The struggle with aggressive neighbors, mainly nomad tribes, contributed, among other reasons, to the unification of the Russian principalities. As you know, Moscow became the center of Russia. However, why exactly is she? Indeed, Tver claimed the place of the "first city".
Prerequisites for the strengthening of Moscow
There were many reasons for the unification of Russia around Moscow. Meanwhile, in the middle of the XIV century. its primacy to Tver was not obvious. It is likely that Moscow would have remained the "second city", if not for the pestilence that covered the entire territory of Russia in 1364-1365. It was the Tver princes who suffered from her more than others. For several years, one after another, the rulers died: Semen Konstantinovich, then Vsevolod, Andrey, then Vladimir.
After half a century, a wave of plague swept through Tver again. Over 1425, three generations of princes were replaced. In turn, Ivan, Alexander and Yuri - grandfather, father and son, died.
The fate of the Principality of Tver could have been different if not for this plague. After all, the struggle with Moscow, in which numerous allies participated, was with varying success. One of the most striking events in the history of that period is the Battle of Bortenev in 1317. Let us consider it in more detail.
General information
In 1317, December 22, near the village of Bortenevo there was a battle between the Tver prince and the combined army of the Moscow ruler Yuri Danilovich and Kavgadyi (Temnik of the Horde). The Allied squad suffered a crushing defeat.
As a result, the wife of Yuri, the sister of Khan Uzbek Konchak and the brother of Prince Boris were captured.
Reasons for the Battle of Bortenev
After the death of Andrei Aleksandrovich in 1304, the Tver prince Mikhail and the Moscow ruler Yuri claimed the grand duke label issued by the Khan of the Horde. At the same time, the latter, in accordance with the law of the ladder, had no rights to the throne: his father died without being the Grand Duke.
Mikhail Yaroslavich and Yuri Danilovich went to the Khan of Tokhta in the Horde. He appointed Michael Grand Duke. After returning in 1305 from the Horde, he went to Moscow, but failed to take it.
Mikhail Yaroslavich became the first Russian ruler who was allowed to collect tribute from part of the Russian lands subject to the Vladimir prince. The exception was the Ryazan lands.
In 1315, the rights of the Grand Duke were confirmed by the Khan Uzbek who replaced Tokhta . Michael at that time returned with an army of Tatars and defeated the Novgorod squad. Novgorod sent ambassadors to the Horde to complain about the Grand Duke. However, the Tver warriors captured them all on the way to the khan.
In 1317, Yuri married Konchak, the sister of the Khan, who converted to Christianity. After that, he succeeded in issuing him the Grand Duke's label. He returned from the Horde with the army commanded by Kavgady (Horde warlord).
Near Kostroma, Mikhail, without a battle, lost to Yuri a great reign. However, the latter soon convinced Kavgadyi to seize the Principality of Tver . On the orders of the Horde military leader, the Novgorod squad joined the army. However, it was defeated at Torzhok by the army of Michael. After this battle, the prince went to Moscow.
Training
The battle took place on the territory of the modern Staritsky district, in the Setpurinsky settlement, near the village of Balashutino, near the village of Bortenevo. Today this village is no longer there. The Bortenevskaya battle took place at the Ostraganets stream, which flows into the river. I'm going.
Novgorod warriors were to act as allies of Yuri Danilovich. To join the squads, the Grand Duke and Kavgady went to the ford across the river. Volga (near Staritsa). Michael, in turn, went to the modern Ivanishchi, after which he headed east to the Tatars. It was here that the Battle of Bortenev took place , in the bend of the river. Shosha, near the Ostraganets stream.
Battle features
According to the chronicles, the battle was fierce, bloody. Luck accompanied Mikhail, under the pressure of his troops, Yuri was forced to flee, and Kavgady also fled after him.
The meeting of the soldiers took place 40 miles from Tver. It is worth saying that the exact location of the Battle of Bortenev has not yet been established. Different researchers put forward different versions. However, the hypothesis that the battle took place near the former village of Bortenevo, is considered more plausible, therefore it got its name.
Little is known about the course of the battle itself. Chroniclers believed that the wording “was great and evil” was quite enough to describe the entire scale of hostilities.
