Source: Kulikovo Field. Tales of the Battle of the Don. Compilation, preparation of texts, afterword and notes by L.A. Dmitriev. (Introductory article by D.S. Likhachev). M., 1980. P.110-217. || Original: version O of the Main Edition of "The Legend..." according to the GPB list, O.IV.22, manuscript from the mid-16th century.
OCR - O. Litskevich, 2002.
THE BEGINNING OF THE TALE OF HOW GOD GRANTED VICTORY TO THE GOVERNOR GRAND DUKE DMITRY IVANOVICH OVER THE VAST MOM, AND THE PRAYER OF THE MOST PURE VIRGIN AND THE RUSSIAN MIRACLE WORKERS ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY - GOD ENTERED THE RUSSIAN LAND HIGH, AND THE GODLESS HAGARIANS SHAME
I want to tell you, brothers, the battle of new victories, how the battle happened on the Don to Grand Duke Dimitri Ivanovich and all Orthodox Christians with the filthy Mamai and the godless Hagarians. And God raise up the Christian race, and humiliate the filthy and disgrace their severity, just as in former times Gideon was over Midian and the glorious Moses was over Pharaoh. It is fitting for us to tell the majesty and mercy of God, how God did the will of those who fear him, how God helped Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich and his brother Prince Vladimer Andreevich over the godless Polovtsi and Hagarians.
By God's allowance for our sins, from the instigation of the devil, a prince from the eastern country, named Mamai, a Greek by faith, an idolater and iconoclast, an evil Christian reproach, rose up. And the devil began to incite him and, in his heart, to attack the Christian race, and told him how to destroy the Orthodox faith, and desecrate the holy churches, and all Christianity wanted to be subjugated from him, as if it would not glorify the Lord's name among his people. Our Lord is our God, the king and creator of all creatures, and He wants to create as much as He wants.
He, the godless Mamai, began to boast and became jealous of the second Julian the apostate, Tsar Batu, and began to ask the old Tatars how Tsar Batu captured the Russian land. And the old Tatars began to tell him how Tsar Batu captured the Russian land, how he took Kyiv and Vladimir, and all of Rus', the Slovenian land, and killed the Grand Duke Yuri Dmitreevich, and beat up many Orthodox princes, and desecrated holy churches, and many monasteries and villages later, and in Volodymer he plundered the golden-topped universal church. I am blinded by his mind, because he has no mind, no matter how old the Lord is, so it will be. Just as in those days Jerusalem was captured by Titus of Rome and Nechadnaser the king of Babylon for their sins and lack of faith - but the Lord is not completely angry, nor is he at enmity forever.
Having heard the godless Mamai from his old Tatars, he began to be moved by being and constantly burns the devil, attacking Christianity. And I began to say in myself to my eulpat and yasaul, and the princes, and the governors, and all the Tatars like: “I don’t want to do this, like Batu, I will never reach Rus' and kill their prince, and those red cities are dominating us, And then we’ll sit down and rule Russia, we’ll live quietly and serenely.” And the one who knows not is, as if the Lord’s hand is high.
And in a few days I crossed the great Volga River with all my might. And many other hordes gathered together for their great army and said to them: “Let’s go to the Russian land and get rich in Russian gold!” The godless one went to Rus', like a roaring lion, panting, like an insatiable viper breathing anger. And when you reach the mouth of the Voronozh River, you disband all your strength and commandment to all your Tatars: “Don’t plow a single grain of yours, be ready for Russian bread!”
Prince Oleg Rezansky heard that Mamai was wandering around Voronozh, but wanted to go to Rus', to Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich of Moscow. The poverty of his mind was at his head, sending his son to the godless Mamai with great honor and with many gifts and writing letters to him: “To the great and powerful eastern king, Tsar Mamai, rejoice! Your imprisoned and juror Oleg, Prince of Rezansky, I heard you pray a lot, sir, that you want to go to the Russian land, against your servant, Prince Dimitri Ivanovich of Moscow, you want to threaten him. Now, sir, the all-bright king, your time has come: the land of Moscow has been filled with gold, and silver, and a lot of wealth. Your kingdom needs every pattern. And Prince Dmitry of Moscow is a Christian man, when he hears the name of your rage, he will run away to his distant lands: either to Novgorod the Great, or to Beloozero, or to the Dvina, and much of Moscow’s wealth and gold are all in yours. I will be in your hands and in need of your will. I am your servant, Olga Rezansky, to spare the Tsar, for I am intimidated by Rus' and Prince Dmitry. And we also pray to you, the Tsar, both your servants, Oleg Rezansky and Olgord of Lithuania, to offend. I received a great greeting from that great prince Dmitry Ivanovich, and where we will threaten him with your royal name about our offense, he will not bother about it. And yet, Mr. Tsar, my city Kolomna plundered for itself. And about all this, to the king, we make a complaint to you."
And another ambassador soon sent his messenger, Prince Oleg Rezansky with his writing, the writing is as follows in the letters: “To the Grand Duke Olgord of Lithuania - rejoice with great joy! It is known that for a long time you have been thinking about the Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich of Moscow in order to drive him out of Moscow and to rule Moscow himself. Now, prince, our time has come, as the great Tsar Mamai will come to him and to his land. Now, prince, we will both join Tsar Mamai, because the Tsar will give you the city of Moscow, and other cities that are from your reign, and give me the city of Kolomna, and Vladimer, and Murom, which from my reign stand nearby. I sent my ambassador to Tsar Mamai with great honor and with many gifts. You also sent your ambassador. and what were your gifts, and you went to him, and having written off your letters, you knew better than me.”
Prince Olgord of Lithuania, hearing this, was very glad for the great praise to his friend Prince Olga of Rezansky. And soon send an ambassador to Tsar Mamai with great gifts and a lot of royal treasure. And write your letters to the sitsa: “To the great Eastern Tsar Mamai! Prince and Olgord of Lithuania, your juror, I beg you a lot! I hear, sir, that you want to execute your ulus, your servant, the Moscow prince Dmitry. And for this sake I pray to you, the king, your servant, how great is the offense that Prince Dmitry of Moscow has done to your ulus prince Olga Rezansky, and it is just as great for me to do the same dirty trick. Lord Tsar Mamai! Moscow Prince Dmitry Ivanovich."
Oleg Rezansky and Olgord Litovsky thought to themselves, saying: “As soon as Prince Dmitry Tsarev hears the coming and his rage and our oath to him, we will run away from Moscow to Veliky Novgrad, or to Beloozero, or to the Dvina. And we will sit on Moscow and Kolomna. When the Tsar comes, we will present him with great gifts and with great honor and implore him, and the Tsar will return to his hordes, and we will divide the reign of Moscow by the Tsar’s command, to Vilna, to Rezan, and "Tsar Mamai will give us labels of ours and our family after us." I don’t know what is thinking and what is saying, like young children who are foolish, ignorant of God’s power and the sovereignty of looking. In truth it is said: “Whoever strives for faith in God through good deeds and truth in his heart and places his trust in God, the Lord will not allow that person to be reproached, to be an enemy and to be laughed at.”
And the Great Prince Dmitry Ivanovich is a humble man and bears the image of humility, heavenly desires and expectations from God of future eternal blessings, not knowing that his close friends are speaking evil about him. About such the prophet spoke: “Do not do evil to your neighbor and do not swarm or dig holes for your enemy. Contribute to the Creator God. The Lord God can give life and death.”
The ambassadors came to Tsar Mamai from Olgord of Lithuania and from Olga of Rezansk and brought him many gifts and written books. The Tsar received the gifts with love and books, and having heard the letters, and honoring the ambassadors, he sent them away, and wrote a letter from Sitsev: “To Volgorod of Lithuania and Olga of Rezansky. For your gifts and for your praise for being assigned to me, as much as you want Russian estates from me , then I will give you. And you have an oath to me and meet me, as soon as you have time, and defeat your enemy. Your help is not good for me: if I had now wanted with my great power and would have captured ancient Jerusalem, as if and the Chaldeans. Now I want your honor, in my royal name and by the thunder, and by your oath and by your hand, Prince Dmitry of Moscow will be disbanded, and your name will be threatened in your countries by my thunder, so that the king deserves to defeat the king, like himself, then it becomes me. and it is sufficient to receive the royal honor. But now go away from me and speak my words to your prince.”
The ambassadors returned from the king to their princes and told them: “Greetings to Tsar Mamai and command you to speak kindly for your great praise.” They, with their meager minds, rejoiced at the vain greetings of the godless king, and not knowing that God wants to give power to him. Now there is one faith, one baptism, and by joining the godless together they will persecute the Orthodox faith of Christ. About such the prophet said: “Indeed, you yourself have cut off your own good olive oil and sat down to the olive oil.”
Prince Oleg Rezansky began to hurry, sending ambassadors to Mamaev and saying: “Strive, O Tsar, quickly to Rus'.” For wisdom says: “The path of the wicked is not hastened, but they accumulate insults and diarrhea for themselves.” Now I will name this new Olga Svyatoplka.
Hearing that, the great prince Dmitry Ivanovich, how the godless Tsar Mamai was coming against him with many hordes and with all his forces, steadily angry at Christianity and the faith of Christ and jealous of the headless Batu, the great prince Dmitry Ivanovich was saddened by the godless presence. And standing before the holy icon of the Lord’s image, which stands at its title, and fell on his knee, he began to pray and said: “Lord! I, a sinner, dare I pray to you, your humble servant? Then to whom will I extend my despondency? I trust in you, Lord, and I will cast out my sorrow. And you, Lord, do not do to us, Lord, the giver of light, as did our father, who brought evil upon them and on their cities, Batu, and more, Lord, to him. There is great fear and trembling in us. And now, Lord, king, master, do not be completely angry with us, for, Lord, for the sake of me, a sinner, you want to destroy our whole land; For my sake, Lord, make me cry like Hezekiah, and, Lord, tame the heart of this ferocious beast!” I bowed down and said: “I have trusted in the Lord, and I will not faint.” And she sent the ambassador for her brother, Prince Vladimer Andreevich, to Borovesk, and for all the Russian princes, fast messengers Rozoslav, and for all the local governors, and for the boyar children, and for all the serving people. And he commanded them to be in Moscow soon.
Prince Vladimer Andreevich came on board to Moscow and all the princes and governors. The great prince Dmitry Ivanovich, having taken his brother Prince Vladimer Andreevich, came to the Right Reverend Metropolitan Cyprian and said to him: “Do you, our father, now imagine this great misfortune, as if the godless Tsar Mamai is coming upon us, bearing wrath unflinchingly?” The Metropolitan said to the Grand Duke: “Lead me, sir, why have you not corrected yourself before him?” The great prince said: “We are tested, great father, as everything is according to our fathers’ tradition, and even more so we sigh to him.” The Metropolitan said: “You see, sir, by God’s permission, for the sake of our sins, to go to captivate our land, and it behooves you, an Orthodox prince, to quench those wicked with the gift of the fourfold. resists, but gives grace to the humble. The same thing sometimes happened to the Great Basil in Caesarea: when the evil apostate Julian, going to the desert, and wanted to destroy his city of Caesarea, Basil the Great prayed with all Christians to the Lord God and collected a lot of gold and an envoy to him, in order to satisfy his criminal. and, moreover, make amends to him."
The Great Prince Dmitry Ivanovich was pleased with his chosen young man, being pleased with his reason and sense, named Zakhary Tyutshov, and give him two interpreters who know the Polovtsian language, and send with him a lot of gold to the wicked Tsar Mamai. Zechariah, having reached the land of Rezan and hearing that Oleg of Rezan and Olgord of Lithuania kissed the filthy Tsar Mamai, soon sent a messenger secretly to the Grand Duke.
The great prince Dmitry Ivanovich, hearing that news, began to ache in his heart and was filled with rage and sorrow, and began to pray: “Lord my God, I trust in you, who loves the truth. and an enemy of the Christian race; these sincere friends of mine have plotted against me in this way. Judge, O Lord, between them and me, for I have not done a single evil to them, unless I have received gifts and gifts from them, but judge them in the same way. “Lord, according to my righteousness, may the malice of sinners end.”
And let’s drink our brother, Prince Vladimer Andreevich, and go second to the Right Reverend Metropolitan and tell him how Olgord of Lithuania and Oleg of Rezansky copulated with Mamai on us. The Right Reverend Metropolitan said: “Again, sir, what offense did you cause?” The great prince shed a tear and said: “Even if I am a sinner before God or men, I have not transgressed a single trait before them according to the law of my fathers. Weigh, Father, and he himself, as if he were pleased with his fathers, and did not offend them in any way.” and we do not know that for the sake of the cold they multiply upon me.” The Right Reverend Metropolitan said: “My son, Lord the Great Prince, enlighten the eyes of your heart with joy: honor the law of God and do the truth, as the Lord is righteous and love the truth. the Lord, resisting them. The Lord is truthful and will be a helper in righteousness. And from the all-seeing eye, where can the lord escape from his strong hand?
The great prince Dmitry Ivanovich, with his brother, with prince Vladimer Andreevich and with all the Russian princes and governors, decided to prepare a strong guard in the field. And the ambassador sent his chosen strong armorers on guard: Rodion Rzhevskago, Andrea Volosatago, Vasily Tupik, Yakov Oslyabyatov and other strong young men with them. And he commanded them to guard the deati on Quiet Pine with all zeal and go under the Horde and gain a language, to hear the truth of the king’s desire.
And the great prince himself sent speedy messengers throughout the Russian land with his letters throughout the city: “Let you all be prepared for my service, for the battle against the godless Polovtsy Hagarians. Buy everything in Kolomna, for the meat of the holy Mother of God.”
And the same watchmen slowed down in the field, and the Great Prince commanded the second guard of the ambassador: Kliment Polyanin, Ivan Svyatoslav Sveslanin, Grigory Sudokov and others with them, - the commandment was for them to return soon. They are Vasily Tupik’s bullshit: to lead the tongue to the Grand Duke, the language of the Tsar’s court, the high-ranking husband. And tell the Grand Duke that Mamai is steadily coming to Rus' and how Oleg Rezansky and Olgord Litovsky cheated and copulated with him. Don’t rush, because the king is waiting for autumn to go.
Having heard such a thought expressed from the tongue and such the rise of the godless king, he began to console himself with God and strengthened his brother Prince Vladimer and all the Russian princes and said: “Brother Russian princes, the nest is Prince Vladimer Svyatoslavich of Kiev, for him the Lord has opened to know the Orthodox faith, like that of Eustathius Placida, who enlightened the whole Russian land with holy baptism, leading us from the passions of Hellenism and commanding us to hold strong the same holy faith and fight for it, then in this age with the saints who suffered. according to the faith of Christ I will be counted. But, brothers, for the faith of Christ I want to suffer even to death.” They decided everything to him collectively, as if with one mouth: “Truly you, sir, have fulfilled the law of God and fulfilled the commandment of the Gospel, for the Lord said: “If anyone suffers for my name’s sake, then in the next century he will receive eternal life a hundredfold.” And “We, sir, prepare today to die with you and lay our heads for the holy Christian faith and for your great offense.”
The great prince Dmitry Ivanovich, having heard from his brother Prince Vladimer Andreevich and from all the Russian princes that they would fight by faith, and commanded his entire army to be in Kolomna for the Dormition of the Holy Theotokos, like: “Let me sort out the plakas and inflict plakas on each of them.” ". And the whole multitude of people, as if with one mouth, deciding: “Grant us, Lord, to change this course, for the sake of your holy name.”
And when the princes of Beloozersk came to him, they were likened to the warriors and their lords were established: Prince Feodor Semenovich, Prince Semyon Mikhailovich, Prince Andrei Kemsky, Prince Gleb of Kargopol, and the Andom princes; The Yaroslavl princes arrived with their forces: Prince Andrei Yaroslavsky, Prince Roman Prozorovsky, Prince Lev Kurbsky, Prince Dmitry Rostovsky, and many other princes.
The same, brethren, the knock knocks and like thunder roars in the glorious city of Moscow, then go strong to the army of Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich, and the Russian sons thunder with their gilded armor.
Great Prince Dmitry Ivanovich, take with me his brother, Prince Vladimer Andreevich, and all the Russian princes, and go to the ancient Trinity to bow to his father, the Venerable Elder Sergius, to receive blessings from the holy monastery. And the Reverend Abbot Sergius pray to him to listen to the holy litorgy, for then it will be Sunday and the memory of the holy martyr Florus and Laurus. After the dismissal of the Liturgy, pray to Saint Sergius and all his brothers, the Grand Duke, to eat bread in the house of the Holy Trinity, in his monastery. The Grand Duke needs to eat, as messengers have come to him, as if the abominations of the Polovtsy are already approaching, begging the venerable one to let him go. And the reverend elder said to him: “This delay will only be a haste. You, sir, have not yet worn this crown of victory, but we have flown by in the past, but many others are now weaving their crowns.” The great prince tasted their bread, and Abbot Sergius at that time ordered the water to be blessed from the relics of the holy martyrs Florus and Laurus. The great prince soon gets up from the meal, but the Monk Sergius sprinkles him with sacred water and all his Christ-loving hosts and gives the great prince the cross of Christ - a sign on his forehead. And he said: “Go, sir, to the filthy Polovtsi, calling on God, and the Lord God will be your helper and intercessor.” And I said to him secretly: “Imashi, sir, defeat your adversaries, it is sufficient for your state.” The great prince said: “Give me, father, two wines from your wealth - Peresvet Alexander and his brother Andrea Oslyab, and you yourself will help us.” The venerable elder commanded him to quickly prepare with the great prince, for you know the essence of the warriors in battle, not just one hundred riders. They quickly obeyed the venerable elder and did not reject his command. And give them a place in the corruptible for incorruptible weapons - the cross of Christ is found on the skims, and commanded them instead in Sholomov [ so in the publication - O.L.] put gilded burden on yourself. And give them in hand to the Grand Duke and say: “These are my armored women, and yours are your servants.” And I said to them: “Peace be with you, my brethren, keep strong, for you are good in the faith of Christ and in all Orthodox Christianity with the filthy Polovtsians!” And give a sign of Christ to the entire army of the Grand Duke - peace and blessing.
The great prince was glad at heart and did not tell anyone what St. Sergius had said to him. And I went to my glorious city of Moscow, rejoicing, as if I had found a treasure without stealing, the blessing of the holy elder. And having arrived in Moscow, he went with his brother, with Prince Vladimer Andreevich, to the Right Reverend Metropolitan Cyprian and told the only metropolitan what Elder Saint Sergius had said to him secretly and what blessing he would give to him and his entire Orthodox army. The Archbishop commanded that these words be kept and not shared with anyone.
I arrived on the fourth of August 27, in memory of the holy father Pimin the Otkhodnik, on that day the great prince wanted to go out against the godless Tatars. And we took with us our brother Prince Vladimer Andreevich, and stood in the church of the Holy Mother of God before the image of the Lord, bending her hand to her forehead, shedding a source of tears, praying, and saying: “Lord our God, terrible and strong lord, truly you are the king of glory , have mercy on us sinners, when we become discouraged, we resort to you alone, our savior and benefactor, by your hand we were created. But we know, Lord, that my sins have exceeded my head, and now do not forsake us sinners, nor depart from us. “O Lord, to those who offend me and stand up to those who fight against me, accept, Lord, a weapon and a shield and stand to help me. Give me, Lord, victory over the enemy, so that you too may know your glory.” And then proceed to the miraculous image of the Lady Queen, who was written by Luke the Evangelist, and said: “O the miracle-working Lady Queen, intercessor of all human creation, through you the knowledge of our true God, incarnated and born from you. Do not let, lady, to the devastation of our cities by the filthy Polovtsian, so as not to desecrate your holy churches and the Christian faith. Pray to the Lady Queen, your son Christ, our God, to humble the heart of our enemy, so that you, the Most Holy Theotokos, will not have a high hand. help and cover us with your imperishable robe, so that we will not be afraid of wounds, for we rely on you, for we are your servants. We know, madam, if you want, you can help us against these nasty enemies, the filthy Polovtsy, who do not call on your name. “We, Lady Most Pure Mother of God, rely on you and on your help. Now we are struggling against the godless Pechenegs, the filthy Tatars, so that your son, our God, may be beseeched by you.” And then he came to the tomb of the blessed wonderworker Peter the Metropolitan, fell kindly to him, and said: “O wonderworker Saint Peter, by the grace of God you constantly work miracles. And now the time has come for us to pray to the common ruler of all, the king, the merciful saver. The adversaries of abomination have lamented against me and are firmly armed against your city of Moscow. For the Lord, show us to our last generation and burn for you a bright candle, and place it on the highest candle of the whole Russian land. And now it is fitting for you to pray for us, sinners. Let not the hand of death and the hand of sinner come upon us and destroy us. For you are our strong guard against the attacks of the enemy, as we are your shepherd.” And having finished the prayer, bowed to the Right Reverend Metropolitan Cyprian, the Archbishop blessed him and released him to go against the filthy Tatars and give him the sign of Christ - a cross on his forehead and the ambassador of his holy collection with crosses and with holy icons and with sacred water at the Frolovsky Gate, and at the Nikolsky Gate , and in Constantinople, so that every wine is blessed to come forth and sprinkled with sacred water.
The great prince Dmitry Ivanovich with his brother, with prince Vladimer Andreevich, went to the church of the heavenly commander of the archangel Michael and beat his holy image with his forehead, and then proceeded to the tomb of the Orthodox princes of his ancestors, and so tearfully recited: “True guardians, Russian princes, champions of the Orthodox Christian faith, our parents! And behold, he left the church.
The great princess Eovdokea, and the princess Maria of Vladimir, and other Orthodox princes, princesses, and many wives of the voivodskaya, and the noblewomen of Moscow, and the servants of those wives stood, seeing off, in tears and exclamations from the heart, unable to utter a word, giving the last kiss. And other princesses and noblewomen, and serving wives also gave their husbands the final kiss and returned with the Grand Duchess. The great prince himself was a little tired of tears, not allowing himself to shed tears for the sake of the people, but with his great heart he shed tears, and consoled his princess, and said: “Woman, if God is for us, then who is against us!”
And he mounted his chosen horse, and all the princes and commanders mounted their horses.
The sun is shining clearly for him, he can tell the way. Even then, like falcons, they snatched from the golden wells from the stones of the city of Moscow, and flew up under the blue skies, and rattled their golden bells, and wanted to strike at the many herds of swans and geese; then, brother, it was not falcons that flew out of the stone city of Moscow, but Russian daredevils with their sovereign, with Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich, who wanted to ride into the great Tatar power.
The princes of Beloozersk left in their droves; It’s rare to see them well.
The great prince let his brother Prince Vladimer go to the Brasheva road, and the Belozersk princes - to the Bolvanovskaya road [In some lists: “The Kolomenskaya road” - Note. L.A. Dmitrieva], and the Grand Duke himself went to the Cauldron along the road. Ahead of him, the sun will shine kindly, and a gentle wind will blow across it. For this reason, the great prince separated from his brother, as he could not be accommodated by one road.
The Grand Duchess Eovdokia with her daughter-in-law, Princess Volodimerova Maria, and with the voivode's wives, and with the boyars, went up to their golden-domed mansion on the embankment and sat down on the Urunduts under the glass windows. It’s already the end of sight to look at the Grand Duke, tears flowing like a rapid speech. With great sadness, he put his hand to his chest and said: “Lord my God, the highest creator, look at my humility, grant me, Lord, to see my sovereign, the glorious Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich among men. Grant him, Lord, help from his strong hand to defeat the filthy Polovtsians who are opposed to him. And do not, Lord, as before, in just a few years, there was a great battle between the Russian prince in Kalki and the filthy Polovtsians and Hagarians, and now, Lord, deliver them from such trouble and save them, and have mercy! Lord, do not let the remaining Christianity perish, may it be glorified your name sacred in the Russian land. Because of the Galadian misfortunes and the great massacre of the Tatar and now still Russian land, the land is sad and no longer has hope for anyone except you, the all-merciful God, who can live and die. Because, sinner, I now have two branches, still young, Prince Vasily and Prince Yuria: when the clear sun hits them from the south or the wind blows against the west, both cannot yet tremble. Then, I am a sinner, what will I do? “Return to them, Lord, their father, the Grand Duke, in good health, and their land will be saved, and they will reign forever.”
The great prince, go, take with you the men of the deliberate, Moscow guests of Surozhan ten people for the sake of vision, if God happens to him, and they have to tell in distant lands, like guests are hosts, being: 1. Vasily Kapitsa, 2. Sidora Olferieva, 3 . Konstantin Petunova, 4. Kozma Kovryu, 5. Semyon Ontonov, 6. Mikhail Salarev, 7. Timofey Vesyakov, 8. Dimitria Chernago, 9. Dementia Salareva, 10. Ivan Shikha.
And the great prince Dmitry Ivanovich advanced through the great winter, and the Russian sons were coming along it successfully, like drinking cups of honey and stems of wine, wanting to gain honor and a glorious name for themselves: already, brethren, knocking knocks and thunder thunders at the early dawn, Prince Vladimer Andreevich is transported along the Moscow River on a red ferry to Borovets.
The great prince came to Kolomna on Saturday, in memory of the holy father Moisia Murin. There were also many governors and warriors and they met him on the river in Severka. Archbishop Gerontey of Kolomna greeted the Grand Duke at the gates of the city with life-giving crosses and holy icons with the whole collection and covered him with a life-giving cross and said the prayer “Save, God, your people.”
In the morning, the Great Prince ordered everyone to go out into the field to Divich.
On Holy Week, after Matins, many war trumpets began to sound, and many argans were beaten, and treasures were laid out to roar in Panfilov’s garden.
The sons of the Russians advanced on the great fields of Kolomna, as if it were not powerful enough to contain the great army, and it was impossible for anyone to see the army of the Grand Duke. The great prince, having gone to a high place with his brother, with Prince Vladimer Andreevich, seeing many many decent people, rejoiced and brought order to everyone’s governor. The Grand Duke took the Belozersk princes into his regiment, and assigned his right hand to his brother Prince Vladimer, gave him the Yaroslavl princes in the regiment, and made his left hand Prince Gleb of Bryansk. The leading commander is Dmitry Vsevolozh and his brother Vladimer Vsevolozh, from Kolomnichi - governor Mikula Vasilyevich, the Vladimir governor and Yuryevsky - Timofey Voluevich, the Kostroma governor - Ivan Kvashnya Rodivonovich, the Pereslavl governor - Andrey Serkizovich. And Prince Vladimer Andreevich has governors: Danilo Beleut, Konstantin Konanov, Prince Feodor Elettsky, Prince Yuri Meshchersky, Prince Andrei Muromsky.
The Great Prince, having ordered the plakas, ordered them to tinker with the Eye of the River and commanded each pluk and governors: “Yes, if anyone goes through the Rezan land, do not touch a single hair!” And the Great Prince took the blessing from the Archbishop of Kolomna, and crossed the Oka River with all his might and sent the third guard into the field, his chosen knights, as they often see the Tatar guards in the field: Semyon Melik, Ignatius Krenya, Foma Tynina, Peter Gorsky, Karp Oleksin, Petrusha Chyurikov and many other glade leaders with them.
The great prince spoke to his brother Prince Vladimer: “Let us hasten, brother, against the godless Polovtsians, the filthy Tatars, and we will not satisfy our face from their lack of passion: if, brother, death happens to us, then this death is not easy, nor is it crazy for us, but life eternal." And the Great Prince himself, on his way, called on his relatives for help - the holy passion-traders Boris and Gleb.
Prince Oleg Rezansky heard that the great prince had bought up with many forces and was coming to meet the godless Tsar Mamai, and most of all, he was firmly armed with his faith, placing all his hope in God the Almighty Creator. And Oleg Rezansky began to watch and move from place to place with like-minded people and saying: “If only we could powerfully send a message to the multi-wise Olgord of Lithuania against such an adventurer as to have to think, but they found our way. stand as a prince against the eastern king, and now what do I understand? Where did this help come from, since he armed himself against three of us?
His boyars said to him: “We, prince, were told from Moscow in 15 days, but we are ashamed to tell you: how can there be a Kaluger in his estate, near Moscow, called Sergius, the sagacious Velmi. gave him accomplices." Hearing this, Prince Oleg Rezansky began to be afraid and began to fall down on his boyars and become angry: “Why didn’t they tell us this before? I would have sent and begged the wicked king, but nothing evil would have happened! Woe to me, for I have ruined this mind, I am not the only one who has become impoverished in mind, but Olgord of Lithuania is more sensible than me: but he would honor the Latin law of Peter of Gugniv, but he, the damned one, understood the true law of God! I knew the law of my master, if I transgressed, I would suffer many punishments." Now, what have I done? I know the law of God, the creator of heaven and earth, and all creation, but those who have now joined the wicked king, I want to trample on the law of God! Now, for whom I have given in to my poor understanding for myself? , and I will be persecuted and handed over to the fire gene to suffer. Even if God is for them, no one is for them. Another prayer I will pray for him is that perspicacious thinker! If I don’t help either one, then what good can I live from both? And now I think: to whom their Lord can help, I will give my allegiance!”
Prince Olgord of Lithuania, according to the foretold word, bought a lot of Lithuania, and Varangians, and pearls, and went to the aid of Mamai. And he came to the city of Odoev and, hearing that the great prince had acquired a great deal of armies, all of Rus' and the Slovenes, and went to the Don against Tsar Mamaa, and hearing that Oleg was afraid, he remained motionless from there, and began to understand his vain thoughts , having had different thoughts about his relationship with Olg Rezansky, he began to rush and get angry, saying: “If a person does not have his own wisdom, he should demand someone else’s wisdom in vain: since Lithuania was taught by Rezan! Now Oleg has driven me out of my mind, and he himself has perished even more.” “Now I will remain here until I hear Moscow’s victory.”
At the same time, Prince Andrei of Polotsky and Prince Dmitry of Bryansk, the Olgordovichs, heard that the great burden and care owed to the Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich of Moscow and all Orthodox Christianity from the godless Mama. Best of all, those princes were hated by their father, Prince Olgord, for the sake of their stepmothers, but now they are beloved by God and received holy baptism. The besta, like certain classes of good fruit, are suppressed by thorns: those who live among wickedness, if they do not deserve fruit to bear fruit. And Prince Andrei would secretly send a small letter to his brother, Prince Dmitry, in which it would be written: “Weigh, my beloved brother, as our father rejected us from himself, the Lord God, the heavenly father, moreover, love us and enlighten us with the saints.” baptism, and having given us your law - to walk according to it, and remove us from the wasteland of vanity and from the unclean creation of the wasteland; now what will we give to God for this? Let us strive, brother, to the good ascetic Christ, the leader of the Christian, let us go, brother, to the aid of the Grand Duke Dmitry of Moscow and all Orthodox Christianity, because they are under great pressure from the filthy Ishmaelites, and also our father and Oleg of Rezansky fell in love with the godless and persecute the Orthodox faith of Christ. help us in troubles!" Do not hesitate, brother, to oppose us as the Father, just as the Evangelist Luke spoke from the mouth of our Lord Jesus Christ: "Be betrayed by your parents and brothers and die for my name's sake; having endured to the end, you will be saved!" Let us get out, brother, from this overwhelming friction and plant ourselves in the true fruitful grapes of Christ, labored by the hand of Christ. Now, brother, we strive not for earthly life, but for heavenly honors, since the Lord will give to those who do his will ".
Prince Dmitry Olgordovich read the writing of his eldest brother, beginning to rejoice and cry with joy, saying: “Lord God, who loves mankind, give to your servants the desire to complete this good deed, as you have revealed to my eldest brother the good!” And I said to my brother’s ambassador: “Tsit to my brother, Prince Andrey: I am ready this day according to your punishment, brother and lord. Since I have a stake, then everything along with me, by God’s providence, has been purchased for the sake of battle from the Danube Tatars. And now say to my brother. to me: I heard that the medical supply from the North has come to me, and it seems that the Grand Duke Dmitry is already on the Don, because the evil raw-eaters want to wait, and it is fitting for us to go to the North and then buy for us: for the path to the North is set before us, and that way we will hide. our father, let us not get cold."
A few days later, both brothers descended with all their might to the North, and when they saw, they rejoiced, just as Joseph and Benjamin sometimes did when they saw a multitude of people, diligently and orderly in the manner of the warriors. And the greyhound hurried to the Don, and the Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich of Moscow ran over the whole country of the Don, at the place recommended by Berezuy, and he bought it.
The great prince Dmitry and his brother Vladimer rejoiced with great joy, as if such was the mercy of God: it was not convenient for such a thing to be so powerful, as if children were to leave their father and reproached, as sometimes came to Herod, and came to our aid. And with many gifts he honored them, and went on his way, rejoicing and having fun about the holy soul, having already rejected everything earthly, hoping for another immortal change. The great prince spoke to them: “Brothers, moa milaa, for the sake of need, did you do this?” They said: “The Lord God has sent us to you to help you.” The great prince said: “Truly, you are zealots of our forefather Abraham, for you will soon help Lot, and you are also zealots of the valiant great prince Yaroslav, for you will avenge the blood of your brother.”
And soon the great prince sent a message to Moscow to the Right Reverend Metropolitan Cyprian, saying that “The Olgordovich princes came to me with many forces, but left their father.” Soon the messenger came to the Right Reverend Metropolitan. The archbishop, having heard and stood up, prayed, saying with tears: “Lord, Lord, lover of mankind, for you have chosen to keep our winds quiet!” And he sent ambassadors to all the congregational churches and monasteries and commanded them to pray exclusively day and night to the Almighty God. And she sent the venerable abbot Sergius to the monastery, so that God might listen to their prayers. The Great Princess Eovdokia, hearing that great mercy of God, began to do alms and began to unceasingly go to the holy church to pray day and night.
Let’s leave these packs and return to the right. The Grand Duke, who was at the place called Berezuya, twenty and three miles from the Don, arrived on the 5th day of the month of Septevria, in memory of the holy prophet Zechariah, on the same day the murder of his relative Prince Gleb Vladimerovich, who arrived two from his guard, Peter Gorsky and Karp Oleksin, and he brought his tongue deliberately from the dignitaries of the Tsar’s court. Your language tells: “The king is already standing on Kuzmina, but don’t rush, waiting for Olgord of Lithuania and Olga of Rezan, but the king doesn’t know your assembly, nor does he expect your desire, according to the books prescribed to him by Olgov, and to be on the Don for three days ". The great prince asked him about the strength of the king, and he said: “The wealth of his strength is innumerable, no one can be powerfully exhausted.”
The great prince began to think with his brother and with the newly christened brethren, with the Lithuanian princes: “Will we stay here again or will we cross the Don?” The Olgordovichs told him: “If you want a strong battle, then take him beyond the Don to tinker, so that not a single thought will be lost; and do not think about great power, as God is not in power, but in truth: Yaroslav, cross the river, defeat Svyatoplka , your great-grandfather, the great prince Alexander, crossed the Neva River, defeat the king, and you, having named God, should do the same, and if we beat you, we will all be saved, if we die, we will accept all the common death from princes to ordinary people. But now, the sovereign Grand Duke, leave mortals to speak with violent verbs and with those words your power is strengthened: for we see that there are many chosen knights in your power.”
The Great Prince commanded everything, Don is busy.
And at that time the messengers are speeding up, as if the abominations are approaching the Tatars. Many Russian sons rejoiced with great joy, seeing their desired feat, which they still desired in Rus'.
For many days, many people came to that place, howling menacingly, incessantly all night, hearing a great thunderstorm. The hearts of brave people are strengthened in the weeping, but other people are in weeping, having heard the thunderstorm, and even tamed it: before then, many armies gathered in an unusual way, without ceasing to speak, the Galicians spoke in their own speech, and many eagles flew down from the mouth of the Don, flying across the aerial squealing , and many beasts howl menacingly, waiting for it the days of the formidable, God-willed, but now to have to graze the corpse of a man, such is the bloodshed, like the water of the sea. Because of such fear and thunder, the great trees bow down and the grass is spread over.
Many people become sad because of both, seeing death before their eyes.
When the wickedness of the Polovtsians began to be darkened with much grief over the destruction of their lives, the wicked one died, and their memory perished with a noise. And people who are orthodox are more than prosperous, rejoicing, looking forward to the fulfillment of this promise, beautiful crowns, about which the Venerable Abbot Sergius told the Grand Duke.
The messengers must speed up, as if the abomination is already approaching. At the sixth hour of the day, Semyon Melik came running with his squad, and they were being chased by many from the Tatars. She so shamelessly hated the tears and tears of the Russians when she saw, and soon returned to the Tsar and told him how the Russian princes had mourned at the Don. By God's providence I saw many great people ordered, and told the Tsar that “the army of the Russian princes is greater than ours.” He is the wicked king, inflamed by the devil for his own destruction, shouting in vain, uttering a voice: “Such is the strength of Moa, if I do not defeat the Russian princes, how can the imam return to his own place? I cannot bear my shame.” And he ordered his filthy Polovtsians to arm themselves.
Semyon Melik told the Grand Duke that: “Mamai the Tsar has already arrived at Gusin Ford, and we have one night together, so that in the morning we can come to Nepryadva. It is fitting for you, the Sovereign Grand Duke, to shed tears today, so as not to be preceded by desecration.” .
Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich and his brother Prince Vladimer Andreevich and the Lithuanian princes Andrey and Dmitry Olgorodovich began to establish a plaza before the sixth hour. A certain commander came with the Lithuanian princes, named Dmitry Bobrokov, originally from the Volyn lands, who was also a deliberately fast commander, the lords set up the place according to their dignity, as far as where anyone should stand.
The great prince, taking with him his brother Prince Vladimer and the Lithuanian princes and all the Russian princes and governors, and having climbed to a high place, and seeing the images of the saints, which are the essence of the image in Christian signs, like certain solar lamps shining during the bucket; and their gilded achievements roar, stretching out, like clouds, quietly trembling, you want to say a word, the Russian heroes and their banners, like plowing alive, the armor of Russian sons, like water swaying in all the winds, golden sholoms on their heads, like the dawn of the morning time the buckets are luminous, but the yalovtsi of their Sholoms, like a flame of fire, are plowed.
It is touching to see and pitifully behold such Russian assemblies and their institutions, all of them indifferent, united for one, wanting to die for each other, and all unanimously saying: “God, look down on us from on high and grant our Orthodox prince, like Constantine, victory , subdue the enemies of Amalek under his nose, as sometimes the meek David.” The Lithuanian princes were surprised at this, and said to themselves: “It was not before us, neither with us nor for us, that the army would be ordered in such a way. Like King Alexander of Macedonia, the army of Gideon was armed with courage, for the Lord armed them with His strength!”
