The Mongol invasion became a frontier in the history of Russia and this is how it was perceived by contemporaries of events and descendants. The reconstruction of ideas about the Mongol-Tatars on the material of monuments of ancient Russian literature made it possible to determine the perception of the Horde, the evolution of understanding the conquest by Russian scribes. The author was able to analyze the perception of aliens, which predetermined the results of the invasion, and the duration of stay under the rule of the Horde khans, and liberation from their rule. The key to understanding was the common places of sources, stable formulations, quotes from the Bible and patristic literature. This approach allowed V.N. Rudakov to see the story through the eyes of a participant in the events.