Wolf Khan won two golden crowns. Legend: The Golden Horses of Khan Batu is the most beautiful game in the world - the play of light in a diamond. Treasures of the Golden Horde. Treasures of the Golden Horde found near Kazan

Legends say that the Tatar-Mongol Khan Batu, during the invasion of Rus', captured many treasures that were hidden somewhere in the territory of our country. But so far no one has been able to reach them.

Burnt Fortress

One of these places may be the vicinity of the village of Zolotarevka near Penza. There are remains of an ancient settlement there. According to historian Gennady Belorybkin, in the 14th century there was a fortress here, which was destroyed and burned by the army of Batu Khan. For an unknown reason, the corpses of killed soldiers, weapons and jewelry were left at the site of the burned fortress. The looters were afraid to touch the valuables because they were afraid of the curse that supposedly struck everyone who encroached on them. So everything remained in place. Already in our time, archaeological excavations were carried out in the Zolotarevka area, but no khan’s treasures were found.

Golden horses

Another legend tells about the “golden horses of Khan Batu”. They were allegedly cast from gold collected from all over Rus' as tribute to the khan. These horses with ruby eyes once “guarded” the gates in Sarai, the capital of the Tatar state of the Golden Horde located in the lower reaches of the Volga, serving as a symbol of its power.

Then the Tatar-Mongols moved their capital to the area of the current village of Tsarev, Volgograd region. The golden horses also moved with her. But after the Russian victory over the army of Khan Mamai on the Kulikovo Field, nothing more was heard about the legendary treasure. One of the horses was allegedly buried along with Mamai’s body so that he would “guard” the owner. According to legend, the khan was buried on one of the hills beyond the Volga. But no one knows the exact location of “Mamaev Kurgan”.

The second horse was allegedly first taken with them by the Cossacks who attacked the Horde camp. But they rushed after the convoy on which they were carrying the loot. A battle took place in which many people were killed. As for the statue of the golden horse, it disappeared without a trace. Some historians suggest that the Cossacks threw it into one of the nearby reservoirs, and it still lies at the bottom of some lake...

True, there were still many rumors about this golden horse. Thus, the Soviet writer Ivan Efremov in his book “The Andromeda Nebula” assured that the statue rests at the bottom of the Indian Ocean. Another writer, Sergei Alekseev, in the novel “Treasures of the Valkyrie” wrote that both Batu’s horses were found back in the 60s of the twentieth century by a “KGB special group”. But is literary fiction supported by some real facts, it was not possible to find out.

At the end of the 90s of the last century, information appeared that one of Batu’s horses was discovered during excavations near the village of R. An expedition of the Cosmopoisk Research Association visited there. The researchers interviewed the local population, but did not receive any information about the find.

Convoy on Seliger

According to another myth, Batu’s soldiers hid a whole convoy with looted valuables somewhere in the area of Lake Seliger, in the Tver region. They allegedly searched for him back in the time of Catherine II. Then people arrived in these regions from St. Petersburg with ancient papers indicating the location of the treasure. In particular, they said that if they dig from the east, the diggers will come across a cast-iron door, behind which “there is such wealth that it will be enough for the entire Tver province for a hundred years.”

According to legend, excavations were carried out in the area of the village of Zherebtsovo. Finally we came across a huge cleaver and the corner of some stone structure. But they didn’t have time to get to the bottom of it: at night, a black-mustachioed warrior in armor appeared to the director of the excavations with that same cleaver in his hand and threatened that if everyone didn’t get out of here the next morning, they would find their death here. Others also saw the warrior... They did not tempt fate; the expedition returned to the capital.

About ten years ago, searchers from the Moscow club “Rarity” tried to find a convoy with Batu’s treasures at the bottom of Lake Serebryany. A certain psychic woman told them that the valuables were there.

We took water samples from the lake. It turned out that they actually contain a high content of silver. There were also no fish in the pond. And in the very middle of it there was an incomprehensible bump sticking out. But it was not possible to obtain permission to conduct serious search work on Serebryany, since the lake is located on the territory of a state reserve.

Private individuals also tried to look for treasures at the bottom of the lake. They say that there have been cases of death of divers: the cause was convulsions due to sharp drop temperatures: at the depth of Serebryany there are areas with ice water. But the local population is sure: the seekers fell victims of a curse, because Batu’s treasure is guarded by supernatural forces...

Another “oriental fairy tale” from some shaggy Tsarkon. It’s a pity that this competition was cancelled, I really liked it.

