Slavic swords. Old Russian warriors: clothes, weapons and equipment

Weapons, as a means of attack and defense, appeared in ancient times. First fighting tools were pointed tree branches that helped to somehow resist the fangs of wild animals. With the development of civilization, man began to protect himself not so much from animals as from himself.

The history of human civilization is the history of continuous wars, the history of the struggle for the freedom and independence of man, in which weapons played leading role. The weapons on the side of the defenders made it possible to stop the aggressor, keep the peace and save thousands of human lives.

History teacher Vladimir Gennadievich opens a new column in which he will talk about the development of Russia's weapons from the time of Ancient Russia to the present.

Weapons of Ancient Russia

Sword

Sword in Ancient Russia of the period of X-XII centuries. was the privileged weapon of a free warrior, most valued and dear to them. The sword was a melee weapon and was used to inflict chopping, piercing and cutting damage.

Russian sword.

The sword consisted of a blade, a guard and a hilt. Swords were divided into:

• short- one-handed swords up to 60 cm long, most often used in tandem with a shield;
• long- one-handed swords from 60 to 115 cm, used in tandem with a shield or dagger;
• two-handed- heavy swords, intended for use only with two hands, 152 cm long and weighing from 3.5 to 5 kg. Particularly heavy two-handed sword weighed up to 8 kg and could reach a length of up to 2 m.

At the dawn of the development of blacksmithing, the sword was considered a priceless treasure, so it never occurred to anyone to give it to the earth. This also explains the rarity of archaeological finds of swords.

During the manufacture of the sword, the blacksmith said prayers to give the blade a special power. Words of conspiracies were woven into the blade and hilt. Often the sword took part in ritual initiation, the transformation of a boy into a husband. An unshakable faith in the power of weapons gave strength during a fierce battle.

Saber

Saber? what kind of cutting and stabbing weapon? appeared in the East and became widespread among the nomads of Central Asia in the 7th-8th centuries. On the territory of Ancient Russia, it appears at the end of the 9th-beginning of the 10th centuries and in some places later competes with the sword.

Russian damask sabers with a somewhat curved blade were similar to Turkish ones. The blade had a one-sided sharpening, which made it possible to increase strength due to the thickening of the butt. The saber could be bent at a ninety-degree angle without breaking it. The length of the saber was about 90 cm, weight - 800-1000 g. The saber began to spread as a weapon of an equestrian warrior, because. the sword was inconvenient for the rider because of its weight. Due to the curvature of the blade, the saber allowed strikes from top to bottom, with a pull, which increased the effectiveness of the strike. But in battles with the Scandinavian warriors, this was ineffective, so the saber did not take root in the north.

Early Russian saber

In Russia, there were two types of saber blades: Khazar-Polovtsian And Turkish (scimitar). Presumably, the synthesis of these types was the third - yaloman, which was distributed only in the eastern principalities. Yalomani is characterized by a sharp leaf-shaped expansion of the front combat end.

battle ax

An ax is a melee weapon (with the exception of throwing axes) capable of inflicting slashing or crushing damage. The main task of this weapon is to break through the armor of the enemy. Depending on the size, axes were classified into light, medium and heavy. Axes included axes and throwing axes. Initially, the butt of axes was made of stone. Obtaining bronze made it possible to increase the strength of the ax. But a real revolution in the manufacture of an ax was made by the mastery of iron, which increased the capabilities of this weapon several times.

The axes were effective against the enemy clad in armor, due to their mass they crushed the enemy's armor. FROM reverse side from the blade on the butt, battle axes had a sharp (like a tooth) hook that pierced the armor through and through. Battle axes were used mainly in the north, in the forest zone, where the cavalry could not turn around. Light battle axes were also used by riders.

Variety battle ax were axes. They were a butt impaled on a long ax handle. Gunsmiths call the ax a piercing-chopping version of a sword on a shaft.

Ax X-XII centuries.

Battle axes in the hands of a skilled warrior were a formidable weapon.

A spear

The spear belonged to a stabbing, pole weapon. It was a favorite weapon of Russian warriors and militias. It was impaled on a long, 180-220 cm, shaft made of durable wood, steel (damask) or iron tip. The weight of the tip was 200-400 grams, the length was up to half a meter.

The core of the Russian army were spearmen - warriors? armed with spears. The combat capability of an army was measured by the number of spears. Spearmen are a force created specifically for attacking and starting a decisive battle. The allocation of spearmen was due to the exceptional effectiveness of their weapons. The ram action of a spear strike often predetermined the outcome of a battle. In the ranks of the spearmen were professionally trained warriors who owned the entire complex of military equipment.

Old Russian spear

Spears were used not only by mounted warriors to fight foot warriors, but to varying degrees were also used by infantry to fight horsemen. They carried spears behind their backs or simply in their hands, often they were tied in a bundle and carried behind the army.

So, we examined the most common types of weapons of Ancient Russia. We will continue the theme in the next editions. Stay tuned for TutorOnline blog updates.

Sources used in the preparation of the material: B. N. Zayakin, Old Russian military art

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Friend, health to you and your families!

All of you have heard more than once or twice about what is written below!

Every day the ranks of the Warriors of Light are replenished. That is why I thought that a small and not complicated publication on a given topic would not harm us, not our young Russian brothers, whose already strengthened hands squeeze the hilt of the sword, feeling the excitement of the energy of the Power of our Great Ancestors running through the body! Thank the Gods!

A little about the Russian combat sword

The sword is a chopping and slashing-piercing double-edged melee weapon. Until about the 13th century, the point was not sharpened. This was due to the fact that the sword was applied, mainly, chopping blows. The first stabbing blow is mentioned in the annals under 1255

In the burials of the ancient Slavs, swords begin to appear from the end of the 9th century, but this does not mean that it was during this period that our ancestors first became acquainted with these weapons. Probably, during this period, the final identification of the sword with the owner takes place, and the weapon is sent for him to another world in order to continue to protect the owner even after death. At the dawn of the development of blacksmithing, when the cold forging method, which was ineffective compared to the usual one, was widely used, the sword was simply a treasure, truly priceless, it never occurred to anyone to betray it to the ground, this also explains the rarity of archaeological finds of swords.

Slavic swords of the 9th-11th centuries are divided by modern scientists into two dozen types, which, however, differ mainly in the shape of the cross and handle. The blades of these swords are almost the same type - 90-100 cm long, 5-7 cm wide at the handle, and the blade narrowed towards the end. There was a fuller in the middle of the blade, sometimes incorrectly called a "bleed". At first, the valley was quite wide, but over time it narrowed, and then completely disappeared. The true purpose of the valley is to reduce the weight of the blade, and not at all to drain blood, because, as already mentioned, stabbing with a sword was extremely rare until the 13th century.

The thickness of the blade in the valley was about 2.5 millimeters, and on the sides - 6 mm. However, due to the special dressing of the metal, such a difference in thickness did not affect the strength of the blade in any way. The weight of such a sword averaged one and a half kilograms.

Not every warrior possessed a sword. Firstly, they were very expensive due to the fact that the process of producing a good sword was long and complicated. Secondly, the sword is a weapon of a professional, requiring remarkable physical strength and dexterity in the possession of this noble weapon.

How did our ancestors make Russian swords, which enjoyed well-deserved respect in those countries where they were exported?

When it comes to high-quality melee weapons, the famous damask steel immediately comes to mind. Bulat is a special type of steel with a carbon content of more than 1 percent and with its uneven distribution in the metal. A sword made of such steel had truly mutually exclusive properties - for example, a damask blade was able to cut iron and even steel, while at the same time it did not break when bent into a ring. He was good for everyone, but ... he could not withstand the severe northern frosts, therefore he was practically unsuitable for the Russian climate. How did the Slavs get out of the situation?

To obtain metal with an uneven carbon content, Slavic blacksmiths took rods or strips of iron and steel, folded or twisted them together through one and then forged many times, folded again several times, twisted, assembled with an “accordion”, cut along, forged again etc. Strips of beautiful and very strong patterned steel were obtained, which were etched to reveal the characteristic herringbone pattern. It was this steel that made it possible to make swords thin enough without losing strength, it was thanks to it that the blades straightened out, being doubled.

Often, strips of welding damask steel (“Damascus”) formed the basis of the blade, while high-carbon steel blades were welded along the edge: it was previously subjected to so-called cementation - heating in the presence of carbon, which impregnated the metal, giving it a special hardness. Such a sword was quite capable of cutting through the armor and chain mail of the enemy, because they were usually made of steel or iron of lower grades. They also cut the blades of swords made less carefully.

Experts emphasize that the welding of iron and steel - alloys that differ markedly in melting point - is a process that requires the highest skill from a blacksmith. And archaeological data confirm that in the 9th-11th centuries our ancestors fully mastered this skill, and not only “knew how to make simple iron objects”!