The actions of the Tatar troops
A chapel was built on the alleged site of the Battle of Bortenev . A memorial stele was erected next to it. It contains some information about the battle. In particular, it is with particular pride in the text that the Russian army defeated the Horde cavalry for the first time. However, it seems that this is not entirely true.
The fact is that in no source there is information that the Horde took a direct part in the battle. They were on the battlefield, but nothing more.
Researchers attribute the neutrality of the Horde to several factors. First of all, Michael correctly positioned his troops. The Bortenevskoe field is actually not a flat terrain, but a territory rugged by beams and ravines. Accordingly, any equestrian attack of the Horde on such a landscape would have ended unsuccessfully. Secondly, historians believe that the Tatar-Mongols hardly even wanted to interfere in the struggle of Moscow with Tver . After all, Kavgady fulfilled the order of his khan: Yury received the grand-ducal label, why then continue to fight?
When the army of Yuri fled, the Horde calmly lowered their banners and returned to the camp. The next day, the temnik of the Horde Khan assessed the situation: he realized that he was in the depths of enemy territory without an ally and any hope of help. Kavgady makes a decision to head to the camp of the Tver army.
Consequences of the Battle of Bortenev 1317
As mentioned above, as a result of the battle, the wife and brother of Yuri were captured. Kavgady himself came to Mikhail and surrendered to him. He and his people said that they went to battle without the command of the khan and were afraid of his disgrace.
In the Horde, in turn, they did not forgive their shame on the Tver prince. The situation was aggravated by the death of the wife of Yuri (Uzbek sister) in captivity in Tver.
In 1318, the Tver prince was called to the Horde. A trial took place there, according to the results of which Michael was imprisoned in pads. A month later, he was killed by the people of Kavgady and Yuri.
Michael knew perfectly well that they would kill him in the Horde. Nevertheless, he preferred to die himself than bring death to his people and his principality. If he refused to go, the Horde would send a punitive army that would destroy everything that it encountered on the way. The act of Michael is considered the first and probably the only one when the prince at the cost of his life was able to maintain the integrity of his subjects.
The murder of Yuri
The death of Michael did not become a point in the history of the confrontation between Tver and Moscow. In 1325, the son of the Tver prince Dmitry the Terrible Eyes was summoned to Horde. On the eve of the murder of his father, on November 21, he met Yuri in Saray-Batu. Without hesitation, Dmitry drew his sword and chopped it right on the street.
Khan Uzbek respected the son of Mikhail, who passionately loved his father, his people, his city, but he could not forgive the murders in the Horde, otherwise it would look like weakness. Dmitry was sent to prison and kept there for quite some time. In the end, Uzbek had to execute him.
Dmitry, unfortunately, did not leave offspring. With his death, the outstanding dynasty of the princes of Tver was suppressed.
The fate of the battlefield in the modern era
Currently, active work is underway on Tver land to revive the memory of Grand Duke Michael. In pre-revolutionary years, a chapel was erected at the site of the battle. Before the revolution itself, a prayer service was held annually on December 22 in memory of soldiers who died in the battle.
One of the old local historians, D. I. Smirnov (now deceased) was fortunate enough to personally speak with the last priest who served in the chapel.
According to the local historian A. Shitkov, not far from the battlefield there are 7 mounds. Excavations at this site have not yet been carried out. Presumably, dead soldiers are buried in these mounds. Peasants plowing the battlefield often found helmets and swords there. They attributed all their finds to the local landowner. His name, unfortunately, was not preserved in the memory of the inhabitants of the surrounding area. There were so many historical finds that the landowner created a museum that existed before the revolution.
After the events of 1917, a school was organized in the landowner's house. 73 children attended here. This suggests that the village of Bortenevo was quite large.
In 1941, the village of Bortenevo was completely burned by the German invaders during their retreat. It is worth saying that Staritskaya land was liberated by Soviet soldiers on the day of the historic battle - December 22.
In the early 90's. last century, an expedition led by Peter Malygin was sent to these places. In 1992, a wooden cross was erected at the site of the battle. With the help of caring people, the chapel was restored. Five years later, a granite cross was erected at this place.
Conclusion
If it were not for the murder of Mikhail’s son and the subsequent misfortunes that had befallen the Principality of Tver, perhaps it, and not Moscow land, would become the center of the unification of Russia, and the village could expand and become a large city. History has its own way, unfortunately. Nevertheless, the memory of those events has survived to this day.