The conquest of western Siberia. Development of Siberia. Securing the Amur region by Erofei Khabarov

The process of incorporating vast territories of Siberia and Of the Far East it took several centuries to become part of the Russian state. The most significant events that determined the further fate of the region took place in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. In our article, we will briefly describe how the development of Siberia in the 17th century took place, but we will outline all the available facts. This era of geographical discoveries was marked by the founding of Tyumen and Yakutsk, as well as the discovery of the Bering Strait, Kamchatka, Chukotka, which significantly expanded the borders of the Russian state and consolidated its economic and strategic positions.

Stages of the development of Siberia by Russians

In Soviet and Russian historiography, it is accepted to divide the process of the development of northern lands and their inclusion in the state into five stages:

11-15th centuries.
Late 15-16th centuries
Late 16th - early 17th centuries
Mid-17th-18th centuries
19-20th centuries.

The goals of the development of Siberia and the Far East

The peculiarity of the annexation of the Siberian lands to the Russian state lies in the fact that the development was carried out in a spontaneous manner. The pioneers were peasants (they fled from the landowners to work quietly on free land in the southern part of Siberia), merchants and industrialists (they were looking for material benefits, for example, the local population could exchange fur, very valuable at that time, for mere trinkets worth a penny). Some went to Siberia in search of glory and made geographical discoveries in order to remain in the memory of the people.

The development of Siberia and the Far East in the 17th century, as in all subsequent ones, was carried out with the aim of expanding the territory of the state and increasing the population. The vacant lands beyond the Ural Mountains were attracted by their high economic potential: furs, valuable metals. Later, these territories really became the locomotive of the country's industrial development, and even now Siberia has sufficient potential and is a strategic region of Russia.

Features of the development of Siberian lands

The process of colonization of vacant lands beyond the Ural ridge included the gradual advance of the discoverers to the East to the very Pacific coast and consolidation on the Kamchatka Peninsula. In the folklore of the peoples inhabiting the northern and eastern lands, the word "Cossack" is most often used to designate Russians.

At the beginning of the development of Siberia by the Russians (16-17 centuries), the pioneers moved mainly along the rivers. On land they went only at the watershed. Upon arrival in a new area, the pioneers began peace negotiations with the local population, offering to join the king and pay yasak - a tax in kind, usually in furs. The negotiations did not always end successfully. Then the matter was decided by military means. On the lands of the local population, forts or simply winter quarters were set up. A part of the Cossacks remained there to maintain the submission of the tribes and collect yasak. Peasants, clergy, merchants and industrialists followed the Cossacks. The greatest resistance was offered by the Khanty and other large tribal unions, as well as the Siberian Khanate. In addition, there have been several conflicts with China.

Novgorod campaigns to the "iron gates"

In the eleventh century, the Novgorodians reached the Ural Mountains ("iron gates"), but were defeated by the Ugras. Ugra was then called the lands of the Northern Urals and the coast of the Arctic Ocean, where local tribes lived. From the middle of the thirteenth century, Ugra was already mastered by the Novgorodians, but this dependence was not strong. After the fall of Novgorod, the tasks of developing Siberia passed to Moscow.

Free land beyond the Ural ridge

Traditionally, the first stage (11-15 centuries) is not yet considered the conquest of Siberia. Officially, it was started by Yermak's campaign in 1580, but even then the Russians knew that beyond the Ural ridge there were vast territories that remained practically no-one after the collapse of the Horde. Local peoples were few in number and poorly developed, the only exception was the Siberian Khanate, founded by the Siberian Tatars. But wars were constantly raging in it and civil strife did not stop. This led to its weakening and to the fact that it soon became part of the Russian Kingdom.

The history of the development of Siberia in the 16-17 centuries

The first campaign was undertaken under Ivan III. Prior to that, internal political problems did not allow Russian rulers to turn their gaze to the east. Only Ivan IV took up the vacant land seriously, and even then in last years his reign. The Siberian Khanate formally became part of the Russian state back in 1555, but later Khan Kuchum declared his people free from tribute to the tsar.

The answer was given by sending Yermak's detachment there. Hundreds of Cossacks, led by five chieftains, captured the capital of the Tatars and founded several settlements. In 1586, the first Russian city, Tyumen, was founded in Siberia, in 1587 the Cossacks founded Tobolsk, in 1593 - Surgut, and in 1594 - Tara.

In short, the development of Siberia in the 16-17 centuries is associated with the following names:

Semyon Kurbsky and Peter Ushaty (a trip to the Nenets and Mansi lands in 1499-1500).
Cossack Ermak (campaign of 1851-1585, development of Tyumen and Tobolsk).
Vasily Sukin (was not a pioneer, but laid the foundation for the settlement of the Russian people in Siberia).
Cossack Pyanda (in 1623, the Cossack began a hike in wild places, discovered the Lena River, reached the place where Yakutsk was later founded).
Vasily Bugor (in 1630 he founded the city of Kirensk on the Lena).
Peter Beketov (founded Yakutsk, which became the base for the further development of Siberia in the 17th century).
Ivan Moskvitin (in 1632 he became the first European who, together with his detachment, went to the Sea of Okhotsk).
Ivan Stadukhin (discovered the Kolyma River, explored Chukotka and was the first to enter Kamchatka).
Semyon Dezhnev (participated in the discovery of the Kolyma, in 1648 completely passed the Bering Strait and discovered Alaska).
Vasily Poyarkov (made the first trip to the Amur).
Erofei Khabarov (assigned the Amur region to the Russian state).
Vladimir Atlasov (annexed Kamchatka in 1697).

