Battle of the Lipitsa River (1176)

Total	The defeat of the troops of Mstislav Rostislavich Opponents Vladimir principality, Chernigov principality COA of Chernihiv Principality.svg

Coat of Arms of Rostov (Yaroslavl oblast) (1778).pngRostov principality

Commanders Vsevolod Big Nest

Mstislav Rostislavich

[ show ] The internecine war in North-Eastern Russia (1174-1177) [ show ] Hiking of Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich (1168-1195) ''The Battke of the Lipitsa River - the battle of June 27, 1176 between the regiments of the Grand Duke Vladimir Vsevolod Yuryevich the Big Nest and the army of his nephew Mstislav Rostislavich, with the support of the Rostov boyars claiming the grand throne.

Background
See also: The internecine war in Northeastern Rus' (1174–1177)

After the murder of Andrei Bogolyubsky in 1174, the boyars invited his nephews, Mstislav and Yaropolk Rostislavichi to reign , and residents of the new cities of the principality, including Vladimir , remembered the oath given to Yuri Dolgoruky regarding his younger sons, Mikhail and Vsevolod Yuryevich. The latter, with the help of Chernigov in 1175, established themselves in the principality, winning the first battle, on the road between Moscow and Vladimir. Rostislavich were forced to flee: [Yaropolk]] to Ryazan, and Mstislav to Novgorod.

In 1176, the Rostovites were sent to Novgorod for Mstislav, informing him of the death of Mikhail, who had fallen ill in Gorodets. However, Michael died on June 20, exactly one week before the battle. Mstislav, leaving his son Svyatoslav in Novgorod, immediately arrived in Rostov, and from there he moved regiments to Vladimir.

Before the battle, Vsevolod arrived in Yuriev and there he united with Pereyaslavtsy, Mstislav came from Rostov and stood at Lipitz. To start the battle, Vsevolod crossed the Gza River, that is, he was on its right, east bank. The battle took place on the Yuryev field.

The course of the battle
The archers of both sides started the fight, after which the cavalry entered into action. Pereyaslav regiment Vsevolod managed to crush the right wing of the army of Mstislav. Taking advantage of the enemy's confusion, the Vladimir regiment broke out ahead and inflicted heavy losses on the Mstislav squads, who left the battlefield in disarray. Vsevolod organized the pursuit and completed the rout of the enemy.

After the battle
See also: Battle of Koloksha (1177) Left without troops, Mstislav fled, first to Novgorod, where he was not accepted, and then to Ryazan, to his sister's husband, Gleb Rostislavich. In Novgorod, the nephew of Vsevolod Yaroslav Mstislavich the Red sat, named by the chronicle by his son.

In the autumn of 1176, Gleb burned Moscow, Vsevolod spoke out against him, but when he was at Pereyaslavl near the Shernsk forest, Novgorod ambassadors came to him with a proposal to make a joint campaign against Gleb, postponing it accordingly.

Chernigov with Oleg and Vladimir Svyatoslavich joined Vsevolod, and Polovtsy joined Gleb. The battle took place on Koloksha near Yuryev. Gleb, Mstislav and Yaropolk were taken prisoners, Mstislav and Yaropolk were planted, then blinded and released, and Gleb died in Vladimir prison (1178). The power struggle over the death Andrei Bogolyubsky ended in a complete victory for Vsevolod Yuryevich.