Any settlement has borders that need to be protected from enemy invasions, in large Slavic settlements this need has always existed. In the period of Ancient Russia, conflicts tore the country apart, it was necessary to fight not only with external threats, but also with fellow tribesmen. The unity and harmony between the princes helped create a great state that became defensive. Old Russian warriors stood under one banner and showed the world their strength and courage.
A friend
The Slavs were a peace-loving people, so the ancient Russian warriors did not stand out too much from ordinary peasants. They began to defend their home with hornets, axes, knives and clubs. Military equipment, weapons appear gradually, and it is more focused on protecting its owner than on attack. In the X century, several Slavic tribes unite around the Prince of Kiev, who collects taxes and protects the territory under control from the invasion of the steppes, Swedes, Byzantines, and Mongols. A squad is being formed, the composition of which consists of 30% professional military (often mercenaries: Varangians, Pechenegs, Germans, Hungarians) and militias (warriors). During this period, the armament of the Old Russian warrior consists of a club, spear, and sword. Easy protection does not constrain movement and provides mobility in battle and campaign. The main branch of the army was infantry, horses were used as pack animals and to deliver soldiers to the battlefield. Cavalry formed after unsuccessful clashes with the steppes, who were excellent riders.
Protection
The Old Russian wars wore shirts and ports, usual for the population of Russia of the 5th-6th centuries, and wore shoes. During the Russo-Byzantine war, the enemy was struck by the courage and courage of the “Rus”, who fought without protective armor, hiding behind shields and using them simultaneously as weapons. Later a “kuyak” appeared, which was essentially a sleeveless shirt; it was sheathed with horse hooves or pieces of leather. Subsequently, metal plates began to be used to protect the body from chopping blows and arrows of the enemy.
Shield
The armor of the Old Russian warrior was light, it provided high maneuverability, but at the same time reduced the degree of protection. Large, in the growth of man wooden shields were used by Slavic peoples since ancient times. They covered the warrior's head, so in the upper part had an opening for the eyes. Since the X century, shields have been made round, they are upholstered with iron, covered with leather and decorated with various generic symbols. According to the testimony of Byzantine historians, the Russians created a wall of shields that tightly closed to each other, and put forward their spears. Such tactics did not allow the advanced units of the enemy to break into the rear of the Russian troops. After 100 years, the form adapts to a new type of troops - cavalry. Shields become almond-shaped, have two mounts designed to hold in battle and on the march. With this type of equipment, Old Russian soldiers went hiking and stood up to defend their own lands before the invention of firearms. Many traditions and legends are associated with shields. Some of them are “winged” to this day. The fallen and wounded soldiers were brought home on shields, while fleeing the retreating regiments threw them under the feet of the pursuers' horses. Prince Oleg hangs the shield on the gates of the defeated Constantinople.
Helmets
Old Russian warriors, before the 9th-10th centuries, wore ordinary hats on their heads, which did not protect against chopping blows of the enemy. The first helmets found by archaeologists were made according to the Norman type, but in Russia they were not widely used. The conical shape has become more practical and therefore widely used. The helmet in this case was riveted from four metal plates, they were decorated with precious stones and feathers (among noble warriors or governor). This form allowed the sword to slide off without causing much harm to the person; the comforter made of leather or felt softened the blow. The helmet was changed due to additional protective devices: a barmitsa (chain mail), a platypus (metal plate). The use of protection in the form of masks (masks) in Russia was a rarity, most often these were trophy helmets, which were widely used in European countries. The description of the Old Russian warrior, preserved in the annals, suggests that the people were not hidden, but could stare the enemy with a terrible look. Helmets with a half mask were made for noble and wealthy warriors, they are characterized by decorative details that did not carry protective functions.
Chain mail
The most famous part of the vestments of the Old Russian warrior, according to archaeological excavations, appears in the 7th-8th centuries. Chain mail is a shirt made of metal rings tightly interconnected. At this time, it was quite difficult for the craftsmen to make such protection, the work was delicate and took a long period of time. The metal was rolled into a wire, from which the rings were fastened and welded, fixed to each other according to the 1 to 4 scheme. At least 20 - 25 thousand rings were spent on creating one chain mail, the weight of which was from 6 to 16 kilograms. For decoration, copper links were woven into the canvas. In the XII century, stamping technology was used when braided rings were flattened, which provided a large area of protection. In the same period, chain mail becomes longer, additional elements of armor appear: novitsovy (iron, woven stockings), barmitsa (mesh to protect the neck), bracers (gloves made of metal). Under the chain mail they put on quilted clothes, softening the force of the blow. At the same time, lamellar (plate) armor was used in Russia . For manufacturing, a base (shirt) of leather was required, on which thin iron lamellas were tightly fastened. Their length was 6 - 9 centimeters, width from 1 to 3. Plate armor gradually replaced chain mail and even sold in other countries. In Russia, scaly, lamellar and chain mail armor were often combined. Yushman, the Bakhterets were essentially chain mail, which were supplied with plates on the chest to increase the protective properties. At the beginning of the XIV century , a new type of armor appeared - the mirror. Large metal plates polished to a shine were usually worn over chain mail. On the sides and shoulders they were connected with leather straps, often decorated with various symbols.
