Alcohol abuse and neglect of one's duties do not lead to good. This truism is as old as time, but it does not become less significant.
On August 2, 1377, one of the most shameful battles in Russian history took place, which is awkward to remember even after more than six centuries.
First successes after Batu
By the end of the 14th century, the Russian lands had recovered from the severe consequences of Batu’s invasion. The fear of the Horde, which had lived in the hearts of the Russians for several generations, began to gradually fade away. The princely squads began to challenge small Horde detachments and even defeat them.
In 1376 Moscow Prince Dmitry Ivanovich And Dmitry Konstantinovich Suzdalsky organized a joint campaign to the lands of the Volga Bulgars. From the territory of Volga Bulgaria, which was an ulus of the Golden Horde, devastating raids were carried out on Russian lands, and it was decided to put an end to this.
The hike was led by a talented Moscow Voivode Dmitry Mikhailovich Bobrok-Volynsky.
Army Emir Hasan Khan And Horde protege Muhammad Sultan was broken. The Russians received a large financial payoff from the emir, and also took guns with them as a trophy: until that moment there were no firearms in Russian lands.
In addition, Russian customs officers were left in Bulgar.
Waiting for the enemy
There was no doubt that the Horde would try to punish the Russians for such insolence. There was no fear: Moscow Prince Dmitry Ivanovich was preparing to repel them on the lands of the Nizhny Novgorod principality, which was owned by his father-in-law, Prince Dmitry Konstantinovich.
The army was assembled quite powerful, but there was no news of the enemy for a long time.
Dmitry Ivanovich could not wait indefinitely. Leaving part of the assembled troops, he left for Moscow. The command was entrusted Ivan Dmitrievich, son of the Nizhny Novgorod prince. The young prince took part in campaigns, but did not lead the army alone. Moreover, his authority was not enough to maintain discipline.
In search of the Horde, the Russian army crossed into the Mordovian lands across the Piana River and set up camp. Then rumors reached the Russians that the Horde army, led by Prince Arapsha(as the Russians called the Arab Shah) is camped quite far away, on the Volchye Vody, and its leader himself is allegedly afraid to go to Rus'.
“Have fun in action, without the slightest doubt”
If the Russian army had a more authoritative commander, what happened next most likely would not have happened. But without a strong hand, drunkenness began in the camp. Having obtained beer and honey, the warriors, drunk, reviled the Horde and exclaimed: “Who can stand against us?”
Historians are still arguing about whether the river began to bear the name Piana because of what happened in 1377, or whether it was called that before. Russian 19th century writer Pavel Ivanovich Melnikov-Pechersky described the ill-fated river like this: “Even the first Russian inhabitants called the Drunken River because it staggers, it dangles in all directions, like a drunken woman, and, having traveled five hundred miles with twists and turns, it runs up to its source and almost pours out into the Sura near it.” "
Drunkenness in the Russian camp did not stop. Weapons and armor were piled up, the governors “began to hunt for animals and birds, and actively have fun, without the slightest doubt.” There was no guard duty at all.
Flight of the vanquished. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
Arapsha starts and wins
Meanwhile, Arapsha, with the help of Mordovian guides, came close to the Russian camp. Having assessed the situation, he divided the army into five regiments and on August 2, 1377, attacked the Russians from several directions.
Drunk and not at all ready for battle, the warriors rushed to the river, hoping to find salvation on the other bank. Few managed to escape: some were killed by the Horde, others, still intoxicated, drowned before reaching the shore. The young prince Ivan Dmitrievich also died in the waters of Piana.
Deprived of protection, the Nizhny Novgorod principality was ruined. Nizhny Novgorod was plundered. Arapsha went to the Ryazan lands, plundered them and returned to the Horde with rich booty.
The Mordovian detachments also wanted to profit, but their raid was repelled by a new Russian army, hastily assembled by Muscovites and Nizhny Novgorod residents.
A rare case: the losers at Pyan did not try to whitewash themselves. From the very beginning, Russian chronicles recognized that what happened on August 2, 1377 was a shame and disgrace. “Truly, drunken people are drunk!” — the chronicler was indignant.
Prince Dmitry draws conclusions
The lesson was learned: the memory of the massacre at Pyana sobered up Russian soldiers in the literal and figurative sense.
But the Horde’s victory over the Russians, on the contrary, intoxicated them. Temnik Mamai believed that his army would easily achieve victory and return Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich to obedience.
In reality, it turned out differently: in 1378, the army of the Golden Horde under the command of Murza Begich was defeated on the Vozha River. And in September 1380, Mamai himself was defeated on the Kulikovo Field.
But even these successes did not overshadow the shameful story of the massacre at Pyan. You need to remember such things: after all, in different centuries people manage to do the same stupid things, and technological progress does not fundamentally change anything here.
Moscow Prince Dmitry Ivanovich has just completed another round in the fight against Lithuania and Tver. The round ended in a draw with Lithuania, and with Tver - a victory on points
In 1376, an expedition was undertaken under the command of the governor Dmitry Mikhailovich Volynsky (Bobrok) to the Bulgarian land. The emirs of Mamaia, Asan and Muhammad Sultan, were defeated, despite the support of artillery and camel cavalry, and asked for peace, also paying some indemnity.
In 1377, Moscow expected dangers from both the West and the East. But in Lithuania, after the death of Olgerd, civil strife began, but a new danger arose in the East. The star of the great Timur has already risen in Samarkand, who sheltered the exiled prince from the Zayaitsky Horde, Tokhtamysh. Tokhtamysh belonged to the Chingizid family, which allowed him to lay claim to the Trans-Volga Horde, and to declare Temnik Mamai a usurper.
