The meaning of Mstislav Mstislavich (daring) in a brief biographical encyclopedia. Mstislav Mstislavich Udatny (Udaloy)
MSTISLAV MSTISLAVICH TOROPETSKY
Mstislav Mstislavich, named Udatny (Remote) (? -1228) should be ranked among the outstanding military leaders of the new Specific Time, when not only foreigners, but also the closest relatives of the Rurik princes, descendants of the same grandfathers and fathers, who ruled in neighboring lands, became irreconcilable enemies. Internecine wars ended either in victory or defeat of one of the parties, then peace came, but it was most often perceived as a short respite - yesterday's allies quarreled, old enemies united against the winner. Under these conditions, even the most experienced and successful warriors had to be on the alert, wary of an unknown strike from any direction. The era of fratricidal wars has brought up very special people who are ready to fight the most incredible enemy. A striking example of such a commander was Mstislav Udatnoy, Prince of Toropetsk (since 1206), Novgorod (since 1210) and Galician (since 1219). For many years he determined the policy of many principalities and lands of Russia. The year of his birth is unknown. Mstislav's father was the Smolensk prince Mstislav Rostislavich the Brave, who was at enmity with his cousin Andrei Bogolyubsky, to the delight of the Chernigov Olgovichi. Year after year, the struggle between the princes flared up, turning into an irreconcilable confrontation. In the frequent battles and campaigns of that time, Mstislav Rostislavich earned the special attention of the chronicler, who noted that this warrior "did not fear anyone but God alone." He became the first of the princes to be buried in the Novgorod Hagia Sophia.
His son Mstislav was first mentioned in the annals in 1193, when he became the prince of Tripoli, from 1203 he reigned in Torchesk, and from 1209 he sat down to reign in Toropets. Repeatedly, the Novgorod boyars invited him to rule Veliky Novgorod. Because of the Novgorod reign, Mstislav Mstislavich entered into a long conflict with the Grand Duke of Vladimir Vsevolod the Big Nest and liberated the city of Torzhok, captured by him from the Novgorodians. Then he went on a campaign against the Chud and conquered the entire Chud land up to the Varangian (Baltic) Sea.
After the death of Vsevolod, Mstislav reconciled with his sons, giving his daughter Rostislava to one of them, Yaroslav. Two years later, having quarreled with the princes of Suzdal, he took her from her son-in-law, but then, after the Battle of Lipitsa, he nevertheless returned his daughter to his lawful spouse. Thanks to this circumstance, one of the greatest Russian commanders, Alexander Nevsky, was born - the son of Yaroslav Vsevolodich and Rostislava Mstislavna, the grandson of Mstislav the Udaly.
In 1215, with the help of the Novgorod regiments, Mstislav Mstislavich expelled Vsevolod Svyatoslavich / Chermny / from Kyiv and installed his cousin Mstislav Romanovich to reign there. However, he had to leave Novgorod, yielding the reign to Yaroslav Vsevolodich, his son-in-law. He himself, having knocked out the Hungarian governor Benedict from Galich, sat down on the Galician table. However, he soon learned that Yaroslav, having strengthened himself in Novgorod, began to oppress the people and supporters of Mstislav Mstislavich and planned to make Torzhok the main city of the Novgorod land. Then, leaving the Galician reign, the prince returned to Novgorod on February 11, 1216. Speaking at a veche that gathered at Yaroslav's Court, he declared: "Either I will return the Novgorod husbands and Novgorod volosts, or I will lay my head for Veliky Novgorod!" This program was enthusiastically received by the people of Novgorod. "We are ready for life and death with you!" they answered the prince
Almost immediately, he began a war with Prince Yaroslav of Pereyaslavl and the Great Vladimir Prince Yuri, who supported his brother. The conflict was aggravated by family strife among the sons of Vsevolod the Big Nest. Mstislav firmly took the side of the elder Vsevolodich, Prince Konstantin, who was at enmity with the brothers.
Having entered the Suzdal land, the army of Mstislav on April 21, 1216 defeated the regiments of Yuri and Yaroslav in the battle on the Lipitsa River and achieved the transfer of the Vladimir table to his ally Konstantin Vsevolodich.
Nevertheless, speaking of Mstislav Udal, it should be noted to the honor of this prince that he, being the protagonist of almost all civil strife of his time, more than once participated in all-Russian campaigns against the Polovtsians and other enemies of the Russian land.
Having defeated all the enemies of Novgorod, Mstislav missed Southern Russia and gathered a veche at Yaroslav's court. As it turned out, to say goodbye to the people of Novgorod. Turning to them, the prince said: "I bow to Hagia Sophia, to the tomb of my father and to you; I want to look for Galich, but I will not forget you; God grant me to lie down near my father at Hagia Sophia." Novgorodians tried to dissuade Mstislav, but to no avail. Mstislav Mstislavich went to return Galich, where the Hungarians again fortified. In 1218, with the help of the father-in-law of the Polovtsian Khan Kotyan, in a fierce battle near the walls of this city, he managed to defeat the army of the Hungarian governor Filney. Following this, the Russian army approached Galich, where Prince Koloman shut himself up. During the siege, Mstislav's soldiers managed to dig a tunnel, through which a small detachment entered the city, opening the gates. Russian squads entered Galich. The Hungarians were killed, and the king's son Koloman was captured. So Mstislav Udaloy regained the Galician reign, which he owned until 1227. He also had to fight with the Poles, having entered into an alliance with the Vladimir-Volyn prince Daniil Romanovich, to whom Mstislav married his daughter Anna. Yaroslav Vsevolodich married another daughter of Mstislav Mstislavich Rostislav, as noted above, back in 1214.