Golden horses of Batu

Sain Khan died slowly and painfully. For many years, invisible shaitans had twisted his fingers, pulled the tendons from his elbows and knees, and hung like an unbearable weight on his arms and legs. And now he didn’t even have the strength to rise from the pillow. The golden embroidery of the carpets blurred before my eyes, mixed, and formed into familiar images and figures. Sain Khan wiped the sweat from his forehead and sighed, driving away the visions.
Vekil, who was waiting for orders behind the tent flap, listened. Sain Khan was talking to someone.
- You take me, and you take the last of my kind. My good ones... - and strange noises, as if the horse snorted and shifted its hooves. - As long as you are here, my city is eternal...
When the vekil looked into the tent, Sain Khan was lying motionless on the carpeted cushions. Swollen yellowish face, completely covered with red spots, closed eyes, heavy breathing. The servant slowly approached, amazed at how thin and weak the majestic and imperious khan seemed frozen on the precious bedspreads. Suddenly the ruler sat up on his bed and looked at him in amazement.
-What is this knocking inside me? - with a sharp movement he threw his swollen, knotty hands forward, digging them into the vekil’s wrists. - Knocking.
It was as if a rockfall had struck the servant along with the touch of the dying khan. Hundreds of devils beat with hammers in the veins of Sain Khan, so quickly and forcefully that the sound deafened the old gatekeeper and echoed in his temples and heart. Vekil pulled his hands out of the tenacious red claws and recoiled, and Sain Khan wheezed and slowly fell back onto the pillows. His eyes rolled back and a thin stream of saliva flowed from the corner of his mouth. He was dead.

Because of the fear experienced by the gatekeeper, because of the indistinct rustling and muttering of the dying man, a legend arose that his golden horses came to Batu Khan before his death. Indeed, only to them could he say “my good ones.”

Batu Khan was the right master. A nomad to the core, he somehow understood that true greatness comes not with military campaigns and victories, but with something more tangible and lasting. Or maybe, while destroying and burning other people's cities, all his life he felt envy of those who once built them, created them, grew them, like shoots in calloused palms. And to those who will raise them from the dust and ruins when his shaggy, wild horde rolls back to their original boundaries, just as the salty surf inevitably returns to the sea.
And then, to the point of pain, to the point of cramping in his clenched jaws, he wanted his own city. Its capital, the greatest and richest of all that existed on earth. Money, stone, slaves - nothing will be denied to the builders. The khan has everything - it’s not for nothing that almost half the world pays him constant tribute. And the khan will spare nothing so that in the lower reaches of Itil his city rises and shines like a fabulous miracle for many centuries.
This is how Sarai-Batu was built - the capital of Batu Khan's ulus - a city that shocked the imagination of contemporaries from other countries. A pearl necklace from mosques, palaces, craft districts, adorned with the diamond of the Khan's palace - a shining diamond, because its walls and roof were covered with thin sheets of pure gold. Maybe then this part of the Great Horde began to be called Golden?
Around 1246, Batu Khan's favorite horse died. Human deaths could neither surprise nor touch the inhabitants of Sarai-Batu, any of whom in the morning did not know whether he would live to see the evening, or, with the light of the first stars, his house would be plundered and burned, his wife would be given to another, and he himself would appear before his forefathers with report on your good and bad deeds. The khan's anger was terrible and swift, his calculation was cruel and merciless, neither one nor the other gave the offender the slightest chance. And those who were far from the khan’s tent faced danger either in military campaigns or in ordinary forays. But there were so many people, they flocked by rivers to the capital of the Golden Horde from Mongolia, the Kipchak steppes, and the Caucasian intermountains; and this Arabian horse was alone, so Batu Khan greatly grieved over his loss. He is too accustomed to control life and death to so easily submit to someone else's decision. He did not want to let go of his horse.
Maybe there is no magic that can revive the dead. But is love and longing really not capable of breathing the soul into a new, golden body? Batu Khan ordered his horse to be cast in life-size from gold. He entrusted this work to a man who already knew the wonders of awakening solid metal. Before the Horde slavery, in another, half-forgotten life, a captive Russian master taught how to speak and sing the Kyiv bells.
“Revive my horse,” said the khan, looking into the empty Blue eyes and indifferently chewing a fig berry. - Come to life, and if I am satisfied, you will be rewarded. Do my will.
Fifteen tons of gold went into the horse, but it was worth it. The horse turned out to be alive, on high chiseled legs, with a proudly set head and a flowing mane. The ruler ordered rubies to be inserted into his eyes and another one of the same cast. Batu Khan planned to place golden horses at the city gates.
When the horses were ready, the foundry worker was given ninety-nine gifts as a sign of the khan's highest favor. He probably didn’t need so many gifts, he was waiting for only one thing, but the most important thing - freedom. Batu Khan read it in his eyes. He ordered the master to be brought to his golden silk tent.
“I cannot allow you to make such horses for another capital,” he said. And, turning to the senior turgaud: - Kill him!
Turgaud finished off the Russian foundry worker only with the third blow, first cutting off his hands so that he could not repeat his last creation in heaven. Batu Khan frowned; he did not want unnecessary cruelty. However, what did it matter?
Golden horses were installed at the Sarai-Batu gate. They shone so brightly that from afar travelers thought there was a fire in the city. But this was a different fire, the fire of the sun reflected from polished manes and rumps, a symbol of the might and power of the Golden Horde, a symbol of the immortality of the khan and his horse. Batu Khan ordered the word “mine” to be carved on one of the pedestals, and “yours” on the other.

