The Battle of Molodi is the largest battle of the era of Tsar Ivan the Terrible, which took place from July 29 to August 2, 1572, 50 miles south of Moscow (between Podolsk and Serpukhov), in which the Russians fought border troops and the 120 thousandth Crimean-Turkish army of Devlet I Giray, which included, in addition to the Crimean and Nogai troops themselves, the 20 thousandth Turkish army, incl. elite troops Janissaries, supported by 200 cannons. Despite the overwhelming advantage in numbers, this entire occupying Crimean-Turkish army was put to flight and almost completely killed.
In its scale and significance, the Great Battle of Molodi surpasses the Battle of Kulikovo and other key battles in Russian history. Meanwhile, this outstanding event is not written about in school textbooks, films are not made, or shouted from newspaper pages... Finding information about this battle is difficult and possible only in specialized sources.
This is not surprising, because otherwise we could end up revising our history and glorifying Tsar Ivan the Terrible, and this is something many historians don’t want.
As the outstanding researcher of antiquity Nikolai Petrovich Aksakov wrote:
“The time of Ivan the Terrible is the Golden Age of our Past, when it received its fullest expression“, characteristic of the Spirit of the Russian people, the basic formula of the Russian community: to the Earth - the power of opinion, to the State - the power of power.”
The cathedral and the oprichnina were its pillars.
Prehistory
In 1552, Russian troops took Kazan by storm, and four years later they conquered the Astrakhan Khanate (more precisely, they returned it to Rus'. V.A.) Both of these events caused a very negative reaction in the Turkic world, since the fallen khanates were allies Ottoman Sultan and his Crimean vassal.
For the young Moscow state, new opportunities opened up for the political and commercial direction of movement to the south and east, and the ring of hostile Muslim khanates, which had been plundering Rus' for several centuries, was broken. Immediately, offers of citizenship from the mountain and Circassian princes followed, and the Siberian Khanate recognized itself as a tributary of Moscow.
This development of events greatly worried the Ottoman (Turkish) Sultanate and the Crimean Khanate. After all, raids on Rus' accounted for most of the income - the economy Crimean Khanate, and as Muscovite Rus' strengthened, all this came under threat.
The Turkish Sultan was also very concerned about the prospects of stopping the supply of slaves and loot from the southern Russian and Ukrainian lands, as well as the safety of his Crimean and Caucasian vassals.
The goal of Ottoman and Crimean policy was to return the Volga region to the orbit of Ottoman interests and restore the former hostile ring around Muscovite Rus'.
Livonian War
Encouraged by the success of reaching the Caspian Sea, Tsar Ivan the Terrible intended to win access to Baltic Sea to gain access to sea communications and simplify trade with Western European countries.
In 1558, the Livonian War began against the Livonian Confederation, which was later joined by Sweden, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Poland.
At first, events developed well for Moscow: under the blows of the troops of Prince Serebryany, Prince Kurbsky and Prince Adashev in 1561 Livonian Confederation was defeated and most of the Baltic states came under Russian control, the ancient Russian city of Polotsk was also recaptured.
However, soon, luck gave way to failure and a series of painful defeats followed.
In 1569, the opponents of Muscovite Rus' concluded the so-called. The Union of Lublin is a union of Poland and Lithuania, which formed a single Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The position of the Moscow state became more complicated, since it had to resist the increased combined strength of its rivals and internal betrayal (Prince Kurbsky betrayed Tsar Ivan the Terrible and went over to the enemy’s side). Fighting the internal betrayal of the boyars and a number of princes, Tsar Ivan the Terrible introduced into Rus' oprichnina.
Oprichnina
Oprichnina is a system of emergency measures used by the Russian Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible in 1565–1572 in domestic politics to defeat the boyar-princely opposition and strengthen the Russian centralized state. Ivan the Terrible called oprichnina the inheritance he allocated for himself in the country, which had a special army and command apparatus.
The tsar separated part of the boyars, servicemen and clerks into the oprichnina. A special staff of managers, housekeepers, cooks, clerks, etc. was appointed; were recruited special oprichnina detachments of archers.
In Moscow itself, some streets were given over to the oprichnina (Chertolskaya, Arbat, Sivtsev Vrazhek, part of Nikitskaya, etc.).
A thousand specially selected nobles, children of boyars, both Moscow and city, were also recruited into the oprichnina.
The condition for accepting a person into the oprichnina army and the oprichnina court was lack of family and service ties with noble boyars . They were given estates in the volosts assigned to maintain the oprichnina; the former landowners and patrimonial owners were transferred from those volosts to others (as a rule, closer to the border).
The external distinction of the guardsmen was dog head and broom, attached to the saddle, as a sign that they gnaw and sweep the traitors to the king.
The rest of the state was supposed to constitute the “zemshchina”: the tsar entrusted it to the zemstvo boyars, that is, the boyar duma itself, and put Prince Ivan Dmitrievich Belsky and Prince Ivan Fedorovich Mstislavsky at the head of its administration. All matters had to be resolved in the old way, and with big things it was necessary to turn to the boyars, but if military or important zemstvo affairs happened, then to the sovereign.
Crimean raid on Moscow in 1571
Taking advantage of the presence of most of the Russian army in the Baltic states, and the heating up internal situation in Muscovite Rus' associated with the introduction oprichnina, the Crimean Khan “on the sly” made constant raids on the southern borders of Moscow lands.
And in May 1571, with the support of the Ottoman Empire and in agreement with the newly formed Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Crimean Khan Devlet-Girey with his 40,000-strong army made a devastating campaign against Russian lands.
Having bypassed the abatis (security) lines of fortifications on southern outskirts Moscow kingdom (the traitor Prince Mstislavsky sent his people to show the khan how to bypass the 600-kilometer Zasechnaya line from the west), Devlet-Girey managed to bypass the barrier of zemstvo troops and one oprichnina regiment and cross the Oka. Russian troops barely managed to return to Moscow. He failed to take the Russian capital by storm - but was able to set it on fire with the help of traitors.
And the fiery tornado devoured the entire city - and those who took refuge in the Kremlin and Kitay-Gorod suffocated from the smoke and “fire heat” - more than a hundred thousand innocent people died from painful death, because fleeing from the Crimean invasion, countless numbers hid behind the city walls number of refugees - and all of them, along with the townspeople, found themselves in a death trap. The city, built mainly of wood, was almost completely burned down, with the exception of the stone Kremlin. The entire Moscow River was littered with corpses, the flow stopped...
In addition to Moscow, the Crimean Khan Devlet-Girey ravaged the central regions of the country, cut out 36 cities, collecting more than 150 thousand polona (living goods) - Crimea went back. From the road he sent the Tsar a knife, “so that Ivan would kill himself”.
After the fire of Moscow and the defeat of the central regions, Tsar Ivan the Terrible, who had previously left Moscow, invited the Crimeans to return the Astrakhan Khanate and was almost ready to negotiate the return of Kazan, etc.
However, Khan Devlet-Girey was sure that Muscovite Rus' would no longer recover from such a blow and could become easy prey for him, moreover, famine and a plague epidemic reigned within its borders.
He thought that only the final decisive blow remained to be struck against Muscovite Rus'...
And all year after the successful campaign against Moscow, the Crimean Khan Devlet I Giray was engaged in the formation of a new, much stronger and larger army. As a result of these works, possessing a huge, at that time, army of 120 thousand people, supported by a 20 thousand detachment of Turks (including 7 thousand Janissaries - the Turkish Guard) - Devlet-Girey moved to Moscow.
The Crimean Khan repeatedly stated that “goes to Moscow for the kingdom”. The lands of Muscovite Rus' were already divided in advance between his Crimean Murzas.
This invasion of the Great Crimean Army actually raised the question of the very existence of an independent Russian state and the Rusichs (Russians) as a nation...
The situation in Russia was difficult. The effects of the devastating invasion of 1571 and the plague were still acutely felt. The summer of 1572 was dry and hot, horses and cattle died. The Russian regiments experienced serious difficulties in supplying food.
Rus' was truly weakened by the 20-year war, famine, plague and the previous terrible Crimean invasion.
Economic difficulties intertwined with difficult internal political events, accompanied by executions, disgraces, and uprisings of the local feudal nobility that began in the Volga region.
In such a difficult situation, preparations were underway in the Russian state to repel a new invasion by Devlet-Girey. On April 1, 1572, a new border service system began to operate, taking into account the experience of last year’s struggle with Devlet-Girey.
Thanks to intelligence Russian command was promptly informed about the movement of the 120,000-strong army of Devlet-Girey and his further actions.
The construction and improvement of military-defensive structures, primarily located over a long distance along the Oka River, proceeded quickly.
Invasion
Ivan IV the Terrible understood the seriousness of the situation. He decided to put at the head of the Russian troops an experienced commander who had often been in disgrace - Prince Mikhail Ivanovich Vorotynsky.
Both zemstvo and guardsmen were subordinate to his command; they were united in service and within each regiment. This combined army of his (zemstvo and oprichnina), which stood as a border guard in Kolomna and Serpukhov, amounted to 20 thousand warriors.
In addition to them, the forces of Prince Vorotynsky were joined by a detachment of 7 thousand German mercenaries sent by the tsar, as well as Don Cossacks(also Volsk, Yaik and Putim Cossacks. V.A.).
A little later, a detachment of a thousand “Kaniv Cherkasy”, that is, Ukrainian Cossacks, arrived.
Prince Vorotynsky received instructions from the Tsar on how to behave in case of two scenarios.
In case Devlet-Girey moved to Moscow and sought battle with the entire Russian army, the prince was obliged to block the old Muravsky Way for the khan (to rush to the Zhizdra River) and force him to turn around and take the battle.
