to historians, the clash between the Russians and the Mongols on the Kalka important political and military significance was not. It is clearly exaggerated, in their opinion, this battle cannot be considered the beginning of the policy of seizing Russian lands.

After this battle, the Mongol-Tatars did not appear at all on the border of Rus' for 13 years. During this time, the Russian princes had the opportunity to restore the number and strengthen the combat capability of their warriors.

The battle on the Kalka is just one page in the history of the Russian people, since it is not important. However, any story in the life of the Fatherland, like the battle on the Kalka River, requires attention.

Reasons for the defeat of the Russians

The Novgorod chronicler wrote that the reason for the defeat of the Russian-Polovtsian troops was that there was no unity between the Polovtsy and the Russian squads, and the Polovtsy at the decisive moment turned on the run from the battlefield. The Russian princes underestimated the Tatar-Mongolian military forces, and there was also a lack of cohesion with a unified command. The uncoordinated actions of the Russian squads also played a negative role.

Some historians consider the battle on Kalka to be the very first invasion of the Mongol-Tatars into Rus', because after Kalka, the Mongols passed through the Chernigov lands, reached the possessions of Novgorod-Seversky principality. But to Kyiv, which considered the most fortified and a protected city - a fortress in those days, they did not go.

According to the testimony of captured warriors after the Battle of Kalka, the Mongol-Tatars concluded that all internal disagreements between the Russian princes in the struggle for supremacy can be used for your own purposes during subsequent conquests.

The battle on the Kalka River did not become a lesson, the results of which did not lead to the unity of the Russian princes. In short, it can be noted that among the warriors of the Russian-Polovtsian army there were no people trained in military art, half consisted of people's militias, as it was in those days. In addition to this, the Russian leaders did not have military experience.

Therefore, the reasons for the defeat of the Russians are:

• Disunity and lack of unity;
• Disagreements and internal strife;
• military inexperience.

Important! The strong spirit of the enemy and skill in conducting military operations won.

Historian research

Interestingly, historians who study historical events cannot say for sure where was itstanding on the river Kalka. Researchers are at a loss as to which river is meant in the annals under the Kalka. There is an assumption that this is probably a small river Kalchik, which is a tributary of the Kalmius River with a length of just over 85 kilometers, flowing through the territory of the Donetsk region of Ukraine. But according to the results of excavations by archaeologists near these rivers, there are no traces of a military battle that would clarify this problem.

For our Motherland, 1223 turned out to be black. An event in Rus' happened such that it determined the political alignment in Eastern Europe for several centuries. One unsuccessful battle turned the whole course of history.

1223: an event in Rus'

From the school curriculum, everyone should perfectly remember that the beginning of the 13th century is the time of the Mongol-Tatar invasion of the lands of the Polovtsians (a tribe neighboring the Slavs) and the territory of Rus'. The conquest of Russian lands by this wild horde took place gradually, but what happened in 1223 in Rus'? It was on May 31, 1223 (as the Laurentian Chronicle tells us) that the first battle of the Khan's troops and Russian soldiers took place. We all know very well from history this event called "The Battle of

Reasons for the Battle of Kalka

The battle between the Mongol-Tatars and the Russian princely squads had to take place sooner or later. Why? According to the strategy of the Mongols, which was developed by Genghis Khan, his state was to cover not only the truly Mongolian territory, but also extend to the whole of Europe.

Why did the Mongols need such vast territories? Do not forget that they are nomads. Such a people cannot sit in one place because of the way the economy is managed. Nomads do not engage in agriculture, but only livestock. The representatives of this people had huge herds that needed to be fed with something. The way of managing meant the periodic replacement of pastures with new ones, because the old pastures had nothing left for the animals to eat as food. The Mongols needed Europe as a potential pasture for their livestock.

Events before the battle on Kalka

It is clear that the situation did not arise immediately. The victorious march of the Mongol troops began in Central Asia. Then the horde headed towards Iran. No army could stop them. The Mongol campaign continued towards the Caucasus. The leaders of the Horde knew that there were several rich large cities in the Caucasus that could be robbed. Having passed in a victorious procession through the Caucasus, for example, through Georgia, the troops entered the lands of modern Russia, on the territory of which the tribes of Alans and Polovtsians then lived. The forces of these nomadic peoples were defeated one by one, because the diplomacy of the Mongol conquerors also operated successfully.

1223... The event in Rus', which could happen, did not please the princes, because they understood that sooner or later these hordes would reach Kyiv. The Russian princes had to fight the Mongols at the request of the Polovtsy. We repeat, a skirmish with the troops of Genghis Khan would have occurred sooner or later anyway. Realizing that the Tatars would not stop, the princes decided not to refuse help. Having gathered in Kyiv, the troops of Mstislav of Galicia and (at that time the Kyiv prince) set out on a campaign. During the campaign, the Mongols sent their ambassadors twice, the purpose of which was to stop the Russian army. The Mongols claimed that they would cope with the Polovtsy, but would not go to the Russian cities.

