Capture of Ishmael
The assault on Izmail is the siege and assault in 1790 of the Turkish fortress of Izmail by Russian troops under the command of Chief General A.V. Suvorov, during the Russian-Turkish War of 1787-1791.
The assault on Izmail in 1790 was undertaken on the orders of the commander-in-chief of the Southern Army, Field Marshal General G. A. Potemkin. Neither N.V. Repnin (1789), nor I.V. Gudovich, nor P.S. Potemkin (1790) could solve this problem, after which G.A. Potemkin entrusted the task to A.V. Suvorov.
Having arrived near Izmail on December 2 (13), Suvorov spent six days preparing for the assault, including training troops to storm models of the high fortress walls of Izmail. Near Izmail, in the area of the present village of Safyany, earthen and wooden analogues of the ditch and walls of Izmail were built in the shortest possible time - the military personnel trained to throw a Nazi ditch into the ditch, quickly set up ladders, after climbing the wall they quickly stabbed and chopped down the effigies installed there, simulating defenders. Suvorov inspected the exercises and was generally pleased: his trusted troops did everything as they should. But, undoubtedly, he understood the complexity of the assault and its unpredictability. Even in the first days of the siege, having just arrived near Izmail, Suvorov, inconspicuously dressed and on a lousy horse (so as not to attract the attention of the Turks), accompanied by only one orderly, rode around the perimeter of the fortress. The conclusion was disappointing: “A fortress without weak points,” were his words to the headquarters based on the results of its inspection. Many years later, Suvorov more than once confessed about Izmail in a fit of frankness: “You could only decide to storm such a fortress once in your life...”. Shortly before the assault, Suvorov sent an extremely short and clear letter-ultimatum in Suvorov style to the commander of the fortress, the great serasker Aidozle-Mehmet Pasha: “I arrived here with the troops. Twenty-four hours for reflection - and freedom. My first shot is already bondage. Assault is death." The great serasker’s answer was worthy: “The Danube would sooner flow backwards and the sky would fall to the ground than Ishmael would surrender.” It was clear to Suvorov and his headquarters: the Turks would fight to the death, especially since the Sultan’s firman was known, where he promised to execute everyone who left the Izmail fortress - the remnants of the Turkish troops defeated in Bessarabia gathered in Izmail, whom the Sultan actually sentenced for his failures to either die with honor in battle with the Russians, or with shame from their executioners. For two days, Suvorov conducted artillery preparation, and on December 11 (22), at 5:30 a.m., the assault on the fortress began. By 8 a.m. all the fortifications were occupied, but resistance on the city streets continued until 4 p.m.
Turkish losses amounted to 29 thousand people killed. The losses of the Russian army amounted to 4 thousand people killed and 6 thousand wounded. All the guns, 400 banners, huge reserves of provisions and jewelry worth 10 million piastres were captured. M. I. Kutuzov, the future famous commander, winner of Napoleon, was appointed commandant of the fortress.
December 24 is the Day of Military Glory of Russia - the Day of the capture of the Turkish fortress of Izmail by Russian troops under the command of A.V. Suvorov.
Assault on Izmail
Background
Not wanting to come to terms with the results of the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774, Turkey in July 1787 demanded from Russia the return of Crimea, the renunciation of Georgian protection and consent to inspect Russian merchant ships passing through the straits. Having not received a satisfactory answer, the Turkish government declared war on Russia on August 12 (23), 1787. In turn, Russia decided to take advantage of the situation to expand its possessions in the Northern Black Sea region by completely displacing Turkish troops from there.
In October 1787, Russian troops under the command of A.V. Suvorov almost completely destroyed the 6,000-strong Turkish landing force that intended to capture the mouth of the Dnieper on the Kinburn Spit. Despite the brilliant victories of the Russian army near Ochakov in 1788, at Focshan and on the Rymnik River in 1789, as well as the victories of the Russian fleet at Ochakov and Fidonisi in 1788, in the Kerch Strait and near Tendra Island in 1790, the enemy did not agree accept the peace terms that Russia insisted on, and in every possible way delayed the negotiations. Russian military leaders and diplomats were aware that the successful completion of peace negotiations with Turkey would be greatly facilitated by the capture of Izmail.
The Izmail fortress lay on the left bank of the Kiliya branch of the Danube between lakes Yalpukh and Katlabukh, on a gently sloping slope ending at the Danube bed with a low but rather steep slope. The strategic importance of Izmail was very great: the routes from Galati, Khotin, Bender and Kilia converged here; here was the most convenient place for an invasion from the north across the Danube into Dobruja. By the beginning of the Russian-Turkish War of 1787-1792, the Turks, under the leadership of German and French engineers, turned Izmail into a powerful fortress with a high rampart and a wide ditch with a depth of 3 to 5 fathoms (6.4 - 10.7 m), in places filled with water. There were 260 guns on 11 bastions. The garrison of Izmail consisted of 35 thousand people under the command of serasker Aidozly Muhammad Pasha. However, according to other sources, the Turkish garrison at the time of the assault on Izmail consisted of up to 15 thousand people, and it could have increased at the expense of local residents. Part of the garrison was commanded by Kaplan Giray, the brother of the Crimean Khan, who was assisted by his five sons. The Sultan was very angry with his troops for all the previous capitulations and ordered with a firman that in the event of the fall of Ishmael, everyone from his garrison should be executed, wherever he was found.
Siege and assault of Izmail
In 1790, after capturing the fortresses of Kiliya, Tulcha and Isakcha, the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, Prince G. A. Potemkin-Tavrichesky, gave the order to the detachments of generals I. V. Gudovich, P. S. Potemkin and the flotilla of General de Ribas to capture Izmail. However, their actions were hesitant.