If it becomes obvious that the invaders are interested in the traditional quick raid, robbery and the same quick departure, Prince Vorotynsky had to set up ambushes and organize “partisan” actions and pursuit of the enemy.
Battle of Molodinskaya
On July 27, 1572, the Crimean-Turkish army approached the Oka and began to cross it in two places - at the confluence of the Lopasny River along the Senkin Ford, and upstream from Serpukhov.
The first crossing point was guarded by a small guard regiment of “children of the boyars” under the command of Ivan Shuisky, consisting of only 200 soldiers. The 20,000-strong Nogai vanguard of the Crimean-Turkish army under the command of Tereberdey-Murza fell upon him.
Shuisky’s detachment did not flee, but entered into an unequal battle and died heroic death, having managed to inflict great damage on the Crimeans (none of these Russian warriors flinched before the rolling avalanche and they all died in an unequal battle with a six hundred times superior enemy).
After this, Tereberdey-Murza’s detachment reached the outskirts of modern Podolsk near the Pakhra River and, having cut all the roads leading to Moscow, stopped waiting for the main forces.
Main positions of Russian troops, reinforced Walk around town(movable wooden fortress), were located near Serpukhov.
Walk-city consisted of half-log shields the size of a log house wall, mounted on carts, with loopholes for shooting - and composed all around or in line. Russian soldiers were armed with arquebuses and cannons. To divert attention, Khan Devlet Giray sent a detachment of two thousand against Serpukhov, while he himself with the main forces crossed the Oka to more remote place near the village of Drakino, where he encountered the regiment of governor Nikita Odoevsky, which was defeated in a difficult battle, but did not retreat.
After this, the main Crimean-Turkish army moved towards Moscow, and Vorotynsky, having removed troops from all coastal positions on the Oka, moved in pursuit of him.
The Crimean army was fairly stretched out and while its advanced units reached the Pakhra River, the rearguard (tail) was only approaching the village of Molodi, located 15 kilometers from it.
Here he was overtaken by the advanced regiment of Russian troops under the leadership of the young Oprichny voivode Prince Dmitry Khvorostinin, who did not hesitate to enter the fray. A fierce battle broke out, as a result of which the Crimean rearguard was defeated. This happened on July 29, 1572.
But Prince Khvorostinin did not stop there, but pursued the remnants of the defeated rearguard right up to the main forces of the Crimean army. The blow was so strong that the two princes leading the rearguard told the khan that it was necessary to stop the offensive.
The Russian blow was so unexpected that Devlet-Girey stopped his army. He realized that there was a Russian army behind him, which must be destroyed in order to ensure unhindered advance to Moscow. Khan turned back, Devlet-Girey risked getting involved in a protracted battle. Accustomed to solving everything with one swift blow, he was forced to change traditional tactics.
By this time it had already been collected Walk-city near the village of Molodi in convenient location, located on a hill and covered by the Rozaj River.
Prince Khvorostinin's detachment found itself face to face with the entire Crimean-Turkish army. The young governor was not at a loss, correctly assessed the situation and, with an imaginary retreat, first lured the enemy to Gulyai-Gorod, and then with a quick maneuver to the right, leading his soldiers to the side, he brought the enemy under deadly artillery and squeal fire - “And thunder struck,” “many Tatars were beaten "
Everything could have been different if Devlet-Girey had immediately thrown all his forces into the Russian positions. But the khan did not know the true power of Vorotynsky’s regiments and was going to test them. He sent Tereberdey-Murza with two tumens to capture the Russian fortification. They all perished under the walls of the Walking City. During this time, the Cossacks managed to sink Turkish artillery.
In Gulyai-Gorod there was a large regiment under the command of Prince Vorotynsky himself, as well as the Cossacks of Ataman V.A. Cherkashenin who arrived in time.
Khan Devlet-Girey was taken aback!
In a rage, he again and again sent his troops to storm Gulyai-Gorod. And again and again the hillsides were covered with corpses. The Janissaries, the flower of the Turkish army, died ingloriously under artillery and squeal fire, the Crimean cavalry died, and the Murzas died.
On July 31, a very stubborn battle took place. Crimean troops began an assault on the main Russian position, established between the Rozhai and Lopasnya rivers. “The matter was great and the slaughter was great”, says the chronicler about the battle.
In front of Gulyai-Gorod, the Russians scattered peculiar metal hedgehogs, about which the legs of the Tatar horses broke. Therefore, the rapid onslaught, the main component of the Crimean victories, did not take place. The powerful throw slowed down in front of the Russian fortifications, from where cannonballs, buckshot and bullets rained down. The Tatars continued to attack.
Repelling numerous attacks, the Russians launched counterattacks. During one of them, the Cossacks captured the Khan’s chief adviser, Divey-Murza, who led the Crimean troops. The fierce battle continued until the evening, and Vorotynsky had to make great efforts not to introduce the ambush regiment into battle, not to detect it. This regiment was waiting in the wings.
On August 1, both troops gathered for decisive battle. Devlet-Girey decided to put an end to the Russians with his main forces. In the Russian camp, supplies of water and food were running out. Despite successful fighting, the situation was very difficult.
Devlet Giray simply refused to believe his eyes! His entire army, and it was the most powerful army in the world, could not take any wooden fortress shki! Tereberdey-Murza was killed, the Nogai Khan was killed, Divey-Murza (the same adviser to Devlet Giray who divided the Russian cities) was captured (by V.A. Cossacks). And the walk-city continued to stand as an impregnable fortress. Like bewitched.
At the cost of monstrous losses, the attackers approached the plank walls of the walk-city, in a rage they chopped them with sabers, tried to loosen them, knock them down, and break them with their hands. But that was not the case. “And here they beat many Tatars and cut off countless hands.”
On August 2, Devlet-Girey again sent his army to attack. In that battle, the Nogai Khan was killed, and three Murzas died. In a difficult struggle, up to 3 thousand Russian archers were killed defending the foot of the hill at Rozhaika, and the Russian cavalry defending the flanks also suffered serious losses. But the attack was repulsed - the Crimean cavalry was unable to take the fortified position.
But Khan Devlet-Girey again led his army to Gulyai-Gorod. And again he was unable to capture the Russian fortifications on the move. Realizing that infantry was needed to storm the fortress, Devlet-Girey decided to dismount the horsemen and, together with the Janissaries, throw the Tatars on foot to attack.
Once again, an avalanche of Crimeans poured into Russian fortifications.
Prince Khvorostinin led the defenders of Gulyai-city. Tormented by hunger and thirst, they fought fiercely and fearlessly. They knew what fate awaited them if they were captured. They knew what would happen to their homeland if the Crimeans succeeded in a breakthrough. German mercenaries also fought bravely side by side with the Russians. Heinrich Staden led the artillery of Gulyai-Gorod.
The khan's troops approached the Russian fortress. The attackers, in rage, even tried to break the wooden shields with their hands. The Russians cut off the tenacious hands of their enemies with swords. The intensity of the battle intensified, and a turning point could occur at any moment. Devlet-Girey was completely absorbed in one goal - to take possession of the Gulyai-city. For this, he brought all his strength into the battle.
Already in the evening, taking advantage of the fact that the enemy was concentrated on one side of the hill and carried away by attacks, Prince Vorotynsky undertook a bold maneuver.
Having waited until the main forces of the Crimeans and the Janissaries were drawn into a bloody battle for Gulyai-Gorod, he quietly led a large regiment out of the fortification, led it through a ravine and struck in the rear of the Crimeans.
At the same time, accompanied by a powerful salvo from all guns (commander Staden), the warriors of Prince Khvorostinin made a sortie from behind the walls of Gulyai-Gorod.
Unable to withstand the double blow, the Crimeans and Turks fled, abandoning their weapons, carts and property. The losses were enormous - all seven thousand Janissaries, most of the Crimean Murzas, as well as the son, grandson and son-in-law of Khan Devlet-Girey himself were killed. Many high Crimean dignitaries were captured.
During the pursuit of the foot Crimeans to the crossing of the Oka River, most of those who fled were killed, along with a 5,000-strong Crimean rearguard left to guard the crossing.
Khan Devlet-Girey and part of his people managed to escape. By different routes, wounded, poor, frightened, no more than 10,000 Crimean-Turkish soldiers were able to get into Crimea.
110 thousand Crimean-Turkish invaders found their death in Molodi. The history of that time did not know such a grandiose military disaster. The best army in the world simply ceased to exist.
In 1572, not only Russia was saved. In Molodi, all of Europe was saved - after such a defeat about Turkish conquest there was no longer any question of a continent.
Crimea has lost almost everything combat-ready male population completely and was never able to regain his former strength. There were no more trips into the depths of Russia from Crimea. Never.
He was never able to recover from this defeat, which predetermined his entry into the Russian Empire.
It was at the Battle of Molodi July 29 – August 3, 1572 Rus' won a historic victory over Crimea.
The Ottoman Empire was forced to abandon plans to return Astrakhan and Kazan, the Middle and lower Volga region, and these lands were forever assigned to Russia. The southern borders along the Don and Desna were pushed south by 300 kilometers. The city of Voronezh and the Yelets fortress were soon founded on the new lands - the development of rich black earth lands that previously belonged to the Wild Field began.
Devastated by previous Crimean raids of 1566-1571. And natural disasters At the end of the 1560s, Muscovite Rus', fighting on two fronts, was able to withstand and maintain its independence in an extremely critical situation.
The history of Russian military affairs was replenished with a victory that was the greatest in the art of maneuver and interaction of military branches. It became one of the most brilliant victories of Russian weapons and put forward Prince Mikhail Vorotynsky into the category of outstanding commanders.