For Mamai, the problem that arose was a matter of life and death. Moreover, with the advent of Chingizid Tokhtamysh, some of the princes subordinate to Mamai went over to his enemy. But a reverse process was also observed, during which new subjects came to Mamai. So in 1377, a prince named Arab Shah, who was called Arapsha in Russian sources, came to him from the shores of the Aral Sea with his horde.
Before the clash with Tokhtamysh, Mamai should have had, if not friendly Rus', then at least pacified Russia in her rear. Mamai also postponed until the most convenient time to act with all his might against the Grand Duke (for the plague was then raging in the Horde again), but he did not miss the opportunity to harm the Russians.
The neighbors of the Nizhny Novgorod region, the Mordovians, undertook to show Arapsha a safe path to its borders. Dmitry Konstantinovich, Grand Duke of Suzdal-Nizhny Novgorod, informed Dmitry Ivanovich (later called Donskoy, Prince of Moscow and Grand Duke of Vladimir), who immediately gathered an army, but, having waited for the enemies for a long time and hoping that they had changed their minds about going to Nizhny, he sent the governor his own to chase them, and he himself returned to the capital.
This militia consisted of warriors from Pereslavl, Yuryev, Murom and Yaroslavl. Prince Dmitry Konstantinovich annexed the Suzdal residents under the command of his son, John, and another prince, Simeon Mikhailovich. Unfortunately, the intelligence of the leaders did not correspond to the number of warriors. Believing the rumors that Arapsha was far away, they decided to amuse themselves by catching animals beyond the Piyanaya River, on the Perevozskaya steppe, at home in peacetime.
The warriors followed this example of carelessness. Tired of the heat, they took off their armor and loaded the carts with them; having lowered their clothes from their shoulders, they were looking for coolness. Others settled in the surrounding villages to drink strong mead or beer. The banners stood alone; spears and shields lay in piles on the grass. In a word, everywhere a cheerful picture of hunting, feasting, and carousing presented itself to the eyes. Soon another one presented herself.
On August 2, 1377, the Mordovian princes secretly failed Arapsha, about whom the chroniclers say that he was a Karlstan, but a giant in courage, cunning in war and fierce to the extreme. Arapsha attacked the Russians from five sides, so suddenly and quickly that they could neither prepare nor unite, and in general confusion they fled to the Piana River, covering the path with corpses and carrying the enemy on their shoulders. Many soldiers and boyars died. Prince Simeon Mikhailovich was hacked to death, Prince John Dmitrievich drowned in the river, which became famous for this misfortune (condemning the recklessness of the Dmitriev governors, the ancient Russians used the proverb: people are drunk when they are drunk).
The Tatars, having won a complete victory, left behind them prisoners with booty and on the third day they appeared under the walls of Nizhny Novgorod, where horror reigned and no one thought of defending themselves. Prince Dmitry Konstantinovich went to Suzdal, and the residents fled in boats up the Volga. The enemy killed everyone he could capture, burned the city, and thus punished him for the murder of the Mamaev ambassadors (in 1374 the Horde ambassador Saraika came to Nizhny Novgorod, but was captured, and his people were killed), and left, burdened with self-interest. The son of Dmitry Konstantinovich, a few days later arriving at this sorrowful ashes, tried first of all to restore the burnt stone church of St. Savior in order to bury in it the body of his unfortunate brother, John, who had drowned in the river.
At the same time, the Horde took Ryazan. Grand Duke Oleg of Ryazan, shot and stained with blood, could barely escape. However, they only wanted to rob and burn: they came instantly, and disappeared instantly. The regions of Ryazan and Nizhny Novgorod were strewn with ashes, especially the banks of the Sura, where Arapsha did not leave a single village intact. Many boyars and merchants lost their entire estate.
To complete the disaster of Nizhny Novgorod, Mordovian predators, following in the footsteps of the Tatars, scattered to commit villainy in his district; but Prince Boris Konstantinovich overtook them when they were already returning with the booty, and drowned them in the Piana River, where the corpses of the Russians were still floating.
This Prince Gorodetsky, together with his nephew, Simeon Dmitrievich, and with Dmitry Ivanovich’s governor Feodor Sviblo, the following winter, devastated the entire Mordovian land without a battle, destroying homes and inhabitants. He took captive their wives and children, as well as some officials, who were later executed in Nizhny. The people, in an angry frenzy, dragged them along the ice of the Volga River and poisoned them with dogs..
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Rusichi ROOIVS - Historical chapter
All of you, dear readers, remember the famous formula “The joy of Rus' is drink,” which allegedly motivated the Russians’ refusal to accept Islam and brought them into the fold of the Orthodox Church. Back then in Rus' they drank various honeys, kvass, beer and other natural drinks. Of course, they liked to drink, but they didn’t forget about business. However, the number of natural drinks made according to traditional recipes was quite limited, since their preparation required a lot of time, but their quality was excellent. So there was no widespread drunkenness in Rus', but there was a craving for drinking drinks.
Gradually, more and more accelerated technologies were invented, which made it possible to produce ever stronger drinks in an ever shorter time. True, the quality of these drinks left much to be desired, since reliable methods for purifying alcoholic beverages did not yet exist. But already in the 14th century, terms such as “unconsciousness” and “hangover” began to be mentioned in connection with drunkenness. Consequently, drunkenness spread throughout the country, and the consumption of low-quality drinks often had the most disastrous consequences. One such episode dates back to 1377.
