Blessed Prince Dovmont (in Baptism Timofey) of Pskov

Dovmont (Domant) of Pskov
, baptized
Timofey
(+ 1299), prince, holy believer. Commemoration on May 20 and in the Cathedral of Pskov Saints

He came from a family of Lithuanian princes and owned the Nalshchansky inheritance in Lithuania, professing paganism.

Later chroniclers mistakenly consider him the youngest son of Vel. Prince of Lithuania Mindaugas. He was married to the sister of Mindovg's wife, who was later taken from him by the latter. After the murder of Mindaugas, in which Dovmont was probably involved, he was forced to flee Lithuania in 1265 and with 300 Lithuanian families came to Pskov, where he was baptized with the name Timofey.

A year later, the Pskovites elected him as their prince for his valor and true Christian virtues.

In 1266, Dovmont defeated the Lithuanians on the banks of the Dvina and devastated the region of the prince. Gerdenya, taking his wife and sons captive.

Vel. book Yaroslav, dissatisfied with the unauthorized election of Dovmont, was preparing to expel him from Pskov, but due to the refusal of the Novgorodians to help him, he had to disband his troops. The following year, the Novgorodians even went with the Pskovites to Lithuania, under the leadership of Dovmont, who completed this campaign with glory.

In 1268, Dovmont was called upon by the Novgorodians to help against the Livonian knights and, together with Prince. He led Dimitri Alexandrovich and his squads. book Yaroslav, fought at Wesenberg.

In 1269, the Grand Master of the Order, having gathered significant forces, besieged Pskov. Dovmont bravely defended the city; Novgorodians came to the rescue, and led. the master, wounded by Dovmont himself, had to make peace. In 1270, Yaroslav, who did not like Dovmont, installed some Aigust in his place in Pskov, but the Pskovites again elevated Dovmont to prince.

In 1282, Dovmont, who had meanwhile married Maria, led his daughters. book Dimitri Alexandrovich, helped his father-in-law, driven out from the grand-ducal throne by his younger brother Andrei; Dovmont invaded Ladoga with a handful of soldiers, took Dimitri’s treasury from there and returned to him in Koporye, but, besieged by the Novgorodians, he had to leave the fortress. After this, the chronicles do not mention Dovmont for 17 years.

The valiant prince-warrior won his last victory on March 5, 1299 on the banks of the Velikaya River, where he and a small retinue defeated a large Livonian army. A day earlier, the knights unexpectedly attacked the settlement near Pskov, captured the suburban Snetogorsky and Mirozhsky monasteries and burned them, brutally dealing with the inhabitants, wives and children hiding there. They killed the founder of the Snetogorsky monastery, the Monk Joasaph, with 17 monks and the Monk Vasily, abbot of Mirozh. Holy Prince Dovmont, without waiting for the large Pskov army to gather, went out to meet the enemy with his retinue and expelled the sacrilege beyond the Russian land.

A few months later, the holy noble prince Dovmont-Timofey died and was buried in the Trinity Cathedral of Pskov. The chronicle testifies that “then there was great pity in Pleskov for husbands and wives, and small children for the good lord, noble prince Timothy.”

The people of Pskov recalled how the holy prince took care of them in days of peace and especially when the city was in danger, how he led them into battle with the words:
“Good men of Pskov!
Whoever is old is my father, whoever is young is my brother. Let’s stand for the Holy Trinity!” The relics of the holy noble prince Dovmont-Timothy rest in the Pskov Cathedral of the Life-Giving Trinity. Next to the relics of the blessed prince in the Trinity Cathedral hung his battle sword (the sword is currently kept in the Pskov Historical, Artistic and Architectural Museum-Reserve), which was presented to the Pskov princes in the Church of the Holy Trinity upon enthronement.

Biography

Dovmont (Prince of Pskov) was the son of Mindovg and the brother of Voyshelk, according to some sources, and according to others, a relative of Troyden. He himself was from Lithuania and owned the Nalshansky inheritance. According to one version, Dovmont was married to the sister of Mindovg’s wife. The Chronicle of Bykhovets says that he was married to the sister of Narimont’s wife. According to chronicles, Dovmont took a direct part in the murder of Mindaugas in 1263. Later he fell out of favor with Voyshelk. The latter in 1264 began to be considered the most powerful prince in Lithuania.