In this regard, it is useful to tell the story of the sword found in the town of Foshchevataya, in the Poltava region in Ukraine. It has long been considered "undeniably Scandinavian", as the hilt shows patterns of intertwining monsters, very similar to the commemorative stones of Scandinavia of the 11th century. True, Scandinavian scientists paid attention to some features of the style and suggested looking for the birthplace of the sword in the South-Eastern Baltic. But when, in the end, the blade was treated with a special chemical composition, clear Cyrillic letters suddenly appeared on it: "LUDOTA KOVAL". A sensation broke out in science: the “undoubtedly Scandinavian” sword turned out to be made here, in Russia!

In order not to be deceived, the buyer first checked the sword by ringing: good sword from a slight click on the blade, it made a clear and long sound. The higher and cleaner it is, the better the damask steel. They also tested for elasticity: will it not remain twisted after they put it on their head and bent (to the ears) at both ends. Finally, the sword had to easily (without dulling) cut through a thick nail and cut through the thinnest fabric thrown onto the blade.

How were the Russian battle swords of the ancient Slavs decorated?

Good swords, as a rule, were richly decorated. Some warriors inserted precious stones into the hilt of the sword, as if in gratitude for the fact that the sword did not let its owner down in battle. Such swords were truly worth their weight in gold.

In the future, swords, like other weapons, change significantly. Preserving the continuity of development, at the end of the 11th - beginning of the 12th centuries, swords become shorter (up to 86 cm), lighter (up to 1 kg) and thinner, their length, which occupied half the width of the blade in the 9th-10th centuries, in the 11th-12th centuries occupies only a third, in order to completely turn into a narrow groove in the XIII century. In the XII-XIII centuries, as military armor became stronger, the blade again stretched in length (up to 120 cm) and became heavier (up to 2 kg). The hilt also becomes longer: this is how two-handed swords. Swords of the 12th-13th centuries were still mostly cut, but they could also be used to stab.

Approximately in the XII - XIII centuries, another type of swords stands out: the so-called. two-handed. Its weight is approximately 2 kg, the length increases to 120 cm. The dol disappears completely, since the emphasis is again placed on the mass, the technique of working with a sword undergoes significant changes; at the same time, the tip acquires its original piercing properties, which is associated with the appearance of composite armor.

They carried a sword in a scabbard, usually wooden, covered with leather, either on the belt or behind the back. (Riders practically did not use swords due to the fact that the center of gravity was shifted to the handle, and this made it difficult to strike from top to bottom, from the saddle). The scabbard had two sides - the mouth and the tip. Near the mouth of the scabbard there was a ring for attaching the sling. However, it also happened that swords were worn simply by passing through two rings, partly out of a desire to demonstrate the blade, partly ... simply due to lack of funds. The sheath was finished no less richly than the sword. Sometimes the value of the weapon far exceeded the value of the other property of the owner. As a rule, a princely combatant could afford to buy a sword, less often a wealthy militia.

The sword was used in infantry and cavalry until the 16th century. True, in the cavalry, he was significantly “pressed” by the saber, which was more convenient in the cavalry. However, the sword forever remained, unlike the saber, a native Russian weapon.

Respectfully,

Gunsmith Dmitry (Kitovras)

Materials used in the article:

1. M. Semenova "We are Slavs!"
2. M. Gorelik "Warriors of Kievan Rus IX-XI centuries"

I continue the section "Swords - symbols of the era" about blades recognizable at first sight

There are countless idle fabrications and home-grown "discoveries" on "Russian" or "Slavic" swords, which are carried by a wolf dog from the extreme "the Slavs did not have swords at all until the 9th century" to the extreme "the swords of the Slavs are the ancestors of any sword on planet Earth." Of course, the truth is in the middle, by no means so bright, since it is revealed to us through the hellish feat of heroic archaeologists, the painstaking work of restorers and the truly titanic efforts of professional historians. They are helped in some way by reenactors and collectors, who immediately carefully reproduce interesting samples, many with amazing detail and allow the public to be presented not with rusty remains, but with a solid, colorful and shiny product, easily beating the most ardent reality deniers on the sore head.

Before proceeding directly to swords, you need to understand a little the life and way of Slavic society and, in general, any inhabitant of Europe at that time, since the Slavs were firmly, as they are now, integrated into the world economy, religion and military affairs. It makes no sense to approach those events, actions and actions from modern positions and concepts, especially with modern value judgments, because if you are captured and you are not ransomed, you go to the service of the enemy. Further, tomorrow you are taken prisoner by your own former colleagues and, being not redeemed by the previous owner, you again enter the service. At the same time, this is not a betrayal, normal practice, and the warrior will not even think of blaming himself for something, this is in the order of things, especially since the enemies are not fascists, but the same prince from a neighboring town, he has half of your relatives in his squad and acquaintances. No one will kill either - a professional Kmet (the one who is often called a combatant), a valuable labor reserve, will come in handy.

The combat losses of the troops of that time were minimal, it was more like a show of force and extremely rare skirmishes, a battle of a grandiose scale - the Battle of Kulikovo, where a couple of tens of thousands of people from both sides participated. Moreover, these are battles of a much later period, the Battle of the Ice is a skirmish of barely a few thousand horsemen, the grand battle of Hastings, which decided the fate of England in 1066, barely numbered tens of thousands from all sides. There were irretrievable combat losses of thousands of people, which is why they entered the annals, and a characteristic war, mentioned in passing, as a rule had losses of tens of people. Basically, the losses were from diseases, such as dysentery or banal blood poisoning, which, you see, no one will write about in the annals. The whole of Kyiv, Suzdal or Novgorod could rarely put up more than 1000 people, given that in the times described, only professional soldiers who had never been engaged in agriculture, only horsemen and no militia, were nominated for war. For that time, the army exhibited by Russia in 3000-4000 people. for any European country, of course, a grandiose army, since they settled in 2-3 yards in far-scattered farms of 10-15 people. and for the farmers, such an army was generally beyond comprehension, since any number of more than three was "a lot", not everyone knew how to count up to a dozen, and back in the 19th century. About 30,000 people lived in Novgorod, 40-50,000 people lived in Kyiv, they were giant megacities

Peasant and military economy differs fundamentally during excavations: the military economy does not have agricultural equipment, the peasant economy is not that of a sword, even a sulitz (dart) or a bow. Therefore, the Slavic sword is a professional weapon, extremely rich and expensive, like armor, for example, Slavic helmets - a work jewelry art and therefore rare. If at the same time in all the principalities of Russia there were 10,000 swords in the arsenals, this is simply an incredible amount for Europe at that time, approximately like 10,000 of the most modern tanks are now. Slavic swords are inscribed in common European weapons, just like our weapons are now, somewhat similar, somewhat different. I wanted to give the swords of the Vikings and the Slavs together, but there is a lot of material and a burning topic, in addition, in general, they differ significantly in a number of ways and it is better to separate them. I continue permitted speeches, in the name of Kirpichnikov and Peter Lyon and Oakeshott, akinak.

The sword - in Russia since ancient times was a privileged weapon and who wore it, as a rule, had a high social status.

The sword consisted of a wide strip, sharp on both sides, that is, a blade, and a hilt, parts of which were called: apple (some insist on a pommel), black and flint. Each flat side of the blade was called "golomen", or "golomya", and the points - "blades". One wide or several narrow notches, called dol, were made on the golomens. The blades were made of steel or iron, the sword was sheathed, upholstered in leather or, later, velvet. Scabbards were made of iron, wood, leather, and sometimes decorated with gold or silver notches. The sword was hung from the belt with two rings located at the mouth of the scabbard.

By typology, Slavic swords are pan-European, characteristic of the Carolingian Empire or, as they called themselves, the Western Empire, which consisted of Germany, France and Italy, that is, the European Union 2.0, they are also Franks. It is logical that the formation, the ruler of which called himself the Emperor of the Romans, adopted the spatha, popular for Rome, as well as its prototypes from the Iberian Peninsula, popular in continental Europe, and improved it in every possible way in accordance with the current tactical methods of battle. The term Karoly? Ngsky sword, or sword of the Karoly? Ng type (also often referred to as the "sword of the Vikings") was introduced by weapons experts and weapon collectors of the 19th-20th centuries.

Spatha Roman, Merovingian and Spatha Germanic



The Carolingian type of sword was developed around the 8th century, at the end of the era of the Great Migration and at the beginning of the unification of the states of Western Europe under the auspices of Charlemagne and his descendants, which explains the name of the type of sword (“refers to the Carolingian era”). The sword of the Carolingian type is a development of the ancient spatha through an intermediate link - the sword of the Vendel type, also known as the "Merovingian" sword or the sword of the period of the Great Migration. "Carolingians" had a double-edged blade about 90 cm long with a deep fuller, a short handle with a small guard, a total weight of about 1 kg.

