In the middle of the XI century, Kievan Rus was faced with a serious threat in the person of the Polovtsy. These nomads came from the Asian steppes and captured the Black Sea. The Polovtsy (or Kumans) forced out their predecessors of the Pechenegs from these places. New steppes were no different from old ones. They lived by robberies and invasions of neighboring countries, in which the settled population lived.
New threat
The emergence of nomads coincided with the beginning of the process of political collapse of Russia. The East Slavic state was united until the 11th century, when its territory was divided into several small principalities. Each of them was ruled by an independent native of the Rurikovich dynasty. The struggle of the Russian princes with the Polovtsy was complicated by this fragmentation.
Rulers often quarreled among themselves, organized internecine wars and made their own country vulnerable to the steppes. In addition, some princes began to hire nomads for money. The presence in the army of its own small horde became an important advantage on the battlefield. All these factors in total led to the fact that for almost two centuries Russia was in a state of constant conflict with the Polovtsy.
First blood
For the first time, nomads invaded the territory of Russia in 1054. Their appearance coincided with the death of Yaroslav the Wise. Today he is considered the last prince of Kiev who ruled all of Russia. After him, the throne passed to the eldest son Izyaslav. However, Yaroslav had a few more offspring. Each of them received an inheritance (part of the state), although formally they obeyed Izyaslav. The second son of Yaroslav, Svyatoslav, ruled in Chernigov, and the third, Vsevolod Yaroslavich, received Pereyaslavl. This city was located a little east of Kiev and was closest to the steppe. That is why the Polovtsy often attacked the principality of Pereyaslav in the first place.
When the nomads first appeared on Russian soil, Vsevolod managed to negotiate with them by sending an embassy with gifts to uninvited guests. Between the parties peace was concluded. However, it could not be durable, since the steppe inhabitants lived off the robbery of their neighbors.
The horde again invaded the Principality of Pereyaslav in 1061. This time many peaceful defenseless villages were looted and destroyed. Nomads never stayed in Russia for long. Their horses were afraid of winter, in addition, animals had to be fed. Therefore, raids took place in spring or summer. After a break in autumn and winter, the southern guests returned.
The defeat of the Yaroslavichi
The armed struggle of the Russian princes with the Polovtsy at first was unsystematic. The rulers of destinies could not fight huge hordes on their own. This state of affairs made the union between the Russian princes vital. The sons of Yaroslav the Wise were able to agree among themselves, therefore, in their era there were no problems with coordination of actions.
In 1068, the combined squad of the Yaroslavich met with the steppe army, led by the Polovtsian khan Sharukan. The battlefield was the bank of the Alta River near Pereyaslavl. The princes were defeated, they had to rush from the battlefield in a hurry. After the battle, Izyaslav and Vsevolod returned to Kiev. They had neither the strength nor the means to organize a new campaign against the Polovtsy. The apathy of the princes led to an uprising of the population, tired of the constant raids of the steppes and seeing the inability of their rulers to oppose something to this terrible threat. Kievans convened a popular council. Residents of the city demanded that the authorities equip ordinary citizens. When this ultimatum was ignored, the dissatisfied defeated the governor's home. Prince Izyaslav had to hide with the Polish king.
Meanwhile, the Polovtsian raids on Russia continued. In the absence of Izyaslav, his younger brother Svyatoslav in the same 1068 defeated the steppes in the battle on the Snova River. Sharukan was captured. This first victory allowed temporarily paralyzing the nomads.
Polovtsy in the service of the princes
Although the Polovtsian raids ceased, the steppe inhabitants continued to appear on Russian soil. The reason for this was the fact that the Russian princes, who fought with each other in internecine conflicts, began to hire nomads. The first such case took place in 1076. The son of Vsevolod Yaroslavovich Vladimir Monomakh, together with the Polovtsy, devastated the lands of Polotsk Prince Vseslav.
In the same year, Svyatoslav, who had previously occupied Kiev, died. His death allowed Izyaslav to return to the capital and again become a prince. Chernigov (hereditary inheritance of Svyatoslav) was occupied by Vsevolod. Thus, the brothers left their nephews Roman and Oleg without the lands that they should have received from their father. The children of Svyatoslav did not have their own squad. But the Polovtsians went to fight with them. Often, nomads went to war at the call of the princes, without even asking for a reward, since they received the reward during the robberies of peaceful villages and cities.
However, such an alliance was dangerous. Although in 1078 the Svyatoslavichs defeated Izyaslav in the battle on Nezhatina Niva (the Kiev ruler died in battle), very soon Prince Roman himself was killed by the Polovtsi, whom he called for himself.
