All at once Prince Ostei appeared in the capital with a small group of warriors. The crowd did not know well who this prince was, or whence he came. Some declared him a son of Oleg; but in every case they were delighted, for it was clear that he knew well the art of war. There was more order after his coming. A great number of people assembled from the environs, and Ostei, before shutting the gates of the Kremlin, admitted all who would enter. The main defenders, however, were a rabble, the lowest of the city, and a few merchants, abbots, priests, monks and deacons, men of all ages, and women, some even with infants.
August 15, 1382, the smoke and the light of distant burning announced the approach of Tohtamish and his forces. On August 22 he was near the city and sent his advance-guard to strike at the Kremlin. The Mongols examined the ramparts, rode around the walls, estimated the depth of the moats, and looked at points whence attack might be possible. Approaching the gates, they shouted: “Is the Grand Prince in Moscow?” They received no answer, and toward evening they vanished. Next morning the Khan came himself and laid siege to the Kremlin.
The nondescript mob in the city robbed, drank, and rioted. Prince Ostei, who was defending the fortress, was unable to repress the disorder; he was fighting on the walls and greatly occupied. He met all assaults with success, and wherever the enemy tried to carry a position he drove them back effectively. The Mongols had no wall-breaking engines. For three days Tohtamish was baffled at every point. The fourth morning the besieged were astounded,—it was silent and quiet in the camp of the enemy. Soon a party of richly dressed warriors rode toward the Kremlin, princes of the Horde, with a suite in large numbers. In front of all were the brothers-in-law of the Grand Prince, Simeon and Vassili, sons of Dmitri of Nizni. The suite made signs that they came for peace, and were allowed to ride up to the defenses. “The Khan wishes to show his people grace,” said they. “He has come not against you, who are guilty of nothing. Our sovereign has not come to strike you, but Dmitri. He is not angry with you,—ye are worthy of favor. He only asks you to come out with small gifts and show honor; he desires nothing further.” The same [[396]]words were repeated by Dmitri’s two brothers-in-law, whom the Khan had sent also to parley. These Nizni princes declared that Tohtamish had sworn to harm no one, and to take nothing save that which was given him with honor. Simeon seized the cross from his neck and kissed it to prove his sincerity.
Prince Ostei and all who had wisdom believed not, but many, even of those who seemed wise, were pleased at this way of ending the struggle. The mob, from being warlike, called for peace, and opposed Prince Ostei, the commander. “He alone,” said they, “keeps up this struggle; we must stop it.” The prince turned to the best of the people with these words: “Wait only a little; the Grand Prince and his cousin are coming with reinforcements. The Khan has only a small army; ye must not believe those two princes from Nizni. Above all put no trust in the words of Tohtamish; his promises are worthless.” But the mob would not listen. From the walls they made the Horde princes take oath to harm no one. The Nizni princes swore in the same sense a second time. The clergy went out then with images and crosses. Prince Ostei, with the best of the citizens, followed. Next came a great crowd of people with gifts, and with homage. When the procession drew near the enemy’s camp, sabres flashed up on all sides. The Mongols snatched the holy images and crosses from the clergy, threw them on the ground and trampled them; then they cut down priests and people. The whole square in front of the Kremlin was soon streaming with blood. Next they rushed through the gates like a torrent, and slew all inside the Kremlin. There was no place of refuge. Those who fled to churches were slaughtered there. All were slain without distinction. Everything of value was taken from the churches, and not one book escaped destruction. All the wealth collected during long years of labor was lost in that one day of terror, August 26, 1382.
Tohtamish feasted among the ruins of Moscow, and sent men in every direction, to Vladimir, Pereyaslavl and other places, for plunder. The division which went to Volok was met by Vladimir the Brave, who defeated it thoroughly, killing, it was said, six thousand Mongols. When the remnant of those Mongols returned, Tohtamish recalled his plundering parties, and withdrew to Sarai with immense booty, and a great crowd of captives. On the way he burned Kolomna, and plundered Oleg’s lands unmercifully. [[397]]But through an envoy he sent thanks to Dmitri of Nizni for sending his sons as assistants.
Moscow was filled with decaying corpses; people of every age and condition were lying there dead, and every building was either burned to the earth, or in ruins. Twenty-four thousand people were buried by Dmitri when he came back to his capital.
The princes of Ryazan, Tver, and Nizni gained nothing by their disloyalty to the Grand Prince. Oleg of Ryazan suffered heavily when the Khan was retiring from Moscow, and Dmitri, who had forgiven Oleg’s perfidy in Mamai’s day, now made him pay dearly for aiding the men who burned the capital.
As reward to the Nizni prince, Tohtamish gave the grand patent and returned to him his son Simeon; but he gave him no help to win Vladimir, and retained Vassili, the second son, as hostage.
When Michael of Tver and his son went to the Horde with rich gifts, the Khan’s intimates promised every aid, but time passed while Michael spent much and gained nothing save promises. The metropolitan, Cyprian, favored Michael, and would not return to Moscow, though two boyars were sent to conduct him; as a result of this disobedience he was banished a second time in favor of Pimen.
Upon Dmitri’s return to Moscow, he called back the people who had fled to other places to save themselves and rebuilt the city with energy. He was at a loss as to how to treat Mamai’s successor, when Tohtamish himself settled the problem. The Khan, seeing that Dmitri was not prepared to visit Sarai, or send boyars with his homage, despatched a gracious embassy to Moscow, while the city was still in ruins. Men knew at the capital that Tohtamish had sent the Nizni prince a patent to the Grand Principality. It was known also that Michael of Tver had tried, through much gold and silver, to get the same patent, with the addition of Novgorod, but Karatch, the Khan’s envoy, declared to Dmitri that Tohtamish would not displace him; he had satisfied his anger, and the past was forgotten. They gave good presents to the envoy who had come with this information, and conducted him homeward with honor.