IN last years During his life, Batu Khan received the nickname Sain, which means “fair”. In 1256 he died, leaving his son Sartak in power. Just a year later, Berke, the brother of Batu the Just, sat on the throne of the Golden Horde. To do this, he had to poison both nephews, but the ivory throne with gold inlays was too desirable for anything to stop Berke Khan. He spent too many years in his brother's shadow, lusting for power; only power did not bring him relief from thirst. The glory of Batu, a great warrior and ruler, haunted him even years later. He physically could not stay in Sarai-Batu, live in his brother’s palace, walk on his carpets, sleep on his pillows. Every now and then he imagined that Sain Khan was not dead, that he was somewhere nearby, behind the curtain, that he was about to come in and ask him about his sons. The blood froze in Berke Khan’s veins, his hands froze, like in the frosty wind in winter. How many times could Brother Batu have dealt with him, destroyed him, but he didn’t. But now, after his death, he came to his palace almost every day, forcing Berke to listen to the rustle of silk panels, muffled steps behind him, and melancholy sighs. The new khan, in horror, counted the berries into bunches of grapes on a dish decorated with emeralds and yahonts; measured the level of wine in a chased glass. There weren't enough berries, the wine was melting, and it was unbearable. “Today he eats my grapes, and tomorrow he will plunge a dagger into jugular vein“- thought Berke, feeling his wrinkled neck. He needed another city, his own, just as Sain Khan once needed his own city.
In 1262, Berke built a new capital, one hundred kilometers north of the old one, and transported golden horses to it. Not wanting to damage the precious sculptures, he ordered them to be taken away along with the pedestals, but one slab, with the inscription “yours,” cracked and still had to be replaced. In Sarai-Berk, golden horses were again placed at the city gates.

After the Russian victory on the Kulikovo field in 1380, the star of Horde luck finally set. Rus' rose from the ashes, raised its head, and marched towards the Mongol army, fearing neither pain nor death. Now the proximity to the Russian lands was not profitable, but dangerous, and this played a bad joke on the Horde capital. One day, a Cossack patrol, intoxicated by the feeling of imminent freedom, decided to make a surprise visit to Sarai-Berk in order to scare the residents and, if possible, plunder the city. This dashing and reckless foray turned out to be surprisingly successful: in those days, the Khan’s troops were in disarray after the Kulikovo field. The security at the gates of the capital was small, the Cossacks easily smashed it to smithereens and, feeling themselves masters of the situation, wanted to take the golden horses with them. With difficulty, they managed to break one sculpture from the old pedestal; the booty was wrapped in sackcloth, loaded onto a wagon train and taken home.
By that time, the remnants of the Horde army, camped at Sarai-Berke, learned about the next shame that had fallen on their heads, and the Mongols rushed after the crazy brave men. They could not move quickly, because the train with the golden horse was too heavy and was moving slowly. Although, perhaps, the Cossacks were not in too much of a hurry: they probably understood that they had signed their own death warrant, and it made no difference whether the Horde would catch up with them a little earlier or a little later.

It was spring. The steppe, fresh and bright, washed by thunderstorms, was decorated with scarlet poppies, glistening in the sun, like the silk robe of Batu Khan. Everything blossomed and grew in the life-giving floodplain of Akhtuba: grasshoppers chirped, lizards and snakes rustled, birds in the heights sang happy songs, and even the air itself seemed to ring with sun rays as if from stretched strings.
Suddenly a strange silence reigned, as if all sounds were hidden behind an invisible to the human eye an obstacle. Even the creaking of the wheels of an overloaded convoy became almost inaudible. A quiet whistle was heard over the steppe. The Cossacks shuddered. They were not afraid of either the Mongol hordes or the prince's wrath, but this whistle frightened them. The horses also shuddered, stopped, neighed quietly, straightening their ears. As if in response, the sackcloth on the wagon train began to move. The horsemen looked at her in horror, not daring to budge, and only quickly crossed themselves. Someone alive was thrashing and kicking where they were placing the golden statue. Finally, the sackcloth slid down, and a dark blinking eye appeared on a silken muzzle, a straightened ear... Swaying, a magnificent Arabian horse of golden color stood on the wagon train, shook its head, fluttering its long mane in the wind. He jumped down, listened slowly and galloped, rushing like a sparkling arrow towards the whistle. The Cossacks saw a horse stop in the distance, and someone saddled it, it seemed like a man in a blue robe or fur coat trimmed with fur. However, none of them could say for sure, and a moment later the horse completely disappeared over the horizon. At this moment, the cotton curtain fell, and the Russians clearly heard the noise and hubbub of the Khan’s army catching up with them.
They didn’t even think about running away or, God forbid, surrendering to the Mongols. After briefly praying for the last time, the Cossacks turned to face the Horde and accepted unequal battle. They fought to the death, and there were ten times more Horde soldiers than them, so all the dashing daredevils laid down their violent heads there, in the middle of the scarlet steppe. Only when the last of the Russians stopped breathing were the Mongols able to approach the convoy and discover that it was empty! The golden horse was nowhere to be found - neither under the sackcloth, nor nearby, nor under the pile of bloody bodies.

