The Battle of the Kalka River is a battle between the combined Russian-Polovtsian army and the Mongol corps. At first, the Polovtsy and the main Russian forces were defeated, and 3 days later, on May 31, 1223, the battle ended in a complete victory for the Mongols.

background

In the first quarter of the 13th century, another wave of eastern nomads rolled into Central, Middle and Western Asia from the depths of the Eurasian continent. It was a new eruption of the Turkic world, which came from its very womb and broke not only related Turkic state formations, but swept over the world of the Eastern Slavs and mixed it in fire, blood and tears like a tornado.

Known to the ancient Russian chronicler, the name of the new Asian conquerors taumena (Laurentian Chronicle) - Tatars, Turkmens, Turks or Turks indicates the ethnic nature of the people. The blow that hit Eastern Europe in the first half of the 13th century was terrible, but Rus' was able to resist and as a result defeated the Tatars.

It should be said about the state of the Russian army at the time of the Mongol-Tatar invasion. Russian princely squads were at that time an excellent army. Their weapons were famous far beyond the borders of Rus', but these squads were small, they included only a few hundred people. For the defense of the country from a well-prepared aggressive enemy, this was too little.

The princely squads were of little use for large forces under a single command, according to a single plan. The main part of the Russian army was made up of urban and rural militias, which were recruited at the moment of danger. It can be said about their weapons and military training that they left much to be desired.

In many ways, the Russians owed the previous centuries to the creative work of the grandfathers of the Slavs, who laid a solid material and spiritual foundation for life not only in the forest-steppes of Eastern Europe, but also in its north, in a forest belt inaccessible to Tatar horsemen. In the XIV-XV centuries. the power of the Tatar-Mongolian world of Eurasia began to wane, and the Russians began to move east, with the Pacific coast as their ultimate goal.

The news that the Tatars were approaching Rus' was brought by the Polovtsians (Kumans). The Tatars drove the Polovtsians to the places in the left bank of the Dnieper region, “where the Polovechsky Val is called” (serpent shaft). These were the southeastern borders of Rus'.

By 1223, he owned almost half of the Eurasian continent. The message of the Polovtsy about the Tatars forced the Russian princes to gather for a council in Kyiv.

They conferred in Kyiv in the spring of 1223. The Grand Duke of Kiev Mstislav Romanovich, Mstislav Mstislavovich, who was sitting in Galich, Mstislav Svyatoslavovich, who owned Chernigov and Kozelsk. Young princes sat around the oldest Monomasheviches and Olgoviches: Daniil Romanovich, Mikhail Vsevolodovich (son of Chermnoy), Vsevolod Mstislavovich (son of the Kyiv prince). The West of Rus' was left to guard the young Vasily Romanovich, who was sitting in Vladimir-Volynsky.

The oldest of the princes of the northeastern lands, Yuri Vsevolodovich, was absent from the congress in Kyiv, but he was notified of what was happening and sent his nephew Vasilko Konstantinovich, who was in Rostov, to South Rus'.

Vasilko Konstantinovich was late for the battle on the Kalka River and, having learned about what had happened, turned to Rostov from Chernigov, being baptized at the numerous churches at that time.

The Tatars overtook the Polovtsy with such fear that in the spring of 1223 the great Polovtsian Khan "Basty" was baptized in Rus'.

In Kyiv, it was decided to march into the steppe. In April 1223, under Mount Zarub, to the island of Varyazhsky, to the ford across the Dnieper, regiments began to converge from all over Rus'. The people of Kiev, Chernigov, Smolensk, Kursk, Trubchev and Putivl (residents of Kursk, Trubchevsk and Putivl), Galicians and Volynians came up. The inhabitants of many other cities of Rus' approached Zarub with their princes. The Polovtsians also arrived at Zarub, who had tormented Rus' for two centuries and now sought to find protection from it.

Zarub received 10 ambassadors from the Tatars. It is important that the Mongols did not at all want to fight with Russia. The Mongol ambassadors who arrived at the Russian princes brought a proposal to break the Russian-Polovtsian alliance and conclude peace. True to their allied obligations, the Russian princes rejected the Mongol peace proposals. And unfortunately, the princes made a fatal mistake. All the Mongol ambassadors were killed, and because, according to Yasa, the deception of a trusted person was an unforgivable crime, then war and revenge after that could not be avoided ...

Side forces

So the Russian princes actually forced the Mongols to take the fight. A battle took place on the Kalka River: there is no exact data on the size of the combined Russian-Polovtsian army. According to some historians, it was 80-100,000 people. According to another estimate, 40-45,000 people. According to V.N. Tatishchev, the number of Russian troops was 103,000 people and 50,000 Polovtsian horsemen. According to A.G. Khrustalev, the number of Russian troops was about 10,000 warriors and another 5-8,000 Polovtsians. And the 20 thousandth army of the Mongols.

The course of the battle

May 31, morning - Allied detachments began to cross the river. Detachments of the Polovtsian cavalry, together with the Volyn squad, were the first to cross it. Then the Galicians and Chernihivs began to cross. The Kiev army remained on the western bank of the river and began to build a fortified camp.

Seeing the advanced detachments of the Mongol army, the Polovtsy and the Volyn detachment entered the battle. At first, the battle developed well for the Russians. Daniil Romanovich, who was the first to enter the battle, fought with unparalleled courage, not paying attention to the wound he received.

The Mongol vanguard began to retreat, the Russians gave chase, lost formation and collided with the main forces of the Mongols. When Subedei saw that the forces of the Russian princes moving behind the Polovtsy lagged far behind, he gave the order for the main part of his army to go on the offensive. Unable to withstand the onslaught of a more persistent enemy, the Polovtsy took to flight.

The Russian army lost this battle due to its complete inability to organize itself to the very minimum. Mstislav Udaloy and the “younger” Prince Daniel fled across the Dnieper, they were the first to be near the shore and managed to jump into the boats.