Weapon
The protective clothing of the Old Russian warrior was not impenetrable armor, but it was lightweight, which ensured greater maneuverability of warriors and shooters in battle conditions. According to information obtained from historical sources of the Byzantines, “Rusichs” were distinguished by tremendous physical strength. In the V - VI centuries, the weapons of our ancestors were quite primitive, used for close combat. To inflict significant damage to the enemy, it was heavy and additionally equipped with damaging elements. The evolution of weapons took place against the backdrop of technological progress and changes in the strategy of warfare. Throwing systems, siege machines, stitching and cutting iron tools have been used for many centuries, while their design is constantly being improved. Some innovations were adopted from other peoples, but Russian inventors and gunsmiths have always been distinguished by their original approach and the reliability of the manufactured systems.
Shock
Weapons for close combat are known to all peoples, at the dawn of the development of civilization, its main form was the club. This is a heavy club, which at the end turned into iron. In some embodiments, metal spikes or nails are featured. Most often in Russian chronicles, along with a club, a mace, a six-man, a brush are mentioned. Due to the simplicity of manufacture and effectiveness in battle, striking weapons were widespread. The sword and saber partially displace it, but militias and howls continue to use it in battle. Based on annalistic sources and excavation data, historians created a typical portrait of a man who was called an Old Russian warrior. Photographs of the reconstructions, as well as the images of the warriors preserved to our day, necessarily contain some type of striking weapon, most often the legendary mace acts in this capacity.
Chopping, stabbing
In the history of ancient Russia, the sword is of great importance. It is not only the main type of weapon, but also a symbol of princely power. The used knives had several types, they bore the name of the place of wearing: zapasozhnye, belt, podsaydashnye. They were used along with a sword and a mace. The weapons of an old Russian warrior change in the 10th century, come with a saber to replace a sword. The Russians appreciated its combat characteristics in battles with nomads, from whom they borrowed uniforms. Spears and bastards are among the most ancient types of piercing weapons, which were successfully used by warriors as defensive and offensive. When used in parallel, they evolved ambiguously. Rogatins are gradually superseded by spears, which are perfected into a street. Not only peasants (warriors and militias) fought with axes, but also princely squads. For mounted soldiers this type of weapon had a short hilt, infantrymen (warriors) used axes on long poles. Berdysh (ax with a wide blade) in the XIII - XIV century becomes the weapon of the Streltsy army. He later converted to a halberd.
Rifle
All means used daily in hunting and at home were used by Russian soldiers as military weapons. Bows were made from animal horns and suitable wood species (birch, juniper). Some of them were more than two meters long. To store the arrows used a shoulder quiver, which was made of leather, sometimes decorated with brocade, precious and semiprecious stones. For the manufacture of arrows used reeds, birch, reeds, apple trees, to the torch of which an iron tip was attached. In the X century, the design of the onion was quite complicated, and the process of its manufacture is laborious. Self-arrows were a more effective type of throwing weapon. Their minus consisted in a lower rate of fire, but at the same time a bolt (used as a projectile) did more harm to the enemy, breaking through armor when hit. It was difficult to pull the bowstring of a crossbow; even strong warriors rested their butt on this butt. In the XII century, to speed up and facilitate this process, they began to use the hook that the archers wore on their belts. Until the invention of firearms, bows, crossbows, and self-arrows were used in the Russian troops.
Equipment
Foreigners who visited Russian cities of the 12th-13th centuries were amazed at how warriors were equipped. For all the apparent cumbersome armor (especially for heavy horsemen), riders easily coped with several tasks. Sitting in the saddle, the warrior could hold the reins (rule the horse), shoot from a bow or a crossbow and prepare a heavy sword for close combat. The cavalry was a maneuverable striking force, so the equipment of the rider and the horse should be light, but strong. The chest, croup, and sides of the war horse were covered with special integuments made of fabric with sewn-in iron plates. The equipment of the Old Russian warrior was thought out to the smallest detail. The saddles made of wood made it possible for the archer to turn in the opposite direction and shoot at full speed, while controlling the direction of the horse. Unlike the European warriors of that time, fully armored, the light armor of the Russians was focused on fighting with nomads. The noble nobles, princes, kings had weapons and armor that were military and ceremonial, which were richly decorated and equipped with the symbols of the state. They received foreign ambassadors and went on holidays.