Any settlement has borders that must be protected from enemy invasions; this need has always existed in large Slavic settlements. During the period of Ancient Russia, conflicts torn the country apart, it was necessary to fight not only with external threats, but also with fellow tribesmen. The unity and harmony between the princes helped to create a great state, which became defensible. Old Russian warriors stood under one banner and showed the whole world their strength and courage.
Druzhina
The Slavs were a peace-loving people, so the ancient Russian warriors did not stand out too much against the background of ordinary peasants. They stood up to defend their home with spears, axes, knives and clubs. military equipment, the weapon appears gradually, and it is in more focused on protecting its owner rather than attacking. In the 10th century, several Slavic tribes united around the prince of Kyiv, who collects taxes and protects the controlled territory from the invasion of the steppes, Swedes, Byzantines, and Mongols. A squad is being formed, the composition of which is 30% composed of professional military (often mercenaries: Varangians, Pechenegs, Germans, Hungarians) and militias (voi). During this period, weapons ancient Russian warrior consists of a club, a spear, a sword. Lightweight protection does not restrict movement and provides mobility in combat and campaign. The main was the infantry, horses were used as pack animals and to deliver soldiers to the battlefield. The cavalry is formed after unsuccessful clashes with the steppes, who were excellent riders.
Protection
Old Russian wars wore shirts and ports common to the population of Russia in the 5th - 6th centuries, put on shoes in bast shoes. During Russian-Byzantine war the enemy was struck by the courage and courage of the "Rus", who fought without protective armor, hiding behind shields and using them at the same time as a weapon. Later, a “kuyak” appeared, which was essentially a sleeveless shirt, sheathed with plates from horse hooves or pieces of leather. Later, metal plates began to be used to protect the body from chopping blows and arrows of the enemy.
Shield
The armor of the ancient Russian warrior was light, which provided high maneuverability, but at the same time reduced the degree of protection. Large, the height of a man were used by the Slavic peoples since ancient times. They covered the warrior's head, so they had a hole for the eyes in the upper part. Since the 10th century, shields have been made in a round shape, upholstered with iron, covered with leather and decorated with various tribal symbols. According to the testimony of Byzantine historians, the Russians created a wall of shields, which were tightly closed to each other, and put their spears forward. Such tactics made it impossible for the advanced units of the enemy to break through to the rear of the Russian troops. After 100 years, the form adapts to new genus troops - cavalry. Shields become almond-shaped, have two mounts designed to be held in battle and on the march. With this type of equipment, ancient Russian warriors went on campaigns and stood up to protect their own lands before the invention firearms. Many traditions and legends are associated with shields. Some of them are "winged" to this day. The fallen and wounded soldiers were brought home on shields; when fleeing, the retreating regiments threw them under the feet of the pursuers' horses. Prince Oleg hangs a shield on the gates of the defeated Constantinople.
Helmets
Until the 9th - 10th centuries, ancient Russian warriors wore ordinary hats on their heads, which did not protect against the chopping blows of the enemy. The first helmets found by archaeologists were made according to the Norman type, but they were not widely used in Russia. The conical shape has become more practical and therefore widely used. The helmet in this case was riveted from four metal plates, they were decorated precious stones and feathers (from noble warriors or governors). This shape allowed the sword to slide off without causing much harm to a person, a balaclava made of leather or felt softened the blow. The helmet was changed due to additional protective devices: aventail (mail mesh), nose guard (metal plate). The use of protection in the form of masks (masks) in Russia was rare, most often these were trophy helmets, which were widely used in European countries. The description of the ancient Russian warrior, preserved in the annals, suggests that they did not hide their faces, but could shackle the enemy with a menacing look. Helmets with a half mask were made for noble and wealthy warriors; they are characterized by decorative details that did not carry protective functions.
chain mail
The most famous part of the vestments of the ancient Russian warrior, according to archaeological excavations, appears in the 7th - 8th centuries. Chain mail is a shirt of metal rings tightly connected to each other. At that time, it was quite difficult for craftsmen to make such protection, the work was delicate and took big cut time. The metal was rolled into wire, from which rings were folded and welded, fixed together according to the 1 to 4 scheme. At least 20 - 25 thousand rings were spent on creating one chain mail, the weight of which ranged from 6 to 16 kilograms. For decoration, copper links were woven into the canvas. In the 12th century, stamping technology was used, when braided rings were flattened, which ensured large area protection. In the same period, chain mail became longer, additional elements of armor appeared: nagovitsya (iron, woven stockings), aventail (mesh to protect the neck), bracers (metal gloves). Quilted clothes were worn under the chain mail, softening the force of the blow. At the same time, they were used in Russia. For the manufacture, a base (shirt) made of leather was required, on which thin iron lamellas were tightly attached. Their length was 6 - 9 centimeters, width from 1 to 3. Plate armor gradually replaced chain mail and was even sold to other countries. In Russia, scaly, lamellar and chain mail armor were often combined. Yushman, Bakhterets were essentially chain mail, which, to increase the protective properties, were supplied with plates on the chest. At the beginning of the 14th century, the new kind armor - mirrors. metal plates big size, polished to a shine, as a rule, were worn over chain mail. On the sides and on the shoulders, they were connected with leather belts, often decorated with various kinds of symbols.
