Project calendar of historical events Kulikovo battle. The historical significance of the Battle of Kulikovo

Battle of Kulikovo briefly

Russian man harnesses for a long time, but drives fast

Russian folk proverb

The Battle of Kulikovo took place on September 8, 1380, but this was preceded by a number of important events. Beginning in 1374, relations between Russia and the Horde began to noticeably become more complicated. If earlier the issues of paying tribute and the primacy of the Tatars over all the lands of Russia did not cause discussion, now a situation has begun to develop when the princes began to feel own strength, in which he saw an opportunity to repulse a formidable enemy who long years destroys their lands. It was in 1374 that Dmitry Donskoy actually broke off relations with the Horde, not recognizing Mamai's power over himself. Such free-thinking could not be ignored. The Mongols did not leave.

Background of the Battle of Kulikovo, briefly

Along with the events described above, the death of the Lithuanian king Olgerd occurred. His place was taken by Jagiello, who first of all decided to establish relations with the powerful Horde. As a result, the Mongol-Tatars received a powerful ally, and Russia was squeezed between enemies: from the east by the Tatars, from the west by the Lithuanians. This in no way shook the determination of the Russians to repulse the enemy. Moreover, an army was assembled, headed by Dmitry Bobrok-Valintsev. He made a trip to the lands on the Volga and captured several cities. Which belonged to the Horde.

The next major events that created the prerequisites for the Battle of Kulikovo took place in 1378. It was then that a rumor spread throughout Russia that the Horde had sent a large army in order to punish the recalcitrant Russians. The previous lessons showed that the Mongol-Tatars burn everything in their path, which means that they cannot be allowed into fertile lands. Grand Duke Dmitry gathered a squad and went to meet the enemy. Their meeting took place near the Vozha River. The Russian maneuver had a surprise factor. Never before had the prince's squad descended so deep into the south of the country to fight the enemy. But the fight was inevitable. The Tatars turned out to be unprepared for it. The Russian army won quite easily. This further instilled confidence that the Mongols ordinary people and you can fight them.

Preparation for the battle - the battle of Kulikovo briefly

The events near the Vozha River were the last straw. Mom wanted revenge. He was haunted by the laurels of Batu and new khan dreamed of repeating his feat and walking with fire throughout Russia. Recent events showed that the Russians were not as weak as before, which means that the Mughals needed an ally. He was found fairly quickly. The role of Mamai's allies was:

• King of Lithuania - Jagiello.
• Prince of Ryazan - Oleg.

Historical documents indicate that the prince of Ryazan took a controversial position, trying to guess the winner. To do this, he entered into an alliance with the Horde, but at the same time regularly reported to other principalities information about the movement of the Mongol army. Mamai himself gathered a strong army, which included regiments from all the lands that were controlled by the Horde, including the Crimean Tatars.

Training of Russian troops

The impending events demanded decisive action from the Grand Duke. It was at this moment that it was necessary to assemble a strong army that would be able to repulse the enemy and show the whole world that Russia was not completely conquered. About 30 cities expressed their readiness to provide their squad to the united army. Many thousands of soldiers entered the detachment, commanded by Dmitry himself, as well as other princes:

• Dmitry Bobrok-Volynits
• Vladimir Serpukhovsky
• Andrey Olgerdovich
• Dmitry Olgerdovich

At the same time, the whole country rose to fight. Literally everyone who could hold a sword in their hands was recorded in the squad. Hatred of the enemy became the factor that united the divided Russian lands. Let it be just for a while. The united army advanced to the Don, where it was decided to repulse Mamai.

Battle of Kulikovo - briefly about the course of the battle

On September 7, 1380, the Russian army approached the Don. The position was quite dangerous, since holding the raki had both advantages and disadvantages. Advantage - it was easier to fight against the Mongol-Tatars, since they would have to force the river. The disadvantage is that at any moment Jagiello and Oleg Ryazansky could arrive at the battlefield. In this case, the rear of the Russian army would be completely open. The decision was made the only correct one: the Russian army crossed the Don and burned all the bridges behind them. This managed to secure the rear.

Prince Dmitry resorted to cunning. The main forces of the Russian army lined up in a classical manner. Ahead was a "large regiment", which was supposed to hold back the main onslaught of the enemy, along the edges were a regiment of the right and left hands. At the same time, it was decided to use the Ambush Regiment, which was hidden in the thicket of the forest. This regiment was led by the best princes Dmitry Bobrok and Vladimir Serpukhovsky.