Thus, in a nutshell, the development of Siberia in the 17th century was marked by the founding of the main Russian cities and the opening of ways, thanks to which the region later began to play a great national economic and defense significance.

Ermak's Siberian campaign (1581-1585)

The development of Siberia by the Cossacks in the 16-17 centuries was begun by Yermak's campaign against the Siberian Khanate. A detachment of 840 people was formed and equipped with everything necessary by the Stroganov merchants. The campaign took place without the knowledge of the king. The backbone of the detachment was made up of the atamans of the Volga Cossacks: Ermak Timofeevich, Matvey Meshcheryak, Nikita Pan, Ivan Koltso and Yakov Mikhailov.

In September 1581, the detachment climbed the tributaries of the Kama to the Tagil Pass. The Cossacks cleared their way manually, at times they even dragged ships on themselves, like barge haulers. At the pass, they erected an earthen fortification, where they remained until the ice melted in the spring. Along Tagil, the detachment sailed to Tura.

The first skirmish of the Cossacks with the Siberian Tatars took place in modern Sverdlovsk region... Ermak's detachment defeated the cavalry of Prince Yepanchi, and then occupied the town of Chingi-turu without a fight. In the spring and summer of 1852, the Cossacks, led by Ermak, fought several times with the Tatar princelings, and by the fall they occupied the then capital of the Siberian Khanate. A few days later, Tatars from all over the khanate began to bring gifts to the conquerors: fish and other food supplies, furs. Ermak allowed them to return to their villages and promised to protect them from enemies. He imposed tax on everyone who came to him.

At the end of 1582, Ermak sent his assistant Ivan Koltso to Moscow to inform the tsar of the defeat of Kuchum, the Siberian khan. Ivan IV generously endowed the envoy and sent him back. By order of the tsar, Prince Semyon Bolkhovskaya equipped another detachment, the Stroganovs allocated forty more volunteers from among their people. The detachment arrived at Yermak only in the winter of 1584.

Completion of the hike and foundation of Tyumen

Ermak at that time successfully conquered the Tatar towns along the Ob and Irtysh, without encountering fierce resistance. But ahead was a cold winter, which could not survive not only Semyon Bolkhovskaya, appointed governor of Siberia, but also most of the detachment. Temperatures dropped to -47 degrees Celsius and there was not enough supplies.

In the spring of 1585, the Murza of Karacha revolted, exterminating the detachments of Yakov Mikhailov and Ivan Koltso. Ermak was surrounded in the capital of the former Siberian Khanate, but one of the chieftains undertook a sortie and was able to drive off the attackers from the city. The detachment suffered significant losses. Less than half of those who were equipped by the Stroganovs in 1581 survived. Three out of five Cossack chieftains were killed.

In August 1985, Yermak died at the mouth of the Wagai. The Cossacks who remained in the Tatar capital decided to spend the winter in Siberia. In September, another hundred Cossacks under the command of Ivan Mansurov went to their aid, but the servicemen did not find anyone in Kishlyk. The next expedition (spring 1956) was much better prepared. Under the leadership of the voivode Vasily Sukin, the first Siberian city of Tyumen was founded.

Foundation of Chita, Yakutsk, Nerchinsk

The first significant event in the development of Siberia in the 17th century was the campaign of Peter Beketov along the Angara and the Lena tributaries. In 1627, he was sent as a governor to the Yenisei prison, and the next year - to pacify the Tungus who attacked the detachment of Maxim Perfiliev. In 1631, Pyotr Beketov became the head of a detachment of thirty Cossacks, who were to pass along the Lena River and gain a foothold on its banks. By the spring of 1631, he cut down the prison, which was later named Yakutsk. The city became one of the centers of the development of Eastern Siberia in the 17th century and later.

Ivan Moskvitin's hike (1639-1640)

Ivan Moskvitin took part in Kopylov's campaign in 1635-1638 to the Aldan River. The leader of the detachment later sent some of the soldiers (39 people) under the command of Moskvitin to the Sea of Okhotsk. In 1638, Ivan Moskvitin came to the shores of the sea, made trips to the Uda and Taui rivers, and received the first data about the Udsky region. As a result of his campaigns, the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk was explored for 1300 kilometers, and the Udskaya Bay, the Amur Estuary, Sakhalin Island, the Sakhalin Bay, and the Amur estuary were also discovered. In addition, Ivan Moskvitin brought good catch to Yakutsk - a lot of fur yasak.

