Battle on the river Sit: background, course of the battle, consequences. Mystery of the Sith Battle Battle on the River City Prince

Battle on the River City (Sitskaya battle) - a battle that took place on March 4, 1238 on the river. City between the troops of the Grand Duke of Vladimir Yuri Vsevolodovich and the Mongols under the leadership of Burundai, temnik Batu.

After the Mongols invaded the principality of Vladimir, Yuri left the capital of the principality and went into the forests near the City River, where the scattered remnants of the troops gathered. 1238, February 7 - Vladimir was taken. Yuri's wife and two of his sons died. The Mongols approached the City from the side of Uglich, which they had devastated.

The outcome of the battle was decided by the approach of a fresh Mongol army under the command of Batu. The Russian army was surrounded and almost completely killed. Prince Yuri was killed, his head was cut off and presented as a gift to Khan Batu. A crushing defeat in the Battle of the City River predetermined the fall of North-Eastern Russia under the rule of the Golden Horde, which lasted until 1480, until the famous standing of troops and Khan Akhmat on the Ugra.

Where did the battle take place?

The Battle of the City River entered Russian history as one of the most tragic and, at the same time, the most important. And despite its significance, this battle turns out to be one of the most mysterious. For almost two hundred years, historians have been arguing about the place where the battle took place. Some attribute it to the upper reaches of the City, others are sure that the battle took place closer to the mouth of the river. There is also a third version that combines both others - Russian troops stood along the entire length of the river, divided into separate regiments, and therefore it is impossible to talk about a specific place, because this place was, in fact, the entire City River. However, even this version cannot answer many questions.

Background. Battle

After Vladimir was taken, the main forces of the Mongol army moved to Tver and Torzhok, and the secondary forces, led by Burundai, were sent to the Volga cities.

1238, the beginning of March - the squads of several princes of northeastern Russia gathered on the Sit River under the leadership of Yuri Vsevolodovich. There were his brother Prince Pereyaslavl Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich and three nephews Vasilko, Vsevolod and Vladimir Konstantinovichi. At that time, the Grand Duke was camped on a tributary of the Mologa River, the City. He was waiting for help and could hope for serious reinforcements. However, the prince did not wait for the troops from Kyiv and Novgorod.

Burundai's troops operated throughout Mongolian military science. Long-range and deep reconnaissance, covert movement, the destruction of all kinds of informers - the lessons of Genghis Khan were not in vain. On March 3, Burundai's army discovered the Russian guard regiment of Governor Dorozha (about 3,000 people). After a short fierce battle, the Russians were defeated by superior enemy forces and almost completely destroyed. According to the legend, Dorozh himself managed to escape and, having galloped several tens of kilometers, reached the troops of the Grand Duke. “The Tatars bypassed us,” he managed to report. However, even if this was the case, Dorozh's message came late: the entire Mongol army was already sitting on the heels of the governor.

Russian troops had just begun to build up for defense, when at dawn on March 4, 1238, the Mongol cavalry fell upon her. Despite desperate resistance, the Russians could not withstand the blow. The Mongols were able to cut the Russian army, and then push it back to the river, where the last, tragic for the Russians, act of battle took place.

Bishop Kirill finds the headless body of Prince Yuri on the battlefield

Reasons for the defeat

It is possible that the defeat is also the fault of the prince himself, who sent part of his forces to help the ambush regiment, which was even further away and also attacked by another group of steppe dwellers. So the chronicles report and state that Yuri Vsevolodovich did not help the ambush regiment either, and weakened himself. Significant numerical superiority was on the side of the Mongol army.

And the main thing that the prince and his governors failed to do was the organization of a security system. Trying to avoid any clashes with the Mongols, they were completely unaware of their own movements. Intelligence and surveillance of the Mongolian troops was not organized. Therefore, the attack of the Mongols was a complete surprise for the Russians. Having delved into the swampy jungle, the Grand Duke himself set a trap, while a hopeless one in the land of completely swampy forest jungle.

Stele on the banks of the River City commemorating the battle of 1238

Results of the battle

The defeat of the Russian troops on the City River was complete. Almost all the warriors of the prince died or were captured, the prince himself fell in battle, later his severed head would be donated to Batu. His brother Svyatoslav (killed in captivity) and nephew Vsevolod died.

So the flower of the Russian army was destroyed on the City River. Russia suffered a severe defeat, which determined its difficult fate for many years. Thus, the battle on the City is an attempt to resist the impending Horde. The troops of the Mongol-Tatars captured the Vladimir-Suzdal principality.