The Battle of Kulikovo began in the early morning of September 8, 1380, as soon as the fog cleared over the Kulikovo field. According to chronicle sources, the battle began with the battle of the heroes. The Russian monk Peresvet fought with the Horde Chelubey. The blow of the spears of the heroes was so strong that both of them died on the spot. After that, the battle began.

Dmitry, despite his status, put on armor simple war and stood at the head of the Great Regiment. With his courage, the prince infected the soldiers for the feat that they were to accomplish. The starting onslaught of the Horde was terrible. They threw all the force of their blow onto the regiment of the left hand, where the Russian troops began to noticeably lose ground. At the moment when the army of Mamai broke through the defenses in this place, and also when it began to make a maneuver in order to go into the rear of the main forces of the Russians, the Ambush Regiment entered the battle, which with terrible force and unexpectedly hit the attacking Horde themselves in the rear. The panic began. The Tatars were sure that God himself was against them. Convinced that they killed everyone behind them, they said it was dead russians rise up to fight. In this state, the battle was lost by them quickly enough and Mamai and his horde were forced to hastily retreat. Thus ended the Battle of Kulikovo.

Many people were killed in the battle on both sides. Dmitry himself could not be found for a very long time. Toward evening, when they were dismantling the pipes of the dead from the field, they found the body of the prince. He was alive!

The historical significance of the Battle of Kulikovo

The historical significance of the Battle of Kulikovo cannot be overestimated. For the first time, the myth of the invincibility of the Horde army was broken. If previously it was possible for various armies to succeed in minor battles, then no one has yet managed to defeat the main forces of the Horde.

Important point for the Russian people was that the Battle of Kulikovo, briefly described by us, allowed them to feel faith in themselves. For more than a hundred years, the Mongols forced them to consider themselves second-class citizens. Now this was over, and for the first time, talk began that the power of Mamai and his yoke could be thrown off. These events found expression literally in everything. And it is precisely with this that those cultural transformations that affected all aspects of the life of Russia are largely connected.

The significance of the Battle of Kulikovo also lies in the fact that this victory was perceived by everyone as a sign that Moscow should become the center new country. After all, only after Dmitry Donskoy began to collect land around Moscow, there was a major victory over the Mongols.

For the horde itself, the significance of the defeat on the Kulikovo field was also extremely important. Mamaia lost most his army, and soon was completely defeated by Khan Takhtomysh. This allowed the Horde to join forces again and feel their own strength and significance in those spaces that had not even thought of resisting it before.

In 1380, in the Battle of Kulikovo, the Russian regiments of Dmitry Donskoy defeated the Horde army. After the victory on the Kulikovo field, on which Sergius of Radonezh blessed Donskoy, Russia gained independence and unity

Today is the Day military glory Russia - Victory Day of the Russian regiments led by the Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy over the Mongol-Tatar troops in the Battle of Kulikovo in 1380. It was established by Federal Law No. 32-FZ of March 13, 1995 "On the days of military glory and anniversaries Russia".

brought terrible disasters Tatar-Mongol yoke to Russian soil. But in the second half of the 14th century, the disintegration of the Golden Horde began, where one of the senior emirs, Mamai, became the de facto ruler. At the same time, Russia was in the process of forming a strong centralized state through the unification of Russian lands under the rule of the Moscow principality. The strengthening of the Moscow principality alarmed Mamai. In 1378 he sent a strong army to Russia under the command of Murza Begich.

The army of Prince Dmitry Ivanovich of Moscow met the Horde on the Vozha River and completely defeated them. Mamai, having learned about the defeat of Begich, began to prepare for a big campaign against Russia. He entered into an alliance with the Grand Duke of Lithuania Jagiello and Prince Oleg of Ryazan. In the summer of 1380, Mamai began a campaign. (8) On September 16, 1380, a fierce battle broke out near the place where the Nepryadva River flows into the Don.

Personally, Dmitry Ivanovich fought in the forefront of his troops. The enemy could not withstand the unexpected blow and began to retreat, and then fled. Mamai's army was completely defeated. Detachments of Jagiello, having learned about the victory of the Russians, quickly returned to Lithuania. The battle on the Kulikovo field seriously undermined the military power of the Golden Horde and accelerated its subsequent collapse. It contributed to the further growth and strengthening of Russia as united state, raised the role of Moscow as a center for the unification of Russian lands.