On November 26, the military council decided to lift the siege of the fortress due to the approach of winter. The commander-in-chief did not approve this decision and ordered General-in-Chief A.V. Suvorov, whose troops were stationed at Galati, to take command of the units besieging Izmail. Having taken command on December 2, Suvorov returned the troops retreating from the fortress to Izmail and blocked it from land and from the Danube River. Having completed the preparations for the assault in 6 days, Suvorov sent an ultimatum to the commandant of Izmail on December 7 (18), 1790, demanding that he surrender the fortress no later than 24 hours from the date of delivery of the ultimatum. The ultimatum was rejected. On December 9, the military council assembled by Suvorov decided to immediately begin the assault, which was scheduled for December 11.
The attacking troops were divided into 3 detachments (wings) of 3 columns each. Major General de Ribas's detachment (9,000 people) attacked from the river side; the right wing under the command of Lieutenant General P. S. Potemkin (7,500 people) was supposed to strike from the western part of the fortress; the left wing of Lieutenant General A.N. Samoilov (12,000 people) - from the east. Brigadier Westphalen's cavalry reserves (2,500 men) were on the land side. In total, Suvorov's army numbered 31 thousand people, including 15 thousand irregulars. Suvorov planned to begin the assault at 5 a.m., about 2 hours before dawn. Darkness was needed for the surprise of the first blow and the capture of the rampart; then it was unprofitable to fight in the dark, since it made it difficult to control the troops. Anticipating stubborn resistance, Suvorov wanted to have as much daylight as possible at his disposal.
On December 10 (21), at sunrise, preparations began for an assault by fire from the flank batteries, from the island and from the flotilla ships. It lasted almost a day and ended 2.5 hours before the start of the assault. On this day, the Russians lost 3 officers and 155 lower ranks killed, 6 officers and 224 lower ranks wounded. The assault did not come as a surprise to the Turks. They were prepared every night for a Russian attack; in addition, several defectors revealed Suvorov's plan to them.
Beginning of the assault (dark)
At 3 o'clock in the morning on December 11 (22), 1790, the first signal flare went up, according to which the troops left the camp and, forming columns, set out to the places designated by distance. At half past five in the morning the columns moved to attack.
Before the others, the 2nd column of Major General Boris Lassi approached the fortress. At 6 o'clock in the morning, under a hail of enemy bullets, Lassi's rangers overcame the rampart, and a fierce battle ensued at the top. The Absheron riflemen and Phanagorian grenadiers of the 1st column of Major General S. L. Lvov overthrew the enemy and, having captured the first batteries and the Khotyn Gate, united with the 2nd column. The Khotyn gates were open to the cavalry. At the same time, at the opposite end of the fortress, the 6th column of Major General M.I. Golenishchev-Kutuzov captured the bastion at the Kiliya Gate and occupied the rampart up to the neighboring bastions.
The greatest difficulties befell the 3rd column of Fyodor Meknob. She stormed the large northern bastion, adjacent to it to the east, and the curtain wall between them. In this place, the depth of the ditch and the height of the rampart were so great that the ladders of 5.5 fathoms (about 11.7 m) turned out to be short, and they had to be tied together two at a time under fire. The main bastion was taken.
The fourth and fifth columns (Colonel V.P. Orlov and Brigadier M.I. Platov, respectively) also completed the tasks assigned to them, overcoming the rampart in their sectors.
The landing troops of Major General Osip Deribas in three columns, under the cover of the rowing fleet, moved at a signal to the fortress and formed a battle formation in two lines. The landing began at about 7 o'clock in the morning. It was carried out quickly and accurately, despite the resistance of more than 10 thousand Turks and Tatars. The success of the landing was greatly facilitated by Lvov's column, which attacked the Danube coastal batteries in the flank, and by the actions of ground forces on the eastern side of the fortress.
The first column of Major General N.D. Arsenyev, which sailed on 20 ships, landed on the shore and divided into several parts. A battalion of Kherson grenadiers under the command of Colonel V.A. Zubov captured a very tough cavalier, losing 2/3 of its people. The battalion of Livonian rangers, Colonel Count Roger Damas, occupied the battery that lined the shore.
Other units also captured the fortifications lying in front of them. The third column of brigadier E.I. Markov landed at the western end of the fortress under grapeshot fire from the Tabiy redoubt.
Fighting inside the city (day)
When daylight arrived, it became clear that the rampart had been taken, the enemy had been driven out of the fortress tops and was retreating into the inner part of the city. Russian columns from different sides moved towards the city center - Potemkin on the right, Cossacks from the north, Kutuzov on the left, de Ribas on the river side.
A new battle has begun. Particularly fierce resistance continued until 11 am. Several thousand horses, rushing out of the burning stables, raced madly through the streets and increased the confusion. Almost every house had to be taken in battle. Around noon, Lassi, who was the first to climb the ramparts, was the first to reach the middle of the city. Here he met a thousand Tatars under the command of Maksud Giray, a prince of Genghis Khan's blood. Maksud Giray defended himself stubbornly, and only when most of his detachment was killed, he surrendered with 300 soldiers remaining alive.
To support the infantry and ensure success, Suvorov ordered the introduction of 20 light guns into the city to clear the streets of the Turks with grapeshot. At one o'clock in the afternoon, in essence, victory was won. However, the battle was not over yet. The enemy tried to attack individual Russian detachments or settled in strong buildings as citadels.
At two o'clock in the afternoon all columns penetrated into the city center. By 4 p.m., the last defenders were killed, and some of the exhausted and wounded Turks surrendered. The noise of battle ceased, Ishmael fell.
Results of the assault
The losses of the Turks were enormous; more than 26 thousand people were killed alone. 9 thousand were taken prisoner, of which 2 thousand died from their wounds the next day. In Izmail, 265 guns, up to 3 thousand pounds of gunpowder, 20 thousand cannonballs and many other military supplies, up to 400 banners, blood-stained defenders, 8 lançons, 12 ferries, 22 light ships and a lot of rich booty that went to the army, totaling up to 10 million piastres (over 1 million rubles). In the Russian army, 64 officers (1 brigadier, 17 staff officers, 46 chief officers) and 1816 privates were killed; 253 officers (including three major generals) and 2,450 lower ranks were wounded. The total losses of the army during the assault amounted to 4,582 people. The fleet lost 95 killed and 278 wounded.