After that, the princes cut down the rest of the boats, being careful that the Mongols could also use them. By this they doomed their comrades-in-arms, whose horses were worse than princely ones, to death. Of course, the Mongols killed everyone they could overtake.

Mstislav Chernigovsky with his army began to retreat across the steppe, leaving no rearguard. The Mongolian horsemen chased the Chernigovites, easily overtook them and cut them down.

Mstislav of Kiev positioned his soldiers on a large hill, forgetting that it was necessary to ensure a retreat to the water. It was not difficult for the Mongols to block the detachment.

Surrounded by Mstislav, he surrendered, he succumbed to the persuasion of Ploskin, the leader of the roamers, who were allies of the Mongols. Ploskinya was able to convince the prince that the Russians would be spared and their blood would not be shed. The Mongols, according to their custom, kept their word. They laid the bound captives on the ground, covered them with boards, and sat down to feast on their bodies. But not a drop of Russian blood was shed in reality. And the last, according to Mongolian views, was considered extremely important.

Here is an example of how people perceive the rule of law and the concept of honesty differently. The Russians believed that the Mongols violated their oath by killing Mstislav and other captives. But, from the point of view of the Mongols, they kept their oath, and the execution was the highest necessity and the highest justice, because the princes committed the terrible sin of killing the one who trusted.

After the battle on the Kalka River, the Mongols turned their horses to the east, striving to return to their homeland with victory. However, on the banks of the Volga, the army was ambushed by the Volga Bulgars. The Muslims, who hated the Mongols as pagans, suddenly attacked them during the crossing. Here the victors at Kalka suffered a serious defeat and their losses were numerous. Those who were able to cross the Volga left the steppes to the east and joined with the main forces of Genghis Khan. Thus ended the first meeting of the Mongols and the Russians.

Aftermath of the battle

The battle on the Kalka River was a turning point in the history of Rus'. It not only significantly weakened the forces of the Russian principalities, but also sowed panic and uncertainty in Rus'. It is not in vain that chroniclers increasingly note the mysterious phenomena of nature, considering them signs of future misfortunes. In the memory of the Russian people, the battle on the Kalka remained as a tragic event, after which "the Russian land sits gloomy." The folk epic connected the death of Russian heroes who gave their lives for their homeland with her.

Battle of Kalka River

Mongol invasion of Rus'

The first attacks of the Mongols on Rus' were nothing more than small reconnaissance operations. After conquering most of Central Asia, Genghis Khan sent 4 tumens (approximately 40,000 warriors) under the leadership of great commanders Subedei Bagatura And Jebe Noyon to the Caucasus. After the attack on Armenia and the defeat of the Alans, the Mongols continued their journey north, defeating a large Georgian army along the way. They then invaded the Crimea, where they succeeded in capturing the Genoese trading outpost at Sudak. Many Kipchaks (whom the Russians called Polovtsy) were ousted by the Mongols from their nomad camps. In 1223 the Kipchak Khan Kotyan convinced the Russian prince of Galicia Mstislav Mstislavich enter into an alliance with him and oppose the Mongols, while hoping to push them back to the east.

At the same time, the Mongols were having trouble getting reinforcements and decided to send envoys to the Russians with peace proposals. But this proposal was rejected, and the ambassadors themselves were killed. The Russians set off to meet the Mongols and met a small detachment that had broken away from the main army. The Russians were, one might say, disappointed when they saw the Mongols. The first Eastern conquerors they met were unarmored horsemen, armed only with bows and lassoes and in very small numbers, and therefore they were defeated without much effort. But, it should be noted, this was a deceitful move by the Mongols, since the main Mongol army was armed by an order of magnitude better, thanks to recent successes in Central Asia. Subedei's army included a large number of heavily armored cavalry, which eventually became the key to Battle on the Kalka River.

The Russians also managed to raise a fairly large army. Prince Mstislav Mstislavich brought his Galicians, prince Mstislav Romanovich- squad from Kyiv, Daniel Romanovich led the army of Volhynia, and Khan Kotyan led his Polovtsians. In addition, the Chernigov and Kursk squads arrived at the battle. The collection of the Russian army took place near the island of Khortitsa, located on the Dnieper River. Mstislav Mstislavich led the attack of troops on the eastern bank of the river, where the camp of a small army of the Mongols was located. The Mongols retreated, but their leader Ganibek was captured and executed. Prince Daniel, in turn, carried out reconnaissance in battle, while destroying another small army of the Mongols. Shortly thereafter, the entire Russian army was ready to attack the main Mongol forces. The Mongols under Subedai and Jebe retreated to the Kalka River, where they planned a massive counterattack.

Battle on the Kalka

While the Mongols were planning their attack, the Russians could not agree on a strategy for their actions. This led to the fact that the army was divided and they were unable to reach Kalka at the same time. Moreover, although the Russians were well armed and numbered as high as 80,000, only 20,000 were properly trained. Beyond that, only the Cumans had previously faced steppe nomad armies, and most Russians had previously fought only European-style armies. To put it simply, the Russian troops were poorly prepared to resist the Mongol nomads, although they outnumbered them by almost three times.

The division in the Russian army led to the fact that the Volhynians and Polovtsians were the first to reach the Kalka River. The Galicians and the Chernihiv squad arrived after them and then the people of Kiev came up. The light cavalry of the Mongols were the first to attack the Volhynians and Polovtsians. The Polovtsy, who possessed the same fighting skills as the Mongols, with their numerical superiority and with the support of the Volhynians, were able to repel the attack of the Mongols, and they retreated along the bridge over the river. The Russians again failed to coordinate their actions and crossed this very bridge in separate formations. The first army to cross the bridge consisted of 10 light armored horse archers and three heavy cavalry. As they rushed further east to pursue the Mongol light cavalry, Subedei played his trump card - Mongolian heavy cavalry.