Discovery of Kolyma and Chukotka expedition

The development of Siberia in the 17th century continued with the campaigns of Semyon Dezhnev. He ended up in the Yakutsk prison presumably in 1638, showed himself to pacify several Yakut princes, and together with Mikhail Stadukhin made a trip to Oymyakon to collect yasak.

In 1643, Semyon Dezhnev, as part of Mikhail Stadukhin's detachment, arrived in the Kolyma. The Cossacks founded the Kolyma winter hut, which later became a large prison, which they called Srednekolymsk. The town became a stronghold for the development of Siberia in the second half of the 17th century. In Kolyma, Dezhnev served until 1647, but when he set out on the return voyage, hard ice closed the way, so it was decided to stay in Srednekolymsk and wait for a more favorable time.

A significant event in the development of Siberia in the 17th century took place in the summer of 1648, when S. Dezhnev entered the Arctic Ocean and passed the Bering Strait eighty years before Vitus Bering. It is noteworthy that even Bering did not manage to pass the strait completely, limiting himself only to its southern part.

Securing the Amur region by Erofei Khabarov

The development of Eastern Siberia in the 17th century was continued by the Russian industrialist Erofei Khabarov. He made his first trip in 1625. Khabarov was engaged in the purchase of furs, discovered salt springs on the Kut River and contributed to the development of agriculture on these lands. In 1649 Erofey Khabarov went up the Lena and Amur to the town of Albazino. Returning to Yakutsk with a report and for help, he collected new expedition and continued his work. Khabarov treated hard not only the population of Manchuria and Dauria, but also his own Cossacks. For this he was transported to Moscow, where the trial began. The rioters, who refused to continue the campaign with Erofei Khabarov, were acquitted, he himself was deprived of his salary and rank. After Khabarov filed a petition to the Russian Emperor. The tsar did not restore the monetary allowance, but gave Khabarov the title of boyar's son and sent him to govern one of the volosts.

Kamchatka Explorer - Vladimir Atlasov

For Atlasov, Kamchatka has always been the main goal. Before the start of the expedition to Kamchatka in 1697, the Russians already knew about the existence of the peninsula, but its territory had not yet been explored. Atlasov was not a discoverer, but he was the first to pass almost the entire peninsula from west to east. Vladimir Vasilievich described his journey in detail and made a map. He managed to persuade most of the local tribes to go over to the side of the Russian Tsar. Later, Vladimir Atlasov was appointed a clerk for Kamchatka.

The conquest of Siberia is one of the most important processes in the formation of Russian statehood. The development of the eastern lands took over 400 years. Throughout this period, there were many battles, foreign expansions, conspiracies, intrigues.

The annexation of Siberia is still in the center of attention of historians and causes a lot of controversy, including among members of the public.

The conquest of Siberia by Yermak

The history of the conquest of Siberia begins with the famous This is one of the atamans of the Cossacks. There is no exact data on his birth and ancestors. However, the memory of his exploits has come down to us through the centuries. In 1580, the wealthy merchants Stroganovs invited the Cossacks to help them protect the property from constant raids from the Ugrians. The Cossacks settled in a small town and lived relatively peacefully. The bulk of them were in total there were a little more than eight hundred. In 1581, a campaign was organized with the money of merchants. Despite the historical significance (in fact, the campaign marked the beginning of the era of the conquest of Siberia), this campaign did not attract the attention of Moscow. In the Kremlin, the detachment was called simple "bandits".

In the fall of 1581, Ermak's group embarked on small ships and began to sail upward, to the very mountains. On landing, the Cossacks had to clear their way, chopping down trees. The coast was completely uninhabited. The constant rise and mountainous terrain created extremely difficult conditions for the passage. The ships (plows) were literally carried by hand, since it was not possible to install rollers due to the solid vegetation. With the approaching cold weather, the Cossacks set up a camp on the pass, where they spent the whole winter. After that, the rafting began.

Siberian Khanate

The conquest of Siberia by Yermak met the first resistance from the local Tatars. There, practically across the Ob River, the Siberian Khanate began. This small state was formed in the 15th century, after the defeat of the Golden Horde. It did not have significant power and consisted of several possessions of small princes.

Tatars, accustomed to a nomadic way of life, could not well equip cities or even villages. The main occupations were still hunting and raiding. The warriors were mostly equestrian. Scimitars or sabers were used as weapons. Most often they were locally made and broke quickly. There were also captured Russian swords and other equipment. High Quality... The tactics of rapid horse raids were used, during which the riders literally trampled the enemy, after which they retreated. The foot soldiers were mostly archers.

Equipment of the Cossacks

Ermak's Cossacks received modern weapons at that time. These were powder rifles and cannons. Most of the Tatars had never even seen such a thing before, and this was the main advantage of the Russians.

The first battle took place near modern Turinsk. Then the Tatars from an ambush began to shower the Cossacks with arrows. Then the local prince Yepanchi sent his cavalry to Ermak. The Cossacks opened fire on them from long guns and cannons, after which the Tatars fled. This local victory allowed Chingi-tur to be taken without a fight.