A stranger among his own

The young Prince Dovmont, a relative of the founder of the Lithuanian royal dynasty Mindovg, lived carefree in his inheritance Nalshane. He had the warmest relations with the ruler of Lithuania; they were even married to their own sisters. But everything changed with the death of Mindaugas’s wife. Dying, she bequeathed to her husband the care of her younger sister “bypassing” her legal husband Dovmont. Mindovg was going to take his wife away from Dovmont, which he naturally opposed. Just at this time, Mindovg’s nephew, Prince Trenyata, started a coup d’etat. Dovmont supported him, as a result of which Mindovg was captured, deprived of power and executed. However, retribution was not long in coming. Voishelk, the son of Mindovg, gathered troops, defeated and killed Trenyata, and at the same time ravaged the Nalshenai lands. What was Prince Dovmont to do, who had become “persona non grata” in Lithuania, a stranger among his own? Just run, saving lives - your own and those around you. Run to where, if not entirely friendly, then at least a safe meeting awaits him. To Pskov. Pskov had no “personal accounts” with Lithuania. Lithuania is not Livonia with its Livonian Order, which was formed as a result of the unification in 1237 of the Order of the Sword and the Teutonic Order and launched a military campaign against Rus' under the “plausible” pretext of instilling the Catholic faith (Livonia is a historical region in the XIII-XVI centuries on the territory of modern Latvian and Estonian republics, - author's note). Dovmont, having settled in Pskov in 1264, initially pondered plans for revenge on Howl and a victorious return to Lithuania. But fate decreed otherwise.

Appearance on Russian soil

In 1265, Dovmont left Lithuania and headed to Pskov. At that time the city was going through quite difficult times. Alexander Nevsky recently died. The new ruler, Prince Yaroslav, did not have the strength or talents that his older brother had. His power had not yet been fully established - the Novgorod eternalists did not want to recognize him as master. The Grand Duke appointed Svyatoslav, his son, as governor. He was no longer thinking about strengthening the borders, but about strengthening the ruler’s power over the city. This is what Prince Yaroslav bequeathed to him.

However, the city needed a warrior capable of protecting people from the Order, Lithuania and not bound by any obligations with the great ruler. The people's choice fell on Dovmont. Nothing connected him with Lithuania, and here he was not a stranger. Many Lithuanian rulers then came from Slavic backgrounds, and their native language was Russian.

The chronicle contains a fairly short entry about the appearance of Dovmont. The scripture says that Voishelk captured Lithuania, and his brother fled with his squad. In the church he was baptized and received the name Timothy. Dovmont became the new ruler of the city. Until his death, he was bequeathed to protect people and borders. Dovmont's sword became famous. Later, all warriors were blessed with it for their deeds. After 200 years, it was solemnly handed over to the son of Vasily II the Dark - Yuri.

Dovmont: talented commander, pagan, Orthodox saint

Dovmont or Domant, baptized Timofey. This is a Pskov prince, descended from the princes of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. He ruled in Pskov from 1266 to 1299. He became famous for his numerous victories, including in such a famous battle of the Middle Ages as the Battle of Rakovor.

Image of the holy noble prince Timofey-Dovmont in the Trinity Cathedral of Pskov. Prince Dovmont became famous as a Pskov prince, a fighter against the invasion of the Crusaders, and also as a saint. Photo: upload.wikimedia.org

Information about Dovmont’s life is contained in chronicles and biographies of various origins. The most detailed story about him is contained in the Ipatiev Chronicle, which tells about the murder of King Mindaugas by Dovmont.

Historical chronicles, as well as fiction, paint the image of the prince as “a man of valor and impeccable honor, fierce against the Germans to the point of death.” Under him, the Pskov land actually got rid of dependence on Novgorod. Timofey Dovmont was a Lithuanian pagan, but was baptized and canonized by the Orthodox Church for his deeds.

Capture of Polotsk

Dovmont (Prince of Pskov) led a squad and “three ninety” military men. David Yakunovich was with them, and Luka Litvin was with the Lithuanians. The army made its way unnoticed through the dense forests stretching from the river. Great to the Dvina. Dovmont would not have had enough strength to suddenly capture the large and strong Polotsk. However, he managed to capture Gerdeni's wife and children. Having captured rich booty along the way, he left Polotsk. All the convoys managed to cross the Dvina while Gerdenya was gathering allies. Across the river, Dovmont stopped and released the booty and prisoners to Pskov with part of his warriors. Soon the Lithuanians appeared. The guards notified Dovmont in time. He gathered the cavalry and unexpectedly struck the Lithuanians. The enemies did not even have time to take order. Thus, with little bloodshed (only one Pskov resident was killed), Dovmont won his first victory.

Historians highly appreciate the activities of Saint Dovmont as a warrior and builder

Historians highly appreciate the role of Prince Dovmont in the history of Pskov. There is information that he founded the rich village of Svir on the site of the pagan temple of Perun. In addition, the prince made Pskov an impregnable fortress.

As a result, the city became virtually independent from Novgorod, which considered it its patrimony. In memory of this, the stone defensive wall erected by the holy prince near Krom was named Dovmontova at the end of the 12th century. Also, the name of the noble prince, Dovmontov City, is borne by the territory enclosed by this wall.