Battle with the Mongols

Knowing what event happened in 1223 shortly before the appearance of the hordes of Batu, Genghis Khan in Rus' (namely, the conquest of the rich cities of the Caucasus), the Russian princes did not believe the ambassadors of the Horde. So the march continued. The gang moved down the Dnieper. On the territory of present-day Ukraine, the princely troops had to make a crossing across the Dnieper. Already here the first meeting with the enemy troops took place. The Mongols had fast horses, so they were able to escape and lure the Russian troops to a convenient battlefield, located near the modern river Kalmius (Zaporozhye region).

The beginning of the battle was for the Russian princes. To some extent, this can be explained by the speed of action of the princely troops. The Kiev prince crossed the river, studied the Mongol camp from afar, returned to the location of his troops and prepared them for battle. The Mongols began to retreat. The squad of Daniil Galitsky put a lot of pressure on them. But then the Golden Horde brought additional forces into battle, which led to a typical outcome for many battles in the history of the Ukrainian and Russian peoples - the flight of the allies (Polovtsy), which destroyed the structure of the Russian army of princes. After that, the victory of the Mongol-Tatars was a matter of time and technology. The Slavic army suffered heavy losses in this battle.

Conclusion

1223... The event in Rus' is really tragic. The defeat at Kalka placed all of Rus' in direct and complete dependence on the Golden Horde state. The Tatar-Mongol yoke lasted almost 300 years. This huge historical period of time left a negative imprint on the development of the modern lands of Russia and Ukraine.

The Mongols were actively moving towards Europe. The Russian princes understood that sooner or later a clash with the troops of Genghis Khan would take place. The first meeting of the Russians and the Mongols took place in 1223 - it was the battle on the Kalka. This battle was the beginning of the confrontation between Rus' and the future Golden Horde.

The battle on the Kalka took place on May 31, 1223. The battle showed the impotence of the Russian army in front of the Mongolian. The princes wanted to deliver a preemptive strike. But they miscalculated. In the battle on the Kalka River, they turned out to be outsiders. They could not overcome a well-coordinated army. This happened primarily because of disagreements within the Russian army. The princes could not agree on the alignment of forces. In addition, the Polovtsy were part of the Russian militia. They, too, could betray and retreat at any time.

Reasons for the Battle of Kalka

Genghis Khan and his people instilled great fear in all states. This led to the fact that the Polovtsians came with gifts to the Russians. They offered to unite and attack the Mongols before they attacked themselves. The Russian princes also understood that this decision was not the worst. In addition, the Polovtsy could surrender to the mercy of Genghis Khan. And the Russians will definitely not be able to defeat their combined army.

So the battle on the Kalka River did not happen spontaneously. She prepared carefully. And each participant pursued its own goals. There is no data on the number of troops from the Mongols and the combined Russian-Polovtsian army. Not all princes were supportive. Only four squads put up their troops:

1. Smolensk principality;
2. Galicia-Volyn principality;
3. Kiev principality;
4. Chernihiv principality.

But, despite this, the combined Russian-Polovtsian army outnumbered the Mongolian.

The course of the battle on Kalka

The Kalka River is a small river that flows into the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov. The battle on the Kalka was a grandiose battle. Although no one expected that such a small river would play an important role in the history of Ancient Rus'. The Russians were located on the left bank, the Mongols on the right. Mstislav Udaloy was the first to set out to cross the Kalka. He himself examined the place of the future battle. And then order the rest to cross the river.

The battle on the Kalka began early in the morning. Our crowded Mongols, they retreated. But the success was short-lived. The disunited actions of the Russian princes had a decisive effect in the battle. The Mongols were able to seize the initiative. Mstislav Udaloy and Daniil Romanovich went on the run. The remnants of the troops in the battle of Kalka were besieged by the Mongols. This action lasted three days. The Mongols demanded the Russians surrender. They promised not to kill anyone. The Russians agreed, but the Mongols killed everyone. They consider it a disgrace to surrender. Thus ended the battle on the Kalka River. The first meeting of the Mongols with the Russians.

Many chronicles describe the course of the battle in detail. What happened after the battle, the chroniclers do not like to mention this.