What was the balance of power for this year? Moscow Prince Dmitry Ivanovich has just completed another round in the fight against Lithuania and Tver. The round with Lithuania ended in a draw, and with Tver - a victory on points. In 1376, an expedition was undertaken under the command of the governor Dmitry Mikhailovich Volynsky (Bobrok) to the Bulgarian land. The emirs of Mamaia, Asan and Muhammad Sultan, were defeated, despite the support of artillery and camel cavalry, and asked for peace, also paying some indemnity.
In 1377 Moscow expected dangers from both the West and the East. But in Lithuania, after the death of Olgerd, civil strife began, but a new danger arose in the East. The star of the great Timur has already risen in Samarkand, who sheltered the exiled prince from the Zayaitskaya Horde. Then he gave him an army to recapture his father's throne. The prince’s first two campaigns ended in failure, but on the third attempt he captured the capital of the Zayaitskaya Horde, Sygnak, and established his power. This prince's name was Tokhtamysh. You have already met this name, dear readers. He belonged to the Genghisid family, which allowed him to lay claim to the Trans-Volga Horde, and to declare Mamai a usurper.
If Moscow simply could not like the unification under the rule of one khan of all the territories beyond the Volga and Yaik, then for Mamai the problem that arose was a matter of life and death. Moreover, with the advent of Chingizid Tokhtamysh, some of the princes subordinate to Mamai went over to his enemy. But a reverse process was also observed, during which new subjects came to Mamai. So in 1377, a prince named Arab Shah, who was called Arapsha in Russian sources, came to him with his horde.
Before the clash with Tokhtamysh, Mamai should have had, if not friendly Rus', then at least pacified Russia in her rear. So he immediately sent a detachment of Arapsha against the Nizhny Novgorod princes. Moscow intelligence worked quite clearly this time and reported the impending danger in a timely manner. Dmitry Ivanovich gathered a fairly large army and went to the aid of his father-in-law, Prince Dmitry of Nizhny Novgorod.
However, Arapsha was in no hurry to launch a direct attack and hid somewhere in the Mordovian forests, so the Russians failed to detect him. The Grand Duke decided to return to Moscow, but to help the Nizhny Novgorod army, commanded by the young Prince Ivan, he left detachments from Vladimir, Pereyaslavl, Yuryev, Murom and Yaroslavl. A fairly decent army gathered, which moved across the Piana River. The Piana River flows into the Sura, which is one of the tributaries of the Volga.
The original name of this river is now unknown to us. The Mordovian names of all its tributaries have been preserved, but the proper name of this river has disappeared. There is no doubt that this was also a Mordovian ethnonym, and the Piana River received its Russian name after the events of 1377, although historians also apply this name to it when describing earlier events. They cite the fact that the river got its name due to the tortuosity of its course. The argument is not very tenable. Firstly, where can you see rivers that are not very winding in Rus'? Secondly, there are more winding rivers nearby. Thirdly, in order to assess the degree of its tortuosity, it was necessary to have either very accurate maps or aerial photography data, but neither one nor the other existed at that time. But the events that took place here led to an immediate and very lasting renaming of the river.
Having settled down on the banks of this river, the Russians received news that Arapsha was located quite far from here: on the Volchye Vody River, which is a tributary of the Donets. Arapsha sent some good disinformation to the Russians! And it was the second half of July, it was hot... The Russians were happy with the information they received and relaxed. Very relaxed! It is possible that if a more experienced military leader than Ivan Dmitrievich, Prince of Nizhny Novgorod, had been at the head of the army, he would have paid attention to the alarming signals coming from the scouts. But the Russians completely and completely believed in the first information, and simply did not pay any attention to the incoming signals.
A general revelry and general drunkenness began. Almost everyone began to walk and drive in civilian life. The armor was dumped in the carts, or even just laying around in heaps. Weapons - bows, spears, spears, shields and helmets - were simply not prepared for battle. There was almost no guarding at all. What should we be afraid of? Who can stand against us? This is what the Russians said as they drove or walked through the forest almost naked. The princes, boyars and governors lost all vigilance and were engaged in hunting and feasts, at which everyone boasted of the nobility of their family, and also weaved various intrigues.
We feasted! But you can’t take a lot of alcoholic drinks on a hike, and even those were intended mainly for command personnel. Where can the privates get drinks? According to chroniclers, terrible general drunkenness reigned in the Russian army. What were they drinking? Unfortunately, the chroniclers did not tell us this, but we can assume that the Russians at that time already had the technology for quickly preparing not only mash, but also other, stronger drinks. But of poor quality. This is where the widespread daily drunkenness came from.
Arapsha received news of the situation in the Russian camp and advanced his army, divided into five detachments, close to the Russian camp. Local Mordovian princes served as his guides. And early in the morning of August 2, the Tatars simultaneously attacked the Russian camp from different sides. The drunken or not yet sober warriors had little understanding of what was happening and did not offer any resistance at all. Yes, they couldn’t provide it!
In horror, the Russians rushed to the river, led by Prince Ivan Dmitrievich. But since everyone was very drunk, a huge number of Russian soldiers simply drowned in the river. Prince Ivan Dmitrievich, as well as many boyars and governors, not to mention ordinary soldiers, drowned. The rest were simply killed. Very few managed to escape. I don’t want to lecture about the dangers of alcohol, but this is the first case recorded in history of the complete death of an army due to excessive addiction to the green snake. From then on, the river received its name Piana, and its old name was firmly forgotten.