The great prince, seeing his limbs worthily dressed, and dismounted from his horse and fell on his knees straight to the great cloak of the black sign, on which was depicted the image of our Lord Jesus Christ, from the depths of his soul began to call in a loud voice: “O Lord, the Almighty! See with your eye the people who have created the work of the enemy with your right hand and with your blood. Inspire, O Lord, the voice of our prayers, turn your face to the wicked who do evil with your servant. And now, Lord Jesus Christ, I pray and worship the image. to your saint and your most pure mother and to all the saints who have pleased you, and to our steadfast and invincible intercessor and prayer book for us, to you, the Russian saint, the new miracle worker Peter, we hope for his mercy, we strive to call on and glorify your holy and magnificent name , father and son and holy spirit, now and ever and ever, Amen!
Having finished the prayer, he mounted his horse and began to ride along with the princes and commanders. To the regiment I said: “My dear brothers, sons of the Russians, from young to old! Already, brothers, the night has come, and the terrible day is approaching - in this night watch and pray, take courage and be strong, the Lord is with us, strong in battle. Here Stay, brethren, in your place, undisturbed. If you are now established, it is inconvenient to be powerfully established in this way: for our guests are already approaching, standing on the Nepryadva River, near the Kulikovo field, weeping, in the morning we will drink a common cup with them, shared between us. , my friends, I still desire it in Rus'. Now, brothers, trust in the living God, peace be with you in Christ.
The night has already arrived for the luminous feast of the Nativity of the Holy Mother of God. The autumns then had long drawn out and the bright days were still shining, but that night the warmth was great and quietly great, and the darkness of the dew appeared. Truly, the prophet said: “The night is not bright for the unfaithful, but enlightened for the faithful.”
Dmitry Volynets spoke to the Grand Duke: “I want, sir, to test myself on this night” - and the dawn had already faded. The nights are profound, but Dmitry Volynets, we take with us the only Grand Duke and, having gone to the field of Kulikovo and standing in the middle of both pluks and turning to the Tatar pluk, hear a great knock and a cry, and a cry, like trahgi are removed, like a city building and like thunder great to thunder; behind the plukka of the Tatar wolf howl menacingly velmi, on the right side of the country the plukka of the Tatar raven is screaming and there is a trembling of birds, great velmi, and on the left country, like the mountains playing, the thunderstorm is great; Along the river Nepryadva, geese and swans splash their wings, giving an unusual thunderstorm. The great prince spoke to Dmitry Volynets: “We hear, brother, there is a great thunderstorm.” And Volynets’ speech: “Call upon God for help, prince!”
And turning to the Russian voice - and there was great silence. Volynets said: “Do you see anything, prince?” He said: “I see: many fiery dawns are being filmed.” And Volynets said: “Rejoice, sir, be kind to the signs, only call on God and do not become depleted in faith!”
And again he said: “And I also have a sign of temptation.” And he descended from his horse and touched the ground with his right ear for a long hour. I stand up and bow down and sigh from my heart. And the great prince said: “What is there, brother Dmitry?” He is younger and doesn’t even want to tell him, but the great prince bothers him a lot. He said: “One is for good, and the other is mournful. I hear the earth crying in two: for one country, like a certain woman, weeping in vain for her children with a Hellenic voice, the other country, like a certain maiden, alone cried out.” in a mournful voice, like some kind of pipe, it’s pitiful to hear the Velmi. I have already been tempted by many of these signs of battle, for this sake I now hope for the mercy of God - through the prayer of the holy passion-bearers Boris and Gleb, your relatives, and other miracle workers, Russian champions, and I hope for the victory of the filthy. Tatars. And your Christ-loving virtue will fall a lot, but otherwise your ruin will be your glory.”
Hearing this, the great prince shed tears and said: “To the Lord God everything is possible: the breath of all of us is in his hand!” And the speech of Volynets: “It is not proper for you, sir, to tell him in the dance, but commanded everyone to pray to God and call upon his holy saints for help. And early in the morning they commanded them to mount their horses, to every fault, and to arm themselves tightly and protect themselves with a cross: Because you have a weapon against the enemy, you want to see us in the morning.”
That same night, a certain man named Thomas Katsibey, a robber, was quickly appointed as a guard by the Grand Duke on the river on Churov, for the sake of his courage on the fortress as a guard against the filthy. I assure him that God revealed to him that night that he saw a great vision. Standing at a high place, you saw the clouds from the east, a very large prya, like some kind of plukki, going to the west. From the midday country two men came, wearing bright purple clothes, their faces shining like the sun, in both hands they had sharp swords, and shouting like a plunker: “Who did you command to treasure our fatherland, which the Lord has given to us?” And when he began to slaughter them and cut them all off, not a single one was left of them. The same Thomas was chaste and reasonable, and from then on he was sure that he would tell that vision to the Grand Duke alone in the morning. The great prince spoke to him: “Don’t say that, my friend, to anyone,” and, raising his hand to the sky, began to cry, saying: “Lord God, more loving of mankind! Help me with prayers for the sake of the holy martyr Boris and Gleb, as Moses did for Amalek and to the right Yaroslav against Svyatoplok, and to my great-grandfather Grand Duke Alexander against the boasting king of Rome, who wants to ruin his fatherland, do not retaliate against me for my sin, but pour out your mercy on us, extend your compassion to us, do not let us be laughed at by our enemy. Let our enemies not rejoice over us, and let not the countries of the infidels cry: “Where is their god, have you trusted in him?” But, Lord, help Christians, for they are your holy name!
And the great prince let his brother, Prince Vladimer Andreevich, go up the Don to Dubrova, for there his grief will be hidden, giving him worthy servants of his court, daring knights, strong warriors. And with him, release his famous governor Dmitry Volynsky and many others.
I have arrived, on the 8th day of the month of Septevria, to the great feast of the Nativity of the Holy Mother of God, twisting the heel of the rising sun, I will glimpse the present morning, the Christian struggles will begin to spread out and the trumpets of war will sound many times. The Russian horses have already become stronger from the voice of the trumpet, and each time they go under their banner. And you can see that the squares are lined up in a good orderly manner with the teachings of the strong governor Dmitry Bobrokov Volynets.
When the second hour arrived, the sound of the trumpets of both pipes began to cease, but the Tatar trumpets seemed to be numb, and the Russian trumpets became more stable. The boys haven’t seen each other yet, the morning is still hazy. And at that time, brothers, the earth groans with greatness, throwing a great thunderstorm to the east as far as the sea, and to the west to the Danube, while that great field of Kulikovo bends over, and the rivers protrude from their places, as if I had never been so many people in that place.
The Grand Duke, riding on his chosen horse, rode along and said from the great sorrow of his heart, tears like a river flowing from his eyes: “Fathers and brothers, for the sake of the Lord, strive, and for the sake of the saints for the churches, and for the sake of the Christian faith, for this death We now have death, but eternal life; and, brethren, let us not set our minds aside from anything earthly, so that we may receive crowns of victory from Christ the God and salvation of our souls.”
Having secured the capes and packs, he came under his black banner, and dismounted from his horse and onto his horse everywhere, and took off the crown's cape and put on another robe. You gave your horse to Mikhail Andreevich under Brenik and put that drag on him, whom he loved more than measure, and you commanded your black banner to be carried over him. Under that banner he was quickly killed for the Grand Duke.
The great prince stood in his place and, taking out the life-giving cross from above, the passion of Christ was depicted on it, and the life-giving tree was in it, and he wept bitterly and said: “For we trust in you, the life-giving cross of the Lord, and in this way appeared to the Greek king Constantine, when I am in battle with the wicked and in your wondrous way defeat them.
At the same time, an ambassador came to him with books from the venerable elder Abbot Sergius; in the books it was written: “Peace and blessings to the Grand Duke and all the Russian princes, and to the entire Orthodox army!” The great prince, having heard the scripture of the venerable elder and kissed the ambassador kindly, was satisfied with that scripture, like some kind of strong warfare. Also, the elder sent from Abbot Sergius gave the bread of the Most Pure Mother of God, and the great prince ate the holy bread and stretched out his hand, crying out loudly: “O great name of the All-Holy Trinity, O most holy Lady Theotokos, help us with your prayers and the Reverend Abbot Sergius, Christ God, have mercy and save our soul!"
And always mounted his chosen horse and took up his spear and iron club, and moved from the regiment, and wanted to fight with the filthy first of all, out of great sorrow of his soul, for his great offense and for the holy church and the Christian faith. Many Russian heroes, restraining him, lifted him up, saying: “It is not fitting for you, the Grand Duke, to fight in front of you, it is fitting for you to stand and watch us, and it is fitting for us to fight and show our courage and bravery before you: when you The Lord will preserve with His mercy, and you understand whom to bestow. We are preparing on this day to lay our heads for you, sovereign, and for the holy churches and for glorified Christianity, as it befits you, the great prince, as your servant, if anyone deserves it. head, to create a memory, like King Leontius, of Theodore Tyrone, to write us in the collective books, for the sake of memory of us, who will be for us. We will be left to you alone, what success will we have? And we will be like a flock of sheep, without a shepherd, dragging through the desert, and the wonders will scatter, and the sheep will scatter where it is up to you, sovereign, to save yourself, and us.”
The great prince shed tears and said: “Brothers moa milaa, Russian sons, I cannot respond to your kind speech, but I only praise you, for you are truly the blazing servants of God. Moreover, you know the torment of Christ’s passion-martyr Arethas. He was always tormented, and commanded the king to lead and to disgrace and cut off with the sword, and his friends, one before one, to cut down their heads under the sword for Arefa, his commander, leading the honor of his victory to the commander with his speech: “This is the news. , my brothers, was it not from the king of the earth that he was honored before you, and took earthly goods and gifts? And now I must go and befit me before the heavenly king, and my head was beheaded before, even more than the crowned ones." And the swordsman came and cut off his head, and after that I would cut off his head. And so did I, brethren. Who is greater than me? I am honored to the Russian sons and have continually received blessings from the Lord? And now evil has come upon me, can I really not tremble: for for the sake of this alone, I cannot see you running away, and so on, I cannot tremble, and I want to be with you. drink the same common cup and die the same death for the holy Christian faith! If I die, I will be with you, if I will be saved, with you!”
Already, brethren, at that time the planks were leading: Prince Dmitry Vsevolodich and his brother Prince Vladimer Vsevolodich were leading the front line, and Mikula Vasilyevich from Kostroma was leading the right hand, and Timofey Voluevich was leading the left hand from Kostroma. There are many filthy people wandering about, both sexes: because of their great strength, there is no place for them to part. The godless Tsar Mamai, having gone to a high place with three princes, wasted human bloodshed.
Already close to the converging strong plukas, the evil Pecheneg rode out of the great Tatar plukka, appearing before everyone with courage, like the ancient Goliad: its height was five fathoms, and its width was three fathoms. Seeing him, Alexander Peresvet, an old man like Vladimer Vselodovich, moved and said: “I want to look for this man like myself, I want to see him!” On his head was the helmet of the Archangel image, armed with the command of Abbot Sergius. And he said: “Father and brothers, forgive me, a sinner! Brother, Andrey Oslebya, pray to God for me. Peace and blessing to my child Jacob.” Let loose on the Pecheneg and say: “Hegumen Sergius, help me with prayer!” The Pechenegs rushed against him, and all the Christians cried out: “God, help your servant!” And the spears hit hard, almost breaking the place under them, and both fell from their horses to the ground and died.
When the days came to the third hour, seeing this, the great prince said: “Behold, our guests have already approached and led the way among themselves, having already written up the previous ones and having fun and falling asleep, the time has already come, and the hour has come to show their courage to everyone.” And everyone hit their horse and shout unanimously: “God is with us!” and again: “Christian God, help us!” - the abominations of the Polovtsy began to call upon their gods.
And the two great forces came down menacingly, beating hard, in vain to destroy themselves, not only with weapons, but also from the great tightness under the horse’s legs and gasped, as if it were too weak to fit on that field of Kulikovo: that place is cramped between the Don and the Sword. On that field, powerful waves gave way, bloody dawns emerged from them, and in them, powerful lights trembled from the sheen of the sword. And there was a coward and a great sound from the breaking of the spear and from the cutting of the sword, as if it were not powerful enough to behold this terrible massacre without this dark hour. In one hour, in the blink of an eye, about how many thousand [as in the publication - O.L.] the soul of man, God's creation, perished! The will of the Lord is done: the third hour, and the fourth, and the fifth, and the sixth, the Christians are fighting hard and relentlessly with the filthy Polovtsians.
The days have come to the seventh hour, and by God's permission for the sake of our sins, we have begun to overcome the abominations. There are already many beatings from high-ranking men, but Russian heroes and governors and daring people, like oak trees, bow to the ground under horse hooves: many Russian sons are being destroyed. The great prince himself was wounded by the velma and killed from his horse, but he, needlessly, bowed down from the battle, as if he had no power to fight, and took refuge in the wilds, but was quickly preserved by God’s power. The great prince's fortunes were cut down many times, but were not destroyed by God's mercy, but were strengthened.
I heard this from the faithful eye-witness, who was from Vladimer Andreevich, told the Grand Duke, saying: “In the sixth year of this day, I saw the sky above you corrupted, from it came a cloud, like a crimson dawn over the Grand Duke’s forehead, trembling low. But the cloud was filled with human hands, even the hands of the prophetic preachers trembled in the great cry. In the seventh hour, the clouds trembled with many crowns and fell over the cloud, on the heads of Christians.”
The abominations have begun to overcome, and the Christian grace has become scarce - there are already few Christians, but all the abominations. Having seen the fall of the Russian sons, Prince Vladimer Andreevich could not mourn and said to Dmitry Volynets: “What is the point of our standing? What success will we have? Who can help us? Already our princes and boyars, all the Russian sons are dying in vain from the filthy, like the grass is bending !" And Dmitry’s speech: “The trouble, prince, is great, our time has not yet come: we begin without time, to accept harm to ourselves; the wheat classes are suppressed, and the third ones are growing and raging over the noble ones. so in the publication - O.L.] we are about to give it up to the enemy for nothing. Now they have commanded every one to pray diligently to God and call upon the saints for help, and from this hour to receive the grace of God and help as a Christian." Prince Vladimer Andreevich, raising his hand to heaven, shed a bitter tear and said: "God, our father, who created heaven and earth, give help to the Christian race! Do not, Lord, let our enemy rejoice about us, show little, but have mercy a lot, for this is an abyss of mercy." The sons of the Russians in his regiment are crying loudly, seeing their friends being beaten by the filthy, constantly making an attempt, as if calling for a marriage of sweet wine drink. Volynets encouraged them, saying: “Wait a little, Bouvian sons of the Russians, when it’s your time to console yourself, you have someone to have fun with!”
The hour of the day has come, the spirit of the south has drawn behind us, and Vilynets cried out in a great voice: “Prince Vladimer, our time has come, and an hour like this has come!” - and the speech: “Moa brothers, friends, fight: the power of the Holy Spirit to help us!”
With the same mind, the friends emerged from the green oak grove, like tempted falcons, escaped from the golden wells, struck at the great herds of fat, at that great Tatar power; and their deeds are directed by the strong commander Dmitry Volynts: byahu bo, like David’s youths, who had hearts like lvovs, like lyuti vltsi, came to the flock of sheep and slaughtered the filthy Tatars mercilessly.
The filth of the Polovtsi saw their destruction, calling out in a Hellenic voice, saying: “Alas for us, Rus' has again managed to fight with us, but has respected all its goodness!” And she turned to abomination, and gave off her splashes, and ran away. The Russian sons, by the power of the Holy Spirit and with the help of the holy martyr Boris and Gleb, persecuted, cut them down, like a forest, like grass from a scythe, spread among the Russian sons under horse hooves. The abomination runs away screaming, saying: “Alas for us, our honorable Tsar Mamai! For fear you have risen high, and you have descended to hell!” Many of our wounds, and those who help, slash the filthy without mercy: only the Rusyns drive out a hundred filthy ones.
The godless king Mamai, seeing his death, began to call on his gods: Perun, and Salavat, and Raklia, and Gurs, and his great accomplice Mahmet. And there would be no help for him from them, the power of the Holy Spirit, like fire, would burn them.
Mamai, seeing new people, like fierce beasts, started tearing up and tearing up, like a flock of sheep, and said to his own: “Let’s run, it’s nothing good for the imam chaati, but we’ll carry away our heads!” And the filthy Mamai ran with four men to Lukomorie, gritting their teeth, crying loudly, saying: “We, brothers, will no longer be in our land, and we won’t shake our katun, and we won’t see our children, we will shake the damp earth, kiss We are green to Murova, and we will never see our retinue again, neither from the princes nor from the Alpauta!”
Many people chased after them and did not overcome them, their horses became tired, but Mamai’s horses were intact, and they ran away.
This is by the grace of Almighty God and the Most Pure Mother of God and the prayer and help of the holy passion-traders Boris and Gleb, in their form Thomas Katsibeev the Robber, always standing on guard, as it was written before. Yeti is the same as the groom, always having access to everyone and returning, each to his own banner.
Prince Vladimer Andreevich stood on the bones under the black banner. It is terrible, brethren, to behold then, but it is pitiful to see and gruesomely look at human bloodshed - like sea water, and a human corpse - like hay masses: a greyhound cannot gallop a horse, but a vagabond is knee-deep in blood, and rivers flow with blood for three days.
Prince Vladimer Andreevich did not find his brother, the Grand Duke, in mourning, just like the Lithuanian princes Olgordovich, and ordered the assembled trumpets to be blown. After an hour, and not having found the Grand Duke, he began to cry and scream, and began to walk around, but he did not find it, and said to everyone: “Brothers of Moa, Russian sons, who has seen or who has heard our shepherd and leader?” And he said: “If the shepherd is defeated, the sheep will be scattered. Who will be honored by this, who will appear to this victory?”
And the Lithuanian princes retorted: “We think of him as if he were alive, he was wounded by Velmi; when he lay in a dead corpse?” And he said: “I saw him at the seventh hour, fighting hard with his filthy club.” In the same words: “I saw him later: four Tatars lay down on him, but he fought hard with them.” A certain prince, named Stefan Novosilskaya, said: “I saw him before your very arrival, on foot and coming from the battle, wounded by the velmi. For this reason I could not help him - we are being persecuted by three Tatars, but by the grace of God I barely escaped from them, but I received a lot of evil from them and suffered greatly."
Prince Volodymer said: “Brothers and friends, Russian sons, if anyone finds my brother alive, you are here [ so in publication; "truly"? - O.L.] the right one will be with her!" And everyone scattered in a great, strong and formidable massacre, seeking victory for the winner. Ovi came upon the murdered Mikhail Andreevich Brenk: lie in the bridle and in the scarf that the great prince gave him; or else came upon the murdered prince Feodor Semenovich Belozerskaya, who expects him to be the Grand Duke, is even more befitting of him.
Two veterans of the war escaped to the right country in Dubrova, one named Theodore Sabur, and the other Grigory Kholopishchev, both from Kostroma. Having left the battle a little and the Grand Duke was beaten and the wound was great and difficult, while he was resting, a birch tree was cut down under his canopy. And seeing him and, falling from his horses, bowing to him, Sabur soon returned to tell Prince Vladimer and said: “The Great Prince Dmitry Ivanovich is in good health and will reign forever!”
All the princes and governors heard, and quickly fell on his foot, saying: “Rejoice, our prince, ancient Yaroslav, new Alexander, conqueror of the enemy: with this victory honor is sufficient for you." The great prince barely spoke: "What is, tell me." Prince Vladimer said: "By the grace of God and his most pure mother, the help and prayers of the kinsman of our holy martyrs Boris and Gleb and Through the prayer of the Russian Saint Peter and our helper and champion, Hegumen Sergius - and with the prayers of all those saints we have escaped, and we will be saved.”