According to the chronicles, the battle took place on the day of Christmas Holy Mother of God. Prince Dmitry had great hopes for the help of the Mother of God and offered her his prayers. In the temple of the Nativity Monastery in the city of Vladimir, where the body of Prince Alexander Nevsky rested, on the night of Christmas (from September 7 to 8, according to the old style), ministers prayed, asking Alexander to help Dmitry. And then a miracle happened - candles were lit near the coffin of the prince, Prince Alexander rose above the coffin, looked at the monks and became invisible.

The Mother of God did not reject the prayers of Orthodox Christians and supported their spirit and strength in a difficult battle. Since those years, the Russian Orthodox Church on the day of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos also celebrates the victory over Mamai.

Here it must be said that although the event itself took place in 1380 on September 8, according to the old style, i.e. September 16 - according to a new, but officially holiday - the Day of Military Glory - is celebrated on September 21. This is the cost of converting dates from the old style to the new one. Since, when setting the date, the rule was not taken into account: when translating dates of the 14th century, 8 days are added to the old style, and according to the rules of the Russian Orthodox Church, 13 days are added (according to church chronology, when translating dates from the old style to new Age always add 13 days, regardless of the century in which it occurred). Due to these inconsistencies in the calendars, it turns out that the correct calendar anniversary of the battle falls on September 16, while the state and Orthodox celebration remains on September 21.

To make a newspaper for the project "Sergius of Radonezh and the Battle of Kulikovo", you need to select materials about the life of Sergius of Radonezh, especially highlighting the material about the blessing of the holy elder Dmitry Donskoy.

Each material can be printed or handwritten on a piece of paper.

Like a newspaper article.

On the sheet you need to set aside a place for illustrations for the article.

An illustration can be a drawing, or you can print pictures from the Internet and paste them into an article.

After that, take a drawing paper and arrange the articles in order of the chronology of the life of Sergius of Radonezh until the Battle of Kulikovo.

If everything looks good, then you need to glue them and write the headline of the newspaper.

Newspaper headline example:

1. Life of Sergius of Radonezh

2. Blessing for the victory of Dmitry Donskoy

3. Sergius of Radonezh blesses Dmitry Donskoy for the battle with Mamai

4. Meeting of Dmitry Donskoy and Sergius of Radonezh

5. Blessing of Sergius of Radonezh

Newspaper article title and summary:

1. Childhood of St. Sergius of Radonezh

Sergius of Radonezh was born in rich family boyars from Rostov.

As a child, his name was Bartholomew.

Bartholomew had two older brothers.

When he went to school, all sciences were very difficult for him, especially literacy.

2. Prayer to God and meeting with the elder

Once, little Bartholomew met an unusual old man in the field.

The elder saw with spiritual vision that the boy was marked by God.

Then he turned to him, seeing that Bartholomew was upset about something.

Having learned the misfortune of Bartholomew, the elder took him to church and taught him to pray.

From that day on, the boy began to study well and mastered the Literacy.

3. Foundation of the Church of the Holy Trinity.

When Bartholomew was 23 years old, he accomplished the feat of hermitage.

Together with his brother, they went to live in a dense forest and founded the Trinity Monastery there.

Bartholomew took the veil as a monk and became Father Sergius.

Over time, people learned about the miracles that happened to Sergius and began to donate for the construction of the temple.

So the whole world built the Holy Trinity Monastery near Moscow.

4. Monk's Hand Bear.

At the time of the construction of the temple, a hungry bear came to Sergius.

The ferocious animal did not frighten the monk.

Sergius realized that the bear was hungry and fed him.

The bear did not understand human speech, but felt God's blessing coming from the monk.

So Sergius of Radonezh got a tame bear.

5. Blessing for Prince Dmitry Donskoy for the battle with Mamai.

For more than two centuries, Russian lands were ruled by the Golden Horde.

The time has come and the Russian princes united under the rule of Dmitry Donskoy to liberate their land from the invaders.

Dmitry Donskoy no longer wanted to pay tribute to the Golden Horde.

Then Mamai declared a war, which we know as the Battle of Kulikovo.

The prince asked the blessing of the holy elder Sergius for the battle, and it was received.

The Monk Sergius of Radonezh admonished the Grand Duke with the words: "May the Lord God be your helper and intercessor: He will conquer and depose your adversaries and glorify you!"

The Russian army won the Battle of Kulikovo, Mamai and his khans were defeated.

The Russian people received freedom, and Dmitry Donskoy gained the glory of the winner and liberator of the Russian land.

Also, these articles can be issued in the form of an electronic newspaper - presentations.

Sergius of Radonezh

Sergius of Radonezh(1314-1392) - monk, saint, founded the Trinity Monastery.

