The Battle of Molodi (Russian: Молодинская битва) was one of the key battles of Ivan the Terrible's reign. It was fought near the village of Molodi, 60 km south of Moscow, in July-August 1572 between the 120,000-strong horde of Devlet Ghiray of Crimea and about 60,000 Russians led by Prince Mikhail Vorotynsky. The Crimean horde was defeated so thoroughly that both the Ottoman Sultan and the Crimean khan, his vassal, had to give up their ambitious plans of northward expansion into Russia forever. July 30 is the 211th day (212th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 154 days remaining. ... August 3 is the 215th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (216th in leap years), with 150 days remaining. ... Events January 16 - Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk is tried for treason for his part in the Ridolfi plot to restore Catholicism in England. ... Moscow (Russian: Москва́, Moskva, IPA: â–¶ (help· info)) is the capital of Russia, located on the river Moskva. ... Casus belli is a Latin expression from the international law theory of Jus ad bellum. ... The Crimean Khanate (Khanate of Crimea; Crimean Tatar: Qırım Hanlığı; Russian: Крымское ханство [Krymskoe khanstvo]; Ukrainian: Кримський ханат [Krymskyj chanat]; Turkish: Kırım Hanlığı) was a Crimean Tatar state from 1441 to 1783. ... This article is about Muscovite Russia. ... Devlet Haci Giray (d. ... For the heavy metal music band see Voivod (band). ... Vorotynsky was one of the most eminent Rurikid princely houses of Muscovite Russia. ... The Janissaries (or janizaries; in Turkish: Yeniçeri, meaning New Troops) comprised infantry units that formed the Ottoman sultans household troops and bodyguard. ... Tsar Ivan the Terrible, by Viktor Vasnetsov. ... Moscow (Russian: Москва́, Moskva, IPA: â–¶ (help· info)) is the capital of Russia, located on the river Moskva. ... Events January 16 - Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk is tried for treason for his part in the Ridolfi plot to restore Catholicism in England. ... Devlet Haci Giray (d. ... The Crimean Khanate (Khanate of Crimea) was an independent Turkic state (khanate) founded in 1441 by Haci Giray Khan, a descendant of Genghis Khan. ... The Osmanli Dynasty, also the House of Osman, ruled the Ottoman Empire from 1281 to 1923, beginning with Osman I (not counting his father, Ertuğrul), though the dynasty was not proclaimed until 1383 when Murad I declared himself sultan. ... A vassal or liege, in the terminology that both preceded and accompanied the feudalism of medieval Europe, is one who enters into mutual obligations with a lord, usually of military support and mutual protection, in exchange for certain guarantees, which came to include the terrain held as a fief. ...

While Muscovite Russia was involved into the Livonian War, the Crimean khan hoped to make profit from the weakness of its south borders. In the course of three expeditions, Devlet Ghiray devastated South Russia and even set Moscow on fire (without capturing it, however). On 26 July 1572 the huge horde of the khan, equipped with cannons and reinforced by Turkish janissaries, crossed the Oka River near Serpukhov, decimated the Russian vanguard of 200 noblemen and advanced towards Moscow in order to pillage it for the fourth time. Little did they know, however, that the Russians had prepared for the new invasion, setting up innovative fortifications just beyond the Oka. This article is about Muscovite Russia. ... The Reformation reached Livonia in the 1520s. ... July 26 is the 207th day (208th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 158 days remaining. ... Events January 16 - Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk is tried for treason for his part in the Ridolfi plot to restore Catholicism in England. ... The Janissaries (or janizaries; in Turkish: Yeniçeri, meaning New Troops) comprised infantry units that formed the Ottoman sultans household troops and bodyguard. ... Ока Length 1,500 km Elevation of the source  ? m Average discharge  ? m³/s Area watershed  ? km² Origin  ? Mouth  Volga River Basin countries Russia Oka (Russian: Ока́) is a great river in Russia, right confluent of Volga. ... Serpukhov (Се́рпухов) (population 130,000) is an old Russian town in Moscow region, which is situated at the confluence of the Oka river and the Nara river. ...

The Russian forces, variously estimated at between 40,000 and 60,000 men, were placed under the supreme command of Prince Mikhail Vorotynsky. Prince Repnin led the left flank, while the right flank was commanded by Prince Odoevsky. On 30 July the armies clashed near the Lopasnya River without so much as a prior reconnaissance. On that day, the murderous fray claimed the lives of just 70 Russians, while thousands of the Tatars were reported to have been slain. The fighting continued for several days, reaching its peak on 8 August. The large amount of close-in fighting made the Tatars' famed skill in archery quite useless: the battle was fought principally with sabers and spears. Artillery was also used by the Russians to great effect. The outcome was decided by Prince Khvorostinin who bypassed the horde with his mobile fortifications (гуляй-город) and infiltrated into the rear. Vorotynsky was one of the most eminent Rurikid princely houses of Muscovite Russia. ... Coat of arms of the Repnin family Repnin (Russian: Репнин), the name of an old Russian princely family of Rurikid stock. ... July 30 is the 211th day (212th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 154 days remaining. ... Mixed reconnaissance patrol of the Polish Home Army and the Soviet Red Army during Operation Tempest, 1944 Reconnaissance is the military term for the active gathering of information about an enemy, or other conditions, by physical observation. ... August 8 is the 220th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (221st in leap years), with 145 days remaining. ... Archery is the practice of using a bow to shoot arrows. ... The Saber (spanish/portuguese: knowledge) currency is an educational sectoral currency in Brazil that is handed out by the ministry of education. ... Hunting spear and knife, from Mesa Verde National Park. ... For the thrash metal band, see Artillery (band) Historically, artillery refers to any engine used for the discharge of projectiles during war. ...

After the battle, only 20,000 Tatar horsemen returned to the Crimea, while the khan left his tent and banner on the battle-field and barely managed to escape alive. The battle claimed the lives of his sons and a grandson.

Great as the Russian victory had been, Vorotynsky's popularity with the soldiers and populace fueled suspicions of the cruel tsar, who had him tortured to death the very next year. Following that, the information on the battle was suppressed in Russian chronicles.

References

• (ru) Viktor Gusev: Mikhail Vorotynsky vs Devlet Giray

External links

• (ru) Reenactment of the Battle of Molodi
• (ru) http://www.hrono.ru/sobyt/1500sob/molod.html
• (ru) http://www.kulichki.com/moshkow/HISTORY/ANDREEW_A_R/krym_history.txt#45
• (ru) http://www.magister.msk.ru/library/history/karamzin/kar09_03.htm
• (en) http://www.xenophon-mil.org/rushistory/battles/ivanbook.htm