Suvorov took measures to ensure order. Kutuzov, appointed commandant of Izmail, placed guards in the most important places. A huge hospital was opened inside the city. The bodies of the killed Russians were taken outside the city and buried according to church rites. There were so many Turkish corpses that the order was given to throw the bodies into the Danube, and prisoners were assigned to this work, divided into queues. But even with this method, Ishmael was cleared of corpses only after 6 days. The prisoners were sent in batches to Nikolaev under the escort of Cossacks.
Suvorov expected to receive the rank of field marshal general for the assault on Izmail, but Potemkin, petitioning the empress for his award, proposed awarding him with a medal and the rank of guard lieutenant colonel or adjutant general. The medal was knocked out, and Suvorov was appointed lieutenant colonel of the Preobrazhensky Regiment. There were already ten such lieutenant colonels; Suvorov became eleventh. The commander-in-chief of the Russian army, Prince G. A. Potemkin-Tavrichesky, having arrived in St. Petersburg, received as a reward a field marshal's uniform, embroidered with diamonds, worth 200 thousand rubles, the Tauride Palace; In Tsarskoe Selo, it was planned to build an obelisk for the prince depicting his victories and conquests. Oval silver medals were distributed to the lower ranks; for officers who have not received the Order of St. George or Vladimir, a golden cross is installed on the St. George ribbon; the chiefs received orders or golden swords, some received ranks.
The conquest of Ishmael was of great political significance. It influenced the further course of the war and the conclusion of the Peace of Iasi between Russia and Turkey in 1792, which confirmed the annexation of Crimea to Russia and established the Russian-Turkish border along the Dniester River. Thus, the entire northern Black Sea region from the Dniester to the Kuban was assigned to Russia.
The anthem “The Thunder of Victory, Ring Out!”, which until 1816 was considered the unofficial anthem of the Russian Empire, was dedicated to the victory at Izmail.
The Day of Military Glory of Russia, celebrated today, was established in honor of the day of the capture of the Turkish fortress of Izmail by Russian troops under the command of A.V. Suvorov in 1790. The holiday was established by Federal Law No. 32-FZ of March 13, 1995 “On the days of military glory (victory days) of Russia.”
Of particular importance during the Russian-Turkish war of 1787-1791 was the capture of Izmail, the citadel of Turkish rule on the Danube. The fortress was built under the leadership of German and French engineers in accordance with the latest fortification requirements. From the south it was protected by the Danube, which is half a kilometer wide. A ditch 12 meters wide and 6 to 10 meters deep was dug around the fortress walls; in some places of the ditch there was water up to 2 meters deep. Inside the city there were many stone buildings convenient for defense. The fortress garrison numbered 35 thousand people and 265 guns.
Brief information
The assault on Izmail in 1790 was undertaken during the Russian-Turkish war of 1787-1792. by order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Southern Army, Field Marshal G. A. Potemkin. Neither N.V. Repnin (1789), nor I.V. Gudovich and P.S. Potemkin (1790) were able to solve this problem, after which G.A. Potemkin entrusted the operation to A.V. Suvorov. Arriving near Izmail on December 2, Suvorov spent six days preparing for the assault, including training troops to storm models of the high fortress walls of Izmail. The commandant of Ishmael was asked to capitulate, but in response he ordered to report that “the sky would sooner fall to the ground than Ishmael would be taken.”
For two days, Suvorov conducted artillery preparation, and on December 11, at 5:30 a.m., the assault on the fortress began. By 8 a.m. all the fortifications were occupied, but resistance on the city streets continued until 4 p.m. Turkish losses amounted to 26 thousand people. killed and 9 thousand prisoners. The losses of the Russian army amounted to 4 thousand people. killed and 6 thousand wounded. All the guns, 400 banners, huge reserves of provisions and jewelry worth 10 million piastres were captured. M.I. Kutuzov was appointed commandant of the fortress.
A.A. Danilov: History of Russia 9th - 19th centuries
Today Izmail, with a population of 92 thousand people, is a city of regional subordination in the Odessa region
Background
Not wanting to come to terms with the results of the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774, Turkey in July 1787 demanded from Russia the return of Crimea, renunciation of the patronage of Georgia and consent to inspect Russian merchant ships passing through the straits. Having not received a satisfactory answer, the Turkish government declared war on Russia on August 12, 1787. In turn, Russia decided to take advantage of the situation to expand its possessions in the Northern Black Sea region by completely displacing the Turkish invaders from there.
In October 1787, Russian troops under the command of A.V. Suvorov almost completely destroyed the 6,000-strong Turkish landing party, who intended to capture the mouth of the Dnieper, on the Kinburg Spit. Despite the brilliant victories of the Russian army at Ochakov (1788), at Focshan (1789) and on the Rymnik River (1789), the enemy did not agree to accept the peace terms that Russia insisted on, and in every possible way delayed negotiations. Russian military leaders and diplomats were aware that the successful completion of peace negotiations with Turkey would be greatly facilitated by the capture of Izmail.
The Izmail fortress lay on the left bank of the Kiliya branch of the Danube between lakes Yalpukh and Katlabukh, on a gently sloping slope ending at the Danube bed with a low but rather steep slope. The strategic importance of Izmail was very great: the routes from Galati, Khotin, Bender and Kili converged here; here was the most convenient place for an invasion from the north across the Danube into Dobruja. By the beginning of the Russian-Turkish War of 1787-1792, the Turks, under the leadership of German and French engineers, turned Izmail into a powerful fortress with a high rampart and a wide ditch with a depth of 3 to 5 fathoms (6.4-10.7 m), in places filled with water. There were 260 guns on 11 bastions. The garrison of Izmail consisted of 35 thousand people under the command of Aydozle Mehmet Pasha. Part of the garrison was commanded by Kaplan-girey, the brother of the Crimean Khan, who was assisted by his five sons. The Sultan was very angry with his troops for all the previous capitulations and ordered with a firman that in the event of the fall of Ishmael, everyone from his garrison should be executed, wherever he was found.
