The Phantom “Black Infantry”: on the Participation of the Genoese Forces in the Battle of the Don River (1380)
The article continues the trend towards the demythologisation of the Battle of the Don River (also known as the Battle of Kulikovo field), which is being observed now in Russian historiography. The research is based on the study of the most authentic written sources and the critical approach towards them. Using the evidence of the medieval Russian chronicles and of the Genovese sources as well, it is shown that claims of the Genovese troops' participation in the battle on Mamai's side are invalid. Firstly, the hypothetic mobilisation capacity of Caffa, the largest Genovese colony in Crimea, is calculated, and the evidence of written sources on the number of troops in other Crimean colonies is analysed. Then, the texts of medieval Russian chronicles, mentioning Friagy among the Mamai's mercenaries, are reconsidered, and the reliability of this evidence is assessed by comparing these texts. Finally, some assumptions on the origins of chronicle's fragment regarding the Genovese troops in the army of Mamai are suggested. The conclusions made in this article might be useful for the process of demythologization of the Battle of Kulikovo, allowing researchers to take a more realistic look at this event.