HALYCH AND THE PEOPLE OF HALYCH IN THE WAR OF THE RUS AND THE POLOVTSIANS AGAINST THE MONGOLS (1223)

Abstract

The article is devoted to the 800th anniversary of the dramatic battle of the princes of Rus and the Polovtsians against the Mongols, in which a special attention is given to the military units of the local lord Mstyslav Mstyslavovych who arrived from Halych. The analysis of all surviving sources gives grounds for revising the traditional ideas about the course of the key event of the war in 1223 – the battle on the Kalka River, in which the victory of the Mongols should be considered «Pyrrhic», achieved at the limit of the capabilities of the nomads, in particular due to the losses in the clash with the Halych regiments. Special attention is paid to the place and role of the Halych Prince Mstyslav Mstyslavovych «Udatnyi». The place of the Halych people in the war against hostile expansion is shown.