The Battle of Molodin is one of the brightest pages of the heroic past of our Motherland. The Battle of Molodin, which lasted several days, in which Russian troops used original tactics, ended major victory over the numerically superior forces of Khan Devlet Giray.
The Battle of Molodin had a strong impact on the foreign economic situation of the Russian state, especially on Russian-Crimean and Russian-Turkish relations.
The Battle of Molodi is not only a grandiose milestone in Russian history (more significant than even the Battle of Kulikovo). The Battle of Molodi is one of the greatest events European and World History.
That is why she was so thoroughly “forgotten.” You will not find a portrait of Mikhail Vorotynsky and Dmitry Khvorostinin anywhere in any textbook, let alone a textbook, even on the Internet...
Battle of Molodi? What is this anyway? Ivan groznyj? Well, yes, we remember something like that, like they taught us at school - “tyrant and despot”, it seems...(is that what they will teach? In the so-called historical and cultural standard, which has just been published and on the basis of which a unified textbook on the history of Russia, “Ivan Vasilyevich, naturally, a tyrant and tyrant” V.A.)
Who so carefully “corrected our memory” that we completely forgot the history of our country?
During the reign of Tsar Ivan the Terrible in Rus':
Trial by jury was introduced;
Free introduced elementary education(church schools);
Medical quarantine has been introduced at the borders;
Local elected self-government was introduced instead of governors;
First appeared regular army(and the first in the world military uniform- among the archers);
Crimean Tatar raids on Rus' were stopped;
Equality was established between all segments of the population (do you know that serfdom did not exist in Rus' at that time? The peasant was obliged to sit on the land until he paid for its rent - and nothing more. And his children were considered free from birth in any case! );
Slave labor prohibited
May 28th, 2013
On July 26, 1572, the Battle of Youth began, in which Russian troops attacked crushing defeat six times superior forces of the Crimean Khanate.
It is unlikely that passengers on a suburban train passing the Kolkhoznaya station, which is 30 km from the Moscow Ring Road (between Podolsk and Chekhov), will be able to answer the question of what this place is famous for. They will be surprised to learn that 430 years ago, the fate of Russia was decided in the surrounding fields. It's about about the battle that took place here in the summer of 1572 near the village of Molodi. In terms of its significance, some historians equate it to the Battle of Kulikovo Field.
It’s hard to imagine now, but in the 16th century, Oka near Moscow was a harsh Russian borderland. During the reign Crimean Khan Devlet-Girey (1551-1577) Russia's struggle against steppe raids reaches its climax. A number of major campaigns are associated with his name. During one of them, Moscow was burned (1571).
Davlet Giray. 14th Khan of the Crimean Khanate. In 1571, one of the campaigns, carried out by his 40,000-strong army with the support of the Ottoman Empire and in agreement with Poland, ended with the burning of Moscow, for which Devlet I received the nickname Taht Alğan - Who Took the Throne.
The Crimean Khanate, which broke away in 1427 from the Golden Horde, which was disintegrating under our blows, was for Rus' worst enemy: from the end of the 15th century, the Crimean Tatars, whom they are now trying to present as victims of the Russian genocide, made constant raids on the Russian Kingdom. Almost every year they ravaged one or another region of Rus', taking captive women and children, whom the Crimean Jews resold to Istanbul.
The most dangerous and ruinous raid was carried out by the Crimeans in 1571. The goal of this raid was Moscow itself: in May 1571, the Crimean Khan Davlet Giray with a 40,000-strong army, bypassing, with the help of defectors sent by the traitor Prince Mstislavsky, the abatis lines on the southern outskirts of the Russian kingdom, the Crimean army, having forded the Ugra, reached the Russian flank an army numbering no more than 6,000 people. The Russian guard detachment was defeated by the Crimeans, who rushed to the Russian capital.
On June 3, 1571, Crimean troops ravaged undefended settlements and villages around Moscow, and then set fire to the outskirts of the capital. Thanks to strong wind The fire quickly spread throughout the city. Driven by the fire, citizens and refugees rushed to the northern gates of the capital. A crush arose at the gates and narrow streets, people “walked in three rows over each other’s heads, and the top ones crushed those who were under them.” The Zemstvo army, instead of giving battle to the Crimeans in the field or on the outskirts of the city, began to retreat to the center of Moscow and, mingling with the refugees, lost order; Voivode Prince Belsky died in a fire, suffocating in the cellar of his house. Within three hours, Moscow burned to the ground. The next day, the Tatars and Nogais left along the Ryazan road to the steppe. In addition to Moscow In addition to Moscow, the Crimean Khan ravaged the central regions and massacred 36 Russian cities. As a result of this raid, up to 80 thousand Russian people were killed, and about 60 thousand were taken prisoner. The population of Moscow decreased from 100 to 30 thousand people.
Crimean Tatar horseman
Davlet Giray was sure that Rus' would not recover from such a blow and could itself become an easy prey. Therefore, the next year, 1572, he decided to repeat the campaign. For this campaign, Davlet Giray was able to gather a 120,000-strong army, which included 80,000 Crimeans and Nogais, 33,000 Turks and 7,000 Turkish Janissaries. The existence of the Russian state and the Russian people themselves hung in the balance.
Fortunately, this very hair turned out to be Prince Mikhail Ivanovich Vorotynsky, who was the head of the border guards in Kolomna and Serpukhov. Under his leadership the oprichnina and zemstvo troops were united. In addition to them, Vorotynsky’s forces were joined by a detachment of seven thousand German mercenaries sent by the tsar, as well as Don Cossacks who came to the rescue. Total number troops under the command of Prince Vorotynsky amounted to 20,034 people.
The moment for the attack was good. The Russian state was in critical isolation and was fighting against three strong neighbors at once (Sweden, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Crimean Khanate). The situation was worse than ever. At the beginning of 1572, Ivan the Terrible evacuated the capital. The treasury, archives, and the highest nobility, including the Tsar's family, were sent from the Kremlin to Novgorod on hundreds of carts.
Walk-city
Moscow could become the prey of the Gireys
When preparing to march on Moscow, Devlet-Girey had already set a larger goal - to conquer all of Russia. The head of state, as we have already said, moved to Novgorod. And in Moscow, burnt down from the previous raid, there was no large connections. The only force covering the deserted capital from the south, along the Oka line, was a 60,000-strong army led by Prince Mikhail Vorotynsky. A thousand Don Cossacks with their ataman Mishka Cherkashenin came to his aid. Also in Vorotynsky’s army was a 7,000-strong detachment of German mercenaries sent here by the tsar.
At Serpukhov he equipped main position, strengthening it with a “walk-city” - a movable fortress made of carts, on which wooden shields with slots for shooting were placed.
The khan sent a 2,000-strong detachment against her to distract her. On the night of July 27, the main forces crossed the Oka River in two weakly defended places: at Senkino Ford and near the village of Drakino.
The 20,000-strong vanguard of Murza Tereberdey crossed at Senka Ford. On his way there was only a small outpost of 200 soldiers. They did not retreat and died heroically, resurrecting the famous feat of three hundred Spartans in history. In the battle of Drakin, the detachment of the famous commander Divey-Murza defeated the regiment of governor Nikita Odoevsky. After this, the khan rushed to Moscow. Then Vorotynsky withdrew his troops from the coastline and moved in pursuit.
The horse regiment of the young Prince Dmitry Khvorostinin raced ahead. In its vanguard were the Don Cossacks - experienced fighters of the steppes. Meanwhile, the head units of the Khan’s army approached the Pakhra River. Rear - to the village of Molodi. Here Khvorostinin overtook them. He fearlessly attacked the Crimean rearguard and defeated it. This strong unexpected blow forced Devlet-Girey to stop the breakthrough to Moscow. Fearing for his rear, the khan turned back to crush Vorotynsky’s army following behind. Without its defeat, the ruler of Crimea could not achieve his goals. Enchanted by the dream of conquering Moscow, the khan abandoned the usual tactics of his army (raid-and-retreat) and became involved in a large-scale battle.
For a couple of days, maneuver skirmishes took place in the area from Pakhra to Molodi. In them, Devlet-Girey probed Vorotynsky’s positions, fearing the approach of troops from Moscow. When it became clear that the Russian army had nowhere to wait for help, on July 31, the khan attacked its base camp, equipped at the Rozhai River, near Molodei.
On July 26, the Crimean-Turkish army approached the Oka and began to cross it in two places - at the confluence of the Lopasny River into it along the Senkin Ford, and upstream from Serpukhov. The first crossing point was guarded by a small guard regiment of “children of the boyars” under the command of Ivan Shuisky, consisting of only 200 soldiers. The Nogai vanguard of the Crimean-Turkish army under the command of Tereberdey-Murza fell upon him. The detachment did not take flight, but entered into an unequal battle, but was scattered, however, managing to inflict great damage on the Crimeans. After this, Tereberdey-Murza’s detachment reached the outskirts of modern Podolsk near the Pakhra River and, having cut all the roads leading to Moscow, stopped waiting for the main forces.
The main positions of the Russian troops were near Serpukhov. Our medieval tank was also located here. Walk-city, armed with cannons and squeaks, which differed from ordinary hand-guns by the presence of hooks that hooked onto the fortress wall in order to reduce recoil when fired. Pishchal inferior in rate of fire to bows Crimean Tatars, but had an advantage in penetrating power: if the arrow got stuck in the body of the first unprotected warrior and quite rarely pierced the chain mail, then the squeak bullet pierced two unprotected warriors, getting stuck only in the third. In addition, it easily penetrated knight's armor.
