It is believed by The Russian Chronicle of Novgorod that God willed the Tatars, a group derived of Central Asian Mongols, to slay the Russians. God did this because The Princes around the country had not been obeying the will left by their predecessor, Grand Prince Iaroslav. Instead, the princes were fighting amongst each other, and not acting like brothers.

The Mongols were ruthless and brutal. They came into villages did terrible deeds such as dishonoring the wives of priests and slaying all members of the community, including children by fire or the sword. In one story, a Prince and Princess took refuge in the Church of the Holy Mother, but even in the house of God, Tatars would end end setting fire to church and later the whole village. For these violent, heartless Tatars, there were no limits.

In another section of The Chronicle, it i suggested after the ransacking of one town in early March, the souls of the Russian commoners, mayors, and priests “gave up their souls to the lord in a bitter and wretched death.” The prominent christian holiday of Easter, where Jesus’ soul supposedly rose to the heavens, also fell on this week. Do Russians have a different appreciation for Easter than most because of this?

It is important to note that God willed the Pagan and Godless Tatars on the Russians for their own sins.

Russia has always been torn between Western and Eastern ideologies, how much influence did these invasions have on Russia leaning toward the East, much like Christianity pulled Russia toward the West?