After this strange battle, Arapsha rushed to Nizhny Novgorod. Residents of the city had already received news of the terrible defeat of the Russians. Those who could fled by boat from the Tatars upstream of the Volga, Prince Dmitry Ivanovich fled to Suzdal, and the rest of the residents tried to hide from the city in the forests, but many of them were intercepted by the Tatars. Arapsha and his army plundered and burned the city and its surroundings, and then went back. On the way back, Arapsha took Ryazan, and Prince Oleg of Ryazan miraculously escaped, but was severely wounded by Tatar arrows.
Here the Mordovians perked up and began to move. Hoping that the Nizhny Novgorod principality, after a drunken defeat and Arapsha’s raid, was left completely unprotected, the Mordovians sailed along the Volga to Nizhny and plundered what was left after the Tatars. The Russians were outraged by such treachery of their neighbors! Prince Boris Konstantinovich and his retinue overtook the Mordovians near the Piana River and killed them.
We have all heard about the Battle of Kulikovo.
But it didn’t happen suddenly. And the warriors who came to the Kulikovo field knew: it was possible to resist the Horde.
They knew because “liberation from the yoke” began 13 years earlier, near the Piana River.
Piana River Photo:
I’ll say right away: there seem to be no special mysteries or alternative historical “discoveries” in sight here.
Nevertheless, the battle of Piana deserves a fond memory. Or not very kind...
Firstly, this is one of the first victories over the Horde.
Secondly, at this time the “rise” of Moscow begins.
The Horde center is weakening due to strife, and the Moscow prince stops paying his way out.
The Battle of Piana begins a direct confrontation between Moscow and the Horde.
In 1367, 13 years before the Battle of Kulikovo, the army of the Bulgar ulus raided the Principality of Gorodets.
Actually, Gorodets was once built as a fortress on the border with Volga Bulgaria.
Only now Bulgaria is an independent ulus of the Golden Horde. About the same as Rus'.
And the “Russian” army can only be called Russian at a stretch. There is no United Rus' even in the Northeast. The Suzdal-Nizhny Novgorod and Gorodets squads are opposing the Horde. I never found information about the participation of Muscovites in the campaign. It is quite possible that they were not there.
By the way, in 13 years the people of Suzdal will no longer take part in the Battle of Kulikovo...
The chronicler did not provide details about the battle of 1367 - apparently he was not writing a historical action movie! Everything is as usual: “the slaughter of evil is coming.”
Having been defeated, the Horde tried to cross the Piana, in which many drowned.
It is interesting that there were no sanctions from the Golden Horde: Emir Bulat-Timur acted not on the orders of the khan, but on his own initiative.
By the way, after the defeat at Piana, the emir was killed on the orders of his formal overlord, Khan Aziz. Perhaps for excessive independence.
But this is one of the first Russian victories over the Horde. Let’s not forget: civil strife and the weakening of the Horde, as well as victories over Horde troops, led to a weakening of dependence. This means a reduction in the Horde’s “output”. The central government is unstable - there is no one to collect what is due! 
The Piana River today - a hydroelectric power station in the village of Ichalki River Photo: wikipedia.org
True, it is not a fact that taxes were reduced - most likely, the money ended up in the grand ducal treasury. Well, a rich state is a strong state. This is stone construction, this is a well-equipped army. This is what we see under Dmitry Donskoy and his successors.
Moreover: Rus' is actively participating in the general Horde “showdowns”.
Now the khans are not only trying to dictate their will to Rus', but are forced to seek an alliance with the Russian princes. Mamai is with the Moscow ones, his competitors are with the neighbors: the princes of Tver, Suzdal, Ryazan.
1371 - agreement to reduce tribute.
In 1374, Moscow completely stopped paying it. Mamai transfers the Grand Duke's label to Mikhail Tverskoy, but Moscow forces his rival to submit.
In 1376, Muscovites invaded the Bulgarian lands subordinate to Mamai. They take a payoff, imprison customs officers and export guns as trophies. Six years later, these guns will “speak” during the defense of Moscow from the Horde of Tokhtamysh.
In essence, this is a raid by the Moscow, or Zaleskaya, horde on the Bulgar ulus... Or the army, as the Horde military campaigns were called in Rus'.
But another very unusual battle is associated with the Piana River.
It happened exactly 640 years ago, in August 1377.
And then the name of the river turned out to be significant... 
Battle of the Piana River, August 2, 1377. Photo: wikipedia.org
Ten years later, the Mamaev Horde approached the borders of the Suzdal-Nizhny Novgorod principality. More precisely, the detachment of Arab Shah Muzaffar (in Russian chronicles - Arapsha).
This time the enemy was detected in advance. Prince Konstantin Dmitrievich of Nizhny Novgorod turned to his son-in-law, Moscow Prince Dmitry, for help.
And the united army, led by Dmitry (the future Donskoy) himself, went out to intercept, standing on the bank of the same Piana. It took a long time.
When news arrived that the Horde were far away, Dmitry Ivanovich left, leaving behind the eldest Nizhny Novgorod prince Ivan. But... we're talking about the Middle Ages. Discipline in the army will not appear soon.
The long inaction had its effect as it should: the squad relaxed.
According to the chronicler: “... some put their armor on carts, while others kept them in packs, others had their sulitsa not mounted on the shaft, and their shields and spears were not prepared for battle. And everyone rode with their fasteners unbuttoned and their clothes off their shoulders, warm from the heat.”.
Both the warriors and the commanders relaxed.