In the battle with the Mongol-Tatar troops on the Kalka River on May 31, 1223, Mstislav was one of the few Russian princes who broke through with the remnants of his squad through enemy barriers back to the Dnieper. The bitterness of this defeat burned the prince until the end of his days. Moreover, a significant share of the blame for the catastrophe that occurred on the banks of the Kalka lay precisely on Mstislav. It was he who started the battle, without waiting for other princes, it was his people, having reached the Dnieper, that cut down the remaining boats, which doomed other retreating soldiers to death. Mstislav lost interest in the political struggle and in 1227, having quarreled with Daniil Romanovich by that time, he married off another of his daughters, Maria, to the Hungarian prince Andrei. Having handed over to him power over the Galician land, Mstislav Mstislavich went to reign in the city of his youth, the border city of Torchesk, where he ended his earthly days the following year.
MSTISLAV (baptized Theodore) MSTISLAVICH UDATNY (Udaloy) (sk. 1228), Grand Duke of Galicia, and then Prince of Trade. The son of the Novgorod prince Mstislav Rostislavich the Brave. He reigned in Toropets, Torchesk, Trepol, Novgorod the Great, Galich, again in Torchesk.
Mstislav was a major commander, repeatedly won victories in battles. Participated in many wars. He successfully fought against the Polovtsians, Hungarians, Poles, made a successful campaign against the Chud. In 1216 he defeated a strong army of the Vladimir-Suzdal princes in the Battle of Lipetsk. In 1223 Mstislav became the initiator and one of the main leaders of the campaign of Russian troops against the Mongols. In the battle on the river Kalke suffered a heavy defeat from the Mongol army and fled from the battlefield.
In 1227, Mstislav ceded Galich to his son-in-law, the Hungarian prince Andrey, and he himself moved to reign in Torchesk, where he died, accepting the schema before his death.
O.M. Rapov
Marxist view
Mstislav Mstislavich Udaloy (born unknown - d. 1228), an ancient Russian prince, commander and politician, son of Prince Mstislav Rostislavich the Brave, great-grandson of Vladimir Monomakh. From 1193 Prince Tripoli, from 1203 - Torcheska, from 1209 - Toropets. In 1210-15 and 1216-18 he ruled Novgorod, in 1219-27 - Galich, in 1227-1228 - Torchesky. Fought against the attackers on the Russian. land of nomads (Polovtsy and Mongol-Tatars), German. knights, Polish and Hungarian feudal lords. Known for his military valor. He took part in the campaigns of the South Russian princes against the Polovtsians (1193 and 1203). In 1210 he liberated Torzhok, captured by the great prince. Vladimir Vsevolod the Big Nest. He successfully waged war with the Livonian knights and went to the Peipsi land for tribute (1212 and 1214). In 1215 he expelled Vsevolod Svyatoslavich Chermny from Kyiv and put Mstislav Romanovich on the reign; in 1216, the M. M. militia, together with the troops of the princes allied to him, inflicted a defeat on the river. Lishshcha squads of Vladimir-Suzdal princes. Starting from 1219, M. M. repeatedly fought with the Poles, Hungarians, as well as with the Galician and Volyn princes and boyars. He was the initiator and one of the military. leaders of the campaign against the Mongolotatars in 1223, the decision on which was made at a large princely congress in Kyiv. In the battle on the river Kalka (1223) M. M. showed courage, but allowed excessive haste and imprudence. Commanding the forward detachments of the Russian. rati, he, without warning the rest of the princes, crossed the river. Kalka, joined the battle with the main. by the Tatars and was defeated. Such inconsistency (the rest of the princes could not support him at that moment) contributed to the tragic outcome of the battle. M. M. himself, fleeing the chase, destroyed the means of crossing the Dnieper and put the rest of the Russian. troops in a difficult position. He spent his last years in feuds with the Galician boyars and in wars with the Hungarians. In 1227, having reconciled with the Hungarians, he transferred all power over the Galician land to his son-in-law, a Hungarian. Prince Andrew, and he reigned in Torchesk.
Used materials of the Soviet military encyclopedia in 8 volumes, volume 5: Adaptive radio communication line - Objective air defense. 688 p., 1978.
MSTISLAV MSTISLAVICH REMOVED (d. 1228, Torchesk) - Prince of Toropetsk from 1206, Novgorod from 1210, Galician from 1219. The son of the Novgorod prince Mstislav Rostislavich the Brave. In 1193 and in 1203 he made campaigns against the Polovtsians. Gained fame as a skilled commander and was nicknamed "Dashed" by combatants for constant military happiness. In 1216 he led the Novgorod army against the Vladimir-Suzdal princes and on the river. Lipice won an indisputable victory in a fierce battle ("And there was great slashing of evil and great scolding, and lying dead everywhere"). In 1219 he went to liberate the Principality of Galicia from the Hungarians and Poles and, having captured Galich, began to reign there. In 1223 Mstislav, along with other Russian. princes participated in the battle with the Mongol-Tatars on the river. Kalka, where, due to disagreements and the lack of a unified plan, Rus. were defeated. At the end of his life, he fought with the Poles and Hungarians, and, having ceded Galich to the Hungarian king in 1227, he reigned in Torchesk.
Used materials of the book: Shikman A.P. Figures of national history. Biographical guide. Moscow, 1997.