Siege and assault of Izmail
In 1790, after capturing the fortresses of Kiliya, Tulcha and Isakcha, the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, Prince G.A. Potemkin-Tavrichesky gave the order to the detachments of generals I.V. Gudovich, P.S. Potemkin and the flotilla of General de Ribas to capture Izmail. However, their actions were hesitant. On November 26, the military council decided to lift the siege of the fortress due to the approach of winter. The Commander-in-Chief did not approve this decision and ordered Chief General A.V. Suvorov, whose troops were stationed at Galati, took command of the units besieging Izmail. Having taken command on December 2, Suvorov returned the troops retreating from the fortress to Izmail and blocked it from land and from the Danube River. Having completed the preparations for the assault in 6 days, Suvorov on December 7, 1790 sent an ultimatum to the commandant of Izmail demanding the surrender of the fortress no later than 24 hours from the date of delivery of the ultimatum. The ultimatum was rejected. On December 9, the military council assembled by Suvorov decided to immediately begin the assault, which was scheduled for December 11. The attacking troops were divided into 3 detachments (wings) of 3 columns each. The detachment of Major General de Ribas (9 thousand people) attacked from the river side; right wing under the command of Lieutenant General P.S. Potemkin (7,500 people) was supposed to strike from the western part of the fortress; left wing of Lieutenant General A.N. Samoilov (12 thousand people) - from the east. Brigadier Westphalen's cavalry reserves (2,500 men) were on the land side. In total, Suvorov's army numbered 31 thousand people, including 15 thousand irregulars, poorly armed. (Orlov N. Suvorov’s assault on Izmail in 1790. St. Petersburg, 1890. P. 52.) Suvorov planned to begin the assault at 5 o’clock in the morning, about 2 hours before dawn. Darkness was needed for the surprise of the first blow and the capture of the rampart; then it was unprofitable to fight in the dark, since it made it difficult to control the troops. Anticipating stubborn resistance, Suvorov wanted to have as much daylight as possible at his disposal.
On December 10, at sunrise, preparations began for an assault by fire from the flank batteries, from the island, and from the flotilla ships (about 600 guns in total). It lasted almost a day and ended 2.5 hours before the start of the assault. On this day, the Russians lost 3 officers and 155 lower ranks killed, 6 officers and 224 lower ranks wounded. The assault did not come as a surprise to the Turks. They were prepared every night for a Russian attack; in addition, several defectors revealed Suvorov's plan to them.
At 3 o'clock in the morning on December 11, 1790, the first signal flare went up, according to which the troops left the camp and, forming columns, set out to places designated by distance. At half past five in the morning the columns moved to attack. Before the others, the 2nd column of Major General B.P. approached the fortress. Lassi. At 6 o'clock in the morning, under a hail of enemy bullets, Lassi's rangers overcame the rampart, and a fierce battle ensued at the top. Absheron riflemen and Phanagorian grenadiers of the 1st column of Major General S.L. Lvov overthrew the enemy and, having captured the first batteries and the Khotyn Gate, united with the 2nd column. The Khotyn gates were open to the cavalry. At the same time, at the opposite end of the fortress, the 6th column of Major General M.I. Golenishcheva-Kutuzova captured the bastion at the Kiliya Gate and occupied the rampart up to the neighboring bastions. The greatest difficulties fell on the 3rd column of Meknob. She stormed the large northern bastion, adjacent to it to the east, and the curtain wall between them. In this place, the depth of the ditch and the height of the rampart were so great that the ladders of 5.5 fathoms (about 11.7 m) turned out to be short, and they had to be tied together two at a time under fire. The main bastion was taken. The fourth and fifth columns (Colonel V.P. Orlov and Brigadier M.I. Platov, respectively) also completed the tasks assigned to them, overcoming the rampart in their sectors.
The landing troops of Major General de Ribas in three columns, under the cover of the rowing fleet, moved at a signal to the fortress and formed a battle formation in two lines. The landing began at about 7 o'clock in the morning. It was carried out quickly and accurately, despite the resistance of more than 10 thousand Turks and Tatars. The success of the landing was greatly facilitated by Lvov's column, which attacked the Danube coastal batteries in the flank, and by the actions of ground forces on the eastern side of the fortress. The first column of Major General N.D. Arsenyeva, who sailed up on 20 ships, landed on the shore and split into several parts. A battalion of Kherson grenadiers under the command of Colonel V.A. Zubova captured a very tough cavalier, losing 2/3 of his people. The battalion of Livonian rangers, Colonel Count Roger Damas, occupied the battery that lined the shore. Other units also captured the fortifications lying in front of them. The third column of brigadier E.I. Markova landed at the western end of the fortress under grapeshot fire from the Tabiya redoubt.
When daylight arrived, it became clear that the rampart had been taken, the enemy had been driven out of the fortress tops and was retreating into the inner part of the city. Russian columns from different sides moved towards the city center - Potemkin on the right, Cossacks from the north, Kutuzov on the left, de Ribas on the river side. A new battle has begun. Particularly fierce resistance continued until 11 am. Several thousand horses, rushing out of the burning stables, raced madly through the streets and increased the confusion. Almost every house had to be taken in battle. Around noon, Lassi, who was the first to climb the ramparts, was the first to reach the middle of the city. Here he met a thousand Tatars under the command of Maksud-Girey, the prince of Genghis Khan's blood. Maksud-Girey defended himself stubbornly, and only when most of his detachment was killed did he surrender with 300 soldiers remaining alive.
To support the infantry and ensure success, Suvorov ordered the introduction of 20 light guns into the city to clear the streets of the Turks with grapeshot. At one o'clock in the afternoon, in essence, victory was won. However, the battle was not over yet. The enemy did not try to attack individual Russian detachments or hid in strong buildings like citadels. An attempt to snatch Izmail back was made by Kaplan-Girey, the brother of the Crimean Khan. He gathered several thousand horse and foot Tatars and Turks and led them towards the advancing Russians. In a desperate battle, in which more than 4 thousand Muslims were killed, he fell along with his five sons. At two o'clock in the afternoon all columns penetrated into the city center. At 4 o'clock the victory was finally won. Ishmael fell.