The Horde warriors never found the horse, so a legend was born that the Cossacks threw it on the way into a lake or river, intending to return for it later. There are too many inconsistencies in this assumption. Firstly, would the Cossacks drown their precious horse in Akhtuba? Probably not, because finding him later would be almost impossible. This means they had to choose a small and conspicuous body of water. After all, even being ready for death, a person still hopes that he will survive and, of course, get rich. Especially if it is a Russian who believes in God’s providence.
And what - secondly? At that time, as many centuries later, there were many lakes and rivers in the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain, but after the construction of the Volga hydroelectric station, spring waters, flowing in the usual channel from all over Russia to the fertile Akhtuba fields, stopped behind the iron gates of the dam. The spills were crushed, revealing the depths of the muddy bottom to the curious eye. In addition, hordes of treasure hunters fell upon the remains of the ancient Horde, scattering, piece by piece, piece by piece, what remained of both the great capitals and the warriors who had fallen in the steppe. Even if the golden horse had lain peacefully for almost six centuries in a natural cache, it would inevitably have been discovered in the twentieth century. But they didn’t find it.
The legend about the second golden horse, which the Cossacks did not have time or were unable to knock down from the pedestal and take with them, is no more plausible. It is believed that he was placed in a mound along with the murdered Khan Mamai, and this mound is located somewhere in the Volga steppes, and supposedly Khan Mamai will guard this treasure even after death. But who would allow the horse of the great Batu, the founder of the Golden Horde, to be given to a rootless Polovtsian temnik, a loser who lost the future of the Mongol race, who lost the light of primacy from inept hands - which was immediately picked up by the inspired and ardent Slavs? No, after the defeat in the Battle of Kulikovo, Mamai was never able to regain his former power, obtained only because of civil strife and the weakness of the legitimate heirs of the Golden Horde throne. He was almost immediately attacked by Tokhtamysh, a real Genghisid, although not a direct descendant of Batu, and Mamai fled to the Crimea, to Feodosia, for help from his Genoese creditors. But he had nothing to pay overseas merchants with, except perhaps own life, - he paid with his life, dying in 1380 in Feodosia, or Cafe, from a thieve’s stab in the back. They buried him there, not far from Kafa, and the village that later grew up next to his burial mound for a long time It was not called Sheikh Mamai for nothing. And Sarai-Berke was never Mamai’s headquarters; the Polovtsian khan only from time to time managed to transfer his troops beyond the blue border of the Volga... no, he had no right to this horse. Rather, the horse should have belonged to Tokhtamysh, but, probably, the fate of both of them cracked along with the stone slab on which the magical destiny was inscribed. Who, when and how released the horse is unknown, but in 1395, when Timur’s troops plundered and burned to the ground the capital of the willful Mongol Khan, there was no golden treasure in it.

And so both of Batu’s golden horses disappeared, dissolved in death and battle. True, the old-timers of those regions say that one of them can sometimes be seen in the steppe, especially in the spring: he jumps, as if flying, over the bloody poppies and plaintively, restlessly cries - calling either his lost master, or his more fortunate brother.

Ancient legends about treasures that mysteriously disappeared for many centuries excite the imagination of archaeologists and adventurers - treasure hunters who still do not lose hope of finding the legendary treasures. They are not embarrassed by the fact that it is quite likely that these are just beautiful fairy tales that have nothing to do with real story. However, the legendary treasures of the Golden Horde, although similar to a fairy tale, still have documentary evidence

In the chronicles there are references to luxurious golden horses located at the entrance to the capital of the horde, but their disappearance has no documentary evidence - only legends that pass from century to century and lead to searches for disappeared treasures.

According to ancient legends, the khan dreamed of eclipsing the greatness of other rulers and amaze everyone with the luxury of the capital of the horde. When his beloved white Arabian horse died, Batu ordered to immortalize him in gold. By the way, Batu, imitating the famous grandfather Genghis Khan, took this white horse with him on all military campaigns, but did not ride it himself. It was believed that the god of war, Sulde himself, was invisibly riding on a handsome horse, so different from the short Mongolian horses.

The bell-making horse was cast by a master who was captured in Kyiv. History has not preserved his name. The chronicles only mention that 15 tons of gold were used to make the horse. But Batu decided that two identical equestrian statues on the sides of the gate would look better. The master made a second golden horse, an exact copy of the first. Golden horses with ruby eyes were placed at the main gate of the barn - bata. Batu's golden horses witnessed the rise and fall of a powerful empire.

The statues amazed the imagination of everyone who saw them. This is what the ambassador of the French King Louis Saint, Willem Rubruck, wrote about this in his report: “From afar, we saw a sparkle at the gate and decided that a fire had started in the city. As we got closer, we realized that it was two golden statues of horses shining in the rays of the rising sun. life-size. How much gold was used for this miracle and how rich is the khan? These are the questions I asked myself at that moment.”

