1268
- punkar7
- May 7, 2015
- 3 min read
Estonia, Battle of Rakvere, 30 000 men from Novgorod attacked Rakvere stronghold. The men of Novgorod consulted with their Knyaz Yuri, they wished to go against the Lithuanians, while others [wished to go] against Polotsk, and others beyond the Narova (Narva). And when they reached the village of Dubrovna there was a quarrel; and they went back and went beyond the Narva to Rakvere and made great havoc in their land, but did not take the town; and they shot the good man Fedor Sbyslavich from the town, and six others ; and they returned all well.
Estonia. The same year the men of Novgorod having taken counsel with Posadnik Mikhail, called Knyaz Dmitri Alexandrovich to come with a force from Pereyaslavl, and they sent envoys from Yaroslav. And in place of himself Yaroslav sent Svyatoslav with a force. And they sought out competent men and began to make the battering rams in the Vladyka's Court. And the Germans sent their envoys, the men of Riga, Velyad and Yurev, and from other towns with deceit, saying: " We have peace with you; deal with the people of Kolyvan (Tallinn) and of Rakvere as you can, we shall not join with them; and we kiss the Cross." And the envoys kissed the Cross. And Lazor Moisievich having gone there led them all to the Cross ; the Bishops and godly courtiers, not to assist the Estonian people of Tallinn and of Rakvere; and they took into their own hands a good man Simeon from Novgorod, having kissed the Cross. And all the Knyazes having assembled in Novgorod : Dmitri, Svyatoslav, his brother Mikhail, Kostyantin, Yuri, Yaropolk, Dovmont of Pskov, and some other Knyazes, they went to Rakvere on January 23. And as they entered their country they separated along three roads, and fought a very great number of them. And there they came upon an impenetrable cave into which a large number of Chud people (Estonians) had clambered, and it was impossible to take them, and they stood (before it) three days. Then the expert with the ram cunningly turned the water on to them, and the Chud people (Estonians) ran away of themselves, and they slew them, and all their goods the men of Novgorod gave to Knyaz Dmitri. And thence they went on to Rakakvere, and when they reached the Kegola river they found there a force of Germans in position, and it was like a forest to look at; for the whole land of the Germans had come together. But the men of Novgorod without any delay crossed the river to them, and began to range their forces: and the men of Pleskov took stand on the right hand, and Dmitri, and Svyatoslav took stand also on the right higher up; on the left stood Mikhail, and the men of Novgorod stood facing the iron troops opposite to the great wedge; and so they went against each other. And as they came together there was a terrible battle such as neither fathers nor grandfathers had seen. And there a great evil befell; they killed Posadnik Mikhail and Tverdislav the Red, Nikifor Radyatinich, Tverdislav Moisievich, Mikhail Krivtsevich, Ivach, Boris Ildyatinich, his brother Lazor, Ratsha, Vasili, Voiborzovich, Osip, Zhiroslav, Dorogomilovich, the usher Poroman, Polyud, and many good Boyars, and countless other common men; and of others there was nothing known, the Tysyatski Kondrat, Ratislav Boldyzhevich, Danil Mozotinich and many others, God knows, and men of Pleskov also, and of Ladoga. And Knyaz Yuri turned shoulder, or there was treachery in him, God knows.
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