The first victory brought the Cossacks many different benefits. In addition to gold and silver, these lands were very rich in Siberian fur, which was highly valued in Russia. After other servicemen learned about the booty, the conquest of Siberia by the Cossacks attracted many new people.

Conquest of Western Siberia

After a series of quick and successful victories, Ermak began to move further east. In the spring, several Tatar princes united to repulse the Cossacks, but were quickly defeated and recognized Russian rule. In the middle of summer, the first major battle took place in the modern Yarkovsky district. Mametkul's cavalry launched an attack on the position of the Cossacks. They sought to quickly approach and crush the enemy, taking advantage of the rider's advantage in close combat. Ermak personally stood in the trench where the guns were located and began to fire on the Tatars. After several volleys, Mametkul fled with the entire army, which opened the passage to Karachi for the Cossacks.

Arrangement of occupied lands

The conquest of Siberia was characterized by significant non-combat losses... Difficult weather conditions and a harsh climate caused many diseases in the camp of the freight forwarders. In addition to the Russians, Ermak's detachment also included Germans and Lithuania (this was the name of the people from the Baltic states).

They were the most susceptible to disease and the hardest to endure acclimatization. However, in the hot Siberian summer, these difficulties did not exist, so the Cossacks advanced without problems, occupying more and more territories. The captured settlements were not plundered or burned. Usually, jewelry was taken from the local prince if he dared to send an army. Otherwise, he simply presented gifts. In addition to the Cossacks, settlers took part in the campaign. They walked behind the soldiers along with the clergy and representatives of the future administration. In the conquered cities, forts were built right there - wooden fortified forts. They were both a civil administration and a stronghold in the event of a siege.

The conquered tribes were taxed. Its payment was to be watched by the Russian governors in prison. If someone refused to pay tribute, the local squad would visit him. In times of great uprisings, the Cossacks came to the rescue.

The final defeat of the Siberian Khanate

The conquest of Siberia was facilitated by the fact that the local Tatars practically did not interact with each other. Various tribes waged war among themselves. Even within the Siberian Khanate, not all princes were in a hurry to help others. The Tartars put up the greatest resistance. To stop the Cossacks, he began to gather an army in advance. In addition to his squad, he invited mercenaries. These were Ostyaks and Voguls. I also met nobility among them. In early November, the khan led the Tatars to the mouth of the Tobol, intending to stop the Russians here. It is noteworthy that the majority of local residents did not provide any significant assistance to Kuchum.

The decisive battle

When the battle began, virtually all of the mercenaries fled from the battlefield. Poorly organized and trained Tatars could not resist the battle-hardened Cossacks for a long time and also retreated.

After this devastating and decisive victory, the road to Kishlyk opened before Yermak. After the capture of the capital, the detachment stopped in the city. A few days later, representatives of the Khanty began to arrive there with gifts. The ataman received them cordially and spoke kindly. After that, the Tatars began to voluntarily offer gifts in exchange for protection. Also, everyone who knelt was obliged to pay tribute.

Death at the height of fame

The conquest of Siberia was initially not supported from Moscow. However, rumors about the success of the Cossacks quickly spread throughout the country. In 1582, Ermak sent a delegation to the king. At the head of the embassy was the ataman's companion Ivan Koltso. Tsar Ivan IV received the Cossacks. They were presented with expensive gifts, including equipment from the royal forge. Ivan also ordered to assemble a squad of 500 people and send them to Siberia. The very next year Yermak subdued almost all the lands on the Irtysh coast.

The famous chieftain continued to conquer unexplored territories and subjugate more and more nationalities. There were uprisings that were quickly suppressed. But near the Vagai River, Ermak's detachment was attacked. Taking the Cossacks by surprise at night, the Tatars managed to kill almost everyone. The great leader and Cossack chieftain Ermak died.

Further conquest of Siberia: briefly

The exact burial place of the chieftain is unknown. After the death of Ermak, the conquest of Siberia continued with renewed vigor. Year after year, more and more territories were subordinated. If the initial campaign was not coordinated with the Kremlin and was of a chaotic nature, then subsequent actions became more centralized. The king personally took control of this issue. Well-equipped expeditions were sent out regularly. The city of Tyumen was built, which became the first Russian settlement in these parts. Since then, the systematic conquest continued with the use of the Cossacks. Year after year, they conquered new territories. In the cities taken, the Russian administration was established. Educated people were sent from the capital to do business.

In the middle of the 17th century, there is a wave of active colonization. Many cities and settlements are founded. Peasants arrive from other parts of Russia. The settlement is gaining momentum. In 1733, the famous Northern Expedition was organized. In addition to conquering, the task was also set to explore and discover new lands. The data obtained were then used by geographers from all over the world. The end of the annexation of Siberia can be considered the entry of the Uryakhan Territory into the Russian Empire.

