The problem of the Russian-Golden Horde borderland has not yet been presented as an independent research topic. The borders of Russia with the Golden Horde remain unclear for a considerable length and are depicted on maps very roughly-dotted lines, sometimes drawn without relying on sources. Most often, the reference point is the edge of a vegetation zone that is convenient for nomadic farming. In the absence of specific data in the sources, the latter circumstance, of course, must be taken into account. We can, however, try to fill in some of the gaps and at least partially overcome the forced schematism. With the Golden Horde, the Russian principalities had the longest border. Identifying the internal specifics and outlines of borderlands, tracing changes in the border strip, you can complete the picture of the organization of Mongol rule in Russia. The tendency to reduce the state territory of the Golden Horde, which is characteristic of the second half of the 14th century, not only reflects its internal weakening, but also clearly indicates a general strengthening of the struggle against its hated yoke. 1On the threshold and during the formation of a centralized state, Russia did not have the strength to strengthen its borders in such a way that would ensure the security of its possessions. Such an opportunity appeared much later, when extended serif lines were arranged. However, the border in the sense of a clearly marked boundary separating the Russian and Golden Horde possessions existed in the XIII-XIV centuries. Of course, it had its own specifics, inherent in the Middle Ages and distinguished it from the border strip in the modern sense. This is evidenced by data from sources. The understanding of the border by contemporaries in the XIII and XIV centuries shows that this concept for the period under consideration is not modernization at all, but quite corresponds to the ideas of that era. In February 1246, the papal diplomat Plano Carpini, who was travelin ... Читать далее