early years
In 1350, a son, Dimitri, was born into the princely family of John the Red and Alexandra. His grandfather John Kalita became famous as an adherent of the unification of Russian lands and a champion of the Christian faith, the founder of several churches.
Prince Dmitry Donskoy
The boy absorbed love for God, the Church and his native land with his mother’s milk. From his father's stories, he learned about glorious ancestors, among whom were Alexander Nevsky, Daniil of Moscow and other noble rulers. His spiritual mentor was Saint Alexy of Moscow, and the youth also received many instructions from Saint Sergius of Radonezh.
At the age of eight, Dmitry inherits the throne after the death of his father. The Grand Duke of Vladimir and Moscow draws wisdom and support from St. Alexis, who actually became his father.
Gradually, the boy grew up, gaining knowledge and wisdom, becoming a wise politician in strength and mercy, whose defining features were gentleness and chastity.
Dmitry made a campaign against the Tver prince, and also fought with the people of the Golden Horde
But it is worth mentioning the reign of Dmitry Donskoy, although it was very small. He ruled for 30 years. Dmitry made a campaign against the Tver prince, and also fought with the people of the Golden Horde. All these life lessons taught Prince Dmitry to respect and appreciate every person, to treat everyone kindly.
Dmitry Ivanovich was a good politician and strategist. Among other Moscow princes, Dmitry's reforms greatly expanded the state. The number of lands that joined the Moscow state became significantly larger.
Dmitry Ivanovich Donskoy was a good politician and strategist. Photo: otpusk-zdorovo.ru
It is also worth mentioning that in Moscow the prince became famous for minting silver coins. They began to remodel the Kremlin walls and towers.
Wise ruler and fearless warrior
A strong, tall, stately ruler who wore a black beard, involuntarily attracted the glances of the people around him. A special power of spirituality and holiness emanated from him; an outstanding statesman was distinguished by a special talent for peacefully settling matters, laying the foundation for stone urban planning in Moscow.
The fire of 1365 destroyed all wooden buildings, both in the Kremlin and in the lands adjacent to it. The wise ruler Dimitri begins the restoration of Moscow with the construction of stone buildings, and in 1367 the Moscow Kremlin appeared.
After the death of John the Red, the Principality of Vladimir belonged to the Prince of Suzdal. Having received a label for the reign from the temnik of the Golden Horde, young Dmitry sends the Moscow army to liberate Pereyaslav and Vladimir from Dmitry Konstantinovich.
Subsequently, Dmitry Konstantinovich nevertheless acquired the right to rule in Nizhny Novgorod, renouncing his rights to the Vladimir lands, while his daughter married the Moscow prince. At the age of 16, Dmitry marries Princess Evdokia Dmitrievna from Suzdal, and with her annexes the Suzdal lands to the Moscow principality.
Icon of Saint Prince Dmitry Donskoy
From this marriage 8 sons were born: Daniil, Vasily, Yuri, Simeon, Ivan, Andrey, Peter and Konstantin, and four daughters: Sophia, Maria, Anastasia and Anna.
The Golden Horde was on the verge of collapse. In 1365, the people of Ryazan defeated the troops of Tagai and Bulat-Timur, the people of Suzdal sided with Mamai, planting his henchmen in Volga Bulgaria in 1370. The pious and peace-loving Grand Duke Dimitri, throughout his short life, was forced to constantly guard the Russian lands and repel the attacks of enemies who wanted to enslave Rus'.
In addition to the Horde and Lithuania, internal Russian strife also threatened the peace of the Moscow principality. The Lithuanian ruler Olgerd launched attacks on the Moscow Kremlin in 1368 and 1370, only thanks to the strengthening of cannons, as a new type of defensive weapon, and the wise leadership of Demetrius, the fortress survived.
Having defeated the Tver army in 1375, the Moscow ruler entered into an alliance with the prince of Tver in the fight against the Golden Horde. The victorious battle on the Vozha River in 1378 showed that the Tatar-Mongol yoke could be defeated.
Battle of Kulikovo
Dissatisfied with the behavior of the Moscow ruler, the temnik of the Golden Horde, Mamai, who had more than 100 thousand soldiers under his command, decides to strike.