There have been many victories and defeats in the great Russian history. But some battles were decisive in various matters. For example, the battle on the river Sit. This event was negative for both sides. But still it was one of the key moments of the Mongol invasion.

The battle took place during the Mongol invasion on the territory of Ancient Russia.

Absolutely accurate information about the course of the battle itself has not been preserved.

All that remains is speculation and conjecture. On the map of Ancient Russia, you can see that the Sit River is located in the Vladimir-Suzdal and Novgorod principalities.

The Battle of the City River is a battle that took place between Russian and Mongol troops.

Side commanders:

1. Yuri Vsevolodovich - Prince of Vladimir, the youngest son of Prince Vsevolod Yurievich.
2. Burundai - Mongol commander, temnik of Batu, governor in the western part of the Golden Horde. Burundai achieved great success in conquests in the northern part of Russia.

Note! The battle was the beginning of the Mongol-Tatar yoke.

The success of the Mongols in Russia only fueled their thirst for new conquests. Therefore, the troops went deeper and deeper into the territory of the state, burning all the cities in their path.

After the Mongol troops invaded the Vladimir-Suzdal principality, Prince Yuri left his sons in the capital. His destination was the river Sit. There he planned to gather troops.

After the capture of Vladimir, he sent his troops to Torzhok and Tver. But he sent some of them with the temnik Burundai to the place of gathering of Russian troops. The detachment of Burundai reached its destination for about 3 weeks. During this time, Batu with his army overcame only half of the path that the sent detachment overcame.

Briefly about the course of the battle

Most sources, including Wikipedia, say that the battle took place on March 4, 1238. But some historians doubt the correctness of this date. According to other sources, the battle on the river Sit took place on March 1, 1238.

There are those who consider March 2 to be the correct date for the battle. Such conclusions are made on the basis of calculations and conclusions about the movement of Mongolian detachments through the territory of Russia.

Burundai approached the river from the side of Uglich. The Mongols went on the offensive. Russian troops were taken by surprise.

They were stationed in the nearby villages. The soldiers did not have time to properly prepare for the battle, so they could not give a worthy rebuff.

Before the battle, Prince Yuri enlisted the support of his brothers, but they did not come to his aid.

Russian troops were in villages stretching for 100 km.

How did the Mongols manage to encircle them? How did the Mongols approach imperceptibly when there were 40 thousand soldiers? Some chronicles say that Yuri's guards overslept the enemy.

There is one point in the event in which historians are of the same opinion. This is a question about the place of the battle. Since the Russian troops were greatly stretched, there were several battlefields:

• near Mogilitsa and Bozhonka;
• near Ignatov, Yuriev, Stanilov, Krasny;
• near Semenovsky, Ignatov, Pokrovsky, Knyaginino.

In the first place was the Dorozha regiment under the command of Dorofey Semenov. Secondly - the central regiment, in which Yuri Vsevolodovich was.

The Mongols divided into detachments and attacked all the regiments almost simultaneously. This clarifies how the Mongols managed to defeat a heavily stretched detachment. But why did this detachment not know about their approach?

On the part of the Mongols, the main forces did not participate in the battle. Batu sent a detachment for this battle. Prince Yuri made a mistake in assuming that all enemy forces were at Tver and Torzhok. Probably, this mistake was also the reason that the Russian troops were taken by surprise.

The main reasons were that the Mongol troops used an unusual tactic for themselves: they quietly crept up to the Russians.

The Mongols did not burn cities, cut and rob people in them, take away prisoners. They made their way quietly, carefully carried out reconnaissance activities and killed anyone who could report their approach to Yuri.

Results and consequences

The Russian army was surrounded, driven to the river and defeated. Someone was captured, and part of the troops fell through the ice. Prince Yuri was also killed. The deceased was beheaded and his head was sent as a gift to Batu.

For Russia, the defeat on the City River turned out to be decisive. It was because of him that the Mongols managed to subdue the Russian state. The country turned out to be a tributary of the Mongols. After the death of Yuri, the throne passed to his brother Yaroslav Vsevolodovich - Prince Pereyaslavsky.

But not everything was rosy for the enemy. It should be noted that the balance of power was unequal. The Mongols were outnumbered. Batu sent about 40 thousand soldiers to the battle. Almost everyone died.

The Mongol commander began to realize that the more cities they conquered, the more they lose their own strength.