Mstislav Mstislavich Udaloy (d. 1228) - Prince of Toropets (from 1206), Novgorod (from 1210), Galician (from 1219); son of Prince Mstislav Rostislavich the Brave. Participated in the campaigns of Russian princes against the Polovtsians in 1193 and 1203. Having become the Prince of Novgorod, Mstislav Mstislavich began a struggle with Prince Vsevolod the Big Nest, who continued the unification policy of Andrei Bogolyubsky. In 1212 and 1214, Mstislav Mstislavich made successful campaigns against the Chud and the Livonian knights. Having defeated Vsevolod Svyatoslavich Chermny (1214), he put Mstislav Romanovich on the Kyiv table. Novgorod ruled in 1216. army in the Battle of Lipitsk, in which the Suzdal-Vladimir princes were defeated. In 1218 he left Novgorod and soon, having defeated and driven out the Hungarians, he sat down at the table in Galich. In the Battle of Kalka (1223) he showed courage, but as a commander he was imprudent, which ultimately led to the defeat of the entire Russian army. In the last years of his life, he fought with the Hungarians, quarreled with Daniil Romanovich and the Galician boyars. Having reconciled with the Hungarian king, in 1227 he gave his daughter Maria to his son Andrei, appointing his son-in-law as his successor.
G. S. Gorshkov. Moscow.
Soviet historical encyclopedia. In 16 volumes. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. 1973-1982. Volume 9. MALTA - NAKHIMOV. 1966.
Read further:
Kostomarov N.I. Russian history in the biographies of its main figures. Chapter 6. Prince Mstislav Udaloy.
Rurikovichi (biographical reference book).
Literature:
Grekov I.B., Shakhmagonov F.F. The world of history. Russian lands in the XIII-XV centuries. M., 1988. S. 28-34, 46-51.
Essays on the history of the USSR. period of feudalism. IX-XV centuries Part 1. M., 1953.
Mstislav was the son of Mstislav the Brave and great-great-grandson of Vladimir Monomakh. He became the grandfather of one of the most famous heroes of ancient Russian history - Alexander Nevsky. However, this is all genealogy, and the fact that someone was someone's father or son does not yet indicate the significance of himself. But the very flattering nickname of Mstislav speaks volumes. Yes, and historians of later times highly appreciated the prince - suffice it to say that S. M. Solovyov completes the second volume of his “History of Russia from Ancient Times” with his death. There was a place for him on the monument "Millennium of Russia". There is no need to be surprised - he ruled in Novgorod and Galich, the battles on Lipitsa and Kalka are associated with his name.
Battles and victories
Old Russian prince and commander, prince of Tripol, Toropetsk, Novgorod, Galicia, etc. Winner in the Battle of Lipitsk. The first of the Russian princes who resisted the Mongols - in the battle of Kalka ...
The chronology of the life and work of Mstislav Udatny is very confusing, and in the historical literature one can find a presentation of events with different dates and in a different sequence. To begin with, the year of his birth is unknown. It is most likely that Mstislav was born around 1175. He initially ruled in Trepol, near Kyiv, - his grandfather, the Grand Duke of Kyiv Rostislav Mstislavich, made sure that his children got the cities of Kyiv land, which more than once served as a springboard for them in the struggle for Kyiv. For the first time as a commander, Mstislav declared himself in 1196, taking part in the struggle of his uncle Rurik Rostislavich of Kyiv and his allies against Roman Mstislavich of Volyn and the Olgoviches.
Later, having dropped out of the struggle for Kyiv, Mstislav found himself drawn into the political affairs of North-Western Russia, especially Novgorod, for a long time. Here, since 1205, the son of the Vladimir prince Vsevolod the Big Nest Konstantin sat, relying on the Miroshkinichi group. In 1209, in the context of the intensified political struggle in the city on the Volkhov, Vsevolod installed Konstantin as a prince in Rostov, and sent his youngest son Svyatoslav instead. The opponents of the Miroshkinichs, the Mikhalkovichs, planned to expel him and, apparently, secretly turned to Mstislav with a proposal for an alliance. He attacked Torzhok, seized the nobles Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich and his governor there, and sent ambassadors to Novgorod, officially offering them his help:
I came to you to you, hearing violence from the prince, and sorry for my father.
After all, his father reigned here and died in 1180. After that, Svyatoslav's opponents rebelled and arrested Svyatoslav along with the boyars. Mstislav, accepted as a prince by the Novgorodians, gathered a militia and again moved to Torzhok, preparing to meet the Suzdal regiments. Vsevolod, obviously not ready for a fight with Novgorod and Mstislav, who was backed by the Rostislavichs, preferred a peace agreement and exchanged the Novgorod merchants he had captured with their goods for Svyatoslav and his people.
Having become the prince of Novgorod, Mstislav turned to the affairs of the Baltic. At this time, the Order of the Sword, which had completed the conquest of Livonia, was preparing to capture Estonia, after which the Novgorod-Pskov lands were next in line. The best way to avoid this scenario was to create a sphere of influence in the lands of the Estonians. In 1209, Mstislav sent the posadnik Dmitry Yakunich with a detachment of Novgorodians to Velikie Luki, ordering him to "set up cities" (i.e., fortified points) on the border with the Order. Then he himself inspected the border, visited Torzhok, Toropets, and then arrived at Dmitri in Velikiye Luki. Here Mstislav agreed with his brother Vladimir, Prince of Pskov, on a joint campaign in the lands of the Chud. In 1212, their troops invaded Unganiya near Derpt (Yuriev), defeated the local princes, captured many prisoners and cattle, and then, after an eight-day siege, took the Bear's Head (Odenpe). They imposed tribute on the defeated and began to convert to Christianity according to the Orthodox rite ...