The Russian land groaned as Mamai’s hordes marched across it, joined by:
- Cumans;
- Alans;
- Circassians;
- Caucasian Jews;
- Armenians;
- Crimean Genoese;
- Lithuanians.
Soon the Ryazan prince Oleg joins the invaders, hoping in this way to protect the lands of Ryazan, lying on the path of the Horde, from ruin. On the banks of the Oka River, the invaders united and entered Russian lands.
The great ruler of Moscow, Dimitri, called on the Russian princes to unite and defend their lands.
Kolomna became a stronghold where militia, which included princes, boyars, merchants, artisans and slaves, flocked from different parts of Rus'. Another 30 thousand soldiers joined the 25 thousand Moscow army, the number of cavalry was equal to the number of foot soldiers, the heavy cavalry was represented by a “forged army”.
The great commander Demetrius stood at the head of a huge army, asking for blessings from the Church. Having no more than 60-70 thousand militias under his command, the Prince of Moscow understood the seriousness of the situation, because the Horde, consisting of 150 thousand mercenaries, was going against them.
Blessing of Prince Dmitry Donskoy by Saint Sergius of Radonezh
The Monk Sergius of Radonezh blessed the ruler of Moscow in the Church of the Holy Trinity, and two schema-monks went with him - Alexander (Peresveta) and Andrey (Oslyabyu).
On the eve of the battle, the entire army, regardless of class, stood in prayer before God, asking for blessings for the battle for the name of Christ.
On September 21, the day of the Nativity of the Mother of God, 1380, over an area of more than 10 square kilometers, the earth was filled with the trampling of horses and the clanking of blades. Two armies met on the banks of the Nepryadva and Don rivers.
Before the battle itself, the relics of Alexander Nevsky, as the defender of the Russian land, were acquired in the Vladimir Cathedral. This miraculous phenomenon became a special sign and anointing for the entire Russian army, and especially strengthened the courage of the military leader Dimitri, who throughout the battle invisibly felt the presence of the blessed Alexander Nevsky.
Before the start of the battle, a duel between the strongest warriors took place; the Tatar hero Chelubey and the schema-monk Alexander Peresvet fought and killed each other.
The wise military leader Demetrius thought through a plan of military action, set up ambushes and entered the battle around ordinary warriors. The Monk Sergius of Radonezh and all the brethren in churches and monasteries stood in fasting and prayer.
Many residents of neighboring villages and the warriors themselves saw not only angels and Archangel Michael in the sky, they also stood up in the spiritual sky:
- passion-bearers Boris and Gleb;
- Saint Demetrius of Thessalonica.
At that moment, when the Tatars were ready to celebrate the victory, fresh troops appeared from an ambush, commanded by the governor Dmitry Bobrok and Prince Vladimir the Brave. The sudden appearance of cavalry caused panic among the enemy; the invaders ran back in panic, leaving the khan's headquarters.
Battle of Kulikovo
The warriors of Great Rus' drove Mamai’s army for more than 50 kilometers, clearing the Russian land of Tatar-Mongol evil spirits. The Kulikovo field was strewn with corpses and wet with blood. The death of the heroes united the Muscovites, Vladimir, Mozhaisk, Novgorod and Serpukhov residents into the great Russian people, showing that only in unity is strength, and that the Horde army can be defeated.
After this battle, the name Donskoy was added to the name of the Moscow ruler Dmitry. Grateful to the Lord, the winner erects the Assumption Monastery on the banks of the Dubenka River, inside which is built the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God.
By order of the Righteous Prince Dmitry Donskoy, on the first Saturday of November, all churches began to commemorate soldiers who died in battles, then this tradition grew into Dimitriev’s Parental Saturday.
After the Battle of Kulikovo, the Moscow principality grew and strengthened, but was constantly at the center of the struggle for Russian lands.
Life of St. blgv. Grand Duke Dimitri Donskoy
Moscow Prince Dimitri, named Donskoy, son of Grand Duke Ioann Ioannovich the Red and Grand Duchess Alexandra, was born in 1350. Little is known about his childhood: “He was brought up in piety and glory, with soul-helping instructions,” says the “Tale of the Life...” of Demetrius Ioannovich, “and from infancy he loved God. He was still young for years, but he devoted himself to spiritual matters, did not engage in idle conversations, did not like obscene words and avoided evil people, but always talked with virtuous people.”
