The two following years, 1239-1240, were spent by the Tartars in
ravaging Southern Russia. They burned Pereiaslaf and Tchernigoff,
defended with desperation by its princes. Next Mangu, grandson of
Genghis Khan, marched against the famous town of Kiev, whose name
resounded through the East and in the books of the Arab writers. From
the left bank of the Dnieper, the barbarian admired the great city on
the heights of the right bank, towering over the wide river with her
white walls and towers adorned by Byzantine artists, and innumerable
churches with cupolas of gold and silver. Mangu proposed capitulation
to the Kievians; the fate of Riazan, of Tchernigof, of Vladimir, the
capitals of powerful states, announced to them the lot that awaited
them in case of refusal, yet the Kievians dared to massacre the envoys
of the Khan. Michael, their Grand Prince, fled; his rival, Daniel of
Galitch, did not care to remain.

On hearing the report of Mangu, Batu came to assault Kiev with the
bulk of his army. The grinding of the wooden chariots, the bellowings
of the buffaloes, the cries of the camels, the neighing of the horses,
the howlings of the Tartars rendered it impossible, says the annalist,
to hear your own voice in the town. The Tartars assailed the Polish
Gate and knocked down the walls with a battering-ram. The Kievians,
supported by the brave Dmitri, a Galician boyar, defended the fallen
ramparts till the end of the day, then retreated to the Church of the
Dime, which they surrounded by a palisade. The last defenders of Kiev
found themselves grouped around the tomb of Yaroslaff. Next day they
perished. The Khan gave the boyar his life, but the "Mother of Russian
cities" was sacked. The pillage was most terrible. Even the tombs were
not respected. All that remains of the Church of the Dime is a few
fragments of mosaic in the Museum at Kiev. St. Sophia and the