The development of Siberia is one of the most significant pages in the history of our country. Huge territories that currently make up most of modern Russia, at the beginning of the XVI century were, in fact, a "blank spot" on geographic map... And the feat of Ataman Yermak, who conquered Siberia for Russia, became one of the most significant events in the formation of the state.

Ermak Timofeevich Alenin is one of the least studied personalities of this magnitude in Russian history... It is still not known for certain where and when the famous chieftain was born. According to one version, Ermak was from the banks of the Don, according to the other - from the vicinity of the Chusovaya River, according to the third - the place of his birth was the Arkhangelsk region. The date of birth also remains unknown - the historical chronicles indicate the period from 1530 to 1542.

It is almost impossible to recreate the biography of Yermak Timofeevich before the start of his Siberian campaign. It is not even known for certain whether the name Yermak is his own or is it still the nickname of the Cossack chieftain. However, from 1581-82, that is, directly from the beginning of the Siberian campaign, the chronology of events has been reconstructed in sufficient detail.

Siberian campaign

The Siberian Khanate, as part of the disintegrated Golden Horde, for a long time coexisted in peace with the Russian state. The Tatars paid an annual tribute to the Moscow princes, but with the coming to power of Khan Kuchum, payments stopped, and the Tatars began to attack Russian settlements in the Western Urals.

It is not known for certain who was the initiator of the Siberian campaign. According to one of the versions, Ivan the Terrible instructed the merchants Stroganovs to finance the performance of the Cossack detachment to the unexplored Siberian territories in order to stop the Tatar raids. According to another version of events, the Stroganovs themselves decided to hire the Cossacks to guard the property. However, there is another scenario: Yermak and his comrades plundered the Stroganov warehouses and invaded the territory of the khanate in order to make a living.

In 1581, having climbed on plows up the Chusovaya River, the Cossacks dragged the boats into the Zheravlya River in the Ob basin and settled there for the winter. The first skirmishes with the Tatar detachments took place here. As soon as the ice melted, that is, in the spring of 1582, a detachment of Cossacks reached the Tura River, where they again defeated the troops sent to meet them. Finally, Ermak reached the Irtysh River, where a detachment of Cossacks captured the main city of the khanate - Siberia (now Kashlyk). Remaining in the city, Yermak begins to receive delegations from indigenous peoples - Khanty, Tatars, with promises of peace. The ataman took the oath of all those who arrived, declaring them subjects of Ivan IV the Terrible, and obliged them to pay tribute - in favor of the Russian state.

The conquest of Siberia continued in the summer of 1583. Passing along the Irtysh and Ob rivers, Ermak captured the settlements - uluses - of the peoples of Siberia, forcing the inhabitants of the towns to take the oath of office to the Russian tsar. Until 1585, Ermak fought with the Cossacks with the troops of Khan Kuchum, unleashing numerous skirmishes along the banks of Siberian rivers.

After the capture of Siberia, Ermak sent an ambassador to Ivan the Terrible with a report on the successful annexation of the lands. In gratitude for the good news, the tsar presented not only the ambassador, but also all the Cossacks who participated in the campaign, and Yermak himself donated two chain mail of excellent work, one of which, according to the court chronicler, belonged to the previously famous governor Shuisky.

The death of Ermak

The date of August 6, 1585 in the annals is marked as the day of the death of Ermak Timofeevich. A small group of Cossacks - about 50 people - under the leadership of Yermak stopped for the night on the Irtysh, near the mouth of the Vagai River. Several detachments of the Siberian Khan Kuchum attacked the Cossacks, killing almost all of Yermak's associates, and the ataman himself, according to the chronicler, drowned in the Irtysh, trying to swim to the plows. According to the chronicler, Ermak drowned because of the tsar's gift - two chain mail, which, with their weight, dragged him to the bottom.

The official version of the death of the Cossack chieftain has a continuation, but these facts do not have any historical confirmation, and therefore are considered a legend. Folk legends say that a day later Yermak's body was fished out of the river by a Tatar fisherman, and reported about his find to Kuchum. All the Tatar nobility gathered with their own hands to make sure of the death of the ataman. The death of Yermak caused a great holiday that lasted for several days. The Tatars had fun, shooting at the body of the Cossack for a week, then, taking the donated chain mail, which caused his death, Ermak was buried. At the moment, historians and archaeologists consider several areas as the alleged burial places of the ataman, but there is still no official confirmation of the authenticity of the burial.

Ermak Timofeevich is not just a historical figure, he is one of the key figures in Russian folk art. Many legends and tales have been created about the deeds of the ataman, and in each of them Ermak is described as a man of exceptional courage and courage. At the same time, very little is known for certain about the personality and activities of the conqueror of Siberia, and such an obvious contradiction makes researchers again and again turn their attention to the national hero of Russia.

The answer left the guest

The annexation of Siberia is still in the center of attention of historians and causes a lot of controversy, including among members of the public.

The conquest of Siberia by Yermak
The history of the conquest of Siberia begins with the famous campaign of Yermak. This is one of the Cossack chieftains. There is no exact data on his birth and ancestors. However, the memory of his exploits has come down to us through the centuries. In 1580, the wealthy merchants Stroganovs invited the Cossacks to help them protect the property from constant raids from the Ugrians. The Cossacks settled in a small town and lived relatively peacefully. The main mass was made up of the Volga Cossacks. There were just over eight hundred of them. In 1581, a campaign was organized with the money of merchants. Despite the historical significance (in fact, the campaign marked the beginning of the era of the conquest of Siberia), this campaign did not attract the attention of Moscow. In the Kremlin, the detachment was called simple "bandits." In the fall of 1581, Yermak's group embarked on small ships and began to sail up the Chusovaya River, up to the mountains. On landing, the Cossacks had to clear their way, chopping down trees. The coast was completely uninhabited. The constant rise and mountainous terrain created extremely difficult conditions for the passage. The ships (plows) were literally carried by hand, since it was not possible to install rollers due to the solid vegetation. With the approaching cold weather, the Cossacks set up a camp on the pass, where they spent the whole winter. After that, rafting on the Tagil River began. The conquest of Western Siberia
After a series of quick and successful victories, Ermak began to move further east. In the spring, several Tatar princes united to repulse the Cossacks, but were quickly defeated and recognized Russian rule. In the middle of summer, the first major battle took place in the modern Yarkovsky district. Mametkul's cavalry launched an attack on the position of the Cossacks. They sought to quickly approach and crush the enemy, taking advantage of the rider's advantage in close combat. Ermak personally stood in the trench where the guns were located and began to fire on the Tatars. After several volleys, Mametkul fled with the entire army, which opened the passage to Karachi for the Cossacks.
The exact burial place of the chieftain is unknown. After the death of Ermak, the conquest of Siberia continued with renewed vigor. Year after year, more and more territories were subordinated. If the initial campaign was not coordinated with the Kremlin and was of a chaotic nature, then subsequent actions became more centralized. The king personally took control of this issue. Well-equipped expeditions were sent out regularly. The city of Tyumen was built, which became the first Russian settlement in these parts. Since then, the systematic conquest continued with the use of the Cossacks. Year after year, they conquered new territories. In the cities taken, the Russian administration was established. Educated people were sent from the capital to do business.

One of the most important stages in the formation of Russian statehood is the conquest of Siberia. The development of these lands took almost 400 years and many events happened during this time. Ermak became the first Russian conqueror of Siberia.

Ermak Timofeevich

The exact surname of this person has not been established, it is likely that it did not exist at all - Ermak was of an ordinary family. Ermak Timofeevich was born in 1532, in those days for naming common man often a patronymic or nickname was used. The exact origin of Ermak has not been clarified, but there is an assumption that he was a fugitive peasant, distinguished by his enormous physical strength. At first, Ermak was a chuck among the Volga Cossacks - a handyman and squire.

In battle, an intelligent and brave fellow quickly got himself weapons, took part in battles, thanks to his strength and organizational skills, after a few years he became the chieftain. In 1581 he commanded a flotilla of Cossacks from the Volga, there are suggestions that he fought near Pskov and Novgorod. He is rightfully considered the ancestor of the first marines, which was then called the "plow army". There are other historical versions about the origin of Yermak, but this one is the most popular among historians.

Some are of the opinion that Yermak was a noble family of Turkic blood, but there are many contradictory points in this version. One thing is clear - Ermak Timofeevich was popular among the military until his death, because the position of chieftain was selective. Today Ermak is a historical hero of Russia, whose main merit is the annexation of the Siberian lands to the Russian state.

The idea and goals of the trip

Back in 1579, the Stroganov merchants invited Perm Territory Ermak's Cossacks to protect lands from the raids of the Siberian Khan Kuchum. In the second half of 1581, Ermak formed a detachment of 540 soldiers. For a long time, the prevailing opinion was that the Stroganovs were the ideologists of the campaign, but now they are more inclined to believe that this is the idea of Yermak himself, and the merchants only financed this campaign. The goal was to find out what lands lie in the East, make friends with the local population and, if possible, defeat the khan and annex the lands under the hand of Tsar Ivan IV.

The great historian Karamzin called this detachment "a small gang of vagabonds." Historians have doubts that the campaign was organized with the approval of the central authorities. Most likely, such a decision became a consensus between the authorities, who wanted to get new lands, merchants who were concerned about safety from the raids of the Tatars, and the Cossacks, who dreamed of getting rich and showing their prowess on the campaign, only after the khan's capital fell. At first, the tsar was against this campaign, about which he wrote an angry letter to the Stroganovs demanding the return of Ermak to protect the Perm lands.

Riddles of the campaign: It is widely known that the Russians first entered Siberia in quite a long time ago. Most definitely, the Novgorodians walked along the White Sea to the Yugorsky Shar Strait and further beyond it, to the Kara Sea, back in the 9th century. The first chronicle evidence of such voyages dates back to 1032, which in Russian historiography is considered the beginning of the history of Siberia.

The core of the detachment was made up of Cossacks from the Don, headed by the glorious atamans: Koltso Ivan, Mikhailov Yakov, Pan Nikita, Meshcheryak Matvey. In addition to the Russians, the detachment included a number of Lithuanians, Germans and even Tatar soldiers. Cossacks are internationalists in modern terminology, nationality did not play a role for them. They accepted into their ranks everyone who was baptized into the Orthodox faith.

But the discipline in the army was strict - the chieftain demanded that all Orthodox holidays, posts, did not tolerate slackness and revelry. The army was accompanied by three priests and one defrocked monk. The future conquerors of Siberia embarked on eighty plow boats and set sail towards dangers and adventures.

Crossing the "Stone"

According to some reports, the detachment set out on 09/01/1581, but other historians insist that it was later. Cossacks moved along the Chusovaya River to the Ural Mountains. At the Tagil Pass, the soldiers themselves cut the road with an ax. In the Cossack custom, dragging ships along the ground on the passes, but here it was impossible due to a large number boulders that could not be removed from the path. Therefore, people had to carry plows up the slope. At the top of the pass, the Cossacks built Kokui-gorod and overwintered there. In the spring they rafted down the Tagil River.

Defeat of the Siberian Khanate

The "acquaintance" of the Cossacks and local Tatars happened on the territory of the present-day Sverdlovsk region. The Cossacks were fired at from their opponents with bows, but they repulsed the impending attack of the Tatar cavalry with cannons, and occupied the city of Chingi-turu in the present Tyumen region. In these places, the conquerors obtained jewelry and furs, along the way taking part in many battles.

05.1582, at the mouth of the Tura, the Cossacks fought a battle with the troops of six Tatar princes.
07.1585 - Battle of Tobol.
July 21 - the battle at the Babasan yurts, where Ermak with his cannon volleys stopped a horse army of several thousand horsemen galloping at him.
At the Long Yar, the Tatars again fired at the Cossacks.
August 14 - the battle at Karachin-town, where the Cossacks seized the rich treasury of the Murza of Karachi.
On November 4, Kuchum, with an army of fifteen thousand, organized an ambush near the Chuvash cape, with him were mercenary squads of the Voguls and Ostyaks. At the most crucial moment, it turned out that Kuchum's best detachments went on a raid on the city of Perm. The mercenaries fled during the battle, and Kuchum was forced to retreat to the steppe.
11.1582 Yermak occupied the capital of the khanate - the city of Kashlyk.

Historians suggest that Kuchum was of Uzbek origin. It is known for certain that he established power in Siberia by extremely brutal methods. It is not surprising that after his defeat the local peoples (Khanty) brought gifts and fish to Yermak. As the documents say, Yermak Timofeevich greeted them with "affection and greetings" and saw them off "with honor." Having heard about the kindness of the Russian chieftain, Tatars and other nationalities began to come to him with gifts.

Riddles of the campaign: Ermak's campaign was not the first military campaign to Siberia. The earliest information about the Russian military campaign in Siberia dates back to 1384, when the Novgorod detachment marched to the Pechora, and then, on a northern campaign through the Urals, to the Ob.

Ermak promised to protect everyone from Kuchum and other enemies by imposing yasak on them - an obligatory tribute. From the leaders, the ataman took an oath of tax from their peoples - this was then called "wool". After the oath, these peoples were automatically considered subjects of the king and were not subjected to any persecution. At the end of 1582, some of Yermak's soldiers were ambushed on the lake, they were completely exterminated. On February 23, 1583, the Cossacks responded to the khan by capturing his main commander.

Embassy to Moscow

Ermak in 1582 sent ambassadors to the tsar, headed by a confidant (I. Koltso). The ambassador's goal was to tell the sovereign about the complete defeat of the khan. Ivan the Terrible graciously gave the messengers, among the gifts were two expensive chain mail for the chieftain. After the Cossacks, Prince Bolkhovsky was sent with a retinue of three hundred soldiers. The Stroganovs were ordered to select forty of the best people and join them to the squad - this procedure was delayed. The detachment reached Kashlyk in November 1584, the Cossacks did not know about such a replenishment in advance, so the necessary provisions were not prepared for the winter.

Conquest of the Voguls

In 1583 Yermak conquered Tatar villages in the Ob and Irtysh basins. The Tatars fiercely resisted. Along the Tavda River, the Cossacks went to the land of the Vogulians, extending the tsar's power to the Sosva River. In the conquered town of Nazim, already in 1584, a mutiny took place, in which all the Cossacks of the ataman N. Pan were massacred. In addition to the unconditional talent of a commander and strategist, Ermak acts as a subtle psychologist who is well versed in people. Despite all the difficulties and difficulties of the campaign, not one of the atamans wavered, did not change his oath, until his last breath he was a faithful companion and friend of Ermak.

The chronicles did not preserve the details of this battle. But, taking into account the conditions and method of war used by the Siberian peoples, apparently, the Voguls built a fortification, which the Cossacks were forced to storm. It is known from the Remezov Chronicle that after this battle, 1060 people remained at Yermak. It turns out that the loss of the Cossacks amounted to about 600 people.

