History is a very exciting and interesting science. Events of bygone days are impressive and amaze with their expressiveness and dynamism, make you think and learn by example.
On the other hand, historical sciences are very multifaceted and contradictory. For example, what used to be considered so simple and generally accepted is completely incomprehensible to us - modern people; or what in the old days seemed necessary and useful, now can be considered stupid and reprehensible.
However, in Russian history there are such bright moments and events that are still revered as heroic deeds, books are written about them and legends are composed, they are idealized and imitated.
One of such positive historical episodes is the Azov Seat of the Don Cossacks (1637 - 1642). We will briefly talk about this incident in this article.
But in order to better understand the question presented, let's first find out its reasons. Which warring parties were affected by the Azov siege seat (1637 - 1642), and what preceded it.
Don Cossacks
The Don Cossack army was located on the territory of modern Rostov and Volgograd regions, and also occupied part of the Lugansk and Donetsk regions. Don Cossacks were considered the largest army of all the Cossack troops of the Russian Empire.
The first mention of the Don refers to the period of 1550, that is, about a hundred years before the events that will be discussed in this article. It is believed that in those days the Don Cossacks were completely independent of the states surrounding them. Later they began to work more closely with the Russian Tsar, linking their hopes and aspirations with the Russian Empire.
Religiously, the Don people were called Orthodox, but among them there were a considerable number of Old Believers, Buddhists and Muslims.
Turkish army
Another participant in the events of the Azov Seat was the Turks, who founded the great Ottoman Empire from several nationalities living in Asia Minor - Greeks, Armenians, Jews, Georgians, Assyrians and others.
The Turks were famous for their warlike character, territorial ambitions and the characteristic brutality of hostilities. Most of the inhabitants of the Ottoman Empire were Muslims.
Now let's find out why the Don Cossacks and Turks decided to fight for the Azov fortress.
History of Azov
Azov is a city at the mouth of the Don River. Already in the VI century BC, it could be assumed that serious military battles and clashes would be waged for it, one of which was the Azov seat of the Don Cossacks (1637-1642).
The founders of Azov are the Greeks, who built a city on a high hill and named it Tanais. Fifteen centuries later, the city entered the territory of the Tmutarakan principality of Kievan Rus, then it was captured by the Polovtsy, and a little later by the Mongols. In the XIII-XV centuries on the territory of Azov there was an Italian colony of Tana, famous for its trade and luxury.
However, in 1471, the Ottoman army captured the city and turned it into a powerful fortress, surrounded by a high stone wall with eleven towers. The fortification structure controlled the steppes of the North Caucasus and the Lower Don.
As you can see, Azov for centuries occupied an important strategic position, since it had a convenient location relative to the Sea of Azov.
Therefore, it is not surprising that the Cossacks wanted to appropriate this territory for themselves, and therefore made an attempt to select the city. The Azov Seat (1637 - 1642) was the result of their attack on the fortress.
Raids and attacks
What triggered the Azov seat 1637-1642? Briefly about this can be found in historical reports of the time.
The fact is that the Azov fortress, or Azak (as it was then called), was a constant source of military danger, both from the Crimean Tatars and from the Turkish khan. Tatar-Turkish raids on the lands of the Russian state inflicted enormous damage on both the ordinary population and the economy of the state as a whole. Ruined fields and farms, captured inhabitants, fear and confusion of the civilian population - all this undermined the power and magnificence of glorious Russia.
However, it should be noted that, for their part, the Cossacks did not remain in debt to the neighboring aggressor. They answered raids with raids, attacks with attacks.
Several times the Cossacks seized the fortified fortress, freed their captives and took hostage hostages with them. They plundered and devastated the city, charging a considerable tribute from its inhabitants in the form of salt, money and fishing gear. Such campaigns prepared courageous Don people for the memorable and significant defense of Azak, which went down in history as the Azov Cossack Seat (1637-1642). Briefly about the capture of the fortification itself can be read further.
Start of operation
Who made the decision to capture Azov? In the winter of 1636, the general military council of the Cossacks decided that it was necessary to undertake a campaign against the enemy Azak in order to seize the fortress and all the privileges associated with its possession.
The messengers from the Cossack Circle walked through all the villages in order to gather everyone to a warlike outing. Four and a half thousand Don Cossacks and one thousand Zaporozhye were ready for battle.
The military council, gathered in the Monastery town, established a specific day of attack, determined the plan of operation and chose a field leader. It turned out to be Mikhail Tatarinov, a bold and wise Cossack who, most likely, was a native of the Tatars or was once held captive by them.
Attack start
How did the Azov Seat begin (1637-1642)? Briefly about this you can learn from the lips of the chieftain.
He called on his brother-in-arms to go against the Busurman not at night, sneak, but in the afternoon, with his head proudly raised.
And so it happened. On April 21, the Cossack army approached the walls of Azak from two sides - part of the soldiers sailed along the Don in ships, and part went cavalry along the coast.
