The Kulikovo battle - this phrase is known to almost every resident of our country over seven years old. Although not all of them recognize the true significance of this battle, the fact that it is known much more than what happened a hundred years later and marked the end of the Tatar-Mongol yoke speaks very much.
The reasons for the Kulikovo battle are simple and unpretentious. A few years earlier, Russian soldiers won one of the battles with the Horde. And one of the horde’s temples, namely Khan Mamai, decided to kill several birds with one stone: to strengthen the Horde’s influence on the Russian principalities, and at the same time its authority among fellow tribesmen. With the support of the Lithuanian prince Jagiello, the khan set off on a campaign through the Russian lands. He was to join the Lithuanian army near Voronezh. Another ally of Mamaia was to become Oleg Igorevich, Ryazan prince. But according to one version, he limited himself to promises, moreover, there is evidence that it was he who warned the Rus that Khan Mamai was expecting reinforcements from Jagiello.
Having received this news, the Moscow prince Dmitry Ivanovich decided not to allow the allies to unite and force the khan to join the battle, without waiting for the Lithuanian soldiers. He offers the Russian princes to join forces in the fight against a common enemy. Naturally, not all responded, but the prince nevertheless managed to gather more than 100 thousand soldiers under his banner. Which was only a little less than the Horde army. At the same time, thanks to the military reform carried out by Dmitry, the Russian army was many times more organized, which gave a serious advantage in the battles.
Gathering an army, Dmitry Ivanovich moved to the Ob river. Overcoming more than 200 km in 11 days, the speed for that time was simply unprecedented, the Russian army forced Mamai to move towards them, without waiting for Jagiello.
Approaching the Don, the Russian army for some time could not decide to cross the river, because beyond the river the territories of the Golden Horde began. However, having received news from Sergei Radonezhsky with the desire to be firmer and more courageous, Dmitry Ivanovich decides to cross. The Russians crossed the Don on the night of September 8, 1380. The ferry crossed the floating wooden bridge, which the prince ordered to destroy.
Thus, on the one hand, he cut off his retreat to his army, and on the other, he secured his rear by arranging his people so that behind them there was a cliff on the banks of the Nepryadva River, and on the sides of the Don there were deep cliffs. Thus, Dmitry Ivanovich made it difficult for the enemy to approach from the flanks. Namely, this was Mamai's favorite trick: he often located his cavalry on the flanks and captured enemy troops in ticks. This was a new word in military tactics.
Russian troops were located as follows: the greatest forces were concentrated in the center, the so-called large regiment. Two smaller regiments were located on the left and right flanks. In addition, there was a small forward regiment and an ambush regiment located in the east, behind a small oak grove. Mamai placed heavy infantry in the center, cavalry stood on the flanks, which Mamai hoped would capture the enemy, but thanks to the skillfully used terrain, the Russians did not allow this.
The Battle of Kulikovo began at dawn with a traditional duel. From the Russians, the monk Peresvet, a former boyar and an experienced warrior, came out to fight, the horde exposed the hero Chelubey. The fight ended with a simultaneous defeat with spears, which, according to signs, indicated a long and bloody battle. The first fell Man. At this moment, the horde cavalry rushed into battle, trampling Peresvet.
The cavalry was first swept away by the advanced regiment, after which the Horde concentrated their forces on the central part of the Russian army. However, crushing him just as quickly failed, and the warriors of Mamaia switched to the regiment of the left hand. They managed to press and even force them to retreat to Nepryadva, but at that moment an ambush regiment hit the rear of the cavalry, taking the horde troops by surprise and causing confusion. A large regiment did not fail to take advantage of this situation. Rusich went on the attack, putting the Horde cavalry to flight. And those, in turn, trampled their own infantry with the hooves of horses. The Russian army drove the enemy more than 50 km to the river Beautiful Swords. Most of the Horde died during the retreat. The Khan’s stake was taken, but Mamai managed to escape. He was killed later, already in the Horde, and Khan Tokhtomysh did it.
According to the chronicles, the Battle of Kulikovo itself lasted 4 hours, and by two in the afternoon everything was over. Losses on both sides were simply huge. The Russians lost 483 boyars and 12 princes, which amounted to more than 60% of the command staff. Losses among ordinary warriors are not countable. However, the army of Mamaia fell almost completely.
Now the Battle of Kulikovo and its historical significance have become just part of the school curriculum. And in those days, it became a symbol of the unification of the Russian people, because it was then that so many Russian principalities first appeared in a joint campaign. In addition, it was this battle that instilled in the Russian people the belief that the Golden Horde could be defeated, and even if there were still about a hundred years left until it was completely liberated, it was laid on Kulikovo Field.
The Battle of Kulikovo is mentioned in a huge number of literary works, both contemporary to it and later. Poets and prose writers write and wrote about it, as a symbol of the unity of Russia and its strength.