By the 10th century, the Carolingian-type sword had become widespread in the countries of Northern and Western Europe, especially in the Franco-Celtic, Scandinavian and Slavic regions. This is due to the fact that the huge arms corporation Ulfberht worked in Germany, whose swords are simply dotted with Scandinavian countries and Slavic lands, there were other massive signature swords, that is, other corporations also worked.

In particular, there is a find that was considered Scandinavian, however, when clearing the blade from Foshchevata, the inscription LUDOTA or LYUDOSHA KOVAL was revealed, which, despite the Scandinavian ornamental decoration, unequivocally says that in Russia there were at least two large arms corporations that had the ability to forge Carolingian blades and apply it has rather intricate and complex inscriptions on a difficult technology. The second sword has the inscription SLAV, its safety is much worse. By the abundance of unidentified production of swords, we can say that at least large-scale production was in Ladoga, Novgorod, Suzdal, Pskov, Smolensk and Kyiv. The fact that such inscriptions are a trademark, and not a brand of a master, is evidenced by Frankish finds from different centuries, the inscriptions change due to rebranding, the handwriting is different. Yes, most of the finds of swords in Russia are clearly German-made, however, the Scandinavians themselves actively purchased Frankish swords in large quantities, re-exporting them to Russia. The fact that the Scandinavians resold the swords is evidenced by the fact that only one single-edged Saxon was found in Russia, Scandinavian blade forging is known for certain. Some of the unsigned blades have simple hallmarks of masters, also of Frankish origin, about a tenth of them have no markings at all.


Also, the export of Slavic swords should not be ruled out, at least this is clearly indicated by the complete similarity of signature swords of Frankish production and Slavic alloy composition, as well as the finds of such type A swords in Sweden and Lithuania. There is also evidence of al-Kindi in the treatise “On the different types of swords and the iron of good blades and on the areas by which they are called” and ibn Rust on the “Suliman”, that is, the swords of the Rus. They indicate the richness of the decoration of the Rus swords, the general similarity to the Frankish swords, the absence of hallmarks (which, by the way, is typical for later Russian swords). Ibn Fadlan also constantly mentions the magnificent Russian swords they sent to the eastern markets, where there were blades of poor quality. Ibn Miskawayh commemorates Russian swords mainly in reports of how Muslims robbed Russian graves and fallen soldiers, noting the excellent quality of swords "like the Franks", as well as the Byzantines and Armenians.

The ancient Russian sword is a chopping weapon: “let not shields with their shields and let their swords cut” or “cutting with a sword mercilessly.” But some expressions of the chronicle, however, later, suggest that the sword was sometimes used to stab the enemy: "he who called to the window will be pierced with a sword." The usual length of the sword of the 10th century was about 80 - 90 cm, but just a giant sword 1.2 m long was found, of monstrous weight, it is not even clear which hero it could belong to (even the sword of Peter 1, which had a height of 2.03 cm, had a noticeably smaller sword). The width of the blade was 5 - 6 cm, thickness 4 mm. Along the canvas on both sides of the blade of all ancient Russian swords there are valleys that served to lighten the weight of the blade. The end of the sword, not designed for stabbing, had a rather blunt point, and sometimes even simply rounded. The pommel, hilt and crosshair of the sword were almost always decorated with bronze, silver and even gold, blades, such as those from the Gnezdovsky barrow, are simply incredibly richly decorated. In general, a distinctive feature of Slavic swords, in addition to the shape of the pommel and ornaments, can be considered a luxury finish.

We are interested in clearly different type A (below). The types of swords were conditionally divided according to the pommel and the type of decorations, but there are hybrids, in particular, many Scandinavian animal ornaments turned into vegetable Slavic ones, for example, on the scabbard binding, so there was clearly a reverse effect, not only were export swords brought to Russia in commercial quantities. There is a lot of talk about the very possibility of making not “simple metal products”, but swords, but the question is inconveniently closed by Slavic signature swords, even with a Scandinavian pommel, which is generally removable and the owner may have liked foreign, so not like here. Type A is clearly different from all common European swords and is found only here, which allows us to speak of local production.


Sword blades were made complex due to the low quality of steel and the high cost of iron. The central (base) part of the blade was made of soft iron, the blades were made of hardened steel, they were then welded to the base, which, despite the laboriousness of the process, made it possible to make the blade flexible and strong at the same time. This is due to the properties of steel, there is cementite steel, there is pearlitic, the first is hard and brittle like glass, the second is ductile and soft. The so-called Damascus (damsas famous beautiful sabers) could not be used in Russia due to the fact that the steel there is cementite, which means it is afraid of frost and shatters into fragments upon impact. They avoid this by creating pearlite-cementite steel, where cementite grains are enveloped in perlite and a blade is obtained that can be used instead of a sash in the cold, but these are modern technologies, when everyone is crying over the lost secret of "Damascus", and simply no one needs it because of higher quality steel. Now, by the way, if you make a sword, then you can make such a blade that no glorified blade of antiquity can even be compared with it. There were cemented blades in Russia, but it was a little and generally difficult to withstand the temperature without a thermometer according to the color of the metal, back and forth 10K and the sword disappeared.



The technique of damascus is complicated, they take plates of iron, steel, twist them, repeatedly forge, cut, reforge (there are a lot of options), and then the beloved “Damascus” pattern is obtained with subsequent acid etching. In fact, this does not say anything about the quality of the sword, but the consumer rejoices, not realizing that this is a necessary measure, and not aerobatics. Next, steel blades were welded to the base, then they learned to leave a little iron in the base, covering it with steel, and then they reached the solid blade. And then fakes began - thin "Damascus" steel was simply stuffed on top of an iron core, so false Damascus appeared, it did not reach China well.

Gnezdovsky sword, replica


There are ordinary legends about testing swords that when you put it on your head, you need to bend it to your shoulders and it will straighten up without consequences, but apparently they are invented by people who have never done this, it hurts the head, it’s better to eat in it. The blade is quite freely bent by a strong man into a ring with his hands, for example, when they show the remains of Ilya Muromets in Kyiv - well, the man was extremely average in height, but he probably could gird himself with his sword, as they did in the East. Cutting nails and a gas scarf is also in doubt, since the nails were expensive, no one wanted to spoil the sword, and the sharpening was clearly not razor sharp and the scarf would simply hang on the blade like on a stick. Perhaps some fantastic Damascus sabers could produce such a trick, but since then no one has shown it, apparently either a fairy tale or a single copy, coupled with a clever trick. The same applies to delusional stories about hardening a blade in blood, piercing an enemy’s heart with a red-hot workpiece and testing a sword, how many heads it will take down at a time, since all these procedures are harmful during hardening and tempering, oil or, at worst, water is required here. As a rule, I don’t write about sabers and long knives of the Saxons, including Slavic ones, but they had circulation on a par with swords.

Swords are found mainly in mounds, less often in graves, the closer to the ancient cities, the more likely you can find a sword in fifty graves, while in the countryside of that time there is hardly a sword for a quarter of a thousand graves. Not every ten mounds that have not been plundered contain swords; rare horse burials should not suggest that the richest people, in luxurious clothes, with a kilogram of gold jewelry, with a sword-spear-axe stacked in order of seniority, they were foot soldiers. The sword, like the horse, were signs of status, so it would be strange to see a noble boyar, but without a good gelding. Earlier finds of Slavic swords than the 9th century. they don’t talk about their absence, it’s just that earlier the sword was not personified with a person and was inherited, being an incredibly valuable weapon, in addition to the 9th century. the scale of production became such that part of the weapons for honored warriors could be donated so that swords would not be stolen, they were deliberately bent.


Swords were carried in scabbards, they could be covered with leather or velvet, Russian craftsmen even used fish skin on expensive items. They wore it on a belt or a sling, there are no references or authentic information about wearing it behind the back, and it is not clear from ergonomics how to get it from behind the back. The sheaths were richly decorated, which is clear from the surviving tips, often made of precious metals, the sheaths themselves naturally did not reach us.


Further, the Carolingian swords coexist with the Slavic swords of the Romanesque type right up to the 13th century, gradually disappearing from circulation. They are being replaced by Romanesque swords, which, in my personal opinion, are much more convenient, especially for equestrian combat (it’s easier, it sits in the hand and the pommel does not interfere, hand finishing is possible) and are not without any advantages of the Carolingian sword, but that’s a completely different story.

Have weapons been preserved in the swamps of the Neva? The answers to these questions are saturated with mysticism and supported by chronicles of that time.

Alexander Nevsky is one of the most majestic figures in Ancient Russia, a talented commander, a strict ruler and a brave warrior who received his nickname in the legendary battle with Sweden in 1240 on the Neva River.

The weapons and protective ammunition of the Grand Duke became Slavic relics, almost deified in chronicles and lives.