The heavy cavalry attacked the Polovtsy and defeated them, while easily forcing the Volhynians to retreat. As they desperately tried to cross the river, they ran into their Galician allies who were just crossing the bridge. This situation, together with a second attack by the Mongol light cavalry armed with bows, threw the Galician army into turmoil. Then the right and left flanks of the Mongol army were thrown into battle, led by Tsugir and Teshi Khan. They attacked the Galician army from both flanks and forced it to retreat. The Chernihiv squad soon also fled, while the people of Kiev, who saw everything that happened on the battlefield, pulled up their wagons and began the construction of defensive structures.

When the Russian army retreated, the Mongol light cavalry pursued them up to 100 km west of Kalka. Prince Mstislav Mstislavich of Galicia managed to escape, but, as it turned out later, he was the only Russian prince who managed to do so. Meanwhile, Zugir and Teshi Khan directed their attacks on the camp of the squad from Kyiv. They kept the Russians under siege for two long days, and due to lack of water, Prince Mstislav Romanovich decided to surrender. The Mongols promised that if they surrendered, not a single prince would be shed blood, but when they surrendered, some of them were killed and others were taken prisoner. The prisoners were tied up and thrown under large wooden boards, where they slowly died of suffocation while the Mongol khans feasted on this platform. This cruel death of the Russian princes was the revenge of the Mongols for the murdered ambassadors. But, it should be noted, the Mongols remained true to their word - no princely blood was shed.

By the end of the battle, six Russian princes and about seventy high-ranking persons were killed, along with more than half of the troops. Many Russian soldiers fleeing were killed by the Mongol horse archers, who set off in pursuit. The Polovtsians or Kipchaks fled to Hungary. The Battle of the Kalka was only the beginning of the Mongol attacks on Rus'. But after this momentous battle, the nomads returned to the east to join the main Mongol forces.

The Mongol reconnaissance corps covered 4,000 miles in 3 years and suffered only a minor defeat from the Bulgars during the return.

Battle on the Kalka River- This is a battle between the united Russian-Polovtsian army and the Mongolian army under the command of the military leaders Dzhebe and Subedei on the Kalka River (the territory of the modern Donetsk region). The battle lasted 3 days. First, the Polovtsy and the main Russian forces were defeated, and after 3 days on May 31, 1223, the battle ended in a complete victory for the Mongols. At least nine princes and many well-born boyars and ordinary soldiers from the Kyiv, Galicia-Volyn, Chernigov, Smolensk principalities died in the battle.

Events leading up to the Battle of Kalka.

IN 1219 , 1220 And 1221 Mongols captured the central regions of Khorezm with Samarkand and Bukhara. Sultan Muhammad fled to the west, and a chase from 3 tumens was sent after him ( tumen- 10 thousand horsemen) headed by Jebe, Subaday and Tohuchar-noyon. Tohuchar Noyon was defeated in Iran.
After the capture of Urgench at the end of 1221, Jochi ordered to continue his conquests in Eastern Europe, and sent Jebe and Subedei to the Transcaucasus and the Black Sea steppes. The main goal of this campaign was the Alans, Hungary and Rus', including Kyiv, and the kurultai of 1235, after which the invasion of Europe nevertheless took place, only repeated these goals. in 1222, they succumbed to the persuasion of the Mongols and violated their alliance with the Alans, after which the Mongol army invaded the Polovtsian steppes from the North Caucasus. The late Tver Chronicle reports on the reaction of Mstislav of Kyiv to the news of the approach of the Mongols to the borders of Rus': “ While I am in Kyiv - on this side of the Yaik, and the Pontic Sea, and the Danube River, do not wave the Tatar saber “.
The Polovtsian Khan Kotyan Sutoevich, together with other Polovtsian khans, turned to his son-in-law, Galician prince Mstislav Mstislavich Udatny and other Russian princes, asking them for help against a new formidable enemy: “ Our land has been taken away today, but tomorrow, when they come, they will take yours “.
Kotyan Sutoevich reinforced his words with large gifts to the Galician prince. Mstislav Udatny took the initiative in organizing a congress of princes to discuss a campaign against the approaching Mongols. He said that if the Russian princes did not provide assistance, they could join the Mongols, and then the danger would be greater. The South Russian princes gathered in Kyiv for a council under the leadership of the three "oldest" princes: Mstislav Romanovich of Kyiv, Mstislav Udatny and Mstislav Svyatoslavich of Chernigov. sent an army to help the southern princes, but it did not have time for the Kiev gathering. After long negotiations, the princes decided to meet the enemy on the Polovtsian land, not letting him into Rus'. The collection was appointed at Zaruba, near Varyazhsky Island (the island was located opposite the mouth of the Trubezh River, now destroyed by the Kanev Reservoir), 10 kilometers from the current Trakhtemirov, Kanevsky District, Cherkasy Region. The composed, numerous army did not have a common commander: the squads of specific princes were subordinate to their princes.
When the squads gathered at the agreed place, the Mongol embassy arrived at the princes: “ We heard that you are going against us, having listened to the Polovtsy, but we did not touch your land, neither your cities, nor your villages; they did not come against you, but by the will of God they came against the serfs and grooms of their Polovtsians. You take the world with us; if they run to you, drive away from you and take away their property; we have heard that they have done much harm to you; we beat them for it“.
After listening to the ambassadors, the Russian princes ordered them all to be killed, after which the combined forces moved further down the Dnieper.
At the mouth of the Dnieper near Oleshya, the Galicians were met by a second Mongol embassy with the following note: “ You listened to the Polovtsy and killed our ambassadors; now go to us, well, go; we did not touch you: God is above all of us“.
Unlike the first embassy of the Mongols, it was decided to release these ambassadors in peace. The Galician army went up the Dnieper to the island of Khortitsa at the rapids, where it joined with the rest of the troops. Having crossed to the left bank of the Dnieper and found the enemy's advance detachment, the Russians, after a short but bloody battle, put the Mongols to flight, the commander Ganibek was killed. Ibn al-Athir described these events as follows: The desire to defeat the Tatars flared up in the Uruses and Kipchaks: they thought that they retreated out of fear and weakness, not wanting to fight them, and therefore they swiftly pursued the Tatars. The Tatars all retreated, and they pursued the tracks for 12 days “.
Moving east and not seeing the main enemy forces, the Russian troops, two weeks later, reached the banks of the Kalka River, where they defeated another advanced detachment of the Mongols.