Results of the assault
The losses of the Turks were enormous; more than 26 thousand people were killed alone. 9 thousand were taken prisoner, of which 2 thousand died from their wounds the next day. (Orlov N. Op. cit., p. 80.) Of the entire garrison, only one person escaped. Slightly wounded, he fell into the water and swam across the Danube on a log. In Izmail, 265 guns, up to 3 thousand pounds of gunpowder, 20 thousand cannonballs and many other military supplies, up to 400 banners, blood-stained defenders, 8 lançons, 12 ferries, 22 light ships and a lot of rich booty that went to the army, totaling up to 10 million piastres (over 1 million rubles). The Russians killed 64 officers (1 brigadier, 17 staff officers, 46 chief officers) and 1816 privates; 253 officers (including three major generals) and 2,450 lower ranks were wounded. The total number of losses was 4,582 people. Some authors estimate the number of killed to be 4 thousand, and the number of wounded to be 6 thousand, a total of 10 thousand, including 400 officers (out of 650). (Orlov N. Op. op., pp. 80-81, 149.)
According to the promise given in advance by Suvorov, the city, according to the custom of that time, was given to the power of the soldiers. At the same time, Suvorov took measures to ensure order. Kutuzov, appointed commandant of Izmail, placed guards in the most important places. A huge hospital was opened inside the city. The bodies of the killed Russians were taken outside the city and buried according to church rites. There were so many Turkish corpses that the order was given to throw the bodies into the Danube, and prisoners were assigned to this work, divided into queues. But even with this method, Ishmael was cleared of corpses only after 6 days. The prisoners were sent in batches to Nikolaev under the escort of Cossacks.
Suvorov expected to receive the rank of field marshal general for the assault on Izmail, but Potemkin, petitioning the empress for his award, proposed awarding him with a medal and the rank of guard lieutenant colonel or adjutant general. The medal was knocked out, and Suvorov was appointed lieutenant colonel of the Preobrazhensky Regiment. There were already ten such lieutenant colonels; Suvorov became eleventh. The commander-in-chief of the Russian army, Prince G.A. Potemkin-Tavrichesky, having arrived in St. Petersburg, received as a reward a field marshal's uniform, embroidered with diamonds, worth 200 thousand rubles. Tauride Palace; In Tsarskoe Selo, it was planned to build an obelisk for the prince depicting his victories and conquests. Oval silver medals were distributed to the lower ranks; a gold badge was installed for officers; the chiefs received orders or golden swords, some received ranks.
The conquest of Ishmael was of great political significance. It influenced the further course of the war and the conclusion of the Treaty of Iasi between Russia and Turkey in 1792, which confirmed the annexation of Crimea to Russia and established the Russian-Turkish border along the river. Dniester. Thus, the entire northern Black Sea region from the Dniester to the Kuban was assigned to Russia.
Materials used from the book: “One Hundred Great Battles”, M. “Veche”, 2002
On December 24, Russia celebrates the Day of Military Glory of Russia - the Day of the Capture of the Turkish Fortress of Izmail. The country has been celebrating this memorable date for more than twenty years. Back in 1790, Russian troops under the command of Count Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov stormed the Izmail fortress, one of the most important defensive points of the Ottoman Empire in the Northern Black Sea region.
The lands of the Lower Danube were conquered by the Ottoman Empire at the end of the 15th century. The Ottoman Empire, which by that time had conquered almost all the Black Sea lands, needed to create its own strongholds in the conquered lands. One of these points was the Izmail fortress, the first mention of which dates back to 1590-1592. Although in fact the fortress was probably founded a little earlier. Gradually, Izmail grew into a small city, and in 1761 the department of Metropolitan Brailovsky, who ruled the Orthodox churches in the Danube possessions of the Ottoman Empire, was even established here.
The strategically important position of Izmail explains the increased attention to this fortress from Russian troops during almost all Russian-Turkish wars of the 18th-19th centuries. Izmail was first captured by Russian troops under the command of Lieutenant General Nikolai Repnin on August 5 (July 26, old style) 1770. But after the end of the war, according to the terms of the Kuchuk-Kainardzhi Peace Treaty, the Izmail fortress was again returned to the jurisdiction of the Ottoman Empire.
The peace between the Russian and Ottoman empires, however, did not last long. Thirteen years after the end of the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774. a new war has begun. The Ottoman Empire was extremely dissatisfied with the terms of the Kuchuk-Kainardzhi Peace Treaty, according to which the most important vassal of the Porte, the Crimean Khanate, received political independence and, therefore, could fall under the influence of Russia. The Ottoman authorities were very afraid of this, so they took revenge, trying to once again ensure their dominance in the Black Sea region. The situation was aggravated by the fact that Georgia accepted the protectorate of the Russian Empire. Having secured the support of Great Britain and France, the Ottoman Empire in 1787 presented Russia with an ultimatum - to restore the vassalage of the Crimean Khanate in relation to the Porte and renounce the protectorate of Georgia, and also agree to searches of Russian ships traveling through the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits. Naturally, Russia could not satisfy the demands of the Ottoman Empire.
On August 13 (24), 1787, another Russian-Turkish war began. Like previous wars with the Ottoman Empire, it had both a sea and land character. To attack Turkish positions in the spring of 1788, two powerful armies were created. The first, Ekaterinoslav, numbered about 80 thousand soldiers and officers under the command of Grigory Potemkin. She was entrusted with the task of mastering Ochakov. The second, Ukrainian, numbering 37 thousand soldiers and officers under the command of Rumyantsev, aimed at Bendery. The eastern flanks had to be defended by the troops of General Tekeli, numbering 18 thousand soldiers and officers, who took up positions in the Kuban. However, despite the numerous forces involved in the fighting, the war became protracted. Since quite a lot has been written about the course of hostilities, let’s move on directly to the assault on Izmail.
