Russian history keeps many names of wonderful people for us. One of them was the Russian prince and talented commander Dmitry Bobrok Volynsky. Consider the fate of this man in more detail.
Short Biographical Information
Dmitry Bobrok came from Volyn, hence his nickname. The exact date of his birth is not known. It is assumed that this was a prince who did not have his own inheritance, who 20 years before the start of the Battle of Kulikovo moved to Moscow and began to serve the Moscow princes. Thanks to his intelligence and diplomatic skills, Dmitry Mikhailovich took a leading position among the then Moscow boyars.
Took part in the Battle of Kulikovo in 1380, commanded an ambush regiment that struck unexpectedly for the troops of Khan Mamai and determined the Russian victory.
His name was last mentioned in Russian chronicles in 1389.
There is a version expressed by the historian V. L. Yanin that Prince Dmitry in the 90s. In the 14th century, he retired to a monastery, where he took monastic tonsure under the name of Dionysius. The historian found a handwritten document telling about the death of Prince Dionysius of Volyn in one of the men'smonasteries that occurred before 1411. The reason for such an act of the prince, most likely, was the tragic death of his youngest son (named Vasily) as a result of an accident, which led to the decision to remove Prince Dmitry himself and his wife Princess Anna from worldly life.
Prince's family
Many of his contemporaries remember Prince Dmitry Bobrok Volynsky, a brief biography of this man, however, has not come down to us in full.
Information about his family is extremely scarce. It is known that Dmitry Bobrok was married twice. The name of his first wife is unknown, most likely, she was born, like the prince himself, from Volhynia. It is believed that Dmitry had children in this marriage, two sons survived to adulthood and became the ancestors of two noble families: Volyn and Vorony-Volyn.
It is assumed that the second time Dmitry Bobrok was married to the sister of Prince Dmitry Donskoy - Anna. Children were also born in this marriage, but they all died, some in infancy, some as a result of an accident (like Dmitry's son Vasily, who fell from his horse and crashed to death).
There is a version according to which, one of the sons of Prince Dmitry was Mikhail Klopsky, who was later canonized. However, some historians believe that this saint was not the son, but the grandson of the prince (the son of his son named Maxim).
Versions about the origin of the prince
There are quite a lot of similar versions. Some historians, for example, believe that Prince Dmitry came from the Rurik family, and just over time, a branch of his familyfell into decay, and Dmitry Mikhailovich was forced to come to the service of the Moscow princes.
Other historians associate its origin with the Gedeminovich family. However, this version is not currently supported by historians.
Finally, there is the latest version, according to which Dmitry Mikhailovich received the title of prince already in Moscow, as a result of his marriage to Dmitry Donskoy's sister. In this case, historians suggest that Prince Dmitry Ivanovich greatly appreciated the merits of Dmitry Mikhailovich Volynsky, and therefore allowed him to bear the name of the prince.
Battle on Kulikovo Field
The most important episode in the life of Prince Dmitry was the famous Russian battle, it was thanks to her that he entered Russian history as a successful commander. "The Legend of the Battle of Mamaev", written immediately after the events of 1380, calls Dmitry "the great commander."
The ambush regiment, commanded by Prince Dmitry, entered the battle 5 hours after the start of the main battle, when both the Russian and the Tatar-Mongolian troops were already weakened. Moreover, the prince was able to calculate both the time of the blow and the place of the blow so accurately that he deserved special praise from Prince Dmitry Donskoy. Indeed, as a result of the actions of the ambush regiment, the Horde cavalry, the most powerful weapon of Mamai's troops, was utterly defeated.
Historians believe that before the battle, Prince Dmitry Bobrok vowed to God that if he survived the deadly fight, he would do everything to found a new monastery. Staying aliveThe prince kept his promise and built the Bobrenev Monastery not far from Kolomna. It still exists and is of both historical and cultural value.
The meaning of the prince's activities
Prince Dmitry was both a resolute, brave commander and a faithful servant of Prince Dmitry Donskoy. Russian chronicles characterize him from an exceptionally positive side. Having entered the service of the Moscow princes, Dmitry Mikhailovich was able to realize his military leadership gift, thereby strengthening Moscow's authority in opposing the Golden Horde and gathering Russian lands into a single state.
Therefore, to the question of our contemporaries about what Prince Dmitry Bobrok Volynsky was, who he was, what he did, we can confidently give the following answer: Prince Dmitry was a brave warrior, a wise boyar who truly served his Fatherland. Therefore, his name will remain for centuries.