His childhood and youth years were spent under the influence of Saint Alexy, Metropolitan of Moscow, who was the spiritual friend and mentor of the father of young Demetrius, Prince John the Red. When Grand Duke John died in 1359, the metropolitan became the de facto head of the Russian principalities: he, who headed the boyar duma, was responsible for the entire course of political affairs in Rus', and for the young new prince he replaced his father for a long time. His example, instructions and spiritual guidance undoubtedly influenced the formation of the personality and development of high moral qualities of young Demetrius. Under the guidance of the Metropolitan, the prince learned the science of Moscow politics, which consisted of a combination of strength and mercy, and gradually acquired that spiritual wisdom of a state ruler, for which he was later especially revered by his contemporaries.
He never made a single significant government decision without the blessing of the Church. So, in 1359, he undertook a trip to the Horde, associated with two coinciding events: the death of the Russian Grand Duke and another change on the khan’s throne. Trips to the Horde for Russian princes were always accompanied by great risk: nothing good was expected from the Tatars in Rus', and the need to appear before the eyes of the khan each time threatened with the danger of not returning back alive.
However, Saint Alexy blessed Demetrius for the trip - apparently taking into account the invaluable experience that this trip was supposed to bring him as the future head of state: firstly, along the way, sailing along three Russian rivers, the young prince could survey the entire Russian land, which he was to rule. In addition, he got the opportunity to see with his own eyes the state of affairs in the Horde and personally come into contact with the enemy who had been tormenting Rus' for more than a century, which was extremely important: after all, every prince had to learn to subtly and competently build diplomatic relations with the constantly replacing Horde khans. Through the prayers of St. Alexis, the journey passed peacefully, and Prince Dimitri returned safely to Moscow.
In addition to the metropolitan, two more personalities, invested with holy orders and the grace of God, turned out to be key for the earthly and spiritual path of Demetrius Ioannovich: these were the Monk Sergius of Radonezh and St. Theodore, Archbishop of Rostov. Occupying a special place in the prince’s life and influencing his political decisions with their wise advice, they all played an important role in the fate of the Russian land.
Through the forces of the Grand Duke, Moscow rose and strengthened its primacy position in relation to other principalities. In 1366, to establish an alliance with Suzdal, Dimitri Ioannovich married the daughter of the Suzdal prince, Princess Evdokia Dimitrievna. The basis of the structure of the grand ducal house was the reverent observance of true Christian piety in everything. The author of “The Lay of the Life...” of Dimitri Donskoy finds precise and deep words to describe the righteous family life of the grand ducal couple: “The wise man also said that the loving soul is in the body of the beloved. And I am not ashamed to say that two such people carry one soul in two bodies, and both have one virtuous life; they look at future glory, raising their eyes to heaven. Likewise, Demetrius had a wife, and they lived in chastity. Just as iron is heated in fire and tempered with water so that it is sharp, so they were inflamed by the fire of the Divine Spirit and purified with tears of repentance.”
The ancient scribe names his extraordinary love for God as the main personal trait of the Grand Duke: one of the names he gives to Dimitri Ioannovich in praise of him is “who does everything with God and fights for Him.” “Endowed with the rank of king, he lived like an angel, fasted and stood up again to pray, and always remained in such goodness. Having a perishable body, he lived the life of an incorporeal one. Ruling the Russian Land and sitting on the throne, he thought in his soul about solitude, wore a royal scarlet robe and a royal crown, and wanted to put on monastic robes every day. He always accepted honors and glory from the whole world, and carried the cross of Christ on his shoulders, kept the divine days of fasting in purity, and received the Holy Mysteries every Sunday. With the purest soul he wanted to appear before God; truly an earthly angel and a heavenly man have appeared.”
However, the political position of the Moscow prince remained difficult, and this was connected not only with the dominance of the Horde, but also with the aggression of the neighboring Lithuanian lands, as well as with strong opponents within Rus' itself - in the person of the Nizhny Novgorod, Ryazan and Tver principalities.
