Siege of Kolomna


Following the Battle of Voronezh River in December 1237, Yuri II of Vladimir sent both of his sons with "all his men" and Voivode Yeremey to defend the fortress of Kolomna, which was on the border to the Wild Fields.

Battle

In Kolomna, the Vladimir-Suzdal army met some of the Ryazan survivors from the Battle of Voronezh River led by Prince Roman Ingvarevich. After some heavy fighting under the walls of Kolomna, the young princes Vsevolod and Vladimir retreated to Vladimir and Moscow, respectively. The small Russian force left in Kolomna was besieged and annihilated a few days after the destruction of Ryazan. This left the capital, Vladimir, open for the next Tatar onslaught.

Opposing forces

According to Rashid-al-Din Hamadani, the contemporary historian of the Ilkhanate, Kolomna was the fiercest battle of the entire campaign: Kulkan, son of Genghis Khan, died in battle.Reasons for Mongol casualties, which were heavier than usual, might be:
According to The Tale of the Destruction of Ryazan, a few days after the fall of Kolomna, the main Mongol army was suddenly attacked "in the land of Suzdal". On January 11, 1238, the last remnant of Ryazan defenders, 1700 men under Evpaty Kolovrat, made a last stand for their country. Though probably fictional, the tale of their sacrifice is "one of the greatest epics in the history of Russia".