The forces of the parties in the battle on the Kalka.

Mongol-Tatar army.
The number of Mongols at their first appearance in the Caucasus in 1221 is estimated at 20 thousand people. The tactics of the Mongols were of a pronounced offensive nature. They tried to inflict swift blows on the enemy taken by surprise, to disorganize and introduce disunity into his ranks. They avoided large frontal battles as far as possible, breaking the enemy piece by piece, exhausting him with incessant skirmishes and surprise attacks. For battle, the Mongols were built in several lines, having heavy cavalry in reserve, and in the front ranks they put up warriors of conquered peoples and light detachments. The battle began with the throwing of arrows, with which the Mongols sought to bring confusion into the ranks of the enemy. They sought to break through the front of the enemy with sudden blows, to divide it into parts, widely using flank coverage, flank and rear strikes.
The strength of the Mongol army was the continuous leadership of the battle. Khans, temniks and thousanders did not fight together with ordinary soldiers, but were behind the formation, on elevated places, directing the movement of troops with flags, light and smoke signals, the corresponding signals of pipes and drums.
Mongol invasions were usually preceded by thorough reconnaissance and diplomatic preparations aimed at isolating the enemy and fanning internal strife. Then there was a hidden concentration of Mongolian troops near the border. The invasion usually began from different directions by separate detachments, heading, as a rule, to one previously designated point. First of all, the Mongols sought to destroy the enemy's manpower and prevent him from replenishing the troops. They penetrated deep into the country, destroying everything in their path, exterminated the population and stole herds. Observation detachments were posted against fortresses and fortified cities, devastating the surroundings and preparing for the siege.

Russian army.
There are no exact data on the number of the combined Russian-Polovtsian troops. Estimates vary greatly: from ~ 10 thousand warriors plus 5-8 thousand Polovtsy (D. G. Khrustalev), to 103 thousand warriors and 50 thousand Polovtsian horsemen (V. N. Tatishchev).
The basis of the troops were Galician-Volyn, Kyiv and Chernihiv troops. Smolensk and Turov-Pinsk troops also participated in the campaign. The Polovtsians were commanded by the governor Mstislav of Galicia Yarun.
The military organization of the Russian principalities was adversely affected by feudal fragmentation. The squads of princes and cities were scattered over a vast territory and poorly connected with each other, the concentration of significant forces was associated with difficulties. Nevertheless, the princely squads were superior to the Mongol army in terms of weapons, tactics and combat formation. The armament of Russian warriors, both offensive and defensive, was famous far beyond the borders of Rus'. Massively used heavy armor. However, squads, as a rule, did not exceed the number of several hundred people and were of little use for actions under a single command and according to a single plan.
At the same time, the main part of the Old Russian army was the militia. It was inferior to the nomads in terms of weapons and the ability to use them. The militia used axes, spears, less often - spears. Swords were rarely used.

Polovtsian army.
The Polovtsy, divided into many tribes and nomads, did not have a single military organization. Each khan independently took care of the weapons of his detachment. Polovtsian warriors, in addition to bows, also had sabers, lassoes and spears. Later, squads with heavy weapons appeared in the troops of the Polovtsian khans. Heavily armed warriors wore chain mail, lamellar shells and helmets with anthropomorphic iron or bronze masks and aventails. Nevertheless, detachments of lightly armed horse archers continued to remain the basis of the army. Some Polovtsian detachments served in the Byzantine and Georgian armies, took part in the civil strife of the Russian princes. As a result, by the end of the 12th century, many Polovtsy had significant military experience, improved tactics and military affairs in general.

The course of the battle on the Kalka River.

After two successful skirmishes for the Russian-Polovtsian troops, the princes gathered a military council, at which they tried to work out a plan for further actions. The main issue was parking. Some suggested setting up camp where the army had already gathered and waiting for the enemy to approach. Others insisted on moving towards the Mongols. The decision was never made; in the end, each prince himself chose the tactics of action for his squad, without informing the other princes.

In the morning May 31, 1223 Allied troops began to cross the river. The first to cross it were the detachments of the Polovtsian cavalry, together with the Volyn squad. Then the Galicians and Chernihivs began to cross. The Kiev army remained on the western bank of the river and began the construction of a fortified camp. Forward, Mstislav Udatny sent a Polovtsian guard under the leadership of an old associate on campaigns and the Battle of Lipitsa, Yarun. The squad of Mstislav Udatny moved to the right and took up a position along the river, the squad of Mstislav Chernigov stood at the crossing on both banks of the Kalka, the squad of Daniil Romanovich moved forward as a striking force. Mstislav of Kiev stood behind the crossing on a rocky ridge and surrounded the camp with a palisade, enclosing it with wagons.
Seeing the advanced detachments of the Mongol army, the Polovtsy and the Volyn detachment entered the battle. Initially, the battle developed well for the Russians. Daniil Romanovich, who was the first to enter the battle, fought with unparalleled courage, not paying attention to the wound he received. The Mongolian vanguard began to retreat, the Russians gave chase, lost formation and collided with the main forces of the Mongols. When Subedei saw that the forces of the Russian princes moving behind the Polovtsy lagged far behind, he gave the order for the main part of his army to go on the offensive. Unable to withstand the pressure of a more persistent enemy, the Polovtsy fled.