In battles, campaigns and sieges in the northwest, southwest and south, several more years passed. The intricacies of ancient Russian politics around Novgorod, Galich, Kyiv were cut with a sword. Mstislav Udatny was approaching his main victory and one of the largest battles in the history of civil wars of Ancient Russia.
The pro-Vladimir group in Novgorod obtained an invitation from Prince Yaroslav, the son of Vsevolod the Big Nest, the father of Alexander Nevsky and, by the way, the son-in-law of Mstislav Udatny. However, the autocracy of Yaroslav, who, among other things, persecuted the supporters of his father-in-law, caused strong discontent among the Novgorodians. When the inhabitants of Prusskaya Street rebelled against the supporters of the prince and killed two of them, he moved his residence to Torzhok and blocked the supply of bread, which caused famine in Novgorod. The prince arrested those who came from there twice with a request to lift the blockade and return the ambassadors, as well as many Novgorod merchants. Then the Novgorodians turned to Mstislav with an appeal to save them, and he, again taking the Novgorod table, suggested that his son-in-law release the arrested and leave Torzhok. Having received a refusal, the prince convened a veche, at which he called for the expulsion of Yaroslav from Torzhok: “May there not be New Novgorod, nor Novgorod Tarzhk. (…) And God is in many things, and God is in small things!”
On March 1, 1216, Mstislav, together with his brother Vladimir, set out on a campaign, rescued Rzhev from the siege, captured Zubtsov, where the Smolensk prince Vladimir Rurikovich arrived in time with the army. Having reached Holokhnya, near Staritsa, the princes offered Yaroslav to put up, but he proudly refused: “I don’t want the world.”
B. Chorikov. The flight of Yuri (George) after the Battle of Lipitsa. 1216
Moving along the Volga, the allies entered the Tver volost, threatening to cut off Yaroslav from the Suzdal land. He hurriedly left Torzhok (which the Novgorodians wanted so badly) and sent the vanguard to Tver. Realizing that Yaroslav was already in Tver or was about to be there, Mstislav bypassed it from the east, continuing to move to Pereyaslavl. Yaroslav had to leave Tver, and then flee to Yuryev-Polsky. Here, on the Lipitsky field, the enemy armies met. On the one hand, detachments from Rostov, Novgorod, Pskov, Smolensk lands, on the other, from Vladimir, Suzdal, Pereyaslavl-Zalessky, Yuryev-Polsky and other cities.
The Novgorod chronicler assures that at the feast before the Battle of Lipitsk, the boyars “from the Suzdal side” shouted that they would throw saddles at the enemies (“we will overthrow their saddles”). Yuri and Yaroslav de-divided the Russian land in advance: Yuri - Vladimir and Rostov, Yaroslav - Novgorod, both of them - Galician land, Svyatoslav - Smolensk, and Olgovichi - Kyiv. On this, they allegedly kissed the cross and signed the letters, which, after the battle, were captured by the Smolensk people. All this is often repeated in the scientific literature without any doubt. Doubts, however, are quite appropriate, given the partiality of the Novgorod chroniclers, who were hardly told what happened in the prince's tent before the battle. And it is all the more doubtful that tipsy princes and boyars would begin to engage in such a boring business as drafting charters - in those days, as A. A. Kuznetsov correctly points out, they would have completely managed with oral declarations, and fixing with the help of acts, specific form, is more reminiscent of the practice of the XV-XVI centuries, when the corresponding annals were compiled.
When the Hungarian protégé Sudislav began to beg the prince for mercy, “wearing his nose, promising to be his work,” that is, promising to be a slave, the victor at Lipica, “who believed his word and honored him with great honor,” appointed Zvenigorod governor.
P. Ryzhenko. Kalka
The last battle of Mstislav was with the Hungarians near Zvenigorod.
However, the fact remains that Yuri and Yaroslav were not ready for the battle. Mstislav, however, was in no hurry to get into a fight, but again resorted to maneuver, moving on Vladimir, bypassing Mount Avdova, where Yuri's soldiers were stationed. As soon as they began to leave it in order to attack the enemy advancing on the capital city, Mstislav's warriors turned against them and forced them to retreat with a strong counterattack.
The main battle took place on 21 April. Vladimir Smolensky stood on the flank against Yaroslav, Mstislav and Vsevolod (son of Mstislav Romanovich) stood in the center against Yuri with his Suzdal regiments, and Konstantin on the other wing against Svyatoslav and Vladimir, the younger brothers of Yuri and Yaroslav.
Before the battle, Mstislav, among other things, declared to the soldiers: "And whoever wants to go, and who wants to - on horses." Many Novgorodians, declaring that they want to fight, “like our fathers fought,” not only “sat down from a horse,” but also “sweeping ports and boots” (hence, armor). Some of the Smolensk people also dismounted and took off their shoes, but not to the end, but “crossed” their legs, but they did not take off their armor. Part of the Smolensk people, the regiment of governor Ivor Mikhailovich, went on horseback through a dense forest ("wilds"). The infantry entered the fray with Yaroslav's men without waiting for the cavalry, and overturned one of Yaroslav's banners, and then, when the cavalry arrived, the second.
