Day of Military Glory of Russia - Victory Day of Russian regiments in the Battle of Kulikovo (1380)

One of the days of military glory is the victory of the Russian regiments led by Dmitry Donskoy in the battle on the Kulikovo Field The holiday in honor of the victory of 1380 over the Mongol-Tatar army is officially enshrined in Russian law And although the event itself, which became a military example, happened on September 8th according to the old style, the translation to the new one made its own adjustments Today the celebration, both church and state, takes place on the 21st The prerequisite for the battle was Dmitry Donskoy’s refusal to pay tribute since 1374 to Mamai, who seized power in the Golden Horde Major clash of 1378 on the river The leader did not reduce the claims, and another attempt was made to punish the disobedient Troops converged in the area between the Don and Nepryadva rivers - modern Tula region The outcome of the battle was influenced by the charismatic personality of Dmitry Donskoy, who showed by his own example how to fight But in addition to the courage that he inspired in the soldiers, an important role was played by the military talent of the Grand Duke and his innate cunning He not only took a strategically advantageous position, while deceiving the experienced Mamai Having changed into simpler clothes, the young prince, unrecognized by his enemies, fought in the front ranks, freely giving the necessary commands A boyar from his retinue sacrificed his life by impersonating Dmitry Capturing the prince's tent is a priority task, and the enemy fell into this trap An ambush organized in advance on the left flank helped the Russians frighten the Horde so much that they were forced to flee The forces of the parties by modern standards do not look impressive - only 30-40 thousand on the Russian side and twice as many opponents But the ending of the battle deservedly allows us to call it a “massacre”: Mamai’s troops were almost completely defeated, only a tenth managed to escape Donskoy was wounded in this battle, but recovered and was able to continue his policy - to collect and strengthen Russian lands, which at that time were very weakened by the oppression of the Mongol Empire and the incessant attempts to seize Russian land by Western opponents There is also a religious aspect to this victory According to church traditions and chronicles, a prayer addressed to the Most Holy Theotokos on the night of her Nativity (from September 7th to 8th) was heard Help came from Alexander Nevsky, whose remains rested in the Nativity Monastery, where Prince Dmitry prayed His spirit rose above the coffin and then became invisible, promising protection This battle was decisive for the Golden Horde - it not only lost power, but, unlike united Rus', it itself became fragmented Mamai was overthrown by the young and ambitious Tokhtamysh, who supported the Russian principality in 1380 and then used the defeat of Mamai to his advantage After 2 years, he completely burned Moscow, and managed to get rid of the yoke only a century later Today, some historians challenge the traditional version of events, trying to prove that the yoke did not exist There are undoubtedly some questions and mysteries that remain unexplained Sometimes modern research and new archaeological finds add even more doubt For example, the icon of Sergius of Radonezh, which depicts the Massacre of Mamaev, became such a stumbling block The flags of the fighting armies are the subject of discussion - they are the same, and the battle itself can be interpreted as a civil war Only courage, victory, love for the homeland of Russian soldiers remains a real, indisputable fact In order to introduce the younger generation to glorious exploits, various exhibitions, competitions, and military-patriotic song festivals are organized The Kulikovo Field State Museum helps keep this day in the memory of descendants with an annual event in honor of the anniversary of the battle Theatrical performances, historical reconstructions, equestrian competitions, and craft workshops will help you immerse yourself in the atmosphere of antiquity and not forget the dedication of your ancestors for the benefit of future generations