As a diversionary maneuver, Davlet Giray sent a detachment of two thousand against Serpukhov, and he himself with the main forces crossed the Oka River in a more remote place near the village of Drakino, where he encountered the regiment of governor Nikita Romanovich Odoevsky, who was defeated in a difficult battle. After this, the main army moved towards Moscow, and Vorotynsky, having removed his troops from coastal positions, moved after him. This was a risky tactic, since all hope was pinned on the fact that by clinging to the tail of the Tatar army, the Russians would force the khan to turn around for battle and not go to defenseless Moscow. However, the alternative was to overtake the Khan along a side route, which had little chance of success. In addition, there was the experience of the previous year, when the governor Ivan Belsky managed to arrive in Moscow before the Crimeans, but could not prevent it from being set on fire.
The Crimean army was fairly stretched out and while its advanced units reached the Pakhra River, the rearguard was only approaching the village of Molodi, located 15 versts from her. It was here that he was overtaken by an advanced detachment of Russian troops under the leadership of the young oprichnina governor, Prince Dmitry Khvorostinin. On July 29, a fierce battle took place, as a result of which the Crimean rearguard was practically destroyed.
After this, what Vorotynsky hoped for happened. Having learned about the defeat of the rearguard and fearing for his rear, Davlet Giray deployed his army. By this time, a walk-city had already been developed near Molodei in a convenient location, located on a hill and covered by the Rozhaya River. Khvorostinin’s detachment found itself face to face with the entire Crimean army, but, having correctly assessed the situation, the young governor was not at a loss and lured the enemy to Walk-Gorod with an imaginary retreat. With a quick maneuver to the right, taking his soldiers to the side, he brought the enemy under deadly artillery and squeal fire - “many Tatars were beaten.”
In Gulyai-Gorod there was a large regiment under the command of Vorotynsky himself, as well as the Cossacks of Ataman Cherkashenin who arrived in time. A protracted battle began, for which the Crimean army was not ready. In one of the unsuccessful attacks on Gulyai-Gorod, Tereberdey-Murza was killed.
After a series of small skirmishes, on July 31, Davlet Giray launched a decisive assault on Gulyai-Gorod, but it was repulsed. His army suffered heavy losses in killed and captured. Among the latter was the adviser to the Crimean Khan, Divey-Murza. As a result of large losses, the Tatars retreated.
The next day the attacks stopped, but the situation in the besieged camp became critical. There were many wounded there, food was running out. On August 2, the ruler of Crimea finally decided to put an end to the “walking city” and threw his main forces against it. The climax of the battle has arrived. Expecting victory, the khan did not take losses into account.
Moscow Sterlets
On August 2, Davlet Giray again sent his army to attack. In a difficult struggle, up to 3 thousand Russian archers were killed defending the foot of the hill near Rozhaika, and the Russian cavalry defending the flanks also suffered serious losses. But the attack was repulsed - the Crimean cavalry was unable to take the fortified position. In the battle, the Nogai Khan was killed, and three Murzas died. And then the Crimean Khan made an unexpected decision - he ordered the cavalry to dismount and attack the Gulyai-city on foot together with the Janissaries. The climbing Tatars and Turks covered the hill with corpses, and the Khan threw in more and more forces. Approaching the plank walls of the walk-city, the attackers cut them down with sabers, shook them with their hands, trying to climb over or knock them down, “and here they beat many Tatars and cut off countless hands.”
However, the cavalry could not take the fortifications. Here it was necessary to have a lot of infantry. And then Devlet-Girey, in the heat of the moment, resorted to a method uncharacteristic for the Crimeans. The Khan ordered the horsemen to dismount and, together with the Janissaries, go to the attack on foot. It was a risk. The Crimean army was deprived of its main trump card - high maneuverability.
Already in the evening, taking advantage of the fact that the enemy was concentrated on one side of the hill and carried away by the attacks, Vorotynsky undertook a bold maneuver. Having waited until the main forces of the Crimeans and Janissaries were drawn into a bloody battle for Walk-Gorod, he quietly led a large regiment out of the fortification, led it through a ravine and struck the Tatars in the rear. At the same time, accompanied by powerful volleys of cannons, Khvorostinin’s warriors made a sortie from behind the walls of the city.
The Crimean warriors, not accustomed to fighting cavalry on foot, could not withstand the double blow. The outbreak of panic reduced the best horsemen of the empire to the position of a crowd rushing to escape from Vorotynsky’s horsemen. Many died without ever mounting their horses. Among them were the son, grandson and son-in-law of Devlet-Girey. By nightfall the carnage died down. Having collected the remnants of the defeated army, the khan began to retreat. Thus ended the great multi-day battle in the vastness from Oka to Pakhra.
During the pursuit of the foot Crimeans to the crossing of the Oka River, most of those who fled were killed, as well as another 5,000-strong Crimean rearguard left to guard the crossing. No more than 10 thousand soldiers returned to Crimea.
Having been defeated in the Battle of Molodi, the Crimean Khanate lost almost its entire male population. However, Rus', weakened by the previous raid and the Livonian War, was unable to undertake a campaign to Crimea to finish off the beast in its lair.
Vienna or still Molodi?
This was the last major battle between Rus' and the steppe. The blow at Molodi shook the Crimean power. According to some reports, only 20 thousand soldiers returned home to Crimea (no one of the Janissaries escaped).
And now a little about the history of geography. It is known that extreme point Vienna is considered to be where the Ottoman advance in Europe was stopped. In fact, the palm belongs to the village of Molodi near Moscow. Vienna was then located 150 km from the borders of the Ottoman Empire. Whereas Molodi is about 800 km away. It was at the walls of the Russian capital, under Molodi, that the most distant and grandiose campaign of the troops of the Ottoman Empire deep into Europe was reflected.
Comparable in importance to the battles on the Kulikovo Field (1380) or Poitiers (732), the Battle of Molodi still remains a little-known event and is almost not mentioned among the famous victories of Russian weapons.
Let's remember some more episodes from the glorious military history of Russia: let's not forget The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy was made -
Battle of Molodi- a major battle in which Russian troops defeated the army of the Crimean Khan Devlet I Giray, which included, in addition to the Crimean troops themselves, Turkish and Nogai detachments. Despite more than twofold numerical superiority, the 40,000-strong Crimean army was put to flight and almost completely killed. In terms of its significance, the Battle of Molodi is comparable to Kulikovskaya and others key battles in Russian history. Victory in the battle allowed Russia to maintain its independence and became a turning point in the confrontation between the Muscovite state and the Crimean Khanate, which abandoned its claims to the Kazan and Astrakhan khanates and henceforth lost most of its power.
FIFTY MIRS FROM MOSCOW
and the Crimean Tsar came to Moscow, and with him were his 100 thousand and twenty, and his son Tsarevich, and his grandson, and his uncle, and the governor Diviy Murza - and God help our Moscow governors over Crimean power the Tsar, Prince Mikhail Ivanovich Vorotynsky and other governors of the Moscow sovereign, and the Crimean Tsar fled from them innocently, not along any road, in a small squad; and our commanders of the Crimean Tsar killed 100 thousand on Rozhai on the rivers, near Resurrection in Molody, on Lopasta, in the Khotyn district, there was a case with Prince Mikhail Ivanovich Vorotynsky, with the Crimean Tsar and his governors... and there was a case from Moscow fifty miles away.
Novgorod Chronicle
MEANT MUCH, KNOWN LITTLE
The Battle of Molodin in 1572 is an important stage in the history of Russia’s struggle against the Crimean Khanate in the 16th century. The Russian state, busy at that time with the Livonian War, i.e., the struggle with the bloc of European powers (Sweden, Denmark, the Polish-Lithuanian state), was forced to simultaneously repel the onslaught of joint Turkish-Tatar attacks. Of the 24 years of the Livonian War, 21 years were marked by attacks by the Crimean Tatars. In the late 60s - first half of the 70s. Crimean raids on Russia intensified sharply. In 1569, on the Turkish initiative, an attempt was made to capture Astrakhan, which ended in complete failure. In 1571, a large Crimean army led by Khan Devlet-Girey invaded Russia and burned Moscow. The next year, 1572, Devlet-Girey with a huge army again appeared within Russia. In a series of battles, of which the most decisive and fierce was the Battle of Molodi, the Tatars were completely defeated and put to flight. However, it is still about Battle of Molodinsk 1572 there is no special study, which is partly due to the lack of sources on this issue.
The range of published sources telling about the Battle of Molodi is still very limited. This is a brief testimony of the Novgorod II Chronicle and a short chronicler of time, published by Acad. M. N. Tikhomirov, digit books - short version(“Sovereign category”) and an abbreviated version. In addition, an interesting story about the victory over the Crimean Tatars in 1572 was published, which was also used by A. Lyzlov and N. M. Karamzin; G. Staden provides interesting data in his notes and autobiography, who in some cases was a witness, in others a participant in the events of 1572. Finally, S. M. Seredonin published the order of the prince. M.I. Vorotynsky, commander-in-chief of the Russian army during the Battle of Molodin, and a painting of this army, but this publication is extremely unsatisfactory.
Website "Oriental Literature"
PROGRESS OF THE BATTLE
On July 28, forty-five versts from Moscow, near the village of Molodi, Khvorostinin’s regiment began a battle with the rearguard of the Tatars, commanded by the sons of the khan with selected cavalry. Devlet Giray sent 12,000 soldiers to help his sons. A large regiment of Russian troops set up a mobile fortress at Molodi - “walk-city”, and entered there. The advanced regiment of Prince Khvorostinin, with difficulty withstanding the attacks of three times the strongest enemy, retreated to the “walk-city” and with a quick maneuver to the right took its soldiers to the side, bringing the Tatars under deadly artillery and squeal fire - “many Tatars were beaten.” Devlet Giray, who on July 29 settled down to rest in a swampy area seven kilometers north of the Pakhra River near Podolsk, was forced to stop the attack on Moscow and, fearing a stab in the back - “that’s why he was afraid, did not go to Moscow, because the sovereign’s boyars and governors were following him “- he returned back, intending to defeat Vorotynsky’s army - “nothing will prevent us from fearlessly hunting over Moscow and the cities.” Both sides were preparing for battle - “they fought with the Crimean people, but there was no real battle.”