Weapon
The protective clothing of the ancient Russian warrior was not impenetrable armor, but it was distinguished by its lightness, which ensured greater maneuverability of warriors and shooters in battle conditions. According to information obtained from the historical sources of the Byzantines, the “Rusichs” were distinguished by their enormous physical force. In the 5th - 6th centuries, the weapons of our ancestors were quite primitive, used for close combat. To cause significant damage to the enemy, it had a lot of weight and was additionally equipped with striking elements. The evolution of weapons took place against the background technical progress and changes in combat strategy. Throwing systems, siege engines, piercing and cutting iron tools have been used for many centuries, while their design has been constantly improved. Some innovations were adopted from other peoples, but Russian inventors and gunsmiths have always been distinguished by the originality of their approach and the reliability of the manufactured systems.
percussion
Weapons for close combat are known to all nations, at the dawn of the development of civilization, its main type was a club. This is a heavy club, which turned around with iron at the end. Some variants feature metal spikes or nails. Most often in Russian chronicles, along with the club, the flail is mentioned. Due to the ease of manufacture and effectiveness in combat, percussion weapons were widely used. The sword and saber partially replace it, but the militia and howls continue to use it in battle. Historians created on the basis chronicle sources and the excavation data is a typical portrait of a man who was called an ancient Russian warrior. Photographs of reconstructions, as well as images of heroes that have survived to this day, necessarily contain some type of impact weapon, most often the legendary mace acts as this.
Cutting, stabbing
In the history of ancient Russia, the sword is of great importance. It is not only the main type of weapon, but also a symbol of princely power. The knives used had several types, they were named according to the place they were worn: boot, belt, underside. They were used along with the sword and the ancient Russian warrior changes in the X century, the saber comes to replace the sword. Her combat characteristics Russians appreciated in battles with nomads, from whom they borrowed the uniform. Spears and spears are among the most ancient types of stabbing weapons, which were successfully used by warriors as defensive and offensive weapons. When used in parallel, they evolved ambiguously. Rogatins are gradually being replaced by spears, which are being improved into the sulitsu. Not only peasants (voi and militias) fought with axes, but also the princely squad. For equestrian warriors, this type of weapon had a short handle, infantrymen (warriors) used axes on long shafts. Berdysh (an ax with a wide blade) in the XIII - XIV century becomes a weapon. Later it is transformed into a halberd.
Shooting
All means used daily for hunting and at home were used by Russian soldiers as military weapons. Bows were made from animal horn and suitable wood species (birch, juniper). Some of them were over two meters long. To store arrows, a shoulder quiver was used, which was made of leather, sometimes decorated with brocade, precious and semi-precious stones. For the manufacture of arrows, reeds, birches, reeds, and apple trees were used, to the torch of which an iron tip was attached. In the 10th century, the design of the bow was quite complex, and the process of its manufacture was laborious. Crossbows were more effective view Their minus was a lower rate of fire, but at the same time, the bolt (used as a projectile) inflicted more damage on the enemy, breaking through armor when hit. It was difficult to pull the bowstring of the crossbow, even strong warriors for this they rested on the butt with their feet. In the 12th century, to speed up and facilitate this process, they began to use a hook that archers wore on their belts. Until the invention of firearms, bows were used in Russian troops.
Equipment
Foreigners who visited Russian cities of the 12th-13th centuries were surprised at how the soldiers were equipped. With all the apparent bulkiness of the armor (especially for heavy horsemen), the riders easily coped with several tasks. Sitting in the saddle, the warrior could hold the reins (drive a horse), shoot from a bow or crossbow, and prepare a heavy sword for close combat. The cavalry was a maneuverable strike force, so the equipment of the rider and horse should be light, but durable. The chest, croup and sides of the war horse were covered with special covers, which were made of cloth with sewn iron plates. The equipment of the ancient Russian warrior was thought out to the smallest detail. Saddles made of wood made it possible for the archer to turn into reverse side and shoot at at full speed, while controlling the direction of movement of the horse. Unlike the European warriors of that time, who were fully armored, the light armor of the Russians was focused on battles with nomads. The nobles, princes, kings had weapons and armor for combat and parade, which were richly decorated and equipped with the symbols of the state. They accepted foreign ambassadors and go on holidays.
Drawings by Oleg Fedorov are based on reliable archaeological and scientific data, many of them are created for major museums and private collectors from Russia, Ukraine and other countries. We have already talked about the reconstruction in Fedorov's watercolors, this time we will talk about the warriors of Ancient Russia.
Druzhina culture in Ancient Russia was formed simultaneously with ancient Russian statehood and embodied the ethnic, social and political processes of the 9th - early 11th centuries.
as show historical materials, the Slavs, the main population of the ancient Russian territories, were relatively weak in military-technical terms. As weapons, they used only arrows, spears and axes. The situation changed after the so-called "Rus" came to the territory of Ancient Russia. According to scientists, in ancient times this was the name given to warriors who came from northern Europe. Along with the Rus, progressive for that time items of military weapons and protection appeared.
Among archaeological materials often there are children's wooden swords and other "toy" weapons. For example, a wooden sword with a handle width of about 5-6 cm and a total length of about 60 cm was found, which corresponds to the size of the palm of a boy aged 6-10 years. Thus, in the games, the process of learning skills that should have been useful to future warriors in adulthood took place.
