Mstislav Udatny (Udaloy) is a knight without fear or reproach, a brave warrior, a skilled commander, a defender of the Russian land, who fought in the Baltic states with the Germans, in Galicia with the Hungarians. He is also a diplomat who knew how to cope even with the restless Galician and Novgorod communities. Even the ever-rebellious Novgorodians did not want to let him go. He came to the aid of his friends at the first call, helped the offended, and stood for the truth. At the same time, Mstislav was unfairly forgotten soon after his death. Outstanding Russian historians - N.M. Karamzin and S.M. Soloviev - considered Udatny frivolous, inconsistent, restless and not understanding the interests of Rus'. Soloviev describes him as a typical figure of the outgoing “tribal” principle, which opposes the new one - “state”. Mstislav’s fate is full of dramatic turns - he participates in the fight against the West on two fronts at once, in the Baltic states and the Carpathians, and sees the first Mongol raid on the southern Russian steppes . These circumstances further increase interest in the life and deeds of Mstislav Udatny. Let's take a closer look at the era and at the prince himself. Maybe this will allow us to better understand our ancestors and the history of Ancient Rus'.