At birth, in the biography of Sergius of Radonezh, the name Bartholomew was received. Lagging behind his peers in learning, Sergius began to study Holy Bible. Around 1328, he and his family moved to Radonezh. There he went to the monastery, and after a while he founded the church of St. Sergius of Radonezh in the name of the Holy Trinity.

Then he became abbot in the Epiphany Monastery, took the name Sergius. A few years later, a flourishing temple of Sergius of Radonezh was formed in this place. Even the patriarch praised the life of the monastery, called the Trinity-Sergius. Soon Reverend Sergius Radonezhsky became highly respected in the circles of all princes: he blessed them before battles, tried them on among themselves. According to one contemporary, Sergius "with quiet and meek words" could act on the most hardened and hardened hearts; very often he reconciled the warring princes, persuading them to obey the Grand Duke of Moscow (for example, the Rostov prince in 1356, the Nizhny Novgorod prince in 1365, Oleg of Ryazan, etc.), thanks to which, by the time of the Battle of Kulikovo, almost all Russian princes recognized the supremacy of Dmitry Ioannovich. According to the version of life, going to this battle, the latter, accompanied by princes, boyars and governor, went to Sergius to pray with him and receive a blessing from him. Blessing him, Sergius predicted victory and salvation from death for him and released his two monks, Peresvet and Oslyabya, on the campaign.

There is also a version (V.A. Kuchkin), according to which the story of the Life of Sergius of Radonezh about the blessing of Dmitry Donskoy by Sergius of Radonezh to fight Mamai does not refer to the Battle of Kulikovo, but to the battle on the Vozha River (1378) and is associated in later texts (“The Legend of the Battle of Mamaev”) with the Battle of Kulikovo later, as with a larger event.

After the Battle of Kulikovo Grand Duke began to treat the Radonezh abbot with even greater reverence and invited him in 1389 to seal a spiritual testament legitimizing new order succession to the throne from father to eldest son.

According to his life, Sergius of Radonezh performed many miracles. People came to him from different cities for healing, and sometimes even just to see him. According to the life, he once resurrected a boy who died in his father's arms when he carried the child to the saint for healing

Battle of Kulikovo

Battle of Kulikovo The reason for the Battle of Kulikovo was the aggravation of relations with the Golden Horde and the growth of the influence of the Moscow principality. However, the formal reason for the start of the conflict was the refusal of the Moscow prince to increase the amount of tribute paid. Mamai planned an armed clash with the Moscow squad back in 1378. But the army of Murza Begich suffered a serious defeat on the Vozha River. Despite the serious strengthening of Moscow, Dmitry needed the support of other specific princes. In many ways, for this, the prince sought and received the blessing of Sergius of Radonezh, whose icons can be seen today in many churches. But, despite this, neither Ryazan nor Tver responded to his call. And the princes of Suzdal generally took the side of Mamai.

Participants of the Battle of Kulikovo sought to collect as much as possible more troops. At the disposal of Dmitry Donskoy were only the soldiers of the Moscow and Vladimir principalities, as well as the soldiers of Prince Andrei Olgerdovich. By modern estimates historians, their total number reached 50-100 thousand people. The Lithuanian prince Jagiello hurried to the Horde army, which, according to various experts, ranged from 60 to 150 thousand soldiers. Dmitry sought to prevent the connection of Mamai's troops, and he succeeded. Also, in the army of Mamai there were about 4 thousand Genoese, Muslim mercenaries, yases and others.

It is known from chronicle sources that the Battle of Kulikovo took place near the mouth of the Nepryadva and the Don. However, it is reliably known that at that time the left bank of the Nepryadva was covered with forest. And the small field that exists today is too small for such a large-scale battle to take place on it. None of these places were found. ancient weapons, no remains. Thus, the question of the place of the battle remains open for many researchers.

A brief description of the Battle of Kulikovo, which took place on September 8, 1380, will not take much time. From the life of Sergius of Radonezh it is known that the battle was preceded by a duel between the two heroes Peresvet and Chelubey. However, it is not mentioned in early sources. Before the start of the Battle of Kulikovo, on September 7, Russian troops were lined up in battle formations. The main regiment was located in the center and was under the command of the roundabout Velyaminov. Regiment right hand was given under the command of Andrey Olgerdovich, the Lithuanian prince, the regiment of the left hand was commanded by Dmitry Mikhailovich Bobrok-Volynsky. It is not exactly known where the ambush regiment was located. Probably - behind the shelf of the left hand. It was he who decided the outcome of the battle.

