The unsuccessful campaign of Prince Igor to the Polovtsians

Throughout its existence, Rus struggled with nomads. At first they were Pechenegs. In the XII century the Polovtsians came to their place. The last wave led to the Russian lands of numerous Mongols.

The struggle against the Polovtsi fell on the period of political fragmentation of the Eastern Slavs. The princes went several times to the steppe, but more often, on the contrary, they defended their native lands. Why, among all these cases, is the most famous is the campaign of Prince Igor to the Polovtsians? Because it was he who served as a source for the famous literary monument. This is "The Lay of Igor's Host".

Igor's biography

Prince Igor Svyatoslavovich was born in 1151. He was a representative of the Chernigov branch of the Rurik dynasty. At the age of 29, he inherited the city of Novgorod-Seversky. The lands around it directly adjoined the steppe.

Russian princes often changed their policy towards the Polovtsians: they made peace and alliance or fought. So it was with Igor. Sometimes he hired nomads during internecine wars with relatives. But on equal terms he fought against the khans. For example, in 1171 he defeated Konchak beyond the Vorskla River. However, another campaign has gained historical fame.

Trekking against the steppe people

In 1185 the princes of southern Russia united to go to the steppe and smash the Polovtsians there. Igor was the initiator of this voyage. He was supported by the next of kin. It was Vsevolod Svyatoslavich (Kursk prince), Sviatoslav Olgovich (rylsk prince) and Vladimir Igorevich (Putivlian prince). Kovuy also stood under Russian banners. It was a small nomadic people who lived on the borders of the Chernigov possessions.

The united army was deprived of many allies. The campaign of Prince Igor to Polovtsy passed without the support of the Kiev prince Svyatoslav. The reason was that the governor of the north hurried and decided not to wait for a strong ally, who was still collecting regiments. Haste later played a fatal role in the fate of the army. The army went to the banks of the Donets, where the Polovtsians had camps, due to which it was possible to profit well.

Defeat

A few days later, on the way, the Russian army stumbled upon a small detachment of the enemy, who was defeated. This turned the head of the commander. The princes decided that if they succeeded for the first time in their luck, then in the future they will be successful. It was a mistake. The campaign of Prince Igor to Polovtsians turned out to be a failure because of haste and adventurousness.

When the army met the main army of nomads, it was immediately surrounded by the numerical superiority of the enemy. The Russian soldiers trapped in the West were killed, and few managed to escape. The unsuccessful campaign of Prince Igor against the Polovtsians turned for him himself captivity. He managed to escape from bondage only a few years after he escaped on a prepared horse under cover of night.

Return campaign of the Polovtsians

After the victory, the nomads traditionally went straight to Russia: rob and profit. The campaign of Prince Igor to the Polovtsians caused a terrible invasion, which civilians had not known for several decades. The city of Rim was plundered and burnt, as well as neighboring villages. The prince of Kiev, who did not get into the steppe due to the fact that the allies hastened to snatch the laurels of the winners, united with the Galician ruler and drove out the nomads. In addition, the horsemen never stayed in a foreign territory until the onset of winter. With the advent of snow, they disappeared and returned to their homeland, taking away the looted wealth in the convoy.

Svyatoslav (Prince of Kiev) first was angry with Igor for the fact that he went to the steppe in secret from an ally. However, after it became known that the unfortunate commander was in captivity, the relative forgot his resentment and long mourned for him, thinking that he would not return.

Literary monument

A few years later, the trip of the Novgorod-northern Prince Igor to the Polovtsians formed the basis of the famous "Word ...". The author of this literary heritage is unknown. The work miraculously survived and became really famous only in the XIX century, when the public received a list compiled by Count Musin-Pushkin.

This is a perfect example of the language of that time. "Word ..." is a guide to Old Russian folklore. Because of its importance, the work fell into the school curriculum. Many subjects and phraseological units (for example, "lamentation of Yaroslavna") became national and winged.

The original manuscript was bought by Count Musin-Pushkin at the Yaroslavl monastery. The sale took place due to the fact that the religious institution was being closed. Soon the original died in a fire, but by that time several complete lists had been compiled, thanks to which copies were published until our time. The legacy of "The Words ..." is often compared with the meaning of the legends of the European bards of the Middle Ages.

Prince Igor and his campaign against the Polovtsians became one of the recognizable symbols of ancient Russia. Ryurikovich himself, after escaping from captivity, lived a few more years. As a senior among his closest relatives, he inherited Chernigov, where he died in 1201.