It is important to note that the "Russian" army at the initial stage of its existence fought exclusively on foot, which is confirmed by Byzantine and Arab written sources that time. At first, the Russians considered horses exclusively as a means of transportation. True, the breeds of horses that were common at that time in Europe were rather short, so for a long time they simply could not carry a rider in full armor.
By the end of the 10th century, military conflicts between Rus detachments and troops became more and more frequent. Khazar Khaganate, as well as Byzantine Empire, which had a strong and trained cavalry. Therefore, already in 944, the Pechenegs, whose detachments consisted of light horsemen, became allies of Prince Igor in the campaign against Byzantium. It was from the Pechenegs that the Rus began to buy specially trained horses for the new kind of troops. True, the first attempt of the Russian troops in the battle on horseback, undertaken in 971 in the battle of Dorostol, ended in failure. However, the failure did not stop our ancestors, and since they still lacked their own cavalry, the practice of attracting nomadic cavalry units, which were even part of the ancient Russian squads, was introduced.
Old Russian warriors adopted from the steppe people not only the skills of mounted combat, but also borrowed weapons and clothing characteristic of the “horseman” culture. It was at that time that sabers, sphero-conical helmets, flails, caftans, tote bags, compound bows, and other weapons for the rider and horse equipment appeared in Russia. The words caftan, fur coat, feryaz, sarafan are of Eastern (Turkic, Iranian, Arabic) origin, reflecting, apparently, the corresponding origin of the objects themselves.
Taking into account the fact that in most of the territory of Ancient Russia the climatic conditions were quite severe, historians suggest that woolen fabric could be used when sewing Russian caftans. “They put on him bloomers, leggings, boots, a jacket, and a brocade caftan with gold buttons, and put a sable brocade hat on his head” - this is how the Arab traveler and geographer of the 10th century Ibn Fadlan describes the funeral of a noble Rus. The wearing of wide trousers by the Rus, gathered at the knee, is mentioned, in particular, by the Arab historian of the beginning of the 10th century, Ibn Ruste.
In some military burials of the ancient Rus, silver, decorated with filigree and granulation, conical caps were found, which are presumably the ends of headdresses in the form of a cap with a fur trim. Scientists argue that this is exactly what the "Russian hat" made by the masters of ancient Russia looked like, the shape of which, most likely, belongs to nomadic cultures.
The need to conduct combat operations mainly against steppe lightly armed horsemen led to a gradual change in Russian weapons in the direction of greater lightness and flexibility. Therefore, at first, the completely European (Varangian) weapons of the Russian squads from the time of campaigns against Byzantium gradually acquired more oriental features: Scandinavian swords were replaced by sabers, warriors changed from rooks to horses, and even heavy knightly armor, which eventually became widespread in Europe, never had analogies in the works of ancient Russian gunsmiths.
1) a detachment of warriors united around a tribal leader during the period of decomposition tribal system, and then the prince and constituted the privileged stratum of society;
2) armed detachments under the prince in Kievan Rus who participated in the wars, the management of the principality and the personal household of the prince.
Great Definition
Incomplete definition ↓
DRUZHINA
1) B ancient meaning community, association of people. In this sense, D. were called members of other Russian. Vervi communities; in the 14th and 15th centuries D. members of artels of icon painters were named, etc. 2) A detachment of mounted warriors united around a tribal leader, and then a king, prince; military an organization characteristic of the system of military democracy, for the period of the decomposition of the tribal system and the birth of feuds. relations. D. appeared among the ancient Germans in the 1st century. BC e. as temporary, and from the 1st c. n. e. already as a permanent military. associations and formed the core of the German. troops. The leader and D were bound by mutual obligations. D. was supposed to protect the leader, the latter - to support D. Members of D., enriching themselves at the expense of the military. robbery, gradually turned into a military-aristocratic. the top of the tribe. In D., Engels wrote, "...the germ of the decline of the ancient people's freedom was already lurking..." (The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State, 1963, p. 161). Contributing to the rise of the tribal leader, D. thus contributed to the emergence of queens. authorities. During the German invasion tribes on the territory Rome. empire (4th-6th centuries) warriors, as a result of conquests and then queens. complaints, acquired means. land possession ("settlement of D. on the ground") and in the process of development of the feud. relations turned into feudal lords. D. was often available not only to the king, but also to private individuals - large lands. owners. As a soldier. organization D. (as well as civil uprising) gave way to feud. militia of seniors. Rus the term "druzhinniki" corresponded to the terms: levdas (lit. - people) in many others. Germans, Antrustions - among the Franks, Gesites, then Tens - among the Anglo-Saxons, Gacindas - among the Lombards, Sayons - among the Goths, etc .; sometimes in German laws used Rome. (lat.) terminology (buccellaria, fideles - faithful, - the origin of retinue relations occurs back in the period of the Roman Empire). In China, terms close to the concept of "combatant" are chen, shi (in their original meaning), among the Mongols - nukers. Lit .: Neusykhin A.I., The emergence of a dependent peasantry in Western Europe VI-VIII centuries, M., 1956; Korsunsky A. R., About development feudal relations in Gothic Spain, in Sat.: Cf. century, 1961, c. 19. See also lit. at Art. Germans. In Kievan Rus, a prince stood at the head of the dynasty. Entry and exit from D. were free for personally free husbands-warriors. D. was the closest support of the princes. authorities. T. n. The "senior" D. consisted of a small number of the most distinguished combatants who were close advisers to the prince. Senior warriors often received from the prince the right to collect tribute in certain areas in their favor and had their own D. The "young" D consisted of "grids", "youths", "children" and other warriors who made up the main. the mass of D. and also involved in the execution of various court.-adm. instructions. With the development of feudal land ownership warriors turned into land owners - the boyars and were one of the main. components in the formation of dominance. feudal class. Houses of princes existed until the 16th century, when appanage princes were abolished. Lit .: Sreznevsky I.I., Materials for the dictionary of other Russian. yaz., vol. 1, M., 1958; Grekov B. D., Kievan Rus, (M.), 1953. A. M. Sakharov. Moscow.