Now Mstislav attacked with Vsevolod and Vladimir. The chronicler assures that the daring prince galloped “through the regiment” of Yuri and Yaroslav, drawing attention to himself, because he had an “axe with a pavoroza” (a belt or loop that tied a weapon to his hand), with which he chopped enemies. In the end, his warriors “reached the goods”, that is, broke through to the wagon train, after which Yuri, Yaroslav and their younger brothers fled from the battlefield, where 9233 defeated were left to lie, 60 were captured, while the Novgorodians only 4 or 5 fell, and only one Smolensk (!).
This whole picture requires a lot of corrections and clarifications. The behavior of the Novgorodians who took off their armor, shoes and dismounted is apparently explained not only by purely practical considerations (for Novgorodians, cavalry combat is not typical at all), but, as A. S. Shchavelev believes, and by a certain military custom, reminiscent of the customs of the Vikings, demonstrating a readiness to fight to the death ... The obvious result of the rhetorical comprehension of the text was the episode with Mstislav passing through the enemy line three times and the incredibly huge loss figures - 9233. Many scientists confidently repeat them as quite reliable, but there is no certainty that so many people from one of the sides participated in the battle at all. The true scale of the losses reflects the modest number of prisoners of Suzdal.
Having stood on the battlefield, the next day the winners slowly moved to Vladimir, where Yuri locked himself. The inhabitants were by no means eager to defend the prince in the face of a strong enemy (not the first case in the history of Russia). While the allies were standing under the walls, "I think where the capture came from," fires broke out in Vladimir at night. Mstislav and Vladimir did not allow the Novgorodians and Smolensk, who were eager to plunder the defenseless city, to enter it, and the next morning Yuri capitulated and went to Radilov Gorodets, left to him by the victors.
As for Yaroslav, he had to return the surviving Novgorod and Novotorzh captives, and in addition, Mstislav took his daughter from him, although Yaroslav persuaded him to leave her to him (later the marriage would resume, and Theodosia would become the mother of Alexander Nevsky). The disputed lands on Voloka, presumably, were also returned to the Novgorodians. But Yaroslav, unlike Yuri, remained to reign where before, although his fault in the conflict was, perhaps, more.
For Novgorod, the victory at Lipitsa meant the collapse of the attempts of the Suzdal princes to rule autocratically on the banks of the Volkhov. Then Yaroslav will reign there more than once, but he will no longer allow himself such tyrant tricks as before. And the winner at Lipitz, despite the requests of the Novgorodians, would eventually leave the banks of the Volkhov forever - Galich seemed a much more tempting target.
In 1219 or 1220, Mstislav Udatny and Vladimir Rurikovich invaded the Galician land with Russian and Polovtsian detachments. The Hungarian-Polish-Moravian army came out to meet them, but suffered a complete defeat and was captured. The victors took possession of the city gates and entered Galich. The Hungarians took refuge in the Church of the Virgin, which they turned into a fortress, and fired back from there. The besiegers were helped by the townspeople, who willingly opposed the conquerors. The Hungarians, who ran out of water, had to surrender. Those of the interventionists who escaped from the city, "the stinkers of the beating of the bysh" - the villagers also did not favor the invaders. However, Mstislav understood that, first of all, it was necessary to establish relations with the local boyars, whose influence was decisive here much more than in other principalities.
In 1223, his father-in-law, the Polovtsian Khan Kotyan, who was pressed by new conquerors, the Mongols, turned to Mstislav for help. The winner at Lipica invited the princes to discuss Kotyan's request for help. They gathered in Kyiv, where they decided to help the Polovtsy. In addition to Mstislav himself, his namesakes took part in the campaign - the princes of Kyiv, Chernigov and Lutsk, as well as Vladimir Rurikovich Smolensky, Daniil Romanovich Volynsky and other rulers of Russia, not to mention the Polovtsian khans Kotyan, Basty and others.
In April, the army set out on a campaign, and at the city of Zarub, at the crossing to the left bank of the Dnieper, they were met by Mongolian ambassadors. They declared that the Mongols were at war with the Polovtsy, the enemies of the Russians, but they had nothing against the Russians themselves - so they deceived the Polovtsy themselves at one time when they wanted to help the Alans and Circassians. The princes did not believe the false words of the ambassadors and ordered them to be killed.
The reason for such a strong reaction is unclear, but such cases occurred suspiciously often - Mongolian ambassadors were killed in Khorezm, Hungary ... A. A. Nemirovsky, who drew attention to this circumstance, explains it by the fact that the Mongols considered themselves entitled to massacre peoples whose rulers killed their ambassadors , and the khans instructed their representatives to make such statements that caused legitimate indignation of the receiving side - for example, they immediately named the Khorezmshah on behalf of Genghis Khan one of his favorite sons, that is, a vassal, and then demanded the extradition of his closest relative, through whose fault the Mongolian caravan died in Otrar. It is not surprising that one of the ambassadors was eventually executed, but his fellow tribesmen considered themselves entitled not to observe any rules in relations with Khorezm. Perhaps something similar happened in Zarub - the representatives of the Mongols behaved so arrogantly that the angry princes simply could not help but kill them.
But Mstislav and Volodimer began to strengthen Novogorodtsy and Smolny, roaring: “Brothers, behold, thou hast entered the land of strength, but look at God, we will stand strong, do not look back: run away, do not leave. And let's forget, brothers, houses, wives and children, and if you like to die, who wants to walk, or who is on a horse.