The Ipatiev Chronicle tells in detail only about the events in the center of the battle, where Daniel, his cousin uncle, Prince of Lutsk Mstislav Yaroslavich the Nemoy, and Oleg Kursky, who, apparently, was the first to cross the river from the Chernigov regiment, acted, and connects the subsequent flight with the strike of new Mongol forces . The Novgorod First Chronicle calls the flight of the Polovtsy the reason for the defeat, and the Suzdal Chronicle (according to the Academic List) connects the flight of the Polovtsy precisely with the introduction of additional forces by the Mongols into battle. The Mongol right wing, the attack wing, succeeded faster than the others. The Polovtsy ran to the crossing, crushing and upsetting the regiments of Mstislav of Chernigov, who were already ready to march. Then the Mongols attacked the Galicians and those units of the Polovtsy that still remained on their flanks. First, Mstislav Lutsky and then Oleg Kursky tried to help them, but their squads were crushed and defeated by the Mongols. Mstislav Romanovich, the prince of Kiev, saw the defeat of the Russian and Polovtsian detachments from his camp, but he did not attempt to help them.

Having defeated the main forces of the Russians and the Polovtsians, Subedey organized a siege of the Kyiv camp by the forces of the khans Tsugir and Teshi, and he himself with the main body rushed to pursue the surviving Russians, constantly attacking the exhausted soldiers. Only a few Russian soldiers were able to hide in the Kiev camp, the rest retreated into the steppe in different directions. The Galician and Volyn squads fled to the Dnieper, where their boats and boats remained. Having plunged on them, they cut down the rest of the ships so that the Mongols could not use them. Chernigov retreated to the north under continuous attacks of the enemy, while losing their prince and his son. During the withdrawal, the Smolensk squad managed to repel the attacks of the enemy, and near the Dnieper, the Smolensk people broke away from their pursuers. The squads of other principalities, as well as smaller detachments that failed to join their main forces, were pursued by the Mongols to the Dnieper and at the same time suffered heavy losses.

While the Mongols pursued the surviving Russian soldiers, part of their army led the siege of the Kyiv camp. Attacks on him alternated with shelling. The position of the Russians was aggravated by the lack of water supplies and its sources. They did not have access to the river. Negotiations began on the third day. The roaming leader Ploskinya, sent by Subedei, swore on the cross that if the Russians laid down their arms, none of them would be killed, and the princes and governor would be sent home for a ransom. The Mongols, avenging the death of their ambassadors, did not keep their promise: after the people of Kiev left the camp, they were attacked. Some of the soldiers were killed, some were captured. Russian princes and other military leaders were put under the boards and crushed by the winners, who sat down to feast from above. There is a version that during the negotiations the Russian princes were given a promise not to shed blood and, having strangled them under the boards, the Mongols considered their promise fulfilled.

Losses in the Battle of Kalka.

The exact losses among the combatants are unknown. At the same time, the sources preserved estimates of the dead only in the Russian army. There is no data on Polovtsian and Mongolian losses. According to chronicles, only one tenth of the Russian army survived the battle. The only author who names Russian losses in numerical terms (though very approximate, which he himself says) is Henry of Latvia. In the Chronicle of Livonia, written around 1225: “ That year there were Tatars in the land of the pagans. Valves are sometimes called desks. They do not eat bread, but live on the raw meat of their cattle. And the Tatars fought with them, and defeated them, and exterminated everyone with a sword, while others fled to the Russians, asking for help. And the call went through all of Russia to fight the Tatars, and the kings from all over Russia came out against the Tatars, but they did not have enough strength for the battle and they fled before the enemies. And the great king Mstislav of Kyiv fell with forty thousand soldiers that were with him. Another king, Mstislav of Galicia, fled. Of the other kings, about fifty fell in this battle. And the Tatars chased after them for six days and killed more than a hundred thousand people from them (and only God knows the exact number), while the rest fled“.

Events after the Battle of Kalka.

The Mongols pursued the remnants of the Russian troops to the Dnieper. Their detachments invaded directly the territory of Rus'. According to the Ipatiev Chronicle, the Mongol patrols reached Novgorod-Svyatopolch. But having learned about the arrival of the Vladimir troops in Chernigov, led by 14-year-old Vasilko Konstantinovich Rostov, the Mongols abandoned the plan to march on Kiev and went to the Volga, where they were defeated by the Volga Bulgars near Samarskaya Luka. The surviving 4 thousand people returned to Central Asia. through the steppes of modern Kazakhstan. Along this path, but in the opposite direction, the Mongols undertook their Western campaign a little more than 10 years later. Many historians believe that The Battle of the Kalka was a turning point in the history of Rus'. It not only significantly weakened the forces of the Russian principalities, but also sowed panic and uncertainty in Rus'. It is no coincidence that chroniclers increasingly note the mysterious phenomena of nature, considering them signs of future misfortunes.

On May 31, 1223, a battle took place on the Kalka River between the Russian-Polovtsian regiments and the Tatars. This was the first clash of Russian squads with the troops of the state of Genghis Khan. The hard battle ended with the most severe defeat of the Russian-Polovtsian troops.

background

At the beginning of the 13th century, a new empire appeared in East Asia - its creator was the talented commander and wise manager Temujin (Genghis Khan). He subjugated a significant number of tribes and peoples, became the conqueror of Northern and Central China, and defeated Khorezm. In 1220, Genghis Khan received information that Khorezmshah Muhammad was gathering forces on the banks of the Amu Darya. To defeat him, he sent three tumens (“darkness” - 10 thousand cavalry corps) under the command of his best generals - Jebe, Subedei and Tohuchar. Subsequently, Tohuchar's corps was withdrawn. The persecution of the Khorezmshah resulted in a long reconnaissance campaign. Having defeated Azerbaijan and Georgia, the Tatar troops in 1222 crossed the Derbent passage and invaded the North Caucasus. Here they encountered the combined forces of the Alans and Polovtsians. After the opponents could not be defeated in battle, a military trick was used - the Polovtsians were promised peace and generously rewarded. The Polovtsy abandoned their allies. The Tatars defeated the Alans. And then, in the decisive battle on the Don, the Polovtsian detachments were defeated. Khans Yuri Konchakovich and Danila Kobyakovich died in battles, and the remnants of their tribes fled to the west and joined the horde of Kotyan Sutoevich, who roamed between the Dnieper and the Dniester.