Usually, at the word knight, images arise in our minds that are familiar from childhood to the novels of Walter Scott or already from films about King Arthur and his knights. round table. This is a heavily armed mounted warrior, defender of the weak and oppressed. And the events themselves take place in "good old England" or "sweet France".
However, historians have long established that heavily armed cavalry has been an integral part of the Russian army since the time of the Old Russian state. In this respect, the Russians were heirs to the traditions of the heavy cavalry of the Sarmatians-Alans. And the word “knight” itself is Slavic, Old Russian - “knight”, close to the word tsar, South Russian - “person, knight”, Polish - “ruсerz”. According to one version, this word goes back to the Indo-European words "lynx" - to ride, and "sar" - a noble person. According to another version, to the German word ritter - "horseman". In Europe, knights were not actually called knights. In France, they were chevalier (chevalier) - "riding a horse"; in Spain - caballero (caballero) - "rider, knight, nobleman" (from lat. caball?rius "groom" from lat. caballus "horse"); in Italy - cavaliere ("cavalier"); in England - knight (from OE cniht "guy"); in Germany - ritter ("rider").
In Russia, most often these warriors were denoted by the word "hrabor" or "knight" (from the Indo-European "vidyati" - to win, Skt. Vijaya). The word knight was widespread among others Slavic peoples: Bosnian, Slovenian, Croatian - vitez, Serbian - vitez.
As a result, a myth has developed that the real knights are “out there”, in the West. We liked to draw Russian soldiers with such simple-hearted, powerful heroes - “felt boots”, who were taken more not by skill and knowledge, but by “silushka”, or generally luck. These ideas go back to the 18th century, when there was a process of total revision of Russian history, which was written in the interests of the West, often just Germans. The church also contributed, which instilled the idea that the Russian-Slavs have always been a “God-fearing”, meek, almost timid people. How did the “peaceful” and “God-fearing” Russians defend themselves in the conditions of constant war in the northwestern, western, southern and eastern frontiers, and often internal wars, and then also to occupy the territory, more than which no other people occupied (meaning directly Russian territory, and not overseas colonies), with this view it remains a mystery.
If you study the texts of epics, annals, and the pages of the wars waged by the Russians, everything falls into place. There have never been any "peace-loving goons" (otherwise the Russians would simply not exist anymore, or they would live out their lives as part of a foreign state). It should be noted right away that in the military aspect, the Russian people are invincible. Even the last brief outbreaks of his military activity, such as the throw of paratroopers into Pristina or the defeat of a drilled by the best Western instructors Georgian army continue to cause hysteria and panic in the world. And this despite the fact that now the Russian giant is lulled by "fairy tales" about "world peace", the triumph of pacifism and humanism, and other nonsense. Russian warriors at all times knew how to very toughly defend the people's right to life, putting any enemy in their place.
The prince was at the head of the squad. It originally had four main functions. Firstly, the prince is a military leader, the protector of the tribe, the land-principality. It is his the main task- to protect his people, if he could not cope with it, in Old Russian state he could have just been kicked out. Secondly, the duty of the prince is the “outfit”, that is, maintaining order in the territory entrusted to him. Thirdly, the prince performed a judicial function, within its framework such a monument of Russian law as "Russian Truth" appeared. Fourthly, the prince had sacred power, performed priestly functions before the adoption of Christianity. Left without a prince (later the tsar), the Russian people felt uncomfortable, they lost contact with heaven. No wonder Prince Vladimir spent two religious reforms- set idols in 980, and in about 988 he accepted Christianity and began the baptism of Russia. And with the adoption of Christianity, the attitude towards the prince, as the high priest, almost did not change. It was the princes who were engaged in the promotion of Christianity in populace. The first Russian saints were also princes. Later, this view of princely power was strengthened by the Byzantine theory of divine origin authorities. This attitude was preserved in Muscovite Russia and Russian Empire, where the church has always been in a subordinate position, in relation to the royal (imperial) power.
The prince always acted surrounded by a loyal squad, comrades-in-arms, comrades-in-arms, guards and the strike force of the entire Russian army. In the 9th-12th centuries, the prince and the squad is something inseparable, a single whole. Relations in the squad were similar to family relationships and were initially replaced, because the warrior who entered the squad lost contact with his clan and tribe. The word "team" is among all Slavic peoples. It comes from the word "friend" (one's own, assistant, comrade-in-arms).