The result of the Battle of Kulikovo was the flight of Mamai and his troops. Moreover, the ambush regiment pursued the enemies for another 50 miles to the Red Sword River. Dmitry Donskoy himself was knocked off his horse in this battle. He was found only at the end of the battle.

The consequences of the Battle of Kulikovo had a serious impact on the subsequent history of Russia. Although the Horde yoke did not end, as many hoped, the amount of tribute levied decreased. The authority of Moscow and Prince Dmitry increased, which allowed the Moscow principality to become the center of the unification of the lands of Russia. The significance of the Battle of Kulikovo also lies in the fact that it showed the possibility final victory over the Horde and the proximity of the end of the yoke.

The meaning of the victory on Kulikovo the field is huge: Moscow has strengthened its role as the unifier of the Russian lands, their leader; in relations between Russia and the Horde, a turning point occurred (the yoke will be lifted in 100 years, in 1382 Khan Tokhtamysh will burn Moscow, but the decisive step towards liberation was taken on August 8, 1380); the amount of tribute that Russia now paid to the Horde has significantly decreased; The Horde continued to weaken, from the blow received in the Battle of Kulikovo, she never managed to recover. The Battle of Kulikovo became an important stage in the spiritual and moral revival of Russia, the formation of its national identity.

• Collection of material on the topic: work in the library, compiling a list of books that can be used; search for information on the Internet and encyclopedias.

  Meeting of Dmitry Donskoy and Sergius of Radonezh.

  Peresvet and Oslyabya - monks of the Holy Trinity Monastery.
  Participants of the Battle of Kulikovo.
  

March 13, 1995 was adopted the federal law No. 32-FZ "On the days of military glory (victory days of Russia)", according to which one of these days was the day of the Nativity of the Virgin (September 21) - the Day of the victory of Russian regiments led by Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy over the Mongol-Tatar troops in the Battle of Kulikovo (1380).

The battle of Russian troops on the Kulikovo field led by Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich Donskoy with the army of Khan Mamai is not just a glorious page in our history. This is an important milestone in the formation of a single Russian nation.

September 8, 1380 on the Kulikovo field, in upstream On the Don River, a battle took place between the Russian troops led by the Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy of Vladimir and Moscow and the Tatar army led by Temnik Mamai. The battle ended with the defeat of the Tatar army and marked the beginning of the liberation of the Russian people from the Golden Horde yoke.

Promotion and formation of troops before the battle.
Troops of Dmitry Donskoy:
1 - guard regiment,
2 - advanced regiment,
3 - large regiment,
4 - the rate of Dmitry Donskoy,
5 - regiment of the right hand,
6 - regiment of the left hand,
7 - reserve,
8 - ambush regiment,
9 - crossing point,
10 - camp.
Mamai troops:
1 - guard detachments,
2 - hired infantry,
3 - regiment of the left hand,
4 - regiment of the right hand (2,3,4 - 1st echelon of construction),
5 - large regiment,
6 - 2nd echelon of the regiment of the left hand,
7 - 2nd echelon of the regiment of the right hand,
8 - 2nd echelon of a large regiment,
9 - Mamai's rate,
10 - rate reserve,
11 - camp

In 1373, the Horde invaded the Ryazan principality, but did not dare to cross the Moscow borders, since Dmitry and his army went to the banks of the Oka. In 1377, the Moscow rati came to the aid of the Nizhny Novgorod principality, which was attacked on the orders of Mamai by Tsarevich Arapsha (Arab Shah). However, the battle on the Pyana River ended in the defeat of the Russians, who did not expect a sudden attack by the Horde. But in 1378, in the battle on the Vozha River, Moscow troops defeated the Horde troops under the command of Murza Begich. The Battle of the Vozha is the first victory of the Russians over the Horde in a battle in an open field.
The defeat on the Vozha forced Mamai to seriously prepare for a new campaign. It took two years to prepare. Mamai gathered a huge army, hired heavy Fryazh (Italian) infantry in the Genoese colonies in the Crimea, entered into an alliance with the Lithuanian prince Jagiello and the Ryazan prince Oleg. Oleg's entry into an alliance with the Horde was caused by a hopeless situation: Moscow, as a rule, met the Horde at the turn of the Oka River, and the Ryazan lands remained defenseless. Mamai intended to plunder North-Eastern Russia and force it to pay heavy tribute again.
Moscow was also preparing for a fight: the standing army increased - the princely "court", the number of infantry recruited from the townspeople increased, agreements were concluded with other Russian princes.
Under the leadership of Dmitry, all the princes of the North-East gathered, except for Tver and Suzdal. Novgorod the Great, Smolensk and, of course, Ryazan did not send troops.
The number of Russian troops gathered by Dmitry, historians estimate at 50 - 150 thousand. The number of Mamai's troops is also vaguely estimated. It is traditionally believed that there were more Horde than Russians.