After the death of Batu, the horse statues, by order of Berke Khan, were moved to the new capital, and their disappearance is associated with the period of the collapse of the powerful empire. According to legend, the khan was buried under the fortress wall of the capital, and one of the golden horses was placed in his grave. However, there are many versions about the true grave of Mamai, and it is not known for certain where the khan was buried, and whether he could have been given such honor. It is likely that the golden horse was buried in the grave of another khan.

It is interesting that in most legends only one horse appears, the disappearance of which is associated with the name Mamaia, and the question arises: what fate befell the second horse? In the Trans-Volga Cossack villages, there is a legend about the theft of a golden horse from a barn-berke by a Cossack detachment, which captured the city for a couple of hours, but was forced to retreat, daring to seize the capital’s golden sufferer. The Horde organized a pursuit, and leaving with a heavy convoy was unrealistic. The Cossacks died in a battle with enemies, but before that they managed to hide the statue. The only question that remains is: where could the golden horse have disappeared to? It would have taken a lot of time to bury it in the steppe, so it is likely that the statue was drowned in the nearest river.

Formerly a symbol of power, Batu’s golden horses disappeared without a trace, and the location of these treasures is hidden in the darkness of centuries. Archaeologists and treasure hunters are focusing on the Astrakhan and Volgograd regions of Russia as possible places where these treasures may be buried. Did they really exist or are they just beautiful legends? One of the many mysteries of history, to which no answer has yet been found.

High mountain in the city center. For all 26 centuries, it gave shelter to many peoples inhabiting the Kerch Peninsula. The dramas of the Greeks, Scythians, Turks, Russians and many others were played out here. Of course, we couldn’t do without legends about fabulous treasures. The most intriguing, perhaps, can be considered the legend of the golden horse of Mithridates.
At the time when Panticapaeum was the capital of the Bosporan kingdom, it was ruled by the great king Mithridates Eupator. Under his auspices, Panticapaeum reached unprecedented heights; all of Tauris (modern Crimea) submitted to him. The king had his own talisman - a full-length statue of a horse made of pure gold. He always carried his horse with him; the bright shine of gold could be seen from afar. Mithridates became so confident in his abilities after successive victories that he risked challenging the Roman Empire. The Roman legionaries clashed with the soldiers of Mithridates. The forces of two powerful troops were equal. Unexpectedly for the king, his son Pharnaces went over to the side of the Romans. Pharnaces seduced many warriors with gold, promising to divide the famous golden horse Mithridates between them.
The king's spirit broke when he learned about his son's betrayal. Now he did not hope to become the ruler of the world; the days of the great Bosporan kingdom were ending. Mithridates hid behind the high walls of the acropolis; he decided to leave the world by drinking poison, but the king deceived himself. He was so afraid of betrayal that from adolescence he took a drop of poison and became invulnerable to the poison. Then Mithridates turned to his faithful servant, so that he would pierce him with a sword. Mithridates died at the hands of a slave, and the mountain swallowed up the golden horse. Many “lucky” people have since tried to look for the statue in the mountain, but no one has been lucky.
This is one version of the legend. There are many of them, they differ, sometimes in details, sometimes it seems that this is a completely different story. According to one version, not just one horse was golden, but an entire chariot with four horses. And the famous merchant Mesaksudi found her, quickly and fabulously getting rich. Another version tells that in the depths of the mountain a girl keeps a magic herb that turns everything into gold. Even respected scientists expressed their assumptions about the interpretation of legends. It was suggested that the treasure became a golden horse in people's mouths. In fact, Mithridates could well have had a cache where he kept the treasury of Panticapaeum.
The legend and scientists agree on only one thing - there was a treasure somewhere, or there still is. The gray slopes of Mount Mithridates store many treasures in their depths and gradually give them to humanity. And it doesn’t matter in what form the treasures are stored - in the form of a beautiful statue of a golden horse, a handful of silver coins or copper fragments of the life of the ancient Bosporans - the main thing is that they are there.

THE GOLDEN HORSES OF KHAN BATYA are legendary treasures, the exact location of which is still unknown. The history of the horses is something like this: After Batu Khan ravaged Ryazan and Kiev, he returned to the lower reaches of the Volga and, with the help of skilled craftsmen gathered in the countries subject to and conquered him (among whom were Russians), built here, to the surprise of all neighboring peoples, in the middle of the steppes. the capital Saray is a beautiful city with palaces, mosques, running water, fountains and shady gardens. Batu ordered that all the tribute collected for the year be turned into gold, and two horses be cast from this gold. The order was carried out exactly, but until now people’s rumors differ on the question of whether those horses were hollow or completely golden. Cast shiny horses with glowing ruby eyes were placed at the entrance to the capital of the Golden Horde Khanate at the city gates. Khans changed, but the golden statues were still the personification of the power of the state.

When the capital was moved to the new Sarai (near the present village of Tsarev, Volgograd region), built by Khan Berke, the golden horses were also transported. When Mamai became khan, the previous prosperity of the khanate came to an end. Russian troops defeated Mamai's army on the Kulikovo field, and Mamai was forced to flee...