The size of the squad could range from several tens to several thousand soldiers. However, these were selected professional warriors, whose life was devoted only to military service(in the modern world, military special forces can be compared with them). If simple "howls" - militias, after completing the task - a campaign, repelling a raid, invasion, dispersed to their homes and returned to former life farmer, artisan or hunter, then the combatants were professional warriors. According to the Arab traveler Ibn-Fadlan from 922, together with the prince of Kyiv, "400 men from among the heroes, his associates, are in his castle." The squad of Svyatoslav Igorevich, with whom he crushed Khazaria and conquered Bulgaria, amounted to about 10 thousand fighters. The squad of his great-grandson, the son of Yaroslav the Wise - Svyatoslav II Yaroslavich, with whom he defeated Polovtsian army, consisted of 3 thousand soldiers.
Based on the fact that the combatants were always at the forefront, meeting danger with their breasts, they received a privileged position. They received the best parts of war booty. The prince generously endowed warriors with gold and silver. At feasts, they ate from the best utensils and received best pieces. Suffice it to recall the resentment of the combatants against Vladimir: “Woe to our heads: he gave us to eat with wooden spoons, not silver ones.” Hearing this, Vladimir ordered to look for silver spoons, saying: “I won’t find a squad with silver and gold, but with a squad I will get silver and gold, as my grandfather and father with a squad found gold and silver.” For Vladimir loved the squad and consulted with her about the structure of the country, and about the war, and about the laws of the country.
It should be noted that feasts with vigilantes played important role while. The Russian feast was a real ritual action, going from ancient times (apparently, from primitive hunters, together eating a prey animal), performing it, people felt themselves part of a single clan, tribe, people. Sitting at the same table, everyone could feel like a part of a huge, powerful whole (feeling of unity).
With development public system, to the XI-XII centuries. the squad is divided into two layers: the squad is the oldest, best, front, and the squad is young, younger. Senior warriors (princely men, boyars) began to receive not only movable valuables taken on campaigns, but also regular tributes from cities and settlements. They began to occupy the highest military and civil positions - posadniks, governors, thousandths, ambassadors, advisers to the prince, his near Duma. A feudal system was taking shape, at the top of which was the prince. His direct vassals were senior boyars (some could descend from tribal princes), they received entire cities as volosts. Performing administrative, tax, judicial and military functions, they simultaneously received the right to "feed" from the territory under their control. The vassals of the senior boyars were petty boyars, and, possibly, junior combatants.
The younger squad included, apparently, several categories: children, youths, kits, grids, stepchildren, boyar children, swordsmen. As they develop feudal system ceased to be "friends" of the prince, becoming a military service class. They could receive small villages for service and merit, from several households and in the future became "nobles".
The exact meaning of the ranks of the junior squad is unknown. So, there is an assumption that the bodyguards of the prince, who lived directly next to him, in grid houses, were called “grids”. "Swordsmen" were in the immediate environment of the prince, performing different kind administrative functions. The word "kmeti" meant not only warriors, but also free community members. It is even more difficult with the “youths” (in translation, “who do not have the right to speak, vote”). This word originally denoted the junior member of the clan, who did not have the right to express his opinion in the council of adult men. According to the sources, it is clear that not all the youths were junior combatants, some of them served as yard servants. Therefore, there is an opinion that the youths constituted the lowest rank of the younger squad and performed job responsibilities at the princely court. Perhaps some of them were "disciples", children who were military training(Some of them could be children of vigilantes). On the other hand, in the sources, the squad in general can be called youths. So, in the Tale of Bygone Years it is reported that when the Polovtsian invasion began: “Svyatopolk began to gather soldiers, intending to go against them. And the men said to him: "Do not try to go against them, for you have few soldiers," He said: "I have my 700 youths who can resist them."
Another category of the younger squad is "children's". They were higher in rank than the youths. They did not serve in the court, they could occupy high administrative posts. According to I. Ya. Froyanov, children of the nobility, boyars could make up a significant proportion of them (Froyanov I. Ya. Kievan Rus: Essays on socio-political history).
Thus, in the 12-13 centuries, the free squad of the times of “military democracy” began to lose mobility and turn into a feudal estate burdened with lands and villages. The senior warriors had their own personal squads, which were merged into the general rati, in case of military necessity. But even after turning into feudal lords, the combatants remained the striking force of the army, its advisers and associates.
Russian warriors and Russian warriors from the most ancient times were distinguished by a special psychology, which was characterized by the cult of "combat anger", contempt for death, desperate audacity and courage, aggressive neglect of the enemy's forces. One can recall several statements of the great Russian commander Alexander Suvorov, who, raising the "miracle heroes", was the successor of the ancient glory of Russian weapons: "... nothing can stand against Russian weapons - we are strong and self-confident"; “We are Russians, we will overcome everything”; “No army in the world can resist the brave Russian grenadier”; “Nature produced only one Russia. She has no rivals”; "... the Russians cannot retreat"; "In vain will move on Russia all of Europe: she will find there Thermopylae, Leonidas and her coffin."
An excellent example of the Russian warrior and the Russian spirit is given by the exploits of the great Svyatoslav. Before a decisive battle with the Romans (Byzantines), who significantly outnumbered his squads, Svyatoslav said: “So we will not shame the Russian land, but we will lie down with our bones, for the dead have no shame. If we run, we will be ashamed. We will not run, but we will become strong, but I will go ahead of you: if my head lies down, then take care of yourself. And the combatants answered: "Where your head lies, there we will lay down our heads."