The consequences of the battle are different. The Russians saw for the first time what the army of Genghis Khan was like. This battle was not very necessary for the Russians. It was rather the Polovtsians who persuaded them not to get involved. They brought gifts to the princes and actually bribed them. The battle on the Kalka had a great impact on the size of the Russian army. We have lost ninety percent of the warriors. In addition, the Mongols killed many Russian princes:

1. Mstislav Stary
2. Mstislav Svyatoslavich
3. Mstislav Glebovich
4. Izyaslav Ingvarevich
5. Svyatoslav Yaroslavich
6. Andrey Ivanovich

Those were the consequences. The battle on the Kalka finally plunged Rus' into a period of fragmentation. This further divided our princes. Soon a descendant of Genghis Khan will come to Russian lands. Batu will force the Russian state to become dependent on the Mongol state for a long time. Will pay tribute. And it will be released only by the end of the 15th century.

Preventive war - suicide for fear of death

Otto von Bismarck

The Battle of the Kalka took place on May 31, 1223 and lasted 3 days. The place of the battle is the Kalka River (the territory of modern Donetsk region). In this battle, for the first time, the troops of the Russian princes and the Mongols came together against each other. The result of the battle was the unconditional victory of the Mongols, who killed many princes. In this material, we have collected detailed information about the battle, which was of great importance for Rus'.

Causes and preconditions of the battle

In 1221, the Mongols began their eastern campaign, the main task of which was to conquer the Polovtsians. This campaign was led by the best commanders of Genghis Khan - Subedei and Jebe, and it lasted 2 years and forced most of the troops of the Polovtsian Khanate to flee to the borders of Rus' and turn to the Russian princes with a call for help. " Today they will conquer us, and tomorrow you will become their slaves.”- with such an appeal, Khan Kotyan Sutoevich turned to Mstislav the Udalny.

Russian princes held a council in Kyiv, deciding what to do in this situation. The decision was taken more as a compromise than a necessary one. It was decided to give battle to the Mongols, while the reasons for the battle were as follows:

• The Russians feared that the Polovtsy would surrender to the Mongols without a fight, go over to their side and enter Rus' with a united army.
• Most of the princes understood that the war with the army of Genghis Khan was a matter of time, so it was more profitable to defeat his best commanders on foreign territory.
• The Polovtsy, in the face of great danger, literally bombarded the princes with rich gifts, some of the khans even converted to Christianity. In fact, the participation of the Russian squad in the campaign was bought.

After the unification of the armies, the Mongols arrived for negotiations, who turned to the Russian princes: “ Rumors have reached us that you want to make war on us. But we do not want this war. The only thing we want is to punish the Polovtsy, our eternal slaves. Heard that they did a lot of harm to you too. Let's make peace, and we will punish our slaves ourselves". But there were no negotiations ambassadors were killed! This event today is interpreted as follows:

• The princes understood that the ambassadors wanted to break up the union in order to destroy each one later.
• There was a terrible diplomatic blunder. The murder of the ambassadors caused a response from the Mongols and the subsequent atrocities that happened on Kalka were provoked by the short-sighted rulers themselves.

Participants in the battle and their number

The inconsistency of the battle on the Kalka River lies in the fact that there is no reliable information about the number of troops on both sides. Suffice it to say that in the works of historians the Russian army is estimated at 40 to 100 thousand people. With the Mongols, the situation is similar, although the spread in numbers is much smaller - 20-30 thousand soldiers.

It is important to note that the period of fragmentation in Rus' led to the fact that each prince tried to pursue only his own interests, even in the most difficult times. Therefore, even after the Kiev Congress decided that it was necessary to take the battle with the Mongols, only 4 principalities sent their squads into battle:

• Kievan principality.
• Smolensk principality.
• Galicia-Volyn principality.
• Chernihiv principality.

Even in such conditions, the combined Russian-Polovtsian army had a tangible numerical advantage. At least 30 thousand Russian troops, 20 thousand Polovtsy and against this army the Mongols put up 30 thousand people, led by the best commander Subedei.

It is impossible today to determine the exact number of troops on both sides. Historians come to this conclusion. There are several reasons, but the main one is the contradiction in the annals. For example, the Tver chronicle says that only from Kyiv 30 thousand people died in the battle. Although in fact, in the entire principality it was hardly possible to recruit such a number of men. The only thing that can be said for sure is that the combined army consisted in its mass of infantry. After all, it is known that they moved to the place of the battle on boats. The cavalry was never transported like that.

The course of the battle on the Kalka River

Kalka is a small river that flows into the Sea of ​​Azov. This unremarkable place hosted one of the grandest battles of its era. The Mongol army stood on the right bank of the river, the Russian on the left. The first to cross the river was one of the best commanders of the united army - Mstislav Udaloy. He personally decided to inspect the terrain and position of the enemy. Then he gave the order to the rest of the troops to cross the river and prepare for battle.

