Russia Sends 650-Year-Old Remains of Medieval Prince Dmitry Donskoy to Ukraine Front Line
A 650-year-old relic of Dmitry Donskoy's right hand has been dispatched by the Russian Orthodox Church to soldiers in Donetsk, Ukraine, housed within a reliquary to "spiritually strengthen" the troops. Donskoy, a 14th-century prince and saint, was canonized in 1988 after leading Russian forces to triumph against the Mongol Golden Horde during the 1380 Battle of Kulikovo. This summer, his remains were unearthed beneath Moscow's Cathedral of the Archangel, where President Vladimir Putin examined the sarcophagus, which was found in four fragments. The church asserts that the relic will be transported over 600 miles for exhibition. Detractors contend this invokes Donskoy to portray the conflict as a defensive fight, amid over one million lives lost in the invasion.
Key facts
- The Russian Orthodox Church sent a 650-year-old fragment of Dmitry Donskoy's right hand to soldiers in Donetsk, Ukraine.
- Dmitry Donskoy was a 14th-century prince of Moscow and grand prince of Vladimir, canonized in 1988.
- Donskoy led Russian forces to victory over the Mongol Golden Horde at the 1380 Battle of Kulikovo.
- His remains were discovered in summer 2024 under Moscow's Cathedral of the Archangel during renovations.
- The sarcophagus was found split into four pieces; the well-preserved remains were wrapped in ornate burial fabric.
- Nikolai Makarov, director of Russia's Institute of Archaeology, said no full archaeological protocol was followed and nothing was removed.
- President Vladimir Putin inspected the open sarcophagus and lit a candle for the prince.
- The reliquary will travel over 600 miles along Russia's front line to be displayed to combat units.
Entities
Artists
- Adolphe Yvon
- Dmitry Donskoy
- Nikolai Makarov
- Vladimir Putin
- Pjotr Sauer
- Christian Thorsberg
Institutions
- Russian Orthodox Church
- Institute of Archaeology
- RIA Novosti
- Guardian
- Jerusalem Post
- Kyiv Post
- Firstpost
- Council on Foreign Relations
- Global Conflict Tracker
- Cathedral of the Archangel
- Kremlin
- Wikimedia Commons
- Smithsonian Magazine
Locations
- Moscow
- Russia
- Ukraine
- Donetsk
- Vladimir
- Kulikovo
- Chicago
- United States