In the presentation of the Roman chronicler Leo the Deacon, Svyatoslav delivered a similar speech in the besieged Dorostol, when the idea of a secret retreat from the besieged city on ships or peace talks with romans. Svyatoslav (whom the Byzantine calls Sfendoslav) took a deep breath and exclaimed bitterly: “The glory that followed the army of the Ross, who easily defeated neighboring peoples and enslaved entire countries without bloodshed, has perished, if we now shamefully retreat before the Romans. So, let us be imbued with the courage [which our ancestors bequeathed] to us, remember that the power of the Ross has so far been invincible, and we will fight fiercely for our lives. It does not befit us to return to our homeland, fleeing; [we must] either win and stay alive, or die with glory, having accomplished feats [worthy] of valiant men!” Further, Leo the Deacon reports that the dews (he often calls them "Tauro-Scythians" and "Scythians") never surrender to enemies, even defeated, when there is no longer any hope for salvation, they kill themselves.
Initially, the composition of the squad did not differ in social homogeneity. Most of the combatants in the first centuries of the development of the ancient Russian state had a simple origin, from free community members, warriors of tribes, lands. They occupied their position not by origin, but by personal qualities. It was earned by one's own courage, deserved, or obtained by a lucky chance. social mobility then it was very high. Ordinary warrior, militia could become princely combatant, and his descendants - boyars. In turn, the kind of ancient Slavic princes, elders could easily be interrupted, or descend to the level of the common people. At the initial stage, they were taken to the squad solely on personal qualities: military skill, courage, courage. So, one can recall the story of the Tale of Bygone Years about how Prince Vladimir made a kozhemyaku, who defeated the Pecheneg hero in single combat, a “great husband” and his father too. Yes, and epics report that Ilya was a "peasant's son", and Alyosha was "of the priestly family." And with Dobrynya Nikitich, not everything is clear. His court is rich, but in some epics he is called the "peasant's son."
It should be noted that many people have a very wrong idea about epics as about “fairy tales”. This is largely due to the fact that for children the epics are retold in a "fabulous", simplified form. They excluded "adult", cruel, even bloody episodes, softened the vocabulary. The person grew up, but the ideas remained childish. Epics are not fairy tales, but songs, the main distinguishing quality of which is that the folk storytellers-singers who performed them recounted true events. In ancient times, they were performed throughout the territory of Russia. In the 18-19 centuries, when they began to be recorded and searched for, they were preserved only in the Russian North, especially among the free Pomor peasants.
The melodies of these songs are long and majestic. The plots are sometimes cruel, like life itself. The performers were not afraid to use "adult" words. It is clear that over the centuries inaccuracies and corrections could appear in the epics. So, the ancient Khazars, Pechenegs and Polovtsy were replaced by the late Tatars. However, the historical basis is visible in them very visibly. And so much so that the famous Soviet historian B. D. Grekov called the epic epic " oral history". It is the Russian chronicles, epics and Byzantine sources give us most of the data on the organization of the Russian army. Initially, the word “team”, “army” covered the entire set of full-fledged men. Only with recess social stratification, only the military elite, the direct associates of the prince, began to be called the "team".
Russian epics are a very important source for revealing the psychology of Russian knights. The image of a knight-hero - a heavily armed equestrian warrior, defender of the Fatherland, with his own ideas of honor, duty, with a certain pride (for some heroes it comes to arrogance), gives rise to an association with Western European chivalry.
However, there is a major difference, Western knights are all noble people. Russian epics were the "product" of the common people. Most often, the epic begins with the fact that the hero leaves the house, rich, like Dobrynya Nikitich, or peasant, like Ilya. The reason that makes them leave small homeland, is the desire to protect people, or "walk" (a very common motive). Unspent energy boils in the future hero, he is "violent", Gumilev's passionary. Currently, such a person is called a person with an active lifestyle. The potential inherent in a person needs to be released.
In this regard, the dissimilarity immediately attracts attention. epic heroes on the usual portrait of the Russian people, as portrayed by some historians or philosophers, like N. A. Berdyaev, no passivity, no femininity. A whole myth was even created about the primordial passivity of the Slavs, who need the "Varangians", the Germans in order to lead and guide them. A sign of heroism is their activity, even violence. This is one of their socio-psychological traits.
Another important feature of the Russian knight is a clear social orientation his activities. He lives in the interests of society, the people. Even such an ancient character, endowed with many magical properties, like Volkh Vseslavich, who does not need anyone's guardianship or praise, is not alien to common interests. He begins his campaign "to the kingdom of the Indians, to Tsar Saltyk Stavrulievich" because he "boasts - boasts: He wants to take Kyiv-grad behind a shield." In the Russian epic, the hero is not conceived as living outside the national, state interests. The ancient struggle with the Serpent Gorynych, full of mythical symbolism, turns into retribution for the burned cities and the liberation of people taken captive.
In epics, in order to enter the squad, usually two feats are required. One (or several) heroes perform at will on the way to Kyiv, the other already has the character of a princely assignment. Often the first feat is in the nature of simple daring: Dobrynya just like that, without a special goal, enters into a fight with the Serpent, crushes his cubs; Alyosha kills no one who does not touch, sometimes a sleeping Neodolishch. The princely tasks are already of a "socially useful" character. Dobrynya, for the second time, collides with the Serpent, rescuing the princely niece Zabava Putyatishna; Alyosha liberates the capital city of Kyiv from Tugarin.
