1380

The same year, in the month of August, news came to the Veliki Knyaz Dmitri and to his brother Knyaz Volodimir from the Horde that the pagan race of Ishmaelites was rising against the Christians; for there was some weak man Tsar (Khan) among them, and Knyaz Mamai was controlling all their affairs and he was savagely enraged against the Veliki Knyaz and all the Russian Land.

• And having heard this, that a great Tartar force was coming against him, the Veliki Knyaz Dmitri Ivanovich gathered many soldiers and went against the godless Tartars, trusting in the mercy of God and in His Immaculate Mother, the Mother of God, the eternal Virgin Mary, calling to his aid the honourable Cross. For he entered their country beyond the Don, and there was there a clean field at the mouth of the river Nepryadva, and there the pagan Ishmaelites had ranged themselves against the Christians. And the Moscovites, of whom many were inexperienced, were frightened and in despair of their lives at sight of the great numbers of Tartars, others turned to flight, forgetful of the Prophet's saying that one shall reap one thousand and two shall move ten thousand, if God does not abandon them.

• Golden Horde, Battle of Kulikovo. A Muscovite force defeated a significantly larger Blue Horde army at Kulikovo Field.

• Blue Horde

• And the Veliki Knyaz Dmitri with his brother Volodimir ranged their troops against the pagan Polovets people, and raising their eyes humbly to heaven, and sighing from the depth of their hearts, said, in the words of the psalm : " Brothers, God is our refuge and our strength." And both forces immediately met, and there was a fierce battle for a long time, and God terrified the sons of Hagar with an invisible might, and they turned their shoulders to wounds, and they were routed by the Christians, and some were struck down with weapons, and others were drowned in the river, a countless number of them.

• And in the encounter Knyaz Fedor Belozerski was killed, also his son Knyaz Ivan; and other Knyazes and captains went in pursuit of the aliens. The godless Tartars fell from dread of God and by the arms of the Christians; and God raised the right hand of the Veliki Knyaz Dmitri Ivanovich and of his brother Knyaz Volodimir Andreyevich for the defeat of the aliens.

• And this was because of our sins : the ahens take up arms against us, that we might renounce our wrong doings and hatred of our brethren, from our love of silver, and from wrong judging and violence; but God is merciful and man-loving; He is not angry with us utterly, and is not at enmity for ever.

• The Knyaz gained this victory on September 8, on a Saturday, the day of the Birth of the Mother of God. And the Veliki Knyaz Dmitri with his brother Knyaz Volodimir halting over the bones of the Tartars and many Russian Knyazes and captains, glorified with supreme great praise the Immaculate Mother of God, having stoutly fought with the aliens for God's holy churches, for the Orthodox faith and for all the Russian Land; and he himself, preserved by God, came back to his own great capital city of Moscow, his patrimony, with his brother Volodimir.

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