On July 30, a five-day battle began at Molodi, between Podolsk and Serpukhov. The Moscow state, practically crushed by the power of the Tsar, who was in Novgorod and had already written a letter to Devlet Giray with a proposal to give him both Kazan and Astrakhan, in case of defeat, could again lose its independence, won in a difficult struggle.
The large regiment was located in the “walk-city”, placed on a hill, surrounded by dug ditches. At the foot of the hill across the Rozhai River stood three thousand archers with arquebuses. The remaining troops covered the flanks and rear. Having launched an assault, several tens of thousands of Tatars knocked out the Streltsy, but were unable to capture the “Walk-Gorod”, suffered heavy losses and were repulsed. On July 31, the entire army of Devlet Giray went to storm the “walk-city”. The fierce assault lasted the whole day; the leader of the Nogais, Tereberdey-Murza, died during the assault. All Russian troops took part in the battle, except for the regiment of the left hand, which especially guarded the “Walk-Gorod”. “And on that day there was a lot of battle, the wallpaper left a lot of wallpaper, and the water was mixed with blood. And by evening the regiments were exhausted into convoys, and the Tatars went into their camps.”
On August 1, Devey-Murza himself led the Tatars to the assault - “I will take the Russian convoy: and they will tremble and be horrified, and we will beat them.” Having carried out several unsuccessful attacks and trying in vain to break into the “walk-city” - “he climbed onto the convoy many times in order to tear it apart,” Divey-Murza with a small retinue went on a reconnaissance mission to identify the weakest points of the Russian mobile fortress. The Russians made a sortie, near Divey, who began to leave, his horse stumbled and fell, and the second man after the khan in the Tatar army was captured by the Suzdalian Temir-Ivan Shibaev, son of Alalykin - “the argamak tripped under him, and he did not sit still. And then they took him from the Argamaks, dressed in armor. The Tatar attack became weaker than before, but the Russian people became braver and, climbing out, fought and beat many Tatars in that battle.” The assault stopped.
On this day, Russian troops captured many prisoners. Among them was the Tatar prince Shirinbak. When asked about the future plans of the Crimean Khan, he replied: “Even though I am a prince, I don’t know the prince’s thoughts; The princess’s thought is now all yours: you took Diveya-Murza, he was an industrialist for everything.” Divey, who said he was a simple warrior, was identified. Heinrich Staden later wrote: “We captured the main military commander of the Crimean king Divey-Murza and Khazbulat. But no one knew their language. We thought it was some small murza. The next day, a Tatar, a former servant of Divey Murza, was captured. They asked him how long it would last Crimean king? The Tatar answered: “Why are you asking me about this! Ask my master Divey-Murza, whom you captured yesterday.” Then everyone was ordered to bring their polonyaniki. The Tatar pointed to Divey-Murza and said: “Here he is - Divey-Murza!” When they asked Divey-Murza: “Are you Divey-Murza?”, he answered: “No, I’m not a big Murza!” And soon Divey-Murza boldly and impudently said to Prince Mikhail Vorotynsky and all the governors: “Oh, you peasants! How dare you, pathetic ones, compete with your master, with Crimean Tsar! They answered: “You yourself are in captivity, and yet you are threatening.” To this, Divey-Murza objected: “If the Crimean Tsar had been captured instead of me, I would have freed him, and I would have driven all of you peasants into Crimea!” The governors asked: “How would you do it?” Divey-Murza answered: “I would starve you to death in your walking city in 5-6 days.” For he knew well that the Russians beat and ate their horses, on which they must ride against the enemy.” Indeed, the defenders of the “walk-city” had almost no water or provisions all this time.
On August 2, Devlet Giray resumed the assault on the “walk-city”, trying to recapture Divey-Murza - “many regiments of foot and horsemen to the walk-city to knock out Divey-Murza.” During the assault, Vorotynsky’s large regiment secretly left the “walk-city” and, moving along the bottom of the ravine behind the hill, went to the rear of the Tatar army. The regiment of Prince Dmitry Khvorostinin with artillery and the German reiters who remained in the “walk-city” fired a cannon salvo at the agreed signal, left the fortifications and again started a battle, during which a large regiment of Prince Vorotynsky struck the Tatar rear. “The battle was great.” The Tatar army was subjected to complete destruction, according to some sources, the son and grandson of Devlet Giray, as well as all seven thousand Janissaries, died in the cabin. The Russians captured many Tatar banners, tents, convoys, artillery and even the khan's personal weapons. Throughout the next day, the remnants of the Tatars drove to the Oka, twice knocking down and destroying the rearguards of Devlet Girey, who brought back to the Crimea only every fifth warrior from among those who took part in the campaign. Andrei Kurbsky wrote that after the Battle of Molodin, the Turks who went on a campaign with the Tatars “all disappeared and, they say, not a single one returned to Constantinople.” On August 6, Ivan the Terrible also learned about Molodin’s victory. Divey Murza was brought to him in Novgorod on August 9.
THE DOG OF THE CRIMEA KING
Song about the invasion of the Crimean Tatars into Rus'
“And not a strong cloud has clouded,
and the thunder thundered loudly:
Where is the dog of the Crimean king going?
And to the powerful kingdom of Moscow:
“And now we will go to stone Moscow,
and we’ll go back and take Rezan.”
And how will they be at the Oka River,
and then they will begin to erect white tents.
“And think with your whole mind:
who should sit with us in stone Moscow,
and to whom we have in Volodymer,
and who should sit with us in Suzdal,
and who will keep Rezan Staraya with us,
and to whom we have in Zvenigorod,
and who should sit with us in Novgorod?”
Divi-Murza's son Ulanovich comes out:
“And you are our sovereign, the Crimean king!
And you, sir, can sit with us in stone Moscow,
And to your son in Volodymer,
and to your nephew in Suzdal,
and to my relatives in Zvenigorod,
and the stable boyar will keep Rezan Staraya,
and for me, sir, perhaps the New City:
I have light-good-days lying there, father,
Divi-Murza son of Ulanovich."
From the collection “Songs Recorded for Richard James in 1619-1620.” Date of creation: end XVI- beginning of the 17th century.
AFTER THE BATTLE
The firmness shown by the Moscow state in response to Turkish claims to Kazan and Astrakhan, successful military operations against the Crimean Khan Devlet Giray, in whose ranks, as is known, there were not only Nogais (Murza Keremberdeev with 20 thousand people), but also 7 thousand Janissaries sent Khan by the Grand Vizier Mehmed Pasha, finally, a successful raid of the Don Cossacks in 1572 on Azov, when they, taking advantage of the devastation of the city from the explosion of a gunpowder warehouse, caused the Turkish garrison great damage, - all this somewhat sobered the Sultan’s government. In addition, Turkey after 1572 was distracted by the struggle that Sultan Selim II had to wage in Wallachia and Moldavia, and then in Tunisia.
That is why, when Selim II died in 1574, the new Turkish Sultan Murad III decided to send a special envoy to Moscow with notification of the death of Selim II and his accession to the throne.
This was a sign of reconciliation, especially pleasant for Russia, since Murad III’s predecessor, his father Selim II, did not consider it necessary to notify Moscow government about his accession.
However, Turkish politeness did not at all mean a renunciation of a hostile offensive policy.
The strategic goal of the Turks was to form through Azov and the North Caucasus solid line their possessions, which, starting from the Crimea, would encircle the Russian state from the south. At successful completion With this task, the Turks could not only stop all relations between Russia and Georgia and Iran, but also keep these countries under attack and the eternal threat of a surprise attack.
Russian historian I.I. Smirnov
The country's situation was desperate. A repetition of the Crimean campaign threatened Russia with death and disintegration.
In 1572, Devlet-Girey, having gathered, according to the estimates of various historians, from 40,000 to 100,000 soldiers, went to the Russian borders with the firm intention of completing the work begun last year to the end. And Ivan IV did not have much power left at his disposal.
The Russian military command united the zemstvo and oprichnina army. Prince Mikhail Vorotynsky was appointed “great” (i.e., main) sovereign governor. In the leading regiment, the second commander was Prince Dmitry Khvorostinin.
He bore the brunt of the battle that took place near the village of Molodi. Then came the finest hour of governor Khvorostinin.
It is he who becomes Vorotynsky’s main assistant, and not the first governor of the advanced regiment, Prince Andrei Petrovich Khovansky. It is Dmitry Ivanovich who is given the most responsible assignments, relying on his experience and skill.
It is his name that Russian chronicles place next to the name of Vorotynsky, telling about the great victory, although there were several commanders of a higher rank in the united Oprichnina-Zemstvo army.
The Russian army was several times inferior to the enemy in numbers and numbered a little more than 20,000 people. When the Tatars crossed the Oka River near Serpukhov, Khvorostinin did not have enough forces to disrupt the crossing.
From the advanced regiment, which united about 4.5 thousand nobles, Cossacks, foreign mercenaries and archers, only 950 fighters were subordinate to him. He retreated, but then the advanced regiment, led by Khovansky and Khvorostinin, caught up with the enemy, who was rapidly moving towards Moscow, and inflicted a number of sensitive blows on the convoy and rearguard detachments of Devlet-Girey.