The great prince, hearing this, stood up and said: “The Lord has made this day, let us rejoice and be glad, people!” And again he said: “Rejoice this day of the Lord, O people! Great art thou, O Lord, and wonderful are thy works: in the evening there may be weeping, and in the morning there is joy!” And again I say: “I praise you, my Lord God, and I honor your holy name, because you did not betray us as our enemy, and you did not allow them to boast, who have plotted evil against me: do not judge them, Lord, according to their righteousness, “But, Lord, I trust in you!”
And he brought him a horse and, mounted the horse and rode out into a great, strong and menacing battle, and seeing his army was beaten by the Velmi, and the filthy Tatars were beaten by a quartet of more, and turning to Volynets, he said: “Truly, Dmitry, it is not false This is your sign; it behooves you to always be a leader."
And he began with his brother and with the remaining princes and commanders to ride through the battle, screaming with pain in his heart and weeping in tears, and saying: “Russian brothers and sons, princes and boyars, and commanders, and boyar children! Lord God judges you to die this death. Naturally they laid down their heads for the holy churches and for Orthodox Christianity." And having traveled a little, we came to a place where the Belozersk princes lay beaten together: the tolma fought hard, as if one died for one. Mikhailo Vasilyevich was killed lying nearby; He became the great prince over them, over the kind governors, and began to cry and say: “Brothers of the princes, sons of the Russians, if you have the desire of God, pray for us, because God will listen to you, and together with you the Lord God will we will!"
And then he arrived at another place and ran over his boss Mikhail Andreevich Brenk, and near him lay the strong guard Semyon Melik, and near him Timofey Voluevich was killed. Standing over them, the great prince shed tears and said: “My beloved brother, you were killed for the sake of my image. Why can a slave serve the master like that, as if he himself was coming to death for my sake? Truly, he is like the ancient Avis, who was from the cry of Dariev Persky , like this one, do the same." As that Melika lay, she said above him: “My strong guard, I am firmly shepherded by your guard.” Arriving at another place, he saw the monk of Peresvet, and in front of him lay a filthy Pecheneg, an evil Tatar, like a mountain, and lying nearby was the deliberate hero Grigory Kapustin. The great prince turned and said: “You see, brethren, your leader, like this Alexander Peresvet, our accomplice, was blessed by Abbot Sergius and conquered the great, strong, evil Tatar, from whom many people drank the cup of death.”
And he drove off to another place and ordered the assembled trumpets to be blown and the people to be summoned. The brave knights, having sufficiently tested their weapons against the filthy Polovtsi, wander from all countries to the sound of a trumpet. What is coming is joyful, jubilant, songs of the Mother of God, Ovii of the Mother of God, the friends of martyrdom, and others of a psalm, that is, Christian singing. Each one rides, rejoicing, to the sound of the trumpet.
With all the gathered people, the Great Prince stood in the midst of them, weeping and rejoicing: for the slain he weeps, but for the healthy he rejoices. The verb says: “Brothers moa, Russian princes, and local boars, and serving people all over the earth! It is fitting for you to serve, and for me it is fitting to praise you. When the Lord saves me, I will be at my table, at the great reign, in the city Moscow, then the imam will grant you according to your dignity. Now let us rule: let us bury each of our neighbors, so that we will not be a beast to consume the body of a Christian.”
The Great Prince stood behind Dan on the bones of eight days, until the Christians and the wicked were separated. The Christian bodies were dug into the ground, and the bodies of the wicked were destroyed by beasts and birds for plunder.
And the Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich spoke: “Consider, brothers, there are no prickly commanders, prickly service people?” The boyar of Moscow, whose name is Mikhailo Alexandrovich, said, but he was in awe of Mikula at Vasilyevich, he was calculating and fast: “We don’t have, sir, 40 boarins of Moscow, and 12 princes of Belozersk, and 13 boarins of Novgorod mayors, and 50 boyars of Nizhny Novgorod, yes 40 Serpokhov boarins, 20 Pereslavl boarins, 25 Kostroma boarins, 35 Vladimir boarins, 50 Suzdal boarins, 40 Murom boarins, 33 Rostov boarins, 20 Dmitrov boarins, 70 Mozhaisk boarins, 60 boarins Zvenigorodsky, yes 15 boarins of Ugletsky, and 20 boarins of Galitz, and there is no count of the young people; we only know: all our squads were lost, half a third of a hundred thousand and three thousand, and we have a squad of fifty thousand left.”
The great prince spoke: “Glory to you, the highest creator, the heavenly king, the merciful Savior, for you have had mercy on us sinners, and have not betrayed us into the hands of our enemy, the filthy sy[ro]eater [ in the publication "syadtsam" - O.L.]. And you, brothers, princes and boars, and governors, and young people, Russian sons, have a narrowed place to lie between the Don and the Nepr, on the Kulikovo field, on the Nepryadva river. They naturally laid down their heads for the Russian land, for the Christian faith. Forgive me, brothers, and bless me in this time and in the future!" And shed tears for a long hour and spoke to the princes and governors: "Let us go, brothers, to our land of Zalesskaya, to the glorious city of Moscow and sit on our lords and ancestors: honor Here we have access to a glorious name!”
The filthy Mamai then ran away from the massacre and ran to the city of Cafe and, hiding his name, ran to his land and could not tremble, seeing himself run over, and disgraced, and desecrated. And again, angry, furious, and still thinking evil about the Russian land, like a roaring lion and like an insatiable viper. And having collected his remaining strength, he still wanted to go into exile to the Russian land. And I thought to him that news suddenly came to him that a king named Taktamysh from the east was coming from the Blue Horde to attack him. Mamai, even if he had prepared an army, was about to go to the Russian land, and he and that army went against Tsar Taktamysh. And they were shaking on Kalki, and there was a great battle for them. And King Taktamysh, having defeated King Mamaa, drove him away, and the Mamaev princes and Ryadtsy, and Yasovouls, and Alpauts beat King Taktamysh. And he took them and took the Horde, and sat in the kingdom. Mamai came running to Kafa alone; Having hidden her name, she stayed and was discovered by a certain merchant, and she was quickly killed by the friars and changed her evil life. Let's leave Sia here.
Having heard that Olgord of Lithuania heard that the great prince Dmitry Ivanovich had defeated Mama, he returned home with much suffering. Oleg of Rezansky, hearing that the great prince wanted to send an army against him, feared and ran away from his fatherland and with the princess and beyond the boars; and Rezan brought his forehead to the Grand Duke, and the Great Prince installed his governors on Rezan.
...ovo to Rezan.- After the defeat of Batu in 1237, the capital city of the Ryazan principality of Ryazan, this large city at that time gradually fell into decay, and in the middle of the 14th century the capital of the principality was moved to the city of Pereyaslavl Ryazan (modern Ryazan). Currently, on the site of Old Ryazan there is a settlement on the high bank of the Oka River, 50 km southeast of the modern city of Ryazan (Pereyaslavl-Ryazan was renamed Ryazan in 1778).
Zakhary Tyutshov. - In other lists "Tales" - Tyutchev. The sending of gifts to Mamai in order to “appease” him is only reported in “The Tale of the Massacre of Mamai.” Most likely, this episode goes back to the literary tradition, and is not a reflection of a real fact. A similar plot is found in “The Tale of the Ruin of Ryazan by Batu,” where the Grand Duke of Ryazan sends his son with gifts to Batu, “as (since) the wicked should be satisfied with gifts.” The ancient noble family of the Tyutchevs, to which the poet Fyodor Tyutchev belonged, traced their ancestry back to Zakhary Tyutchev, and according to genealogical legends, Zakhary Tyutchev served as ambassador from Dmitry Donskoy to Mamai.
And he commanded them to watch the deati on Quiet Pine.- This refers to the Sosna River, the right tributary of the Don, flowing in the direction from west to east. The defensive line of Russian lands against the Horde ran along the Sosna River. “Watchmen” - patrol units - were often sent here to monitor the movements of the Horde forces. In the “Book of the Large Drawing” (a compilation of geographical information about Russian lands compiled in the 17th century) it is said: “And below Lukovts, the Khvoshchna River fell into Sosna from Liven about 30 versts (i.e. - 25. - L.D. ); and at the mouth of Khvoshchny there is a ford on Sosna, the Tatars go to Rus'."
...for the empty meat of the Holy Mother of God.- Meat Empty is a time during which, according to church regulations, one cannot eat meat. This refers to the Assumption Fast (from August 1 to August 15).
This place can be understood in two ways: autumn, as the season, or “autumn” - the designation of the tribute paid by the Russian lands to the Horde. The possibility of a second interpretation of this place is confirmed by other lists of the “Tales”, where we read: “requires autumn.”
And the princes of Beloozersk came to him... and the princes of Andoma.- The Belozersky princes took part in the Battle of Kulikovo. Fyodor Ivanovich (in the Legend, as in Zadonshchina, erroneously Semyonovich) and his son Ivan died during the battle. The small appanage principalities of Kem, Kargolom (called Kargopol in the Legend) and Andoma were part of the Belozersky principality and existed only at the end of the 14th - beginning of the 15th centuries. The names of Andrei Kemsky and Gleb Kargolomsky, except for the Legend, are not found in other sources. In this case, as in a number of others, the “Tale” provides information about persons unknown from other historical sources. In some cases, this can be explained by the fact that the “Tale” reflected information about names not recorded anywhere else; in some cases, errors and distortions that arose during the process of copying lists of the work are possible.
...the princes of Yaroslavl came...- The estates of the princes Prozorovsky and Kurbsky were part of the Yaroslavl principality. The names listed are known only from the Legend.
...let's take with us... the guests of Surozhan...- Surozhans were merchants who traded with the rich colonial Genoese city on the Black Sea coast in Crimea - Surozh (modern Sudak). Most of the names on this list are historically accurate. Vasily Kapitsa can be considered the founder of the Ermolin family. The Salarev merchant family was well known in Ancient Rus'. Kozma Kovryu (Khovryu) can be considered the ancestor of the Khovrin family. The reality of the name Vesyakov is evidenced by the “Vesyakov Dvor”, which stood in the “China City” in the second half of the 15th century. In the second half of the 15th century. a descendant of Ivan Shikh is mentioned - Andrei Shikhov (see: Tikhomirov M.N. Medieval Moscow in the XIV-XV centuries. M., 1957, p. 150 ff).
The names are known only from “The Tale of the Massacre of Mamaev.” ( Notes by L.A. Dmitriev).
The text is completely taken from the site: http://starbel.narod.ru/mamaj.htm
Created in the mid-15th century. It has come down to us in numerous lists (more than 100). The battle of D. Donskoy with the army of Mamai (victory of the Russians over the Tatars). Tells about the battle on the Don between the Russians and the Tatars, who were supported by traitors - the Ryazan prince Oleg Ivanovich and the Lithuanian prince Jagiello. 2 sons of Jagiello sided with Dmitry.
In “C” many new narrative details appeared: Zakharia Tyutchev’s sending to Mamai with gifts, Donskoy’s visit to the Trinity Monastery, where he was blessed by Sergius of Radonezh, who predicted victory for him, the duel of the heroic monk Peresvet Alexander with Chelubey (the death of both), the test of Dmitriev will accept before the battle (he listens to the ground, the cries of animals, birds), the exchange of clothes and a horse with the boyar Mikhail Brenok, his heroic death in place of the prince, after the battle they could not find the wounded prince for a long time. Of all the works in the cycle, S. is the most detailed, plot-captivating story about the battle on the Kulikovo field on September 8, 1380. S. reports a number of details about the Battle of Kulikovo, not recorded by other sources. For example, only in S. is it described in detail about the actions of the ambush regiment of the Serpukhov prince Vladimir Andreevich, which decided the outcome of the battle in favor of the Grand Duke of Moscow Dmitry Ivanovich Donskoy, only in S. is it reported about the pilgrimage of Dmitry Donskoy to the Trinity Monastery and the blessing of Dmitry by Sergius, etc. d.
“C” sequentially conveys all the events associated with the Battle of Kulikovo. For the first time in 150 years of foreign yoke, the Russian army had to go beyond the borders of Rus' for an open battle with the enslavers. Russian troops crossed the Don on the night of September 7–8. They settled on a relatively small Kulikovo field, indented by streams and ravines. The Nepryadva flowed in the rear of the Russians, the Don was in the broom bushes on the left, the forest was on the right, and behind it was the river. The “Tale of the Massacre of Mamaev” says that this place was chosen because there was nowhere to retreat. In such a battle “for each other. die” and the Russian warriors, inspired by love for the fatherland, prepared.
The thick fog over the Kulikovo Field began to dissipate only at 11 o’clock in the morning. The Russian army was opposed by a Tatar army of equal strength. According to the Legend, the battle was opened by a duel between Alexander Peresvet (monk) and Tatar Chelubey. Both heroes died, pierced by spears. The battle began with the Tatar cavalry, which managed to crush the Russian regiments. Dmitry Ivanovich also fought courageously. In the center the Great Regiment fought fiercely, the sun unbearably blinding its soldiers. And on the left flank, the Tatar cavalry had already cut off the road to the Don fords. The outcome of the battle was decided by the Ambush Regiment, located in the oak grove. It was commanded by Prince Vladimir Andreevich of Serpukhov (Dmitry's cousin). Mamai’s army did not expect the appearance of fresh forces and fled. In panic, people drowned in the Mecha, Don and even in Nepryadva. Having completed the pursuit, Vladimir Andreevich returned to the Kulikovo field. Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich, barely alive, in broken armor, was found with difficulty.
In "C" the religious element is strengthened. The prince's piety is emphasized by numerous monologues and prayers.
The story contains many speeches and dialogues between the characters. Detailed listing of names.
The Tatars were dealt a crushing blow by a coalition of Russian princes, led by Moscow Prince Dmitry Ivanovich.
The outcome of the battle is a very major political event in the history of Rus'. On the one hand, the Russian victory was the first serious attempt to liberate Rus' from the Tatar yoke, which had lasted for more than 150 years.
Reflection of national interests in “PVL”. Inclusion of various genres in the chronicle. Folklore in the chronicle
At the center of “PVL” is the Russian land, the idea of its independence, independence from Byzantium, the idea of the power of the Russian land, the role of the people in protecting the Russian land in the fight against external enemies, in unification, in ending strife. The theme of the Motherland is the leading, main theme of “PVL”. Genres of the story: 1. weather record (by year) - this made it possible to enter into years...
Life of Yulia Valerianovna Zhadovskaya (1824-1883)
On July 11, 1824, 185 years ago, in the village of Subbotino, Lyubimovsky district, Yaroslavl region, a daughter was born into the family of a major official of the Yaroslavl province, Valerian Zhadovsky. Seeing the girl for the first time, her mother immediately lost consciousness, and the midwife who delivered the child crossed herself for a long time and furiously. The spectacle was clearly not for the faint of heart - mother...
Freedom and will in Gorky's stories
Gorky's life was full of adventures and events, sharp turns and changes. He began his literary career with a hymn to the madness of the brave and stories glorifying the man-fighter and his desire for freedom. Gorky knew the world of the outcasts well. After all, together with them he walked many miles along the roads of Russia, worked in...
Translation by V.V. Kolesov
The beginning of the story about how God granted victory to the sovereign Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich across the Don over the filthy Mamai and how, through the prayers of the Most Pure Mother of God and Russian miracle workers, Orthodox Christianity - God exalted the Russian land, and put the godless Hagarians to shame.
I want to tell you, brothers, about the battle of the recent war, how the battle on the Don happened between Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich and all Orthodox Christians with the filthy Mamai and the godless Hagaryans. And God exalted the Christian race, and humiliated the filthy ones and shamed their savagery, just as in the old days he helped Gideon over Midian and the glorious Moses over Pharaoh. We must tell about the greatness and mercy of God, how God fulfilled the wishes of those faithful to him, how he helped Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich and his brother Prince Vladimir Andreevich over the godless Polovtsians and Hagarians.
The legend of the Massacre of Mamayev. Popular science video
By God's permission, for our sins, through the delusion of the devil, the prince rose eastern country, named Mamai, a pagan by faith, idolater and iconoclast, an evil persecutor of Christians. And the devil began to incite him, and the temptation against the Christian world entered his heart, and his enemy taught him how to ruin the Christian faith and desecrate the holy churches, because he wanted to subjugate all Christians to himself, so that the name of the Lord would not be glorified among the faithful. Our Lord, God, king and creator of all things, will do whatever he wants.
The same godless Mamai began to boast and, envying the second Julian the apostate, Tsar Batu, began asking the old Tatars how Tsar Batu conquered the Russian land. And the old Tatars began to tell him how Tsar Batu conquered the Russian land, how he took Kyiv and Vladimir, and all of Rus', the Slavic land, and killed the Grand Duke Yuri Dmitrievich, and killed many Orthodox princes, and desecrated holy churches and burned many monasteries and villages , and in Vladimir he plundered the golden-domed cathedral church. And since he was blinded by his mind, he did not comprehend that, as the Lord willed, it would be so: in the same way, in ancient days, Jerusalem was captured by Titus the Roman and Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, for the sins and lack of faith of the Jews - but not God is endlessly angry and He does not punish forever.
Having learned everything from his old Tatars, Mamai began to hurry, constantly inflamed by the devil, taking up arms against Christians. And, having forgotten himself, he began to speak to his Alpauts, and Yesauls, and princes, and governors, and all the Tatars like this: “I don’t want to act like Batu, but when I come to Rus' and kill their prince, then which cities are the best sufficient will be for us - we’ll settle here, and we’ll take over Russia, we’ll live quietly and carefree,” but the damned one didn’t know that the Lord’s hand was high.
And a few days later he crossed the great Volga River with all his might, and joined many other hordes to his great army and said to them: “Let’s go to the Russian land and get rich from Russian gold!” The godless one went to Rus' like a lion, roaring in rage, like an insatiable viper breathing anger. And he had already reached the mouth of the river. Voronezh, and disbanded all his strength, and punished all his Tatars like this: “Let not one of you plow bread, be prepared for Russian bread!”
Prince Oleg Ryazansky found out that Mamai was wandering around Voronezh and wanted to go to Rus', to the Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich of Moscow. The poverty of his mind was in his head, he sent his son to the godless Mamai with great honor and with many gifts and wrote his letters to him like this: “To the Eastern great and free king, Tsar Mamai, rejoice! Your protege, Oleg, Prince of Ryazan, who swore allegiance to you, begs you a lot. I heard, sir, that you want to go to the Russian land, against your servant, Prince Dimitri Ivanovich of Moscow, to frighten him. Now, sir and blessed king, your time has come: the land of Moscow is overflowing with gold, and silver, and many riches, and all kinds of valuables are needed for your possession. And Prince Dimitri of Moscow - a Christian man - when he hears the word of your rage, “he will flee to his distant borders: either to Novgorod the Great, or to Beloozero, or to the Dvina, and the great wealth of Moscow and gold - everything will be in your hands and for your army as needed. But your power will spare me, your servant, Oleg of Ryazan, O Tsar: for for your sake I strongly intimidate Rus' and Prince Demetrius. And we also ask you, O Tsar, both your servants, Oleg of Ryazan and Olgerd of Lithuania: we received a great insult from this Grand Duke Dimitri Ivanovich, and no matter how we, in our insult, threaten him with your royal name, he is not worried about it. And also, our lord king, he captured my city of Kolomna for himself - and about all this, oh king, we send you a complaint.”