Field Marshal General Grigory Potemkin, who commanded the Russian army, entrusted the capture of this strategically important fortress to General-in-Chief Alexander Suvorov, one of the most talented Russian commanders. On December 2, 1790, Chief General Suvorov arrived at the location of units of the Southern Army, which by this time had approached Izmail, and immediately began preparing to storm the fortress. As you know, Alexander Suvorov paid great attention to the combat training of troops. He applied his approach in this case, knowing full well that it was better to spend time well preparing troops for the upcoming assault on the fortress than to then suffer heavy losses during the assault due to the lack of training of the soldiers and the lack of coherence in the actions of the units.
In the vicinity of Izmail, Suvorov ordered the construction of earthen and wooden copies of the moat, rampart and walls of the Turkish fortress. After this, Suvorov began training troops. The soldiers were taught to throw a ditch, set up ladders as quickly as possible and climb them to the fortress walls with lightning speed. The General-in-Chief personally inspected the exercises, observing the level of training of soldiers and officers. Suvorov spent six days preparing for the assault on Izmail. During this time, he not only trained the personnel of the troops, but also personally rode along the fortress walls of Izmail, making sure, to his chagrin, that the system of defensive structures of the fortress had practically no flaws.
On December 7 (18), 1790, Chief General Suvorov sent an ultimatum to the commandant of the Izmail fortress, in which he demanded to surrender the fortress within 24 hours after the ultimatum was presented. The Turkish Pasha indignantly rejected the ultimatum. After this, Suvorov began preparations for a direct assault. The military council assembled by Suvorov set the date of the assault for December 11.
To carry out the assault, Suvorov divided his troops into three detachments, each of which, in turn, included three columns. The eastern part of the fortress was to be stormed by a 12,000-strong detachment of Lieutenant General A.N. Samoilov, the western part - to the 7.5 thousand-strong detachment of Lieutenant General P.S. Potemkin, and the river side was to be taken over by a detachment of Major General I. de Ribas numbering 9 thousand people. In total, more than 31 thousand people were supposed to take part in the assault on Izmail on the Russian side, including about 15 thousand irregular troops. Understanding perfectly well that it is better to strike the first blow in the dark, but carry out the main assault already during daylight hours, Suvorov decided to begin the assault at about 5 o’clock in the morning.
Artillery preparation for the assault began on December 10 (21), 1790. From early morning, the flank batteries of the Russian army and the naval batteries of the flotilla began shelling Izmail. It lasted a day and stopped 2.5 hours before Russian troops stormed the fortress. On the night of December 11 (22), 1790, Russian troops left the camp and moved towards Izmail. The first to attack was the 2nd column, commanded by Major General Boris Lassi. His units managed to force the rampart. The actions of the 1st column, commanded by Major General S.L., were also successful. Lviv. His subordinates - grenadiers and riflemen - were able to capture the first Turkish batteries and take control of the Khotyn Gate. It was a real success.
Lvov soldiers opened the Khotyn gates, after which Russian cavalry rushed into them. In turn, the column of Major General M.I. Kutuzova-Golenischeva captured the bastion in the area of the Kiliya Gate, after which she established control over a large section of the fortress rampart. It was more difficult for the soldiers and officers from the 3rd column, commanded by Major General Fyodor Meknob. His fighters stormed the northern bastion of the fortress, but the depth of the ditch and the height of the rampart in this area were very large. The length of the stairs was not enough to overcome the bastion. We had to tie the ladders together in twos. However, this difficult task was ultimately completed. Russian troops took the northern bastion of Izmail.
At about 7 o'clock in the morning, the landing of the river detachment began, commanded by Major General Deribas. Although the Russian paratroopers were opposed by more than 10 thousand Ottoman soldiers, the landing was also successful. The landing was covered by the column of General Lvov, which struck on the flank, as well as by the troops operating on the eastern approaches to the fortress. The Kherson rangers, commanded by Colonel Valerian Zubov, the brother of Catherine II’s favorite Platon Zubov, performed excellently during the assault. The actions of other units were no less successful, in particular, the battalion of Livland rangers, commanded by Colonel Roger Damas, was able to capture the battery that controlled the coastline. 
However, having broken into Izmail, Russian troops encountered serious resistance from the Turkish-Tatar garrison. The Ottomans were not going to give up without a fight. Defending Turkish and Tatar askers settled in almost every house. In the center of Izmail, a detachment of Crimean Tatar cavalry, commanded by Maksud Giray, entered into battle with the detachment of Major General Lassi. The fight between Russian soldiers and Tatars was fierce; from the Tatar detachment, numbering about 1 thousand people, only 300 askers remained alive. In the end, Maksud Giray was forced to surrender along with the remnants of his unit.
Realizing that street fighting could lead to large human losses, Chief General Suvorov decided to use light artillery to neutralize the defenders of Izmail. 20 light artillery pieces were brought into the territory of the fortress, which opened fire with grapeshot on the Turkish and Tatar soldiers still fighting on the streets of Izmail. Separate groups of Turks, however, even after artillery shelling, tried to hold individual, strongest buildings of Izmail. Only by 2 p.m. were Russian troops able to finally establish control over the city center, and two hours later the resistance of the last defenders of Izmail was eliminated. The rare surviving Turkish and Crimean Tatar warriors surrendered.
The counting of losses demonstrated the full scale of the event, which went down in history as the storming of Ishmael. As a result of the siege of the fortress and battles, more than 26 thousand Turkish-Tatar soldiers were killed. More than 9 thousand Turks were captured, of whom about 2 thousand died from their wounds the next day, since it was not possible to provide medical assistance to such a large number of people. There were so many corpses of dead Turkish and Tatar soldiers that the Russian command could not even ensure their burial. It was ordered to throw the enemy’s corpses into the Danube, but this measure also made it possible to clear the territory of Ishmael from corpses only on the sixth day.