The role of the center of the Russian position was played by the “Walk-Gorod”, deployed on a hill near the Rozhai River. Old Moscow governors in those days often used similar tactics against the Tatars, who outnumbered them. “Gulyai-gorod” was a fortress made of thick wooden shields transported on carts. In case of danger, it was assembled together with extraordinary speed.
Molodey had an entire regiment stationed in the “walk-gorod”, the strongest in the entire Russian army. Other regiments covered him from the flanks and rear, and a screen of archers was moved forward. The defense of the wooden fortress was led by Khvorostinin. The army was full of governors above his rank, but the most responsible and most dangerous place Vorotynsky directed it exactly.
What does this mean? By that time, Dmitry Ivanovich’s outstanding abilities had become obvious to military elite Russia. And when it was necessary to win or die, they looked not at nobility, but at military talent. At Molodi, such a “moment of truth” just arrived - both for the entire military system of the Moscow state, and personally for Prince Khvorostinin.
During the first assault on the Russian position, the Tatar cavalry scattered the archers, but at the “walk-city” they encountered dense rifle and cannon fire and suffered terrible losses. The Russian noble cavalry successfully counterattacked on the flanks. Repeated attacks also did not bring success to Devlet-Girey.
Moreover, the major Tatar military leader Divey-Murza was captured, several noble commanders died... On the evening of July 30, attempts to storm the “walk-city” stopped. However, according to the German guardsman Heinrich Staden, a contemporary and, apparently, a participant in the Battle of Molodin, the position of the Russian regiments was also difficult. The threat of famine loomed over those besieged in the “walking city”.
Until August 2, the Crimeans put their disheveled army in order, counted their losses, and concentrated for a new blow. Then another attack on the “walk-city” began. The Tatars moved forward with desperate courage, not afraid of losses and stubbornly overcoming the barrage of fire from the Russian regiments.
Daredevils jumped onto wooden shields, trying to knock them down, climb inside, and open the way for a swift cavalry attack. Khvorostinin's fighters cut off their hands in large numbers with sabers and axes. The battle went on with unprecedented ferocity. The stubborn defense of the “walking city” brought success to the Russians over and over again...
Taking advantage of the favorable moment, Vorotynsky went to the rear of Devlet-Girey with the main forces. While this maneuver was being carried out, a relatively small detachment under the command of Prince Khvorostinin continued to hold back the onslaught of the attackers in the “Walk-Gorod”. In the evening, when the pressure of the Crimeans weakened, Khvorostinin opened fire with all guns and went on a sortie with a detachment of German mercenaries under captain Yuri Franzbek.
He risked a lot: if Vorotynsky had not managed to attack the Tatars from the rear in time, the attack could have cost Dmitry Ivanovich his life, and the entire Russian army - a lost battle. But Vorotynsky supported Khvorostinin’s counterattack at the right time. Pressed on both sides, the Tatars suffered a crushing defeat and fled.
Devlet-Girey’s relatives were killed in a terrible battle, and many Murzas and other Tatar nobility found their death. In addition, the khan received news of the approach of the main Russian forces. The horde retreated. Russian governors organized the persecution and defeat of individual detachments.
IN historical literature The opinion has been expressed more than once that victory in the Battle of Molodin was achieved mainly through the efforts of Khvorostinin. The famous Soviet historian Ruslan Skrynnikov expressed this opinion in the clearest form:
“According to established tradition, the glory of the victory over the Tatars is usually attributed to the chief governor, Prince M.I. Vorotynsky. This opinion seems incorrect. The appointment of Vorotynsky as commander in chief is not explained by any special military talents or merits appanage prince, and first of all his nobility.
The real hero of the battle at the village of Molodi was not he, but the young oprichnina governor, Prince D.I. Khvorostinin..."
Another military history specialist, Vadim Kargalov, cautiously supported this point of view:
“...Even if this is an exaggeration, the important role of the oprichnina governor Khvorostinin... is undeniable. His military authority is unusually high. He is being promoted to the first rank of Russian commanders...” It is difficult to determine how true this opinion is. On the one hand, Mikhail Vorotynsky is an experienced military leader.
In addition to the Molodin battle, he has several other significant achievements to his credit. He acted successfully during the siege and assault of Kazan in 1552; for several years he headed the entire defense of southern Russia; in 1571 he developed the “Boyar verdict on the village and guard service", which is considered the first military regulations in our country.
According to a contemporary, Prince Vorotynsky was “a strong and courageous man, very skillful in the organization of regiments.”
He was far superior to Khvorostinin in terms of family nobility and wealth. In fact, he suffered from this: a year after the victory won together with Khvorostinin, he fell into disgrace and was accused of witchcraft. Vorotynsky proudly denied his guilt and died from torture.
According to some historians, Tsar Ivan IV was worried about the growing influence and authority of Vorotynsky, others believe that the prince committed some kind of official violation...
On the other hand, during the battle of Molody, Dmitry Khvorostinin was indeed entrusted with the most difficult tasks; their excellent performance ultimately led to the defeat of Devlet-Girey. Apparently, it would be correct to consider both military leaders as equally creators of victory.
Continuation of service after the oprichnina
Castle ruins in Paide (Weissenstein)
The oprichnina military machine lost the trust of the tsar after the burning of Moscow by the Crimeans. It was disbanding at a rapid pace. From the second half of 1571, the oprichnina governors went on campaigns in the same regiments with the zemstvos and even under their command. This means that Dmitry Ivanovich had to again face competition from more noble aristocrats.
Now he had to face many great families of the titled nobility in large parochial proceedings. In 1572, while Khvorostinin, for the reasons stated above, served in low voivodeship ranks, this did not threaten him. But as soon as he begins to receive the most modest promotions, this threat is immediately realized.
Dmitry Ivanovich is one of the “record holders” in terms of local affairs. For the period between 1573 and the beginning of the 1590s. his name is associated with 22 local litigations! On average, there is approximately one trial every 8 months...
Not known to scientists exact date abolition of the oprichnina. Perhaps it was a process divided into several stages. The oprichnina army, as already mentioned, ceased to carry out independent tasks already in 1571. At the same time, the government began to return to the owners the estates and estates that had been transferred several years earlier to the oprichnina. In the second half of 1572, a decree was issued prohibiting commemoration of the oprichnina order. Thus, now the oprichnina times have become viewed extremely negatively...
As a result, for several years Khvorostinin was given relatively low-level positions. In 1573-1574. an opal was placed on him. Khvorostinin was unable to reach the detachments of the “Meadow Cheremis” who rebelled on the Kazan lands because of the “great snows,” or was simply late to the place where the troops were gathering.
Ivan IV removed him from command, dressed him in a woman’s dress and forced him to grind flour - they say, this is not a commander Khvorostinin, but a real woman! The sovereign did not remember how the “woman” defended Moscow at Molodi with the last handful of combat-ready troops... At the same time, Dmitry Ivanovich lost the parochial case with Prince F.M. Troyekurov, in 1577-1579. The Khvorostinins suffered a severe defeat in the local affair with the Buturlins.
Prince Dmitry himself was sent to prison for a week for his persistence in defending the interests of the clan and recovered from him in favor of F.A. Buturlin received a huge fine for those times - 150 rubles.
Between 1573 and 1578 The prince’s career “freezes.” Dmitry Ivanovich took part in a dozen campaigns. He was sent either to the south, against the Crimeans, or to the Livonian front. He saw the victories of the Russian army - the capture of Paida and Kesi (Wenden), he also saw the defeat at Kolyvan, the loss of the same Kesi, an unsuccessful attempt to return this fortress... He himself successfully acted against the Tatars at Voskresensk.
But throughout this entire period, he was never given command of not only a separate army, but even a regiment. Khvorostinin was always described as the second governor. IN worst case- second in the guard regiment, which was “lower in honor” than the others, at best - in the regiment right hand.
In the summer of 1578, things reached the point of offensive injustice. For the first time in many years, Khvorostinin was appointed to command a guard regiment. Not such a great appointment! He took part in the successful capture of the Livonian fortress Polchev. But due to a new local dispute - with Prince M.V. Tyufyakin, who did not want to be the second governor under Khvorostinin, Dmitry Ivanovich was sent from the victorious army to Moscow...
However, there would be no happiness, but misfortune helped. Soon half of the commanders of this army will move, and the army will suffer a terrible defeat at Kesya, during the next attempt to return the city. Four of our commanders died, four more were captured, others fled in disgrace. And the Russian artillerymen, in despair, not wanting to give up, hanged themselves on the cannons, which there was no one to protect from the enemy.
God saved Dmitry Ivanovich from this trouble.
Only at the very end of the 70s and beginning of the 80s did he take a modest step upward. This is partly due to the intense military activity that Khvorostinin conducted during that period. This was an extremely unlucky period for Russian weapons. The Russian armies suffered a number of defeats from Swedish and Polish troops, our fortresses of Polotsk, Sokol, Velikiye Luki, Zavolochye, Kholm, Staraya Russa, Narva, Ivangorod, Yam, Koporye fell.
The country has depleted its human and material resources in the endless Livonian War. In part, the tsar was forced to gradually promote the unloved military leader: the command staff of the Russian army suffered terrible losses during these years, dozens of commanders were out of action.
Someone had to plug the holes that constantly appeared in the Russian defense, and here Dmitry Ivanovich came in handy more than ever. Like under Molodi. When it was necessary to defend Gulyai-Gorod from the ramming attacks of the Tatar cavalry.
Khvorostinin rises to the position of second commander in a large regiment, that is, the main assistant to the commander-in-chief. In this position, he was recorded in the rank in the summer of 1580, when the Russian army stood at Rzheva Vladimirova, defending western lands Russia from the troops of Stefan Batory, who had just taken the Zavolochye fortress.