Dovmont city and churches built by Prince Dovmont-Timofey. After each battle he won, the holy prince built a temple in honor of the saint whose day was celebrated at that time. Photo: pravoslavie.ru

Dovmont-Timofey built a lot. This is due to the fact that he adhered to the pious custom of erecting temples near the Kremlin in honor of the saint on whose memory day he won the victory. Other Pskovites also erected temples next to them on special vows. As a result, the territory of the present Dovmontov city was completely covered with temples.

The holy noble prince Dovmont of Pskov built a temple after each victory.

The Polish historian Matej Stryjkowski will mention that the Svirsky princes wanted to indicate Prince Dovmont as their ancestor. The noble family of the Domontovichs derive their ancestry from Dovmont. In 2021, when developing the flag and coat of arms of the Pskov region, the phrase “Let's fight for the Fatherland” from the legend about the blessed Prince Dovmont was used.

New campaign

In 1267, Russian commanders moved to Lithuania. The border regions of the state were devastated. The Lithuanians not only failed to defend their lands, but also did not gather in pursuit. As the chronicles testify, the Novgorodians and Pskovites fought a lot that year, and arrived with booty and without losses. There have not been such bloodless and successful campaigns on the border for a long time. The Lithuanians stopped their raids for a long time.

Battle of Rakovor 1268 and its consequences

The Battle of Rakovor in 1268 can easily be considered one of the largest battles of the 13th century.

Western neighbors brazenly trampled Russian lands, annoying not only Pskov, but also Novgorod, reaching all the way to Moscow. The Gulf of Finland became dangerous for the passage of Russian merchant ships. The Novgorod veche called on the Russians to fight back their neighbors.

Novgorod became the center of preparation for the campaign, in which the following took part:

• Dmitry Alexandrovich and Pereyaslavl residents;
• Svyatoslav and the Tver troops;
• Yuri Alexandrovich and the Novgorodians;
• Timofey-Dovmont and the Pskovites;
• Mikhail Yaroslavich and Tverich and others.

The decisive battle took place on January 23; German troops stood in front of the Russian regiments; historians compared their number to an impenetrable forest. It was Dovmont Pskovsky who proposed the idea of ​​a counterattack, which became a turning point in this battle, putting the crusaders to flight.

The bloodshed left many corpses that prevented further pursuit of the Russians. All the troops led by the princes, having reached Rakovor, collected the dead and returned to their cities, only the Pskovites and their leader reached the Baltic coast and returned home with many trophies.

Prince Dovmont-Timofey did not win a single defeat

Over the next 1269-1272, the crusaders regularly ravaged the lands of Pskov; the Master of Livonia, Otto von Lutenberg, attempted to besiege Pskov for 10 days. During this period, Dovmont-Timofey of Pskov showed the people of Pskov an example of faith and trust in God. He came to the temple, placed a sword in front of the altar, and with tears began to ask God to help him stand against Catholicism and Latinism.

The small Pskov army, blessed by the priesthood led by Abbot Isidore, did not wait for the Novgorodians and went into battle against the Germans. The victory of the Russians was marked by the Livonian Treaty, which granted peace to the Russian lands for 30 years.

"Peace" with the Germans

Having frightened Lithuania, Dovmont (Prince of Pskov) decided to join the great army in the fight against the crusaders. The cause of the battles was the actions of the Danish knights, who settled in the coastal cities of Rakovor and Kolyvan. They greatly interfered with Novgorod's trade.

In the winter of 1268, Russian commanders and their troops gathered near the walls of the city. The militia also gathered. They were commanded by Mikhail Fedorovich (posadnik) and Kondrat (tysyatsky). According to information from the chronicles, the army numbered about 30 thousand people. The Germans sent envoys to negotiate peace. According to the agreement, they agreed not to help the Rakovorians and Kolyvanians - the king’s people. This suited the Novgorodians, since the main target was the Danish knights. For the Russian army it was important to break off the Germans. In January, on the 23rd (1268), the warriors moved to Rakovor. The journey to Narva took three weeks. The governors allowed people to rest while they were on their land. The army crossed the border without fighting. The knights themselves did not dare to go out into the field, but hid behind the tower walls.

Prince Dovmont. Lithuania, Germans and Russians in the struggle for the Baltic

3. Polotsk dynasty

Kievan Rus did not last long as a single power. At that time, no one in Europe had the means to create a lasting monolithic empire. To do this, there was not a sufficient population, the required number of bureaucrats, means of communication and coercion.

Several large communities arose in Rus', which we call “principalities”. At first, they were ruled from a single center - from Kyiv, and the princes themselves were perceived as temporary rulers with whom the community entered into an agreement. Often they came to a new “place of work” with their children, with the boyars and squad, and then, in accordance with the order of “ladder counting” or under a special agreement with the community, they moved to another city, where they received “salaries” and gifts-offerings, which , according to I. Ya. Froyanov, lie behind the well-known term polyudye.

