Kulikovo field is dear to every Russian heart, the place where one of the most fateful battles for the independence of our country took place. It broke the myth of the invincibility of the Tatar-Mongol hordes, who for a long time held captive many peoples inhabiting Eurasia.
In connection with the tragedy that occurred in Ukraine, another one, Odessa's Kulikovo field, has become famous. What is the connection between the old battle and the death of defenseless people at the hands of nationalists? Obviously, there is an aggressive barbarism, which is opposed by much weaker at first glance, the forces of truth.
Honoring heroes in the era of Peter the Great
In Russia, the tradition of creating military memorials was founded by the first emperor, Peter the Great. The construction of the locks did not prevent the tsar from visiting the site of the famous battle that marked the beginning of the unification of the Russian lands. The centuries-old green oak grove, in which it was forbidden to cut down trees by the highest command, became the first Russian nature reserve. This living monument has become a shrine where every patriot can bow to the feat of their ancestors. Until then, the onlyrelics extracted from the earth by the farmers served as material objects reminiscent of past glory. During the plowing, the settlers who founded the villages (Green Oakbrava, Tatin Fords, Red Hill and Don) often came across fragments of swords, shields, arrowheads and pectoral crosses of the heroes who took the last battle. There were also stories, legends and folk memory passed down from generation to generation.
After World War II
The rise of national self-consciousness that occurred after the repulse of the Napoleonic invasion stirred up the memories of past victories among the people. Could not stand aside and the glorious city of gunsmiths - Tula. Kulikovo field has become an object of reverence. Through the efforts of the provincial authorities, with the help of the clergy, merchants and popular support, the first structures began to be erected here, immortalizing the feat of Dmitry Donskoy's squad. Initially, a large-scale construction was planned, which set a dual goal: to pay tribute to the heroes of the last war, instructing them to conduct excursions and stories about their own and past exploits, and to perpetuate the memory of the participants in the battle, which turned more than four centuries old. It was not possible to fully implement this plan then due to lack of money.
Temples and monuments of the century before last
Only in 1850, the Kulikovo field, or rather, the Red Hill, adorned the monument by A. P. Bryullov - an obelisk erected in honor of Dmitry Donskoy. Another element of the memorial, the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin, was built according tothe project of A. G. Bocharnikov is almost twenty years old, and was completed in 1884. The main Orthodox monument, the Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh, completed the ensemble in 1917. Then for many decades this holy place plunged into oblivion. The new Bolshevik authorities had no time for the heroes of bygone eras, they had enough of their own…
Scientific approach
What is Kulikovo Field famous for? The Tula region, on the territory of which a memorable historical event took place, in the sixties of the last century became a place of excavations and research, which, together with the materials already available, made it possible to give a scientifically based description of the course of the battle, its phases, and to determine the places of the most fierce battles. Now scientists with a high degree of probability know what role Kulikovo field played in history. The Museum (Tula Museum of Local Lore) at the same time opened a specialized branch to systematize the expositions, the task of which was set specific: to identify and substantiate the most likely hypothesis of the events of early September 1380. It wasn't easy, but the historians did it.
Battle site
The landscape of the places where the Kulikovo field is located has changed significantly over the centuries. In order to restore the atmosphere of 1830, it was necessary to recreate it on maps and models. All the past centuries, deforestation has been carried out, the soil has been weathered, the relief has been leveled. Nepryadva and Don became smaller, which also made reconstruction difficult. And yet you can imagine the picture, as well as restore the tactical plans of DmitryDonskoy.
War council and battle plan
It is known that the Kulikovo field is located five kilometers from the current village of Monastyrshchino. From a military point of view, the place is well chosen. Considering that the favorite method of the Mongol-Tatar hordes was a roundabout maneuver, the Russian prince excluded him from the enemy’s possible arsenal, protecting both flanks with water obstacles - the Smolka and Lower Dubik rivers. The main trick was in the ambush regiment, hiding in the Green Oakwood. It was formed from selected heroes.
Kulikovo field is large, its area exceeds thirty square kilometers, but the main damage to the enemy was inflicted on a small area - three hundred by five hundred meters.
But even before the tactical plan was ripe, there was a military council, in which the governors and princes took part. Some of them, anticipating the difficulties associated with forcing the Don, offered to take up defensive positions on the left bank without overcoming the water barrier. To this, Prince Dmitry gave an answer that, in a modern adaptation, would sound like this: “It was better not to go against the godless forces than, having come, to do nothing. Today we will go for the Don, and lay our heads there for our brothers!”.
Battles rarely go according to plan, but this time almost everything worked out. Where the village of Tatinka now stands, bridges were erected, and horsemen found fords. It was on the night of September 8, secrecy was maintained.
Before the battle, Prince Dmitry did not sleep, he urged the soldiers to fight bravely and not spare themselves. foggyin the morning there was a combat deployment in three echelons. Infantry was stationed in the Advanced Regiment, then the Large Regiment (the main striking force) was built, Dmitry personally commanded it. There was also a reserve designed to support the direction in which a critical situation would arise. The reserve regiment camouflaged in Zelenaya Oakwood under the command of voivode Bobrok and Vladimir Serpukhovsky had a special role to play. The life of the entire squad and Dmitry himself depended on their actions.