How much did the sword of Alexander Nevsky weigh? There is an opinion that five pounds

The sword is the main weapon of the 13th century warrior. And to wield an 82-kilogram (1 pood - a little more than 16 kg) melee weapons, to put it mildly, is problematic.

It is believed that the sword of Goliath (the king of Judea, a warrior of enormous stature) was the heaviest in the history of the world - its mass was 7.2 kg. In the engraving below, the legendary weapon is in the hand of David (this is the enemy of Goliath).

History reference: an ordinary sword weighed about one and a half kilograms. Swords for tournaments and other competitions - up to 3 kg. Ceremonial weapons, made of pure gold or silver and decorated with gems, could reach a mass of 5 kg, however, it was not used on the battlefield due to inconvenience and heavy weight.

Take a look at the picture below. She portrays the Grand Duke in dress uniform, respectively, and a sword of a larger volume - for the parade, to give greatness!

Where did 5 pounds come from? Apparently, historians of past centuries (and especially the Middle Ages) tended to embellish real events, exposing mediocre victories as great, ordinary rulers as wise, ugly princes as beautiful.

This is dictated by necessity: the enemies, having learned about the valor, courage and mighty strength of the prince, had to retreat under the onslaught of fear and such power. That is why there is an opinion that the sword of Alexander Nevsky "weighed" not 1.5 kg, and as much as 5 pounds.

The sword of Alexander Nevsky is kept in Russia and protects its lands from the invasion of enemies, is this true?

Historians and archaeologists do not give an unambiguous answer about the possible location of the sword of Alexander Nevsky. The only thing that is known for sure is that the weapon was not found in any of the many expeditions.

It is also likely that Alexander Nevsky did not use the only sword, but changed them from battle to battle, since edged weapons become serrated and become unusable ...

Tools of the 13th century are rare relics. Almost all of them are lost. The most famous sword, which belonged to Prince Dovmont (ruled in Pskov from 1266 to 1299) is kept in the Pskov Museum:

Did the sword of Alexander Nevsky have magical properties?

In the Battle of the Neva, the Slavic troops were outnumbered, but many Swedes fled the battlefield before the battle began. Whether it was a tactical move or a fatal accident is not clear.

Russian soldiers stood facing the rising sun. Alexander Nevsky was on a dais and raised his sword up, calling the soldiers to battle - at that moment the rays of the sun fell on the blade, making the steel glow and frightening the enemy.

According to the annals, after the Battle of Nevsky, the sword was taken to the house of the elder Pelgusy, where other precious things were also kept. Soon the house burned down, and the cellar was covered with earth and debris.

From this moment we begin a journey through the shaky world of speculation and conjecture:

1. In the 18th century, monks built a church near the Neva. During construction, they found the sword of Alexander Nevsky broken in two.
2. The monks rightly decided that the fragments of the blade should protect the temple from adversity, and therefore put them in the foundation of the building.
3. During the revolution of the 20th century, the church and its accompanying documents were destroyed.
4. At the end of the 20th century, scientists discovered the diary of Andrei Ratnikov (this is a white officer), several pages of which were devoted to the legendary blade.

How much did the sword of Alexander Nevsky weigh? One thing we can say for sure: not 5 pounds, most likely like a regular blade 1.5 kg. It was a wonderful blade that brought the warriors of Ancient Russia a victory that turned the course of history!

Still, I would like to know if there was powerful magic in it ...

Slavic warrior 6th-7th centuries

Information about the earliest types of weapons of the ancient Slavs comes from two groups of sources. The first is the written evidence, mainly of late Roman and Byzantine authors, who knew these barbarians, who often attacked the Eastern Roman Empire, well. The second is the materials of archaeological excavations, which generally confirm the data of Menander, John of Ephesus and others. Later sources covering the state of military affairs, including the armament of the era of Kievan Rus, and then the Russian principalities of the pre-Mongolian period, in addition to archaeological ones, include reports by Arab authors, and then the actual Russian chronicles and historical chronicles our neighbours. Visual materials are also valuable sources for this period: miniatures, frescoes, icons, small plastics, etc.

Byzantine authors repeatedly testified, that the Slavs of the 5th - 7th centuries. they did not have protective weapons except for shields (the presence of which among the Slavs was noted by Tacitus in the 2nd century AD) (1). Their offensive weaponry was extremely simple: a pair of javelins (2). It can also be assumed that many, if not everyone, had bows, which are much less frequently mentioned. There is no doubt that the Slavs also had axes, but they are not mentioned as weapons.

This is fully confirmed by the results of archaeological research on the territory of the settlement of the Eastern Slavs at the time of the formation of Kievan Rus. In addition to the ubiquitous arrowheads and throwing sulits, less often spears, only two cases are known when in the layers of the 7th - 8th centuries. more advanced weapons were found: shell plates from the excavations of the military settlement of Khotomel in Belarusian Polissya and fragments of a broadsword from the Martynovsky treasure in Porosye. In both cases, these are elements of the Avar weapons complex, which is natural, because in the previous period it was the Avars who had the greatest influence on the Eastern Slavs.

In the second half of the ninth century., the activation of the path "from the Varangians to the Greeks", led to the strengthening of the Scandinavian influence on the Slavs, including in the field of military affairs. As a result of its merging with the steppe influence, on the local Slavic soil in the middle Dnieper region, its own original Old Russian weapons complex began to take shape, rich and versatile, more diverse than in the West or in the East. Absorbing Byzantine elements, it was mainly formed by the beginning of the 11th century. (3)

Viking swords

The defensive weapons of the noble combatant of the times of the first Rurikovich included P a tall shield (of the Norman type), a helmet (usually of an Asian, pointed shape), a lamellar or ringed shell. The main weapons were a sword (much less often - a saber), a spear, a battle ax, a bow and arrows. How secondary weapon flails and darts were used - sulits.

The body of a warrior protected chain mail, which had the form of a shirt up to the middle of the thighs, made of metal rings, or armor from horizontal rows of metal plates tightened with straps. It took a lot of time and physical effort to make chain mail.. At first, a wire was made by hand drawing, which was wrapped around a metal rod and cut. About 600 m of wire went to one chain mail. Half of the rings were welded, while the rest were flattened at the ends. Holes less than a millimeter in diameter were punched at the flattened ends and riveted, having previously connected this ring with four other, already woven rings. The weight of one chain mail was approximately 6.5 kg.

Until relatively recently, it was believed that it took several months to make ordinary chain mail, but recent studies have refuted these speculative constructions. Making a typical small chain mail of 20 thousand rings in the X century. took “only” 200 man-hours, i.e. one workshop could “deliver” up to 15 or more armor in a month. (4) After assembly, the chain mail was cleaned and polished with sand to a shine.

IN Western Europe canvas cloaks were worn over armor short sleeves protected from dust and overheating in the sun. This rule was often followed in Russia (as evidenced by the miniatures of the Radziwill Chronicle of the 15th century). However, the Russians sometimes liked to appear on the battlefield in open armor, “as if in ice,” to heighten the effect. Such cases are specifically stipulated by the chroniclers: “And it’s scary to see in naked armor, like water to the sun shining brightly.” A particularly striking example is provided by the Swedish “Chronicle of Eric”, although it goes (XIV century) beyond the scope of our study): “When the Russians came there, they could see a lot of light armor, their helmets and swords shone; I believe that they went on a campaign in the Russian way. And further: "... they shone like the sun, their weapons are so beautiful in appearance ..." (5).

It has long been believed that chain mail in Russia appeared from Asia, as if even two centuries earlier than in Western Europe (6), but now it is believed that this type of protective weapon is an invention of the Celts, known here from the 4th century BC. BC, which was used by the Romans and by the middle of the first millennium AD. which came down to Western Asia (7). Actually, the production of chain mail arose in Russia no later than the 10th century (8)

From the end of the XII century. the type of chain mail has changed. Armor appeared with long sleeves, hem to the knees, mail stockings, mittens and hoods. They were no longer made from round in section, but from flat rings. The gate was made square, split, with a shallow cut. In total, one chain mail now took up to 25 thousand rings, and by the end of the 13th century - up to 30 of different diameters (9).

Unlike Western Europe in Russia, where the influence of the East was felt, at that time there was a different system of protective weapons - lamellar or "plank armor", called lamellar shell by specialists . Such armor consisted of metal plates connected to each other and pulled over each other. The oldest "armor" was made of rectangular convex metal plates with holes along the edges, into which straps were threaded to tighten the plates together. Later plates were made various shapes: square, semicircular, etc., up to 2 mm thick. Early belt-mounted armor was worn over a thick leather or quilted jacket or, according to the Khazar-Magyar custom, over chain mail. In the XIV century. the archaic term "armor" was replaced by the word "armor", and in the 15th century a new term appeared, borrowed from the Greek language - "shell".