The fate of the golden horses is not reliably known. Legends say that one horse was buried along with Mamai’s body; the exact location of the grave is unknown. They say that somewhere on one of the hills near Akhtuba. In all the numerous versions of retellings of this legend (which are told by old people in Leninsk, the former Prishib, Kharaboly, Sasykolye, Cherny Yar, Selitrenny and other villages in the Volga region), only one golden horse appears (and Mamai guards it). But where is the other one?

As the old people in the Trans-Volga Cossack villages (which are near the Astrakhan road) used to say, pursuing the retreating Horde troops, the Cossack patrols became so bold that they began to penetrate in small groups deep into the territory of the Horde, which was shrinking every day. One such detachment, taking advantage of the panic in the enemy camp, broke straight into the capital Sarai. And, as the Cossack Alekseevich once said, this detachment captured the city for several hours. . Now it is difficult to say whether the golden horses were the real target of the raid or whether they accidentally caught the eye of the Cossacks. In any case, there is no point in planning such a daring action in advance - stealing heavy statues, which are the pride of the khan and the entire nation, is tantamount to suicide. However, a daring Cossack patrol broke off the base of one of the golden horses and turned back. The overloaded one moved very slowly, so the Horde had time to come to their senses and organize a pursuit. Sensing something was wrong, the Cossacks turned around and accepted an unequal battle. Those who were catching up were hundreds of times more numerous than those who were catching up, so the outcome of the battle was a foregone conclusion: all the Cossacks died, no one surrendered, and many times more Horde horsemen died. But despite the losses they suffered, the Horde never regained their golden horse.

Golden horse of Genghis Khan

Author Alexey Malyshev
GOLDEN TALES OF SIBERIA
GOLDEN HORSE OF GENGISH KHAN
The great khan of the horde had a favorite horse. They traveled many paths together. The khan won many victories while riding his faithful horse. For a nomad, the horse is the most important part of his life; he begins his day by mounting the horse and only at late dinner does he go down to the ground and let it go to graze for the night. The war horse kicks enemies with its hooves, bites so much that they tear pieces of flesh and carries the owner out of the battle in a moment of danger.
It is impossible to convey in words all the devotion and friendship of the rider and his horse.
And now the hour has come for the heroic horse to die. The life of a war horse is short. The beloved friend of the great Genghis Khan fell from old age.
But the grateful ruler did not want to simply bury the bones of his faithful horse.
He ordered his goldsmiths to collect the entire gold treasury of the Volga horde. And smelt a full-length statue of your horse from pure gold.
After farewell, that horse was buried in a secret mound and hidden from predatory eyes in damp earth.
This is how the legend of the golden horse remained in those places.
Many diggers and mound workers have been searching for it for centuries. But the Golden Horse has not yet been found.
The deeds of a great man remain forever.
People also remember another legend about the golden horses of Khan Batu.
Having passed through Rus' with fire and sword and devastated Ryazan and Kyiv, Batu went to the Volga steppes and founded the richest capital city of the Golden Horde. Everything was in that city: houses and palaces with fountains. They say that the city of the Horde was so wide and large that if a rider entered it in the morning, he rode all day and left it only late in the evening. Its bazaars were full of all the fruits of the earth and Chinese silks and Bukhara daggers and Persian carpets.
And so Batu ordered to show his power. He ordered to take the entire annual tribute from the countries under his control and turn it into gold. And from that gold, cast two full-length golden horses with ruby eyes and golden stools. They were placed on the gates of the main Khan's palace, as signs of the power of the Batu Khanate - the Golden Horde.

Video Fairy Tale. "GOLDEN HORSE". Audio tales. Fairy tales for children

Treasures of the Golden Horde. Treasures of the Golden Horde found near Kazan

Archaeologists have found treasures of the Golden Horde near Kazan. Robert Galimov, an amateur archaeologist, found the treasure. This is his first big find in two years of excavations. According to one version, there was a house at the site of the things found. It burned completely, but the treasures literally miraculously survived.

A golden find from the Golden Horde period: experts cannot yet determine exactly what century the pendant comes from. Archaeologists have not yet encountered similar objects here. But it’s already clear: these jewelry adorned one of the very rich Muslim fashionistas.

Asiya Mukhametshina, the chief curator of the Bulgarian Museum-Reserve, says in more detail: “Pendants could be attached to the ends of hair, which later developed into a tradition among the Tatars.”

Earrings, rings and pendants lay scattered at a depth of more than two meters. So old - they are more than seven centuries old - and in such quantity jewelry is found for the first time in a hundred years, and therefore they don’t talk about their price - they are priceless in every sense.

Robert Galimov, an amateur archaeologist, found the treasure. This is his first big find in two years of excavations. “A friend says he hasn’t found anything like this in seven years,” notes Robert.

According to one version, there was a house at the site of the things found. It burned completely, but the treasures literally miraculously survived.