The collection of Russian troops took place in Kolomna. From here, at the end of August, the army set out on a campaign, bypassed the Ryazan possessions and approached the Don near the confluence of the Nepryadva River into it. Ryazan remained behind the backs of the Russian troops, which made it impossible for the joint performance of the Horde and Ryazan troops.

The image of the Battle of Kulikovo remains incomplete without a legend-history about the meeting of Dmitry Donskoy with Sergius of Radonezh and the blessing received for the feat of arms. The debate about whether this meeting took place just before this battle, and whether it was at all ... From it, by the way, the legend of Peresvet and Oslyable also grows.

Dmitry Donskoy at Sergius of Radonezh. Miniature of the front "Life of Sergius of Radonezh". 16th century

Sergius of Radonezh (in the world Bartholomew) is a saint, reverend, the greatest ascetic of the Russian land, a reformer of monasticism in Northern Russia. According to one contemporary, Sergius "with quiet and meek words" could act on the most hardened and hardened hearts; very often he reconciled the warring princes, persuading them to obey the Grand Duke of Moscow, thanks to which, by the time of the Battle of Kulikovo, almost all Russian princes recognized the supremacy of Dmitry Ioannovich. Departing for this battle, the latter, accompanied by princes, boyars and governor, went to Sergius to pray with him and receive his blessing.

Father Sergius of Radonezh played an important role in the outcome of the Battle of Kulikovo. He convinced the Russian princes, united, to submit to the Grand Duke of Moscow. Sergius of Radonezh helped Prince Dmitry Ivanovich with his advice and prayer. When, setting off for the Battle of Kulikovo, the prince stopped by Sergius so that the monk would pray with him and give him a blessing, he predicted Dmitry victory and salvation from death. Approaching the Don, Dmitry Ivanovich hesitated whether to cross the river or not, and only after receiving an encouraging letter from St. Sergius admonishing him to attack the Tatars as soon as possible, he began to take decisive action. In 1389, Prince Dmitry Ivanovich invited Father Sergius to seal a spiritual testament that legitimized the new order of succession to the throne - from father to eldest son. Merits of Sergius of Radonezh Orthodox Church highly appreciated: in 1452 he was canonized.

Saint Sergius not only blessed the prince, but also sent with him two monks of the princely family, who were well versed in weapons. These monks were Alexander Peresvet and Andrey (name in monastic vows) Oslyabya, whom St. Sergius had previously tonsured into the Great Schema (the highest angelic rank).

They were very middle-aged, but strong, mature and wise spiritually and in martial arts. This pair was known as the great and famous horsemen in military times: Andrei drove a hundred, and Alexander drove two hundred when they fought. They were famous heroes in battles in the world.

Sergius sent two warrior monks to the battle: Alexander Peresvet and Andrey Oslyabya. The battle of Peresvet with the Horde hero Chelubey began, according to legend, the Battle of Kulikovo.

Many thousands of soldiers entered the detachment, commanded by Dmitry himself, as well as other princes: Dmitry Bobrok-Volynits, Vladimir Serpukhovsky, Andrey Olgerdovich, Dmitry Olgerdovich ...

According to the most common version, before the start of the battle, Peresvet participated in the traditional "duel of heroes". On the part of the Tatars, he was opposed by the hero Chelubey (according to other versions - Temir-Mirza or Tavrul). Both opponents were on horseback, the weapons were spears. After the first collision, the spears of both broke, after which both combatants collapsed to the ground and died.

There is also another version of the duel, according to which Peresvet and Chelubey pierced each other with spears. In accordance with this version, the spear of the master of equestrian fights Chelubey was a meter longer than usual. Entering into battle with him on spears, the enemy could not even strike, as he was already defeated and fell out of the saddle.

Alexander Peresvet went against the logic of the duel - having taken off his armor, he remained only in one Great Schema (a monastic cape with the image of a cross, worn over monastic clothes). He did this so that the enemy's spear, passing through the soft tissues of the body to high speed, did not have time to knock him out of the saddle and then he could strike himself, which happened in battle. Having received a mortal wound, he continued to remain in the saddle, he was able to drive himself to the building and only died there.