The trophies of the Russian army were 265 Turkish artillery pieces, a huge amount of ammunition, auxiliary ships - 12 ferries and 22 light ships. Russian troops lost a disproportionately smaller number of soldiers and officers than the defenders of the fortress. 64 officers and 1,816 lower ranks were killed, 253 officers and 2,450 lower ranks were injured. The Russian fleet, which also took part in the assault on Izmail, lost another 95 people killed and 278 people wounded.
The victory in Izmail became a grand success for the Russians. Empress Catherine II generously rewarded Field Marshal General Grigory Potemkin, who received a field marshal's uniform, embroidered with diamonds and valued at 200 thousand rubles, and the Tauride Palace. The merits of Chief General Alexander Suvorov were appreciated, however, much less. He received a medal and the rank of lieutenant colonel of the Preobrazhensky regiment (remember that the ranks of lieutenant colonels and colonels of guards regiments were equal to the highest army general ranks), although by that time there were already ten lieutenant colonels in the Preobrazhensky regiment. The assault on Ishmael has become firmly entrenched in Russian military and army folklore; many songs and legends have been written about it. He further strengthened the authority of Chief General Suvorov in the troops, becoming another evidence of the military genius of the Russian general.
If we talk about the political consequences of the capture of Ishmael, they were also impressive. When in 1791-1792. The Treaty of Jassy was concluded between the Russian and Ottoman empires, and the Crimean Khanate was finally transferred to the Russian Empire. The border with the Ottoman Empire was established along the Dniester River. Thus, the entire Northern Black Sea region - the territories of modern southern Ukraine, Crimea and Kuban - became part of the Russian state. Of course, the Ottoman Empire did not intend to abandon its revanchist plans, but its positions were dealt a serious blow. However, Ishmael himself, for whom the blood of Russian soldiers was shed, was returned to the Ottoman Empire under the Treaty of Yassy. Izmail became part of the Russian state only in 1878, almost a century after its grandiose assault. Then, in 1918-1940, Izmail, like all of Bessarabia, was part of Romania, and then - until 1991 - part of the Ukrainian SSR.
The Day of Military Glory in memory of the storming of Ishmael is of great importance to everyone. This is another reason to remember our ancestors, the brave Russian warriors who shed their blood for their homeland in all the numerous wars and battles.
Russian troops under the command of Count Alexander Suvorov occurred on December 22 (December 11, old style) 1790. The Day of Military Glory is celebrated on December 24, since in the existing version of the federal law “On Days of Military Glory and Memorable Dates of Russia,” the dates of historical events that occurred before the introduction of the Gregorian calendar are obtained by simply adding 13 days to the dates according to the Julian calendar. However, the difference of 13 days between the Gregorian and Julian calendars accumulated only in the 20th century. In the 18th century, the difference between the Julian and Gregorian calendars was 11 days.
The assault and capture of the Turkish fortress of Izmail is a key battle of the Russian-Turkish War of 1787-1791.
Unable to accept defeat in the war of 1768-1774, Turkey in 1787 demanded that Russia return Crimea and renounce the patronage of Georgia, and in August declared war on Russia.
In turn, Russia decided to take advantage of the situation and expand its possessions in the Northern Black Sea region.
Military operations developed successfully for Russia. The Turkish troops suffered sensitive defeats, losing Ochakov and Khotyn, and were defeated at Focsani and on the Rymnik River. The Turkish fleet suffered major defeats in the Kerch Strait and off Tendra Island. The Russian fleet seized firm dominance in the Black Sea, providing conditions for active offensive operations by the Russian army and rowing flotilla on the Danube. Soon, having captured the fortresses of Kiliya, Tulcha and Isakcha, Russian troops approached the Turkish fortress of Izmail on the Danube, which covered the strategic Balkan direction.
On the eve of the war, the fortress was heavily fortified with the help of French and German engineers. From the west, north and east it was surrounded by a high rampart six kilometers long, up to eight meters high with earthen and stone bastions. In front of the shaft, a ditch was dug 12 meters wide and up to 10 meters deep, which in some places was filled with water. On the southern side, Izmail was covered by the Danube. Inside the city there were many stone buildings that could be actively used for defense. The fortress garrison numbered 35 thousand people with 265 fortress guns.
In November, a Russian army of 31 thousand people (including 28.5 thousand infantry and 2.5 thousand cavalry) with 500 guns besieged Izmail from land. The river flotilla under the command of General Osip de Ribas, having destroyed almost the entire Turkish river flotilla, blocked the fortress from the Danube.
The commander-in-chief of the Russian army, Field Marshal General Prince Grigory Potemkin, sent General-in-Chief (at that time) Alexander Suvorov to lead the siege, who arrived to Izmail on December 13 (December 2, old style).
To begin with, Suvorov decided to make thorough preparations for the capture of the impregnable stronghold. Shafts and walls similar to those of Izmail were built near the nearby villages. For six days and nights, the soldiers practiced on them how to overcome ditches, ramparts and fortress walls. At the same time, to deceive the enemy, preparations for a long siege were simulated, batteries were laid, and fortification work was carried out.
On December 18 (December 7, old style), Suvorov sent an ultimatum to the commander of the Turkish troops, Aidozli Mehmet Pasha, demanding the surrender of the fortress; the commander attached a note to the official letter: “To Seraskir, the elders and the entire society: I arrived here with the troops. Twenty-four hours to think about surrender and freedom, my first shots are already bondage, the assault is death. Which I leave for you to consider.”
The negative response of the Turks, according to a number, was accompanied by assurances that “the Danube would sooner stop in its flow and the sky would collapse to the ground than Ishmael would surrender.”
Suvorov decided on an immediate assault. During December 20 and 21 (December 9 and 10, old style), the fortress was subjected to fierce bombardment from 600 guns.
The assault, which has become a classic of military art, began at half past six in the morning on December 22 (December 11, old style).
Suvorov planned to knock the enemy off the rampart in the dark, and then make the most of the daylight hours so as not to interrupt the battle for the night. He divided his forces into three detachments of three assault columns each. The detachment of Lieutenant General Pavel Potemkin (7,500 people) attacked from the west, the detachment of Lieutenant General Alexander Samoilov (12,000 people) - from the east, the detachment of Major General Osip de Ribas (9,000 people) - from the south across the Danube. The cavalry reserve (2,500 people) of Brigadier Feodor Westphalen in four groups took up positions opposite each of the fortress gates.