At the beginning of 1223, the Tatars invaded the Crimea and plundered it, the city of Sudak (Surozh) was captured. Khan Kotyan turned to his son-in-law, the Galician prince Mstislav Mstislavich the Udalny (he was glorified as a successful commander) and other Russian princes, asking them for help against a new formidable enemy: "Today they took our land, tomorrow yours will be taken." It should be noted that the Polovtsy were not only opponents of Rus' in the south, but often allies in the struggle of various Russian princes among themselves, or were used against external enemies. So, in the spring of 1221, Mstislav, with the help of the Polovtsy, recaptured Galich from the Hungarians. Russians and Polovtsy were connected by trade, dynastic marriages. Therefore, Kotyan's request is not surprising.

In Kiev, a council of princes of the South Russian lands was assembled, headed by three grand dukes - Mstislav Romanovich (Kyiv), Mstislav Mstislavich (Galic) and Mstislav Svyatoslavich (Chernigov). After much debate and persuasion, Kotyan and Mstislav Udaly decided: “If we don’t help them ... then the Polovtsy will stick to the enemies, and their strength will become greater.” The princely council decides to gather troops and meet the enemy on the borders of Rus'.

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The collection of troops was appointed at Zaruba, near Varyazhsky Island (the island was located opposite the mouth of the Trubezh River). More than 20 princes with their retinues took part in the campaign. The most powerful troops were at the prince of Kyiv and Chernigov with assistant princes, and the Galician prince Mstislav (under his command was the prince of Volyn Daniil Romanovich). In total, the Russian-Polovtsian army numbered approximately 40-45 thousand people (they call the figure 80-100 thousand soldiers, but this is unlikely). Basically, these were professional cavalry squads of princes and boyars, the most powerful Kiev army had a foot militia.

The number of Tatar troops is also unknown. Two tumens - Subedei and Jebe, had 20-30 thousand horsemen, this was the core of the army, hardened in battles. In addition, there were a certain number of various vagabonds, robbers, adventurers and booty seekers who joined the army along its route (like wanderers).

The Russian princes made a number of serious mistakes even before the battle itself. They will decide the outcome of the battle. The princes could not agree on a unified command. In fact, there were three troops, decisions were made collectively. The first army (Kyiv) was headed by the Grand Duke of Kiev Mstislav Romanovich, the formal head of the campaign. It included the Kiev regiment, the squads of his son Vsevolod Mstislavsky and the son-in-law of Prince Andrei Ivanovich (Prince of Turov), Prince of Shumsky Svyatoslav Ingvarevich, Prince of Nesvizh Yuri Yaropolkovich, Prince of Dubrovitsky Alexander Glebovich, Prince of Ovruch Vladimir Rurikovich and other princes. The second army (Chernigov-Smolensk) was led by the prince of Chernigov Mstislav Svyatoslavich. The squads of Prince Mikhail Vsevolodovich of Pereyaslav, Prince Oleg Svyatoslavich of Kursk, Princes Izyaslav Vladimirovich of Putivl and Trubchevsky Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich were subordinate to him. The third army (Galician-Volynian-Polovtsian) was under the command of the initiator of the campaign, the Galician prince Mstislav Udaly (or Udatny). His troops included the forces of the Principality of Galicia, the squads of the Volyn prince Daniil Romanovich, the Lutsk prince Mstislav Yaroslavich the Mute, the Dorogobuzh prince Izyaslav Ingvarevich, the Polovtsian forces led by the governor Yarun.

Yuri Vsevolodovich, the Grand Duke of Vladimir-Suzdal Rus', did not go on a campaign, formally sending his nephew Vasily Konstantinovich, Prince of Rostov, to help the Russian army, who, however, did not have time to come to the beginning of the battle.

In Zaruba, Tatar ambassadors arrived at the Russian princes, they offered them an alliance against the Polovtsians. The princes considered that this was a trick and, at the request of the Polovtsy, killed the envoys. Subedei and Jebe sent a new embassy, ​​which declared war on Rus': “You listened to the Polovtsy, and killed our ambassadors; go against us, then go; we didn’t touch you, may God (judge) be everyone.” This embassy was sent home. Mstislav Udaloy insisted on active actions - to cross the Dnieper and strike at the enemy in the steppe. Mstislav Romanovich Stary offered to give battle to the enemy on the Dnieper and prepare for defense. Apparently, given the lack of unity in the army, this was the right strategy. Prince of Chernigov, Mstislav Svyatoslavich, took a wait-and-see attitude, not supporting either the proposal of the Galicians or the people of Kiev.

At this time, a Tatar reconnaissance detachment appeared off the banks of the Dnieper. Mstislav Udaloy decided to attack - together with Daniil Romanovich he crossed the river and hit the enemy. The Tatars were defeated and fled. This victory dispelled all doubts - most of the princes and boyars were in favor of offensive actions. Mstislav Chernigov ceased to hesitate and agreed to the crossing. As a result, another prerequisite for defeat appeared - the Russian command overestimated its strength and underestimated the practically unknown enemy. The Tatars used their traditional battle tactics - luring the enemy under the blow of the main striking forces.

On May 23, Russian-Polovtsian troops crossed the Dnieper and moved into the Polovtsian steppes. The troops marched for eight days. They stretched a lot. The Polovtsian detachments and squads under the command of the Galician prince Mstislav Udaly went forward, the forces of the Chernigov prince Mstislav Svyatoslavich followed them, and the detachments of the Grand Duke of Kiev Mstislav the Stary closed the entire column. On the way, the Russians and Polovtsy were met by Tatar patrols, which, at the first collision, took to flight, lured them. The army marched joyfully, the enemy fled. Abandoned cattle were beaten, they ate well. They regretted that they would not be able to overtake the enemy and take away the huge booty that the Tatars captured in the plundered lands. The feeling of superiority over the enemy captured everyone and relaxed the warriors. Another mistake was poor intelligence - the princes did not know about the readiness of the main enemy forces for battle.

