Let's figure it out in more detail with the descriptions of the Kulikovo battle
In the descriptions of the Kulikovo battle, warriors of the princely and boyar, that is, the highest military status, are mentioned. But there are important exceptions. Almost everyone knows about two people. These are Alexander Peresvet and Andrei Oslyabya, the third is the son of Oslyabi named Yakov, who remained lying on the Kulikovo field.
In the widely held, traditional opinion, Peresvet and Oslyabya are two former warriors who became monks. Hegumen Sergius of Radonezh sent them to the Kulikovo field together with the squad of Prince Dmitry. Moreover, it is also commonly believed from school textbooks that Peresvet went out to a duel with the Tatar hero Chelubey before the start of the battle and laid down his head in that duel.
As often happens, what everyone got used to from school is not always accurate and reliable. The idea that the two monks went to fight, which, generally speaking, looks somewhat strange, was formed thanks to, without any exaggeration, the iconic book: "The Legend of the Mamaev Massacre", written for a minute, in the 16th century. That is, more than a century after the events described. At the same time, as you understand, there was no newspaper archive in libraries at that time, so the author based himself on what he had heard, told, thought out and read in a few sources.
But earlier sources tell the story of Peresvet in a different way. In "Zadonshchina" the bogatyr laid his head down during the battle, the historian A. Gorsky mentions in his work "Rus. From Slavic settlement to Muscovy. " Specifically in "Zadonshchina" it sounds like this:
and this happens at a time when
In the chronicle story, Peresvet is mentioned as the last in the list of noble people who laid down their heads in battle. It is important.
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An important point - in the "Life of Sergius of Radonezh", written at the beginning of the 15th century, it is reported that the hegumen blessed Prince Dmitry for the battle, but nothing is said about the monks of Peresvet and Oslyabya, sent on a campaign with the prince. Amazing, right ?! Such a seemingly important point is not mentioned in the Life.
Gorsky mentions a very important point. In the XIV century, the Oslyabyatev family belonged to the metropolitan boyars. At the same time, in the sources of the 15th century, which is nevertheless closer to the Battle of Kulikovo than “The Legend of the Mamayev Massacre”, it is said that Alexander Peresvet was one of the Bryansk boyars before that, and a certain Rodion Oslyabya (could well have been a relative of Andrey Oslyabi) - a boyar from another "Verkhovsky principality" - Lyubutsk. That is, it turns out that Peresvet and Oslyabya were warriors who came to Moscow to serve from the Chernigov land, more precisely, the numerous, small "Verkhovsky principalities".
In Moscow, they became metropolitan boyars, that is, they served not in the economy of the Grand Duke, but in the economy of the metropolitan.
By the way, Andrei Oslyabya, contrary to popular belief, did not lay down his head on the Kulikovo field. His name is, for example, in a letter drawn up around 1390. And there he is - the first of the boyars of Metropolitan Cyprian.
That is, it turns out that Peresvet and Oslyabya were warriors associated with the church. Because they belonged to the metropolitan boyars. But not by monks, but by boyars - people who ensured the functioning, safety and protection, including the military, of the economy of the metropolis.
Well, then, the author of "The Tale of the Mamayev Massacre" wrote his work. And he turned out to be the most popular and famous, despite the fact that the author of the "Tale" dealt with the real history of the battle, let's say, freely. So, in history, once and for all, two boyars, that is, servicemen, turned into monks.
