Battle on the Irpin River

The Battle of Irpen was a momentous battle in 1321. Lithuanian army of Duke Gediminas defeated a combined force of the southern Russian principalities near Kiev. Subsequently, Kiev and many other cities were conquered by the Lithuanians almost without a fight.

Prehistory

Counter Gediminas imagined a coalition of the Grand Duchy of Kiev, of the Principality of Bryansk and the Principality Perejaslav, led by Stanislav of Kiev, Roman and Oleg of Bryansk of Perejaslav. At her side also fled from the already conquered by the Lithuanians Principality of Galicia -Volyn Lutsk by Lew fought. Overall, however, the South Russian army was very weak as a result of going back to the Mongol invasion of decline and depopulation of their territories.

Course

Gediminas started his campaign in Brest. He conquered Ovruch and Zhitomir, and went on " burning and pillaging " towards Kiev. Riverside Irpen approximately 30 km from Kiev, he met the Russian army. There began a battle, during which the Russian drushina took flight and suffered heavy losses.

Following the battle, Kiev Gediminas had to surrender and recognize his vassal status to Gediminas. Stanislaw fled into the Principality of Ryazan. Other cities like Perejaslav, Putivl, Vyshgorod, Kanev and Belgorod could the defense maintained as little and there were also.

Follow

The outcome of the battle on Irpen meant a vast area income for the Grand Duchy of Lithuania at the expense of Slavic principalities and was crucial to the long rule of Lithuania and by the subsequent Union of Lublin, Poland over the southern Rus. For a time, still paid the southern Russian regions despite vassalage towards Lithuania tribute to the Golden Horde. After the Battle of Blue Water in 1362, in Lithuania defeated the Golden Horde, they were finally incorporated into the Grand Duchy. Only gradually they were conquered by Moscow, which saw itself as the center of the free part of the Rus. After the battle of Wedroscha in 1500, Lithuania lost only Sewerien, later in the Russo- Polish War 1654-1667 the left bank of Ukraine came to Kiev to Russia. Volhynia came with the partitions of Poland to Russia.