Map of the Battle of Kalka

The battle on the Kalka began in the early morning of May 31, 1223. The beginning of the battle did not bode well. The Russian-Polovtsian army pressed the enemy, the Mongols retreated with battles. However, in the end everything was decided by disunited actions. The Mongols brought reserves into battle, as a result of which they took full advantage. Initially, the right wing of Subedei's cavalry achieved a major success and a breakthrough in defense. The Mongols cut the enemy army into 2 parts and put to flight the left wing of the Russian army, commanded by Mstislav Udaloy and Daniil Romanovich.

After that, the siege of the remaining Russian forces on Kalka began (the Polovtsy fled at the very beginning of the battle). The siege lasted 3 days. The Mongols made one assault after another, but to no avail. Then they turned to the princes with a demand to lay down their arms, for which they guaranteed a safe withdrawal from the battlefield. The Russians agreed - the Mongols did not keep their word and killed everyone who surrendered. On the one hand, it was revenge for the murder of ambassadors, on the other hand, a reaction to surrender. After all, the Mongols consider captivity shameful, it is better to die in battle.

The battle on the Kalka is described in sufficient detail in the annals, where you can trace the course of events:

• Novgorod chronicle. Indicates that the main failure in the battle lies in the Polovtsy, who fled, bringing confusion and panic. It is the flight of the Polovtsy that is noted as a key factor in the defeat.
• Ipatiev Chronicle. Describes mainly the beginning of the battle, emphasizing that the Russians pressed the enemy very hard. The subsequent events (flight and mass death of the Russian troops) according to this chronicle are due to the introduction of reserves by the Mongols into battle, which turned the tide of the battle.
• Suzdal chronicle. Gives more detailed reasons for the lesion, which are related to what was described above. However, this historical document indicates that the Polovtsy fled from the pain of the battle, as the Mongols brought in reserves, which frightened the enemy and gained an advantage.

Further events after the defeat, domestic historians do not like to comment. However, the fact remains that the Mongols saved the lives of all Russian princes, military leaders and generals (they killed only ordinary soldiers after surrendering). But this was not generosity, the plan was very cruel ...

Subedei ordered the construction of a tent so that his army could celebrate the victory gloriously. This tent was ordered to be built on ... Russian princes and generals. The floor in the tent was covered with the bodies of still living Russian princes, and the Mongols drank and had fun from above. It was a terrible death for all who surrendered.

The hysterical meaning of the battle

The significance of the Battle of the Kalka is ambiguous. The main thing to talk about is that for the first time the Russian wars saw the terrible power of the army of Genghis Khan. However, the defeat did not lead to any drastic actions. As mentioned, the Mongols were not looking for a war with Russia, they were not yet ready for this war. Therefore, having won, Subedye and Jebe made another trip to the Volga Bulgaria, after which they went home.

Despite the absence of territorial losses from Rus', the consequences for the country were very deplorable. Not only did the Russian army get involved in a battle that it did not need, defending the Polovtsians, but the losses were simply terrible. 9/10 of the Russian troops were killed. Never before have there been such significant defeats. Moreover, in the battle (and after it during the feast of the Mongols) many princes died:

• Kyiv prince Mstislav Stary
• Prince of Chernigov Mstislav Svyatoslavich
• Alexander Glebovich from Dubrovitsa
• Izyaslav Ingvarevich from Dorogobuzh
• Svyatoslav Yaroslavich of Janowice
• Andrey Ivanovich from Turov (son-in-law of the Kyiv prince)

Such were the consequences of the battle on the Kalka River for Rus'. However, in order to finally close this topic, it is necessary to consider one very important and very controversial issue that historians raise.

Where did the Battle of the Kalka take place?

It would seem that the answer to this question is obvious. The very name of the battle indicates the place of the battle. But not everything is so obvious, especially since the exact place (not just the name of the River, but the specific place where the battle took place on this river) has not been established. Historians speak of three possible locations for the battle:

• Stone graves.
• Mound Grave-Severodvinovka.
• Granit village.

To understand what really happened, where the battle took place, and how it happened, let's look at some interesting statements by historians.

It is noted that this battle is mentioned in 22 chronicles. In all of them, the name of the river is used in the plural (in Kalki). Historians have long paid attention to this fact, which makes us think that the battle took place not on one river, but not on several smaller ones, and located close to each other.

The Sofia chronicle indicates that a small battle took place near Kalka between the advance detachment of the Russian wax and a small group of Mongols. After the victory, the Russians went further to the new Kalka, where a battle took place on May 31.

We cited these opinions of historians for a complete understanding of the picture of events. A huge number of explanations for the set of Kaloks can be given, but this is already a topic for a separate material.