Battle of the Ruta River (1151)

The battle on the River Ruta is a decisive clash between the Izyaslav Mstislavich of Kiev and his uncle Yuri Dolgoruky during the war for Kiev, as a result of which Izyaslav was finally established on the principality of Kiev.

The course of events
Voknyazhivshis in Kiev with the help of his Hungarian allies (April 1151), Izyaslav recognized the seniority of his uncle Vyacheslav (which he did not do at the first stage of the war, at the end of the 1140s).

Already on April 23, in Gorodets, Yuri Dolgoruky met with Vladimir Davydovich of Chernigov and Svyatoslav Olgovich Seversky before a new attack on Kiev.

An attempt to cross in the immediate vicinity of Kiev, at Vyshgorod, Izyaslav was able to stop with the help of the fluvial fleet, equipped in an unusual way: above the rowers were built the second decks, on which the boarding ships and arrows were located, and the sides were extended.

Then the Allies forced the Dnieper to the south, on the Zarubinsk ford, knocking down a covering detachment led by voivode Izyaslav Shvarn, came through Vasilyev near Kiev. Andrei Yuryevich, Vladimir Andreyevich and the Polovtsians were sent forward by Yuri, were able to overcome Lybed, but then were thrown back, the Polovtsian Khan Sevench Bonyakovich died in battle.

The course of the battle
Hoping for the help of Vladimir of Halychy, Yuri began to retreat from Kiev in the general direction to the south-west. Meanwhile, the mission of Mstislav Izyaslavich to Hungary was the result of sending Hungarian troops to Russia. By the time of the events described, it had already overcome the Carpathians.

Belgorod residents did not obey Yuri and were under siege, then he crossed Stugna in the Vasilyev area, then the Serpent's Wall, then the Maly Rutts. Izyaslav with allies pursued him. The next frontier that Yuri wanted to insulate from the chase was the river Ruta (the chronicle mentions Ruth, the Great Rutz ). But the Chorni Klobuky with a part of Izyaslav’s troops attacked the enemy’s transports and thus imposed a battle on him.

The battle was fierce, especially with regard to the Russian troops (Polovtsy fired on an arrow and retreated). Vladimir Davydovich died. The increased losses of the supporters of Yuri (including those who drowned) were also explained by the need to retreat across the river. Izyaslav himself was knocked off his horse, received a wound in the arm and a through wound to the thigh, and then, by mistake, was nearly killed by the Kiev soldiers who found him and mistaken him for the enemy.

Subsequent events
Vladimir of Halych was in the headwaters of the Bug when he learned of Yuri's defeat. The army of Hungarians, given by Mstislav Izyaslavich, was defeated by Galicians on a halt.

Izyaslav with the brothers Rostislav and Svyatopolk, Vyacheslav and Chorni Klobuky attacked Pereyaslavl, stormed him for two days, on the third day after an unsuccessful outing of the besieged Yuri left Gleb’s son in Pereyaslavl, and he promised to leave for Suzdal, but left for Gorodets-Ostersky. Then he was besieged there by Izyaslav Mstislavich, Izyaslav Davydovich, Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich, whom Svyatoslav Olgovich sent help, and with Chorni Klobuky, went to Suzdal, leaving Gleb in Gorodets. Izyaslav planted his son Mstislav in Pereyaslavl and in the following year burned Gorodets, completely ousting Yuri from South Russi