The Red Hill is a place on the Kulikovo Field where the first Russia`s monument of battle glory was installed. The cast-iron obelisk in honour of Dmitry Donskoi was installed in 1850. In 1913, on initiative of the Tula clergy, the Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh was built near the memorial.
The Red Hill is on the southern side of the Kulikovo Field from where the troops of Mamay advanced. It is known that Dmitry Donskoi didn’t hide in the Russian fortresses of the fortified line and decided to accept battle on the field before the troops of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Jogaila joined those of Mamay. It is for this reason that on September 7 the Russian troops crossed the Don river and embattled on the Kulikovo Field.
Khan Mamay set up his tent on the Red Hill to watch the battle. The troops were divided by the gully of the Smolka river, and the Russian rear was secured by the Don river. To the left was the Zelenaya Dubrava where the Ambush regiment was hidden, and to the west was a swampy area. All this made it impossible for the Tatar cavalry to attack the Russians either from the flanks or from the rear. The Ambush regiment that gained the rear of the main forces of the Tatars turned the scale of the battle. The Tatars began to retreat and khan Mamay left his tent on the Red Hill. It was the moment of complete victory in the Battle of Kulikovo.
It is there, on the Red Hill, that the victory banner was hoisted and later the obelisk in honour of Dmitry Donskoi was installed. The obelisk was produced by the project of an architect А. P. Brulov at the Beard foundry in St. Petersburg. The cast-iron column consists of 200 pieces. In winter they were delivered there by sledges and assembled on the spot. The opening ceremony was held on September 8, 1850. The height of the column is 50 meters, its total weight is 110 tonnes.
The Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh was erected by the project of an architect Schusev on the Red Hill in 1913-1917. It is known that Sergius of Radonezh blessed Dmitry Donskoi for the battle. Every day at 11 and 14 the bells are tolled in the church to mark the beginning and the end of the battle. The church is a metochion of the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius.