In 1368, the troops of Olgerd of Lithuania invaded the Russian lands and, ravaging villages and robbing civilians, moved towards Moscow. The Grand Duke, not having sufficient strength for a military confrontation with a strong enemy, together with Metropolitan Alexy secluded himself in Moscow. Olgerd began a siege, but the sight of the stone Kremlin embarrassed him: the very appearance of strong city walls and new stone buildings eloquently testified to the Muscovites’ confidence in their abilities and readiness to steadfastly defend their hometown. After standing in sight of Moscow for three days, Olgerd lifted the siege and went to Lithuania, but in retaliation, all the surrounding lands were devastated by Lithuanian soldiers. However, this did not break the will of Dimitri and did not force him to abandon the unification policy: the Moscow prince sent ambassadors to the veche republics of Novgorod and Pskov to strengthen relations and conclude an alliance against the invaders. And the neighboring principalities that supported Olgerd’s troops suffered serious punishment - Svyatoslav of Smolensk and Mikhail of Tverskoy were excommunicated by Metropolitan Alexy from the Church for edification.
In the 1370s Grand Duke Dimitri Ioannovich begins the fight against the Golden Horde. In 1376, a campaign took place against Volga Bulgaria, which was then one of the Horde uluses. The Russians besieged the capital of Bulgaria and, despite the presence of cannons in the defending forces - weapons unprecedented at that time - forced the enemy to surrender. This was a significant success for Moscow, its first offensive victory in the fight against the Tatars.
In 1378, Mamai sent a large army to Rus', led by Temnik Begich; in July the Tatars invaded the Ryazan lands. Prince Dimitri came out to meet the enemy and defeated his regiments in the battle on the Vozha River. This, already the second, victory over the Tatars further strengthened the fighting spirit of the Russian soldiers and became, as it were, a dress rehearsal for the battle on the Kulikovo Field.
The terrible year 1380 was approaching. Having learned about Mamai's preparations, the Grand Duke of Moscow began to gather forces to fight back: he understood that the Russian land was threatened by a repetition of the terrible blows of 1237-1240. The decisive moment of his life had arrived; everything previous was just preparation for September 1380. Dimitri Ioannovich was ready to carry out the task providentially entrusted to him: under the influence of the great saints of his contemporaries, his spirit acquired strength and freedom, and the idea of a united Russian land was formed and strengthened in his soul. He envisioned the confrontation with the Tatars not as a lone opposition from Moscow, but as a rebuff to the enemy from the union of all Russian principalities, who sought not only to liberate their native land, but also to defend the Orthodox faith.
As already mentioned, the Grand Duke strove to receive the blessing of the Church for all his deeds, for at every crucial moment of his life he wanted to have spiritual support. It was for her that he turned to the great prayer book - already during his lifetime, famous for miracles and revered as a saint, St. Sergius of Radonezh. On the second day of the Dormition, when troops were already gathering in the vicinity of Moscow, coming to his call from different parts of the Russian land, Dimitri Ioannovich and his retinue went along the Vladimir road to the Trinity Monastery. After the liturgy, St. Sergius had a conversation with the prince. The saint blessed him to go into battle with trust in God, promised prayerful help, predicted victory, and spoke about the crowns prepared for many Orthodox soldiers in the upcoming battle. The Grand Duke himself, according to the monk, should have passed the mortal fate. Dimitri Ioannovich asked to equip two monks of the Trinity Monastery with him for battle - Alexander Peresvet and Andrei Oslyabya. Having previously been boyars of the Bryansk land and powerful warriors, they were in no way inferior to the best warriors of Dimitriev’s squad, but this was not what forced the prince to ask the saint of God for their help: in their person Dimitri wanted to have spiritual support and a visible sign of the venerable blessing to strengthen his military spirit and faith of his soldiers. In view of the mortal danger before the road, the monks were tonsured into the schema - according to the saint, the schematic vestments were supposed to replace their helmet and armor. Having received spiritual strengthening and the blessing of St. Sergius, Dimitri Ioannovich and his retinue returned to Moscow.