The population continued to grow, and no politician could control the entire space of Kievan Rus. Regional principalities themselves turned into major powers, movements of princes with their retinues and divisions of land took place within individual lands - Chernigov and Smolensk, Vladimir-Volyn and Vladimir-Suzdal. This process took the 12th–13th centuries and reached its culmination by the 14th century.

Polotsk was the first to separate itself. The princes of Kyiv did not have the strength to rule this outskirts, three-quarters populated by Balts. First, Vladimir the Red Sun (980-1015) destroyed old Polotsk to the ground, killed the local dynasty and destroyed the population. The city died and was not reborn. The repopulation of this land by the Slavs began from the south. They gradually conquered the Balts and imposed tribute on them.

Vladimir the Red Sun gave the Polotsk country as an inheritance to his son Izyaslav and his mother Rogneda, with whom he did not live after his baptism, because he married a Byzantine princess and officially became monogamous. Rogneda became a nun, like all the “superfluous” wives, but retained power in the Polotsk land, which was well known to her. The capital of the country was Izyaslavl, named after her son. For some time, the authority of the all-Russian prince was recognized here.

After the death of Vladimir, Rus' fell apart and unrest began. The nephew and heir of the Red Sun - Grand Duke Svyatopolk (1015–1019, with a break) - tried to unite the state, but even then it retained five inheritances: the inheritance of Svyatopolk, which included most of Rus', the inheritance of the Polotsk princes and the lands of Vladimir’s three sons: the inheritance of Yaroslav Wise with Novgorod, the inheritance of Mstislav in Tmutarakan and the inheritance of Sudislav in Pskov.

After the death of Svyatopolk and a new round of internecine war, four inheritances remained: Pskov, Polotsk, the left bank of the Dnieper (it was captured by Mstislav Vladimirovich Tmutarakansky) and the right bank, which was appropriated by Yaroslav the Wise in addition to Novgorod. Then Mstislav, bursting with health, dies under rather strange circumstances, after which Yaroslav arrests and imprisons Sudislav. Rus' is almost united. But the Grand Duke cannot do anything with Polotsk. Polotsk land remains independent. The descendants of Izyaslav Vladimirovich (989-1001) rule here; first his son Bryachislav (1001–1044), then his grandson Vseslav I the Prophet (1044–1101). During this century, the power of the Russian community in the Polotsk land strengthened, and Vseslav expanded the borders of the principality, including the east of modern Lithuania, Latgale and almost all of Courland. His influence reached the lower reaches of the Daugava, where the port of Riga would later arise. The capital of the earth was moved from the Izyaslavl fortress to the trading city of Minsk. Vseslav the Prophet actively tried to expand the Slavic part of his possessions - he fought against Novgorod for the lands of the Pskov Krivichi, sat for a short time on the great table of Kiev - but did not succeed, was beaten by other princes and even lost the capital city of Minsk as a result of the struggle. As a result, he moved his residence to a safer place on the Daugava, which he named Polotsk in honor of the old settlement, once destroyed by order of Vladimir Krasnoye Solnyshko. The choice of name turned out to be very important. The seniority of the city in relation to others was emphasized, and the ancient tradition was resurrected. But it came into conflict with the facts of the colonization of Polotsk land from the south. Therefore, the offended Minsk will soon turn into a rival of Polotsk, and the principality fell apart into fiefs.

It is difficult to say which territories were actually part of the Polotsk land, and where we can talk about the waning influence of the Polotsk princes. Apparently, on school maps of the 80s of the last century, the Baltic states were correctly designated as a territory dependent on Rus'. This is not chauvinism and not attempts to expand the possessions of the Old Russian state retroactively, but a careful designation of the sphere of influence of the then Rus', based on a careful study of Russian chronicles and German chronicles. For example, at the same time, the Novgorod community also tried to expand; Slavic regiments reached Kolyvan and collected tribute from this settlement. Yuryev (now Tartu) was generally founded by Yaroslav the Wise and for some time played the role of a Russian outpost in this part of the Baltic states, that is, it served as a storage place for tribute and goods, and also had a Russian garrison.

But, we repeat, as the population grew, the power of the princes weakened in the principalities themselves. In densely populated Galicia, the boyars (that is, representatives of the community) went so far as to decide to burn the mistress of the local prince Yaroslav Osmomysl (1153–1187) and actually burned her alive for ritual purposes. In Novgorod, they changed princes, concluding an agreement with each of them, that is, a “labor contract” for several years. The same situation arose in Kyiv after the death of Yuri Dolgoruky.

Polotsk was no exception. After the death of Vseslav the Prophet, the princely power weakens, and the influence of the community, on the contrary, grows. Polotsk is increasingly reminiscent of the early Greek polis of the era of the struggle of free citizens with basilei, that is, local kings.

