The Museum of Military Glory presents a reconstruction, which shows how the equestrian warriors of the princely squad were equipped in the 14th century. Such uniforms weighed about 50-60 kilograms. Such weapons were quite expensive, and not everyone could afford them. Therefore, the number of garrison detachments was small, and the princely forces were few.
The basis of the warrior’s protective armament was the chain mail — a half-baydana. It differed from the classical chain mail by having thicker and stronger rings and a sparser weave. The half-baydana protected well against cutting weapons in close combat. And to protect against stabbing weapons, a lamellar or plate armor (kuyak) was put on top of it. Its metal plates had lapped joints, and they linked together with leather or linen straps.
A pointy helmet protected the warrior’s head. As a rule, the upper part of such helmets (headpiece) was steep-sided so that enemy weapons could slide off them. The mask was completed by a nose piece, a narrow iron plate that protected the warrior’s face from lateral blows.
Such a helmet always had a circular aventail — collar — of fine ring linking. It protected the face and neck. The forearms were covered with bracers, the shins were covered with greaves, and the knees were covered with special kneepads.
Each warrior had a shield with him. There were shields of various shapes, but the most common were round or drop-shaped. Their base was made of wood; it could be covered with leather on top. There is a triangular shield in the museum’s collection. Warriors not only defended themselves with these but also attacked with heavy blows from metal corners. The cloth of the shield could be decorated with various symbols: crosses, amulets, as well as princely signs.
The main weapons of the time were double-edged swords and spears. The sword for each warrior was made individually. The spear was considered an effective but short-lived weapon: they often broke during battles. They were the first to be used in combat.
Warriors of Moscow Prince Dmitry Donskoy fought in similar armor in the Battle of Kulikovo on September 21 (new style) in 1380. In Kolomna at that time, they were preparing for a big battle. On August 14, on the bank of the Seversky river near the village of Seversky, the inhabitants of the city met the Grand Prince to unite with his army and go to the Kulikovo Field.
The basis of the warrior’s protective armament was the chain mail — a half-baydana. It differed from the classical chain mail by having thicker and stronger rings and a sparser weave. The half-baydana protected well against cutting weapons in close combat. And to protect against stabbing weapons, a lamellar or plate armor (kuyak) was put on top of it. Its metal plates had lapped joints, and they linked together with leather or linen straps.
A pointy helmet protected the warrior’s head. As a rule, the upper part of such helmets (headpiece) was steep-sided so that enemy weapons could slide off them. The mask was completed by a nose piece, a narrow iron plate that protected the warrior’s face from lateral blows.
Such a helmet always had a circular aventail — collar — of fine ring linking. It protected the face and neck. The forearms were covered with bracers, the shins were covered with greaves, and the knees were covered with special kneepads.
Each warrior had a shield with him. There were shields of various shapes, but the most common were round or drop-shaped. Their base was made of wood; it could be covered with leather on top. There is a triangular shield in the museum’s collection. Warriors not only defended themselves with these but also attacked with heavy blows from metal corners. The cloth of the shield could be decorated with various symbols: crosses, amulets, as well as princely signs.
The main weapons of the time were double-edged swords and spears. The sword for each warrior was made individually. The spear was considered an effective but short-lived weapon: they often broke during battles. They were the first to be used in combat.
Warriors of Moscow Prince Dmitry Donskoy fought in similar armor in the Battle of Kulikovo on September 21 (new style) in 1380. In Kolomna at that time, they were preparing for a big battle. On August 14, on the bank of the Seversky river near the village of Seversky, the inhabitants of the city met the Grand Prince to unite with his army and go to the Kulikovo Field.