The Turks were already waiting for the advancing. They were informed about the preparations of the Cossacks by the Turkish ambassador Thomas Kantakuzen.
Therefore, the first attempts to capture the fortress were unsuccessful.
In addition, the structure itself was expertly fortified and equipped. The garrison was protected by a four-thousandth infantry army and several galleys, possessing many cannons and other guns.
Victory of the cossacks
When did the famous Azov Seat (1637-1642) begin? The siege of the city lasted two months. All sorts of methods and techniques have been tried. Cossacks dug ditches and trenches, fired cannons at powerful fortress walls, repelled individual attacks of the besieged.
Finally, it was decided to make a dig (which lasted more than a month) and bring it under the wall, the so-called “mine”. Due to a powerful explosion in the defensive wall, a gap was formed (about twenty meters in diameter), through which attackers broke into the fortress.
This happened on the eighteenth of June 1637.
However, to enter the city is half the battle. It is still necessary to completely capture it. Courageous Cossacks, not sparing themselves, fought for every inch of the long-awaited fortress.
They stormed all four towers of Azov, where stubborn enemies sat, and then in a hand-to-hand battle they brutally dealt with all those who resisted, and also destroyed all the inhabitants of the fortress.
Cossack Azak
Thanks to the capture of the fortress, the Cossacks liberated about two thousand Slavs, captured the cannons of enemies and declared Azov a free city of Christians. The old temple of the fortress was again consecrated, trade and political relations were established with Russian and Iranian merchants.
Who became the owner of Azak after the fall of the fortress, when the Azov Seat began (1637-1642)? Briefly the Russian sovereign answered this question. He refused to accept the fortress as the property of Russia, for fear of violating the peace agreements with the Turkish Sultan. Therefore, the full owners of the city were the Don-Zaporozhye Cossacks.
They briskly conducted trade, rebuilt and strengthened the fortress, realizing that the revenge of its former owners would not be long in coming.
And so it happened. At the beginning of 1641, the literal Azov sitting began (1637-1642).
Turkish attack
Sultan Ibrahim made every effort to assemble a strong and well-trained army. In his army, he called everyone - Greeks, Albanians, Arabs, Serbs, to re-annex the beloved fortress of Azak to his lands. According to various sources, the number of Turkish-Tatar attackers ranged from one hundred to two hundred and forty thousand coordinated warriors who possessed two hundred and fifty galleys and a hundred wall-hung guns.
The number of Cossacks at the time of the siege was about six thousand (including women who also took an active part in protecting the city).
The enemy troops were led by an experienced commander in chief, Huseyn Pasha. The Cossacks chose Naum Vasiliev and Osip Petrov as chieftains.
In early June, Azak was besieged from all sides. The Azov seat (1637-1642) was in full swing. The Don people fiercely defended themselves, but the forces were unequal.
Near the walls of the Turks dug many trenches, where they placed guns and warriors for attack. Such a cunning trick made the attackers inaccessible to the Cossack shelling.
Then the Cossacks began to use the previously dug digging to arrange unexpected sorties into the enemy camp. This tactic claimed the lives of several thousand enemy warriors.
From the end of June, daily shelling from heavy cannons began. In many places, the walls of the fortress were destroyed to the ground. The Don people had to take refuge in the depths of a medieval building.
Siege removal
For some time, the Azov Seat (1637-1642) was marked by a truce. The Turks needed to wait for reinforcements from Istanbul in the form of food, ammunition and manpower.
Faithful comrades also made their way to the Cossacks, risking being captured alive in the waters of the Don.
Regular negotiations were held on the voluntary surrender of the fortress. However, the Don people understood that their homeland stood behind them, which the Janissaries could capture, therefore they did not agree to any tempting entreaties and proposals.
This was followed by an even more fierce shelling, which did not stop either night or day. But he did not lead to anything. Cossacks steadfastly held the defense, not stopping to respond to artillery fire every minute.
Then the Turks, losing heart, losing strength and faith in themselves, decided to remove the environment and resume the siege only after a year.
the end
What ended with the courageous Azov sitting (1637-1642)? The Don people, inflicting huge, irreparable harm to the enemy army, themselves suffered significant material and force losses: several thousand defenders were killed, the ruined fortress became unsuitable for wintering, the lack of food and weapons reserves was aggravated, the Russian government continued to refuse to help the besieged. All this prompted the Cossacks to destroy the city to the base and leave the fortress with a proudly raised head.
This happened in the summer of 1642. So ended the Azov Seat (1637-1642) - a feat of Cossacks worthy of praise and imitation.
Influence
What benefit did the heroic Azov Seat (1637-1642) bring to the Russian people?
- Thousands of Slavs have been liberated.
- The enemy army suffered huge losses.
- Economic relations have been established between Cossacks and other peoples.
- The moral and patriotic spirit of the entire Cossacks has been strengthened.
- The Azov seat was one of the first steps for the unification of the Don Cossacks and the tsarist army.