Soon, Mstislav ran into the enemy's advance detachment led by Gemyabek and defeated him, Gemyabek himself tried to hide, but he was found and killed (according to another version, this happened to Semeyabek, and Gemyabek fled). Continuing the campaign, at the Khortytsky ford, the allies met with reinforcements that had approached from Galich under the command of Yuri Domerich and Derzhikrai Volodislavich. The Polovtsian detachments also approached here. After a short delay, the allied rati moved on and soon ran into the enemy's advance detachment.
Eight days later, the Russian regiments reached the Kalka River. The advanced Russian-Polovtsian detachment started a battle with the enemy "watchmen", in which the governor Ivan Dmitrievich and two more nameless warriors (or also the governor?) died.
On May 31, Mstislav Udatny ordered Daniil to cross the Kalka, and then he did it himself. Having found the main enemy forces under the command of Jebe and Subedei in front of them, the princes decided to attack. What follows is not entirely clear. It is not clear, first of all, whether the princes realized that these were the main forces, and not just another advanced detachment, although more numerous. Ibn al-Nasir writes that the Mongols lured the Russians and Cumans and attacked when they did not expect it. The Ipatiev Chronicle reports that Mstislav, who called the other princes to arms, did not tell the princes of Kyiv and Chernigov anything, “Because the quarrel (quarrel. - A.K.) is great between the ima”, but for some reason nothing was said about it before . In addition to the princes of Galicia and Volyn, Oleg Kursky and Mstislav Nemoy, the ruler of Lutsk, took part in the battle. It seems that Mstislav Chernigovsky also fought - the chroniclers do not reproach him for evading the battle, as the prince of Kyiv. Daniel showed miracles of courage, "not feeling the wounds that were on his body." The Novgorod chronicler assures that the Polovtsians are to blame for everything - “they ran away before the poor Polovtsi back, and the Russian princes ran away.” One way or another, the allies were completely defeated, Mstislav of Kyiv, who did not take part in the battle, was surrounded in the camp and three days later (the figure, however, purely conditional) surrendered on parole, which was given to him by an ally of the Mongols, the leader of the roamers Ploskin. But after the murder of their ambassadors, Jebe and Subedei considered themselves entitled to break any promises and dealt with the prince and his entourage.
Obviously, Mstislav became a victim of his own prowess - he began the battle without waiting for the concentration of the main forces. Apparently, previous successes have gone to his head. The guilt of the Polovtsy for the defeat seems to be greatly exaggerated - it is unlikely that they were so numerous that they decided the outcome of the battle with their flight. In addition, it should be taken into account that the allies faced the strongest warriors of their time, perfectly trained, brave, experienced, who were led by capable commanders who, judging by Ibn al-Nasir, used here the proven tactics of luring. The battle on the Kalka became a formidable harbinger of what awaits Russia in the near future.
Streltsy Russians will win and (their - A.K.) and they drove them into the field, cutting afar off and taking their livestock.
Mstislav, I won and drove them to the camps of the queen, secantly and, at the same time, killed Martinish, the governor of the queen. The king is confused in mind and poide and land greyhound.
B. Chorikov. Mstislav Mstislavovich. 1224
It is difficult to say what guided Mstislav when he eventually handed over Galich and left for Torchesk. There, in 1228, "Mstislav the great and successful prince died."
Mstislav Udatny did not become famous for victories over the Polovtsy, like Vladimir Monomakh, over the crusaders, like Alexander Nevsky, or over the Tatars, like Dmitry Donskoy. After the battle near Zvenigorod, Mstislav almost immediately lost Galich, for which he had fought for so long. The Lipitskaya victory remains, which strengthened the position of Novgorod and subsequently forced Yaroslav to behave on the banks of the Volkhov as befits a statesman, and not a highwayman. On a larger scale, Mstislav fought in that war to uphold the rules. It cannot be said that all the actions of this prince are approved, but we do not hear him reproached for betrayal, perjury or meanness.
Now let's turn to the features of the commander's handwriting. Mstislav was, speaking in high style, a knight without fear or reproach, he personally participated in battles more than once and showed himself as a brave warrior. Of course, you can accuse the prince of dangerous youth, but we don’t even hear about his injuries, besides, it worked for his reputation both in the eyes of society and his own soldiers. Of course, a swift attack was clearly to Mstislav's liking, but during the campaign to Lipica, he showed himself to be a skilled strategist, a master of maneuver, constantly forcing Yaroslav to retreat. The only major defeat of Mstislav is Kalka, but here much is explained by the lack of knowledge of the enemy, who, moreover, had no equal in those days. And even if the princes had managed to win on Kalka, this, unfortunately, would not have saved Russia from the Batu pogrom.
We should also note Mstislav's ability to choose the right time to strike (political calculation is an integral part of the strategy). However, in the case of Galich, there is also an important drawback of Mstislav - he chose a target beyond his strength. There were too many enemies here (Hungarians, Poles, some of the local princes and boyars), and his forces were very modest. Meanwhile, Mstislav was guided by clearly not the most noble considerations, simply wishing himself a more prestigious table. But such was the psychology of almost all the princes, and it is difficult to reproach him for this.
Mstislav Mstislavich Udatny (Udaloy)
nyaz Trypilsky (1193-1194),
Prince Torchesky (1203-1207, 1227-1228),
Prince Toropetsky (1206-1213),
prince of Novgorod (1210-1215, 1216-1218),
Prince of Galicia (1215, 1219-1227)
Son of Prince Mstislav Rostislavich of Smolensk and Novgorod.