The lamellar shell weighed slightly more than ordinary chain mail - up to 10 kg. According to some researchers, the cut of Russian armor of the times of Kievan Rus differed from the steppe prototypes, which consisted of two cuirasses - chest and dorsal, and was similar to the Byzantine one (cut on the right shoulder and side) (10). According to the tradition going through Byzantium from ancient Rome, the shoulders and hem of such armor were decorated with leather strips covered with typesetting plaques, which is confirmed by works of art (icons, frescoes, miniatures, stone products).

Byzantine influence e manifested itself in the borrowing of scaly armor. The plates of such armor were attached to a fabric or leather base with their upper part and overlapped the underlying row like tiles or scales. On the side, the plates of each row overlapped one another, and in the middle they were still riveted to the base. Most of these shells found by archaeologists date back to the 13th-14th centuries, but they have been known since the 11th century. They were up to the hips; the hem and sleeves were made from longer plates. Compared to the lamellar lamellar shell, the scaly shell was more elastic and flexible. Convex scales fixed on one side only. They gave the warrior greater mobility.

Chain mail prevailed in quantitative terms throughout the early Middle Ages, but in the 13th century it began to be replaced by plate and scaly armor. In the same period, combined armor appeared, combining both of these types.

Characteristic sphero-conical pointed helmets did not immediately prevail in Russia. Early protective headgear differed significantly from each other, which was a consequence of the penetration of various influences into the East Slavic lands. So, in the Gnezdovsky mounds in the Smolensk region, from two found helmets of the 9th century. one turned out to be hemispherical, consisting of two halves, pulled together by stripes along the lower edge and along the ridge from the forehead to the back of the head, the second was typically Asian, consisting of four triangular parts with a pommel, a lower rim and four vertical stripes covering the connecting seams. The second had brow cuts and a nosepiece, it was decorated with gilding and a pattern of teeth and notches along the rim and stripes. Both helmets had chain mail aventails - nets that covered the lower part of the face and neck. Two helmets from Chernigov, dating back to the 10th century, are close to the second Gnezdov helmet in terms of manufacturing method and decor. They are also Asian, pointed type and crowned with finials with bushings for plumes. In the middle part of these helmets, rhombic pads with protruding spikes are reinforced. It is believed that these helmets are of Magyar origin (11).

Northern, Varangian influence was manifested in the Kiev find of a fragment of a half-mask-mask - a typical Scandinavian detail of a helmet.

Since the 11th century in Russia, a peculiar type of a spheroconic helmet smoothly curved upwards, ending in a rod, has developed and gained a foothold. Its indispensable element was a fixed "nose". And often a half mask combined with it with decorative elements. From the 12th century helmets were usually forged from a single sheet of iron. Then a separately made half-mask was riveted to it, and later - a mask - a mask that completely covers the face, which, as is commonly believed, is of Asian origin. Such masks have become especially widespread since the beginning of the 13th century, in connection with the pan-European trend towards heavier protective weapons. A mask-mask with slits for the eyes and holes for breathing was able to protect against both chopping and stabbing blows. Since it was fixed motionless, the soldiers had to take off their helmets in order to be recognized. From the 13th century helmets with hinged masks are known, leaning upwards, like a visor.

Somewhat later than the high sphero-conical helmet, a domed helmet appeared. There were also helmets of a unique shape - with fields and a cylindrical-conical top (known from miniatures). Under all types of helmets, a balaclava was always worn - “prilbitsa”. These round and, apparently, low hats were often made with fur trim.

As mentioned above, shields have been an integral part of Slavic weapons since ancient times. Initially, they were woven from wicker rods and covered with leather, like all the barbarians of Europe. Later, during the time of Kievan Rus, they began to be made from boards. The height of the shields approached the height of a person, and the Greeks considered them "hard to bear." There were also round shields of the Scandinavian type in Russia during this period, up to 90 cm in diameter. In the center of both of them, a round cut was made with a handle, covered from the outside with a convex umbon. Along the edge, the shield was bound with metal. Often the outer side of it was covered with skin. 11th century drop-shaped (otherwise - “almond-shaped”) of the pan-European type, widely known from various images, spread. At the same time, round funnel-shaped shields also appeared, but flat round shields continued to be found as before. By the 13th century, when protective properties helmet, the upper edge of the kite shield straightened out, as there was no need to protect his face with it. The shield becomes triangular, with a deflection in the middle, which made it possible to press it tightly against the body. Trapezoidal, quadrangular shields also existed at the same time. At that time, there were also round ones, of the Asian type, with a lining on the back side, fastened on the arm with two belt "columns". This type, most likely, existed among the service nomads of the southern Kiev region and along the entire steppe border.

It is known that shields of different shapes existed for a long time and were used simultaneously ( The best illustration of this situation is the famous icon "Church militant"). The shape of the shield mainly depended on the tastes and habits of the wearer.

The main part of the outer surface of the shield, between the umbon and the bound edge, the so-called "crown", was called the border and was painted to the taste of the owner, but throughout the use of shields in the Russian army, preference was given to various shades of red. In addition to the monochromatic coloring, one can also assume the placement of images of a heraldic nature on the shields. So on the wall of St. George's Cathedral in Yuryev-Polsky, on the shield of St. George, a predator of the cat family is depicted - a maneless lion, or rather a tiger - the “fierce beast” of Monomakh's “Instructions”, apparently, which became the state emblem of the Vladimir-Suzdal Principality.

Swords of the IX-XII centuries from Ust - Rybezhka and Ruchi.

“The sword is the main weapon of a professional warrior throughout the entire pre-Mongolian period of Russian history,” wrote the outstanding domestic archaeologist A.V. Artsikhovsky. – In the era of the early Middle Ages, the shape of swords in Russia and in Western Europe was approximately the same” (12).

After clearing hundreds of blades dating back to the period of the formation of Kievan Rus, stored in museums in various European countries, including the former USSR, it turned out that the vast majority of them were produced in several centers located on the Upper Rhine, within the Frankish state. This explains their uniformity.

Swords forged in the 9th - 11th centuries, originating from the ancient Roman long cavalry sword - spatha, had a wide and heavy blade, although not too long - about 90 cm, with parallel blades and a wide fuller (groove). Sometimes there are swords with a rounded end, indicating that this weapon was originally used exclusively as a chopping one, although examples of stabbing are known from the chronicles as early as the end of the 10th century, when two Varangians, with the knowledge of Vladimir Svyatoslavich, met his brother at the door - the deposed Yaropolk, they pierced him "under the bosoms" (13).

With an abundance of Latin hallmarks (as a rule, these are abbreviations, for example, INND - In Nomine Domini, In Nomine Dei - In the Name of the Lord, In the Name of God), a considerable percentage of the blades do not have hallmarks or cannot be identified. At the same time, only one Russian brand was found: "Ludosha (Ludota?) Koval." One Slavic brand is also known, made with Latin letters, - "Zvenislav", probably of Polish origin. There is no doubt that the local production of swords already existed in Kievan Rus in the 10th century, but perhaps local blacksmiths branded their products less often?

Sheaths and hilts for imported blades were made locally. Just as massive as the blade of the Frankish sword was its short, thick guard. The hilt of these swords has a flattened mushroom shape. The hilt of the sword itself was made of wood, horn, bone or leather, often wrapped with twisted bronze or silver wire on the outside. It seems that the differences in the styles of decorative details of hilts and scabbards are actually much less important than some researchers think, and there is no reason to deduce from this the percentage of one or another nationality in the composition of the squad. One and the same master could own both different techniques, and in different styles and decorated weapons in accordance with the desire of the customer, and it could simply depend on fashion. The scabbard was made of wood and covered with expensive leather or velvet, decorated with gold, silver or bronze lining. The tip of the scabbard was often decorated with some intricate symbolic figure.

Swords of the 9th-11th centuries, as in ancient times, continued to be worn on the shoulder harness, raised quite high, so that the hilt was above the waist. From the 12th century, the sword, as elsewhere in Europe, began to be worn on a knight's belt, on the hips, suspended by two rings at the mouth of the scabbard.

During the XI - XII centuries. the sword gradually changed its shape. His blade lengthened, sharpened, thinned, the cross-guard was extended, the hilt first acquired the shape of a ball, then, in the 13th century, a flattened circle. By that time, the sword had turned into a slashing- stabbing weapon. At the same time, there was a trend towards its weighting. There were "one and a half" samples, for working with two hands.

Speaking about the fact that the sword was the weapon of a professional warrior, it should be remembered that it was such only in the early Middle Ages, although there were exceptions for merchants and the old tribal nobility even then. Later, in the XII century. the sword also appears in the hands of the militias-citizens. At the same time, in the early period, before the start of mass, serial production of weapons, not every combatant owned a sword. In the 9th - the first half of the 11th century, only a person who belonged to the highest stratum of society - the senior squad had the right (and opportunity) to possess precious, noble weapons. In the younger squad, judging by the materials of excavations of squad burials, back in the 11th century. only officials wielded swords. These are the commanders of detachments of junior combatants - "youths", in Peaceful time performed police, judicial, customs and other functions and had a characteristic name - "swordsmen" (14).