And Prince Oleg Ryazansky soon sent another messenger with his letter, but the letter was written like this: “To the Grand Duke Olgerd of Lithuania - rejoice with great joy! It is known that for a long time you have been plotting against the Grand Duke Dimitri Ivanovich of Moscow in order to expel him from Moscow and take possession of Moscow yourself. Now, prince, our time has come, for the great Tsar Mamai is coming against him and his land. And now, prince, we will both join Tsar Mamai, for I know that the Tsar will give you the city of Moscow, and other cities that are closer to your principality, and he will give me the city of Kolomna, and Vladimir, and Murom, which are to my they are closer to the principality. I sent my messenger to Tsar Mamai with great honor and with many gifts, and you also sent your messenger, and what gifts you have, you sent to him, writing your letters, but you yourself know how, for more you understand me about that.”
Prince Olgerd of Lithuania, having learned about all this, was very happy at the great praise of his friend Prince Oleg of Ryazan and quickly sent an ambassador to Tsar Mamai with great gifts and gifts for the royal amusements. And he writes his letters like this: “To the great Eastern King Mamai! Prince Olgerd of Lithuania, who swore allegiance to you, begs you a lot. I heard, sir, that you want to punish your inheritance, your servant, the Moscow prince Dimitri, therefore I pray to you, free king, your servant: Prince Dimitri of Moscow inflicts a great insult on your ulus prince Oleg of Ryazan, and he also does great harm to me. Mister Tsar, free Mamai! Let the power of your rule now come to our places, let your attention, O Tsar, turn to our suffering from the Moscow prince Dimitri Ivanovich.”
Oleg Ryazansky and Olgerd Lithuanian thought to themselves, saying this: “When Prince Dimitri hears about the arrival of the Tsar, and about his rage, and about our alliance with him, he will flee from Moscow to Veliky Novgorod, or to Beloozero, or to the Dvina, and we will land in Moscow and Kolomna. When the Tsar comes, we will meet him with great gifts and with great honor, and we will beg him, the Tsar will return to his possessions, and we, by the Tsar’s order, will divide the Principality of Moscow among ourselves - either to Vilna, or to Ryazan, and the Tsar will give us Mamai will give her labels to our descendants after us.” They didn’t know what they were planning and what they were saying, like foolish little children, ignorant of God’s power and God’s destiny. For it is truly said: “If someone has faith in God with good deeds and holds the truth in his heart and trusts in God, then the Lord will not betray such a person to his enemies for humiliation and ridicule.”
The Sovereign, Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich - a kind man - was a model of humility, he desired a heavenly life, expecting future eternal blessings from God, not knowing that his close friends were plotting an evil plot against him. The prophet said about such people: “Do not do evil to your neighbor and do not swarm, do not dig holes for your enemy, but trust in the Creator God, the Lord God can revive and kill.”
Ambassadors came to Tsar Mamai from Olgerd of Lithuania and Oleg of Ryazan and brought him great gifts and letters. The tsar accepted the gifts and letters favorably and, having heard the letters and ambassadors with respect, released him and wrote the following answer: “To Olgerd of Lithuania and Oleg of Ryazan. For your gifts and for your praise addressed to me, whatever Russian possessions you want from me, I will give you those. And you swear allegiance to me and quickly come to me and defeat your enemy. I don’t really need your help: if I wanted to now, then with my great strength I would conquer ancient Jerusalem, as the Chaldeans did before. Now I want to support you with my royal name and strength, and with your oath and your power, Prince Dmitry of Moscow will be defeated, and your name will become formidable in your countries through my threat. After all, if I, the king, have to defeat a king similar to myself, then it is right and proper for me to receive the royal honor. Now go away from me and convey my words to your princes.”
The ambassadors, returning from the king to their princes, told them: “Tsar Mamai greets you and is very, for your great praise, well disposed towards you!” Those, poor in mind, rejoiced at the vain greetings of the godless king, not knowing that God gives power to whomever he wishes. Now - one faith, one baptism, and with the godless we united together to pursue the Orthodox faith of Christ. The prophet said about such people: “Indeed, they cut themselves off from the good olive tree and were grafted into the wild olive tree.”
Prince Oleg Ryazansky began to rush to send ambassadors to Mamai, saying: “Go forth, Tsar, quickly to Rus'!” For great wisdom says: “The way of the wicked will perish, for they accumulate grief and reproach upon themselves.” Now I will call this Oleg the accursed the new Svyatopolk.
And the great prince Dmitry Ivanovich heard that the godless Tsar Mamai was approaching him with many hordes and with all his might, tirelessly raging against Christians and the faith of Christ and envying the headless Batu, and the great prince Dmitry Ivanovich was greatly saddened because of the invasion of the godless. And, standing before the holy icon of the Lord’s image that stood at his head, and falling on his knees, he began to pray and said: “Lord! Do I, a sinner, dare to pray to you, your humble servant? But to whom shall I turn my sorrow? Only relying on you, Lord, will I lift up my sorrow. But you, Lord, king, ruler, giver of light, do not do to us, Lord, what you did to our fathers by bringing the evil Batu upon them and their cities, for even now, Lord, that great fear and trembling lives in us. And now, Lord, king, lord, do not be completely angry with us, because I know, Lord, that because of me, a sinner, you want to destroy our entire land; for I have sinned against you more than all people. Make me, O Lord, for my tears, like Ezekiah, and, O Lord, tame the heart of this ferocious beast!” He bowed and said: “I trusted in the Lord, and I will not perish.” And he sent for his brother, for Prince Vladimir Andreevich to Borovsk, and for all the Russian princes he sent out fast messengers, and for all the local governors, and for the boyar children, and for all the service people. And he ordered them to be in Moscow soon.
Prince Vladimir Andreevich quickly arrived in Moscow, and all the princes and governors. And the Great Prince Dmitry Ivanovich, taking his brother Prince Vladimir Andreevich, came to the Right Reverend Metropolitan Cyprian and said to him: “Do you know, our father, the great test that lies ahead of us - after all, the godless Tsar Mamai is moving towards us, inflaming his inexorable rage?” And the Metropolitan answered the Grand Duke: “Tell me, my lord, what have you done wrong to him?” The great prince said: “I checked, father, everything was accurate, that everything was according to the behests of our fathers, and even more, I paid tribute to him.” The Metropolitan said: “You see, my lord, with God’s permission for the sake of our sins, he is coming to fill our land, but you, Orthodox princes, must satisfy those wicked ones with gifts at least four times. If even after that he does not humble himself, then the Lord will pacify him, because the Lord opposes the daring, but gives grace to the humble. The same thing happened once with the Great Basil in Caesarea: when the evil apostate Julian, going against the Persians, wanted to destroy his city of Caesarea, Basil the Great prayed with all the Christians to the Lord God, collected a lot of gold and sent it to him to satisfy the greed of the criminal. The same accursed one only became more enraged, and the Lord sent his warrior, Mercury, against him to destroy him. And the wicked one was invisibly pierced in the heart and cruelly ended his life. “You, my lord, take as much gold as you have and go to meet him, and you will quickly bring him to his senses.”
The great prince Dmitry Ivanovich sent to the wicked Tsar Mamai his chosen young man, named Zakhary Tyutchev, tested by reason and sense, giving him a lot of gold and two translators who knew Tatar language. Zakhary, having reached the land of Ryazan and learned that Oleg of Ryazan and Olgerd of Lithuania had joined the filthy Tsar Mamai, quickly sent a messenger secretly to the Grand Duke.
The great prince Dmitry Ivanovich, having heard that news, grieved in his heart, and was filled with rage and sadness, and began to pray: “Lord, my God, I hope in you, who loves the truth. If an enemy harms me, then I should endure it, for from time immemorial he has been a hater and enemy of the Christian race; but my close friends plotted against me. Judge, Lord, them and me, because I did not cause them any harm, except that I accepted gifts and honors from them, but I also gave them in return. Judge, Lord, according to my righteousness, let the malice of sinners end.”
And, taking his brother, Prince Vladimir Andreevich, he went a second time to the Metropolitan and told him how Olgerd of Lithuania and Oleg of Ryazan united with Mamai on us. The Right Reverend Metropolitan said: “And you yourself, sir, have not caused any offense to both of them?” The great prince shed tears and said: “If I am a sinner before God or before people, then before them I have not transgressed a single line according to the law of my fathers. For you yourself, Father, know that I am satisfied with my limits, and have not caused them any offense, and I don’t know why those who harm me have multiplied against me.” The Right Reverend Metropolitan said: “My son, the great lord prince, may your heart’s eyes be illuminated with joy: you honor God’s law and do the truth, since the Lord is righteous, and you have loved the truth. Now they have surrounded you like many dogs; Their attempts are vain and in vain, but in the name of the Lord defend yourself from them. The Lord is just and will be your true helper. And where can you hide from the all-seeing eye of the Lord - and from His firm hand?
And Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich with his brother, Prince Vladimir Andreevich, and with all the Russian princes and governors, thought about how to build a strong outpost in the field, and sent their best and experienced warriors to the outpost: Rodion Rzhevsky, Andrei Volosaty, Vasily Tupik, Yakov Oslyabyatev and other seasoned warriors with them. And he ordered them to carry out guard duty on Quiet Pine with all zeal, and to go to the Horde, and to get a language in order to find out the true intentions of the king.
And the great prince himself sent fast messengers with his letters to all cities throughout the Russian land: “Be ready, all of you, to go to my service, to the battle with the godless Hagaran Tatars; Let us unite in Kolomna for the Dormition of the Holy Mother of God.”
And since the guard detachments lingered in the steppe, the Great Prince sent a second outpost: Clementy Polyanin, Ivan Svyatoslavich Sveslanin, Grigory Sudakov and others with them, ordering them to return quickly. The same ones met Vasily Tupik: he leads the tongue to the Grand Duke, and the tongue is from the people of the royal court, from the dignitaries. And he informs the Grand Duke that Mamai is inevitably approaching Rus' and that Oleg Ryazansky and Olgerd of Lithuania have contacted each other and united with him. But the king is in no hurry to go because he is waiting for autumn.
Having heard such news from the tongue about the invasion of the godless king, the Grand Duke began to take comfort in God and called for firmness on his brother Prince Vladimir and all the Russian princes, saying: “Brothers Russian princes, we are all from the family of Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich of Kyiv, to whom the Lord opened to know the Orthodox faith, like Eustathius Placis; He enlightened the entire Russian land with holy baptism, delivered us from the torments of paganism, and commanded us to firmly hold and preserve the same holy faith and fight for it. If anyone suffers for it, in the future life he will be numbered among the holy first disciples for the faith of Christ. “I, brothers, want to suffer for the faith of Christ, even to the point of death.” They all answered him in agreement, as if with one mouth: “Truly, sir, fulfill the law of God and follow the commandment of the Gospel, for the Lord said: “If anyone suffers for my name’s sake, then after the resurrection he will receive eternal life a hundredfold.” And we, sir, today are ready to die with you and lay down our heads for the holy Christian faith and for your great offense.”
The Great Prince Dmitry Ivanovich, having heard this from his brother Prince Vladimir Andreevich and from all the Russian princes who decide to fight for the faith, ordered his entire army to be at Kolomna for the Dormition of the Holy Mother of God: “Then I will review the regiments and appoint a governor for each regiment.” And the whole multitude of people seemed to say with their lips alone: “God grant us this decision to fulfill your name for the sake of the saint!”
And the princes of Belozersky came to him, they were ready for battle, and the army was perfectly equipped, Prince Fyodor Semenovich, Prince Semyon Mikhailovich, Prince Andrei Kemsky, Prince Gleb Kargopolsky and the Andom princes; Yaroslavl princes also came with their regiments: Prince Andrei Yaroslavsky, Prince Roman Prozorovsky, Prince Lev Kurbsky, Prince Dmitry Rostovsky and many other princes.
Immediately, brothers, a knock knocks and as if thunder roars in the glorious city of Moscow - then the strong army of Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich is coming and the Russian sons are thundering with their gilded armor.
The great prince Dmitry Ivanovich, took with him his brother, Prince Vladimir Andreevich, and all the Russian princes, went to the life-giving Trinity to bow to his spiritual father, the reverend elder Sergius, to receive a blessing from that holy monastery. And the venerable abbot Sergius begged him to listen to the holy liturgy, because it was then Sunday and the memory of the holy martyrs Florus and Laurus was honored. At the end of the liturgy, Saint Sergius and all the brothers of the Grand Duke asked him to eat bread in the house life-giving Trinity, in his monastery. The Grand Duke was in confusion, for I would send messengers to him that the filthy Tatars were already approaching, and he asked the monk to let him go. And the venerable elder answered him: “This delay of yours will turn into double obedience for you. For it is not now, my lord, that you will wear the crown of death, but in a few years, and for many others the crowns are now being woven.” The great prince ate bread from them, and Abbot Sergius at that time ordered the water to be blessed from the relics of the holy martyrs Florus and Laurus. The great prince soon got up from the meal, and the Monk Sergius sprinkled him with sacred water and all his Christ-loving army and overshadowed the great prince with the cross of Christ - a sign on his forehead. And he said: “Go, sir, against the filthy Polovtsians, calling on God, and the Lord God will be your helper and intercessor,” and added to him quietly: “You will defeat, sir, your adversaries, as befits you, our sovereign.” The great prince said: “Give me, father, two warriors from your brethren - Peresvet Alexander and his brother Andrei Oslyaba, then you yourself will help us.” The venerable elder ordered both of them to quickly prepare to go with the Grand Duke, for they were famous warriors in battles and had met more than one attack. They immediately obeyed the venerable elder and did not refuse his command. And he gave them, instead of perishable weapons, an incorruptible one - the cross of Christ, sewn on the schema, and commanded them to place it on themselves instead of gilded helmets. And he handed them over to the hands of the Grand Duke, and said: “Here are my warriors for you, and your chosen ones,” and said to them: “Peace be with you, my brothers, fight firmly, like glorious warriors for the faith of Christ and for all Orthodox Christianity against the filthy Polovtsy." And the sign of Christ overshadowed the entire army of the Grand Duke - peace and blessing.
The great prince rejoiced in his heart, but did not tell anyone what the Monk Sergius had told him. And he went to his glorious city of Moscow, rejoicing in the blessing of the holy elder, as if he had received an unstolen treasure. And, returning to Moscow, he went with his brother, with Prince Vladimir Andreevich, to the Right Reverend Metropolitan Cyprian, and secretly told him everything that the elder Saint Sergius had told only to him, and what blessing he had given to him and his entire Orthodox army. The archbishop ordered to keep these words secret and not tell anyone.
When Thursday, August 27, came, the day of remembrance of the holy father Pimen the Hermit, on that day the great prince decided to go out to meet the godless Tatars. And, taking with him his brother Prince Vladimir Andreevich, he stood in the church of the Holy Mother of God before the image of the Lord, folding his hands on his chest, shedding streams of tears, praying, and said: “Lord our God, great and steadfast lord, truly you are the king of glory, have mercy on us sinners, when we become discouraged, we resort to you alone, our savior and benefactor, for we were created by your hand. But I know, Lord, that my sins are already covering my head, and now do not leave us sinners, do not depart from us. Judge, Lord, those who oppress me and defend from those who fight me; Take, Lord, a weapon and a shield and come to my aid. Grant me, Lord, victory over my enemies, so that they too may know your glory.” And then he proceeded to the miraculous image of the Lady Theotokos, which Luke the Evangelist wrote, and said: “O miraculous Lady Theotokos, intercessor of all human creation, for thanks to you we came to know our true God, incarnate and born of you. Do not, madam, give our cities to ruin to the filthy Polovtsians, lest they desecrate your holy churches and Christian faith. Pray, Madam Mother of God, to your son Christ, our God, to humble the hearts of our enemies, so that their hand will not be over us. And you, our lady, the Most Holy Theotokos, send us your help and cover us with your incorruptible robe, so that we do not fear wounds, we rely on you, for we are your slaves. I know, madam, if you want, you will help us against our evil enemies, these filthy Polovtsians who do not call on your name; We, Madam Most Pure Mother of God, rely on you and your help. Now we are speaking out against the godless pagans, the filthy Tatars, pray to your son, our God.” And then he came to the tomb of the blessed wonderworker Peter the Metropolitan and, falling heartily before him, said: “O miraculous Saint Peter, by the grace of God you continually work miracles. And now the time has come for you to pray for us to the common ruler of all, king and merciful savior. For now the filthy adversaries have taken up arms against me and are preparing weapons against your city Moscow. After all, the Lord showed you to our subsequent generations, lit you for us, a bright candle, and placed you on a high candlestick to shine on the whole Russian land. And now it is fitting for you to pray for us sinners, so that the hand of death does not come upon us and the hand of the sinner does not destroy us. You are our steadfast guardian from enemy attacks, for we are your flock.” And, having finished the prayer, he bowed to the Right Reverend Metropolitan Cyprian, and the archbishop blessed him and released him on a campaign against the filthy Tatars; and, having crossed his forehead, overshadowed him with the sign of Christ, and sent his holy council with crosses, and with holy icons, and with sacred water to the Frolovsky gate, and to the Nikolsky, and to the Konstantino-Eleninsky, so that every warrior would come out blessed and with holy water sprinkled
The great prince Dmitry Ivanovich with his brother, with prince Vladimir Andreevich, went to the church of the heavenly commander, Archangel Michael, and beat his holy image with his forehead, and then proceeded to the tombs of the Orthodox princes, his ancestors, tearfully saying: “True guardians, Russian princes, Orthodox Christian champions, our parents! If you have the boldness to stand before Christ, then pray now for our grief, for a great invasion threatens us, your children, and now help us.” And having said this, he left the church.
The Great Princess Evdokia, and Vladimir's Princess Maria, and other Orthodox princes, princesses, and many wives of the governor, and the Moscow boyars, and the wives of the servants stood here, seeing off, from tears and heartfelt cries they could not say a word, giving a farewell kiss. And the rest of the princesses, and the boyars, and the wives of the servants also kissed their husbands farewell and returned with the Grand Duchess. The great prince, barely restraining himself from tears, did not cry in front of the people, but in his heart he shed a lot of tears, comforting his princess, and said: “Wife, if God is for us, then who can be against us!” And he sat on his best horse, and all the princes and commanders sat on their horses.
The sun shines clearly for him in the east, showing him the way. Then, as the falcons fell from the golden stocks from the stone city of Moscow, and flew up under the blue skies, and thundered with their golden bells, they wanted to strike at the large herds of swans and geese: then, brothers, it was not falcons that flew out of the stone city of Moscow, it was the Russian daredevils with their sovereign, with Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich, but they wanted to run into the great Tatar power.
The Belozersk princes left separately with their army; Their army looks finished. The great prince sent his brother, Prince Vladimir, on the road to Brashevo, and the Belozersk princes on the Bolvanovskaya road, and the great prince himself went to the Kotel road. The sun shines brightly in front of him, and a quiet breeze blows after him. That is why the great prince was separated from his brother, because they could not travel the same road.
The Great Princess Evdokia, with her daughter-in-law, Princess Vladimir Maria, and with the voivode's wives, and with the boyars, went up to her golden-domed mansion on the embankment and sat down on the locker under the glass windows. For this is the last time he sees the Grand Duke, shedding tears like a river flow. With great sadness, putting his hands to his chest, he says: My Lord God, the Almighty Creator, look at my humility, deign me, Lord, to see again my sovereign, the most glorious among people, Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich. Help him, Lord, with your firm hand to defeat the filthy Polovtsians who came out against him. And do not allow, Lord, what happened many years before this, when the terrible battle was between the Russian princes on Kalka with the filthy Polovtsians, with the Hagarians; and now, Lord, deliver from such a misfortune, and save, and have mercy! Do not let, Lord, the surviving Christianity perish, and let your holy name be glorified in the Russian land! Since the time of that Kalka disaster and the terrible Tatar massacre, the Russian land is now sad, and it no longer has hope for anyone, but only for you, the all-merciful God, for you can revive and kill. I, a sinner, now have two small branches, Prince Vasily and Prince Yuri: if the clear sun rises from the south or the wind blows from the west, neither one nor the other will be able to bear it. What then can I, a sinner, do? So, Lord, return to them their father, the Grand Duke, healthy, then their land will be saved, and they will always reign.”
