Battle of the Sit River

The Battle of the Sit River took place on 4 March 1238 between the Mongol hordes of Batu Khan and the Suzdalians under Grand Prince Yuri II of Vladimir-Suzdal during the Mongol invasion of Kievan Rus'. It was fought in the northern part of the present-day Sonkovsky District of Tver Oblast of Russia, close to the selo of Bozhonka.

Battle of the Sit River
Part of Mongol invasion of Kievan Rus'
Bishop Cyril finds headless body of Grand Duke Yuri on the field of battle of the Sit River.
Date 4 March 1238 Location Modern day Yaroslavl Oblast Result Mongol victory
Belligerents
Mongol Empire	Vladimir-Suzdal
Commanders and leaders
Burundai	Yuri II †
Strength
At least one tumen (10,000) of nomadic cavalry	More than 3,000, mostly infantry
Casualties and losses
Light[1]	Devastating

Battle

After the Mongols sacked his capital of Vladimir on the Klyazma, Yuri fled across the Volga northward, to Yaroslavl, where he hastily mustered an army.^[2] He and his brothers then turned back toward Vladimir in hopes of relieving the city before the Mongols took it, but they were too late. Yuri sent out a force of 3,000 men under Dorozh to scout out where the Mongols were; whereupon Dorozh returned saying that Yuri and his force were already surrounded. As he tried to muster his forces, he was attacked by the Mongol force under Burundai and fled, but was overtaken on the Sit River and died there along with his nephew, Prince Vsevolod of Yaroslavl.^[3]

Aftermath

The battle marked the end of unified resistance against the Mongols, and inaugurated two centuries of the Mongol domination of Russia.^{[citation needed]}