In the west, the columns of generals Boris de Lassi and Sergei Lvov immediately crossed the rampart, opening the gates for the cavalry. To the left, the soldiers of General Fyodor Meknob's column had to link pairs of assault ladders under fire in order to overcome higher fortifications. On the eastern side, the dismounted Cossacks of Colonel Vasily Orlov and Brigadier Matvey Platov withstood a strong counterattack by the Turks, from whom the column of General Mikhail Kutuzov, who occupied the bastion at the eastern gate, also suffered. In the south, the columns of General Nikolai Arsenyev and Brigadier Zakhar Chepegi, who began the assault a little later, closed the ring under the cover of the river flotilla.
By daylight the battle was already going on inside the fortress. Around noon, de Lassy's column was the first to reach its center. To support the infantry, field guns were used, clearing the streets of the Turks with grapeshot. By one o'clock in the afternoon the victory was actually won, but in some places the fighting continued. In a desperate attempt to recapture the fortress, the brother of the Crimean Khan, Kaplan-girey, died. Aydozli Mehmet Pasha with a thousand Janissaries held the stone inn for two hours, until almost all of his people (and himself) were killed by the grenadiers. By 16:00 the resistance had completely ceased.
The Turkish garrison lost 26 thousand people killed, nine thousand were captured, but within 24 hours up to two thousand of them died from their wounds. The winners received about 400 banners and horsetails, 265 guns, the remains of the river flotilla - 42 ships, and a lot of rich booty.
The losses of Russian troops in killed and wounded were initially estimated at four and a half thousand people. According to other sources, four thousand were killed alone, and another six thousand were injured.
The Russian victory was of great importance for the further course of the war, which in 1792 ended with the Treaty of Iasi, which assigned Crimea and the northern Black Sea region from the Kuban to the Dniester to Russia.
The anthem “The Thunder of Victory, Ring Out!” is dedicated to the capture of Ishmael. (music by Osip Kozlovsky, lyrics by Gavriil Derzhavin), considered the unofficial anthem of the Russian Empire.
The material was prepared based on information from open sources
Izmail city is located on the banks of the Danube River in the very south of the Odessa region, in the historical region of Bessarabia. On the other side of the river from the city is Romania. The distance from Izmail to the Black Sea coast is about 80 km. This place is quite isolated; to get to the city you have to drive for several hours through the remote steppe. Also, an hour and a half drive separates Izmail from the Ukrainian-Moldovan border - this is the main direction for traveling by car from Ukraine to Romania and Bulgaria.
How to get to Izmail?
Getting to Izmail, let's say, is not easy. The road that connects the city with Odessa is in rather poor condition. Although the authorities repaired several small sections of this road in 2016, the road surface still remains completely destroyed in some places. There are several sections of the route where cars prefer to drive along the field rather than on the road, as there are fewer potholes there. If you don’t mind your car, then you can get from Odessa to Izmail in 4 hours. Regular buses and minibuses travel along the same road for about 5 hours, with a technical stop in Tatarbunary. Ticket price is about 120 UAH. During the daytime, minibuses run quite often, every 30-40 minutes.
There is also a train Odessa-Izmail and Kyiv-Izmail. From Odessa to Izmail, train No. 6860 departs three times a day (Tuesday, Friday, Sunday) at 16:20. The train leaves back from Izmail to Odessa on the same days at 23:59. Train Kyiv-Izmail-Kyiv No. 243/244 runs daily. Departure times from Kyiv and Izmail are the same - at 17:06. Travel time by train will be slightly longer than by bus or car - about 7 hours. But the tickets are also cheaper.
Sights of Izmail.
Izmail has several interesting places for tourists. Also, do not forget that just an hour’s drive from the city is Vilkovo (Ukrainian Venice), as well as the Black Sea coast.
Izmail Fortress
Probably everyone has heard about the legendary impregnable Izmail fortress, which was stormed by Suvorov’s troops in 1790. Unfortunately, this fortress has not survived to this day. After its capture, its walls were razed to the ground and nothing remained of this interesting architectural monument. Now on the site of the fortress there is the Izmail Memorial Park-Museum “Fortress”. The only surviving building from those times is the mosque building, where a diorama of the “storming of the fortress” is now being created.
Intercession Cathedral
The Cathedral of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary is located in a city park in the center of Izmail on Suvorov Avenue. The cathedral was built in the first half of the 19th century on the site of the older St. Nicholas Church. The architect was A. Melnikov. Masha Pasha really liked this church. The cathedral itself looks quite unusual; it has long antique colonnades and porticoes. There is a nice park around it, and here you can also see a monument to Suvorov.
Suvorov Avenue
In the central part of the city, Suvorov Avenue has a long pedestrian green area where you can stroll. There are also many nice low two-story buildings built in the 19th century. If you walk along Suvorov Avenue straight towards the Danube, you will eventually come to the river station of the Ukrainian Danube Shipping Company and a small embankment along the Danube.
Infrastructure, entertainment in Izmail
In Izmail there is only one large supermarket, Tavriya, which is located on Suvorov Avenue at the entrance to the central part of the city. It is quite a long walk from here to the Intercession Cathedral and the city center. Several entertainment facilities are located on Mira Avenue in the area of the “circle” - a square with circular traffic, on which the monument to the liberators of Izmail is located. There is a cinema, Pizzeria Celentano and a number of other shops, restaurants and cafes. There are also many small shops and cafes located in the central part of Suvorov Avenue.
Our room in a VIP hotel in Izmail.
Where to stay in Izmail?
MashaPasha, visiting Izmail, stayed at the VIP hotel (20 Pushkin Street). This is one of the best hotels in the city, clean and well furnished. Prices for rooms in it start from 580 UAH. per double room per night. Hotel website www.vip-hotel.com.ua