The Grand Duke set off, taking with him noble men, Moscow merchants - ten people from Surozhan - as witnesses: no matter what God arranges, they will tell distant countries, as noble merchants, and there were: the first - Vasily Kapitsa, the second - Sidor Alferyev, the third - Konstantin Petunov, the fourth - Kuzma Kovrya, the fifth - Semyon Antonov, the sixth - Mikhail Salarev, the seventh - Timofey Vesyakov, the eighth - Dmitry Cherny, the ninth - Dementyu Salarev and tenth – Ivan Shikha.
And the great prince Dmitry Ivanovich moved along the big wide road, and behind him the Russian sons quickly walked, as if drinking cups of honey and eating bunches of grapes, wanting to gain honor and a glorious name for themselves: already, brothers, knocking is knocking and thunder is thundering at the early dawn, Prince Vladimir Andreevich crosses the Moscow River on a good ferry on Borovsky.
The great prince came to Kolomna on Saturday, the day of remembrance of the holy father Moses Ethiopia. Many governors and warriors were already there and met him on the Severka River. Archbishop Geronty of Kolomna with all his clergy met the Grand Duke at the city gates with life-giving crosses and holy icons, and overshadowed him with the life-giving cross, and made a prayer: “God save your people.”
The next morning, the Grand Duke ordered all the soldiers to go to the field to the Maiden Monastery.
On Holy Sunday, after Matins, many trumpets sounded, and the kettledrums thundered, and the embroidered banners rustled near Panfilov’s garden.
The Russian sons entered the vast fields of Kolomna, but even here there was no room for a huge army, and it was impossible for anyone to look around the army of the Grand Duke. “The great prince,” having entered an elevated place with his brother, with Prince Vladimir Andreevich, seeing such a multitude of people equipped, rejoiced and appointed a governor for each regiment. The great prince took the Belozersk princes under command, and appointed his brother Prince Vladimir to the regiment of his right hand and gave him command of the Yaroslavl princes, and appointed Prince Gleb of Bryansk to the regiment of his left hand. The leading regiment is Dmitry Vsevolodovich and his brother Vladimir Vsevolodovich, with the Kolomna people there is governor Mikula Vasilyevich, the Vladimir and Yuryevsky governor is Timofey Voluevich, and the Kostroma governor is Ivan Rodionovich Kvashnya, and the Pereyaslav governor is Andrey Serkizovich. And Prince Vladimir Andreevich has governors: Danilo Beleut, Konstantin Kononov, Prince Fyodor Yeletsky, Prince Yuri Meshchersky, Prince Andrei Muromsky.
The Great Prince, having distributed the regiments, ordered them to cross the Oka River and ordered each regiment and governor: “If anyone walks across the Ryazan land, do not touch a single hair!” And, taking a blessing from the Archbishop of Kolomna, the great prince crossed the Oka River with all his might and sent the third outpost, his best knights, into the field so that they would meet with the Tatar guards in the steppe: Semyon Medic, Ignatius Kren, Foma Tynina, Peter Gorsky, Karp Oleksin , Petrusha Churikov and many other daring riders with them.
The great prince said to his brother Prince Vladimir: “Let us hasten, brother, to meet the godless pagans, the filthy Tatars, and we will not turn our faces away from their insolence, and if, brother, death is destined for us, then it will not be without benefit, not without a plan for us.” this death, but into eternal life! And the Great Prince himself, while on the road, called on his relatives for help - the holy passion-bearers Boris and Gleb.
Prince Oleg Ryazansky heard that the great prince had united with many forces and was going towards the godless Tsar Mamai, and besides, he was firmly armed with his faith, which he places all his hope in God the Almighty, the Supreme Creator. And Oleg Ryazansky began to beware and move from place to place with his like-minded people, saying: “If only we could send news of this misfortune to the wise Olgerd of Lithuania, to find out what he thinks about it, but it’s impossible: they blocked our path. I thought in the old fashioned way that Russian princes should not rise up against the Eastern Tsar, but now how can I understand all this? And where did the prince come from so much help that he could rise up against the three of us?”
His boyars answered him: “We, prince, were informed from Moscow fifteen days before, but we were afraid to tell you, that in his estate, near Moscow, there lives a monk, his name is Sergius, he is very perspicacious. He armed him beyond measure and gave him assistants from among his monks.” Hearing this, Prince Oleg Ryazansky was frightened and became angry and furious with his boyars: “Why haven’t they told me until now? Then I would have sent to the evil king and begged him, and no evil would have happened! Woe to me, I have lost my mind, but I am not the only one who has weakened in mind, but also the more intelligent Olgerd of Lithuania than me; but, however, he honors the Latin faith of Peter the Great, but I, damned one, have come to know the true law of God! And why did I go astray? And what the Lord said to me will come true: “If a servant, knowing his master’s law, breaks it, he will be severely beaten.” For now what have you done? Knowing the law of God, who created heaven, and earth, and all creation, he now joined the wicked king, who decided to trample on the law of God! And now to what unreasonable thought have you entrusted yourself? If I were to offer help to the Grand Duke now, he would not accept me, for he had learned about my betrayal. If I join the wicked king, then truly I will become like the former persecutor Christ's faith, and then the earth will swallow me alive, like Svyatopolk: not only will I be deprived of my reign, but I will also lose my life, and I will be thrown into fiery hell to suffer. If the Lord is for them, then no one will defeat them, and even that perspicacious monk will help him with his prayer! If I don’t help any of them, then how can I resist both of them in the future? And now I think so: whichever of them God helps, I will join!”
Prince Olgerd of Lithuania, in accordance with the previous plan, gathered many Lithuanians and Varangians, and Zhmudi and went to help Mamai. And he came to the city of Odoev, but, having heard that the great prince had gathered a great multitude of warriors - all of Rus' and the Slavs, and went to the Don against Tsar Mamai, - having also heard that Oleg was frightened, - and from then on he became motionless here, and I realized the futility of my thoughts, now I regretted my alliance with Oleg Ryazansky, rushed about and was indignant, saying: “If a person lacks his own mind, then in vain he searches for someone else’s mind: it has never happened that Ryazan taught Lithuania! Now Oleg drove me crazy, and he himself died even worse. So now I’ll stay here until I hear about the Moscow victory.”
At the same time, Prince Andrei of Polotsk and Prince Dmitry of Bryansk, the Olgerdovichs, heard that great trouble and care had burdened the Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich of Moscow and all of Orthodox Christianity from the godless Mamai. Those princes were unloved by their father, Prince Olgerd, because of their stepmother, but now they were loved by God and received holy baptism. They were like fruitful ears of corn, suppressed by weeds: living in the midst of wickedness, they could not bear worthy fruit. And Prince Andrei secretly sends a small letter to his brother, Prince Dmitry, in which it is written: “You know, my beloved brother, that our father rejected us from himself, but our heavenly father, the Lord God, loved us more strongly and enlightened us with the saints.” by baptism, giving us his law to live by it, and he separated us from empty vanity and from unclean food; Now what will we give back to God for this? So, brother, let us strive for a good feat for the ascetics of Christ, the source of Christianity, let us go, brother, to the aid of the Grand Duke Dmitry of Moscow and all Orthodox Christians, for a great misfortune came for them from the filthy Ishmaelites, and even our father and Oleg of Ryazan joined godless and persecute the Orthodox Christian faith. We, brother, should fulfill the holy scripture, which says: “Brothers, be responsive in troubles!” Do not doubt, brother, that we will resist our father, because this is how the Evangelist Luke conveyed the words of our Lord Jesus Christ: “You will be betrayed by your parents and brothers and die for my name; he who endures to the end will be saved!” Let us get out, brother, from this oppressive weed and let us be grafted into the true fruitful grapes of Christ, cultivated by the hand of Christ. Now, brother, we strive not for earthly life, but for honor in heaven, desiring which the Lord gives to those who do his will.”
Prince Dmitry Olgerdovich, having read the letter from his elder brother, rejoiced and cried with joy, saying: “Master, Lord, lover of mankind, give your servants the desire to accomplish this good feat in this way, which you revealed to my elder brother!” And he ordered the ambassador: “Tell my brother, Prince Andrey: I am ready right now on your order, brother and master. As many of my troops as there are, they are all with me, because by God’s providence we have gathered for the upcoming war with the Danube Tatars. And also tell my brother, I also heard from the honey collectors who came to me from the land of Sèvres, they say that Grand Duke Dmitry is already on the Don, because the evil raw-eaters want to wait there. And we should go to the North and unite there: we need to keep our way to the North, and in this way we will hide from our father, so that we are not shamefully disturbed.”
A few days later, both brothers came together, as they decided, with all their strength in the Seversk land and, having met, they rejoiced, as Joseph and Benjamin once did, seeing with them many people, vigorous and equipped with skillful warriors. And they quickly reached the Don, and caught up with Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich of Moscow on this side of the Don, at a place called Berezuy, and then they united.
The great prince Dmitry and his brother Vladimir both rejoiced with the great joy of such God’s mercy: after all, it is impossible for such a simple thing to happen, for the children of their father to leave and outwit him, like Herod’s wise men once did, and come to our aid. And he honored them with many gifts, and they went their way, rejoicing and glorifying the holy spirit, having already renounced everything earthly, awaiting another immortal redemption for themselves. The great prince said to them: “My dear brothers, for what need have you come here?” They answered: “The Lord God sent us to help you!” The great prince said: “Truly you are like our forefather Abraham, who quickly helped Lot, and you are also like the valiant Grand Duke Yaroslav, who avenged the blood of his brothers.” And the great prince immediately sent such news to Moscow to the Right Reverend Metropolitan Cyprian: “The Olgerdovich princes came to me with many forces, but left their father.” And the messenger quickly reached the Metropolitan. The archbishop, having heard about this, stood up in prayer, saying with tears: “Lord, lover of mankind, for you turn the winds that are contrary to us into quiet ones! And he sent to all the cathedral churches and monasteries and commanded them to fervently pray day and night to the Almighty God. And he sent them to the monastery to the venerable abbot Sergius, so that God would heed their prayers. The Great Princess Evdokia, having heard about that great mercy of God, began to give out generous alms and constantly remained in the holy church, praying day and night.
Let's leave this again and return to the previous one.
When the great prince was in a place called Berezuy, twenty-three miles from the Don, the fifth day of the month of September had already arrived - the day of remembrance of the holy prophet Zechariah (on the same day the murder of Dmitry's ancestor - Prince Gleb Vladimirovich), and two of his outpost guards arrived , Peter Gorsky and Karp Oleksin, came from among the dignitaries of the royal court. The language tells: “Tsar Kuzmina is already standing, but in no hurry, waiting for Olgerd of Lithuania and Oleg of Ryazan; Guided by the information received from Oleg, the tsar does not know about your preparations and does not expect to meet you; in three days he should be on the Don.” The great prince asked him about the royal strength, and he answered: “The countless number of troops is his strength, no one can count them.”
The great prince began to confer with his brother and with his newly found brother, with the Lithuanian princes: “Are we going to stay here further or will we cross the Don?” The Olgerdpvichs told him: “If you want a strong army, then order them to cross the Don so that not a single one has the thought of retreating; do not think about the great power of the enemy, for God is not in power, but in truth: Yaroslav, having crossed the river, defeated Svyatopolk, your great-grandfather, the great prince Alexander, crossed the Neva River, defeated the king, and you, calling on God, should do the same . And if we defeat the enemy, then we will all be saved, but if we perish, then we will all accept a common death - from princes to ordinary people. You, Sovereign Grand Duke, now need to forget about death, speak in bold words, so that from those speeches your army will be strengthened “We see what a great multitude of chosen knights are in your army.”
And the great prince ordered the entire army to cross the Don.
And at this time the scouts are hurrying up, because the filthy Tatars are approaching. And many Russian sons rejoiced with great joy, expecting their desired feat, which they had dreamed of back in Rus'.
And over many days, many wolves flocked to the place, howling terribly, continuously all night, anticipating a great thunderstorm. The hearts of the brave people in the troops are strengthened, but other people in the troops, having heard the thunderstorm, became completely depressed: after all, an unprecedented army has gathered, they are silently calling to each other, and the jackdaws are speaking in their own language, and the eagles, having flown in multitudes from the mouth of the Don, are soaring through the air, croaking , and many animals howl fiercely, awaiting that terrible day, predetermined by God, on which human bodies must lie: there will be such bloodshed as if it were sea water. It is because of this fear and horror that the great trees bow down and the grass spreads out.”
Many people from both armies are sad, foreseeing their death.
The filthy Polovtsians, in great despondency, began to lament the end of their lives, because if the wicked dies, then the memory of him will disappear with a noise. The faithful people will shine even more in joy, awaiting the aspirations prepared for them, the beautiful crowns that the Venerable Abbot Sergius told the Grand Duke about.
The scouts are hurrying, because the filthy ones are already close and are getting closer. And at six o’clock in the afternoon Semyon Melik rushed with his squad, and many Tatars were chasing him: they brazenly chased almost to our army, and as soon as they saw the Russians, they quickly returned to the tsar and informed him that the Russian princes were preparing for battle at the Don. For by God's providence they saw a great multitude of people stationed and reported to the tsar: “The army of the Russian princes is four times larger than our gathering.” The same wicked king, inflamed by the devil to destroy himself, suddenly cried out and spoke: “Such are my powers, and if I do not defeat the Russian princes, then how will I return home? I can’t bear my shame!” - and ordered his filthy Polovtsians to prepare for battle.
Semyon Melik told the great prince: “Tsar Mamai has already arrived at Gusin Ford, and there is only one night between us, for by morning he will reach Nepryadva. You, Sovereign Grand Duke, should now prepare yourself so that the filthy ones don’t take you by surprise.”
Then the Great Prince Dmitry Ivanovich with his brother, Prince Vladimir Andreevich, and with the Lithuanian princes Andrei and Dmitry Olgerdovich began to arrange the regiments until the sixth hour. A certain governor came with Lithuanian princes, named Dmitry Bobrok, originally from the Volyn land, who was a noble commander, he arranged the regiments well, according to dignity, how and where someone should stand.
The great prince, taking with him his brother, Prince Vladimir, and the Lithuanian princes, and all the Russian princes, and the governor, and riding to a high place, saw the images of saints sewn on Christian banners, as if they were solar lamps, glowing in the rays of the sun; and their gilded banners make noise, spreading out like clouds, quietly fluttering, as if they want to say something; The Russian heroes stand, and their banners, as if alive, sway, the armor of the Russian sons is like water that flows in the wind, the gilded helmets on their heads, like the dawn of the morning in clear weather, glow, the yalovs of their helmets are like a fiery flame, swaying.
It is sad and pitiful to look at such a Russian gathering and their organization, for everyone is unanimous, one for the other, for each other, they want to die, and everyone unanimously says: “God, look at us from on high and grant to our Orthodox prince, like Constantine, victory, throw the Amalekite enemies under his feet, as once meek David did.” The Lithuanian princes marveled at all this, saying to themselves: “There was neither before us, nor with us, and after us there will not be such an army organized. It is like Alexander, king of Macedon, the army, the courage is like Gideon’s horsemen, for the Lord armed them with his strength!”
The great prince, seeing his regiments worthily arranged, got off his horse and fell on his knees right in front of the large regiment with a black banner on which was embroidered the image of our Lord Jesus Christ, and from the depths of his soul began to cry out loudly: “O Lord Almighty! Look with a discerning eye at these people who were created by your right hand and redeemed by your blood from serving the devil.
Listen, Lord, to the sound of our prayers, turn your face to the wicked who do evil to your servants. And now, Lord Jesus, I pray and worship your holy image, and your most pure mother, and all the saints who have pleased you, and our strong and invincible intercessor and prayer book for us, you, Russian saint, new miracle worker Peter! Hoping for your mercy, we dare to cry out and glorify your holy and beautiful name, and father and son and holy spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages! Amen!"
Having finished the prayer and mounted his horse, he began to ride through the regiments with princes and governors and said to each regiment: “My dear brothers, Russian sons, all from small to great! Already, brothers, the night has come, and the terrible day has approached - on this night, watch and pray, take courage and be strong, the Lord is with us, strong in battle. Stay here, brothers, in your places, without confusion. Let each of you now get ready, in the morning it will no longer be possible to get ready: for our guests are already approaching, they are standing on the river on Nepryadva, near the Kulikovo field they are preparing for battle, and in the morning we will drink a common cup with them, passed on to each other, after all, it’s hers, friends my, back in Rus' we desired. Now, brothers, trust in the living God, may peace be with Christ, for in the morning the filthy raw-eaters will not hesitate to attack us.”
For the night has already come of the luminous feast of the Nativity of the Holy Mother of God. Autumn then dragged on and there were still bright days, and that night it was very warm and very quiet, and fogs rose from the dew. For truly the prophet said: “The night is not bright for the unbelievers, but for the faithful it is enlightened.”
And Dmitry Volynets said to the Grand Duke: “I want, sir, to check this sign of mine at night” - and the dawn had already faded. When deep night fell, Dmitry Volynets, taking only the Grand Duke with him, rode out onto the Kulikovo field and, standing between two armies and turning to the Tatar side, heard a loud knock, and shouts, and screams, as if the marketplaces were converging, as if a city was being built, as if great thunder roars; from the rear of the Tatar army, wolves howl very menacingly, on the right side of the Tatar army, crows call and the hubbub of birds is very loud, and on the field side, as if the mountains are shaking - terrible thunder, along the Nepryadva River geese and swans splash their wings, foreshadowing an unprecedented thunderstorm. And the great prince said to Dmitry Volynets: “We hear, brother, the thunderstorm is very terrible,” and Volynets shone: “Call, prince, God for help!”
And he turned to the Russian army - and there was great silence. Volynets then asked: “Do you see anything, prince?” - he answered: “I see: many fiery dawns are rising...” And Volynets said: “Rejoice, sir, these are good signs, just call on God and do not become impoverished in faith!”
And again he said: “And I also have a sign to check.” And he dismounted from his horse and pressed his right ear to the ground for a long time. He stood up, drooped, and sighed heavily. And the great prince asked: “What is there, brother Dmitry?” He was silent and did not want to tell him, but the great prince forced him for a long time. Then he said: “One sign is for your benefit, the other is for sorrow. I heard the earth weeping in two ways: on one side, as if some woman was sobbing loudly for her children in a foreign language, on the other side, as if some maiden suddenly cried out loudly in a sad voice, as if into a pipe, so it was very sad to hear. Before this, I checked a lot of those signs of battles, that’s why I count on God’s mercy - through the prayer of the holy passion-bearers Boris and Gleb, your relatives, and other miracle workers, Russian guardians, I expect the defeat of the filthy Tatars. And many of your Christ-loving troops will fall, but, nevertheless, your triumph, your glory will be.”
Hearing this, the great prince shed tears and said: “To the Lord God everything is possible: the breath of all of us is in his hands!” And Volynets said: “You, sovereign, should not tell this to the army, but just order each soldier to pray to God and call on his saints for help. And early in the morning, order them to mount their horses, every warrior, and arm themselves firmly and sign themselves with the cross: this is, after all, a weapon against the opponents who will meet with us in the morning.”