Slaughter on Stugne
At the end of XI - beginning of XII centuries. Vladimir Monomakh became the main fighter against the steppe threat. The Polovtsy decided to reappear in 1092, when Vsevolod became seriously ill, who then ruled in Kiev. Nomads often attacked Russia when the country found itself without power or it was weakened. This time, the Polovtsy decided that Vsevolod’s disease would not allow the people of Kiev to gather strength and repel the attack.
The first invasion was left without punishment. The Cumans, having met no resistance, calmly returned to the places of their winter nomads. Campaigns were then led by Khan Tugorkan and Khan Bonyak. A powerful onslaught of the steppes after a long break became possible after several years of hordes united around these two leaders.
Everything favored the Polovtsy. In 1093, Vsevolod Yaroslavich died. In Kiev, the inexperienced nephew of the deceased, Svyatopolk Yaroslavovich, began to rule. Tugorkan, along with his horde, besieged Torchesk - an important city in Porosye on the southern borders of Russia. Soon the defenders learned of the approaching help. The Russian princes for a while forgot about mutual claims against each other and gathered their squads for a campaign in the steppe. In this army were the regiments of Svyatopolk Izyaslavovich, Vladimir Monomakh and his younger brother Rostislav Vsevolodovich.
The combined squad was defeated in the battle on the Stugne River, which took place on May 26, 1093. The first blow of the Polovtsy came in Kiev, who trembled and fled from the battlefield. The Chernigovites were defeated behind them. The army was pressed to the river. The soldiers had to hurry across the river in armor. Many of them simply drowned, including Rostislav Vsevolodovich. Vladimir Monomakh tried to save his brother, but could not help him get out of the turbulent stream of Stugny. After the victory, the Polovtsy returned to Torchesku and finally took the city. The defenders of the fortress surrendered. They were taken prisoner, and the city was put to fire. The history of Kievan Rus was overshadowed by one of the most devastating and terrible defeats.
Backstab
Despite heavy losses, the struggle of the Russian princes with the Polovtsian continued. In 1094, Oleg Svyatoslavovich, who continued to fight for his father’s inheritance, besieged Monomakh in Chernigov. Vladimir Vsevolodovich left the city, after which he was given to the nomads for looting. After the cession of Chernigov, the conflict with Oleg was exhausted. However, soon the Polovtsy besieged Pereyaslavl and appeared under the walls of Kiev. The steppe residents took advantage of the absence in the south of the country of strong squads who had gone north to participate in another feud on Rostov land. In that war, the son of Vladimir Monomakh, Prince of Murom, Izyaslav, died. Meanwhile, the Tugorkan was already close to starving Pereyaslavl.
At the very last moment, the squad came back to the rescue of the city, returning from the north. It was led by Vladimir Monomakh and Svyatopolk Izyaslavovich. The decisive battle took place on the Trubezh river on July 19, 1096. The Russian princes finally defeated the Polovtsians. This was the first major success of the Slavic weapons in the confrontation with the steppes over the past 30 years. Under a powerful blow, the Polovtsy rushed in all directions. In this pursuit, Tugorkan died with his son. The year after the victory at the Trubezh, Russian princes gathered at the famous congress in Lyubec. At this meeting, the Rurikovich settled their own relations. The hereditary inheritances of the late Svyatoslav finally returned to his children. Now the princes could come to grips with the Polovtsian problem, on which Svyatopolk Izyaslavovich insisted, who formally continued to be considered the eldest.
Hiking in the steppe
At first, the struggle of the Russian princes with the Polovtsy did not go beyond the borders of Russia. Friends gathered only if the nomads threatened Slavic cities and villages. This tactic was ineffective. Even if the Polovtsy were defeated, they returned to their own steppes, regained strength, and after some time again crossed the border.
Monomakh understood that a fundamentally new strategy was needed against nomads. In 1103, the Rurikovich met at the next congress on the shore of Lake Dolobsky. At the meeting, a universal decision was made to go with the army to the steppe, into the lair of the enemy. Thus began the military campaigns of the Russian princes in the places of the nomadic Polovtsy. Svyatopolk Kiev, Davyd Svyatoslavovich Chernigovsky, Vladimir Monomakh, Davyd Vseslavovich Polotsky and the heir to Monomakh Yaropolk Vladimirovich took part in the campaign. After a general gathering in Pereyaslavl, the Russian army went to the steppe in the early spring of 1103. The princes were in a hurry, hoping to overtake the enemy as quickly as possible. Polovtsian horses needed a long rest after previous campaigns. In March, they were still not strong, which should have been in the hands of the Slavic squad.