Mstislav reigned in Tripoli from 1193, and then in Torchesk, and although he was married to the daughter of the Polovtsian Khan Kotyan, he repeatedly went to the Polovtsians. In 1206, for the successful defense of Torchesk, he received from his uncle, Rurik Rostislavich Smolensky, a Toropetsky destiny. True, the next year he lost Torchesk, losing it after a long defense to the Olgovichi.
In 1209, Mstislav seized the governors of the Novgorod prince Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich in Torzhok and offered himself to the Novgorodians as a prince. They took Svyatoslav into custody and, after Mstislav entered the city, sent the former prince to his father.
Sitting in Novgorod, Mstislav in 1210 went to the Chud and took tribute from the inhabitants. In 1214, Mstislav, with the Novgorodians and Smolensk princes, went to Vsevolod Svyatoslavich Chermny, drove him out of Kyiv, which he gave to Mstislav Romanovich, and then, after a short stay in Novgorod, retired to southern Russia.
In 1215, the Hungarian king Andras II and the Polish king Leszek the White quarreled in the Galician land. Mstislav came to the aid of his friend Leshek and expelled the Hungarians from Galich.
Upon learning that the Novgorod prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich began to oppress his subjects, he returned to Novgorod and, in alliance with Konstantin Vsevolodovich, in 1216 defeated Yaroslav and his ally, Yuri Vsevolodovich, in the Battle of Lipitsk, put Konstantin Vsevolodovich on the Vladimir table and again returned to southern Russia.
In 1217-1218, the Poles again invited Mstislav to fight the Hungarians for Galich. Having mastered it, Yaroslav, unexpectedly for the Poles, made peace with the Russian pretender to the Galician table, Daniil Romanovich. This caused an alliance of the Poles with the Hungarians against Mstislav, as a result of which he lost Galich, but he managed to stop the enemy’s movement to Volhynia with the help of the Russian princes and Polovtsians. In 1221 Mstislav managed to regain Galich as well.
In 1223, at the Kiev Congress of Russian princes, Mstislav Udatny supported the request of his son-in-law, the Polovtsian Khan Kotyan, for help against the Tatar-Mongols. Before the battle on Kalka, he quarreled with the princes and began hostilities without warning them, and with his haste violated the plans of the Russian princes. The Polovtsy, who fled from the battlefield, crushed the Russian regiments, and they also fled. Mstislav Udatny himself was the first to reach the Dnieper, but instead of organizing the crossing of the retreating Russian regiments, he ordered the remaining boats to be broken, which made it difficult to save the rest.
Mstislav spent the following years in Galich, constantly at odds with the local boyars, Hungarians and Poles. In 1227, having given his daughter Elena in marriage to the Hungarian prince Andras, son of Andras II, Mstislav handed over to him the administration of Galich, and he returned to Torchesk, where he died a year later, accepting the schema before his death.
After his death, his son Yuri remained, who reigned in Pskov (c.1232-1240). The youngest daughter of Mstislav, Rostislav (in baptism - Theodosius) was the wife of Yaroslav Vsevolodovich. One of their sons, Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky, became one of the remarkable historical figures in our ancient history.
Mstislav Mstislavich became famous throughout Russia for his military prowess and luck, for which he received the nickname Udatny or Udaloy. He liked to talk about justice and thought that he was serving it, but in essence he loved power more than anything.
One of the most controversial and mysterious personalities during the decline of the Old Russian state was Prince Mstislav Udaloy. He was distinguished by unprecedented courage, fighting with the enemies of Russia, but quite often used his skills in internecine strife. It will be very interesting for the modern generation of people to get acquainted with the biography of such an outstanding personality as Mstislav Udaloy. A brief biography of this prince will be the subject of our study.
Nickname origin
The original nickname of Prince Mstislav was Udatny, which means "lucky" in Old Russian. But due to misinterpretation, the translation of "Udaloy" became generally accepted. It was under this nickname that the prince got on the pages of most history textbooks.
We will not change the generally accepted tradition.
Birth
The date of birth of Mstislav Udaly remains a mystery to historians. There is no doubt only that he was born within the second half of the XII century and was named Fedor in baptism. He was the son of the Novgorod prince Mstislav Rostislavovich the Brave from the Smolensk branch of the Monomakhoviches. The origin of Mstislav Udaly's mother is controversial. According to one version, she was the daughter of the prince of Galich, according to another, the Ryazan prince Gleb Rostislavovich.
The place of Mstislav the Udaly among the sons of Mstislav Rostislavovich is also ambiguous. Some researchers consider him to be the eldest son, others - the youngest, moreover, born after the death of his father. In the latter case, the year of his birth may be 1180.
Early references
The first mention of Mstislav Udal in chronicles is dated to 1193. It was then that he, while still the prince of Tripolsky, took part in the campaign against the Polovtsy, together with his cousin Rostislav Rurikovich.
In 1196, Rostislav's father, Prince of Kyiv Rurik Rostislavovich, sent Mstislav the Udaly to help Vladimir Yaroslavovich of Galicia, who opposed Volynsky. In 1203, already as Prince Torchesky, the young Mstislav Udaloy again made a campaign against the Polovtsians. But in 1207, he was driven out of Torchesk by the troops of the representative of the Olgovichi line, Vsevolod Svyatoslavovich Chermny, when he made a successful campaign against Kyiv, which at that time was controlled by Rurik Rostislavovich.
After that, Mstislav Mstislavovich Udaloy fled to the Principality of Smolensk, where he received from his relatives a fiefdom in Toropets. Since then, he became known as Prince Toropetsky.