Dmitry Ivanovich was promoted to the first governor of the forward regiment. Then, in January 1581, he was transferred as the first governor to Novgorod the Great, and this was an order of magnitude higher post.
In the same 1580, the prince was appointed governor of Tarusa.
In the spring of 1581, a large Russian army marched from Mozhaisk to Lithuanian lands. She carried out a deep raid and battered the Polish-Lithuanian troops. The bit record tells the following about this campaign:
“The governors went... near Dubrovna, and to Orsha, and they burned the settlements near Orsha, and near Kopys and near Shklov. Lithuanian people crawled out of Shklov. And in that case, they killed the governor Roman Dmitrievich Buturlin... And they burned the settlements near Mogilev and captured a lot of goods and beat people and captured a lot of people and went out with all the people to Smolensk, God willing, healthy.”
Against the background of the general tragic situation on the Livonian front this operation looks like a great success.
Reward for command staff steel gold coins from the sovereign.
Castle ruins in Põltsamaa (Oberpalen)
In the early 80s, Dmitry Ivanovich was sent to the south several times to defend Russian cities from the Crimeans. But his main " combat work"was still carried out in the Livonian theater of military operations. The Moscow state has almost lost the ability to fight back. The Swedes are developing a successful offensive, gradually capturing the ancient Novgorod lands.
Victory over the Swedes
Main article: Battle of Lyalitsy
In 1581, the Swedes, led by famous commander Pontus Delagardie. Having gained a foothold in Narva and Ivangorod, they captured the border fortresses of Yam (September 28, 1581) and Koporye (October 14, 1581) with counties.
However, in February 1582, the advanced regiment of the Russian army under the command of Dmitry Khvorostinin and the Duma nobleman Mikhail Beznin near the village of Lyalitsy in Vodskaya Pyatina attacked the Swedish troops that had begun a new offensive. As the Rank Book writes,
“By the grace of God, the Most Pure Mother of God, through the prayers of the Mother of God, beat the people of Sweden and caught the tongues of many. And it happened: in advance to the leading regiment - Prince Dmitry Ivanovich Khvorostinin and the Duma nobleman Mikhail Ondreevich Beznin - and he helped them with a large regiment, but other governors did not have time for the battle. And the sovereign sent to the governors with gold.”
Having been defeated, the enemy was forced to hastily retreat to Narva. After the resounding successes of the Swedes at the final stage of the Livonian War, it was their failure at Lyalitsy and the subsequent unsuccessful siege of Oreshek that served as a psychological turning point and forced the Swedes to sign the Truce of Plyus.
As Ruslan Skrynnikov writes, Ataman Ermak’s detachment also took part in the operation near Lyalitsy, which, under the leadership of Khvorostinin, was able to learn a lot from him.
Ivangorod and Narva
In 1582, Khvorostinin again became the second governor in Kaluga in the advanced regiment. In winter, as the second governor of Ivan Vorotynsky, he was sent to Murom for a campaign against the rebellious Meadow Cheremis and Kazan Tatars.
In 1583, Khvorostinin, who again served as the second commander of the advanced regiment in southern Ukraine, went to Cheremis. This time, Khvorostinin was placed in command on a rank equal to more well-born military leaders.
Military service under Fyodor Ioannovich and Boris Godunov
After the death of Ivan the Terrible in March 1584, his son Fyodor Ioannovich ascended the throne, ruling with the help of Boris Godunov. The attitude towards Khvorostinin at court became favorable, he was granted a boyar status and appointed sovereign governor in Ryazan, with instructions to guard the entire border line.
Promotion, the acquisition of rich land holdings, as well as the boyar rank (which was rare even among more noble aristocrats) were Khvorostinin’s long-awaited personal triumph. From now on, he is appreciated and favored at court, he participates in meetings of the Boyar Duma and is present at state receptions of foreign ambassadors (for example, in 1585, along with other boyars, Dmitry Ivanovich “sat in a large shop” when receiving the Ambassador of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Lev Sapieha).
And although this situation after many years of service was fair, it was not last role personal connections played a role: Khvorostinin’s daughter Avdotya was married to Stepan Godunov and the Godunovs relied on the Khvorostinins against their rivals the Shuiskys.
Having become the main figure in organizing the defense of the steppe outskirts of the Russian state, Khvorostinin was able to repel the raids of the Crimean Tatars and Nagais in 1585 and 1586. In 1583, the 40,000-strong Crimean army did not dare to fight with Khvorostinin’s well-positioned army and retreated.
From 1585 to 1589, Dmitry Ivanovich was constantly engaged in one thing: establishing reliable protection for cities located in the forest-steppe zone of Russia, on the restless southern borders. During this time, neither the Crimeans nor the Nogais were ever able to break through to the central regions or even create a serious threat of a breakthrough.
Russia lived in those years with a premonition of new big wars with its Western neighbors. Big collision with the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth - the Polish-Lithuanian state - in Moscow they did not want. A conflict with it would again lead to a protracted and difficult struggle: the intersection of the most direct interests of the two great powers of Eastern Europe on the border between Russian Smolensk and Lithuanian Polotsk invariably filled the wars between them with unprecedented bitterness and tenacity.
The Kingdom of Sweden was seen as a less serious opponent. And the configuration of the eastern borders was not a vital problem for Stockholm. The problem was that the Swedish crown was owned by Johan III, and the Polish crown... was owned by his son Sigismund. And the father expected from his son a wide military support. And the son could request one from his father in case of serious complications with the Moscow state.
The salvation of Russian diplomacy consisted in only one thing: long ago, the Polish monarchs lost their importance as the true rulers of the country. The most important matters were decided by the magnate, relying on the numerous and willful gentry. And they did not want a new clash with Russia. Therefore, when the Russian-Swedish truce expired, the two old enemies of our country were unable to unite.
A war broke out for Russian cities and lands lost by the Moscow state under Ivan the Terrible. Our army acted generally successfully and was able to regain much of what was lost. It was then that Khvorostinin won his last great battle.
Due to unrest on the Swedish border, Khvorostinin was recalled from the south to Veliky Novgorod in 1587. The Plyus truce was expiring and another was brewing. Russian-Swedish war, which Sweden hoped to win in an alliance with the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Military operations against the “Svei King Yagan” began in January 1590 with the goal of returning Russia’s lost access to the Baltic Sea.
Khvorostinin, considered due to his offensive style the best commander, was appointed commander of the advanced regiment, which played the main role, although Fyodor Mstislavsky and Andrei Trubetskoy were appointed formal heads of the army in order to avoid parochial disputes.
Having taken Yam, Khvorostinin’s advanced regiment defeated a 4,000-strong (according to other sources, 20,000-strong) Swedish army under General Gustav Baner near Ivangorod and forced him to retreat to Rakovor, leaving all the guns and supplies to the Russians.
A few months later, hostilities died down. The tight blockade of Narva, and especially the crushing effect of our artillery, led the Swedish garrison to a desperate situation. The remnants of the Swedish field corps, defeated at Ivangorod, could not help the besieged, since this was prevented by a strong Russian detachment placed as a “barrier”. It was there that Prince Khvorostinin acted.
As a result, a truce was concluded that was beneficial for the Russian side: the Swedes retained Narva, but they gave up, in addition to Yam, which had already been captured by our governors, also Ivangorod and Koporye.
The war is not over yet. Its further development only led to a bitter result for the Swedes: in 1595, when the Treaty of Tyavzin was concluded between Russia and Sweden, they had to annex Korela with the district to the previously lost cities...
However, Dmitry Ivanovich no longer learned about the final victory of Russia. His service ended in February 1590, when the first truce was concluded near Narva.
The old governor was tired of endless military labors and took monastic vows at the Trinity-Sergius Monastery. Old age and illness overcame his body, worn out in campaigns and battles. The Ivangorod victory became the “farewell bow” of the Moscow “commander”. On August 7, 1590, Dmitry Ivanovich Khvorostinin passed away.
IAC
In terms of its significance, the Battle of Molodi is comparable to Kulikovo and other key battles in Russian history. Victory in the battle allowed Russia to maintain its independence and became a turning point in the confrontation between the Russian kingdom and the Crimean Khanate, which abandoned its claims to the Kazan and Astrakhan khanates and henceforth lost most of its power. The Battle of Molodin is the result of the longest military campaign of Turkish troops in Europe.
The battle took place between July 29 and August 2, 1572, 50 versts south of Moscow, in which Russian troops under the leadership of the governor Prince Mikhail Vorotynsky and the army of the Crimean Khan Devlet I Giray, which included, in addition to the Crimean troops themselves, Turkish and Nogai detachments, came together in battle. Despite the significant numerical superiority, the Turkish-Crimean army was put to flight and almost completely killed.
Background. The campaign of the Crimean Tatars of 1571 and the burning of Moscow
With the support of the Ottoman Empire and in agreement with the newly formed Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Crimean Khan Devlet Giray in May 1571, with an army of 40 thousand, made a devastating campaign against Russian lands. Having bypassed, with the help of defectors, the abatis lines on the southern outskirts of the Russian kingdom (a chain of fortifications called the “belt” Holy Mother of God"), he reached Moscow and set fire to its suburbs. The city, built mainly of wood, was almost completely burned down, with the exception of the stone Kremlin. The number of victims and those taken captive is very difficult to determine, but, according to various historians, it is in the tens of thousands. After the fire of Moscow, Ivan IV, who had previously left the city, offered to return the Astrakhan Khanate and was almost ready to negotiate the return of Kazan, and also tore down fortifications in the North Caucasus.