Before the army set out for battle, a miraculous event occurred, perceived by many people as a sign from above: the relics of the blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky, the great-grandfather of Prince Dimitri, were discovered in Vladimir. A sexton monk, who slept at night on the porch of the church where the tomb of Alexander Nevsky was located, saw in a dream that the candles standing in the temple in front of the icons lit up by themselves, after which two elders came out of the altar and, approaching the tomb, turned to the one lying there to the prince, the winner of the Battle of the Neva and the liberator of the Russian lands, forcing him to stand up and go out to help his great-grandson, who was going to fight with foreigners. Prince Alexander rose from the tomb, after which the vision dissipated. The next morning the monk told the priest about this wondrous dream; the coffin was dug up, and the incorruptible relics of the holy warrior prince were discovered in it. This event was reported to Demetrius Ioannovich, for whom this miracle became reliable evidence of the invisible help and prayerful intercession of the great great-grandfather Alexander before the Throne of the Most High.
The gathering of the troops of the Russian land was appointed in Kolomna; Almost all principalities responded to the call of the Grand Duke - with the exception of Ryazan, Nizhny Novgorod and Tver. On August 20, after a prayer service in the Kremlin, the assembled army came out of three Kremlin gates, near which stood priests who blessed the warriors and sprinkled them with holy water. The regiments moved to Kolomna. Along the way, passing through the village of Brashevo, the Grand Duke laid the foundation for a new monastery. It happened like this. Driving through the forest, Demetrius Ioannovich, alarmed by thoughts of the upcoming battle, suddenly saw the image of St. Nicholas on a tree. Taking this phenomenon as a favorable sign, he exclaimed: “This place has sinned me!” The Nikolo-Ugreshsky Monastery, built on this site after the Battle of Kulikovo, with a white-stone church, rare at that time, became the gratitude of the prince to God and St. Nicholas for the warmed heart and victory. Also, in memory of the Battle of Kulikovo, the prince subsequently built the Monastery of the Nativity of the Virgin on the Kulikovo Field, the Assumption Monastery on the Dubenka River and the Moscow Church of All Saints on Kulishki.
Meanwhile, Mamai with “countless forces” slowly moved towards the Don River. The Russian military leaders were faced with a question: should they transport their people across the Don to meet Mamai? And the fact that the Grand Duke spoke out in favor of the crossing is very significant. Russian troops crossed the Don on September 7 - on the eve of the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The chronicler puts into the mouth of Dimitri Ioannovich an inspired speech delivered that day. It contains a deep religious experience of the approaching battle, the humility of a sublime Orthodox soul: “The time of our battle has come, brethren, and the feast of Queen Mary, the Mother of God, Theotokos and all the heavenly ranks, the Lady of the whole universe and Her holy Nativity has come. If we stay alive - for the sake of Christ, if we die for this world - for the sake of the Lord! "
On the eve of the battle, a letter with the blessing of St. Sergius was brought to the Russian camp from the Trinity Monastery: the great saint prayerfully supported the Russian army, and he himself, as his biography tells, saw in the spirit the entire course of the battle - right up to its outcome, to the names of the dead soldiers pronounced by the saint a seer during the battle and remembered by him at the memorial service served after the battle.
The next morning, on the day of the battle, there was fog over the Kulikovo field; when it dissipated, two armies were revealed, as if their appearance signified the confrontation between light and darkness. The Tatar hordes appeared dark; “The armor of the Russian sons,” as the chronicler notes, “is like water that flows in the wind, the gilded helmets on their heads, like the dawn of the morning in clear weather, glow, and the caps of their helmets sway like a fiery flame.” And in the middle of the army fluttered the scarlet grand ducal banner with the image of the Savior Not Made by Hands. The beginning of the battle was preceded by the prayer of the noble prince in front of this image. Then Demetrius addressed the soldiers with the word: “My fathers and brothers! For the sake of the Lord, fight for the sake of the saints, for the sake of the churches and the Christian faith, for this death is not death for us now, but eternal life; and, brethren, do not think about anything earthly, for we will not retreat, and then Christ the God and Savior of our souls will crown us with victorious crowns.” Chroniclers also mention a reliquary with a particle of the Honest Tree of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord: the noble prince kept this great shrine with prayer and reverence near his heart. Ancient sources speak of a significant act of Prince Dimitri before the battle: calling the boyar Mikhail Brenk to him, he took off the grand-ducal armor and placed it on him, while he himself put on the clothes of a simple warrior. This was his response to the requests of those close to him to retreat to the rear of the army, so that from there, being safe, he could observe the battle. The ardent desire of the leader of the Russian army was the desire to personally take part in the battle; he was guided by the readiness to fight for the Orthodox faith and suffer for Christ.
