Our country is not just passed through serious tests: the Pechenegs film, and Cumans – all handled Russia. And we will defeat this infection coronavirus. Together, we shall overcome,” – said today the President of Russia.

Who are the Pechenegs and Cumans? And how they have influenced Russia?

This is the Turkic-speaking peoples of South-Eastern Europe, which was in conflict with Russia in X-XI centuries. The period from 875 1036 for the year went down in history as the Russian-Pecheneg war.

the victory of the Russian knights over the Pecheneg. Radzyvillivskyy record. Photo wikimedia.com

the Main purpose of the raids of the Pechenegs and the Cuman – robbery, hijacking people into slavery, the seizure of cattle. A Horde of nomads massacred a large number of people, caused enormous damage to agriculture. But at the same time Russian princes used the Pechenegs as a mercenary force in the wars against external enemies, and in the strife.

First Holy Russia was martyred, not departing from the moral ideals

for example, to the help of the Pechenegs ran Svyatopolk – one of the sons of Grand Prince Vladimir. With his brothers Boris and Gleb murdered svatoplukova people, and to deal with Jaroslav, who decided to take revenge for the brothers, he attracted nomads. But to defeat Yaroslava they are unable, the beds disappeared, and Boris and Gleb were the first saints of Rus’.

the Main purpose of the raids of the Pechenegs and the Cuman – robbery, hijacking people into slavery, the seizure of cattle. A Horde of nomads massacred a large number of people, caused enormous damage to agriculture. But at the same time Russian princes used the Pechenegs as a mercenary force in the wars against external enemies, and in the strife.

for example, to the help of the Pechenegs ran Svyatopolk – one of the sons of Grand Prince Vladimir. Brothers Boricatfish and Gleb murdered svatoplukova people, and to deal with Jaroslav, who decided to take revenge for the brothers, he attracted nomads. But to defeat Yaroslava they are unable, the beds disappeared, and Boris and Gleb were the first saints of Rus’.

a Reproduction of the icon “Boris and Gleb” (XIV century). Photo: from the collection of the State Russian Museum.

Polovtsy all began peacefully. So, in 1055 the Polovtsian Khan Baluch with the Horde came in Pereyaslavl a princedom, where he was met by the team, and then by the Prince Vsevolod Yaroslavovich. A meeting of leaders was held, as reported on such visits through the centuries, in the “warm and friendly”. The leaders exchanged gifts and parted.

But after that the situation became heated and more peaceful meetings was not. With Polovtsy in 1185 fought the army of Novgorod-Seversky Prince Igor Svyatoslavich. First, the nomads were defeated.

Cumans. Miniature from the Radziwill chronicle. Photo: wikimedia.orgi run, hearing of the RAID, the Cumans of the steppe and through the yaruga, And creak their old wagon, a Voice like a Swan in fear…

This is an excerpt from “the Word about Igor’s regiment”, one of the most important works for the history of our country.

It was written by an unknown author about the beginning of the XII century. In 1795 it was discovered by count Alexei Musin-Pushkin.

Photo: wikimedia.org “Heroes”, “knight”, “Alenka”… What a picture of Vasnetsov’s your favorite?

five years later, “the Word” is printed, and the original disappeared during the Moscow fire of 1812, when during the Patriotic war the city was burned.

was Broken and the army of IgorI. The picture of Victor Vasnetsov “After the battle of Igor Svyatoslavich with Polovtsy” (written in 1880) is known to all.

When a new threat appeared – the Mongol – Cuman offered the Russian princes to unite together to oppose them. In Russia in such a Union is not agreed. Cumans were eventually absorbed by the Golden Horde, to which in a relationship for a long time and got Russia.

And Cumans and Pechenegs were reflected not only in Russian culture but also in geography. For example, in the Smolensk region long-known village of Kuman.

Cumans are still alive in 2007 there were two resident. Now, probably, leaving only the summer residents. But the Pechenegs village in the Kaluga province have been preserved only on old maps…