Vseslav's successor is his son Davyd (1101–1129), other sons receive inheritances, and the brothers rule collectively. The Polotsk land turns into a loose confederation of Slavic communities and Lithuanian tribes. Davyd comes into conflict with his brother Rogvolod (Boris?), who was supported by part of the community. In 1127, Rogvolod I (1127–1128) seized the Polotsk table (throne) and held it for a year, but David still returned, after which the troops of the then senior ruler of Rus', Mstislav the Great (1125–1132), invaded the principality from three sides. ). Polotsk was annexed to the rest of the Russian state, and the descendants of Vseslav the Prophet were arrested and exiled to Byzantium. The occupation lasted 10 years. The Kyiv governors ruled poorly, Lithuania fell away from Polotsk, the Slavic community of Polotsk was dissatisfied. Soon the Russian land itself fell apart, this happened after the death of Mstislav the Great. Two lines of Vladimir Monomakh’s descendants began to fight for supreme power, which can be conditionally designated as northern and southern. Northern settled in Ukraine (between the Oka and Volga rivers, Suzdal Rus'). Southern - in Volyn and Smolensk. The third force challenging the right to all-Russian leadership was the Chernigov Olgovichi. The general war lasted for half a century until the Kiev region was depopulated, after which the princes gradually lost interest in it. At the end of the 12th century, it became important to own not so much Kiev as the key trade route along the Dnieper, and it was captured by the Smolensk Monomashichi, who for a short time turned into the most powerful princes of Rus'. But all this is infinitely far from Polotsk.

Either in 1132, or in 1138, a peaceful coup took place on the Dvina, and power was taken by one of the small princes Vasilko Svyatoslavich (? - ca. 1144), the grandson of Vseslav the Prophet. He expressed loyalty to Mstislav the Great in time and did not end up in exile. After the death of Mstislav, the Polotsk community tried to gain freedom, and the Monomashichi came up with a compromise: Vasilko Svyatoslavich received Polotsk, but remained an assistant to the Kiev people, and the Grodno volost became part of the Kyiv land. This suited everyone.

Vasilko’s successor was another grandson of Vseslav the Prophet, Rogvolod II Rogvolodovich (Borisovich (?), reigned ca. 1144–1151, 1159–1162). By this time, Polotsk was finally turning into an analogue of Galich and Veliky Novgorod: the growing community elected the prince and had a huge influence on his policies.

Younger cities break away from older cities. The Polotsk community began to quarrel with the Menskaya (Minsk) community. This is the conflict of expanding cities, but with an admixture of ethnic differences. The territory of Minsk land was half populated by Balts. They supported the local prince against Polotsk, replenished his squad and willingly took part in the strife. In 1151, Rogvolod was overthrown under the pressure of the Minsk people and was arrested, but after some time he received freedom and left for Chernigov. The next grandson of Vseslav the Prophet, Rostislav Glebovich (1151–1159), a protege of the Minsk community members, became the prince. At the same time, the affairs of Polotsk were closely intertwined with the affairs of the rest of Rus', because there was no alienation between the principalities, just as there were no clear internal borders. For example, Rogvolod was guided by the northern Monomashichs and their leader Yuri Dolgoruky, and Rostislav - by the southern, Volyn. Consequently, the coup in Polotsk was not only an internal matter, but also part of a large all-Russian game of thrones. The Polotsk Balts acted as junior partners in this game.

In 1159, Rogvolod received help from his allies and returned the reign of Polotsk, but this did not bring peace. Rostislav went to Minsk and continued to fight with his relative, and Rogvolod suffered defeats. The Polotsk community was so disappointed in Rogvolod that they showed him the “path”, and invited Vseslav II Vasilkovich (1162–1167, 1167 - after 1180), the son of the same Vasilko, who, thanks to his diplomacy and self-control, returned freedom to Polotsk several decades before, to reign. these events. A personnel change made it possible to wage war with Minsk for another five years, but then Vseslav II suffered a new major defeat, after which one of the Minsk Glebovichs, Volodar (1167), captured Polotsk. This alarmed the neighbors - the Smolensk princes, who were interested in maintaining the fragmentation of the Polotsk land, and perhaps remembered their kinship with the Polotsk people, like the same Krivichi. There was a shout from Smolensk, and Volodar left hostile Polotsk, returning to Minsk. Vseslav II returned to the Polotsk table and continued to rule in an atmosphere of instability. At the same time, both he and his Minsk colleagues again began to expand their possessions at the expense of the Baltic tribes.

Now the history of Polotsk passes through the history of Rus' as if on a dotted line. Suzdal, Kyiv, Galician chroniclers do not mention the Dvina borderland. But the Polotsk chronicle has not reached us. As a result, we do not even know the genealogy of the next prince, Boris Davydovich (after 1180 - ca. 1186). For example, some scientists, based on the Western Russian Chronicle of Bykhovets, identify him with the Lithuanian prince Boris-Ginvil. Indeed, according to the chronicler, the Balts captured Polotsk in 1190 and installed their prince there. But no other chronicles confirm this version, and today it is considered unreliable. The reign of Boris Davydovich passed like a short misunderstanding.