The battle began with a duel between the Tatar hero Chelubey and the monk Alexander Peresvet, who accepted his challenge: calling on the prayers of St. Sergius for help, the monk rushed at the Tatar with a spear at the ready, and both warriors, colliding with each other with incredible force, fell as the first victims of the Kulikovo battle. However, the victory remained with Peresvet: while the Tatar Chelubey was knocked out of the saddle and thrown to the ground, the wounded warrior-monk did not fall from his horse and managed to return to the Russian army, where his comrades-in-arms took him, dying, into their arms. This symbolic event was an omen of the victory of the Russian army in the battle with a formidable, powerful and hitherto invincible enemy.
The battle was many hours, furious and bloody for both sides. “And there was a fierce and great slaughter, and a fierce battle, and a terrible roar,” the chronicler narrates. “Since the creation of the world there has not been such a battle among the Russian princes as during this great prince of all Rus'.” People died not only from swords, spears and under the hooves of horses, but many suffocated from the terrible cramped conditions and stuffiness. The Kulikovo field did not accommodate the fighting armies; the earth sagged under their weight, as one of the ancient authors writes. The soldiers saw Prince Dimitri in the thick of the battle, carried on horseback from regiment to regiment, fighting hard with the Tatars and sometimes withstanding the attack of several soldiers at the same time. The first half of the battle was marked by the success of the Tatars, but the outcome was decided by the entry into the battle of the reserve Russian regiment, which was in ambush. It was headed by princes Dimitry Mikhailovich Volynsky and Vladimir Andreevich Serpukhovsky, nicknamed the Brave. Fresh cavalry crashed into the Tatar army - and Mamai and his regiments shamefully fled, abandoning their carts...
...And in those hours, the spiritual essence of what was happening was revealed to people with pure hearts: they saw angels helping Christian soldiers. At the head of the “three-solar” regiment stood the Archangel Michael; the armies of the holy martyrs marched across the heavens and with them the holy warriors George the Victorious, Demetrius of Thessaloniki, and the passion-bearers Boris and Gleb. Clouds of fiery arrows flew at the Tatars from the spiritual armies. They also saw how a cloud appeared over the Russian army, from which many crowns fell on the heads of Orthodox soldiers...
Returning after the end of the battle to the Kulikovo field, now covered with the bodies of dead warriors, Prince Vladimir Andreevich began asking everyone about the Grand Duke. They testified that he fought in the front ranks, that he was surrounded by many enemies; someone talked about his injury. They began to look for him among the dead, but the Lord protected Dimitri Ioannovich: despite the numerous blows he received from his enemies, he did not receive serious injuries. He was found in a grove nearby, lying unconscious. Hearing the voices, the prince came to his senses, and the news of the victory finally restored his strength.
The victory in the Battle of Kulikovo came dearly to the Russian army: almost the majority of the army died; many warriors were buried right there, on the Kulikovo field. And with the help of the living, a cemetery church was built on the battlefield, which was dedicated to the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. For the victory on the Kulikovo field, Prince Dimitri began to be known among the people as Don, and the event itself was a victory not only for the forces of the Russian land, but also for the Russian Church, which prepared, inspired and supported the rebuff of Russian troops to the Tatars. Returning to Moscow, the Grand Duke immediately went to the Monk Sergius. Numerous memorial services were served in the Trinity Monastery for the fallen soldiers; a special day of annual commemoration was established, called Demetrius Saturday. Later, with the blessing of the Hierarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church, this Saturday became a day of common remembrance of deceased ancestors, leaders and warriors who laid down their lives for the faith and Fatherland. Thus, the memory of the Battle of Kulikovo was immortalized in church tradition.