Plus, the fatigue of the soldiers played a big role. On campaigns, I had to sleep under the open sky on damp earth. Often there were diseases.

If you add up all these factors, it becomes obvious why the victories became more and more difficult.

Some sources say that Batu, immersed in his thoughts, was not even happy about the gift when they brought Yuri's head to him.

As a result, Batu abandoned his original plans to march on Novgorod.

Riddles and secrets

The battle on the City is shrouded in many dark mysteries. This moment in history is one of the most controversial. Historians still cannot come to an agreement on the outcome of the battle. According to official sources, Russian troops were defeated.

But there are those who do not agree with this. This position will also be correct, like the previous one.

Note! Thanks to the outcome of the battle, Batu decided to abandon the conquest of Novgorod.

There is also controversy about the issue of the date of the battle. There are those who do not agree with the accepted official data. These historians express their doubts based on the information of S. M. Chivilikhin.

The historian says that the Rostov prince Vasilko Konstantinovich was tortured to death by Burundai in the Shiren forest on March 4.

But after the battle, the commander traveled from the Sit River to the Shirensky Forest for 3 days. Therefore, the battle took place 3 days earlier.

However, this version also does not add up with other information. Historians who have been involved in determining the location of the Shiren forest say that this forest was located southeast of the battle.

But Burundai could not go there. After the battle, he hurried to the west, to help Batu, who was storming Torzhok. However, one point is missing here. Burundai could send a detachment with the captive Vasilko Konstantinovich to the Shiren forest, and he himself would go to Batu.

There are other points of contention as well. Why did the prince leave Vladimir and leave it to his children? Why didn't the brothers come to the rescue? Historians cannot agree on this issue because of their different views.

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Summing up

Although many questions can be explained by ancient sources, and sometimes even by logic, the Sith battle still remains a mysterious event. In history, there can be no consensus on everything. After all, the so-called facts cannot be verified with absolute accuracy.

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Battle of the River Sit, or Sith battle- the battle that took place on March 4, 1238 between the army of Prince Yuri Vsevolodovich of Vladimir and the corps of Burundai. One of the central events of the Western (Kipchak) campaign of the Mongols (1236-1242) and the Mongol invasion of Russia (1237-1240), in particular, one of the key battles of the Mongol campaign against North-Eastern Russia (1237-1238).

Prerequisites

After the capture of Ryazan by the Mongols, the defeat of the united Russian forces near Kolomna and the invasion of the Mongols into the Vladimir-Suzdal principality, Yuri left his family and the garrison under the command of Peter Osledyukovich in the capital and went into the forests near the City River (north-west of the modern Yaroslavl region of Russia), where he was appointed new collection of troops.

balance of power

After the capture of Vladimir on February 7, 1238, the main forces of the Mongols went through Yuryev-Polsky and Pereslavl-Zalessky to Tver and Torzhok, and secondary forces under the command of the temnik Burundai were sent to the Volga cities - the possessions of Yuri Konstantinovich's nephews, who withdrew their troops to the Sit. The Laurentian Chronicle says that Yuri was expecting the regiments of Yaroslav's brothers in the City, who occupied Kyiv in 1236, leaving his son Alexander as governor in Novgorod, and Svyatoslav, however, Yaroslav was not mentioned among the participants in the battle.

The course of the battle

The Mongol corps under the command of Burundai, within 3 weeks after the capture of Vladimir, covering a distance of about twice as much as the main Mongol forces overcame during the same time, during the last siege of Tver and Torzhok, approached the City from Uglich.

The Vladimir army did not have time to prepare for the battle (with the exception of a watchman numbering 3000 people under the leadership of the voivode Dorofey Semyonovich), was surrounded and almost completely died or was captured. Prince Yuri died along with the army, his head was cut off and presented as a gift to Batu. Yaroslavl Prince Vsevolod Konstantinovich died. The captured Rostov prince Vasilko Konstantinovich was killed on March 4, 1238 in the Shern forest. Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich and Vladimir Konstantinovich Uglichsky managed to escape.

Effects

The defeat of the Russian troops broke the resistance of the princes of North-Eastern Russia to the Mongol invasion and predetermined the fall of North-Eastern Russia into dependence on the Mongol Empire.

After the death of Grand Duke Yuri, the throne was occupied by his brother, Prince of Pereyaslavl Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, under whose direct control were the Principality of Vladimir and Pereyaslavl-Zalessky Principality.