The power in Polotsk changes again, and the undoubted Slav Vladimir (c. 1186–1216) becomes the prince. Who he is, whose son, what his policy was is unclear. He is known from German chronicles, where he appears as a weak and mediocre politician. The prince, in fact, “became famous” only for allowing the Germans to establish themselves in the Baltics and losing Russian influence in this region. We'll talk about this later.

Then a certain Boris Vseslavich (1216–1222 (?)) sits in Polotsk. Then comes the time of hegemony of the Smolensk princes, who energetically spread their influence in the Dnieper region. The Smolensk people also interfere in the affairs of Polotsk. This is understandable. At the end of the 12th century, from the territory of the Polotsk land The Balts attack the Smolensk region. It is possible that these predatory raids had political overtones: the Galinds lived in the north of the Smolensk region; therefore, the attacks of the Balts can be interpreted as an attempt to liberate their fellow tribesmen. Or maybe everything is simpler, and before us is an element of the war for the Dnieper region, in which Polotsk residents and their subordinate Lithuania oppose Smolensk as part of the coalitions that have formed in Rus'. In this case, the Lithuanians act on the orders of the princes of Polotsk. This guess was expressed by the modern researcher M. A. Bredis in his interesting work “The Crusade against Rus'”, where the popularity of the presentation is adjacent to good knowledge of primary sources and literature and is complemented by a good analysis of the situation that developed in the Baltic states by the end of the 12th century.

The Smolensk princes had sufficient resources to punish their neighbors and impose their will on them. A short campaign against the Dvina took place, and Svyatoslav Mstislavich (1222–1232) from the Smolensk Monomashich family became the ruler of Polotsk. By this time, the Baltic seaside had already been lost by the Polotsk people: the Germans arrived. Smolyan was not interested in this. For some time they tried to maintain control over the western part of Rus'. Mstislav Udatny, a native of the Smolensk Monomashichs, occupied Galich and extended his influence to Volyn. His relative Mstislav Romanovich was imprisoned in Kyiv. The Turovo-Pinsk principality also became a junior partner of the Smolensk people, and now Polotsk.

Then a streak of failures began for the Smolensk family, because they did not have enough strength to control such vast territories. The community was strained, and the outlying princes became toys in the hands of local parties. Mstislav Udatny even ceded Galicia to the Hungarians under pressure from local boyars. Svyatoslav Mstislavich, who was imprisoned in Polotsk, also became a spokesman for the interests of Polotsk and Lithuania. Perhaps this ruler established power over Minsk and part of the adjacent Lithuanian lands, although he did not feel a fundamental connection with them.

In 1232 the Smolensk table became vacant. Svyatoslav Mstislavich put forward claims to the land of his ancestors, gathered the Polotsk and Lithuanian squads and took Smolensk. After him, a certain Bryachislav became the ruler of Polotsk (1232 - after 1241). The name suggests that its bearer belonged to the descendants of the first prince of the Polotsk land, but everything else is unknown. In 1239, young Alexander Nevsky was married to his daughter. This means that Bryachislav was powerful, that he united a significant part of the Polotsk Russians and Lithuania. It seemed an honor to be related to him. The marriage of Alexander and Bryachislavna ensured the safety of Suzdal Rus' from Lithuanian raids. But who had real power in Minsk and Polotsk - the Russians or Lithuania?

Battle with the German army

On February 17, the army stopped at the river. Skittles. In the morning, a German army suddenly appeared nearby. She lined up in an ominous "pig". The signed peace was thus violated by the Germans themselves.

The Russian regiments adopted the usual order - “chelo”. In the center stood the militia, and on the right and left sides were mounted squads. Nevsky lined up the army in the same order before the Battle of the Ice. However, this formation was also known to the Germans.

Dmitry Pereyaslavsky, who was the leader of the Russian army, placed a relatively small Tver squad on the left, and took the remaining cavalry regiments to the right wing so that the blow from this side would be unexpected and strong. Here he himself stood up. Dovmont (Prince of Pskov) was also in the right wing.