Patriotism in the epic epic is present not only in the form of a conscious conviction, but also as depth psychology defining outlook. Participation in the affairs of the people for the hero is the meaning of life. The interest of the Russian land to the hero-knight is more important than personal (this distinguishes the heroes from many heroes of fairy tales, who strive only for own well-being). So, Ilya overcomes personal hostility to Vladimir and resentment towards him in order to protect Kyiv, ordinary people.
Another feature of the psychology of Russian knights is a sense of personal dignity and honor. Bogatyrs are proud and "passionate", do not let offences. Insult is not forgiven to anyone. Even such a world-wise, generally calm hero, like Ilya, is very cool in matters of honor. Offended by the prince, he arranges a feast for the "needless erratic". Ilya fights with Dobrynya, due to the fact that the fame of him as a great master of wrestling has gone.
The main features of the psychology of heroes are activity, the social orientation of their actions, deep patriotism and a sense of personal dignity, this is all the legacy of the era of the so-called. "military democracy". In 10-13 centuries. this era has not yet been forgotten, most of population was free and armed. It was still far from serfdom. Unfortunately, many people extend ideas about the peasants of the 18th and 19th centuries to an earlier era. Each full-fledged community member, if necessary, participated in military operations. "Voi", urban and rural militias did not differ significantly from the combatants either in weapons or in combat techniques. There were no clear social boundaries. In its lower part, the squad was often replenished from the common people. Therefore, in combatants, heroes they saw "their own".
As V. Dolgov, M. Savinov write: “The people in epics remember first of all about themselves. The story about the princely bogatyrs-combatants, the knights of Holy Russia, is perceived as information not about the ancestors of the ruling class, but about the roots of the people as a whole. This is ... a socio-psychological portrait of the main part of the Russian society of the Old Russian state - "people", full-fledged community members, from which a squad was formed - a heroic brotherhood. It is preserved in the people's memory as a memory of a free and noble past" (Vadim Dolgov, Mikhail Savinov. Braves of Ancient Russia. M, 2010).
Warrior upbringing
The training of a warrior began from childhood. I must say that it was then very short, at the age of 15-16 a man was considered an adult, he could get married and start an independent life. Boyar's son in these years entered the squad.
The first milestone, which marked the growing up of the boy and his transition from the state of infancy to the state of a child, came at 2-3 years. He was marked by tonsure. Some ethnographers believe that this custom existed not only among the nobility, but also in all social strata. Sometimes this rite could coincide with another - mounting a horse. These customs date back to deep pagan antiquity and were in the nature of a military-age initiation (initiation). In a later period, frankly pagan mounting on a horse was forced out of life, and the rite of tonsure, close to Christian rituals in form, remained as “decent”. In the West, this ancient custom has been transformed into a knighting ritual. In Russia, the boys were thus set up for the future, they were to become warriors.
FROM early childhood children were taught to use weapons. Archaeologists often find children's wooden swords. Usually their shape corresponded to the shape of real weapons of this era. It is necessary to pay attention to the fact that children's swords, daggers, spears and bows in Russia did not perform an entertaining task, like modern toys. Through the game, the boy gained experience in handling weapons. With wooden weapons, it was possible to learn combat techniques like real ones. Children's weapons were necessary for the gradual learning of techniques, gaining skills, developing strength (for example, a blade made of oak was comparable in weight to a real one), dexterity.
In addition to weapons, the set of the future warrior included a horse, boats, spinning tops, sleds, and balls of various sizes. They were necessary not only for entertainment, but also for the development of dexterity, coordination of movement. In addition, the children of the nobility from early childhood received real weapons - swords, daggers.
Was there a special school (or several) in Russia for weapons and hand-to-hand combat? This question was answered by a person who specifically looked for traces of this system in the surviving customs of Russian fisticuffs - the creator of the Slavic-Goritsa wrestling Alexander Belov. Here are the conclusions he made: “... with the almost universal involvement of the male population (lower social strata) pre-revolutionary Russia in one form or another of the national competition is completely missing such a link as special education, school ... Probably, a special, training role in the preparation of future wrestlers and masters of the fist gathering was played by children's fun - a folk game. In order to avoid the “damask chingalishka” flying at you, you had to run all your childhood from snowballs rolled up by friends and swing, standing with your feet on a swing, learning to distribute movement from heels to shoulders, ride, without falling, from the mountain on your feet along an icy path, run around in felt boots on the ice when your legs are parting, and run into “tags of tags”, dodging a comrade who is trying to get you ... However, can you list everything? Yard play and sports are essentially the same thing. To learn the technique of the battle itself is a simple matter. Especially if the competitions of masters have been held in front of your eyes since childhood. And everything else is practice ”(Belov A.K. Slavic-Goritskaya struggle. Origin. M., 1993).
In addition, it is necessary to note one more "school" for ordinary resident Ancient Russia, which was held by almost every Russian. This is life in the forest or forest-steppe. Hunting was a good hardening for a fighter. She taught the ability to read traces, to wait, to sit in ambush, to kill. It must be remembered that Russia was then covered with dense forests full of game. It's hunting now more fun than a real threat to human life. The medieval hunter was in completely different conditions. To get the "owner of the forest" with the help of a horn is a serious matter.