It got to the point where they started a hunt! To make matters worse, drinking began. Where does the alcohol come from? From the “prosperity”, that is, from the local population. From which they received fodder and food - either voluntarily, or simply taken away. The 13th century is in the yard, before supply as... as before discipline: “...if they found honey or beer when they were healed, they drank without measure, and got drunk, and drove around drunk.”.
In general, drunkenness does not lead to good things. And when the Horde arrived, the Russians could only retreat beyond Piana. And not everyone succeeded even in this.
The greatest losses in the Middle Ages occurred during retreat. An organized retreat requires training and discipline. In the meantime, the losers are mostly running away. And the winners are left to drive and chop.
Many, including Prince Ivan Dmitrievich, drowned during the crossing.
The Horde, taking advantage of the moment, took the remaining defenseless Nizhny Novgorod into exile.
And at the same time Ryazan... although the Ryazan principality is not an ally, but a rival of Moscow. 
Scheme of the Tatar-Mongol offensive Photo: Karateev M. “Rus and the Horde”, M., 1993
This is a historical example of the harm of drunkenness.
And it is not Western falsifiers who come up with evil myths about Russians. This Russian chronicler sadly ironizes: “Truly, drunken people are drunk!”
And the name of the river itself may have acquired its current form after the battle of 1377.
In the original text of “The Tale of the Massacre on the Piana River” we see both forms of the word.
At first the river was called “Piana”. Possibly from the Finno-Ugric “small”.
The form “Drunk” is first found in the phrase “behind the Drunken drunkenness” and further.
It seems that the easy victory showed the weakness of the Russian Northeast.
And in 1378 Mamai began a campaign against the Moscow Principality...
Nikon Chronicle
Prince Fyodor chose a place for his camp half a mile from the main camp, near the nearest ford across the Piana rock. Having seen firsthand the dangerous frivolity of the Suzdal-Nizhny Novgorod governors and the dissoluteness of their troops, he immediately realized how important the protection of this only escape route was, and decided to take it upon himself.
Having set up his camp here, he ordered to surround it with a ring of closely packed carts, leaving only a narrow passage towards the Suzdalians, and ordered his soldiers: half to be in combat readiness, and the other half to rest, but without leaving the camp and with weapons at hand. He ordered almost all of his horses to be driven to the left bank, where the pasture was better and where they were completely safe.
In the midst of these preparations, about four in the afternoon. An explosion of frantic screams suddenly came from the direction of the large clearing. Concerned, Fyodor Andreevich immediately sent one of his warriors there to find out what had happened, but after listening to the messenger’s report, he only spat in annoyance: it turns out that it was Prince Ivan Dmitrievich who returned from hunting and announced that he was giving a dozen hunted deer to the army, which welcomed his luck and generosity with enthusiastic cries.
The sun was already approaching sunset when the Zvenigorod camp was finally set up and Prince Fyodor decided that he could now wash and rest. Coming out of his tent, he called to the nearest warrior to help him take off his chain mail: but at that moment wild screams were heard again from the direction of the Suzdal camp.
“Some other drunken governor must have returned from a party,” Fyodor Andreevich thought, but immediately realized that this was something else: soul-chilling screams, quickly approaching and growing in strength, rushed from the forest, from different directions, not leaving no doubt that these are Tatars.
As it turned out later, the Arab Shah, through his spies, was well aware of the carelessness reigning in the Russian army and decided to take advantage of it. The same Mordovian princes, on whom the Suzdal governors so hoped, led the Tatars along secret paths to the forest village of Shilar, located several miles from the Russian camp. Here Drab Shah divided his horde into five separate detachments, four of which suddenly attacked the Russian camp from different sides. The fifth was ordered to seize the ford across Piapa and partially cross to the other bank in order to intercept those fleeing by swimming there. And if not for the accidental appearance of the Zvenigorod regiment here and not for the foresight of Prince Fyodor, out of the entire Russian army that day hardly even one person would have been saved.
In a large camp, where everyone was sure that the Tatars were one and a half hundred miles away, their sudden attack was a stunning surprise. And what happened here can hardly even be called a battle: it was a terrible massacre. Almost no one had time to come to their senses and put themselves in relative combat readiness, when the Tatar horsemen, with terrifying screams, overturning tents, destroying and trampling everything in their path, burst into the very middle of the Russian camp.
The half-drunk Prince Semyon Mikhailovich, along with his drinking companions, jumped out of the tent, shaking his saber and swearing in terrible words, in vain calling the soldiers to order and to arms - no one paid attention to him. Only two or three hundred people who retained their presence of mind, half dressed and armed with the first thing that came to hand, concentrated near the prince’s tent, ready to defend themselves.
The rest were seized by uncontrollable panic, and all of them, without thinking about resistance, rushed to the river in disorderly crowds, hoping to find salvation beyond it. Thanks to the fact that the Zvenigorod regiment, which maintained complete order, staunchly defended the crossing, all the first who ran here from the large clearing managed to use the ford and cross to the other side. But the Tatars very soon paid attention to this and easily cut off the ford and the Zvenigorod residents defending it from the main camp, where the beating of the distraught and unled people continued, who were now possessed by one single thought: to break through to the shore and swim across the river.
The drunkenness in this place was no wider than twenty fathoms and, if the crossing had taken place in order, hardly a single person could have died here. But now there was an unimaginable turmoil on the bank: an avalanche of people on horseback and on foot was spontaneously pouring into the river, each of whom was thinking only about his own salvation, over the bodies of the trampled and drowning people, trying to escape from this terrible living mess. Out of every ten who threw themselves into the river, only two or three managed to reach the opposite bank - the rest, without even reaching the middle, sank to the bottom.