The beginning of the battle was like the Battle of the Ice. The Germans crashed into the Russian "head". The Novgorodians fought under heavy enemy pressure. The losses were heavy, but the Germans did not manage to break through the “brow”. As a result, the knightly ranks scattered, and everyone fought alone. Novgorodians on foot tore them from their saddles. Here, from the left, Mikhail’s Tver squad entered the battle. For the Germans, however, this was not a surprise. Reserve detachments went to meet Mikhail. Then, on the other side, the cavalry entered the battle: Pskovites, Vladimirites, Pereyaslavlites. This blow was so unexpected and strong that the knights began to retreat in panic. They managed to escape from complete defeat as another German army began to approach. The Russian squads had to stop the chase in order to reorganize. However, the Germans did not dare to attack. The battlefield, covered with corpses and covered in blood, frightened them so much that they stopped on the other side of the field and stood there until dark. At night the knights left. The sent Pereyaslav patrols did not find them either in 2, or 4, or even 6 hours of travel.

Defense of Albazin

In 1640, the great popular movement to the East - “meeting the sun” - ended with Russian explorers reaching the mouth of the Amur and the Pacific Ocean. Rus' in those parts collided with pagan China. The Russian fortress of Albazin, glorified by the miraculous Albazin Icon of the Mother of God and the heroic “Albazin defense” (1685-1686), became a stronghold of Orthodoxy.

...In the summer of 1679, at Petrov's post, a detachment of Cossacks led by Gavrila Frolov set off from Albazin to explore the valley of the Zeya River. For three years, the Cossacks carried out patrol duty on Zeya, traveled around the surrounding villages, brought the Tungus population under Russian citizenship, and founded winter huts and forts. One day, a Cossack patrol met in the mountains two riders on white horses, clad in armor, armed with bows and swords. These were Saint Vsevolod and Saint Dovmont. Having entered into a conversation with the Cossacks and learned that they were from Albazin, the holy prince-warriors predicted the subsequent invasion of Chinese troops on the Amur, a difficult defense and the final triumph of Russian weapons. “And the Chinese will come again, there will be attacks and great battles, and in those battles we will help the Russian people. But the Chinese will not take the hail.”

Several times in 1684-1686. Chinese hordes approached Albazin, but did not take the city. With the miraculous help of the Albazin Icon of the Mother of God and the holy princes Vsevolod and Dovmont of Pskov, the enemy onslaught was helplessly smashed against the Far Eastern Orthodox stronghold. “The Tale of the Miracles of the Holy Blessed Grand Dukes Vsevolod and Dovmont” was recorded by Gavrila Frolov in Yakutsk on October 23, 1689.

Troparion Blgv. book Dovmont in St. Baptism of Timothy, Pskov

Having hated the wickedness of our father, / the blessed Prince Dovmont, / and avoided the nights of passion, even striving for idols, / came in thought to the Sun of glory - Christ, / illuminated by the grace of Divine Baptism, / and now standing in the light of the Most Holy Trinity, / pray to Christ God to preserve and save the Orthodox people / and your city from the godless Hagarians, / and Latin invasions, and internecine wars / and save our souls.

Civil strife

Dovmont did not participate in internal conflicts, although many rulers tried to win him over to their side. These are difficult times in Rus'. The rulers began to fight for reign in Vladimir and throughout the land. The eldest son of Alexander Nevsky, Dmitry, became the great ruler. However, his middle brother, Andrei, went after him. He bought the label for reign in Vladimir from Khan Tudamengu.

The mounted Tatar troops of Alchedai and Kavgady went to Rus' to place Andrei on the throne. The chronicles tell how soldiers scattered across Russian soil in search of Dmitry. However, they were unable to capture him, because with his close boyars and family he took refuge in Koporye, where his treasury was kept. Here Dmitry wanted to sit out the invasion and accumulate strength. He also counted on the support of the Novgorodians, with whom he fought against the knights. However, they betrayed him and intercepted him on the way. Having demanded that Koporye be handed over to the governors, they captured the daughters of Dmitry and the boyars close to him with their children and wives.

Literature

• Dovmont // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg, 1890-1907.
• Okhotnikova V.I.
  The Tale of Dovmont: Research and Texts / V.I. Okhotnikova; resp. ed. L. A. Dmitriev; USSR Academy of Sciences, Institute of Russian Literature (Pushkin House). — L.: Science. Leningr. department, 1985. - 232 p. — 13,800 copies. (region)
• Rakhmanin T.
  [vivaldi.pskovbook.ru/dovmont.pdf/details The Tale of the Forgotten Prince. “We will not tolerate being offended”: a historical novel.] T. 1-2 - Pskov: Logos Plus, 2013. - 467 p. -ISBN 978-5-93066-052-4

Participation of the Pskov prince in internecine wars

The Novgorod garrison was located in the Koporye fortress, Dmitry’s people were kept in custody in Ladoga. He found himself abandoned and exhausted by everyone. And at that moment Dovmont became involved in the strife for the first and only time. At the same time, he took the side of the weakest. For what reason this was done is not entirely clear. Perhaps the former military brotherhood played a role, maybe kinship (Dovmont was Dmitry’s son-in-law), or perhaps the Pskov prince saw in the exile the only warrior capable of protecting the land from numerous enemies. In any case, he quickly entered Ladoga and freed all the people.