That same night, a certain man named Thomas Katsibey, a robber, was placed under guard by the Grand Duke on the Churov River for his courage for faithful protection from the filthy. Correcting him, God deigned him to see a wondrous sight that night. Standing on a high place, he saw a cloud coming from the east, very large, as if some troops were marching to the west. From the south side came two young men, dressed in light scarlet, their faces shining like the sun, sharp swords in both hands, and said to the leaders of the army: “Who ordered you to destroy our fatherland, which the Lord has given us? And they began to cut them down and cut them all down, not one of them escaped. The same Thomas, since then chaste and prudent, believed in God, and the next morning he told the Grand Duke alone about that vision. The great prince said to him: “Don’t tell this, friend, to anyone,” and, raising his hands to the sky, he began to cry, saying: “O Lord, lover of mankind! Prayers for the sake of the holy martyrs Boris and Gleb, help me, like Moses against the Amalekites, and like old Yaroslav against Svyatopolk, and my great-grandfather Grand Duke Alexander against the boastful king of Rome, who wanted to ruin his fatherland. Do not repay me according to my sins, but pour out your mercy on us, extend your mercy to us, do not give us to the ridicule of our enemies, so that our enemies do not mock us, the countries of the infidels do not say: “Where is the god against whom they so they hoped.” But God help Christians, for they are glorified by your holy name!”
And the great prince sent his brother, Prince Vladimir Andreevich, up the Don to the oak grove, so that his regiment would hide there, giving him the best experts from his retinue, daring knights, strong warriors. And with him he sent his famous governor Dmitry Volynsky and many others.
When it came, on the eighth day of September, the great feast of the Nativity of the Holy Mother of God, at dawn on Friday, when the sun rose and it was a foggy morning, Christian banners began to flutter and trumpets began to sound in abundance. And now the Russian horses are invigorated by the sound of the trumpet, and each warrior marches under his own banner. And it was joyful to see the regiments lined up on the advice of the firm commander Dmitry Bobrok Volynets.
When the second hour of the day arrived, the sounds of trumpets from both troops began to rise, but the Tatar trumpets seemed to go numb, and the Russian trumpets thundered louder. The regiments still cannot see each other, because the morning was foggy. And at this time, brothers, the earth groans terribly, predicting a great thunderstorm to the east all the way to the sea, and to the west as far as the Danube, and that huge field of Kulikovo is bending, and the rivers were overflowing their banks, for there have never been so many people in that place .
When the great prince mounted the best horse, rode through the regiments and spoke in the great sadness of his heart, tears flowed from his eyes in streams: “My fathers and brothers, for the sake of the gentlemen, fight for the sake of the saints for the sake of the churches and the Christian faith, for this death is for us now is not death, but eternal life; and, brothers, do not think about anything earthly, for we will not retreat, and then Christ the God and Savior of our souls will crown us with victorious crowns.”
Having strengthened the regiments, he returned again under his black banner, and got off his horse, and sat on another horse, and threw off his royal clothes, and put on another one. He gave his former horse to Mikhail Andreevich Brenk and put those clothes on him, for he loved him beyond measure, and he ordered his black banner to be held over Brenk by his squire. Under that banner he was killed in place of the Grand Duke.
The great prince stood in his place, and, taking from his chest the life-giving cross, on which the suffering of Christ was depicted and in which there was a piece of the life-giving tree, he wept bitterly and said: “So, we rely on you, the life-giving cross of the Lord, in the same appeared to the Greek king Constantine when he went out to fight the wicked, and by your miraculous appearance he defeated them. For the filthy, wicked Polovtsians cannot resist your image; So, Lord, show your mercy on your servant!”
At the same time, a messenger came to him with letters from the Venerable Elder Hegumen Sergius, and the letters read: “To the Grand Duke, and to all the Russian princes, and to the entire Orthodox army - peace and blessing!” The great prince, having listened to the scripture of the reverend elder and kissed the messenger with love, was strengthened by that letter, as if by some kind of solid armor. And the elder sent from Abbot Sergius gave a loaf of bread from the Most Pure Mother of God, but the great prince accepted the holy loaf and stretched out his hands, crying out loudly: “O great name of all the Holy Trinity, O Most Holy Lady Theotokos, help us with the prayers of that monastery and the venerable Abbot Sergius; Christ God, have mercy and save our souls!”
And he mounted his best horse, and, taking his spear and an iron club, rode out from the ranks, he wanted to fight with the filthy before anyone else out of the great sadness of his soul, for his great offense, for the holy churches and the Christian faith. Many Russian heroes, holding him back, prevented him from doing this, saying: “You, Grand Duke, should not fight first in battle, you should stand aside and look at us, but we need to fight with our courage and bravery in front of show you: if the Lord saves you with His mercy, then you will know who to reward with what. We are all ready to lay down our heads on this day for you, sir, and for the holy churches, and for Orthodox Christianity. You must, Grand Duke, create a memory for your slaves, as much as anyone deserves with his own head, like Tsar Leontius did for Feodor Tyrone, write down our names in the book of cathedrals, so that the Russian sons who will come after us will remember. If we destroy you alone, then from whom can we expect that a memorial will be arranged for us? If we are all saved, and we leave you alone, then what success will we have? And we will be like a flock of sheep without a shepherd: it drags along in the desert, and the wild wolves that come will scatter it, and the sheep will scatter in all directions. You, sir, must save yourself, and us too.”
The great prince shed tears and said: “My dear brothers, Russian sons, I cannot respond to your kind speech, but I only thank you, for you are truly good servants of God. After all, you know well about the torment of Christ’s passion-bearer Arethas. When he was being tortured and the king ordered him to be led before the people and cut to death with a sword, his valiant friends, one in a hurry before the other, each of them bowed his head to the executioner under the sword instead of Arefa, his leader, realizing the glory of his act. Arefa, the leader, said to his soldiers: “So know, my brothers, was it not I who was honored more than you by the earthly king, having received earthly glory and gifts? So now it is fitting for me to go ahead to the heavenly king, my head should be the first to be cut off, or rather, to be crowned.” And, approaching, the executioner cut off his head, and then cut off the heads of his soldiers. So do I, brothers. Who among the Russian sons was more honored than me and constantly received good things from the Lord? And now evil has come upon me, can I really not endure it? After all, it was because of me alone that all this was erected. I can’t see you being defeated, and I can’t bear everything that follows, that’s why I want to drink the same common cup with you and die the same death for the holy Christian faith! If I die, I’ll be with you; if I’m saved, I’ll be with you!”
And now, brothers, at that time the regiments are leading: the advanced regiment is led by Dmitry Vsevolodovich and his brother, Prince Vladimir Vsevolodovich, and on the right hand the regiment is led by Mikula Vasilyevich with the Kolomna residents, and on the left hand the regiment is led by Timofey Voluevich with the Kostroma residents. Many filthy regiments are wandering from all sides: due to the multitude of troops, there is no place for them to converge. The godless Tsar Mamai, having gone to a high place with three princes, monitors the human bloodshed.
Seeing that the third hour of the day had come, the great prince said: “Now our guests have already approached and are passing a circular cup to each other, that the first have already drunk it, and rejoiced, and fell asleep, for the time has already come and the hour has come to show their courage to everyone.” And each warrior whipped his horse, and everyone exclaimed unanimously: “God is with us!” - and again: “Christian God, help us!” - and the filthy Tatars began to call on their gods.
And both great forces came together menacingly, firmly fighting, brutally destroying each other, not only from weapons, but also from the terrible crowding under the horse’s hooves, they gave up their spirits, for it was impossible to fit everyone on that Kulikovo field: that field was cramped between the Don and the Mecheya. On that field, strong troops converged, bloody dawns emerged from them, and sparkling lightning fluttered in them from the shine of swords. And there was a great crash and thunder from the broken spears and from the blows of swords, so that in this sad hour it was impossible to see that ferocious carnage in any way. For in just one hour, in the blink of an eye, how many thousands of human souls, God’s creatures, perished! The will of the Lord is being accomplished: for an hour, and a third, and a fourth, and a fifth, and a sixth, the Christians fight relentlessly and relentlessly against the filthy Polovtsians.
When the seventh hour of the day arrived, by God's permission and for our sins, the filthy began to overcome. Now, many of the noble men have been killed, Russian heroes, and governors, and brave people, like oak trees, are bowing to the ground under horse hooves: many Russian sons have been crushed. And the Grand Duke himself was severely wounded, and he was thrown from his horse, he barely got out of the field, for he could no longer fight, and hid in a thicket and was preserved by God’s power. Many times the banners of the Grand Duke were cut down, but they were not destroyed by God's grace, they became even more established.
We heard this from a faithful eyewitness who was in Vladimir Andreevich’s regiment; he told the Grand Duke, saying: “At the sixth hour of this day I saw the sky open above you, from which a cloud emerged, like a crimson dawn over the army of the Grand Duke, gliding low. The cloud was filled with human hands, and those hands stretched out over the great regiment as if preaching or prophetically. At the seventh hour of the day the cloud held many crowns and lowered them on the army, on the heads of the Christians.”
The filthy ones began to prevail, and the Christian regiments thinned out - there were already few Christians, and all were filthy. Seeing such a death of Russian sons, Prince Vladimir Andreevich could not restrain himself and said to Dmitry Volynets: “So what is the use of our standing? what kind of success will we have? who should we help? Already our princes and boyars, all Russian sons, are cruelly dying from the filthy, as if the grass is bending!” And Dmitry answered: “The trouble, prince, is great, but our hour has not yet come: he who begins ahead of time will bring harm to himself; for the ears of wheat are suppressed, and the weeds grow and rage over the well-born. So let’s wait a little until the time is convenient, and at that hour we will give what we deserve to our opponents. Now just command every soldier to pray diligently to God and call upon the saints for help, and from now on God’s grace and help will descend to Christians.” And Prince Vladimir Andreevich, raising his hands to the sky, shed bitter tears and said: “God, our father, who created heaven and earth, help the Christian people! Do not, Lord, allow our enemies to rejoice over us, punish little and have much mercy, for your mercy is endless!” The Russian sons in his regiment cried bitterly, seeing their friends struck down by the filthy, and constantly rushed into battle, as if invited to drink sweet wine at a wedding. But Volynets forbade them to do this, saying: “Wait a little, wild sons of the Russians, your time will come when you will be consoled, for you have someone to have fun with!”
And then the eighth hour of the day came, when the south wind pulled from behind us, and Volynets exclaimed in a loud voice: “Prince Vladimir, our time has come and the opportune hour has come!” - and added: “My brothers, friends, be bold: the power of the Holy Spirit is helping us!”
Companions and friends jumped out of the green oak grove, as if tried falcons had fallen from golden stocks, rushed towards the endless herds, fattened, towards that great Tatar power; and their banners were directed by the firm commander Dmitry Volynts: and they were like David’s youths, whose hearts were like lions, like fierce wolves attacked the sheep flock and began to whip the filthy Tatars mercilessly.
The filthy Polovtsians saw their destruction, shouted in their own language, saying: “Alas, we have been outwitted by Rus' again; the younger ones fought with us, but the best all survived!” And the filthy ones turned, showed their backs, and ran. The Russian sons, with the power of the Holy Spirit and the help of the holy martyrs Boris and Gleb, drove them away, as if they were cutting down a forest - as if the grass under the scythe falls behind the Russian sons under horse hooves. The filthy ones on the shore shouted, saying: “Woe to us, Tsar Mamai, whom we honor! You ascended high, and you descended to hell!” And many of our wounded helped, flogging the filthy without mercy: one Russian drives out a hundred filthy ones.
The godless Tsar Mamai, seeing his death, began to call on his gods: Perun and Salavat, and Rakliy and Khors and his great accomplice Mohammed. And he had no help from them, for the power of the holy spirit, like fire, burns them.
And Mamai, seeing new warriors who, like fierce beasts, were galloping and tearing apart enemies like a flock of sheep, said to his friends: “Let’s run, because we can’t wait for anything good, so at least we’ll carry off our own heads!” And immediately the filthy Mamai ran with four men into the bend of the sea, gnashing his teeth, crying bitterly, saying: “We, brothers, will no longer be in our own land, and we will no longer caress our wives, and we will not see our children, we will no longer caress the damp land, we will kiss the green ant, and we will no longer see our squad, neither the princes nor the boyars!”
And many chased after them and did not catch up, because their horses were tired, but Mamai’s horses were fresh, and he left the pursuit.
And this all happened by the grace of Almighty God and the Most Pure Mother of God and the prayer and help of the holy passion-bearers Boris and Gleb, whom Thomas Katsibey the Robber saw when he stood guard, as already written above. Some chased after the Tatars and, having finished off everyone, returned, each to his own banner.
Prince Vladimir Andreevich stood on the battlefield under the black banner. It is terrible, brothers, to contemplate then, and it is pitiful to see and it is bitter to look at human bloodshed: like the expanse of the sea, and human corpses like haystacks: a fast horse cannot gallop, and they wandered knee-deep in blood, and the rivers flowed with blood for three days.
And the Lithuanian princes said: “We think that he is alive, but seriously wounded; what if it lies among the dead corpses?” Another warrior said: “I saw him at the seventh hour firmly fighting with the filthy club with his club.” Another said: “I saw him later: four Tatars attacked him, but he fought them firmly.” A certain prince named Stefan Novosilsky said: “I saw him just before your arrival, he was walking on foot from the battle, and he was all wounded. That’s why I couldn’t help him because three Tatars were chasing me and by the grace of God I barely escaped from them, but I accepted a lot of evil from them and was very tormented.”
Prince Vladimir said: “Brothers and friends, Russian sons, if anyone finds my brother alive, he will truly be the first among us!; And they all scattered across the great, mighty and formidable battlefield, seeking the victory of the winner. And some came across the murdered Mikhail Andreevich Brenk: lying in clothes and in the helmet that the Grand Duke gave him; others came across the murdered Prince Fyodor Semenovich Belozersky, considering him to be the Grand Duke, because he looked like him.
Two warriors deviated to the right side into the oak grove, one named Fyodor Sabur, and the other Grigory Kholopishchev, both from Kostroma. We walked a little away from the battlefield and came across the Grand Duke, beaten and wounded all over and tired, he was lying in the shade of a felled birch tree. And they saw him and, dismounting from their horses, bowed to him. Sabur immediately returned to tell Prince Vladimir about this and said: “The Great Prince Dmitry Ivanovich is alive and reigns forever!”
All the princes and governors, hearing about this, quickly rushed and fell at his feet, saying: “Rejoice, our prince, like the former Yaroslav, the new Alexander, conqueror of the enemies: the honor of this victory belongs to you!” The great prince barely said: “What is there, tell me.” And Prince Vladimir said: “By the grace of God and his most pure mother, the help and prayers of the relatives of our holy martyrs Boris and Gleb, and the prayers of the Russian Saint Peter, and our helper and inspirer Abbot Sergius, through all of those prayers our enemies were defeated, but we were saved.” .
And they brought him a horse, and, mounting the horse and riding out to the great, terrible and formidable place of battle, he saw a lot of his troops killed, and the filthy Tatars were four times more than those killed, and, turning to Volynets, he said: “Truly, Dmitry, not Your omen is false; it behooves you to always be a commander.”
And he went with his brother and with the remaining princes and governors to the place of the battle, exclaiming from the pain of his heart and shedding tears, and said thus: “Brothers, Russian sons, princes, and boyars, and governors, and boyar servants! God has destined you to die such a death. You laid down your lives for the holy churches and for Orthodox Christianity.” And a little later he drove up to the place where the Belozersk princes lay killed together: they fought so firmly that they died one after the other. The murdered Mikhail Vasilyevich lay nearby; standing over them, dear commanders, the great prince began to cry and say: “My brother princes, sons of the Russians, if you have courage before God, pray for us, so that together with you we may be with the Lord God, for I know that he will listen to you.” God!"
And he went further and found his confidant Mikhail Andreevich Brenk, and near him lay the staunch guard Semyon Melik, and nearby Timofey Voluevich was killed. Standing over them, the great prince shed tears and said: “My beloved brother, because of your resemblance to me, you were killed. What kind of slave can serve his master like this one, who voluntarily comes to death for my sake! Truly like the ancient Abis, who was in the army of Darius the Persian and did the same as you.” Since Melik was lying here, the prince said above him: “My steadfast guard, I was firmly guarded by your guard.” He arrived at another place, saw Peresvet the monk, and in front of him lay a filthy Pecheneg, an evil Tatar, like a mountain, and right there nearby lay the famous hero Grigory Kapustin. The great prince turned to his people and said: “You see, brothers, his initiator, for this Alexander Peresvet, our accomplice, blessed by Abbot Sergius, defeated the great, strong, evil Tatar, from whom many people would drink the cup of death.”
And having driven off to a new place, he ordered to blow the prefabricated pipes and convene people. The brave knights, having sufficiently tested their weapons against the filthy Tatars, wander from all sides towards the sound of the trumpet. They walked joyfully, rejoicing, and sang songs: some sang theotokos, others martyrdom, others psalms, all Christian songs. Every warrior goes, rejoicing, to the sound of the trumpet.
When all the people had gathered, the great prince stood in the midst of them, weeping and rejoicing: he weeps for the slain, but rejoices for the healthy. He said: my brothers, Russian princes, and local boyars, and service people of the whole earth! It is fitting for you to serve in this way, and for me to duly praise you. If the Lord protects me and I am on my throne, on the great reign in the city of Moscow, then I will reward you according to your dignity. Now this is what we’ll do: let’s bury each of our neighbors so that Christian bodies don’t fall to the beasts to be devoured.”
The Great Prince stood behind the Don on the battlefield for eight days, until the Christians were separated from the wicked. The bodies of Christians were buried in the ground, the bodies of the wicked were thrown to animals and birds to be torn to pieces.
And the Great Prince Dmitry Ivanovich said: “Count, brothers, how many governors are missing, how many service people.” Says a Moscow boyar named Mikhail Alexandrovich, and he was in the regiment of Mikula Vasilyevich, he was a very good accountant: “We, sir, do not have forty Moscow boyars, and twelve Belozersky princes, and thirteen boyars - posadniks of Novgorod, and fifty boyars of Nizhny Novgorod, yes forty boyars of Serpukhov, yes twenty boyars of Pereyaslav, yes twenty-five boyars of Kostroma, yes thirty-five boyars of Vladimir, yes fifty boyars of Suzdal, yes forty boyars of Murom, yes thirty-three boyars of Rostov, yes twenty boyars of Dmitrov, yes seventy boyars of Mozhaisk, yes sixty the Zvenigorod boyars, and fifteen Uglich boyars, and twenty Galich boyars, and there’s not even a count of the younger warriors; but we only know: our entire squad of two hundred and fifty thousand and three thousand perished, and we have a squad of fifty thousand left.”
And the great prince said: “Glory to you, supreme creator, heavenly king, merciful Savior, who had mercy on us sinners and did not give us into the hands of our enemies, filthy raw-eaters. And you, brothers, princes, and boyars, and governors, and the younger squad, Russian sons, are destined for a place between the Don and Nepryadva, on the Kulikovo field, on the Nepryadva river. You laid down your heads for the Russian land, for the Christian faith. Forgive me, brothers, and bless me in this life and in the next!” And he cried for a long time, and said to his princes and commanders: “Let us go, brothers, to our land of Zalesskaya, to the glorious city of Moscow, we will return to our estates and grandfathers: we have gained honor for ourselves and a glorious name!”
