| Summary/Abstract |
The author suggests historical and textual comment to the most important reports of Russian chronicles, including those about the capture of Chernigov, reconciliation of the Russian princes with the Tatars, the coming of Möngke Khan to Kiev, Mikhail Vsevolodovich’s flight from Kiev, the capture of Kiev, Volodymyr Volynskyi, Berestie, and Halych. The significance of the Mongols’ stone artillery in attacking Russian cities is considered. The author compares various reports in Russian chronicles about the date of the capture of Kiev by the Mongols with information from Hungarian sources and concludes that the most trustworthy date must be 6 December 1240. Proper names Uladmur and Uchogul Uladmur given by the medieval Persian historian Rashid-ad-Din in his account of the conquest of South Rus’ by the Mongols cannot, in the opinion of the author, be related to the historical toponyms of Galician-Volhynian Rus’. The Mongol name Uladmur was connected with the name of Prince Vladimir Riurikovich, who had occupied the Kievan throne not long before the attack of the Mongols against South Rus’ and held peaceful negotiations with Prince Möngke. Based on the study of comparative-historical materials, the author concludes that in Volhynia and Galicia the Mongols used a method that they had often used before. They forced the residents of the conquered cities to go outside the city walls and massacred them. They spared only the young men suitable for military service and took them into auxiliary troops (khashar), so that they should fight in the most dangerous areas of the battle.
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