In Kolomna, the Vladimir-Suzdalian army met some of the Ryazan survivors from the Battle of Voronezh River led by Prince Roman Ingvarevich.[2] After some heavy fighting under the walls of Kolomna, the young princes Vsevolod and Vladimir retreated to Vladimir and Moscow, respectively.[1][3] The small Suzdalian force left in Kolomna was besieged and annihilated a few days after the destruction of Ryazan.[4] This left the capital, Vladimir, open for the next Mongol-Tatar onslaught.
Opposing forces
According to Rashid-al-Din Hamadani, the contemporary historian of the Ilkhanate, Kolomna was the fiercest battle of the entire campaign: Kulkan, son of Genghis Khan, died in battle.[5] Reasons for Mongol casualties, which were heavier than usual, might be:
Kolomna was attacked by only a fraction of Mongol force, while the main army was occupied with the siege of Ryazan.[2]
Suzdalian forces at Kolomna included almost all the warriors of Vladimir-Suzdal, the strongest state of Kievan Rus' at the time. The Suzdalian capital city of Vladimir was probably left defenceless, as it was taken after just 2 days[1]-much smaller Ryazan resisted longer, even after the defeat on the Voronezh River.[3] Soviet historians estimated the Suzdalian army at Kolomna up to 15,000 men.[6]
The Suzdalian army was apparently a relief force,[3] and Voivode Yeremey is specifically mentioned as "captain of the guards",[2] so it is reasonable to assume that most of Grand Prince Yuri's Druzhina was there as well. So the army had a small, but well equipped core of professional soldiers.
Aftermath
According to The Tale of the Destruction of Ryazan, a few days after the fall of Kolomna, the main Mongol army was suddenly attacked "in the land of Suzdal".[7] On 11 January 1238, the last remnant of Ryazan defenders, 1700 men under Evpaty Kolovrat, made a last stand for their country. Though probably fictional, the tale of their sacrifice is "one of the greatest epics in the history of Russia".[8]
^ abcMichell, Robert; Shakhmaton, A. A.; Forbes, Nevill; Beazley, C. Raymond (Charles Raymond) (1914). The chronicle of Novgorod, 1016-1471. University of California Libraries. London, Offices of the society.
^ад-Дин, Рашид (1952). Сборник летописей / Пер. с персидского О. И. Смирновой,редакция проф. А. А. Семенова. Издательство Академии Наук СССР. pp. Т. 1, кн. 2. – С. 71.
^Маевский, И. В. (2004). Очерки по истории Коломенского края. Коломна: Тираж. p. 11.
^Евпатий Коловрат // Советская военная энциклопедия. Военное издательство Министерства обороны СССР. 1977. p. 282.
^Likhachev, D. S. (1987). "Великое наследие". Избранные работы в трех томах. 2. Leningrad: Khudozh. Lit. pp. 244–263.