“The building was deeply buried in the ground, in the lower part the temperature was low, but it burned in the upper tiers, and things were not damaged,” explains archaeologist, candidate of historical sciences Vyacheslav Baranov.

Archaeologists planned to explore 4 thousand square meters. Now we've only passed one. They are unlikely to have time to finish everything. Builders began working side by side with them - building a river station.

Meanwhile, there was a craft district on this territory, and this land may have more than one historical value. Copper vessels were found along with the gold. Experts from Ufa will determine exactly how old the finds are. They are afraid to transport exhibits, so inspectors will come themselves. They are expected any day now.

The golden horses of Khan Batu are legendary treasures, the exact location of which is still unknown.

The history of horses is approximately this: after Khan Batu (1209 - 1255) ravaged Ryazan and Kyiv, he returned to the lower reaches of the Volga and, with the help of skilled craftsmen gathered in the countries subject to and conquered him (among whom were Russians), built here, to the surprise of all neighboring the peoples in the middle of the steppes had their capital Sarai (Old Sarai or Sarai-Batu).

It was a beautiful city with palaces, mosques, running water, fountains and shady gardens.

Batu ordered that all the tribute collected for the year be turned into gold, and two horses be cast from this gold. The order was carried out exactly, but until now people’s rumors differ on the question of whether those horses were hollow or completely golden.

Figurines of golden horses. Illustrative photo

Cast shiny horses with glowing ruby eyes were placed at the entrance to the capital of the Golden Horde Khanate at the city gates. Khans changed, but the golden statues were still the personification of the power of the state.

When the capital was moved to New Saray (Sarai-Berke) (near the present village of Tsarev, Volgograd region), built by Khan Berke, the golden horses were also transported next. When Mamai became khan, the previous prosperity of the khanate came to an end. Russian troops defeated Mamai's army on the Kulikovo field, and Mamai was forced to flee.

Fragments of tiled decoration of the palace of Genghisid. Golden Horde, Sarai-Batu. Ceramics, overglaze painting, mosaic, gilding. Selitrennoye settlement. Excavations in the 1980s.

The fate of the golden horses is not reliably known. Legends say that one horse was buried along with Mamai’s body, but the exact location of the grave is unknown. They say that somewhere on one of the hills near Akhtuba.

In the 6th volume of the major historical and geographical work “Russia” it is mentioned that near the village of Rastegaevka near Prishib there are several “Mamaev mounds”, in one of which the “living Mamai” sleeps.

In all the numerous versions of this legend (which are told by old people in Leninsk, the former Prishib, Kharaboly, Sasykolye, Cherny Yar, Selitrenny and other villages of the Volga region), only one golden horse appears (and Mamai guards it). But where is the other one?

Ruins of Saray-Berke

One such detachment, taking advantage of the panic in the enemy camp, broke straight into the capital Sarai. And, as the Cossack Alekseevich once said, this detachment captured the city for several hours.

Now it is difficult to say whether the golden horses were the real target of the raid or whether they accidentally caught the eye of the Cossacks. In any case, there is no point in planning such a daring action in advance - stealing heavy statues, which are the pride of the khan and the entire nation, is tantamount to suicide.

Nevertheless, the daring Cossack patrol broke off the base of one of the golden horses and turned back. The overloaded convoy moved very slowly, so the Horde had time to come to their senses and organize a pursuit. Sensing something was wrong, the Cossacks turned around and accepted an unequal battle.

Those who were catching up were hundreds of times more numerous than those who were catching up, so the outcome of the battle was a foregone conclusion: all the Cossacks died, no one surrendered, and many times more Horde horsemen died. But, despite the losses they suffered, the Horde never regained their golden horse.

The Horde never learned the truth, because not a single one of the Cossacks surrendered or betrayed their comrades. There was no statue near the mountain of corpses. The Cossacks did not have time to take it far, which means they hid it and the rest of the treasures somewhere nearby. Burying in the steppe - this also takes time. So they drowned?

Of course, they were looking for horses. The search for gold statues in the 19th century was carried out mainly by single seekers. In the 1950s, science fiction writer Ivan Efremov wrote in “The Andromeda Nebula” that a certain golden horse would definitely be found in the future (although, according to Efremov, for some reason it would be found at the bottom of the Indian Ocean in the 20th century).

In the 1990s, Sergei Alekseev wrote in his novel “Treasures of the Valkyrie” that back in the 1960s these golden horses were found by a “KGB special group.” However, what was written was not supported by any reliable information and in many ways raises legitimate doubts).

At the end of the 1990s, rumors spread that one golden horse was found during excavations near a certain village of R., but the matter never went further than this information.

Based on materials from "Encyclopedia of Mysterious Places of Russia" by V. Chernobrov

The fate of the golden horses is not reliably known. Legends say that one horse was buried along with Mamai’s body; the exact location of the grave is unknown. They say that somewhere on one of the hills near Akhtuba [in the 6th volume
The major historical and geographical work "Russia" mentions that near the village of Rastegaevka near Prishib there are several "Mamaev mounds", in one of which the "living Mamai" sleeps]. In all the numerous versions of retellings of this legend (which are told by old people in Leninsk, the former Prishib, Kharaboly, Sasykolye, Cherny Yar, Selitrenny and other villages in the Volga region), only one golden horse appears (and Mamai guards it). But where is the other one?

