Battle of the Oryol River (1184)

The battle on the river Oryol is a battle in 1184 between the troops of the Russian principalities and the Polovtsians, won by the Russian princes. It happened on the reign of Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich in Kiev, who used the allied Polovtsian troops several years earlier (including under the leadership of the khans Konchak and Kobyak) for approval at the Kiev reign in the fight against their Smolensk opponents. The battle was the culmination of the first offensive movement of the Russian princes in the Russo-Polovets confrontation since 1168.

Dating
The Kiev chronicle dates the battle in 6691, and the Laurentian Chronicle - 6693th. According to the comparative analysis undertaken by N. Berezhkov, the battle took place in 1184, and the February campaign of Konchak to Russia, placed in the Kiev chronicle in the article under 6691, and the defeat of Konchak on Khorol on March 1, placed in the article under 6692 year, are one event, also referring to the year 1184.

Trekking
The campaign involved Kiev troops (including black hoods ), Pereyaslav, Volyn, Turov and Galicia principalities. The Ol'govichi sent a message that they can not go to the lands of the basin of the lower Dnieper, leaving their lands unprotected in the rear, and that they are ready to join the campaign on Sula in the event that Svyatoslav leads the troops to the steppe through the Pereyaslav Principality. But Svyatoslav did not begin to change the original plan, continued to move down the Dnieper on the right, western shore. But the Lukomorye Polovtsi, on which the expedition was sent, dodged the collision, and then on the Forge, Svyatoslav switched to the left (according to the annalson the opposite side of the Dnieper, and there the Lukomorye Polovtsi, together with the Burchevs, decided to clash.

The first clash with the Polovtsy was carried out by leading detachments (in which the black hoods traditionally operated), headed by Vladimir Pereyaslavsky, the sons of Svyatoslav Gleb and Mstislav, Mstislav Romanovich and Gleb Dubrovitsky. Having overturned the advanced detachments of the enemy, the Russian avant-garde stopped, and soon underwent a rifle attack of the underlying Polovtsian forces, led by Khan Kobyak. A battle ensued, in which Svyatoslav and Rurik soon abandoned the main Russian forces. The Polovtsi suffered huge losses killed and captured. Among the khans, Kobyak himself was captured, and soon, as the author of the " Lay of Igor's Host " expressed, " fell in the city of Kiev, inGridnitsa Svyatoslavova . "

Consequences
As a result of the battle, one of the two main Polovtsian groupings of the Black Sea steppes was routed, its head was taken prisoner. The battle on the river Oreli was the last major battle of the Russo-Polovtsian wars. After 1185 the main struggle was conducted in the border Porosye by secondary forces. Polovtsi continued to penetrate deep into Russia and participate in battles only together with the troops of one of the opposing groups of Russian princes.

Learning about the successful campaign of the allied forces, Igor Svyatoslavich with his brother Vsevolod and nephew Svyatoslav in the same year conducted a campaign on the Polovtsian nomadic near the Merle River, and also intercepted the Polovtsian detachment of 400 people, who was about to raid the Russian lands.

List of Russian princes participating in the battle

 * Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich of Kiev
 * Rurik Rostislavich Belgorodsky
 * Gleb Svyatoslavich
 * Mstislav Svyatoslavich
 * Vladimir Glebovich Pereyaslavsky
 * Vsevolod Yaroslavich Lutsky
 * Mstislav Yaroslavich the Mute
 * Mstislav Romanovich
 * Izyaslav Davydovich
 * Mstislav Vsevolodovich Gorodensky
 * Yaroslav Pinsky
 * Gleb Yuryevich Dubrovitsky
 * Mstislav Vladimirovich

List of captive and killed Polovtsian khans

 * Kobyak Karlyevich
 * ? Kobyakovych
 * ? Kobyakovych
 * Izay Bilyukovich
 * Tomgly
 * ? Toglyevich
 * Bokmish
 * Osoluk
 * Barak
 * Tarh
 * Danila
 * Sdwak Kolobich
 * Koryaz Kolotanovich †
 * Thorsuk †