The filthy Mamai then ran away from the massacre, and reached the city of Kafa, and, hiding his name, returned to his land, not wanting to endure, seeing himself defeated, shamed and desecrated. And again he was angry, very furious, and still plotting evil against the Russian land, like a roaring lion and like an insatiable viper. And, having gathered his remaining strength, he again wanted to go into exile to the Russian land. And when he planned this, news suddenly came to him that a king named Tokhtamysh from the east, from the Blue Horde itself, was coming against him. And Mamai, who prepared an army for a campaign against Russian land, went with that army against Tokhtamysh. And they met on Kalka, and there was a big fight between them. And King Tokhtamysh, having defeated King Mamai, drove him away. The Mamaev princes, and allies, and esauls, and boyars beat Tokhtamysha with their foreheads, and he accepted them, and captured the Horde, and sat down as king. Mamai ran away to Kafa alone again; having concealed his name, he hid here, and was identified by some merchant, and then he was killed by fryags; and so evil lost his life. Let's finish talking about this here.
Olgerd of Lithuania, having heard that the Great Prince Dmitry Ivanovich defeated Mamai, returned home with great shame. Oleg Ryazansky, having learned that the Grand Duke wanted to send an army against him, got scared and ran away from his estate with the princess and the boyars; The Ryazan people beat the Grand Duke with their foreheads, and the Great Prince installed his governors in Ryazan.
A brief summary of “The Tale of the Massacre of Mamaev” will help you find out the main events described in this monument of ancient Russian literature. It tells the story of the Battle of Kulikovo - one of the key battles of the united Russian army under the command of Dmitry Donskoy against the Golden Horde of Mamai. This work tells about heavenly visions that foreshadowed the victory of the Russian people, and provides many interesting details and details. Along with historical facts that took place in reality, the work contains fictional episodes based on legends and tales.
Features of the work
The summary of “The Tale of the Massacre of Mamayev” should be well known to everyone who is interested not only in Russian literature, but also in history. Interestingly, it differs significantly from other war stories dating back to that time. From the contents of “The Tale of the Massacre of Mamayev,” the author of which is unknown, we can conclude that the person who wrote it was a churchman. At the same time, he seeks to portray Mamai as a pagan. Religious understanding of events also determines the choice of appropriate artistic techniques, manners of storytelling. So, on the pages of “The Tale of the Massacre of Mamayev,” a brief summary of which will allow you to remember what this work is about, the author constantly compares the events taking place and their heroes with characters from world and biblical history. For example, he mentions Moses, Gideon, David and Goliath, the Byzantine Emperor Constantine the Great, Alexander the Great, Yaroslav the Wise and Alexander Nevsky. Analogies with the Bible and important historical events of the past give even greater significance to the battle on the Kulikovo Field.
Time of writing
We have at our disposal the full content of “The Tale of the Massacre of Mamaev.” The author and year of writing of this work cannot be determined.
It is worth noting that the work has come down to us in copies, some of them very late, dating back even to the end of the 18th - early XIX century. All this suggests that it was extremely popular in Rus'. At the same time, it must be admitted that it had an impact on him. significant influence ideological and political atmosphere of the time in which it was created and edited.
For example, many researchers, in their analysis of the summary of “The Tale of the Massacre of Mamayev,” note that special attention is paid to the role of the church. During the years of Moscow’s confrontation with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and then with the Crimean Khanate, anti-Lithuanian and anti-Horde accents intensified, respectively.
Research
The analysis of the work “The Tale of the Massacre of Mamayev” was carried out for a long time by linguist and doctor of philological sciences Sergei Shambinago. In their works, they noted the originality of this work in the desire of the unknown author to demonstrate the role historical figure, its significance in current events, which has almost never been done before in Russian literature. In this regard, the author went much further than the usual chronicle text.
An analysis of the content of “The Tale of the Massacre of Mamayev” notes that this work is multi-figured, and three groups of main characters can be distinguished in it. The main ones include princes Dmitry Ivanovich and Vladimir Andreevich, as well as Mamai. The secondary ones include Sergius of Radonezh, Oleg Ryazansky, Olgerd of Lithuania, and the Olgerdovich brothers. Episodic characters have a certain influence on the narratives: Mikhail Brenk, Zechariah Tyutchev, Thomas Katsibey, Metropolitan Cyprian. For the analysis of “The Tale of the Massacre of Mamayev” it is extremely important that the fate of each hero is not confined to a separate microplot. The author strives to show the role and importance of everyone, even if they are insignificant.
Main events
In this article we will introduce readers to a summary of “The Tale of the Massacre of Mamaev.” The work begins with a characterization of the eastern prince Mamai, a pagan and persecutor of Christians. He goes to war on Russian soil, receiving support from his protege Oleg Ryazansky, who hopes to get Vladimir, Kolomna and Murom, and Olgerd Litovsky, who hopes to get Moscow.
Olgerd and Oleg are convinced that the Moscow prince Dmitry Donskoy will not dare to oppose the Tatar-Mongol army and will leave his city to the enemy without a fight. When Dmitry learns of the impending threat, he sends for his brother to Borovsk, and also appeals to all Russian princes. At the same time, he communicates with Metropolitan Cyprian, telling him that he did not do anything wrong before Mamai, and paid the tribute in full. The priest advises him to humble himself by sending all the gold that he has, and if this does not satisfy the eastern ruler, then the Lord will have to defeat him.
Meeting with Sergius
Even in a very brief summary of “The Tale of the Massacre of Mamayev” it is necessary to pay attention to the events preceding the battle. Having obeyed the Metropolitan, Dmitry sends Zakhary Tyutchev with a large convoy of gold to meet Mamai.
Once in Ryazan, Zakhary learns that Oleg and Olgerd are planning to join the conqueror, and secretly sends a messenger to Dmitry with this news. The prince consults with Cyprian, and then calls on all Russian soldiers to come to the Dormition of the Holy Mother of God in Kolomna.
The prince himself, together with his brother and other Russian princes, goes to the Trinity to meet with Elder Sergius. He blesses him for battle, predicting defeat of the enemy. Sergius gives him two monks with him: Andrei Oslyabya and Alexander Peresvet.
Preparing for battle
Dmitry tells Cyprian that Sergius predicted victory for him in the battle against Mamai. The Metropolitan also blesses him for battle, sending the holy cross to the Nikolsky, Frolovsky and Konstantin-Eleninsky gates, so that any warrior comes out of them sprinkled with holy water and blessed.
In Kolomna, Dmitry distributes regiments and appoints governors to them. Having received a blessing from Archbishop Gerontius, he crosses Oka at the head of the army, turning in prayer to his relatives, brothers Boris and Gleb, for help.
At this time, Olgerd and Oleg learn that Dmitry is moving towards Mamai with a large army. They begin to doubt the success of the invader and decide to withdraw from the battle, waiting to see who will be the winner. But princes Dmitry Bryansky and Andrei Polotsky, the Olgerdovichs, unloved by their father because of their stepmother who baptized them, decide to join Dmitry’s Orthodox army. They leave their father.
As a result Russian army crossing the Don. It becomes known from the scouts that the Tatars are very close, and they also know that Dmitry has gathered a large army. The prince travels through the regiments with inspiring speeches, calling on them to defend Rus' and the Orthodox faith, not sparing their own lives.
Vision
An important omen is witnessed by the robber Thomas Katsibey, whom Dmitry will forgive for his courage, placing him at a post on the Churov River. He receives a vision. God wants to correct Thomas by showing how a huge cloud is moving from the east, and from the south two young men in light purple robes and with sharp swords appear. They demand an answer from the leaders of the army, asking who allowed them to attack their native land. They cut down their opponents with swords, not a single enemy manages to escape. Thomas tells the prince about his vision, from then on he begins to believe in God and comes to his senses.
Prince Dmitry sends his brother Vladimir along with Dmitry Volynets to the oak grove up the Don so that they can hide there with their regiments. On the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, both armies meet on the Kulikovo Field.
The author of the work describes how nature reacts to this: the earth seems to groan, predicting a thunderstorm, and the field itself sags, rivers overflow their banks from so many people. The messenger sent by Sergius of Radonezh gives the prince letters with blessings, as well as a loaf of bread from the Most Pure Mother of God. The prince turns to prayer, asking the Mother of God and the Trinity for intercession. After this, he mounts his horse, standing in front of the first ranks of his warriors to lead them into battle. At the same time, his entourage is against it, dissuading him, but Dmitry does not listen to them.
Battle of Peresvet
A fierce Pecheneg five fathoms tall comes out from the Tatars to meet the Russian army. The monk Alexander Peresvet speaks from the Russian army, as Abbot Sergius of Radonezh commanded. They rush at each other, fight with spears, after which they fall dead from their horses.
Dmitry calls on the soldiers to demonstrate all their courage, and the battle begins.
Battle of Kulikovo
In “The Tale of the Massacre of Mamaev,” the author describes that the Tatars at the seventh hour begin to overcome the Russians, tipping the scales in their favor. At this time, Prince Vladimir, who was hiding with his soldiers in the oak grove, is eager to rush to his brother’s aid, but Dmitry Volynets stops him, claiming that the time for this has not yet come.
Only at eight o'clock the fresh forces of the Russian army, which were in ambush, rush into the thick of the battle. Exhausted by the long battle, the Tatars cannot withstand this sudden attack. They are fleeing the battlefield. Mamai turns to his gods, and to everyone in a row (Salavat, Perun, Khors, Rakli, Mohammed), but they do not help him at all. He also has to run away. He manages to escape pursuit.
Denouement
Prince Dmitry defeats the Tatars, as the author notes, with the help of God and Mother of God, Saints Boris and Gleb, who appeared to Katsibey. The prince himself is found wounded and beaten in the oak grove. He orders the soldiers to bury their comrades so that their Orthodox bodies do not become the prey of animals.
The army remains on the battlefield for eight days, during which time they bury their comrades. Mamai returns to his land, planning to go to Rus' with a new army, but then he learns that he himself is under threat, since Tsar Tokhtamysh is heading towards him from the east. Tokhtamysh defeats Mamai on Kalka. He hides in Cafu under an assumed name, but he is still managed to be tracked down and killed.
Olgerd, having learned about Dmitry's victory, goes to his possessions in shame, and runs away from his estate, fearing that Dmitry will send his army to him.
Another work about the Battle of Kulikovo, “The Tale of the Massacre of Mamayev,” gained greater popularity in Rus' than “Zadonshchina.” This is an extensive literary work, built according to all the rules of a medieval military story: with a clear contrast between friend and foe, with an indispensable mention of princely prayers to God and appeals to soldiers, with a description of diplomatic negotiations, with vivid and detailed descriptions of army gatherings and the battle itself.
The author of the “Tale” borrowed a lot from “Zadonshchina”, the chronicle stories about the Battle of Kulikovo. Some episodes of the “Tale” go back to oral traditions and legends: this is a description of the duel of Peresvet with the Tatar hero, the story of how Dmitry Ivanovich changes clothes with the boyar Mikhail Brenok before the battle, the episode of the “test of omens” on the night before the battle. A number of details of the Battle of Kulikovo have come to us only thanks to the “Legend”; they are not recorded in other literary monuments about the Massacre of Mamayev and historical documents. Only the “Tale” tells about the duel of Peresvet, provides data on the “organization” of the regiments on the battlefield, only from the “Tale” do we know that the outcome of the battle was decided by the actions of the ambush regiment and many other details and facts.
In literary terms, “The Tale of the Massacre of Mamayev” differs in many ways from previous military stories. Let's name some of these differences. The author of the “Tale” is consistent in his religious interpretation of historical events. This religious view of the course of the Battle of Kulikovo is reflected in the full title of the work. The victory on the Kulikovo field was “given by God” to Dmitry Ivanovich; the defeat of the Mongol-Tatars is considered as “the rise of Christians over godless pagans.” The religious understanding of events also determined the choice of artistic techniques of depiction and manner of narration. The author constantly uses comparisons of current events and heroes with events and heroes of biblical and world history. He recalls biblical heroes - Gideon and Moses, David and Goliath, as well as Alexander the Great and the Byzantine Emperor Constantine the Great, Alexander Nevsky and Yaroslav the Wise. Biblical and historical comparisons give the story special significance and emphasize the importance of the battle on the Kulikovo Field not only for the Russian land.
The main characters— Dmitry Donskoy and Mamai. Dmitry Ivanovich is a pious Christian who relies on God in everything. His characteristics in the “Tale” are more reminiscent of the characteristics of a saint than of a statesman and commander: before every serious step, the prince turns with lengthy prayers to God, the Mother of God, and Russian saints; he is filled with reverent meekness and humility. Dmitry Ivanovich is helped in the fight against Mamai by heavenly forces, the heavenly army, led by Saints Boris and Gleb, comes to the rescue, a vision appears - crowns descending from the sky. In “The Tale of the Massacre of Mamayev” it is emphasized that the abbot of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, especially revered in Rus', Sergius of Radonezh, blesses Dmitry Donskoy for the battle, sends the warrior monks Peresvet and Oslyabya to him, and immediately before the battle sends a message (“letter”) with blessing for the battle with the enemy.
Mamai, on the contrary, personifies universal evil, his actions are controlled by the devil, he is “godless” and wants not only to defeat the Russian army, but also to destroy orthodox churches. He is the embodiment of all vices - pride, arrogance, deceit, malice.
Quotes from the Holy Scriptures, numerous prayers and appeals to God, prophecies and miraculous visions, patronage heavenly powers and saints, following a certain “etiquette”, certain rules when describing campaigns and battles (a clear contrast between one’s own and enemies, the prayer of the prince and soldiers before the performance, seeing off the soldiers and princes by their wives, a description of the parade procession of troops and their placement on the battlefield, the prince’s speech to the squad before the battle, “standing on the bones,” etc.) give “The Tale of the Massacre of Mamaev” solemnity and ceremoniality.
The listed features are not exhaustive artistic originality works. The author reveals poetic talent and inspiration in the description of battle scenes. After the deployment of the regiments, Dmitry Ivanovich with the princes and governors goes to a high place, and a wondrous picture opens up to their eyes. The whole picture is built on images of light, the sun; everything is bright, everything shines, sparkles, glows, everything is full of movement. The author depicts the Russian army with special love, as a single, united, formidable force. Each of the authors of military stories finds his own words to convey admiration for Russian soldiers. The author of “The Legend” proudly calls them “daring knights”, “steadfast warriors”, “Russian heroes”, but most often he calls the nameless heroes solemnly and paternally “Russian sons”. All of them are “unanimously ready to die for each other,” they all “look forward to their desired feat.”
The artistic gift of the author of “The Tale” is manifested not only in the depiction of courage and feat on the battlefield, but also in the description of the mental states of the heroes. The lament of Princess Evdokia, who saw off her husband on the campaign, begins as a solemn ceremonial prayer. This is a prayer Grand Duchess, who is not indifferent to state interests: “Lord, do not allow what happened many years before, when the Russian princes had a terrible battle on Kalka...” But this is also the cry of a wife, a mother, who has two “young” sons . And her words sound so touching: “What can I, a sinner, do then? So, Lord, return to them their father, the Grand Duke, healthy..."
The author pays a lot of attention to depicting the emotional states of his characters, especially Dmitry Ivanovich Donskoy. The prince is saddened when he learns about Mamai’s impending campaign, grieves and is angry at the news of Oleg Ryazansky’s betrayal, and can barely hold back his tears as he says goodbye to his wife; “in the great sorrow of his heart” calls on his regiments to fight without retreating; “exclaiming from the pain of his heart,” without holding back his tears, he travels across the battlefield, mourning the dead. Dmitry Ivanovich’s address to the soldiers on the eve of the battle is striking in its insight. His words contain so much attention, participation, so much “pity” for the “sons of the Russians,” many of whom will die tomorrow.
Along with Christian virtues (simplicity, humility, piety), the author depicts the statesmanship and military talent of the Grand Duke. Dmitry Ivanovich takes energetic measures, having learned that Mamai is going to the Russian land, he convenes the princes to Moscow, sends out letters calling on them to go against Mamai, sends guard detachments into the field, and “organizes” the regiments. He also displays personal valor on the battlefield. Before the start of the battle, Dmitry Ivanovich changes into the armor of a simple warrior in order to fight on an equal basis with everyone else and enter the battle before everyone else. They are trying to restrain Dmitry Ivanovich, but he is adamant: “I want to drink the same common cup with you and die the same death for the holy Christian faith. If I die, I’ll be with you; if I’m saved, I’ll be with you!” Some saw him on the battlefield “firmly fighting the filthy with his club,” others told how four Tatars attacked the Grand Duke and he courageously fought with them. All wounded, Dmitry Ivanovich had to leave the battlefield and hide in the forest. When they found him, he barely said: “What is there, tell me.” This one is short simple phrase reliably conveys the state of a wounded, exhausted person who finds it difficult to even speak. The entire storyline - the prince's changing clothes, his decision to fight in the front ranks, his injury, the news of his death at the moment, as it might seem, of the complete defeat of the Russian forces, eyewitness accounts of how courageously Dmitry Ivanovich fought, the long search - was built very skillfully by the author. Such a development of events aroused the reader’s increased interest in the story and increased anxiety for the outcome of the battle and for the fate of the prince.
The author of “The Legend” also sees the wisdom of Dmitry Ivanovich as a politician and a person in the fact that the Grand Duke was able to gather around himself smart, loyal, experienced advisers and assistants. The prince’s comrades are portrayed in “The Tale of the Massacre of Mamayev” as brave, fearless warriors and intelligent commanders. Each of them has their own personal merits to the prince, their own special contribution to the victory, their own feat on the Kulikovo Field. Dmitry and Andrei Olgerdovich advise crossing the Don so that no one has the thought of retreating: “If we defeat the enemy, then we will all be saved, but if we perish, then we will all accept a common death.” Semyon Melik warns the Grand Duke about the approach of Mamai and hurries up preparations for battle so that the Tatars are not taken by surprise. Dmitry Volynets arranges shelves on the Kulikovo field, he owns general plan battle. Peresvet begins the battle and in a duel with the Tatar hero dies first. Mikhail Brenok, fighting under the banner of the Grand Duke and in his clothes, dies in his place. Dmitry's cousin, Prince Vladimir Andreevich Serpukhovskoy, heads the ambush regiment, and he decides the outcome of the battle.
The story about the performance of the ambush regiment is the culminating episode of the “Tale”. The “ferocious massacre” had already lasted for six hours; at the seventh hour, “the filthy ones began to overcome.” The warriors standing in ambush cannot bear to watch their brothers die; they are eager to fight. “So what is the use of our standing? What kind of success will we have? Who should we help? - Prince Vladimir Andreevich exclaims, unable to watch Russian soldiers die. But the experienced governor Dmitry Volynets stops the prince and the soldiers, saying that their time has not yet come. This wait is languid, painful to the point of tears. But finally Volynets exclaimed: “Prince Vladimir, your time has come and the opportune hour has come!”
And Russian soldiers jumped out “from the green oak grove.” The Tatars exclaim with bitterness: “Alas for us, Rus' has outwitted us again: the younger ones fought with us, but the best all survived.” Seeing himself “shamed and insulted,” “very angry,” Mamai takes flight, and the “Tale” ends with the story of how King Mamai “evilly lost his life.”
“The Tale of the Massacre of Mamaev” is one of the most widespread works in Ancient Rus'. This complex work, somewhat heavy in style, was very popular. The many lists of this work indicate that ancient Russian readers and scribes appreciated the skill of the author of the “Tale”, his ability to create a panoramic picture of events, captivating in its grandeur, and at the same time build his story in such a way that interest in it did not wane, despite the complexity language, an abundance of prayers, comparisons and quotes from the Bible. Comparisons with biblical characters and events, quotations from the Holy Scriptures, lengthy prayers are difficult for the reader of our time to understand. And for the contemporaries of the author of “The Tale” they were a manifestation of his literary education, skill, and mastery. Writers of later times sought to imitate the “Tale,” which largely determined the development of military stories in the 16th and 17th centuries.