The history of Kievan Rus did not yet know such a military campaign. To the south was not only cavalry, but also a large foot army. The princes counted on him if the cavalry was too tired after a long journey. The Polovtsy, learning about the unexpected approach of the enemy, began to hastily assemble a combined army. At the head of it stood Khan Urusoba. Their units led another 20 steppe princes. The decisive battle took place on April 4, 1103 on the banks of the Suteni River. The Polovtsy were defeated. Many of their princes were killed or captured. He died and Urusoba. The victory allowed Svyatopolk to rebuild the city of Yuryev on the Rosi River, which was burned back in 1095 and was empty for many years without residents.
In the spring of 1097, the Polovtsy again went on the offensive. Khan Bonyak led the siege of the city of Luben, which belonged to the Principality of Pereyaslav. Svyatopolk and Monomakh defeated his army together, meeting him on the Sula River. Bonyak escaped. Nevertheless, the world was fragile. Further military campaigns of the Russian princes were repeated (three times in 1109 - 1111). They were all successful. The Polovtsians had to migrate away from the Russian borders. Some of them even moved to the North Caucasus. For two decades, Russia forgot about the threat of the Polovtsy. Interestingly, in 1111, Vladimir Monomakh staged a campaign similar to the Catholics Crusade in Palestine. The struggle of the Eastern Slavs and Polovtsians was also religious. Nomads were pagans (in the annals they were called "filthy"). In the same 1111, the Russian army reached the Don. This river has become its last frontier. The Polovtsian cities of Sugrov and Sharukan were captured and plundered, in which the nomads wintered as usual.
Long neighborhood
In 1113, Vladimir Monomakh became the Prince of Kiev. Under him and his son Mstislav (until 1132), Russia for the last time was a single and united state. The Polovtsy did not disturb either Kiev, or Pereyaslavl, or any other eastern Slavic cities. However, after the death of Mstislav Vladimirovich, disputes over the rights to the throne began between numerous Russian princes. Someone wanted to get Kiev, someone fought for independence in other provinces. In wars between themselves, the Rurikovich again began to hire Polovtsians.
For example, Yuri Dolgoruky, who ruled in Rostov, besieged five times “with the nomads” “the mother of Russian cities”. Polovtsy actively involved in internecine wars in the Galicia-Volyn principality. In 1203, they, under the command of Rurik Rostislavovich, captured and plundered Kiev. Then in the ancient capital, Prince Roman Mstislavovich Galitsky ruled.
Trade protection
In the XI-XII centuries. Polovtsy did not always invade Russia at the call of one of the princes. In periods when there was no other way to rob and kill, nomads arbitrarily attacked Slavic settlements and cities. Under the Kiev prince Mstislav Izyaslavovich (reigned in 1167-1169), for the first time in a long time, a campaign to the steppe was organized and conducted. The troops went to the places of nomads not only to secure the border settlements, but also to preserve the Dnieper trade. For many centuries, merchants used the Way from the Varangians to the Greeks, by which Byzantine goods were delivered. In addition, Russian merchants sold northern wealth in Constantinople, which brought the princes great profits. Hordes of robbers have been a constant threat to this important exchange of goods. Therefore, the frequent Russo-Polovtsian wars were also determined by the economic interests of the Kiev rulers.
In 1185, Prince of Novgorod-Seversky Igor Svyatoslavovich took another trip to the steppe. The day before there was a solar eclipse, which contemporaries regarded as a bad sign. Despite this, the squad nevertheless went to the Polovtsian lair. This army was defeated, and the prince was captured. The events of the campaign formed the basis of the "Words about Igor's regiment." This text is today considered the most significant monument of ancient Russian literature.
The advent of the Mongols
The relations of the Slavs and Polovtsy for almost two centuries fit into the system of regular alternation of war and peace. However, in the 13th century the established order collapsed. In 1222, the Mongols first appeared in Eastern Europe. The hordes of these ferocious nomads have already conquered China and are now moving west.
Campaign 1222-1223 was trial and was actually intelligence. However, even then, the Polovtsy and the Russians felt helpless in front of the new enemy. The two nations used to constantly fight each other, but this time decided to come up against an unexpected enemy. In the battle of Kalka, the Polovtsian-Russian army suffered a crushing defeat. Thousands of warriors died. However, after the victory, the Mongols suddenly turned back and went to their native lands.
It seemed that the storm had passed. Everyone began to live as before: the princes fought with each other, the Polovtsy robbed border settlements. A few years later, the unreasonable relaxation of the Polovtsy and the Russians was punished. In 1236, the Mongols, led by the grandson of Genghis Khan Batu, began their great western campaign. This time they went to distant lands in order to conquer them. First, the Polovtsy were defeated, then the Mongols sacked Russia. The horde reached the Balkans and only there turned back. New nomads settled in the formerly Polovtsian steppe. Gradually, two peoples assimilated. However, as an independent force, the Polovtsy disappeared precisely in the 1230-1240s. Now Russia had to deal with a much more terrible enemy.