Battle

On May 31, 1223, Russian-Polovtsian troops reached the Kalka River. In a fierce battle, the advanced Russian forces drove the Tatar sentry units to the other side. Mstislav Udaloy did not wait for the approach of the main forces and, having crossed the river, hit the first line of the enemy army (he did not know about the main forces of the enemy). He did not inform the Kyiv and Chernigov princes about his plans, which made them angry (it seemed that the Galician prince wanted to appropriate all the glory for himself). The Kiev prince did not cross the river on the move and ordered to establish a fortified camp.

The most experienced Tatar commanders Subedei and Dzhebe immediately took advantage of this fatal mistake of the Russian princes: the enemy himself exposed himself to the blow and allowed himself to be broken into parts. The Polovtsy and the regiments of Mstislav the Udaly faced a powerful army ready for a fierce battle. Russian-Polovtsian forces pressed the enemy vanguard, but then faced the main enemy forces. The Galician prince realized the depth of his mistake, but it was too late. The blow of the Russian-Polovtsian advanced forces was stopped, and then they were simply crushed. The Polovtsy were the first to rush to run, their wave knocked down the orders, the still fighting Russian squads. The Chernihiv army generally found itself in a situation where the advanced squads had already entered the battle, while other units were only crossing the river. The Chernihiv regiments were crushed and could not do anything, the flight became almost wholesale. Separate resisting units could not change the outcome of the battle. In this massacre, the hero Dobrynya Ryazanich Zlat Belt (one of the prototypes of the epic Dobrynya Nikitich) laid down his head. Some detachments did not know at all and did not participate in the battle, lagging behind the main forces. They were picked up by the general stream of those running and pursuing.

The regiments of the Grand Duke of Kyiv Mstislav Romanovich the Old remained aloof from this battle. A number of researchers believe that the timely entry of his troops into battle could change the outcome of the battle. But, apparently, the situation was already irreparable, the Polovtsians, the Galician and Chernigov rati were defeated and fled. Part of the Tatar army pursued them. It was already a massacre, not a battle. Only a small part managed to escape. Part of the Polovtsy left, with a handful of combatants, Mstislav Udaloy and Daniil Romanovich were able to escape. Another part of the Tatar army surrounded the Kiev camp. The first assault attempts were repulsed. Mstislav Romanovich of Kiev and his troops fought off the onslaught of the enemy for another three days. The Tatars could not take the fortifications, and they did not want to destroy a large number of soldiers. Then they went to the trick: to Mstislav and his assistant princes they sent the ataman of the Brodniks (the predecessors of the Cossacks) Ploskin, who promised life in exchange for surrender and ransom. There was nothing surprising in this - the Polovtsy more than once released the Russian princes for a ransom. The princes believed and surrendered. It is necessary to take into account the fact that the troops ran out of water. After that, the princes were tied up and handed over to the Tatars, and the disarmed soldiers were attacked. There was another bloodbath. The Tatar princes themselves were put under a wooden platform and arranged a "feast on the bones" on it.

Results and meaning of the battle

The main reason for the defeat was the lack of unity of the Russian army. If the Russian army acted in the traditional Russian style of battle: in the center of the infantry (Kiev militia reinforced by other detachments), on the wings of heavy princely cavalry squads (on the right Galician-Volyn, on the left Chernigov-Smolensk), leaving the Polovtsy in reserve, the chances of winning There were practically no Tatars. They entered the battle in parts, disorganized, a significant part of the troops did not participate in the main battle at all. The managerial mistakes of the command, the underestimation of the enemy, led to the fact that the Tatars were almost given the victory, allowing themselves to be broken in parts.

It was one of the heaviest defeats of the Russian troops in their entirety. Southern Rus' was bled dry by the loss of thousands of the best warriors. According to chronicles, nine out of ten soldiers who went on a campaign died. Among them were 12 princes, including the princes of Kyiv and Chernigov. Before the invasion of Batu troops, the southern Russian lands will not be able to restore their combat potential. The Tatars apparently also suffered significant losses, because they could not carry out an invasion of the Kievan lands and soon suffered a heavy defeat from the forces of the Volga Bulgaria.

The reconnaissance campaign of the Tatars revealed the main weak point of Rus' - the lack of unity. No wonder Subedey will become the right hand and the actual commander in the Western campaign of Batu (1236-1242).

Years completely changed the fate of our country. What is this event? Let's figure it out in this article.

1223: an event in Rus'

The XIII century was marked by the following: hordes of Mongol-Tatars came to Rus'. However, before the destruction of our cities by Batu Khan, the first of which was the recalcitrant Ryazan, the hordes attacked the lands of the Polovtsians. They were located approximately to the south of Rus'. Today these are the lands of our Southern Federal District: the Rostov Region, the Krasnodar Territory, the Republic of Kalmykia, most recently it included the former lands of Ukraine - the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol.

What was the event on May 31 (1223) in Rus'? On this day, the first clash between the Russian-Polovtsian troops and the Mongol-Tatar hordes took place.

Causes

Scientists argue that it was possible to avoid what 1223 brought. The event in Rus' (the battle on the Kalka River) might not have been as significant as it is for our history today. The fact is that an expeditionary detachment of the Mongol-Tatars Subedei and Dzhebe approached the Polovtsian lands. The fact that the eastern hordes had a small detachment equal in number to the united squads of several princes was not yet known at that time. According to the plan of Genghis Khan, the Mongols were supposed to go to Europe, but conflicts with the Polovtsy prevented him. The Great Khan had already captured China and established diplomatic relations with some European states.

