Battle on the Kalka River- a battle between the united Russian-Polovtsian army and the Mongol corps, operating as part of the Jebe and Subedei raid -1224. The Polovtsy and the main Russian forces were defeated on May 31, 1223, after 3 days the battle ended in a complete victory for the Mongols.

Russian history knows triumphs and crushing defeats. One of the most tragic events in the history of Russia was the battle with the Mongol troops on the Kalka River. The significance of the Battle of the Kalka for the Russian princes can be assessed by the lessons learned from this story and well learned in future, already victorious battles, until which more than a hundred and fifty years are left to wait. The reason for the appearance of the Mongolian troops in Russia After the conquest of the Asian principalities, Temujin-Genghis Khan sent his troops, led by Jebe and Subedei, in pursuit of Sultan Muhammad. The number of troops under these commanders was estimated at 20 thousand people. The campaign of two servants of the supreme ruler of the Mongols was also of a reconnaissance nature. When approaching the Polovtsian lands, the leader of the Polovtsy Kotyan, who alone could not resist the Mongols, asked for help from the Galician prince, reinforcing his visit with large gifts. The battle on the Kalka River in 1223 began at the council of Russian princes in Kiev, where it was decided to meet the Tatar army. The princes who took part in the battle covered themselves with glory and became teachers of other leaders of the Russian squads in the long struggle against the Mongol-Tatars. The reasons for the battle were in the performance of their duties by the allies and the unwillingness to let the Tatars into their lands. These noble aspirations could not prevail because of pride and disunity, which took many years to overcome. The battlefield and the course of the battle The opposing forces were not equal. The Russian army in the battle of Kalka outnumbered the enemy forces, according to various estimates, there were from 30 to 110 thousand people in the ranks of the Russians. When approaching Kalka, the Russian princes Daniil Romanovich, Mstislav Romanovich, Mstislav Udaloy met the enemy in minor skirmishes, successful for Russian soldiers. Before the battle, there was a council in the camp of the Kiev prince, where the leaders of the squads could not develop a unified battle tactic. At dawn on May 31, 1223, the Polovtsian Khan Kotyan began crossing the river and met the advance detachments of the Mongols. In the plot, the outcome of the battle was seen as favorable for the coalition. The Polovtsians crushed the light riders, but fled from the main forces. Many chroniclers see the reasons for the defeat in this, because the fleeing Polovtsy brought confusion to the squadrons, which were just unfolding after crossing the river. The tragic outcome was also brought closer by the unwillingness of the Kiev prince Mstislav Romanovich to move his troops to help, he left his squads on the opposite bank and prepared for the siege. The Mongolian cavalry rapidly developed success and drove the disunited Russian squads to the Dnieper. The battle with the Mongol-Tatars on the Kalka was completed with the capture of the camp of the ruler of Kiev and the killing of all the captive princes under the platform of the feasting winners. Russia mourns The defeat at Kalka plunged the population of Russia into complete confusion and sowed fear of the Tatar horsemen. Order and discipline then showed for the first time their superiority over the strength and power of individual disparate squads. In terms of the quality of training and uniforms, Russian soldiers had no equal then, but small squads performed local tasks to protect the lands of their prince and did not see allies among their neighbors. The Mongol-Tatars were united by the great idea of ​​conquering the world and were a model of discipline and tactics of warfare. Awareness of the need for unity took place in Russia hard and for a long time, but led to the triumph of Russian weapons on the Kulikovo field a century and a half after the terrible tragedy. 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 Kiev, Galicia-Volyn, Chernigov, Smolensk principalities died in the battle. Events leading up to the Battle of Kalka. V 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 Russia, including Kiev, 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 Kiev to the news of the approach of the Mongols to the borders of Russia: “ While I am in Kiev - 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, the 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 Kiev for a council under the leadership of the three "oldest" princes: Mstislav Romanovich of Kiev, 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 Russia. 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, Kiev 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 Russia. 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 strike 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 Kiev 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 Kiev 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 Kiev 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 Russia. According to the Ipatiev Chronicle, the Mongol patrols reached Novgorod-Svyatopolch. But having learned about the arrival of Vladimir troops in Chernigov, led by 14-year-old Vasilko Konstantinovich Rostov, the Mongols abandoned the plan of a campaign against 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 Russia. It not only significantly weakened the forces of the Russian principalities, but also sowed panic and uncertainty in Russia. It is no coincidence that chroniclers increasingly note the mysterious phenomena of nature, considering them signs of future misfortunes.
Place	Kalka river
Outcome	Mongols victory
Parties
Kievan Rus, Cumans	Mongol Empire
Commanders
Mstislav Romanovich Old +, Mstislav Mstislavich Udatny, Mstislav Svyatoslavich +	Subedai, Jaebae
Side forces
80 thousand	20-30 thousand
Losses
9/10 Russian troops	there is no data