In the southern regions of Ancient Russia, from the second half of the 10th century, the saber, borrowed from the arsenal of nomads, became widespread. In the north, in the Novgorod land, the saber came into use much later - in the 13th century. She stood from a strip - a blade and a "roof" - a handle. The blade had a blade, two sides - “blade” and “rear”. The handle was assembled from a "flint" - a guard, a handle and a knob - a hilt, into which a cord - a lanyard was threaded through a small hole. The ancient saber was massive, slightly curved, so much so that the rider could use it, like a sword, to stab someone lying on a sleigh, which is mentioned in the Tale of Bygone Years. The saber was used in parallel with the sword in areas bordering the Steppe. To the north and west, heavy armor was common, against which the saber was not suitable. For the fight against the light cavalry of the nomads, the saber was preferable. The author of The Tale of Igor's Campaign noted salient feature weapons of the inhabitants of the steppe Kursk: "they ... sharpen their sabers ..." (15). From the 11th to the 13th centuries, the saber in the hands of Russian soldiers is mentioned in the annals only three times, and the sword - 52 times.

A large combat knife, a scramasax, a relic of the era of barbarism, a typical weapon of the Germans, found throughout Europe, which is occasionally found in burials no later than the 10th century, can also be attributed to chopping and stabbing weapons. have long been known in Russia and combat knives constantly found during excavations. They are distinguished from household ones by their large length (over 15 cm), the presence of a valley - a bloodstream or stiffening ribs (rhombic section) (16).

A very common chopping weapon in the ancient Russian army was an ax, which had several varieties, which was determined by differences both in combat use and in origin. In the IX-X centuries. the heavy infantry was armed with large axes - axes with a powerful trapezoidal blade. Appearing in Russia as a Norman borrowing, the ax of this type was preserved for a long time in the northwest. The length of the ax handle was determined by the height of the owner. Usually, exceeding a meter, it reached the Gudi of a standing warrior.

Much greater distribution received universal battle axes of the Slavic type for one-handed action, with a smooth butt and a small blade, with a beard drawn down. They differed from an ordinary ax mainly in their lower weight and dimensions, as well as the presence of a hole in the middle of the blade in many instances - for attaching a cover.

Another variety was the cavalry hatchet - a coinage with a narrow wedge-shaped blade balanced with a hammer-shaped butt or, more rarely, a tong - clearly of oriental origin. There was also a transitional type with a hammer-shaped butt, but a wide, more often, equilateral blade. It is also classified as Slavic. The well-known hatchet with the initial "A", attributed to Andrei Bogolyubsky, belongs to this type. All three types are very small and fit in the palm of your hand. The length of their ax handle - "cue" reached a meter.

Unlike the sword, which was primarily a “noble” weapon, axes were the main weapon of the younger squad, at least of its lowest category - the “youths”. As shown by recent studies of the retinue Kemsky burial mound in White Lake, the presence in the burial of a battle ax in the absence of a sword clearly indicates that its owner belongs to the lowest category of professional warriors, at least until the second half of the 11th century (17). At the same time, the battle ax in the hands of the prince is mentioned in the chronicle only twice.

Melee weapons are percussion weapons. Due to the simplicity of its manufacture, it has become widespread in Russia. These are, first of all, various kinds of maces and flails borrowed from the steppes.

Mace - most often a bronze ball filled with lead, with pyramidal protrusions and a hole for a handle weighing 200 - 300 g - was widespread in the XII - XIII centuries. on average, the Dnieper region (in third place in terms of the number of weapons found). But in the north and northeast it is practically not found. Solid-forged iron and, more rarely, stone maces are also known.

The mace is a weapon mainly for equestrian combat, but undoubtedly it was also widely used by the infantry. It allowed inflicting very fast short blows, which, not being lethal, stunned the enemy, put him out of action. Hence - the modern "stun", i.e. “Stun”, with a blow to the helmet - a helmet to get ahead of the enemy while he swings a heavy sword. A mace (as well as a boot knife or hatchet) could also be used as a throwing weapon, which seems to be evidenced by the Ipatiev Chronicle, calling it a "horn".

Flail- a weight of various shapes made of metal, stone, horn or bone, more often bronze or iron, usually round, often teardrop-shaped or star-shaped, weighing 100 - 160 g on a belt up to half a meter long - was, judging by frequent finds, very popular everywhere in Russia, but in battle it had no independent significance.

The rare mention in the sources of the use of shock weapons is explained, on the one hand, by the fact that it was auxiliary, duplicating, spare, and on the other hand, by the poeticization of the “noble” weapons: spears and swords. After a ramming spear clash, having "broken" long thin peaks, the fighters took up swords (sabers) or chased hatchets, and only in the event of their breakage or loss came the turn of maces and flails. By the end of the 12th century, in connection with the start of mass production of bladed weapons, axes-chasers also pass into the category of duplicating weapons. At this time, the butt of the ax sometimes takes the form of a mace, and the mace is supplied with a long spike bent downwards. As a result of these experiments, at the beginning of the 13th century in Russia, archaeologists noted the appearance of a new type of percussion weapon - the six-blade. To date, three samples of iron eight-bladed rounded pommel with smoothly protruding edges have been found. They were found in settlements to the south and west of Kyiv (18).

A spear- the most important element of the armament of the Russian soldier in the period under review. Spearheads, after arrowheads, are the most frequent archaeological finds of weapons. The spear was undoubtedly the most widespread weapon of that time (19). A warrior did not go on a campaign without a spear.

Spearheads, like other types of weapons, bear the stamp of various influences. The oldest local, Slavic arrowheads are a universal type with a leaf-shaped feather of medium width, suitable for hunting. The Scandinavian ones are narrower, “lanceolate”, adapted for piercing armor, or vice versa - wide, wedge-shaped, laurel-leaved and diamond-shaped, designed to inflict severe wounds on an enemy not protected by armor.

For the XII - XIII centuries. The standard weapon of the infantry was a spear with a narrow "armor-piercing" four-shot tip about 25 cm long, which indicates the massive use of metal protective weapons. The sleeve of the tip was called the vtok, the shaft - oskep, oskepische, ratovishche or shavings. The length of the shaft of the infantry spear, judging by its images on frescoes, icons and miniatures, was about two meters.

Cavalry spears had narrow faceted tips of steppe origin, used to pierce armor. It was a first strike weapon. By the middle of the 12th century, the cavalry spear had become so long that it often broke during collisions. “Break the spear…” in retinue poetry has become one of the symbols of military prowess. Chronicles also mention similar episodes when it comes to the prince: “Andrew break your copy in your opposite”; “Andrei Dyurgevich took up his spear and rode ahead and gathered before everyone else and break your spear”; “Enter Izyaslav alone into the regiments of soldiers, and break your spear”; “Izyaslav Glebovich, the grandson of Jurgev, having ripened with a retinue, lifted a spear ... driving the raft to the city gates, break the spear”; "Daniel put his spear in the arm, breaking his lance, and draw your sword."

The Ipatiev Chronicle, written, in its main parts, by the hands of secular people - two professional warriors - describes such a technique almost as a ritual, which is close to Western knightly poetry, where such a blow is sung countless times.

In addition to long and heavy cavalry and short main infantry spears, a hunting spear was used, although rarely. Rogatins had a pen width from 5 to 6.5 cm and a bay leaf tip length of up to 60 cm (together with a sleeve). To make it easier to hold this weapon. Two or three metal "knots" were attached to its shaft. In literature, especially fiction, the horn and the ax are often called peasant weapons, but a spear with a narrow tip capable of penetrating armor is much cheaper than the horn and incomparably more effective. It occurs much more frequently.

Darts-sulits have always been the favorite national weapon of the Eastern Slavs. Often they are mentioned in chronicles. And as a stabbing melee weapon. The tips of the streets were both socketed, like spears, and petiolate, like arrows, differing mainly in size. Often they had ends pulled back, making it difficult to remove them from the body and notches, like a spear. The length of the shaft of the throwing spear ranged from 100 to 150 cm.

Bow and arrows have been used since ancient times as a hunting and combat weapon. Bows were made of wood (juniper, birch, hazel, oak) or tury horns. Moreover, in the north, simple bows of the European “barbarian” type from one piece of wood prevailed, and in the south, already in the 10th century, complex, composite bows of the Asian type became popular: powerful, consisting of several pieces or layers of wood, horns and bone linings, very flexible and elastic. The middle part of such a bow was called a hilt, and everything else was called a kibit. The long, curved halves of the bow were called horns or shoulders. The horn consisted of two planks glued together. Outside, it was pasted over with birch bark, sometimes, for reinforcement, with horn or bone plates. The outer side of the horns was convex, the inner side was flat. Tendons were glued onto the bow, which were fixed at the handle and ends. The tendons were wrapped around the junctions of the horns with the handle, previously smeared with glue. Glue was used high quality, from sturgeon ridges. The ends of the horns had upper and lower linings. A bowstring woven from veins passed through the lower ones. The total length of the bow, as a rule, was about a meter, but could exceed human height. Such bows had a special purpose.