He learned that Europe is a huge developed territory, comparable to China and Central Asia. Genghis Khan wanted to take over the whole world. When he made such grandiose plans, he did not know about any Europe, just as he did not know about Rus'. According to the maps of travelers, the Mongol detachment set off in search of a path for a large army. On the way back, already knowing the area, the detachments of Subedei and Jebe decided to fight a little in the Caucasus and the south of the Black Sea region against various scattered tribes: Alans, Polovtsy, etc.

However, the "small detachment" outnumbered any princely squad of Rus'. The Polovtsians sounded the alarm and called for help from the Russian princes, when Khan Kotyan was defeated several times by them. Significant for the history was brought in 1223 by an event in Rus'. The Kalka River became the site of the battle, the battle on this river broke the course of history. Today, the question about this period can be found in history tests. It was this fatal battle that caused the seizure of our territory.

The course of the battle

Khan Kotyan begged for Russian help. In Kyiv, several princes gathered for a council, which decided to help the neighbors, although the Mongol-Tatars themselves were not going to fight with Russia. If only they knew what the year 1223 would bring them, the event in Rus' which would come back to haunt their descendants! However, no one thought about it then. In May, the combined troops of the Kyiv, Chernigov, Smolensk, Kursk, Trubchev, Putivl, Vladimir squads left Kyiv. On the southern borders, they were joined by the remnants of the army of Khan Kotyan. According to historians, the army numbered up to 80 thousand people. On the way, our troops met a small advance detachment of the Mongols.

Some believe that they were parliamentarians, whom the Mongols always liked to send, others - that they were scouts. Perhaps both at the same time. Be that as it may, but the Volyn prince Daniel Romanovich - later he would personally go to the Mongols to bow - defeated an enemy detachment with his squad. This event will become fatal: the murder of ambassadors is the most terrible crime among the Mongols. Entire cities were burned for this, which will happen later.

During the battle, the main weakness of the Russian united forces was revealed - the lack of a unified command. Each prince commanded his squad. In such battles, the princes listen to the most authoritative among them, but this time there was none: each considered himself equal to the rest. Approaching the river Kalka, the army was divided. The squad of Mstislav Chernigov decided not to cross to the other side of the river, but to strengthen the bank for defense. He was not supported by the rest of the princes.

Mstislav Udaloy and Daniil Romanovich, together with the Polovtsy, crossed over and overturned the small Mongol forces, which rapidly began to flee. Perhaps this was the plan of the enemy, since the Mongols were forbidden to retreat under the threat of death. Without waiting for the rest of the forces, Prince Daniel with the Polovtsy began to pursue the enemy and ran into the main forces of Subedei and Dzhebe (30 thousand people). At this time, the main forces of Mstislav of Kyiv had just begun to cross the river.

As a result, the alignment of forces is as follows: there is no unified command, one part of the army remained on one bank, the second only crossed the river, the third had already managed to fight, but remained in place, the fourth began to pursue the enemy and stumbled upon an ambush.

The Polovtsians, knowing the power of the Mongols, began to run away as soon as the battle began. With their flight, they crushed the entire squad of Mstislav the Udaly, which did not participate in the pursuit. On the shoulders of the Polovtsians, the Mongols broke into the camp of the main forces of the united army and completely defeated it.

Outcome of the battle

The event on the Kalka was marked by a terrible tragedy for the Russians: never before had so many princes died in one battle. The wars of that time always spared the "best men". Battles were common, the nobles were always left alive, then exchanged for gold. Here, everything was different: 12 princes died in the battle, not counting the boyars, governor, etc. The two most noble princes in Rus', Mstislav of Kiev and Mstislav of Chernigov, also died. The rest were taken prisoner. Only a tenth of the army survived the battle. The battle showed that the era of "comic battles" is over. Rus' faced a real danger.

Mongols do not forgive enemies

The expeditionary detachment of the Mongols told that on their way they defeated unknown Russia, and that the ambassadors were killed by the Russians.

A distinctive feature of the Mongols is that they never forgave their enemies. If the lands in their path offered no resistance, they always remained intact. But one has only to show the slightest resistance - and entire cities were wiped off the face of the earth. The Russian princes, without knowing it themselves, became the blood enemies of the huge Mongol hordes. And this marked the year 1223, the event in Rus' which will make you regret it in the future.

When the grandson of Genghis Khan - Batu Khan - did not have enough clothes in his homeland, the Mongols remembered their natural enemies - the Russians. He went to them with the entire Mongol horde ten years later.

Why did the Russian princes come out in defense of the Polovtsians?

The Polovtsians are first mentioned in our sources in the second half of the 11th century. They came to replace other steppe dwellers - the Pechenegs. But if the Pechenegs did not get involved in major battles, they attacked rather like robbers on poorly protected villages, then the Polovtsy created numerous detachments and fought with the Russian princes on an equal footing. They devastated our lands, devastated villages, took people into captivity.

In 1111, Prince Vladimir Monomakh, under the influence of the events of the Crusades, even organized his own "crusade" against the steppes. Also, at the congresses of Russian princes, calls for joint defense against the Polovtsy were constantly heard. Then the question arises as to why the Russians got involved in this war on the side of their southern neighbors.

It was already 1223 in the yard. The event in Rus' showed that by this time the ties between the Russian princes and the Polovtsian khans had already strengthened. Permanent dynastic marriages by this time, one might say, erased the cultural line. Although we considered the Polovtsy as enemies, they were “our enemies”, understandable to us. They always found a common language with them.

Let us recall from the school literature course the famous campaign of Prince Igor against the Polovtsy in 1185, which we know from the Tale of Igor's Campaign. After the defeat, the prince managed to “miraculously” escape from captivity, thereby remaining unharmed. Although there was no miracle at all: the Polovtsian khans had long been intermarried with the Russians, they were with each other in family ties. The war between them resembled internecine wars between the princes themselves, in which the princes themselves died only by chance. Often, during constant skirmishes, both Russian warriors and Polovtsian wars were on both sides of the squads.

Therefore, the Russians opposed the unknown new force, the Mongol-Tatars, on the side of their allies.