After a while, Dmitry sat down again in Vladimir. And four years later, for the first time in the history of Rus', he defeated the Horde army. It is believed that the first “proper battle” with the Mongol-Tatars took place only in 1378 on the river. Vozhe. But this happened much earlier. In 1285, an entry was made in the chronicle that Prince Andrei Gorodetsky brought a prince from the Horde to his elder brother Dmitry. However, the latter gathered an army and drove the Tatar-Mongols from Russian soil.

Heavenly protector of the Pskov Land

Soon after the death of the prince, veneration of him began as a holy intercessor before God, prayerfully protecting our land from enemies and disasters. More than once, even after death, the holy prince defended Pskov. So, in 1480, when more than a hundred thousand Germans besieged the city, he appeared in a dream to one townsman and said: “Take the robe (cover) of my coffin, carry it three times around the city with crosses and do not be afraid.” The Pskovites carried out his instructions and the Germans retreated from the city. After this miraculous deliverance from enemies, a service was compiled for the holy prince.

The holy noble prince Dovmont-Timothy and his wife, in the schema of the Venerable Martha (+ 1300) received the special honor of being depicted on the miraculous Mirozhskaya icon of the Mother of God: “It was good for the most pure image of your miraculous icon, the Mother of God, to be painted in our likeness in the battles of the steadfast intercessor Prince Domant with a pious spouse"

[1]. At the appearance of the Mother of God to Elder Dorothea during the siege of Pskov by the Poles on August 27, 1581, the holy noble prince Dovmont-Timofey was among the chosen ones of God who accompanied the Heavenly Intercessor of Pskov.

The last year of Dovmont's life

In 1299, at night, German knights quietly crept up to the city. They climbed over the palisade and dispersed through the sleeping streets. The guards were killed with thin knives. The Krom dogs were the first to notice the Germans. Immediately the trumpet blew and the bell rang. The Pskovites fled, arming themselves, to the city walls. The ruler and his commanders appeared on the tower. He watched his people die in the suburb. The defense of cities at that time was carried out according to certain laws. If the enemies were under the walls, then the gates cannot be opened.

The main thing was considered to be the city, not the settlement, so it was better to sacrifice the latter than to give up the former. However, Dovmont went against the rules. The gates were opened and the cavalry flew out. In the darkness it was difficult to make out who was where. Pskovites recognized their own people by their white undershirts and by the cries of women and children. Aliens were distinguished by the reflections on their helmets and the ringing of their armor. The vigilantes shot down the Germans, letting the fugitives through, backing away slowly, waiting for them to enter the gate. As a result, many were saved, but a large number of people also died. In the morning, Dovmont saw how the enemies were slowly surrounding the city. They did not think that the ruler would dare to fight them. However, this is exactly what Dovmont did. The infantry was the first to run out of the gate, followed by the cavalry. The ship's army hurried from the mouth of the Pskov River. The German knights could not resist, they rushed to run from spears and swords, jumped into the water, ran to Usokha, and climbed the hills.

The Pskovites celebrated a new victory, not yet knowing that it would be Dovmont’s last.

They pray to the blessed Dovmont of Pskov for help in military affairs and administrative affairs

During his lifetime, the holy noble prince Dovmont of Pskov became famous as a great warrior, a pious Christian, and patron of churches and monasteries. That is why they pray to him for gaining wisdom, for help in military matters, as well as in managerial affairs. In addition, the saint is the patron saint of Pskov, the sovereign's people and the Orthodox army.

Video: Holy Blessed Prince Dovmont of Pskov. At 40 seconds, the author begins to talk about the holy noble prince Timofey-Dovmont, the heavenly patron of Pskov.

The text of the prayer to the blessed prince Dovmnot (Timofey) of Pskov is as follows:

“Oh, marvelous servant of God in the saints, Holy Blessed Prince Dovmont! Hear us who come running to you and ask for your help. We know that your prayer is strong before God, and your love for your people is great.

With this prayer, during the days of your wondrous life, you performed miracles of courage, with this love for people you inspired them to follow you, to imitate you in everything, to listen to you like your father and always do the will of the Lord.

So even now, after your death, do not leave us orphans, without your fatherly intercession, do not take away your love from us for our negligence towards you, as towards our father, given to us by God. Be sad - a good comforter, defenseless - a shield and fence, helpless - help and intercession.

When our enemies, visible and invisible, begin their battle with us, with your prayers, as in ancient times, the city of Pskov protected our soul with its cover, and put fear on them, so that they may fall away from their thoughts of evil deeds to us.

Gird us too, as with your sword to repel these enemies, with prayer, fasting and good deeds. May we prosper in our spiritual work and give thanks to the Lord God, who has given us you, a prayer book and intercessor for us, such as our teacher, and let us worship Him, who lives forever. Amen."

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