Prerequisites

In 1222, the Mongol army led by Dzhebe and Subedei-baatur (the best generals of Genghis Khan) invaded the Polovtsian steppes. The Tver Chronicle reports the reaction of Mstislav of Kiev to this news: While I am in Kiev - 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 turned to his son-in-law, the Galician prince Mstislav Mstislavich Udalny and other Russian princes, asking them for help against a new formidable enemy: “ Today the Tatars have taken our land, and tomorrow they will capture yours if we all do not stand up against them together.". The South Russian princes gathered in Kiev for a council under the leadership of the three great princes: Mstislav Romanovich, Mstislav Mstislavich and Mstislav Svyatoslavich. The northern Russian princes did not have time for the Kiev collection (see below), at the same time the danger grew that the Polovtsy, left face to face with the Mongols, would go over to their side. After much persuasion by Mstislav Udaly and generous gifts, it was decided that " it is better to meet them in a foreign land than in one's own.", also " if we don’t help them, then the Polovtsy will surrender to the Tatars and it will be harder for us».

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, Cherkasy region. Upon learning of the fees, the Mongols sent their ambassadors with the following words: We do not want war with Russia and do not encroach on your land. We are at war with the Polovtsy, who have always been your enemies, and therefore, if they are now running towards you, beat them and take their goods for yourself.". After listening to the ambassadors, the Russian princes ordered to kill all the ambassadors. This action took into account the similar experience of the Polovtsy, who in 1222 succumbed to the persuasion of the Mongols to break their alliance with the Alans, after which Jebe defeated the Alans, and then attacked the Polovtsy as well.

The assembled huge army marched together, but did not have a common commander. The squads of specific princes were subordinate only to their grand dukes. The Polovtsy acted under the leadership of the voivode Mstislav Udaly-Yarun. The Polovtsian Khan Basty was baptized into the Orthodox faith. 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 Gani-bek was killed. 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.

balance of power

The number of the Mongol army initially (at the beginning of the pursuit of Sultan Muhammad) was 30 thousand people, but then the tumen led by Tohuchar Noyon was defeated in Iran, and Sebastatsi determines the number of Mongols in Georgia at 20 thousand people. Perhaps the Mongols replenished the number of their troops in the North Caucasus and the Don (at the expense of the Alans, wanderers and Polovtsians).

There are no data on the number of Russian-Polovtsian troops. To get an idea of ​​the real number of Russian troops at the beginning of the 13th century, news about the participation of 16,000 troops in campaigns against the Order of the Sword in winter / years can help. (Novgorodians and Smolyans) and the 20-thousandth in winter / years. (Novgorodians and Vladimirians), about the number of Polovtsians - news about the departure of Kotyan with 40 thousand of his people in 1238 to Hungary, about the defeat of two Polovtsian khans (Yuri Konchakovich and Danila Kobyakovich) in 1222 and about the union of two Polovtsian khans (Kotyan Sutoevich and Basty) with the Russian princes in 1223. In addition to the South Russian forces, the Smolensk troops also participated in the campaign.

The course of the battle

Mstislav Udaloy was the first to cross the Kalka and personally went on reconnaissance. Having reached the enemy camp and looking around it, the prince ordered his army and the Polovtsy to prepare for battle. The battle began on the morning of 31 May. " Forward, Mstislav Udaloy sent a Polovtsian watchman under the leadership of an old associate on campaigns and the battle of Lipetsk, Yarun. The squad of Mstislav Udaly 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» . Initially, the battle developed well for the Russians. Daniil Romanovich, who was the first to enter the battle, cut himself with unparalleled courage, not paying attention to the wounds received. On the left, Oleg Kursky was already pushing the horde. The Mongolian vanguard began to retreat, the Russians gave chase, lost formation and collided with the main forces of the Mongols. 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.

One part of the Mongols drove the fleeing to the banks of the Dnieper, and the second laid siege to the camp of the Kiev prince. He bravely fought back for three days, but after the chieftain Ploskinya, sent to negotiate, who eventually betrayed the prince, 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 allowed to go home, surrendered. The Mongols did not keep their promise: all the Russian princes and military leaders were put under the boards and crushed by the winners, who sat down to feast from above. Ordinary soldiers were taken into slavery. According to other sources, the treaty was " Not a single drop of princes' blood will be shed", since the Mongols considered it shameful to die not in battle, shedding blood, and formally the promise was kept.

The folk epic connects the death of Russian heroes with this battle: in the annals, the names of Alexander of Rostov and Dobrynya Ryazanets are named among the dead - real persons and, obviously, famous warriors, since they were mentioned along with the princes. Mstislav Udaloy and Daniil Romanovich were able to reach the Dnieper and destroyed the remaining free boats and rafts before sailing.

Losses

There are no data on Mongolian and Polovtsian losses.

Only one tenth of the Russian army survived the battle (“The Tale of the Battle of the Kalka”). The only author who names Russian losses in numerical terms (though very approximate, which he himself says) is Henry of Latvia. In his Livonian Chronicle, written around 1225, he writes: 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 from Kiev 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».