However, Devlet Giray was sure that Rus' would not recover from such a blow and could itself become an easy prey, moreover, famine and a plague epidemic reigned within its borders. In his opinion, all that remained was to strike the final blow. For the entire year after the campaign against Moscow, he was engaged in forming a new, much larger army. The Ottoman Empire provided active support, providing him with several thousand soldiers, including 7 thousand selected Janissaries. He managed to gather about 80 thousand people from the Crimean Tatars and Nogais. Possessing a huge army at that time, Devlet Giray moved towards Moscow. The Crimean Khan repeatedly stated that he was “going to Moscow to rule.” The lands of Muscovite Rus' were already divided in advance between the Crimean Murzas. The invasion of the Crimean army, as well as Batu’s campaigns of conquest, raised the acute question of the existence of an independent Russian state.
Campaign of the Crimean Tatars of 1572
In 1572 Moscow state famine (a consequence of crop failures caused by drought and cold) was devastating, and the plague epidemic continued. In the Livonian War, the Russian army suffered a heavy defeat near Revel; most of the troops were in the Baltic states and on other western borders. The Russian capital seemed like easy prey to the Crimeans. Its old fortifications were destroyed by fire, and new ones, hastily erected, could not completely replace them. Military failures shook Russian rule in the Volga and Caspian regions.
The back of the Crimeans was the largest military power in Europe - the Ottoman Empire. In such a situation, the khan hoped not only to tear away the Middle and Southern Volga region from Russia, but also to capture Moscow and thereby restore Rus'’s long-standing dependence on the Tatars. On the eve of the invasion, Devlet I ordered the counties and cities of Russia to be painted between the Murzas. The Turkish Sultan sent a large detachment of Janissaries to Crimea to participate in conquest to Rus'. Many Adyghe princes from the North Caucasus became allies of the Crimean Khan.
In anticipation of a new invasion, by May 1572, the Russians had gathered on the southern border a united oprichnina and zemstvo army of approximately 12,000 nobles, 2,035 archers, and 3,800 Cossacks of Ataman Mikhail Cherkashin. Together with the militias of the northern cities, the army numbered a little more than 20 thousand people. At the head of the army were the governor, Prince Mikhail Ivanovich Vorotynsky, and the oprichnina governor, Prince Dmitry Ivanovich Khvorostinin.
The Crimeans had a numerical superiority on their side. The invasion involved from 40 to 50 thousand horsemen from the Crimean army, the Greater and Lesser Nogai hordes, and up to 7 thousand Turkish Janissaries. Khan had Turkish artillery at his disposal.
The Russian command positioned the main forces near Kolomna, covering the approaches to Moscow from Ryazan. But it also took into account the possibility of a second invasion from the southwest, from the Ugra region. In this case, the command moved the advanced regiment of Prince Khvorostinin to the extreme right flank in Kaluga. Contrary to tradition, the advanced regiment was superior in numbers to the regiment of the right and left hands. Khvorostinin was assigned a mobile river detachment to defend the crossings across the Oka. Ivan the Terrible himself, as last year, left Moscow, this time towards Veliky Novgorod.
The invasion began on July 23, 1572. The mobile Nogai cavalry rushed to Tula and on the third day tried to cross the Oka River above Serpukhov, but was repulsed from the crossing by a Russian guard regiment. Meanwhile, the khan and his entire army reached the main Serpukhov crossings across the Oka. Russian commanders were waiting for the enemy across the Oka River in heavily fortified positions.
Having encountered strong Russian defenses, Devlet I resumed the attack in the area of Senkin Ford above Serpukhov. On the night of July 28, the Nogai cavalry dispersed two hundred nobles guarding the ford and captured the crossings. Developing the offensive, the Nogais went far to the north overnight. In the morning, Prince Khvorostinin and the advanced regiment arrived at the crossing point. But, faced with the main forces of the Crimean army, he avoided battle. Soon the right-hand regiment tried to intercept the attackers in the upper reaches of the Nara River, but were repulsed. Devlet I Giray went to the rear of the Russian army and began to move unhindered towards Moscow along the Serpukhov road. The rearguards were commanded by the sons of the khan with numerous and selected cavalry. The leading Russian regiment followed the Crimean princes, waiting for an opportune moment.
Before the battle
This time the Khan's campaign was incomparably more serious than an ordinary raid. On July 27, the Crimean-Turkish army approached the Oka and began to cross it in two places - at the confluence of the Lopasny River into it along the Senkin Ford, and upstream from Serpukhov. The first crossing point was guarded by a small guard regiment of “children of the boyars” under the command of Ivan Shuisky, consisting of only 200 soldiers. The Nogai vanguard of the Crimean-Turkish army under the command of Tereberdey-Murza fell upon him. The detachment did not take flight, but entered into an unequal battle, but was scattered, however, managing to inflict great damage on the Crimeans. After this, Tereberdey-Murza’s detachment reached the outskirts of modern Podolsk near the Pakhra River and, having cut all the roads leading to Moscow, stopped waiting for the main forces.
The main positions of the Russian troops were near Serpukhov. Gulyai-Gorod consisted of half-a-log shields the size of a log house wall, mounted on carts, with loopholes for shooting, and arranged in a circle or in a line. Russian soldiers were armed with arquebuses and cannons. To distract, Devlet Giray sent a detachment of two thousand against Serpukhov, while he himself with the main forces crossed the Oka River in a more remote place near the village of Drakino, where he encountered the regiment of governor Nikita Romanovich Odoevsky, who was defeated in a difficult battle. After this, the main army moved towards Moscow, and Vorotynsky, having removed his troops from coastal positions, moved after him. This was a risky tactic, since all hope was placed on the fact that by “grabbing the tail” of the Crimean army, the Russians would force the khan to turn around for battle and not go to defenseless Moscow. However, the alternative was to overtake the Khan along a side route, which had little chance of success. In addition, there was the experience of the previous year, when the governor Ivan Belsky managed to arrive in Moscow before the Crimeans, but could not prevent it from being set on fire.
Strengths of the parties
Devlet Giray: 140 thousand Crimean Tatars, Turkish Janissaries and Nogais
Vorotynsky and Khvorostinin: about 20 thousand archers, Cossacks, noble cavalry and serving Livonian Germans, 7 thousand German mercenaries, about 5 thousand Cossacks of M. Cherkashenin, and also, possibly, a marching army (militia)
Progress of the battle
The battle took place near the village of Molodi, 45 versts from Moscow. The Crimeans could not withstand the blow and fled. Khvorostinin “dominated” the Crimean guard regiment all the way to the Khan’s headquarters. Devlet I was forced to send 12 thousand Crimean and Nogai horsemen to help his sons. The battle grew, and the chief governor, Vorotynsky, in anticipation of an attack, ordered the installation of a mobile fortress - a “walk-city” near Molodya. A large regiment of Russians took refuge behind the walls of the fortress.
The multiple superiority of the enemy forces forced Khvorostinin to retreat. But at the same time he pulled off a brilliant maneuver. His regiment, retreating, carried the Crimeans to the walls of the “walk-city”. Volleys of Russian cannons fired at point-blank range brought devastation to the ranks of the advancing cavalry and forced them to turn back.
During the day, most of the Crimean army stood behind Pakhra, and then turned back to Molodi. The center of the Russian defensive positions was a hill, on top of which stood the “Walk-Gorod”. At the foot of the hill behind the Rozhai River, 3 thousand archers stood to support the governor “on the arquebuses.”
The Crimeans quickly covered the distance from Pakhra to Rozhai and attacked the Russian positions in their entire mass. Every single one of the archers died on the battlefield, but the warriors entrenched in the “walk-city” repelled the cavalry attacks. The attackers suffered heavy losses, but food supplies in the “walk-city” also dried up.
After a two-day lull, Devlet I Giray resumed the assault on the “walk-city” on August 2. Towards the end of the day, when the onslaught began to weaken, Voivode M.I. Vorotynsky with his regiments left the “walk-city” and, moving along the bottom of the ravine behind the fortifications, secretly went to the rear of the attackers. The defense of the “walk-city” was entrusted to Prince D.I. Khvorostinin, who had all the artillery and a small detachment of German mercenaries at his disposal. At the agreed signal, Khvorostinin fired a salvo from all guns, then “climbed out” of the fortress and attacked the enemy. At the same moment, Vorotynsky’s regiments attacked the Crimeans from the rear. The Crimeans could not withstand the blow and began to flee. Many of them were killed and captured. Among those killed was the khan's son. The next day, the Russians continued to pursue the enemy and defeated the rearguards left by the khan on the Oka.
Result of the battle
The military losses of the Crimean Tatars were 110 thousand killed, captured, drowned in the river and another 20 thousand were lost during the retreat, almost the entire male population of the Horde capable of carrying weapons died. Russian losses were 4 - 6 thousand wounded and killed.
The defeat of the Crimean army near Moscow in 1572 put an end to the Girays' claims to the Volga region and opened the way for further Russian expansion to the east and southeast - towards the Caucasus. Devlet I, like the subsequent rulers of Crimea, was never destined to restore his relatives to the Kazan throne. For about another 100 years, Crimean troops carried out regular attacks on the border territories of the Russians (including in 1589, 1593, during the Time of Troubles, in 1640, 1666, 1667, 1671, 1688), but they never again managed to penetrate so far into the borders Russia, and the scales were increasingly tilted towards Russian state. 160 years after the events described Russian armies Minikha and Lassi invaded Crimea during the war of 1736-38 and subjected the country to defeat.
The winner under Molodi, Vorotynsky, is already in next year Based on a denunciation by a slave, he was accused of intending to bewitch the king and died from torture, and during the torture the king himself raked up the coals with his staff. Before military disaster Russia had 38 years left in the Battle of Klushino...
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