Diorama "The heroic defense of Staraya Ryazan from the Mongol-Tatar troops in 1237g.". Fragment.Ryazan Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve “Ryazan Kremlin”
After destruction of Mongolian forces led to watchlist 1235 , the head of the campaign Batu capital of Volga Bulgaria, the city of Bulgar, victory over the Polovtsy and Volga peoples Mongols were preparing to invade the North-Eastern Russia. Border with the steppe, known in Russia as the Wild Field, Ryazan principality was.
disciplined, indifferent to the death, unpretentious, knit and well-organized tribes of Genghis Khan of the Mongol-Tatars, reinforced troops conquered peoples, We went through the woods and in Mordovia 1237 We were left on the Ryazan principality borders. By the time the Mongols were already conquered China State, Central and Middle Asia, Siberia and the Urals, Caucasus and Transcaucasia ... Half the world was defeated by an aggressive machine, Genghis Khan launched, But in terms of his heirs and descendants have entered the rest of the world. F. Enegels called Mongolian troops "moving light cavalry of the East". Relatively arms and organizing their tumens there are detailed and largely comprehensive works.
should say, that is not entirely clear is the quantitative assessment of the Mongolian troops. The great Russian historian of the XIX century, were assessed the number of "Tatar" troops, who came to Russia in 300 and a thousand. Most modern scholars more reserved about the size of the Mongol army. Outstanding Russian Soviet historian A. n. Kirpichenkov says 140,000th Mongol army, historian and educator in. AT. Korgalov also calls "the total number of troops of Batu" in 120 – 140 thousand soldiers.
Historians approval, while the whole of the North-Eastern Russia, as well as the South, He could put no more 40 – 50 thousand. warriors. In this case, neither the, any other group of States were not at that time united, often fought with each other, and their joint military actions were relatively rare.
It must be emphasized, that the vast majority of researchers, considering military power of Genghis Khan, appreciated the methodical, Mongolian intelligence system work, and hence counterspionage, whose main task in the first phase of a collision was to convince the opposing party in a small number and weakness provided by its troops, as well as with an exaggeration to talk about the power of their own troops and weapons.
Khan West
Russian in its long history had a positive experience in dealing with militant nomads: khazarami, Torquay, pechenegami, Kuman. The catastrophic failure of the Kalka, not brought the losing side of any political, no economic problems, What disturbs only the most wise and prudent. Go directly to the passive defense, "SHUTTER cities", It was clearly not in the spirit of proud Russian warriors and princes. Apparently so counter battle on the river Voronezh, opened the era of enslavement of Russia by the Mongols, it seems likely.
Ryazan princes as the lords of the border of the principality as a whole has historically been more cautious and careful in military clashes, than representatives of other Russian principalities. The Grand Duke of Ryazan Yuri I. allowed Tatar ambassadors go through their possessions to Vladimir and later sent his son Prince Fedor Yurevich to Batu "with gifts and supplications to the great". At the same time, or shortly thereafter, he sent messengers to Vladimir and Chernigov asking for help.
But Batu Khan time to think not leave. Embassy interrupted Prince Theodore, he rushed into the depths of the Ryazan land. The Grand Duke of Ryazan Yuri was forced to come forward.
Somewhere in the Voronezh River area, left tributary of the Don, maybe crossings, restraining movement tempo of mounted units, apparently, in November and early December, 1237 It was held bloody battle. In the battle involved strong Ryazan, Murom and Pronsk squads, according to the Chronicle - up 3 – 4 thousand. human. "Hardly odolshe their strengths shelves Tatar", - said in "The Tale of the Destruction of Ryazan Batu".
Defeating the Russian squad, tumens Batu moved through the "Polovtsian" field and then down the river Prone, ruining Pronsk city: Pronsk, Belle, Izheslavets ... These cities carried heavy wooden walls and towers, typical for Russian cities, put forward far into a hostile steppe. The ancient city of Belle and Izheslavets after the defeat of the Mongols ceased to exist: archaeological material, found on the site Izheslavetsa, It belongs entirely to the XI - XIII centuries.
16 December 1237 the united forces of the Mongol-Tatars came to Ryazan.
Gabriel Tsobehiya
