Old Russian warriors: clothes, weapons and equipment

Any settlement has borders that must be guarded against enemy encroachments, this need always existed in large Slavic settlements. In the period of Ancient Rus, conflicts tore the country apart, it was necessary to fight not only with external threats, but also with fellow tribesmen. Unity and harmony between the princes helped create a great state, which became defensive. Old Russian soldiers stood under one banner and showed the whole world their strength and courage.

Druzhina

The Slavs were a peace-loving people, so the Old Russian soldiers did not stand out too much against the background of ordinary peasants. On the protection of his house became with rogatins, axes, knives and cudgels. Military equipment, weapons appear gradually, and it is more focused on the protection of its owner than on the attack. In the tenth century, several Slavic tribes around the prince of Kiev, who collects taxes and protects the territory under control from the invasion of the steppe people, Swedes, Byzantines, Mongols, are united. A squad is formed, the composition of which consists 30% of professional military (often mercenaries: Varangians, Pechenegs, Germans, Hungarians) and militia (warriors). During this period the armament of the ancient Russian warrior consists of a club, a spear, a sword. Light protection does not constrain movement and provides mobility in combat and hike. The main kind of troops was infantry, horses were used as pack animals and for delivery of soldiers to the battlegrounds. The cavalry is formed after unsuccessful collisions with the steppe people, who were excellent riders.

Protection

Old Russian wars wore shirts and ports, usual for the population of Rus' of the 5th - 6th centuries, and were worn in bast shoes. During the Russo-Byzantine war, the enemy was struck by the courage and bravery of the "Rus", who fought without protective armor, shielding themselves with shields and using them at the same time as weapons. Later, a "kuyak" appeared, which was essentially a sleeveless shirt, it was lined with plates from horse hooves or pieces of leather. Later, steel plates were used to protect the body from the hitting blows and arrows of the enemy.

Shield

The armor of the ancient Russian warrior was light, it provided high maneuverability, but at the same time reduced the degree of protection. Large wooden shields were used by a Slavic people from ancient times. They covered the warrior's head, so there was a hole in the upper part for the eyes. Since the 10th century the shields have been made in a round shape, they are covered with iron, they are covered with leather and decorated with various generic symbols. According to the Byzantine historians, the Russians created a wall of shields that tightly joined each other and propelled the spears forward. Such tactics did not allow the advanced units of the enemy to break into the rear of the Russian troops. In 100 years the form adapts to a new kind of troops - cavalry. Shields become almond shaped, have two mounts, designed to be held in battle and on the march. With this type of equipment, the ancient Russian warriors went on hikes and rose to protect their lands before the invention of firearms. A lot of traditions and legends are associated with shields. Some of them until today are "winged". The fallen and wounded warriors were brought home on their shields, when retreating regiments threw them at the feet of the pursuers' horses. At the gates of the defeated Tsargrad Prince Oleg hangs the shield.

Helmets

Old Russian warriors wore ordinary caps on their heads before the 9th and 10th centuries, which did not protect them from the hacking blows of the enemy. The first helmets, found by archaeologists, were made according to the Norman type, but they were not widely used in Russia. More practical and therefore widely used was the conical shape. The helmet in this case riveted from four metal plates, they were decorated with precious stones and feathers (from noble warriors or the governor). Such a form allowed the sword to slip, without causing great harm to the person, the balaclava of leather or felt softened the blow. Changed the helmet due to additional protective devices: barmitsa (mail mesh), nasonek (metal plate). The use of protection in the form of masks (larches) in Russia was a rarity, most often they were trophy helmets, which were widely used in European countries. Description of the ancient Russian warrior, preserved in the annals, indicates that the persons were not hiding, but could face the enemy with a menacing glance. Helmets with half masks were made for noble and wealthy warriors, they are characterized by decorative details that did not carry protective functions.

Chain-mail

The most famous part of the vestments of the ancient Russian warrior, according to archaeological excavations, appears in the VII - VIII century. The mail is a shirt made of metal rings, tightly connected to each other. At this time, the masters were quite difficult to make such protection, the work was thin and took a long time. The metal was rolled into a wire, from which folded and welded rings, fixed to each other according to the scheme 1 to 4. At least 20-25 thousand rings went to create one chain mail, the weight of which was from 6 to 16 kilograms. For decoration in the canvas interwoven copper links. In the XII century, punching technology was applied, when the braided rings were flattened, which provided a large area of protection. During the same period the chain mails become longer, additional elements of armor appear: the nails (iron, woven stockings), the barmaid (neck mesh), the bracers (gloves made of metal). They put on quilted clothing to quilt, softening the force of the blow. At the same time lamellar (lamellar) armor was used in Russia . For the manufacture of a base (shirt) of leather, on which thin iron slats were tightly attached. Their length was 6 - 9 centimeters, width from 1 to 3. Plate armor gradually replaced the chain mail and even sold to other countries. In Russia scaly, lamellar and chain armor were often combined. Yushman, the fighter were essentially hauberkas, which were supplied with plates on their chests to enhance their protective properties. At the beginning of the XIV century a new kind of armor appeared - a mirror. Metal plates of large size, polished to shine, as a rule, were worn over the chain mail. On the sides and on the shoulders, they were connected by leather straps, often decorated with a different kind of symbolism.