The army of Burundai turned out to be weakened after the battle ("they suffered a great plague, and a considerable number of them fell"), which was one of the reasons for Batu's refusal to go to Novgorod.

The battle that took place on March 4, 1238 between the army of Prince Yuri Vsevolodovich of Vladimir and the corps of Burundai.

Prerequisites

After the capture of Ryazan by the Mongols, the defeat of the united Russian forces near Kolomna and the invasion of the Mongols into the Vladimir-Suzdal principality, Yuri left his family and the garrison under the command of Peter Osledyukovich in the capital and went into the forests near the City River (north-west of the modern Yaroslavl region of Russia), where he was appointed new collection of troops.

balance of power

After the capture of Vladimir on February 7, 1238, the main forces of the Mongols headed through and to Tver and Torzhok, and the secondary forces under the command of the temnik Burundai were sent to the Volga cities - the possessions of the nephews of Yuri Konstantinovich, who withdrew their troops to the Sit.

The Laurentian Chronicle says that Yuri was expecting the regiments of Yaroslav's brothers in the City, who in 1236 occupied Kyiv, leaving his son Alexander as governor in Novgorod, and Svyatoslav, however, Yaroslav was not mentioned among the participants in the battle.

The course of the battle

The Mongolian corps under the command of Burundai, within 3 weeks after the capture of Vladimir, approached the City from the side of Uglich.

The outcome of a stubborn battle decided the approach of fresh Mongol forces led by.

The Vladimir army, which did not have time to prepare for the battle (with the exception of a watchman numbering 3 thousand people under the leadership of the governor Dorofey Semyonovich), was surrounded and almost completely died or was captured.

Prince Yuri died along with the army, his head was cut off and presented as a gift to Khan Batu. Yaroslavl Prince Vsevolod Konstantinovich died.

Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich and Vladimir Konstantinovich Uglichsky managed to escape.

Effects

The defeat of the Russian troops broke the resistance of the princes of North-Eastern Russia to the Mongol invasion and predetermined the fall of North-Eastern Russia into dependence on the Mongol Empire.

After the death of Grand Duke Yuri, the throne was occupied by his brother, Prince of Pereyaslavl Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, under whose direct control were the Vladimir principality and Pereyaslavl-Zalessky principality.

The army of Burundai turned out to be weakened after the battle ("they suffered a great plague, and a considerable number of them fell"), which was one of the reasons for Batu's refusal to go to Novgorod.

By the beginning of March 1238, the fate of North-Eastern Russia was basically a foregone conclusion. The Mongols everywhere suppressed pockets of resistance. And only somewhere near the City River, the Grand Duke of Vladimir Yuri Vsevolodovich gathered patriots under his banners, burning with a fiery desire to either lay down their heads for Russia, or expel the “godless Tatars” from their native land. For a month, the forces of the Grand Duke increased significantly, as everyone dissatisfied with the “new regime and the established order, those who lost their relatives and friends in the fire of war, those for whom life turned into a living hell flocked to the Sit.

