“For our sins, unknown tribes came, whom no one exactly knows, who they are, nor whence they came, nor what their language is, nor of what race they are, nor what their faith is; but they call them Tartars....”
These words were written by a scribe in 1224, in the Novgorod Chronicles, as a tribe of horsemen swept into the lands of Rus from the East.
Today these “horsemen from the East” are usually called the Mongol-Tatar armies. They first conquered Ryazan in 1237, then quickly took Vladimir and Moscow. By 1240 they had conquered Kyiv, too. They remained overlords of much of the lands of Rus until their final defeat on the Ugra River in 1480.
Don't have an account? signup
Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.
Russian Life 73 Main Street, Suite 402 Montpelier VT 05602
802-223-4955
[email protected]