The last years of the life of Prince Dimitri Donskoy, the great collector of the Russian land, became for him a time of special mercy from God and preparation for eternity. Already in the fall of 1380, as the chronicles testify, he was visited by serious illnesses, which the noble prince endured, according to the word of the Holy Gospel, with meekness, patience and gratitude to the Lord. And the Lord strengthened the faith of the Russian people, sending them trials, which at the same time were the consequence of apostasy from the truth of God and needlessly shed blood in internecine strife. After all, “whom the Lord loves, he punishes,” and never gives more measure, leaving time for repentance and opening the opportunity for repentant sinners to bear punishment for their iniquities here in the earthly world, and through this, having been cleansed, find peace and tranquility in His Heavenly Kingdom.
In the summer of 1382, the new Tatar Khan Tokhtamysh with a huge army moved towards Moscow, ravaging the Russian lands. Having captured Serpukhov and set it on fire, Tokhtamysh approached Moscow. Due to disagreements among the boyars, the Grand Duke of Moscow was unable to gather enough troops to repel the Tatars; then, to find people, he went to Pereyaslavl, and then to Kostroma. Metropolitan Cyprian remained in Moscow, however, unable to pacify the unrest that had begun, he decided to leave the city. The Grand Duchess and her children also followed his example. With difficulty they managed to leave the city walls. The Metropolitan went to Tver, the princess to her husband in Kostroma.
The siege of Moscow began, and the city held out for three days, but on the fourth the Tatars broke into the fortress walls. The pogrom committed in Moscow was terrible: they killed people in a row, robbed churches, desecrated altars; the treasury of the Grand Duke was plundered; Books brought from all the surrounding areas to Moscow churches were burned. Eventually the entire city was set on fire. Having virtually destroyed Moscow to the ground, the enemy moved to other Russian lands. Zvenigorod and Mozhaisk were captured; the inhabitants of Pereyaslavl, having learned about the approach of Tokhtamysh, sailed on boats to the middle of their lake and thus escaped. Only Volokolamsk, where the army of Prince Vladimir Andreevich stood, resisted the Tatars and put them to flight, but even retreating to the south, breathing anger and revenge, the angry khan captured Kolomna and plundered the Ryazan land...
When Grand Duke Dimitri returned to Moscow, he found the city devastated and deserted and, according to legend, burying the dead, he mourned with tears at the desecrated shrines of the Kremlin.
Another great grief was the renewal of the old enmity with Tver. Prince Mikhail of Tver went to the new Horde khan to ask for a grand-ducal label for himself, and Dimitri Ioannovich, in order to defend the label for Moscow, was forced to send his eldest son, eleven-year-old Vasily, to the Horde. Only at the cost of renewing the annual tribute did Moscow manage to retain the label: Mikhail failed, but young Vasily was detained as a hostage in the Horde for two years. Prince Oleg Ryazansky also decided to take advantage of Moscow’s troubles, suddenly starting a dispute with Prince Dimitri over Kolomna. Saint Sergius helped the princes resolve this difficult dispute: the wondrous old man came to Prince Oleg and with his meek words convinced him to make peace with Moscow. This decision, according to the customs of that time, was cemented by a marriage between the son of Prince Oleg Theodore and the daughter of Dmitry Donskoy Sofia.
While on his sick bed, Prince Demetrius, with the blessing of God, was granted knowledge of his approaching death, which he informed his spiritual mentor, St. Sergius. The abbot of the Russian land, who looked after the prince throughout his life, communed him with the Holy Mysteries of Christ and administered unction. Having strengthened spiritually and realizing his responsibility to the children, Muscovites and the Russian people, the noble prince, referring to the Holy Scriptures, commanded the children to deeply honor their mother, and addressed the close boyars with parting words, urging them to maintain peace among themselves and honestly serve the cause of strengthening the Russian land.
On May 19, 1389, Grand Duke Dimitri Ioannovich departed to the Lord and was buried in the Archangel Cathedral, next to the tombs of his father, grandfather and great-grandfather.
