Mongol Siege of Kiev 1240: The Fall of Rus

In December 1240, the Mongol army under Batu Khan and Subutai breached the walls of Kiev, the ancient capital of Kyivan Rus. This episode takes you inside the siege that shattered the Rus principalities and reshaped Eastern Europe. We examine the Hypatian Codex account, the Mongol army's winter crossing of the Dnipro, the role of the voivode Dmytro, and the aftermath that saw Kiev reduced to ruins. We also explore the diplomatic mission of Giovanni da Pian del Carpine, who visited the Mongol court in Karakorum just years later and recorded the devastation. How did Mongol siegecraft overcome Kiev's formidable defenses? And why did Batu spare some cities but annihilate others? This is the story of a city that fell so completely it took centuries to recover. #MongolSiege #Kiev1240 #BatuKhan #Subutai #KyivanRus #HypatianCodex #GiovanniDaPianDelCarpine #Dnipro #MongolConquest #SiegeWarfare #MedievalHistory #EasternEurope #Karakorum #VoivodeDmytro #MongolEmpire #WinterCampaign #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo