Forbidden Victory

Exactly four hundred and thirty years ago, the greatest battle of Christian civilization took place, which determined the future of the Eurasian continent, if not the entire planet, for many, many centuries to come. Almost two hundred thousand people fought in a bloody six-day battle, proving with their courage and dedication the right to exist for many peoples at once. More than a hundred thousand people paid with their lives to resolve this dispute, and only thanks to the victory of our ancestors we now live in the world that we are accustomed to seeing around us. In this battle, not just the fate of Rus' and the countries of Europe was decided - it was about the fate of the entire European civilization.

But ask any educated person: what does he know about the battle that took place in 1572? And practically no one except professional historians will be able to answer you a word. Why? Because this victory was won by the “wrong” ruler, the “wrong” army and the “wrong” people. Four centuries have already passed since this victory simply prohibited. History as it is

Before talking about the battle itself, we should probably remember what Europe looked like in the little-known 16th century. And since the length of the journal article forces us to be brief, only one thing can be said: in the 16th century, there were no full-fledged states in Europe except the Ottoman Empire. In any case, it makes no sense to even roughly compare the dwarf formations that called themselves kingdoms and counties with this huge empire.

In fact, only frenzied Western European propaganda can explain the fact that we imagine the Turks as dirty, stupid savages, wave after wave rolling over the valiant knightly troops and winning solely due to their numbers. Everything was exactly the opposite: well-trained, disciplined, brave Ottoman warriors step by step pushed back scattered, poorly armed formations, developing more and more “wild” lands for the empire. By the end of the fifteenth century, Bulgaria belonged to them on the European continent, by the beginning of the 16th century - Greece and Serbia, by the middle of the century the border had moved to Vienna, the Turks took Hungary, Moldova, the famous Transylvania under their control, started a war for Malta, devastated the coasts of Spain and Italy .

Firstly, the Turks were not “dirty”. Unlike Europeans, who at that time were unfamiliar with even the basics of personal hygiene, subjects of the Ottoman Empire were obliged, according to the requirements of the Koran, to at least perform ritual ablutions before each prayer.

Secondly, the Turks were true Muslims - that is, people who were initially confident in their spiritual superiority, and therefore extremely tolerant. In the conquered territories, as far as possible, they tried to preserve local customs so as not to destroy existing social relations. The Ottomans were not interested in whether the new subjects were Muslims, or Christians, or Jews, or whether they were Arabs, Greeks, Serbs, Albanians, Italians, Iranians or Tatars. The main thing is that they continue to work quietly and pay taxes regularly. The state system of government was built on a combination of Arab, Seljuk and Byzantine customs and traditions. The most striking example of distinguishing Islamic pragmatism and religious tolerance from European savagery is the story of the 100,000 Jews expelled from Spain in 1492 and willingly accepted into citizenship by Sultan Bayezid. The Catholics received moral satisfaction by dealing with the “killers of Christ,” and the Ottomans received significant revenues to the treasury from new, far from poor, settlers.

Thirdly, the Ottoman Empire was far ahead of its northern neighbors in the technology of producing weapons and armor. It was the Turks, and not the Europeans, who suppressed the enemy with artillery fire, and it was the Ottomans who actively supplied their troops, fortresses and ships with cannon barrels. As an example of the power of Ottoman weapons, we can cite 20 bombards with a caliber from 60 to 90 centimeters and weighing up to 35 tons, which at the end of the 6th century were put on combat duty in the forts that defended the Dardanelles, and stood there until the beginning of the 20th century! And not just standing ones - at the beginning of the 19th century, in 1807, they quite successfully crushed the brand new English ships Windsor Castle and Active, which were trying to break through the strait. I repeat: the guns represented a real fighting force even three centuries after their manufacture. In the 16th century, they could easily be considered a real superweapon. And the aforementioned bombards were manufactured in the very years when Nicollo Macchiavelli carefully wrote out the following words in his treatise “The Prince”: “It is better to let the enemy blind himself than to search for him, not seeing anything because of the gunpowder smoke,” denying any benefit from using guns in military campaigns.

Fourthly, the Turks had the most advanced regular professional army for their time. Its backbone was the so-called “Janissary Corps”. In the 16th century, it was almost entirely formed from boys bought or captured, who were legally slaves of the Sultan. All of them underwent high-quality military training, received good weapons and turned into the best infantry that ever existed in Europe and the Mediterranean region. The strength of the corps reached 100,000 people. In addition, the empire had a completely modern feudal cavalry, which was formed from sipahis - owners of land plots. Military commanders awarded valiant and worthy soldiers in all newly annexed regions with similar allotments, “timars,” thanks to which the size and combat effectiveness of the army continuously increased. And if we also remember that the rulers who fell into vassal dependence on the Magnificent Porte were obliged, by order of the Sultan, to bring their armies for general campaigns, it becomes clear that the Ottoman Empire could simultaneously put on the battlefield no less than half a million well-trained warriors - much more than there were troops in all of Europe combined.

In light of all of the above, it becomes clear why, at the mere mention of the Turks, medieval kings broke into a cold sweat, knights grabbed their weapons and turned their heads in fear, and babies in their cradles began to cry and call for their mother. Any even more or less thinking person could confidently predict that in a hundred years the entire inhabited world would belong to the Turkish Sultan, and complain that the Ottoman advance to the north was held back not by the courage of the defenders of the Balkans, but by the Ottomans’ desire to first take possession of much richer lands Asia, conquer the ancient countries of the Middle East. And, it must be said, the Ottoman Empire achieved this by expanding its borders from the Caspian Sea, Persia and the Persian Gulf and almost to the Atlantic Ocean itself (the western lands of the empire were modern Algeria).

It should also be mentioned a very important fact, for some reason unknown to many professional historians: starting from 1475, the Crimean Khanate was part of the Ottoman Empire, the Crimean Khan was appointed and removed by the Sultan's firman, brought his troops on the orders of the Magnificent Porte, or began military operations against whom some of the neighbors on orders from Istanbul; there was a sultan's governor on the Crimean peninsula, and Turkish garrisons were stationed in several cities.

In addition, the Kazan and Astrakhan Khanates were considered to be under the patronage of the empire, as states of co-religionists, moreover, regularly supplying slaves for numerous military galleys and mines, as well as concubines for harems...

Golden Age of Russia

Oddly enough, few people now imagine what Rus' was like in the 16th century—especially people who have conscientiously studied a high school history course. It must be said that it contains much more fiction than real information, and therefore any modern person should know several basic, supporting facts that allow us to understand the worldview of our ancestors.

First of all, in 16th-century Rus', slavery practically did not exist. Every person born in Russian lands was initially free and equal with everyone else. Serfdom of that time is now called a land lease agreement with all the ensuing consequences: you cannot leave until you have paid the owner of the land for its use. And that's all... There was no hereditary serfdom (it was introduced by the cathedral code of 1649), and the son of a serf was a free man until he decided to take a land plot for himself.

There were no European savages like the nobility’s right to punish and pardon on the first night, or simply driving around with weapons, scaring ordinary citizens and starting quarrels. In the legal code of 1497, only two categories of the population are generally recognized: servicemen people and non-service. Otherwise, everyone is equal before the law, regardless of origin.

Service in the army was absolutely voluntary, although, of course, hereditary and lifelong. If you want, serve, if you don’t want, don’t serve. Sign the estate over to the treasury, and you’re free. It should be mentioned here that the concept of infantry was completely absent in the Russian army. The warrior went out on a campaign on two or three horses - including the archers, who dismounted only immediately before the battle.

In general, war was a permanent state of the then Rus': its southern and eastern borders were constantly torn by the predatory raids of the Tatars, the western borders were disturbed by the Slavic brothers of the Principality of Lithuania, who for many centuries disputed with Moscow the right of primacy to the heritage of Kievan Rus. Depending on military successes, the western border constantly moved first in one direction or the other, and the eastern neighbors were either pacified or tried to appease with gifts after the next defeat. From the south, some protection was provided by the so-called Wild Field - the southern Russian steppes, completely depopulated as a result of continuous raids by the Crimean Tatars. In order to attack Rus', the subjects of the Ottoman Empire needed to make a long journey, and they, being lazy and practical people, preferred to plunder either the tribes of the North Caucasus, or Lithuania and Moldova.

Ivan IV

It was in this Rus', in 1533, that the son of Vasily III, Ivan, reigned. However, he reigned - this is too strong a word. At the time of his accession to the throne, Ivan was only three years old, and it would be a stretch to call his childhood happy. At the age of seven, his mother was poisoned, after which the man he considered his father was literally killed before his eyes, his favorite nannies were dispersed, everyone he liked in the slightest was either destroyed or sent out of sight. In the palace, he was in the position of a watchdog: either he was taken into the chambers, showing the “beloved prince” to foreigners, or he was kicked by all and sundry. It got to the point that they forgot to feed the future king for whole days. Everything was going to the point that before he came of age, he would simply be slaughtered in order to preserve an era of anarchy in the country, but the sovereign survived. And he not only survived, but became the greatest ruler in the entire history of Rus'. And what is most striking is that Ivan IV did not become embittered and did not take revenge for past humiliations. His reign turned out to be perhaps the most humane in the entire history of our country.

The last statement is by no means a reservation. Unfortunately, everything that is usually told about Ivan the Terrible ranges from “complete nonsense” to “outright lies.” “Complete nonsense” includes the “testimony” of the famous expert on Rus', the Englishman Jerome Horsey, his “Notes on Russia”, which states that in the winter of 1570 the guardsmen killed 700,000 (seven hundred thousand) inhabitants in Novgorod, out of the total population of this city at thirty thousand. To “outright lies” - evidence of the tsar’s cruelty. For example, looking at the well-known encyclopedia “Brockhaus and Efron”, in the article about Andrei Kurbsky, anyone can read that, angry at the prince, “the Terrible could only cite the fact of betrayal and violation of the kiss of the cross as justification for his rage...”. What nonsense! That is, the prince betrayed the Fatherland twice, was caught, but was not hanged on an aspen, but kissed the cross, swore by Christ God that he would not do it again, was forgiven, betrayed him again... However, with all this, they are trying to blame the Tsar for the wrong thing , that he did not punish the traitor, but that he continues to hate the degenerate who brings Polish troops to Rus' and sheds the blood of Russian people.

To the deepest regret of the “Ivan-haters,” in the 16th century in Rus' there was a written language, a custom of commemorating the dead and synodniks, which were preserved along with memorial records. Alas, with all the efforts to the conscience of Ivan the Terrible, during his entire fifty years of rule, no more than 4,000 deaths can be attributed. This is probably a lot, even if we take into account that the majority honestly earned their execution through treason and perjury. However, during the same years, in neighboring Europe, more than 3,000 Huguenots were slaughtered in Paris in one night, and in the rest of the country, more than 30,000 were slaughtered in just two weeks. In England, by order of Henry VIII, 72,000 people were hanged for being beggars. In the Netherlands during the revolution, the number of corpses exceeded 100,000... No, Russia is far from European civilization.

By the way, according to the suspicion of many historians, the story about the ruin of Novgorod is blatantly copied from the assault and ruin of Liege by the Burgundians of Charles the Bold in 1468. Moreover, the plagiarists were even too lazy to make allowances for the Russian winter, as a result of which the mythical guardsmen had to ride boats along the Volkhov, which that year, according to the chronicles, froze to the very bottom.

However, even his most fierce haters do not dare to challenge the basic personality traits of Ivan the Terrible, and therefore we know for sure that he was very smart, calculating, malicious, cold-blooded and courageous. The tsar was amazingly well read, had an extensive memory, loved to sing and composed music (his stichera have been preserved and are performed to this day). Ivan IV had an excellent command of the pen, leaving a rich epistolary legacy, and loved to participate in religious debates. The tsar himself handled litigation, worked with documents, and could not stand vile drunkenness.

Having achieved real power, the young, far-sighted and active king immediately began to take measures to reorganize and strengthen the state - both from within and its external borders.

Meeting

The main feature of Ivan the Terrible is his manic passion for firearms. For the first time in the Russian army, detachments armed with arquebuses appeared - archers, who gradually became the backbone of the army, taking away this rank from the local cavalry. Cannon yards are springing up all over the country, where more and more new barrels are being cast, fortresses are being rebuilt for fiery battle - their walls are straightened, mattresses and large-caliber arquebuses are installed in the towers. The Tsar stocked up gunpowder in all ways: he bought it, installed gunpowder mills, he imposed a saltpeter tax on cities and monasteries. Sometimes this leads to terrifying fires, but Ivan IV is relentless: gunpowder, as much gunpowder as possible!

The first task that is set before the army that is gaining strength is to stop the raids from the Kazan Khanate. At the same time, the young tsar is not interested in half measures, he wants to stop the raids once and for all, and for this there is only one way: to conquer Kazan and include it in the Muscovite kingdom. A seventeen-year-old boy went to fight the Tatars. The three-year war ended in failure. But in 1551 the tsar appeared under the walls of Kazan again - victory! The Kazan people asked for peace, agreed to all the demands, but, as usual, did not fulfill the terms of peace. However, this time the stupid Russians for some reason did not swallow the insult and the next summer, in 1552, again dismissed the banners at the enemy capital.

The news that far in the east the infidels were crushing their co-religionists took Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent by surprise - he had never expected anything like this. The Sultan gave the order to the Crimean Khan to provide assistance to the Kazan people, and he, hastily gathering 30,000 people, moved to Rus'. The young king, at the head of 15,000 horsemen, rushed towards and completely defeated the uninvited guests. Following the message about the defeat of Devlet Giray, news flew to Istanbul that there was one less khanate in the east. Before the Sultan had time to digest this pill, they were already telling him about the annexation of another Khanate, the Astrakhan Khanate, to Moscow. It turns out that after the fall of Kazan, Khan Yamgurchey, in a fit of anger, decided to declare war on Russia...

The glory of the conqueror of the khanates brought Ivan IV new, unexpected subjects: hoping for his patronage, the Siberian Khan Ediger and the Circassian princes voluntarily swore allegiance to Moscow. The North Caucasus also came under the rule of the tsar. Unexpectedly for the whole world - including itself - Russia more than doubled in size in a matter of years, reached the Black Sea and found itself face to face with the huge Ottoman Empire. This could only mean one thing: a terrible, devastating war.

Blood neighbors

The stupid naivety of the tsar’s closest advisers, so beloved by modern historians, the so-called “Chosen Rada,” is striking. By their own admission, these clever men repeatedly advised the tsar to attack Crimea and conquer it, like the khanates of Kazan and Astrakhan. Their opinion, by the way, will be shared four centuries later by many modern historians. In order to more clearly understand how stupid such advice is, it is enough to look at the North American continent and ask the first Mexican you meet, even a stoned and uneducated Mexican: is the boorish behavior of the Texans and the military weakness of this state sufficient reason to attack it and return the ancestral Mexican lands?

And they will immediately answer you that you may attack Texas, but you will have to fight with the United States.

In the 16th century, the Ottoman Empire, having weakened its pressure in other directions, could withdraw five times more troops against Moscow than Russia allowed itself to mobilize. The Crimean Khanate alone, whose subjects were not engaged in crafts, agriculture, or trade, was ready, on the orders of the khan, to put its entire male population on horses and repeatedly marched on Rus' with armies of 100-150 thousand people (some historians bring this figure to 200 000). But the Tatars were cowardly robbers, whom troops 3-5 times smaller in number could cope with. It was a completely different matter to meet on the battlefield with the Janissaries and Seljuks, seasoned in battle and accustomed to conquering new lands.

Ivan IV could not afford such a war.

The contact of the borders happened unexpectedly for both countries, and therefore the first contacts between the neighbors turned out to be surprisingly peaceful. The Ottoman Sultan sent a letter to the Russian Tsar in which he friendlyly offered a choice of two possible ways out of the current situation: either Russia grants the Volga robbers - Kazan and Astrakhan - their former independence, or Ivan IV swears allegiance to the Magnificent Porte, becoming part of the Ottoman Empire along with the conquered khanates.

And for the umpteenth time in its centuries-old history, the light burned for a long time in the chambers of the Russian ruler and the fate of the future Europe was decided in painful thoughts: to be it or not to be? If the tsar agreed to the Ottoman proposal, he would forever secure the southern borders of the country. The Sultan will no longer allow the Tatars to rob new subjects, and all the predatory aspirations of the Crimea will be directed in the only possible direction: against the eternal enemy of Moscow, the Principality of Lithuania. In this case, the rapid extermination of the enemy and the rise of Russia will become inevitable. But at what cost?..

The king refuses.

Suleiman releases the Crimean thousands, which he used in Moldova and Hungary, and points out to the Crimean Khan Devlet-Girey a new enemy whom he will have to crush: Russia. A long and bloody war begins: the Tatars regularly rush towards Moscow, the Russians are fenced off with a multi-hundred-mile Zasechnaya Line of forest windbreaks, fortresses and earthen ramparts with stakes dug into them. Every year 60-70 thousand soldiers defend this gigantic wall.

It is clear to Ivan the Terrible, and the Sultan has repeatedly confirmed this with his letters: an attack on Crimea will be regarded as a declaration of war on the empire. In the meantime, the Russians endure, the Ottomans also do not begin active military operations, continuing the wars already begun in Europe, Africa and Asia.

Now, while the Ottoman Empire's hands are tied with battles in other places, while the Ottomans are not going to fall on Russia with all their might, there is time to accumulate forces, and Ivan IV begins vigorous reforms in the country: first of all, he introduces a regime in the country that subsequently was called democracy. Feedings are abolished in the country, the institution of governors appointed by the tsar is replaced by local self-government - zemstvo and provincial elders elected by peasants, artisans and boyars. Moreover, the new regime is being imposed not with stupid stubbornness, as now, but prudently and wisely. The transition to democracy is carried out... for a fee. If you like the governor, live as before. I don’t like it - local residents contribute from 100 to 400 rubles to the treasury and can choose whoever they want as their boss.

The army is being transformed. Having personally participated in several wars and battles, the tsar is well aware of the main problem of the army - localism. The boyars demand appointment to posts according to the merits of their ancestors: if my grandfather commanded a wing of the army, it means that I am entitled to the same post. Even if he’s a fool, the milk on his lips hasn’t dried: but still, the post of wing commander is mine! I don’t want to obey the old and experienced prince, because his son walked under the hand of my great-grandfather! This means that it is not I who must obey him, but he who must obey me!

The issue is resolved radically: a new army, the oprichnina, is organized in the country. The guardsmen swear allegiance to the sovereign alone, and their career depends only on their personal qualities. It is in the oprichnina that all mercenaries serve: Russia, waging a long and difficult war, is chronically short of warriors, but it has enough gold to hire eternally poor European nobles.

In addition, Ivan IV is actively building parish schools and fortresses, stimulating trade, purposefully creating a working class: by direct royal decree it is forbidden to attract cultivators to any work related to getting off the land - workers must work in construction, in factories and factories, not peasants.

Of course, there are many opponents of such rapid transformations in the country. Just think: a simple rootless landowner like Boriska Godunov can rise to the rank of governor simply because he is brave, smart and honest! Just think: the king can buy the family estate into the treasury only because the owner doesn’t know his business well and the peasants run away from him! The guardsmen are hated, vile rumors are spread about them, conspiracies are organized against the tsar - but Ivan the Terrible continues his reforms with a firm hand. It comes to the point that for several years he has to divide the country into two parts: the oprichnina for those who want to live in a new way and the zemstvo for those who want to preserve the old customs. However, in spite of everything, he achieved his goal, turning the ancient Moscow principality into a new, powerful power - the Russian kingdom.

The Empire Strikes

In 1569, the bloody respite, consisting of continuous raids by the Tatar hordes, ended. The Sultan finally found time for Russia. 17,000 selected Janissaries, reinforced by the Crimean and Nogai cavalry, moved towards Astrakhan. The king, still hoping to do without bloodshed, withdrew all the troops from their path, while simultaneously replenishing the fortress with food supplies, gunpowder and cannonballs. The campaign failed: the Turks were unable to bring artillery with them, and they were not used to fighting without guns. In addition, the return journey through the unexpectedly cold winter steppe cost most of the Turks their lives.

A year later, in 1571, bypassing Russian fortresses and knocking down the small boyar barriers, Devlet-Girey brought 100,000 horsemen to Moscow, set fire to the city and returned back. Ivan the Terrible tore and threw. The boyars' heads rolled. Those executed were accused of specific treason: they missed the enemy, did not report the raid on time. In Istanbul they rubbed their hands: reconnaissance in force showed that the Russians did not know how to fight, preferring to sit behind the fortress walls. But if the light Tatar cavalry is not capable of taking fortifications, then the experienced Janissaries knew how to uncork them very well. It was decided to conquer Muscovy, for which Devlet-Girey was assigned 7,000 Janissaries and gunners with several dozen artillery barrels to take the cities. Murzas were appointed in advance to the still Russian cities, governors to the not yet conquered principalities, the land was divided, merchants received permission for duty-free trade. All the men of Crimea, young and old, gathered to explore new lands.

A huge army was supposed to enter Russian borders and remain there forever.

And so it happened...

Battlefield

On July 6, 1572, Devlet-Girey reached the Oka, came across a 50,000-strong army under the command of Prince Mikhail Vorotynsky (many historians estimate the size of the Russian army at 20,000 people, and the Ottoman army at 80,000) and, laughing at the stupidity of the Russians, turned up along the river. Near Senkin Ford, he easily dispersed a detachment of 200 boyars and, having crossed the river, moved towards Moscow along the Serpukhov road. Vorotynsky hurried after.

With a speed unprecedented in Europe, huge masses of horsemen moved across the Russian expanses - both armies moved lightly, on horseback, not burdened with convoys.

Oprichnik Dmitry Khvorostinin sneaked on the heels of the Tatars to the village of Molodi at the head of a 5,000-strong detachment of Cossacks and boyars, and only here, on July 30, 1572, received permission to attack the enemy. Rushing forward, he trampled the Tatar rearguard into the road dust and, rushing further, crashed into the main forces at the Pakhra River. Slightly surprised by such impudence, the Tatars turned around and rushed at the small detachment with all their strength. The Russians rushed to their heels - the enemies rushed after them, pursuing the guardsmen all the way to the village of Molodi, and then an unexpected surprise awaited the invaders: the Russian army, deceived on the Oka, was already here. And she didn’t just stand there, but managed to build a walk-city - a mobile fortification made of thick wooden shields. From the cracks between the shields, cannons struck the steppe cavalry, arquebuses thundered from the loopholes cut into the log walls, and a shower of arrows poured over the fortification. A friendly volley swept away the advanced Tatar detachments - as if a huge hand swept away unnecessary crumbs from the table. The Tatars were mixed up - Khvorostinin turned his soldiers around and rushed into the attack again.

Gulyai-gorod (Wagenburg), from a 15th-century engraving, created after 1480

Thousands of horsemen approaching along the road, one after another, fell into a cruel meat grinder. Tired boyars either retreated behind the shields of the walk-city, under the cover of heavy fire, or rushed into more and more attacks. The Ottomans, in a hurry to destroy a fortress that had come from nowhere, rushed to attack wave after wave, abundantly flooding the Russian land with their blood, and only the descending darkness stopped the endless murder.

In the morning, the truth was revealed to the Ottoman army in all its terrifying ugliness: the invaders realized that they had fallen into a trap. Ahead along the Serpukhov road stood the strong walls of Moscow, behind the path to the steppe were fenced off the iron-clad guardsmen and archers. Now for the uninvited guests it was no longer a question of conquering Russia, but of getting back alive.

The next two days were spent trying to frighten off the Russians who blocked the road - the Tatars showered the city with arrows and cannonballs, rushed at it in mounted attacks, hoping to break through the cracks left for the passage of the boyar cavalry. However, by the third day it became clear that the Russians would rather die on the spot than allow the uninvited guests to leave. On August 2, Devlet-Girey ordered his soldiers to dismount and attack the Russians along with the Janissaries.

The Tatars understood perfectly well that this time they were not going to rob, but to save their own skin, and they fought like rabid dogs. The heat of the battle reached the highest tension. It got to the point that the Crimeans tried to break the hated shields with their hands, and the Janissaries gnawed them with their teeth and chopped them with scimitars. But the Russians were not going to release the eternal robbers into the wild, give them the opportunity to catch their breath and return again. Blood flowed all day - but by evening the walk-town continued to stand in its place.

Hunger was raging in the Russian camp - after all, while chasing the enemy, the boyars and archers thought about weapons, and not about food, simply abandoning the convoy with food and drink supplies. As the chronicles note: “In the regiments there was a great hunger for people and horses”. Here it should be admitted that, along with Russian soldiers, German mercenaries suffered thirst and hunger, whom the tsar willingly took as guardsmen. However, the Germans did not complain either, but continued to fight no worse than others.

The Tatars were furious: they were accustomed not to fight with the Russians, but to drive them into slavery. The Ottoman Murzas, who had gathered to rule the new lands, and not die on them, were also not amused. Everyone was eagerly waiting for dawn to deliver the final blow and finally smash the fragile-looking fortification and exterminate the people hiding behind it.

With the onset of dusk, Voivode Vorotynsky took some of the soldiers with him, walked around the enemy camp along the ravine and hid there. And early in the morning, when, after a friendly volley at the attacking Ottomans, the boyars led by Khvorostinin rushed towards them and started a brutal battle, Voivode Vorotynsky unexpectedly struck the enemies in the back. And what started out as a battle instantly turned into a beating.

Arithmetic

On a field near the village of Molodi, the defenders of Moscow completely massacred all the Janissaries and Ottoman Murzas, and almost the entire male population of Crimea died there. And not only ordinary warriors - the son, grandson and son-in-law of Devlet-Girey himself died under Russian sabers. Having, according to various estimates, either three or four times less strength than the enemy, Russian soldiers forever eliminated the danger emanating from Crimea. No more than 20,000 of the bandits who went on the campaign managed to return alive - and Crimea was never again able to regain its strength.

This was the first major defeat in the entire history of the Ottoman Empire. Having lost almost 20,000 Janissaries and the entire huge army of its satellite on the Russian borders in three years, the Magnificent Porte abandoned hopes of conquering Russia.

The victory of Russian weapons was of great importance for Europe. At the Battle of Molodi, we not only defended our independence, but also deprived the Ottoman Empire of the opportunity to increase its production capacity and army by about a third. In addition, for the huge Ottoman province that could have arisen in place of Russia, there was only one path for further expansion - to the west. Retreating under attacks in the Balkans, Europe would hardly have survived even for several years if the Turkish onslaught had increased even slightly.

The village of Molodi. Foundation stone in memory of the victory at the Battle of Molodi in 1572

The Last Rurikovich

There is only one question left to answer: why don’t they make films about the Battle of Molodi, don’t talk about it in school, and don’t celebrate its anniversary with holidays?

The fact is that the battle that determined the future of the entire European civilization took place during the reign of a king who was not supposed to be not only good, but also simply normal. Ivan the Terrible, the greatest tsar in the history of Rus', who actually created the country in which we live, who took over the reign of the Moscow principality and left behind Great Russia, was the last of the Rurik family. After him, the Romanov dynasty came to the throne - and they did everything possible to belittle the importance of everything done by the previous dynasty and discredit the greatest of its representatives.

According to the highest order, Ivan the Terrible was destined to be bad - and along with his memory, the great victory, won with considerable difficulty by our ancestors, was prohibited.

The first of the Romanov dynasty gave the Swedes the coast of the Baltic Sea and access to Lake Ladoga. His son introduced hereditary serfdom, depriving industry and the Siberian expanses of free workers and settlers. Under his great-grandson, the army created by Ivan IV was broken and the industry that supplied weapons to the whole of Europe was destroyed (the Tula-Kamensk factories alone sold to the West up to 600 guns a year, tens of thousands of cannonballs, thousands of grenades, muskets and swords).

Russia was rapidly sliding into an era of degradation.

Alexander Prozorov

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 of higher rank than him, but Vorotynsky placed him in the most responsible and most dangerous place.

What does this mean? By that time, Dmitry Ivanovich’s outstanding abilities had become obvious to the Russian military elite. 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 repeatedly expressed 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 explained not by the special military talents or merits of the appanage prince, but primarily by 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 equally the 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...

Scientists do not know the exact date of the 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. Troekurov, 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 an individual army, but even a regiment. Khvorostinin was always described as the second governor. In the worst case - second in the guard regiment, which was “lower in honor” than the others, in the best case - in the regiment of the 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 exhausted 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, i.e., 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 Rzhev Vladimirova, defending the western lands of Russia from the troops of Stefan Batory, who had just taken the Zavolochye fortress.

Dmitry Ivanovich was promoted to the first governor of the advanced 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 backdrop of the general tragic situation on the Livonian Front, this operation looks like a great success.

The reward for the command staff was 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 the famous commander Pontus Delagardie, launched a decisive offensive against the Russians. 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 was fair after many years of service, personal connections played an important role: Khvorostinin’s daughter Avdotya was married to Stepan Godunov and the Godunovs relied on the Khvorostinins against their rivals Shuisky.

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. Moscow did not want a big clash with the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth - the Polish-Lithuanian state. A conflict with it would again lead to a protracted, 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 broad military support from his son. 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 Plyussky Truce was expiring and another Russian-Swedish war was brewing, 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 the best commander due to his offensive style, 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 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

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 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 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 the Crimean power of the Tsar, Prince Mikhail Ivanovich Vorotynsky and other governors of the Moscow sovereign, and the Crimean Tsar fled from them inappropriately, not by path or by 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, there is still no special research on the Battle of Molodinsky in 1572, 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, books of rank - a short edition ("Sovereign's rank") and an abbreviated edition. 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 the convoy, 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. He was asked - how long will the Crimean Tsar last? 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, the 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 completely destroyed; according to some sources, the son and grandson of Devlet Giray, as well as all seven thousand Janissaries, were killed in the wheelhouse. 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 of the 16th - beginning of the 17th centuries.

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, and finally, the 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 great damage to the Turkish garrison - all this somewhat sobered up 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 the Moscow government of his accession.

However, Turkish politeness did not at all mean a renunciation of a hostile offensive policy.

The strategic task of the Turks was to form a continuous line of their possessions through Azov and the North Caucasus, which, starting from the Crimea, would encircle the Russian state from the south. If this task was successfully completed, the Turks could not only stop all relations between Russia and Georgia and Iran, but also keep these countries under attack and the constant threat of a surprise attack.

Russian historian I.I. Smirnov

July 31 - August 2, 1572 marked 444 years since Battle of Molodinskaya or whatever they call it otherwise - Battle of Molody. The forgotten (or rather purposefully hushed up?) battle of the forgotten war, however, played a special and very significant role in the life of our country.

Its significance is comparable to the significance of the Battle of Poltava and the Battle of Borodino, and its successes surpass both of these battles, however, it is not customary to talk about it. There are still many questions remaining in the history of Russia to which we do not find answers in the official historical myth of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

In particular, the period of the reign of Ivan the Terrible, during which the Battle of Molodino took place, remains one of the most controversial and shrouded in fog of all kinds of myths and fables, including those constantly generated by the so-called biblical “science”. We will try to open one of the pages of this time.

Presented to your attention is a map of Russia, engraved by Franz Hogenberg from the original by Anthony Jenkinson, an employee of the English Moscow Company. The original was performed in 1562. Jenkinson traveled to Bukhara in 1557 - 1559, and after that to Russia twice more. During one of these travels he reached Persia.

The vignettes are based on editions of Marco Polo's travels. They depict ethnic and mythical scenes, local residents in national clothes, and animals.

This map is so interesting that we provide a detailed description of it.

Text on the cartouche:

RUSSIAE, MOSCOVIAE ET TARTARIAE DESCRIPTIO Auctore Antonio

Ienkensono Anglo, Anno 1562 & dedicata illustriss. D. Henrico Sijdneo Walliei presidi. Cum priuilegio.

Description of Russia, Muscovy and Tartary by Anthony Jenkinson the Englishman, published in London in 1562 and dedicated to the most illustrious Henry Sidney Lord President of Wales. By privilege.

On the vignette in the upper left corner:

Ioannes Basilius Magnus Imperator Russie Dux Moscovie is depicted, i.e. Ivan Vasilievich (Basileus?) Great Emperor of Russia, Prince of Muscovy.

Left edge, middle:

Hic pars Litu/anie Imperatori/Russie subdita est.

This part of Lithuania is under the rule of the Russian Emperor (http://iskatel.info/kartyi-orteliya.-perevod.html).

On this lifetime map of Ivan the Terrible, we see that the Moscow state borders on Tartaria, as we assumed earlier in the first part of the article. The question remains open whether Ivan the Terrible fought with Tartary itself, or with units that had already broken away from it (Circassian, Small (Crimean), Desert Tartary, which became other states), possibly pursuing an independent policy, and not in the interests of the population, but which we will talk about in more detail using the example of Crimean Tartaria.

In general, it should be noted that the map is not very accurate. And also to note the generally irrelevant fact that the Caspian Sea was much larger in those days, and the current Aral Sea is most likely just the eastern part of the Caspian.

Foreign policy of Ivan the Terrible in the south

As we see on this Mercator map, dating back to 1630, Crimean Tartary included not only Crimea itself, but also the Black Sea region, what is now called Novorossiya. On the Mercator map itself, in addition to Crimean Tartaria, the words appear - Taurica Chersonesos and Khazaria, that is, there were grounds for calling Crimea Khazaria even in the 17th century.

Most likely, after Prince Svyatoslav cleansed the Khazar Kaganate, he did not disappear completely and continued his activities in the form of fragments, since Rus' could not control at that time all the territories remaining after him, in particular, Crimea. And most importantly, this is based not on genetic or linguistic characteristics of the Khazars, but on cultural ones.

After the final defeat of the Khazars in Crimea, however, there are still Karaites (possible heirs of the Khazars), trading posts of Genoa and Venice, and Byzantium and the Polovtsians are also present. Almost everyone is involved in the slave trade, as evidenced, for example, by the Arab historian Ibn Al-Athir (1160 - 1233), who wrote about Sudak (Sugdea):

“This is the city of the Kipchaks, from which they receive their goods, and ships with clothes dock at it, the latter are sold, and on them girls and slaves are bought, Burtas furs, beavers and other objects found in their land (http://www.sudak.pro/history-sudak2/).

However, the western trading posts were not completely cleared from Crimea and remained there under some conditions, that is, the Great Tartaria that existed at that time did not complete the job.

The Little Tartary indicated on the maps apparently subsequently broke away from the Great Tartary and gradually degraded to the point that the dynasty of the future Crimean khans, the Gireys, came to power in the Crimea with the help of the Principality of Lithuania, which had its own interests, and whose borders practically reached the Crimea. After the defeat of the Genoese and the strengthening of Turkey, the Crimean khans became its vassals, and Crimea gradually became Islamized.

It was this force that Tsar Ivan the Terrible faced.

Battle of Molodinskaya

In the 16th century, almost all the time Russia had to fight with foreign invaders, and, above all, the West. Russia was constantly at war with Livonia, Lithuania, Poland, and Sweden. The Crimean Khan, taking advantage of the fact that Russian troops were in the West and the aggravated situation in internal politics, carried out raids on the southern borders of Muscovy.

After the burning of Moscow in 1571, Ivan was ready to give Astrakhan to the khan, but he also demanded Kazan, and was practically confident that he could conquer Rus'. Therefore, he prepared for a new campaign, which began in 1572. Khan managed to gather about 80 thousand people (according to other estimates 120 thousand); Turkey sent a Janissary corps of 7 thousand people to help him.

Devlet Giray demanded the return of Kazan and Astrakhan, inviting Ivan the Terrible, together with the Turkish Sultan, to go over to them “under control and in care,” and also declared that he was “going to Moscow to reign.” Simultaneously with the beginning of the invasion, an uprising of the Cheremis, Ostyaks and Bashkirs, organized by the Crimean Tatars, took place as a diversionary maneuver to weaken the Moscow troops. The uprising was suppressed by the Stroganov detachments.

July 29, Summer 7080(1572) near Molodya, 60 kilometers from Moscow, between Podolsk and Serpukhov, began five day battle, which became known as the Battle of Molodi..

Russian troops - under the command of the governors of princes Mikhail Ivanovich Vorotynsky, Alexei Petrovich Khovansky and Dmitry Ivanovich Khvorostinin totaled:

20,034 people and the Cossacks of Mikhail Cherkashenin at the Big Regiment.

Following the beaten path, the Tatars, encountering virtually no resistance, reached the Oka. At the border outpost of Kolomna and Serpukhov they were met by a 20,000-strong detachment under the command of Prince M. Vorotynsky. Devlet-Girey’s army did not enter the battle. Khan sent about 2 thousand troops to Serpukhov, and the main forces moved up the river. The advance detachment under the command of Murza Tereberdey reached Senka Ford and calmly crossed the river, simultaneously partially dispersing and partially sending two hundred defenders of the cordon to their forefathers.

The remaining forces crossed near the village of Drakino. Prince Odoevsky's regiment, numbering about 1,200 people, was also unable to provide tangible resistance - the Russians were defeated, and Devlet-Girey calmly proceeded straight to Moscow.

Vorotynsky made a desperate decision, fraught with considerable risk: according to the tsar’s order, the governor had to block the Khan’s Muravsky Way and hurry to the Zhizdra River, where he was to reunite with the main Russian army.

The prince thought differently and set off in pursuit of the Tatars. They traveled carelessly, significantly stretched out and losing their vigilance, until the fateful date arrived - July 30 (according to other sources, 29th) (1572). The Battle of Molodi became an irreversible reality when the decisive governor Dmitry Khvorostinin with a detachment of 2 thousand (according to other sources, 5 thousand) people overtook the Tatars and dealt an unexpected blow to the rearguard of the Khan’s army.

The enemies wavered: the attack turned out to be an unpleasant (and - even worse - sudden) surprise for them. When the brave governor Khvorostinin crashed into the main part of the enemy troops, they were not at a loss and fought back, putting the Russians to flight. Not knowing, however, that it was also carefully thought out: Dmitry Ivanovich led the enemies straight to Vorotynsky’s carefully prepared troops. This is where the battle began near the village of Molodi in 1572, which had the most serious consequences for the country.

One can imagine how surprised the Tatars were when they discovered in front of them the so-called Walk-Gorod - a fortified structure created according to all the rules of that time: thick shields mounted on carts reliably protected the soldiers positioned behind them. Inside the “walk-city” there were cannons (Ivan Vasilyevich the Terrible was a big fan of firearms and supplied his army according to the latest requirements of military science), archers armed with arquebuses, archers, etc.

The enemy was immediately treated to everything that was in store for his arrival: a terrible bloody battle ensued. More and more Tatar forces approached - and fell straight into the meat grinder organized by the Russians (in fairness, it should be noted that they were not the only ones: mercenaries, common in those days, also fought along with the locals, in particular the Germans, judging by the historical chronicles, porridge didn't spoil it at all).

Devlet-Girey did not want to risk leaving such a large and organized enemy force in his rear. Again and again he threw his best forces into strengthening, but the result was not even zero - it was negative. The year 1572 did not turn into a triumph: the Battle of Molodi continued for the fourth day, when the Tartar commander ordered his army to dismount and, together with the Ottoman Janissaries, attack the Russians.

the growing onslaught yielded nothing. Vorotynsky’s squads, despite hunger and thirst (when the prince set off in pursuit of the Tartars, food was the last thing they thought about), they fought to the death. The enemy suffered huge losses, blood flowed like a river. When thick twilight came, Devlet-Girey decided to wait until morning and, by the light of the sun, “put the squeeze on” the enemy, but the resourceful and cunning Vorotynsky decided that the action called “The Battle of Molodi, 1572” should have a quick and unhappy ending for the Tatars. Under the cover of darkness, the prince led part of the army to the rear of the enemy - there was a convenient ravine nearby - and struck!

Cannons thundered from the front, and after the cannonballs the same Khvorostinin rushed at the enemy, sowing death and horror among the Tartars. The year 1572 was marked by a terrible battle: the Battle of Molodi can be considered large by modern standards, and even more so by the Middle Ages. The battle turned into a beating. According to various sources, the Khan's army numbered from 80 to 125 thousand people.

The Russians were outnumbered three or four times, but they managed to destroy about three-quarters of the enemies: the Battle of Molodi in 1572 caused the death of the vast majority of the male population of the Crimean Peninsula, because, according to Tatar laws, all men had to support the khan in his aggressive endeavors.

Irreparable harm, invaluable benefit. According to many historians, the Khanate was never able to recover from the crushing defeat. The Ottoman Empire also received a noticeable slap on the nose when it supported Devlet-Girey. The lost battle of Molodi (1572) cost the khan himself the lives of his son, grandson and son-in-law. And also military honor, because he had to naturally scurry out from near Moscow, without making out the road, which the chronicles write about:

Not by any road.

The Russians who rushed after continued to kill the Tatars, fed up with years of raids, and their heads were spinning with blood and hatred. It is difficult to overestimate the significance that the Battle of Molodyah had: the consequences for the subsequent development of Russia were the most favorable (http://fb.ru/article/198278/god-bitva-pri-molodyah-kratko).

Aftermath of the battle

After the failed campaign against Rus', the Crimean Khanate lost almost its entire combat-ready male population. The Battle of Molodin was the last major battle between Rus' and the Steppe, as well as a turning point in the confrontation between the Moscow state and the Crimean Khanate. The Khanate’s ability to carry out campaigns against Rus' was undermined for a long time, and the Ottoman Empire abandoned plans for the Volga region.

Muscovite Rus' managed to defend its territorial integrity, preserve its population and retain important trade routes in its hands in the critical situation of a war on two fronts. The fortifications were moved to the south several hundred kilometers, Voronezh appeared, and the development of black earth lands began.

The main thing was that Ivan the Terrible was able to unite the fragments of Tartary into Muscovite Rus' and secure the state from the East and South, now focusing on repelling the aggression of the West. In addition, it was clearly revealed to many that the aggression of the Crimean Khanate and the Ottoman Empire on Rus' had nothing to do with real Islam, just like the deportation of people. And Ivan the Terrible, being a supporter of Arianism (that is, real Christianity), won a convincing victory, in which Russian troops numbering 20 thousand people won a decisive victory over four, if not six times superior forces of Crimea and Turkey.

However, we know nothing about this, since the Romanovs did not need the last of the Rurikovichs, who actually created the country in which we live. And the battle he won was more significant than Poltava and Borodino. And in this his fate is similar to the fate of Stalin.

In 1570, the military party gained the upper hand in Crimea. Russia was devastated by famine and plague. The Tsarist army suffered defeats at Revel and Moscow. The Russian capital seemed an easy prey to the Tatars. 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 Nogai horde finally broke vassal relations with Moscow and joined the anti-Russian coalition. The conquered peoples of the Volga region began to move and tried to overthrow the power of the tsar.
Many Adyghe princes from the North Caucasus became allies of Crimea. Behind the Crimeans stood the largest military power in Europe - the Ottoman Empire. In such a situation, the khan hoped to tear the Middle and Lower Volga regions away from Russia, burn and plunder Moscow. The Sultan sent a special mission to Crimea to participate in the campaign against Rus'.

In anticipation of a new invasion, by May 1572, the Russians had gathered about 12,000 nobles, 2,035 archers and 3,800 Cossacks on the southern border. Together with the militias of the northern cities, the army numbered a little more than 20,000, and with the fighting serfs - more than 30,000 warriors. The Tatars had a numerical superiority. Between 40,000 and 50,000 horsemen from the Crimean, Greater and Lesser Nogai hordes took part in the invasion.

Khan had Turkish artillery at his disposal.
The Russian command positioned the main forces near Kolomna, reliably covering the approaches to Moscow from Ryazan. But it also took into account the possibility of a second invasion of the Tatars from the southwest, from the Ugra region. In this case, the command moved the governor, Prince Dmitry Khvorostinin, with an advanced regiment to the extreme right flank in Kaluga. Contrary to tradition, the advanced regiment was superior in numbers to the regiments of the right and left hands. Khvorostinin was assigned a mobile river detachment to defend the crossings across the Oka.
The Tatars invaded Rus' on July 23, 1572. Their mobile 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 with the entire horde reached the main Serpukhov crossings across the Oka. Russian commanders were waiting for the enemy beyond the Oka River in well-fortified positions.

Having encountered strong Russian defenses, the khan resumed his attack in the area of ​​Senkina 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, Khvorostinin and the advanced regiment arrived at the Tatar crossing point. But, faced with the main forces of the Tatars, he avoided battle. Soon the right-hand regiment tried to intercept the Tatars in the upper reaches of the Nara River, but were driven away. Khan Devlet-Girey went to the rear of the Russian army and began to move unhindered towards Moscow along the Serpukhov road. The Tatar rearguards were commanded by the sons of the khan with numerous selected cavalry.

The advanced regiment followed the princes, waiting for a favorable moment. When such a moment came, governor Khvorostinin attacked the Tatars. The battle took place near the village of Molodi, 45 versts from Moscow. The Tatars could not withstand the blow and fled.
Khvorostinin drove the Tatar guard regiment to the Khan's headquarters. To improve the situation, Devlet-Girey was forced to send 12,000 Crimean and Nogai horsemen to help his sons. The battle grew, and the chief governor, Vorotynsky, in anticipation of the Tatars, ordered the installation of a mobile fortress - a “walk-city” near Molodya. The warriors took refuge behind the walls of the fortress, preparing for battle.
The threefold superiority of enemy forces forced Khvorostinin to retreat. But at the same time he pulled off a brilliant maneuver. His regiment, retreating, carried the Tatars to the walls of the “walk-city”. Volleys of Russian cannons fired at point-blank range brought devastation to the ranks of the Tatar cavalry and forced them to turn back.
The defeat at Molodi forced Devlet-Girey to suspend his attack on Moscow.
During the day, the Tatars stood behind Pakhra, waiting for the Russians to approach. But they did not resume attacks. Then the Tatars turned back from Pakhra to Molodi. The governors achieved undeniable success, forcing the khan to move away from Moscow and take the battle at the position they had chosen.

The center of the Russian defensive positions was a hill, on the top of which stood the “walk-city”, surrounded by hastily dug ditches. A large regiment took refuge behind the city walls. The remaining regiments covered his rear and flanks, remaining outside the fortifications. At the foot of the hill, beyond the Rozhai River, 3,000 archers stood to support the governor “on the arquebuses.”
The Tatars 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 with strong cannon and rifle fire.
Concerned about the failure, the main Tatar governor, Divey-Murza, went out on reconnaissance and approached the Russian positions. Here he was captured by the “frisky” boyar children.
The bloody battle continued until the evening of July 30. The Tatar losses were extremely high. The leader of the Nogai cavalry, Tereberdey-Murza, and three noble Crimean Murzas were killed. Having failed to achieve success, the khan stopped his attacks and within two days brought his disorganized army into order.
The Russians won the battle, but success threatened to turn into failure. When the thinned-out regiments took refuge in the “Walk-Gorod,” their food supplies quickly dried up, and in the army “there was great hunger for people and horses.”

After a two-day lull, Devlet-Girey resumed the assault on the “walk-city” on August 2, sending all his horse and foot regiments to it. The attack was led by the Khan’s sons, who received orders to “knock out” Divey-Murza from the Russians at all costs. Despite the losses, the Tatars persistently tried to overthrow the unstable walls of the “walk-city”, “they were taken from the city by the wall with their hands, and then many Tatars were beaten and their hands were cut off countless times.” Towards the end of the day, when the onslaught of the Tatars began to weaken, the Russians undertook a bold maneuver, which decided the outcome of the battle. Voivode Mikhail 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 Tatars.
The defense of the “walk-city” was entrusted to Prince Dmitry Khvorostinin, who received all the artillery and a small detachment of German mercenaries.

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 fell on the Tatars from the rear. The Tatars could not withstand the sudden blow and began to flee.
Many of them were killed and captured. Among those killed were the son of Khan Devlet-Girey and his grandson. Many noble Crimean and Nogai Murzas fell into the hands of the governors.
The day after the victory, the Russians continued to pursue the enemy and defeated the rearguards left by the khan on the Oka and numbering up to 5,000 horsemen. According to long-established tradition, the glory of the victory over the Tatars is entirely attributed to the chief governor, Prince Mikhail Vorotynsky. Kurbsky praised him, but in restrained terms: “The man is strong and courageous, very skilled in regimental arrangements.” The prince distinguished himself under the walls of Kazan, but he did not have any major independent victories. The appointment of Vorotynsky as commander-in-chief was connected primarily with local laws - the nobility of the governor. The real hero of the Battle of Molodi, it seems, was the young oprichnina governor, Prince Dmitry Khvorostinin, who formally held the post of second governor of the advanced regiment. His exceptional services in the wars with the Tatars were pointed out by an informed contemporary, Giles Fletcher. Two years before the Battle of Molodi, Khvorostinin inflicted a strong defeat on the Crimeans near Ryazan. But his military talent was fully revealed during the war with the Tatars in 1572. It was Khvorostinin who defeated the Tatar rearguards on July 28, and then took command of the “walk-city” during the decisive battle on August 2.
The Battle of Molodi in 1572 is one of the most significant events in the military history of the 16th century. Having defeated the Tatar horde in an open field, Rus' dealt a crushing blow to the military power of Crimea. The death of the selected Turkish army near Astrakhan in 1569 and the defeat of the Crimean Horde near Moscow in 1572 put a limit to Turkish-Tatar expansion in Eastern Europe.
The victory of the united zemstvo-oprichnina army over the Tatars was brilliant.

When creating this post, photos of the military-historical reconstruction were used. Festival “Battle of Molodinsk”