The battle on the Kulikovo field was the finale of a tough confrontation between the temnik Mamai and Prince Dmitry Ivanovich. The preparation of Russia for the general battle with the horde began with the accession to the Moscow throne of Prince Dmitry Ivanovich. The Golden Horde in the middle of the XIV century was significantly weakened by twenty years of unrest. It was started by Khan Berdibek by the murder of his father and brothers, while Berdibek himself was killed two years later in 1339 by his brother, over two decades more than 20 rulers changed on the Horde throne. The turmoil was ended by the coming to power of Khan Tokhtamysh. During the turmoil, the rise of the temnik Mamai took place, who, not being the legitimate heir, could not seize power in the Horde.
Then Mamai turned his gaze towards Russia, where he wanted to create his own state. Having gathered a huge army, he offered Prince Dmitry Ivanovich to pay a tribute comparable to that which Russia had previously paid to the Golden Horde rulers. At first, the prince did not want to pay Mamai, knowing his real status. However, comparing the strength of the Khan's army and realizing that Mamai is stronger at the moment,preferred to pay in gold than with the lives of his men. However, the Horde temnik was not satisfied with the tribute, and began to prepare a new campaign against Russia.
Dmitry also decided to prepare for a rebuff. The collection of troops began in August 1380, the detachments were concentrated near the city of Kolomna. On August 26, the Russian army set off on a campaign. Initially, the route of movement went along the river. Oka, at the mouth of the river. Lopasnya troops crossed the Oka and moved south to the source of the Don. The need for such a route was interpreted by the desire to separate the troops of the Tatars and Lithuanians, as well as the unwillingness to move through the hostile Ryazan lands. Ryazan at that time took the side of Mamai.
Kulikovo Field is located between the rivers Nepryadva and Don, its landscape is most suitable for battle. The swampy and forested flanks did not give room for the active use of the Tatar cavalry. The Russian troops deployed in battle formation, at the forefront was a guard regiment, called only to start a fight, exposing the Mongol troops to the fire of Russian riflemen, and then rapidly retreat. Behind the guard was the advanced regiment, which was supposed to weaken the first blow before the main army entered the battle. The third line was a large regiment, which was supposed to take on the entire main blow of the Mongol-Tatar army. On the flanks were regiments of the left and right hands. An ambush regiment hid in a small forest, led by an experienced commander Dmitry Bobrok-Volynsky.
The battle on the Kulikovo field began on September 8, 1380. StartThe battle was marked by a duel between the monk Peresvet and the Mongol hero Chelubey, as a result of which both died. The Tatar cavalry attacked the center, crushing the sentry and advanced regiments, for three hours they tried to break through the defenses of a large regiment. Then Mamai struck a second blow on the left flank, forcing Dmitry Ivanovich to put the first reserve into battle, but, unable to withstand the onslaught of the Tatars, the left flank was broken through and the Russian troops were on the verge of encirclement. At this moment, an unexpected blow was de alt by an ambush regiment, which decided the outcome of the battle, turning the Mongol army to flight. Russian troops drove the Tatar troops for more than fifty kilometers, so the battle on the Kulikovo field was victoriously completed.
The results of the Battle of Kulikovo can hardly be overestimated. It was the beginning of the end of the Tatar-Mongol yoke. After it, for two years, until Tokhtamysh's campaign against Moscow, which he took with the help of the false promises of the Novgorod merchants, Russia did not pay tribute to the Horde. But even after, the payments became more and more conditional. Mamai's invasion of Russian land was supposed to completely destroy Russia, turning it into the Horde of Mamai, who, having not achieved recognition in his own land, decided to become a ruler in someone else's. The battle on the Kulikovo field and the decisive rebuff of Dmitry Ivanovich, nicknamed after the battle - Donskoy, showed the Horde the power of Russian weapons.
The year of the Battle of Kulikovo became the starting point, after which the Mongols no longer risked open confrontation with Russia. The Battle of Kulikovo had a huge impact on the self-consciousness of the Russian people,who realized that the Tatars are not only possible, but also necessary to win.
For exactly one hundred years, Russia was officially considered a vassal of the Golden Horde, whose power was completed by the great confrontation on the Ugra River, although neither side decided on active hostilities, the Mongols left with nothing.
