With the exception of the Great Patriotic War, the Mongol invasion is perhaps the most terrible and bloody page in our history. In the 13th century, a catastrophe occurred, the consequences of which continue to this day. The most powerful power, which at that time was Vladimir-Suzdal Rus', whose culture had risen to unprecedented heights, and whose squads could “splash the Volga with oars and scoop up the Don with helmets,” collapsed within three months under the hooves of the Mongol hordes. Not only for ordinary people of that time, but also for the elite, both spiritual and secular, such a collapse of the foundations, which seemed unshakable, required rethinking and understanding. The familiar world collapsed, and collapsed forever. This was perceived as the end of the world, as the wrath of God on the Russian land, sent from above for the numerous sins of not only the princes, but also the entire people. The life of Russian people was clearly divided into BEFORE and AFTER the invasion. Based on evidence from both domestic and foreign written sources, drawing on numerous archaeological data, M. Eliseev tried to illuminate in as much detail as possible the picture of Batu’s campaign against North-Eastern Rus'.