Takmak and Ermak in winter

Hungry winter

The winter period 1584-1585 turned out to be extremely cold, the frost was about minus 47 ° C, the winds constantly blew from the north. It was impossible to hunt in the forest because of the deepest snow; wolves circled in huge flocks near human dwellings. All the archers of Bolkhovsky, the first governor of Siberia from the famous princely family, died of hunger along with him. They did not have time to take part in the battles with the khan. The number of Cossacks ataman Yermak also greatly decreased. During this period, Ermak tried not to meet with the Tatars - he was a coast of weakened fighters.

Riddles of the campaign: Who needs land? Until now, none of the Russian historians have given a clear answer to a simple question: why did Ermak begin this campaign to the east, to the Siberian Khanate.

The uprising of Murza Karach

In the spring of 1585, one of the leaders who submitted to Ermak on the Tura River suddenly attacked the Cossacks I. Koltso and J. Mikhailov. Almost all the Cossacks died, and the rebels in their former capital blocked Russian army... 06/12/1585 Meshcheryak and his comrades made a daring sortie and threw back the army of the Tatars, but the losses of the Russians were enormous. At this moment, only 50% of those who went on a hike with him survived for Ermak. Of the five atamans, only two were alive - Ermak and Meshcheryak.

The death of Ermak and the end of the campaign

On the night of 08/03/1585, ataman Ermak was killed with fifty soldiers on the Vagay river. The Tatars attacked the sleeping camp, in this skirmish only a few soldiers survived, who brought terrible news to Kashlyk. Eyewitnesses to the death of Yermak claim that he was wounded in the neck, but continued to fight.

During the battle, the chieftain had to jump from one boat to another, but he was bleeding, and the royal chain mail was heavy - Ermak did not jump. It was impossible even for such a strong man to swim out in heavy armor - the wounded man drowned. Legend has it that a local fisherman found the body and delivered it to the khan. For a month the Tatars shot arrows at the body of the defeated enemy, during this time no signs of decomposition were noticed. Surprised Tatars buried Ermak in a place of honor (in modern times it is the village of Baishevo), but behind the fence of the cemetery - he was not a Muslim.

After receiving the news of the death of the leader, the Cossacks gathered for a gathering, where it was decided to return to their native lands - it was like death to spend the winter in these places again. Under the leadership of Ataman M. Meshcheryak, on August 15, 1585, the remnants of the detachment moved in an organized way along the Ob to the west, home. The Tatars celebrated the victory, they did not yet know that the Russians would return in a year.

The results of the hike

Ermak Timofeevich's expedition established Russian power for two years. As often happened with pioneers, they paid with their lives for the conquest of new lands. The forces were unequal - several hundred pioneers against tens of thousands of opponents. But the death of Ermak and his soldiers did not end - other conquerors followed, and soon all of Siberia was a vassal of Moscow.

The conquest of Siberia often took place with little blood, and the personality of Ataman Yermak was overgrown with numerous legends. The people composed songs about the brave hero, historians and writers wrote books, artists painted pictures, and directors made films. Yermak's military strategies and tactics were adopted by other commanders. The formation of the army, invented by the gallant ataman, was used hundreds of years later by another great commander - Alexander Suvorov.

His persistence in advancing through the territory of the Siberian Khanate is very, very reminiscent of the persistence of the doomed. Ermak simply walked along the rivers of an unfamiliar land, counting on chance and military luck. Logically, the Cossacks had to lay down their heads on the campaign. But Yermak was lucky, he captured the capital of the khanate and went down in history as a winner.

The Conquest of Siberia by Yermak painting by Surikov

Three hundred years after the events described, Russian artist Vasily Surikov painted a painting. This is a truly monumental picture of the battle genre. The talented artist managed to convey how great the feat of the Cossacks and their chieftain was. Surikov's painting depicts one of the battles of a small detachment of Cossacks with a huge army of the Khan.

The artist managed to describe everything in such a way that the viewer can understand the outcome of the battle, although the battle has just begun. Christian banners with the image of the Savior Not Made by Hands fly over the heads of the Russians. The battle is headed by Yermak himself - he is at the head of his army and at first glance it is striking that the Russian commander of remarkable strength and great courage. Enemies are presented as a practically faceless mass, the strength of which is undermined by fear of the alien Cossacks. Ermak Timofeevich is calm and confident, with the eternal gesture of the commander, he directs his soldiers forward.

The air is filled with gunpowder, it seems that shots are heard, flying arrows whistle. In the background there is a hand-to-hand fight, and in the central part of the army they raised an icon, asking for help from higher forces. In the distance you can see the Khan's fortress-stronghold - a little more and the resistance of the Tatars will be broken. The atmosphere of the painting is imbued with a sense of imminent victory - this became possible thanks to the great skill of the artist.

The information that has come down to us about the life of the ancient Russian princes is scattered and incomplete. However, historians know a lot about Prince Igor, and all due to his active foreign policy activities. Prince Igor in the Tale of Bygone Years Igor's hikes on ...