They wore bows with a stretched bowstring, in a leather case - on the beam, attached to the belt on the left side, mouth forward. Arrows for a bow could be reed, reed, from various types of wood, such as apple or cypress. Their tips, often forged from steel, could be narrow, faceted - armor-piercing or lanceolate, chisel-shaped, pyramidal with lowered ends-stings, and vice versa - wide and even two-horned "cuts" for the formation of large wounds on an unprotected surface, etc. In the IX - XI centuries. mainly flat tips were used, in the XII - XIII centuries. - armor-piercing. The case for arrows in this period was called tul or tula. It was hung from the belt on the right side. In the north and west of Russia, its shape was close to the pan-European one, which is known, in particular, from the images on the “Tapestry from Bayo”, which tells about the Norman conquest of England in 1066. In the south of Russia, tula were supplied with covers. So about the Kuryans in the same "Tale of Igor's Campaign" it is said: "The tools are opened for them", i.e. brought into combat position. Such a tula had a round or box-shaped shape and was made of birch bark or leather.

At the same time in Russia, most often by service nomads, a steppe-type quiver was also used, made from the same materials. Its form is immortalized in the Polovtsian stone statues. It is a box, wide at the bottom, open and tapering upward, oval in section. It was also hung from the belt on the right side, with the mouth forward and upward, and the arrows in it, in contrast to the Slavic type, lay with their points up.

Bow and arrows - weapons used most often by light cavalry - "archers" or infantry; the weapon of the start of the battle, although absolutely all men in Russia knew how to shoot from a bow, this main weapon of hunting, at that time. As an object of armament, the majority, including the combatants, probably had a bow, how they differed from Western European chivalry, where only the British, Norwegians, Hungarians and Austrians owned a bow in the 12th century.

Much later, a crossbow or crossbow appeared in Russia. It was much inferior to the bow in terms of rate of fire and maneuverability, significantly surpassing it in price. In a minute, the crossbowman managed to make 1 - 2 shots, while the archer, if necessary, was able to make up to ten in the same time. On the other hand, a crossbow with a short and thick metal bow and a wire string was far superior to the bow in terms of power, expressed in range and impact force of the arrow, as well as accuracy. In addition, he did not require constant training from the shooter to maintain the skill. Crossbow "bolt" - a short self-firing arrow, in the West sometimes - solid forged, pierced any shields and armor at a distance of two hundred steps, and the maximum firing range from it reached 600 m.

This weapon came to Russia from the West, through Carpathian Rus, where it was first mentioned in 1159. The crossbow consisted of a wooden stock with a semblance of a butt and a powerful short bow attached to it. A longitudinal groove was made on the bed, where a short and thick arrow with a socketed spear-shaped tip was inserted. Initially, the bow was made of wood and differed from the usual one only in size and thickness, but later it began to be made from an elastic steel strip. To pull such a bow with his hands could only be extremely the strong man. The usual shooter had to rest his foot on a special stirrup attached to the stock in front of the bow and with an iron hook, holding it with both hands, pull the bowstring and put it into the slot of the trigger.

A special trigger device of a round shape, the so-called "nut", made of bone or horn, was attached to the transverse axis. It had a slot for the bowstring and a figured cutout, which included the end of the trigger lever, which, in the unpressed position, stopped the rotation of the nut on the axis, preventing it from releasing the bowstring.

In the XII century. in the equipment of crossbowmen, a double belt hook appeared, which made it possible to pull the bowstring, straightening the body and holding the weapon with the foot in the stirrup. The oldest belt hook in Europe was found in Volyn during the excavations of Izyaslavl (20).

From the beginning of the 13th century, a special mechanism of gears and a lever, the “rotary”, was also used to pull the bowstring. Isn't the nickname of the Ryazan boyar Yevpaty - Kolovrat - from here - for the ability to do without it? Initially, such a mechanism, apparently, was used on heavy easel systems, which often fired solid forged arrows. A gear from such a device was found on the ruins of the lost city of Vshchizh in the modern Bryansk region.

In the pre-Mongolian period, the crossbow (crossbow) spread throughout Russia, but nowhere, except for the western and northwestern outskirts, was its use widespread. As a rule, the finds of the tips of crossbow arrows make up 1.5–2% of their total number (21). Even in Izborsk, where the largest number of them was found, they make up less than half (42.5%), yielding to the usual ones. In addition, a significant part of the crossbow arrowheads found in Izborsk are of the western, socketed type, most likely flown into the fortress from the outside (22). Russian crossbow arrows are usually petiolate. And in Russia, a crossbow is an exclusively serf weapon, in a field war it was used only in the lands of Galicia and Volyn, moreover, not earlier than the second third of the 13th century. – already outside the period under consideration.

The Eastern Slavs became acquainted with throwing machines no later than the Kiev princes' campaigns against Constantinople. The church tradition about the baptism of the Novgorodians preserved evidence of how they, having dismantled the bridge across the Volkhov to the middle and installed a "blemish" on it, threw stones at the Kiev "crusaders" - Dobrynya and Putyata. However, the first documentary evidence of the use of stone throwers in the Russian lands dates back to 1146 and 1152. when describing the inter-princely struggle for Zvenigorod Galitsky and Novgorod Seversky. Domestic weapons expert A.N. Kirpichnikov draws attention to the fact that at about the same time in Russia, the translation of the “Jewish War” by Josephus became known, where throwing machines are often mentioned, which could increase interest in them. Almost simultaneously, a hand crossbow appears here, which should also lead to experiments in creating more powerful stationary samples (23).

In the following, stone throwers are mentioned in 1184 and 1219; also known the fact of capturing a mobile ballista-type throwing machine from the Polovtsians of Khan Konchak, in the spring of 1185. Indirect confirmation of the spread of throwing machines and easel crossbows capable of throwing shots is the appearance of a complex echeloned system of fortifications. At the beginning of the 13th century, such a system of ramparts and ditches, as well as rows of gouges and similar obstacles located on the outside, was created in order to move throwing machines beyond their effective range.

At the beginning of the 13th century, in the Baltic region, the Polotsk people faced the action of throwing machines, followed by the Pskovians and Novgorodians. Stone throwers and crossbows were used against them by the German crusaders who had entrenched themselves here. Probably, these were the most common then in Europe machines of the balance-lever type, the so-called peterells, since stone-throwers are usually called “vices” or “prucks” in the annals. those. slings. Apparently, similar machines prevailed in Russia. In addition, the German chronicler Henry of Latvia often, speaking of the Russian defenders of Yuryev in 1224, mentions ballistae and ballistarii, which gives reason to talk about the use of not only hand crossbows.

In 1239, when trying to unblock Chernihiv, besieged by the Mongols, the townspeople helped their saviors by throwing stones at the Tatars, which only four loaders were able to lift. A machine of similar power operated in Chernigov a few years before the invasion, when the troops of the Volyn-Kiev-Smolensk coalition approached the city. Nevertheless, it can be said with certainty that in most of Russia throwing machines, like crossbows, were not widely used and were regularly used only in its south- and north-western lands. As a result, most cities, especially in the northeast, continued to arrive in readiness only for passive defense and turned out to be easy prey for conquerors equipped with powerful siege equipment.

At the same time, there is reason to believe that the city militia, namely, it usually constituted most troops, was armed no worse than the feudal lords and their combatants. During the period under review, the percentage of cavalry in the city militias increased, and at the beginning of the 12th century, completely horseback campaigns in the steppe became possible, but even those who in the middle of the 12th century. there was not enough money to buy a war horse, they often turned out to be armed with a sword. From the annals, there is a case when a Kyiv "pedestrian" tried to kill a wounded prince with a sword (24). Owning a sword by that time had long ceased to be synonymous with wealth and nobility and corresponded to the status of a full member of the community. So, even Russkaya Pravda admitted that a “husband”, who insulted another with a blow of a sword with a flat, could not have silver to pay a fine. Another extremely interesting example I.Ya. Froyanov, referring to the Charter of Prince Vsevolod Mstislavich: “If the “robichich”, the son of a free man, adopted from a slave, even from a “small belly ...” was supposed to take a horse and armor, then we can safely say that in a society where such rules existed, weapons were an essential sign of the status of a free man, regardless of his social rank” (25). We add that we are talking about armor - an expensive weapon, which was usually considered (by analogy with Western Europe) to belong to professional warriors or feudal lords. In such a rich country, which was pre-Mongol Russia in comparison with the countries of the West, a free person continued to enjoy his natural right to own any kind of weapon, and at that time there were enough opportunities for exercising this right.