Novgorod reign
Remaining the prince of Toropetsk, in 1209 Mstislav Udaloy was invited to reign in their lands. His father was also a prince of Novgorod in his time. Prince Svyatoslav, the son of the Great Vladimir Big Nest, who until then ruled in Novgorod, was deposed by the Novgorodians themselves. Replaced by Mstislav Udaloy. The years of the reign of this prince in Novgorod were marked by a special confrontation with the Vladimir-Suzdal principality.
In 1212, Mstislav made a successful campaign at the head of the Novgorod army against the pagan Chud tribe.
Hike to Chernihiv
Meanwhile, after the death of Rurik Rostislavovich, who was then in the Chernigov principality, and a long-time foe of Mstislav the Udaly Vsevolod the Big Nest, a feud broke out with renewed vigor between Vsevolod Chermny, who ruled in Kyiv, and the Smolensk branch of the Monomakhoviches, whom he accused of killing two of his relatives.
Realizing that he himself could not cope with the Kyiv prince, Mstislav Romanovich Smolensky asked for help from his cousin, Mstislav the Udaly. He immediately responded.
The united army of Novgorodians and Smolensk began to ravage the Chernihiv land, which, by right of patrimony, belonged to Vsevolod Chermny. This forced the latter to leave Kyiv and accept the reign in Chernigov. Thus, the capital city of Russia was captured without a fight by Mstislav Udaly, who put Ingvar Yaroslavovich Lutsky on a temporary reign. But after the conclusion of peace with Vsevolod Chermny, Mstislav Romanovich Smolensky, later nicknamed the Old, became the Grand Duke of Kyiv.
Participation in civil strife
In the meantime, after the death of Vsevolod the Big Nest in North-Eastern Russia, a major (between his heirs) flared up for the possession of the Vladimir-Suzdal principality. Mstislav Udaloy supported the eldest son of Vsevolod of Rostov, Prince Konstantin, in this struggle. At the same time, according to the will left by Vsevolod the Great Nest, the principality was to be inherited by his son Yuri, who was supported by his brother Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, while simultaneously claiming the reign of Novgorod.
In 1215, when Mstislav Udaloy, together with his retinue, moved south, Yaroslav Vsevolodovich captured Novgorod - at the invitation of the local residents themselves. But soon he had a conflict with the Novgorodians. Yaroslav captured a large city in the south of the Novgorod land - Torzhok. The Novgorodians again called on Mstislav.
The decisive battle between the troops of Mstislav the Udaly, who was joined by the Smolensk army, the son of Mstislav the Old with his retinue and Konstantin of Rostov, and the army of the Vladimir-Suzdal princes Yuri and Yaroslav, took place in 1216 on the Lipitsa River. It was the largest battle of the internecine wars of that period. The Novgorod-Smolensk army won a complete victory. During the flight, Yaroslav Vsevolodovich even lost his helmet.
The result of the battle was the approval of Konstantin Vsevolodovich on the reign of Vladimir and the temporary refusal of Yaroslav Vsevolodovich from Novgorod. However, already in 1217, Mstislav Udaloy abandoned Novgorod in favor of Svyatoslav, the son of Mstislav the Old.
Reigning in Galicia
The refusal of Novgorod was due to the fact that Mstislav Udaloy put forward his claims to Galich. According to one version, he began trying to seize power there even earlier, but without much success. In 1218, with the support of the Smolensk princes, he finally expelled the Hungarians from Galich.
Since then, Mstislav Udaloy became the Galician prince. His foreign and domestic policy was particularly active. He concluded an alliance agreement with Daniil Romanovich Volynsky, fought against the Hungarians and Poles. During these wars, Galich passed from one hand to another. But in 1221, Mstislav was still able to finally establish himself there.
Battle on the Kalka
1223 was a turning point in the fate of all of Russia. Hordes of Mongol-Tatars under the leadership of Genghis Khan's loyal commanders Jebe and Subudai invaded the southern Russian steppes. Against the common danger, most of the principalities of southern Russia united with the Polovtsian army of Khan Katyan (who was the father-in-law of Mstislav Udaloy), who took an active part in creating a coalition.
Although the formal head of the coalition was the Great Kyiv Prince Mstislav the Old, in reality many princes did not obey him. Disunity served as the main reason for the defeat that the Russian-Polovtsian army suffered in the Battle of the Kalka. Many Russian princes and ordinary soldiers died in this battle, among them was Mstislav of Kyiv. Few managed to survive. But among those who were lucky enough to escape was Mstislav Udaloy.
Further fate and death
After the battle on Kalka, Mstislav returned to Galich. There he continued to fight with the Hungarians, Poles and with his former ally Daniil Volynsky, who later became the king of Russia. Despite the relatively successful outcome of these wars, in 1226 Mstislav left the reign in Galich and moved to the city of Torchesk, located in the south of Kyiv land, where he had already ruled in his youth.
Shortly before his death, he became a monk. He died in 1228 and was buried in Kyiv.
Personality characteristic
Researchers name many lands and cities where Mstislav Udaloy ruled. These are Tripoli, Torchesk, Toropets, Novgorod, Galich, but nowhere did he settle for a long time. And the reason for this lay not so much in the intrigues of other princes, but in his character, thirsting for change. Contemporaries note that Mstislav the Udaly had a violent temper, but at the same time, this man was distinguished by amazing prudence.
Undoubtedly, this prince played one of the key roles in the history of our state in the first half of the 13th century.