It was not for nothing that the Grand Duke chose the Sit River. Having settled down in the City, Yuri Vsevolodovich had the opportunity to receive help from the north - from Novgorod, Beloozero, Vologda, Ustyug and Ladoga untouched by the war. In the worst case, in case of defeat, the Russian army could freely retreat to the north and continue the fight.
Yuri Vsevolodovich was resolute. He can be understood: he gave his city to the enemy and now he was only nominally called the Grand Duke, he lost everything. Perhaps Yuri Vsevolodovich, who only now understood who exactly he was dealing with, did not hope for revenge. But, of course, one thing: for him, nothing but a struggle, and a struggle to the death, had no other meaning.
According to V.V. Kargalov, the location of the City River was the most ideal for continuing the struggle:
“Dense forests covered the camp from the onset of the Mongol-Tatar cavalry and made it relatively safe ... Reinforcements were expected primarily from rich and populous Novgorod, where the brother of the Grand Duke, Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, ruled. It was there that the land road led from the City, covered by forests from the Mongol avant-gardes. In addition, well-trodden toboggan routes approached the City along the Mologa ice: from the south - from the Volga and from the north - from Beloozero. These routes were important militarily, as they ensured the arrival of reinforcements and food from the rich Volga and northern cities, and, if necessary, opened the way for the Grand Duke's army to retreat to remote, sparsely populated areas.
The area of ​​the City River, where life died down every winter, in February 1238 came into motion. Anyone who wanted to give his life for his homeland was sent to the Grand Duke. Everyone armed with what he had. Under the banner of Yuri Vsevolodovich gathered his brother Prince Yuriev Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich, Prince Vasilko Konstantinovich of Rostov, Vladimir Konstantinovich Uglitsky, Vsevolod, Prince of Yaroslavl, and others with their squads. All these cities had already been captured by the Mongols. It is clear what kind of mood the "Sitniks" had. However, the separatism (or, rather, short-sightedness) of the Russian princes prevented the rallying of forces. So, Prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich of Novgorod, the father of the legendary Alexander Nevsky, who was so expected in the City, instead of coming to the aid of his blood brother, having weighed the pros and cons, left the Grand Duke to the mercy of fate. Yaroslav Vsevolodovich did not dare to incur the wrath of the Mongols and decided to sit out behind the walls of his city, located 300 km from the City. It is likely that the Mongols, having defeated the Grand Duke, could move from the City to Novgorod. The fact is that the troops of Batu Khan on February 22 began the siege of Torzhok, in the event of the capture of which the road to Veliky Novgorod would be open.
secular researchers V. A. Lyakhov and A. M. Ankudinova explained the act of Yaroslav Vsevolodovich by the short-sighted policy of the Russian princes, characteristic of the period of feudal civil strife.
After the capture of Rostov and Uglich, Burundai's cavalry, having made a swift throw, reached the City River in the first days of March, the Grand Duke was once again deceived in his hopes, because he believed that Rostov, Uglich and other cities would resist the invaders and delay their advance for several days. Having received the news of the approach of the Mongols, Yuri Vsevolodovich sent a three thousandth detachment on patrol, led by the voivode Dorozh, or Dorofei Fedorovich.
In the early morning of March 4, the Mongol cavalry burst into the camp of Russian warriors like an avalanche. The blow was so swift that the sentinels failed to warn their own.
The soldiers of the Grand Duke were taken by surprise. Earth ramparts and various defensive structures, which were erected on the orders of Yuri Vsevolodovich, were not completed and therefore could not protect the Russians. In addition, the combatants lived in villages located at some distance from each other, and did not have time to gather to repel the enemy.
The Russian warriors, who were lining up in battle formation, were cut down by the Mongol horsemen right on the spot. The spontaneous resistance of the warriors from the very beginning was doomed to failure. The Mongolian horsemen one by one destroyed the foot Russian soldiers, who, making futile attempts to stop the attackers, eventually fled.
The Mongols pursued them for almost 40 km until they were all killed. Grand Duke Yuri Vsevolodovich, the chief governor of Vladimir Zhiroslav Mikhailovich and other princes who fought side by side with simple warriors fell in battle.
Prince Vasilko, who demonstrated miracles of courage on the battlefield, was captured. Temnik Burundai invited him to his table and tried to persuade him to his side, saying that such an important, young man in the service of the same brave and young Mongol Khan would go far. However, Prince Vasilko, like any other patriot, indignantly rejected the offer of the Mongol temnik and was hacked to death.
After the departure of the Mongol troops, Bishop Kirill of Rostov arrived on the battlefield and found among the dead the headless body of Grand Duke Yuri Vsevolodovich, which was brought for
burial in the Assumption Cathedral. The body of Prince Vasilko was discovered in the Shern forest and also taken to Rostov. The widow, Vasilko's children and Rostovites buried the patriots with honors.
The battle on the City River played a crucial role in the entire future fate of Russia. Its immediate result was the beginning of the so-called Mongol-Tatar yoke, which lasted 250 years and ended 100 years after the Battle of Kulikovo - by 1480.
One can only be surprised at the simplicity and at the same time the phenomenality of the strategic plan of military operations of Batu Khan in North-Eastern Russia. The time chosen for hostilities, the directions of the main attacks, the number of troops in each direction were ideally thought out.
Neither Napoleon in 1812 nor Hitler in 1941 had such a plan. The two geniuses of military art, who by that time had brought half of Europe to its knees, underestimated and overestimated many factors, in particular, their own forces, natural conditions climatic features, etc. As a result, each of them reached Moscow, but in order to then bring the Russians to their capitals - to Paris and Berlin, respectively. The stories of these “onslaughts on the East” are known to everyone: one commander ended his days on the island of St. Helena, poisoned by his own close associates, and the other took his own life in an underground bunker, where he hatched plans to create a “thousand-year Reich”.