As you can see, any middle-class urban dweller could have a war horse and a full set of weapons. There are many examples of this. In confirmation, you can refer to the data of archaeological research. Of course, the materials of the excavations are dominated by arrowheads and spears, axes, flails and maces, and expensive weapons are usually found in the form of fragments, but it must be borne in mind that the excavations give a distorted picture: expensive weapons, along with jewelry, were considered one of the valuable trophies. It was collected by the winners in the first place. They searched for it consciously or found it by chance and subsequently. Naturally, finds of armor blades and helmets are relatively rare. It has been preserved. As a rule, what was of no value to the winners and marauders. Mail, in general, in general, seems to be more often found in the water, hidden or abandoned, buried with the owners under the ruins, than on the battlefield. This means that the typical set of weapons for a city militia warrior of the early 13th century was in fact far from being as poor as it was commonly believed until relatively recently. Continuous wars, in which, along with dynastic interests, the economic interests of urban communities clashed. They forced the townspeople to arm themselves to the same extent as the combatants, and their weapons and armor could only be inferior in price and quality.

This nature of social and political life could not but affect the development of the weapon craft. Demand created supply. A.N. Kirpichnikov wrote about this: “An indicator of the high degree of armament of ancient Russian society is the nature of military handicraft production. In the XII century, specialization in the manufacture of weapons noticeably deepened. There are specialized workshops for the production of swords, bows, helmets, chain mail, shields and other weapons. “... Gradual unification and standardization of weapons is being introduced, samples of “serial” military production are appearing, which are becoming mass.” At the same time, “under the pressure of mass production, the differences in the manufacture of “aristocratic” and “plebeian”, ceremonial and folk weapons are increasingly blurred. The increased demand for low-cost products leads to limited production of unique designs and an increase in the production of mass-produced products (26) . Who were the buyers? It is clear that most of them were not princely and boyar youths (although their number was growing), not only the emerging layer of servicemen, conditional land holders - nobles, but primarily the population of growing and growing rich cities. “Specialization also affected the production of cavalry equipment. Saddles, bits, spurs became mass products” (27), which undoubtedly indicates the quantitative growth of cavalry.

Concerning the issue of borrowings in military affairs, in particular in armament, A.N. Kirpichnikov noted: "R it's about ... a much more complex phenomenon than simple borrowing, developmental delay or original path; about a process that cannot be conceived as cosmopolitan, just as it is impossible to fit within a “national” framework. The secret was that Russian early medieval military art in general, as well as military equipment, which absorbed the achievements of the peoples of Europe and Asia, were not only eastern or only western or only local. Russia was a mediator between East and West, and a large selection of military products from near and far countries was opened to Kiev gunsmiths. And the selection of the most acceptable types of weapons took place constantly and actively. The difficulty was that the weapons of European and Asian countries traditionally differed. It is clear that the creation of a military-technical arsenal was not limited to the mechanical accumulation of imported products. It is impossible to understand the development of Russian weapons as an indispensable and constant crossing and alternation of foreign influences alone. Imported weapons were gradually processed and adapted to local conditions (for example, swords). Along with borrowing someone else's experience, their own samples were created and used ... "(28).

The issue needs to be specifically addressed on the import of weapons. A.N. Kirpichnikov, contradicting himself, denies the import of weapons to Russia in the 12th - early 13th centuries. on the basis that all researchers during this period noted the beginning of mass, replicated production of standard weapons. By itself, this cannot serve as proof of the absence of imports. Suffice it to recall the appeal of the author of The Tale of Igor's Campaign to the Volyn princes. A distinctive feature of the weapons of their troops are called “Latin helmets”, “Latsk sulits (i.e. Polish Yu.S.) and shields”.

What were the "Latin" ie. Western European helmets at the end of the 12th century? This type, most often, is deep and deaf, only with slits - slits for the eyes and holes for breathing. Thus, the army of the Western Russian princes looked completely European, since, even if imports were excluded, there remained such channels of foreign influence as contacts with allies or military booty (trophies). At the same time, the same source mentions “haraluzhny swords”, i.e. damask, of Middle Eastern origin, but the reverse process also took place. Russian plate armor was popular in Gotland and in the eastern regions of Poland (the so-called "Mazowiecka armor") and in the later era of the dominance of solid forged shells (29). A shield of the "carried" type, with a shared gutter in the middle, according to A.N. Kirpichnikov, spread across Western Europe from Pskov (30).

It should be noted that the "Russian weapons complex" has never been a single whole in the vast country. In different parts of Russia, there were local features, preferences, primarily due to the armament of the enemy. The western and steppe southeastern border zones stood out noticeably from the general massif. Somewhere they preferred a whip, and somewhere they preferred spurs, a saber to a sword, a crossbow to a bow, etc.

Kievan Rus and its historical successors - Russian lands and principalities were at that time a huge laboratory where military affairs were improved, changing under the influence of warlike neighbors, but without losing national basis. Both its weapons-technical side and its tactical side absorbed heterogeneous foreign elements and, processing, combined them, forming a unique phenomenon, the name of which is “Russian mode”, “Russian custom”, which made it possible to successfully defend against the West and East different weapons and different methods.

1. Mishulin A.V. Materials for the history of the ancient Slavs // Bulletin of ancient history. 1941. No. 1. S.237, 248, 252-253.

2. Shtritter I.M. News of Byzantine historians explaining Russian history ancient times and the migration of peoples. SPb. 1770. p.46; Garkavi A.Ya. Legends of Muslim writers about the Slavs and Russians. SPb. 1870. S. 265 - 266.

3. Gorelik M. Warriors of Kievan Rus // Zeikhgauz. M. 1993. No. 1. S. 20.

4. Shinakov E.A. On the way to the power of Rurikovich. Bryansk; SPb., 1995. S. 118.

5. Quoted. by: Shaskolsky I.P. The struggle of Russia for the preservation of access to the Baltic Sea in the XIV century. L.; Nauka, 1987. P.20.

6. Artsikhovsky A.V. Weapon // History of culture of Kievan Rus / Ed. B.D. Grekov. M.; L.: Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, 1951. T.1.S417; military history Fatherland from ancient times to the present day. M.: Mosgorarkhiv, 1995.T.1.S.67.

7. Gorelik M. Military affairs of ancient Europe // Encyclopedia for children. World history. M .: Avanta +, 1993. P. 200.

8. Gorelik M. Warriors of Kievan Rus. P.22.

9. Shinakov E.A. On the way to the power of Rurikovich. P.117.

10. Gorelik M. Warriors of Kievan Rus. S. 23.

11. Ibid. S. 22.

12. Artsikhovsky A.V. Decree. op. T.!. S. 418.

13. Complete collection of Russian chronicles (PSRL). L .: Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, 1926, V.1. Stb.78.

14. Makarov N.A. Russian North: the mysterious Middle Ages. M.: B.I., 1993.S.138.

15. A word about Igor's regiment. M. Children's literature, 1978. S. 52.

16. Shinakov E.A. Decree. op. P.107.

17. Makarov N.A. Decree. op. pp. 137 - 138.

18. Kirpichnikov A.N. Bulk weapon close combat from the excavations of ancient Izyaslavl // Brief reports of the Institute of Archeology (KSIA) M .: Nauka, 1978. No. 155. P.83.

19. Ibid. S. 80.

20. Kirpichnikov A.N. Hook for pulling a crossbow (1200 - 1240) // KSIA M .: Nauka, 1971. No. S. 100 - 102.

21. Kirpichnikov A.N. Military affairs in Russia in the XIII - XV centuries. L .: Nauka, 1976. P. 67.

22. Artemiev A.R. Arrowheads from Izborsk // KSIA. 1978. No. S. 67-69.

23. Kirpichnikov A.N. Military affairs in Russia in the XIII - XV centuries. S. 72.

24. PSRL. M.: Publishing House of Eastern Literature, 1962. V.2. Stb. 438 - 439.

25. Froyanov I.Ya. Kievan Rus. Essays on socio-political history. L .: Publishing house of Leningrad State University, 1980. S. 196.

26. Kirpichnikov A.N. Military affairs in Russia in the 9th - 15th centuries. Abstract doc. diss. M.: 1975. S. 13; he is. Ancient Russian weapons. M.; L.: Nauka, 1966. Issue. 2. S. 67, 73.

27. Kirpichnikov A.N. Military affairs in Russia in the 9th - 15th centuries. Abstract doc. diss. p.13; he is. Equipment of a horseman and a horse in Russia in the 9th - 13th centuries. L.: Nauka, 1973. S. 16, 57, 70.

28. Kirpichnikov A.N. Military affairs in Russia in the 9th - 15th centuries. S. 78.

29. Kirpichnikov A.N. Military affairs in Russia in the XIII - XV centuries. P.47.

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