Date of the Battle of Kalka.

The Battle of the Kalka, which became a turning point in the history of Russia, took place on May 31, 1223.

Background.

Genghis Khan after the capture of Urgench in 1221 gave instructions to continue the conquest of Eastern Europe. In 1222, the Polovtsy succumbed to the persuasion of the Mongols and attacked the Alans with them, after which the Mongols also attacked the Polovtsy. The Polovtsians turned for help to Prince Mstislav Udatny and other Russian princes, asking for help.

At the council in Kiev, it was decided to meet the Mongols on the Polovtsian land, not letting them into Russia. The composite army did not have a commander-in-chief - each soldier was subordinate to his prince. On the way, the army met the ambassadors of the Mongols. The princes listened to them and ordered them to be killed. The Galician army advanced down the Dniester to the Black Sea. At the mouth, the army was met by a group of ambassadors, but it was decided to let them go. At the threshold of the island of Khortitsa, the Galician army met with the rest of the troops.

On the left bank of the Dnieper, the advanced detachment of the Mongols was met and put to flight, their commander Ganibek was killed. After two weeks of movement, the Russian troops reached the banks of the Kalka River, where another advanced detachment of the Mongols was soon defeated.

The course of the battle.

There is no exact information about the forces of the parties. According to various sources, the number of Russian-Polovtsian troops was from 20 to 100 thousand people.

After successful battles with the advance detachments of the Mongols, a council was convened, the main issue of which was the place for the camp. The princes did not come to a common agreement, each eventually settled down where he wanted, and also chose his own tactics for his army, without telling others about it.

On May 31, 1223, part of the Russian-Polovtsian army began crossing the Kalka, namely, the Polovtsian detachments, the Volyn squad, Galicians and Chernihivs. The Kievans remained on the shore and began building a camp.

Scheme of the battle on the Kalka River.

Designations: 1) Cumans (Yarun); 2) Daniil Volynsky; 3) Mstislav Udatny; 4) Oleg Kursky; 5) Mstislav Chernigovsky; 6) Mstislav Stary; 7) Subedei and Jebe.

The Polovtsy and the Volhynian detachment, coming first, entered into battle with the advanced detachments of the Mongolian troops. The Mongols, suffering defeat in battle, began to retreat. Our forward detachments rushed to catch up with them, lost formation and collided with the main army of the Mongols. The remaining detachments of the Russian-Polovtsian army lagged far behind, which Subedei took advantage of. The Polovtsy and the Volyn detachment had to retreat.

The Chernigov regiment, having crossed the Kalka, also encountered the Mongols and was forced to flee. The Mongols from the right wing of the attack successfully defeated the remaining Polovtsy, then the squad of Mstislav Lutsky and Oleg Kursky. The Kiev prince Mstislav Stary Romanovich watched the defeat from the camp, but did not come to his aid. Only part of the main Russian-Polovtsian army was able to hide in the Kiev camp, the rest fled in different directions.

Subedei, having defeated the main force of the Russian-Polovtsian army, ordered the khans to besiege the camp of the Kiev prince, and he himself went to finish off the remnants of the fleeing enemy army. The losses of the fleeing detachments were enormous.

While the fleeing Russian-Polovtsian army was being finished off, part of the Mongol army was besieging the Kiev camp. The Mongols alternated between attacks and shelling, until on the third day, due to the lack of water supplies, negotiations were initiated by the Kievans. Flat, sent by Subedei, promised that no one would be killed, and that the princes and governor would be released home for a ransom if the Kiev squad laid down their arms. In memory of the ambassadors killed earlier, Subedei decided to break his promise. Some of the people of Kiev who left the camp were killed, some were captured. The prince and governors were placed under the boards, and then crushed by the Mongols, who sat on them to celebrate the victory. Vladimir Rurikovich and Vsevolod Mstislavovich managed to escape from captivity.

Consequences of the Battle of Kalka.

Detachments of the Mongols, pursuing the remnants of the Russian rati, invaded the territory of Russia. Having learned that Vladimir troops arrived in Chernigov, the Mongols abandoned the campaign against Kiev and returned to Central Asia. The Western campaign of the Mongols took place only 10 years later.

The Battle of the Kalka was a turning point in the history of Russia. The troops of the principalities were weakened, panic began in Russia, confidence in the forces of the Russian army disappeared. The Battle of the Kalka was a truly tragic event for the Russians.

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

1223: an event in Russia

The XIII century was marked by the following: hordes of Mongol-Tatars came to Russia. 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 Russia. 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 Russia? 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 Russia (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 Russia. 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 Russia. 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 Russia. 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 Kiev, 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 Russia which would come back to haunt their descendants! However, no one thought about it then. In May, the combined troops of the Kiev, Chernigov, Smolensk, Kursk, Trubchev, Putivl, Vladimir squads left Kiev. 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 Kiev 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 make war, 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 Russia, 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. Russia 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 Russia 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 Russia 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.