Weapons

Protective clothing of the ancient Russian warrior was not impenetrable armor, but was light, which ensured greater maneuverability of the warriors and shooters in the battle. According to information obtained from the historical sources of the Byzantines, "Rusichi" was characterized by enormous physical strength. In the 5th - 6th centuries, the weapons of our ancestors were quite primitive, used for close combat. To inflict significant damage on the enemy, it was heavily weighted and additionally equipped with striking elements. The evolution of weapons took place against the backdrop of technological progress and a change in the strategy of combat. Throwing systems, siege machines, piercing and cutting iron tools have been used for many centuries, and their design has been constantly improved. Some innovations were adopted by other peoples, but Russian inventors and gunsmiths always differed in originality of approach and reliability of manufactured systems.

Impact

Weapons for close combat are known to all peoples, at the dawn of civilization, its main species was the mace. This is a heavy club, which at the end turned into iron. In some cases, metal spikes or nails appear. Most often in the Russian chronicles are mentioned along with the club mace, the sixth, the kisten. Due to the simplicity of manufacture and effectiveness in combat, impact weapons were widespread. The sword and saber are partially superseded, but the militia and warriors continue to use it in battle. Historians created on the basis of chronicles and excavation data a typical portrait of a man who was called an ancient Russian warrior. The photographs of the reconstructions, as well as the images of the heroes that survived to this day, necessarily contain some kind of percussion weapon, most often in this capacity is the legendary mace.

Slashing, stitching

In the history of ancient Russia, the sword is of great importance. It is not only the main type of weapon, but also a symbol of princely power. Knives used were of several types, they wore names at the place of wearing: zasapozhnye, waist, under-saddle. They were used along with the sword and mace. The weapons of the ancient Russian warrior changed in the Xth century, the saber replaced the sword. Her fighting characteristics were estimated by the Russians in the battles with the nomads, who borrowed the form. Spears and rogatina belong to the most ancient types of piercing weapons, which were successfully used by soldiers as defensive and offensive. When used in parallel, they evolved ambiguously. Rogatins are gradually replaced by spears, which are improved in the promises. The axes were fought not only by peasants (warriors and militiamen), but also by the prince's squad. In equestrian warriors this type of weapon had a short handle, infantry (warriors) used axes on long shafts. Berdysh (an ax with a wide blade) in the XIII - XIV century becomes the weapon of the Streltsy troops. Later it is converted into a halberd.

Rifle

All funds used daily on the hunt and at home were used by Russian soldiers as a military weapon. Bows were made from the horn of animals and suitable species of wood (birch, juniper). Some of them were more than two meters long. To store the arrows used a shoulder quiver, which was made of leather, sometimes decorated with brocade, precious and semiprecious stones. For the production of arrows used reeds, birch, reeds, apple trees, to the beams of which fixed an iron tip. In the 10th century the bow design was quite complex, and the process of its manufacture was labor-intensive. Shotguns were a more effective type of throwing weapon. Their minus was a lower rate of fire, but the bolt (used as a projectile) caused more damage to the enemy, piercing the armor when hit. It was difficult to tighten the bowstring, even strong warriors rested on it with their feet. In the XII century to accelerate and facilitate this process began to use the hook, which archers wore on the belt. Until the invention of firearms , bows, crossbows, and crossbows were used in Russian troops.

Equipment

Foreigners who visited Russian cities of the 12th-13th centuries were surprised at how warriors were equipped. For all the apparent bulky armor (especially in heavy cavalry), riders easily coped with several tasks. Sitting in the saddle, the warrior could hold the reins (to rule the horse), shoot an arrow or a bow and prepare a heavy sword for close combat. Cavalry was a maneuverable strike force, so equipping a rider and a horse should be easy, but durable. The chest, croup and sides of the fighting horse were covered with special covers, which were made of cloth with sewn iron plates. The equipment of the ancient Russian warrior was thought through to the smallest detail. Saddles, made of wood, allowed the archer to turn in the opposite direction and shoot at full speed, while controlling the direction of movement of the horse. Unlike the European warriors of that time, completely armored in armor, the light armor of the Russians was oriented to fighting the nomads. In noblemen, princes, kings, arms and armor were combat and parade, which were richly decorated and furnished with the symbols of the state. They received foreign ambassadors and went on holidays.