The Russian warriors were armed with a variety of bladed weapons. Swords of various kinds remained in service for the longest time. The first such samples in the Old Russian army date back to the 10th century, and the full use of the saber continued almost until the beginning of the 20th century. Thus, sabers turned out to be the most tenacious type of edged weapon in our army. The main features of sabers, laid down more than a thousand years ago, turned out to be useful later.
Weapons from the steppes
It is known that the first variants of the saber appeared in the 7th-8th centuries. and quickly spread over a significant part of Eurasia. Due to a number of characteristic features, the saber was a convenient weapon for an equestrian warrior, which contributed to its rapid spread in different regions. In the future, similar weapons appeared among the Eastern Slavs.
Ancient Russia got acquainted with the saber in the 9th-10th centuries. in connection with the raids of the nomads. The first such weapons were recognized by the principalities in the South and Southeast, which took the brunt of the blow. The Old Russian army followed foreign innovations and tried to adopt the best ideas and best practices. The same thing happened with the saber, but it was not immediately possible to reveal its potential.
At the turn of two millennia, two new weapons appeared in the Russian army at once - a sword and a saber. The sword quickly took a dominant position and became the main bladed weapon. Over the next few centuries, the saber was inferior to him in distribution and basically remained a specialized weapon.
It is curious that in the first period the saber was not only a warrior's weapon, but also a status item. Several interesting finds date back to this period. In a number of burials, sabers were found with skillful finishing, showing the status and position of the owner in society.
In the XI-XII centuries. there is an increase in the number of sabers, and at the same time an increase in their share in rati. New technologies were mastered, which made it possible to increase the output. In parallel, the spread of sabers is observed. If earlier they were used only in the southern principalities, then from the XI century. reach Minsk and Novgorod.
Design features
The sabers of Ancient Rus almost did not differ in their design from similar weapons in other countries. The development of the design was carried out in approximately the same way as abroad. Over time, the shape and size of the blade changed, and at the same time the hilt was improved.
The earliest Old Russian sabers had a single-edged blade about 1 m long and about 3-4 cm wide with a slight bend. By the XII century. the blade became 10-15 cm longer and became a little wider. The bending also increased and the mass increased. Thus, the later sabers differed from their predecessors in a greater force of chopping blow, as well as higher cutting performance. In the future, these trends continued, which in the future led to the appearance of even more curved sabers.
Early Russian sabers, mostly richly decorated, were distinguished by the relative complexity of production. During the forging, iron and steel plates were welded, and the finished blade was decorated with copper or gold wire. Later, as the saber spread, simpler technologies were used. Found iron sabers with a welded steel blade or cemented solid iron specimens. Naturally, such sabers were not decorated in any way.
The hilt was changing quite actively. There are several main types of guard and pommel, characteristic of different periods and regions. Initially, in Russia, there were straight guards with balls at the ends, also found in other countries. Subsequently, the shape of these products changed. The thickenings disappeared, the ends were lengthened and bent for greater convenience of felling and additional protection of the hand.
Hiking and equestrian
Due to the correct ratio of length, width and bend, the saber has a combined chopping and cutting action. The double-edged end also allows injections. Thanks to these qualities, the saber can be used by an infantryman or a horseman. In a number of situations, it has advantages over a sword with a straight, double-edged blade.
According to known data, the mass distribution of the saber in Russia was associated with the development of cavalry. It was the horsemen who were the main users of the sabers, which is confirmed by archaeological finds. Also, sabers were used in the infantry, but in smaller quantities and only in certain regions.
The Old Russian saber developed and was used together with the sword, and these two weapons could compete with each other. However, this problem was solved in the most successful way. In the infantry of most principalities, the sword remained the main bladed weapon, and the saber could not noticeably press against it. In the cavalry, the opposite processes were observed: first in the southern regions, and then further, the saber began to displace the sword.
Despite such processes, for several centuries the sword and saber remained equal weapons of the warriors. There were no reasons for the disappearance of one specimen and the greater spread of the other. First of all, this was due to the specifics of the military-political situation. The opponents of Ancient Rus were simultaneously heavily armed European warriors and highly mobile nomadic horsemen. To effectively combat them, different means were required, which affected the armaments of the Russian army in different regions.
A great future
Similar approaches to the armament of warriors remained for the next several centuries. However, in the XIV century. new processes began, the result of which was a change in the arms complex of the rati. The development of armies and tactics led to a gradual reduction in the role of swords and an increase in the share of sabers. In addition, the new sabers were somewhat similar to swords and could show similar characteristics.
As a result, by the XV-XVI centuries. in the Russian army, the saber almost completely replaced the sword. In addition, new types of bladed weapons have appeared with certain features. New types of sabers, adapted to solving various problems, were created independently or borrowed from foreigners. In later periods, the saber remained one of the main weapons of archers, local cavalry, Cossacks, foreign regiments, etc.
The development of sabers proceeded by changing the shape and size of the blade, as well as by refining the hilt. The technologies of metal smelting and forging of finished products were of decisive importance. The formation of the school of fencing made it possible to more fully reveal the potential of weapons.
The great importance of the saber remained in modern times. New types of such weapons were developed and introduced, incl. intended for specific types of troops. The saber retained its status as the main edged weapon of the Russian army until the end of the 19th century, when the massive introduction of checkers began. However, this did not lead to her early disappearance.
Ten centuries of development
The first discovered sabers of Ancient Russia date back to the 10th century, but in fact such a weapon could have appeared a little earlier. Late sabers remained in service until the 20th century. Thus, edged weapons with a curved blade and one-sided sharpening have been relevant for a thousand years, which can be considered a real record.
The reasons for these results are to be found in the successful concept and design of the blade. The saber is capable of stabbing and chopping (with a cutting action) blows, and is also relatively easy to manufacture and use. By changing the blade and hilt, the saber can be modified to meet specific requirements, which has happened repeatedly in the past.
For several centuries, master gunsmiths have used the full potential of the saber, which led to well-known results. At first, this weapon was able to gain a foothold in the ancient Russian army and in some areas squeeze the sword, and then completely replace it. After that, the saber remained one of the main weapons for several centuries. Not all types of edged weapons can boast of such vitality.