One of the first to find an inglorious death in the troubled waters of the Piana River was the greatest governor himself, Prince Ivan Dmitrievich Suzdal. Without even trying, following the example of Prince Semyon Mikhailovich, to inspire courage in his soldiers and establish some kind of resistance to the Tatars, he jumped on his horse and, surrounded by boyars, rushed to the shore, which in this place was quite steep. They all rushed into the river at once, without looking at the fact that the water here was already teeming with people swimming and drowning. One of the soldiers they crushed, while drowning, managed to slash one of the boyar horses with a knife. The wounded and mortally frightened animal, turning back, began to fight and knock over others. In an instant, everyone huddled together in a common, furiously floundering ball, onto which new fugitives piled in from the shore, increasing the deadly chaos. The prince himself and many of his entourage, not yet knowing how things would turn out, before jumping out of the tents, managed to put on chain mail, which was now mercilessly dragging them to the bottom.
Half an hour later it was all over in the Suzdal camp. Only Prince Semyon Mikhailovich, with a handful of combat-ready people he had gathered, bravely defended himself in the very center of the camp. Here everyone understood that they had no hope of fighting back or retreating, but they also knew that there would be no mercy from the Tatars, and therefore they fought until their last breath and died with honor. In the open, surrounded on all sides, Russian soldiers, one after another, fell under a hail of arrows and spears. Prince Semyon and several commanders, who were in armor, held out longer than the others, but in the end they were all killed.
Events developed differently at the ford, where the Zvenigorod regiment was stationed. There was no noticeable confusion here and everyone fought courageously, obeying the guiding will of Prince Fedor, who maintained complete composure and always appeared in time where the onslaught of the Tatars especially intensified and people began to surrender.
Due to the fact that the detachment sent by the Arab Shah to take possession of the ford arrived here a few minutes later than the others attacked the Suzdal camp, the Zvenigorod residents managed to prepare and met the attacking Horde with a rain of arrows and sulitsa (S u litsa - dart, throwing spear). Fyodor Andreevich ordered to aim not at the riders, but at the horses, and this order immediately justified itself: the wounded horses fell to the ground, some began to rush about, causing disorder in the ranks of the Tatars. This weakened the swiftness of the first, most terrible onslaught so much that, having galloped to the fence of carts, the horsemen were unable to take it on the fly and, hit at point-blank range by Russian arrows and spears, were forced to flee.
Only one of them, apparently the boss, wanting to captivate the others, or perhaps simply being presumptuous, flew up to the carts on a horse as fast as a bird and, with a victorious cry, jumped over them into the Russian camp. But no one followed his example, and a minute later the daredevil fell, pierced by several spears at once.
“Thank him for the horse,” said Prince Fyodor, who came up here, “you won’t suddenly find such a thing.” Well, he himself is not needed here at all! - With these words, he lifted the body of the Tatar, from which one of the warriors had just removed the chain mail, and, waving it over his head, threw it back over the carts. Fyodor Andreevich did this with intent: the heroic strength of the Russian governor made the proper impression on both his own people and the Tatars, encouraging the former and instilling fear in the latter.
For half an hour the Zvenigorod residents held firm. The Tatars, having surrounded their weak fortification with a semi-ring, bombarded it with arrows, but the warriors protected by carts suffered few losses and, in turn, accurately hit the besiegers from behind cover. Twice the Horde rushed to attack with a terrifying howl, but both times they were repulsed.
Fyodor Andreevich saw well what was happening in the camp of his neighbors, and understood that no matter how bravely his own soldiers fought, they could not resist when the Tatars dealt with the Suzdalians and transferred all their forces here. But he decided, as long as there was a need, to hold the ford at any cost in order to give the opportunity to retreat across the river to all those who had survived the defeat. At first, this measure justified itself, and two thousand Murom and Vladimir residents who stood closer to the ford managed to cross to the other bank before the Tatars cut off this path. But when this happened, there was nothing left to do but try to move beyond the river ourselves. Having made this decision, Prince Fedor immediately called the eldest of his governors, boyar Elizarov.
Take a thousand people, Osip Matveevich,” he said, “and go with them to the other side, and in the meantime I’ll cover you with another thousand.” Don’t waste time across the river: start catching the fugitives right away. If necessary, cut off the heads of one or the other, but bring the rest to reason and take them under your command. If the Tatars chase us, we will have to fight them again. Well, with God, I won’t be long with you!
As soon as the retreat began, the Tatars, from all sides at once, rushed to attack, which, however, was repulsed, although with considerable losses for the Zvenigorod residents. As soon as Elizarov's thousand had safely crossed to the other bank, Prince Fyodor called the second governor and ordered him to take another five hundred people across the river, taking with him all the wounded.
Now, to cover the retreat, no more than three hundred people remained on the right bank of the Piana with Fyodor Andreevich, while new forces were constantly approaching the Tatars from the direction of the main camp, where the last centers of resistance had already been suppressed. The Arab Shah himself, enraged that a whole tumen of his troops had still not been able to cope with the Russian detachment, five times smaller in number, also galloped here and, hastening two thousand of his soldiers, threw them on the attack, promising to execute anyone who turned back until at least one of the Russians puts down his weapon.
The Zvenigorod residents who remained here were clearly unable to repel this attack: the length of the fortified line, designed for two thousand defenders, was too great for three hundred, and there was neither time nor opportunity to narrow the circle enclosed by carts under the terrible onslaught of the Tatars. In less than a few minutes, the Horde, with a triumphant roar, surrounded the carts, pulling them to the sides or jumping over them into the Russian camp.