The enemy and his forces
Mamai moved slowly, confident in the power of his troops. It was numerous and surpassed those forces that the Russians could oppose. In addition, Oleg Ryazansky and the Lithuanian prince Jagaila were to join forces with the allied Tatars. An hour before noon, the vanguard, consisting of Genoese mercenaries, entered the Kulikovo field and took up a frontal position opposite the Russian army. Mamai watched the maneuvers from Red Hill, not foreseeing any complications and surprises. By tradition, in the neutral zone between the troops there was a single combat of the best heroes. The Tatars put Chelubey against the Russian monk Peresvet. The forces turned out to be equal, no one wanted to yield, both soldiers died. And then it began…
And the battle broke out
For a long time, historians judged the collisions of the battle by its description in "Zadonshchina" - a document written by an unknown author, perhaps immediately after the battle or a little later. The head-on collision of the two armies took place with a large mutual number of casu alties. The advanced regiment was crushed and slashed like hay, then it was the turn of the Big Regiment, that isRussian main forces. Having shifted the main direction of the blow to the left flank, the Tatars pressed him to Nepryadva, threatening to envelop. It seemed to Mamai that his victory was close, but then, according to the tactical plan, the Ambush Regiment struck, causing panic and the flight of the enemy. The Russians pursued the Tatars, smashing them mercilessly. Having learned about the massacre, the allies expected by Mamai fled, without joining the battle.
The fallen heroes were buried for eight days. Moscow triumphed, meeting the winners on October 1. Prince Dmitry received the title "Don".
About strategic issues
A commander skilled in tactics deserves respect, but only a wise strategist is worthy of the title of genius. Only looking at the map of Russia, one can realize what the Kulikovo field meant for our history. The Tula region in its current borders is located on the way from the Volga to the north-east of the country. Having concentrated the largest military group in the history of Russia in the Kolomna region, Prince Dmitry decided to repulse Mamai, who wanted to punish the recalcitrant Moscow for refusing to pay tribute and stop its desire to gain full sovereignty.
The Horde was preparing a "big campaign", the future of this predatory force depended on its results, the Tatars were extremely determined. There is no doubt that if they had managed to gain the upper hand on the Kulikovo field, then the punitive expedition would have surpassed all the most daring assumptions in cruelty. In this sense, the victory of Dmitry Donskoy was of a strategic nature, opening up a historical perspective for Russia.
In recent decades
In 1980, when the sixth anniversary of the greatbattle, the temple of Sergius of Radonezh was restored. The exhibition, which took place in the village of Monastyrshchino, is timed to coincide with this date. Forestry workers have done a lot to recreate the historical appearance of the landscape. After Russia gained independence, within the framework of the law “On the Days of Military Glory” (1995), a decision was made to create the historical reserve “Kulikovo Field”. The museum continues scientific work, it is open to the public. The memorial complex also includes a memorial cross in Zelenaya Dubrava, the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a monument to Dmitry Donskoy and an alley of Memory and Unity.
Odessa Kulikovo Field
If you get out of the carriage at the Odessa railway station and ask a local citizen where Kulikovo Field is, you can be sure that he will not send you to Tula, but will point his finger through the fence. Indeed, despite the fact that almost all the years of the existence of the USSR, this square bore the name of the revolution (at first simply, and then, so that they didn’t think anything, October), everyone called it the old fashioned way, as under the tsar.
Once, two hundred years ago, the station area was the outskirts of the city. Here passed the border of Porto Franco (now it would be called a free trade zone), marked by a moat, and in general there was a wasteland, which was used for drill exercises by soldiers of the Odessa regiment, dressed in black uniforms with red epaulettes. This place enjoyed a gloomy reputation, state criminals were executed and buried here. There was a prison nearby. But by the end of the century, all these fears were gone, very quicklythe country developed, and with it - Odessa. Kulikovo field has become a place for evening promenades and even attractions.
During the years of the Civil War and intervention, they again began to bury here, and everyone in a row. Victims of urban battles, haidamaks, casual victims, some soldiers of the foreign corps found their rest on the Kulikovo field and were forgotten. In 1967, only the heroes of the revolution were remembered, to whom a mournful, squat monument was erected next to the terminus of trams 17 and 18. The city has expanded very far from the imaginary line where the Kulikovo field marked its border.
Later the Regional Committee of the Party was built on it, then it became the House of Trade Unions.
Odessa rallies
Becoming part of independent Ukraine, Odessa has remained a distinctive and predominantly Russian-speaking city. It cannot be said that the townspeople unanimously supported the Maidan, nor can one say the opposite. Sympathies were divided, in the spring there were often rallies on the streets, spontaneous and not very, during which skirmishes arose, most often verbal.
The thing is that the inhabitants of the southern city (and not only them) were not asked whether they liked or not what was happening in Kyiv. That principle of democracy, absorbed with the first breath of free air, which Odessa has always been famous for, was violated. Kulikovo Pole became a place where people who did not accept the ideals of the “heavenly hundred” peacefully expressed their protest. Eyewitnesses can confirm that the townspeople (most often the elderly) did not commit any aggressive actions. They just stoodwe talked quietly, listened to music and watched a large plasma TV showing Russian news. For this, many of them were killed. And burned.
Tragedy May 2nd
The official version says that after the match between Chornomorets and Metalist, patriotic fans decided to arrange a march, on which unknown "GRU agents" (in the sense that it is not known whether they were GRU agents) opened fire from pistols. There were even victims, however, it was not possible to find them, the protesting nationalists did not let the police or doctors to the bodies lying on the pavement covered with clothes. Then they generally disappeared somewhere, which suggests that the victims were not so dead after all. Then the uncontrollable (seemingly) crowd, having smashed the tents on Greek Square, moved towards the place where the "forces of evil" were concentrated, that is, the entire Odessa "anti-Maidan". Kulikovo field in a matter of minutes was filled with aggressive young people armed with gasoline, plastic bottles and firearms. Having driven the protesters into the House of Trade Unions, they proceeded to the main point of the plan - the murder. Again, according to the official version, the victims set themselves on fire…