After the death of Dimitri Ioannovich, his wife, Grand Duchess Evdokia Dimitrievna, actually became the head of the Moscow principality, remaining the guardian of peace and the guardian of a fair succession to the throne among her sons. Evdokia Dimitrievna led an ascetic life, paying great attention, like her husband, to caring for the Church. She built several churches and monasteries in Moscow and Pereyaslavl-Zalessky, including the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in the Moscow Kremlin, erected in memory of the Battle of Kulikovo. In 1407, Evdokia Dimitrievna retired from the bustle of the world to the Ascension Monastery she had founded earlier, taking monasticism with the name Euphrosyne, and a few weeks later she peacefully departed to the Lord and was buried in the new Ascension Cathedral that was under construction. The entire earthly life of the princess was marked by ascetic deeds and miracles, and the Lord did not leave His faithful child without a reward: after her death, the Monk Euphrosyne was canonized.
The righteous feat of Grand Duke Demetrius was not forgotten by the Orthodox people, who to this day see in his appearance an example of holy and saving love for neighbors and the Fatherland. According to the testimony of numerous sources, monuments of writing and iconography, the glorification of the blessed Prince Dimitry Donskoy began first in Moscow, and then throughout Rus'. Soon after his death, “Life” and “Laudatory” were written, the text of which was included in Russian chronicles. Iconographic images of the Grand Duke have also been preserved - on the fresco of the Archangel Cathedral and in the Chamber of Facets. The description of the image of the saint of God can also be read in the “Iconographic Originals” (under the date May 9).
The memory of Grand Duke Dimitri always lived among the people and was especially intensified during the years of wars and dangers. Thus, during the Great Patriotic War, in the patriotic messages of the Patriarchal Locum Tenens Metropolitan Sergius, the name of the blessed Prince Demetrius stood next to the name of the Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky: both prince-warriors were called upon to help the suffering Fatherland. At the same time, a tank column created at the expense of believers was named after Dimitri Donskoy, and at the beginning of the 21st century, the largest nuclear submarine in Russia.
Such a popular memory is understandable: after all, the noble prince laid the foundation for the liberation of Rus' from the enemy yoke. In addition, his activities were distinguished by wise measure and high morality; he avoided resorting to those dishonest and cruel political methods that were characteristic of his time.
The Grand Duke of Moscow Dimitri Ioannovich Donskoy was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1988 in the rank of saintly believers - on the basis of his great merits to the Church and the people of God, as well as his personal pious life, which embodied the saving commandment of sacrificing oneself even to the point of blood for the good of others and affirmation Orthodox faith.
Death and holy relics
On the eve of the death of Prince Dmitry Donskoy, a conflict arose over the right to inherit the throne between Vladimir the Brave and Vasily Dmitrievich. After the intervention of Dimitri himself, Vladimir Andreevich the Brave recognizes the Dmitriev children as older brothers, having made peace with the prince shortly before his death.
On May 19, 1389, the great Moscow ruler died. Dmitry Donskoy was buried in the Moscow Kremlin, in the tomb of the Archangel Cathedral, near the graves of his ancestors, his relics are still there.
Tomb of Dmitry Donskoy in the Archangel Cathedral in Moscow
The news of the death of the beloved military leader and ruler spread sorrow throughout all of Rus'. His funeral service was attended by numerous clergy, led by St. Sergius of Radonezh, who until his last breath was the patron of the pious Dmitry Donskoy, who sacrificed his life to save his country and the faith of Christ.
The ruler left a will, according to which the Grand Duchy passes to Vasily Dmitrievich. The petty princes of the Moscow principality were ordered to leave their estates and live in Moscow.
More about Russian princes:
- Icon of Saint Prince Vladimir
- Relics of Saint Prince Alexander Nevsky
- Prayers to Saint Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir
The result of the reign of Dmitry Donskoy was the irreversible rise of the Moscow principality, which controlled the Vladimir lands of Pereyaslavl, Galich, Beloozero, Uglich, Dmitrov and part of Meshchera, as well as the Kostroma, Chukhloma, Starodub, Komi-Zyryan territories.
An icon was written for Dmitry Donskoy
An icon was written for Dmitry Donskoy. There are many options for icons. On one of the icons Dmitry Donskoy is depicted in princely attire. In his left hand he holds a sword, and his other hand is near his chest.
There are icons in which Dmitry is depicted with a temple in one hand, and in the other hand he holds a sword. In the photo you can see such icons.
One of the variants of Dmitry Donskoy’s icons. Photo: krestilnoe.ru