Seeing that his line of defense had fallen and that the Tatars were now pouring in en masse, Prince Fyodor quickly took all the survivors to the river itself. Here, having covered the ford with a dense semi-ring of a hundred warriors, with spears pointed forward, and placing a hundred archers in the second row, he ordered the third hundred to move to the left bank.
Several dozen people, with minor losses from enemy arrows that had already reached them, managed to cross. But those walking behind were suddenly attacked. Tatar horsemen, whom the Arab Shah ordered to rush straight into the water, just above the defenders of the ford standing on the shore. In an instant, everyone who was still in the river was cut down, and those remaining on the bank were surrounded. The handful of Zvenigorod residents had no hope of escaping from this encirclement or defeating an enemy tens of times superior in numbers. All that now remained for them was to sell their lives at a higher price and accept death with dignity.
Drop your weapons!” one of the Arab Shah’s close associates shouted in Russian, riding forward. “You all have the same end, and the one who surrenders is given life by the Khan!”
Wait,” responded Prince Fyodor, “now I’ll give you the answer.” And, turning to his soldiers, he said: “Brothers!” Has everyone heard what the Tatar says? Don't believe that! We put down our weapons, and they will all kill us. And if anyone is spared, being in slavery to them is worse than death. We’d rather die like honest warriors and not disgrace our Christian name before the filthy!
Amen,” said Fyodor Andreevich. “We will fight to the end, and there will no longer be a prince, no masters, or serfs here, but only warriors of God, seeking a glorious death.” To whom we have sinned, forgive us, and may Rus' remember us in its prayers!
“Hey, Russian!” the Tatar, who was waiting for an answer, shouted impatiently. “What should I tell the khan?”
“Tell me that if he allows us to cross to the other side, armed in our hands, we will leave,” answered Prince Fyodor. “But no, we will fight and will not fall into your hands alive!”
When the words of the Russian prince were translated to the Arab Shah, he angrily slapped his boot with his whip and shouted:
Forward! Kill every last one!
The final phase of the bloody events of this memorable day in Russian history has begun. And although the result of the battle on the Piana River was a brutal defeat, to which the Russian army was doomed by the criminal carelessness of several governors, thanks to the valor of the Zvenigorod residents and their prince Fyodor Andreevich, the glory of Russian weapons did not fade that day.
Two hundred suicide bombers, standing in a circle, met the stormy onslaught of the Horde with their chests, each of whom wanted to distinguish himself in front of the khan and therefore did not spare himself. The Zvenigorod residents also fought with the despair of the doomed - before falling, each of them managed to kill more than one enemy. But the forces were too unequal, and the Russian circular formation was immediately broken.
Everything was now mixed up, the enemy was everywhere, and Prince Fyodor’s people, divided into separate groups, fought back on all sides, without leaving their place until death overtook them. The wounded, thrown to the ground, while there was still little strength left and the Tatar saber did not finish them off, crawled among the fighters, grabbing the enemies’ legs in order to at least help those of their own who were still fighting; those whose weapons broke continued to fight as best they could, kicking the enemy or, grabbing him in an embrace, threw him to the ground, trying to strangle him or tear his mouth with their hands. No one asked or gave mercy, everyone knew that his hour of death had come, and thought only about not dying in vain.
The worst battle took place near the group of fighters where Prince Fyodor Andreevich fought. His gigantic figure, in chain mail and a cone helmet, towered two heads above the others - the Tatars already knew that this was a Russian prince and the soul of such cruel resistance, and therefore they directed all their efforts to put an end to him as quickly as possible. But it was not easy: Prince Fedor’s heavy sword, one and a half times longer than usual, was in constant motion and struck to death everyone he could reach. In less than a few minutes, the ground around him was already strewn with the corpses of the Tatars, but he himself remained unharmed.
Fifty horses to the one who kills him! - Arabshah shouted, seeing that none of the Horde men any longer dared to approach the Russian prince within striking distance.
Prompted by the opportunity to distinguish themselves and receive such a generous reward, about ten people, with sabers in their hands, immediately rushed at Prince Fedor, protected from behind by a dozen of his warriors. Lightning from a sword flashed in the air, and two Tatar heads that had not managed to bend down jumped off their bodies. Seeing that the terrible sword was rising for a new round swing, some of the attackers jumped back, but two remained in place. One of them, a man of almost the same build as Prince Fyodor, hoping to parry the blow, forgot himself with his saber, but it broke like a dry branch, and a moment later its owner himself was cut from shoulder to waist. Another Tatar, meanwhile, contrived, rushed forward and managed to hit Fyodor Andreevich on the neck with a saber, hoping to get under the chain mail net hanging from his helmet. But the blow was delivered too hastily and, without causing harm to Prince Fyodor, cost the Tatar his life: with his head smashed, he fell over onto the lifeless bodies of his comrades. Seeing that the others, standing a few steps away, were conferring among themselves about something, and not knowing what they were up to, Fyodor Andreevich, who had not yet left his place, now rushed forward and managed to put two of them down before the survivors rushed ran away.
Returning to his place, he quickly glanced around the battlefield. There were very few of his people left: only in two or three places, with their backs to each other, stood several more Russian soldiers, fighting off the Horde with their last strength.