Thus, the tradition of combat training covered almost the entire male population and existed from the time of the tribal system until the beginning of the 20th century. Its basis was folk games, ritual actions - from children to adults, when wall to wall converged street to street, village to village.
In the Old Russian state, a warrior, having passed the stage of children's games of catch-up, snowballs, knives, the stage of game duels with wooden weapons, having learned to shoot from a simple bow, from the very beginning was included in real combat operations. Fortunately, there were plenty of opportunities to fight. It is clear that practice took its toll in lives, but the survivors, and those who usually were the majority, learned quickly and well. No school, with artificial training situations, will teach you this way.
Armament
The main provider of information about ancient weapons is archaeology. In addition, some data can be obtained from written and pictorial sources. Archeology allows you to study the weapons themselves, allows you to establish their shape, size, weight, material, manufacturing technology. Figurative sources - icons, frescoes, miniatures, etc., allow you to see how weapons were worn, used, to see whole objects that came only in the form of fragments.
Largest number archaeological finds Russian weapons come from burial grounds, ancient cemeteries. In the burials of the pagan period, weapons are an obligatory attribute of combatants, often ordinary community members. This tradition did not disappear with the spread of Christianity, although total number burials with weapons decreased. Interestingly, burials with weapons are found not only in rural areas (as is known, Christianity did not penetrate quickly into the environment of rural residents and coexisted with paganism for a long time), but also in the burials of warriors. Weapons are also found during excavations of settlements, sometimes at battlefields.
The belongings of professional warriors were a sword, a helmet, chain mail, weapons with decorations. The specific weapons of combatants primarily include high-quality swords and sabers, the manufacture of which required considerable skill, as well as most of the defensive weapons (except for the relatively easy-to-make wooden shields). According to the Arab traveler Ibn Fadlan, who watched the Rus on the Volga, each had an ax, a sword and a knife, and they never parted with weapons.
Sword. The most honorable and prestigious weapon of a Russian warrior was a sword, a chopping and chopping-piercing double-edged melee weapon. The sword was used mainly for cutting blows, therefore, until about the 13th century, the point was not sharpened, the tip of the sword was rounded. For a long time, they tried to declare this type of weapon "Scandinavian". Russian swords were similar to them in the shape of the blade and the type of hilt. However, the Scandinavians were not the inventors of the heavy cutting sword. This type of sword appeared in Central and Western Europe by the 8th century.
Scientists single out among the swords found in Russia in the 9th-11th centuries. about 20 types and subtypes. Basically, they have different sizes and shapes of the handle (“handle”), the blades are of the same type. Average length the blade was about 95 cm. The width of the blade at the handle reached 5-7 cm, towards the end it gradually tapered. In the middle of the blade was a "dol" - a wide longitudinal recess. It is sometimes referred to as a "blood channel", but in fact it served to lighten the sword somewhat, which weighed about 1.5 kg. The thickness of the blade in the valley was about 2.5 mm, on its sides - up to 6 mm. However, due to the skill of the blacksmiths and the special dressing of the metal, such a difference in thickness did not affect the strength of the sword in any way.
Swords, like other weapons, change significantly over time. At the end of the 11th - beginning of the 12th century, swords become shorter - up to 86 cm, lighter - up to 1 kg and thinner. In the IX-X centuries. dol occupied half the width of the blade, in the XI-XII centuries. already a third, and the XIII century. turned into a narrow groove. In the XII - XIII centuries. the blade lengthens - up to 120 cm, and becomes heavier - up to 2 kg, due to the strengthening of protective weapons. The hilt also becomes longer, resulting in two-handed swords. The dol gradually disappears to make the sword heavier. In an earlier era, "heroic" swords are an exception. At this time, they are still chopping weapons, but in the annals under 1255 the first piercing blow is mentioned.
Swords were carried in scabbards, usually wooden, covered with leather, behind the back or on the belt. Often the scabbard was decorated with a cast tip. Warriors-riders used the sword less often than foot soldiers, this was due to the fact that the center of gravity was shifted to the handle, and it made it difficult to strike from top to bottom, from the saddle. Usually swords belonged only to warriors, less often to wealthy militias. Swords were very expensive due to the fact that the process of producing a good blade was long and complicated. In addition, they required considerable skill from the owner, it was a professional weapon. The sword was used in the Russian army until the 16th century. By this time, in the cavalry, he was significantly pushed back by a saber, more convenient for equestrian combat.
Since ancient times, an extensive set of beliefs and legends has been associated with the sword. It was not just a weapon, a tool for killing. It was part of the culture of the people. The sword is sung in heroic epic, it is used in religious rituals, it acts as a sacred offering, the most expensive gift. The sword is a symbol of high social position.
The sword often ends up on the pages of Russian chronicles and other documents. The Tale of Bygone Years contains a story about the tribute to the Khazars from the glades with swords. In it, the sword is a symbol of the future victory of the Slavs over the Khazars. During the conclusion of a peace agreement with the Romans, Russian warriors use the sword in the oath ritual. Svyatoslav, when the Byzantines, testing him, sent him rich gifts, gold and curtains (expensive silk fabric), showed indifference. He was only interested in the sword and other weapons. Byzantine ambassadors They told their master: “This man will be Lute, because he neglects wealth, but takes weapons. Pay tribute to him."
