Dmitry Donskoy

One of the best historical novels by Sergey Petrovich Borodin is dedicated to the struggle of Russia for liberation from the Tatar-Mongol yoke. It was first published in January 1941. The writer recalled: "The world of the 10th century appeared... before my eyes, and it was already possible to write about it as a real reality. But at the same time, I did not forget that the brown horde was burning and trampling the cities of Europe and that our reader should be reminded of the price we paid to defend our homeland from similar hordes many centuries ago." While working on the novel, Borodin studied a vast number of ancient documents, visited museums, and traveled to the sites of historical events, which allowed him to create a broad and accurate picture of Russian life in the 10th century, famous for its endless spaces and natural riches, suffering from many years of tributes and Tatar raids, while princes were at odds with each other. It was during this difficult and anxious time that a young Moscow prince, Dmitry Ivanovich, came to head Russia. By his call, military detachments, urban and peasant militias gather — the entire people rise up to fight the enemy. The reader will get acquainted with the closest companion of the great prince, Mikhail Brenk, and the abbot of the Russian land, Sergius of Radonezh, the voivode Bobrok, and the architect Kirill, the legendary monk-warriors Peresvet and Oslaby, and many other valiant men; they will witness the defeat of the Tatars on the Vozha River and the historic battle of the united Russian army at Kulikovo Field.