There were five survivors near the prince. Fyodor Andreevich knew one of them well: it was the Zvenigorod blacksmith Mityayka, a man of about forty, famous for his bearish strength. He was shorter than the prince by a good half arshin in height, but his shoulders were almost wider. Not a single piece of chain mail would fit on him, and he went out on a campaign in armor of his own making. It was a long, almost knee-length, leather shirt, lined from top to bottom with all sorts of iron rubbish: there were broken horseshoes, and old bolts, and pieces of wheel rims, and all other types of metal waste that the Mityaykina forge was rich in. This structure weighed a lot, and it was beyond the strength of an ordinary fighter to carry it, but the blacksmith, it seemed, was not at all burdened by such a weight and worked with a sword nobly: in terms of the number of Tatar bodies lying around him, he could easily compete with his prince.
Are you holding up, Mityai?” Fyodor Andreevich asked sympathetically, smearing the blood from his face with his palm. The Tatar who slashed him still grazed his cheek, which he did not notice in the heat of the battle.
I’m standing, prince! The Lord is helping, and the armor is good,” Mityayka flashed his white teeth, “It seems he’s not wounded yet.”
Fyodor Andreevich wanted to say something else, but at that moment the Tatars attacked them again from all sides. Now many of them used spears, which had previously been prevented by the crowded conditions on the battlefield, and this significantly worsened the position of the defenders. But the swords of Prince Fyodor and Mityai kept pace everywhere and worked miracles: they cut the spear shafts, tore off heads, flattened bodies... And the Tatars retreated once again.
The prince took a breath and looked around. The sun had just set, covering almost half of the sky with the flames of sunset, as if all the blood shed today on the earth was reflected at once in the heavenly blue, darkened by grief. The entire field was strewn with corpses, and Fyodor Andreevich’s gaze noted with satisfaction that there were many more Tatars than Russians. But the living and fighting Zvenigorod residents were nowhere to be seen. Mityai alone now stood behind the prince.
“What, prince, do we seem to be the last ones left?” he asked, breathing heavily and also looking around.
As if it were so... All Christianity has perished, and our turn is coming. But until the Lord calls, we will fight some more. Let the Basurmans remember this day better!
We know, prince! Only if we remain standing still, alone in the middle of the field, they will kill us with spears and arrows at once. Let's better hit them ourselves!
That's what I thought too. Well, Mityayushka, my brother in Christ and in battle, we will not say goodbye: together we go to the throne of God. And now forward, for Holy Rus'!
And two Russian heroes - the prince and the blacksmith - looked at the sky and crossed themselves, side by side they rushed towards the enemy army.
The Tatars, who stood in front and were waiting for these two, seeing the death of all their comrades, to lay down their weapons, now moved back with exclamations of superstitious horror: maybe these are not people at all, but ferocious genies, against whom human weapons are powerless? But from behind, the Arab Shah was furiously shouting something, other soldiers, urged on by him, were pressing, and a minute later a dense ring, sparkling with dozens of steel blades, closed around the Russian knights, who had cut into the very thick of the enemies, from which the only way out was death.
But it seemed that today she decisively gave preference to the Tatars: quite a few of them still died under Russian swords before one managed to cut Mitya’s leg from behind. The blacksmith did not fall, but only sat down on the ground and still managed to reach the first Horde man who jumped up to him with his deadly sword, before the second drove a spear under his shoulder blade.
“I’m going to the Lord, prince,” he shouted with his last strength, bleeding and falling on his side.
Go in peace and with glory, brother, now I’m behind you,” said Prince Fyodor, turning for a moment to the dying man. “But first of all, I will avenge you!” and, slashing around with his terrible sword, he knocked down several people, forcing the rest retreat.
Drop the sword and I will let you go! - shouted the Arab Shah, riding forward. The stony heart of this small and frail-looking Asian, famous for his inexorable cruelty, today for the first time felt something akin to pity. He had never seen such a perfect combination of spiritual strength and physical strength. “Go across the river, to your people!”
No, Khan!” Fyodor Andreevich answered firmly. “All my brothers died here, and no one accepted mercy.” This is where I will lie down!
Well, then die! - said the Arab Shah with a mixture of annoyance and regret. - What are you standing for? Finish him, children of Satan! - he shouted at his warriors.
Like a pack of dogs on a seasoned bear, the Horde attacked the Zvenigorod prince, already tired of the long battle and weakening from his wounds. But he still stood up for himself: the first Tatar who attacked him had half his skull blown off, the second’s severed hand flew off, along with the saber clutched in it. But at that time, a spear thrown by someone knocked off Prince Fyodor’s helmet, and blood gushed from his cut forehead, flooding his face and eyes.
Seeing almost nothing through the darkening red veil, he still swung his sword, feeling that his blows were not falling in vain. But then, like multi-colored lightning, splitting this darkness, a terrible blow fell on his head - with a ringing and roar, the darkness closed again, and, dropping his sword, Fyodor Andreevich fell backward.
“It was not a man, but a shaitan!” said one of the temniks surrounding the Arab Shah.
“He was a real man and a great warrior,” said the Arab Shah. “It’s a pity that Allah wanted him to be born Russian and not Tatar.” Now announce to the fighters that before the moon rises they can prepare their own food and rest. Then we will set out and march all night: the path to Nizhny is open, and we need to get there before the Russians send a new army.
Around midnight, when the Tatars left, the surviving Zvenigorod residents returned from across the river to the battlefield to pick up their wounded and bury the dead.
They immediately found Fyodor Andreevich. He was terribly wounded, but was still breathing. A healer who happened to be in the detachment, having examined his wounds and provided first aid, said that the prince might survive.
There was nowhere to leave him here, the path to Zvenigorod was long and difficult, and therefore boyar Elizarov decided to take him to Moscow.