As the old people in the Trans-Volga Cossack villages (which are near the Astrakhan highway) used to tell, pursuing the retreating Horde troops, the Cossack patrols became so bold that they began to penetrate in small groups
deep into the horde's territory, which is shrinking every day. One such detachment, taking advantage of the panic in the enemy camp, broke straight into the capital Sarai. And, as the Cossack Alekseevich once said, this detachment captured the city for several hours. [Lashilin B. “It was.” Nizhne-Volzhskoe book publishing house, Volgograd, 1982, p.12]. Now it is difficult to say whether the golden horses were the real target of the raid or whether they were accidentally caught by the Cossacks
eyes. In any case, there is no point in planning such a daring action in advance - stealing heavy statues, which are the pride of the khan and the entire nation, is tantamount to suicide. However, a daring Cossack patrol broke off the base of one of the golden horses and turned back. The overloaded convoy moved very slowly, so the Horde had time to come to their senses and organize a pursuit. Sensing something was wrong, the Cossacks turned around and accepted the unequal
the battle. Those who were catching up were hundreds of times more numerous than those who were catching up, so the outcome of the battle was a foregone conclusion: all the Cossacks died, no one surrendered, and many times more Horde horsemen died. But despite the losses they suffered, the Horde never regained their golden horse.

The Horde never learned the truth, because not one of the Cossacks surrendered or betrayed their comrades. There was no statue near the mountain of corpses. The Cossacks did not have time to take her far, which means they hid her and the rest
the treasure is somewhere nearby. Burying in the steppe - this also takes time. So they drowned?...

So where is the first and where is the second golden horse? Several centuries later, there are still no answers to this question...

“As we approached closer, we realized that it was two life-size golden statues of horses shining in the rays of the rising sun. How much gold was used for this miracle and how rich was the khan? These are the questions I asked myself at that moment,” these are the lines about Batu’s golden horses that St. Louis’s ambassador, Willem Rubruk, wrote in his report.

Ancient legends about treasures that mysteriously disappeared for many centuries have excited the imagination of archaeologists and adventurers-treasure hunters, who still do not lose hope of finding the legendary treasures. They are not embarrassed by the fact that, quite possibly, these are just beautiful fairy tales that have nothing to do with real history. However, the legendary treasures of the Golden Horde, although similar to a fairy tale, still have documentary evidence. In the chronicles there are references to luxurious golden horses located at the entrance to the capital of the Horde, but their disappearance has no documentary evidence - only legends that pass from century to century and lead to searches for disappeared treasures.

Batu's golden horses witnessed the rise and fall of a powerful empire. According to ancient legends,
the vain Khan Batu dreamed of eclipsing the greatness of other rulers and amaze everyone with the luxury of the capital of the Horde. So that everyone could immediately see the greatness and wealth of the empire, the khan ordered statues of two life-size golden horses to be installed at the entrance to the capital. According to legend, the creation of these golden guards of the capital of the Golden Horde took 15 tons of pure gold - all the tribute collected during the year, and instead of eyes they had real rubies. It is not known for certain whether the horses were entirely cast from gold or were hollow inside.

After the death of Batu, the horse statues, by order of Khan Berke, were moved to the new capital, and their disappearance is associated with the period of the collapse of the powerful empire and Mamai, who was defeated in the Battle of Kulikovo. According to legend, the khan was buried under the fortress wall of the capital, and one of the golden horses was placed in his grave. However, there are many versions about the true grave of Mamai, and it is not known for certain where the khan was buried, and whether he could have been given such honor. It is likely that the golden horse was buried from the grave of another khan.

It is interesting that in most legends only one horse appears, the disappearance of which is associated with the name Mamaia, and the question arises: what fate befell the second horse? In the Trans-Volga Cossack villages, there is a legend about the theft of a golden horse from Sarai-Berke by a Cossack detachment, which captured the city for a couple of hours, but was forced to retreat, daring to seize the capital’s golden sufferer. The Horde organized a pursuit, and leaving with a heavy convoy was unrealistic. The Cossacks died in a battle with enemies, but before that they managed to hide the statue. The only question that remains is: where could the golden horse have disappeared to? It would have taken a lot of time to bury it in the steppe, so it is likely that the statue was drowned in the nearest river.

Having been a symbol of the power of the great Golden Horde, Batu’s golden horses disappeared without a trace, and the location of these treasures is hidden in the darkness of centuries. Archaeologists and treasure hunters focus on the Astrakhan and Volgograd regions of Russia as possible places where these treasures may be buried. Did they really exist or are they just beautiful legends? One of the many mysteries of history, to which no answer has yet been found, and who knows, maybe someone else will be lucky enough to find these mysterious treasures of the Horde.