Ataman Ermak was a contemporary. The legendary Ermak Timofeevich

Ermak is an act that in its scale can only be compared with the conquest of America by Hernan Cortez. However, if about the famous Spanish conquistador While you can find a lot of biographical information, only a few facts are known for certain about the life of the Russian ataman, and even those are quite contradictory.

Where was Ermak born?

As you know, the conquest of Siberia took place in the 16th century. Unfortunately, in those days, such an event as the birth of a child in a peasant family usually did not find any documentary reflection. Therefore, it is not surprising that today it is impossible to give an exact answer to the question: “Where did Ermak’s family live at the time of his birth?” Some information on this issue is in the Cherepanov Chronicle, which tells how the grandfather of the future ataman helped the Murom “dashing people”, for which he was imprisoned, and his family settled in the estates of the Stroganovs. However, many researchers are not inclined to trust this manuscript, especially since its authors include a certain competent coachman from Tobolsk, Ilya Cherepanov. Another document - “The Legend of the Siberian Land” - points to Suzdal as the place where Ermak’s family lived long before his birth. Further in the chronicle it is narrated that his grandfather, together with his sons, one of whom was named Timofey, moved to Yuryevtse-Povolsky, where he had five grandchildren, including Vasily. As stated in the “Tale,” it was this boy who was later to become the conqueror of Siberia.

Pomeranian version of the origin of the chieftain

Some researchers believe that the question of where Ermak’s family lived should be answered: “In the village of Borok, Arkhangelsk region.” According to the same version, the chieftain’s real name was Ermolai, or Ermil, and he ended up on the Volga, trying to escape the famine that had gripped the Russian North. There the young man became a “chury” (servant-squire) to an elderly Cossack, and from 1563 he began to go on campaigns.

Life of Ermak before the Siberian campaigns

The only reliable information regarding the biography of the ataman before his appearance on the lands of the Stroganovs is the memoirs of his fellow Cossacks. In particular, two veterans claimed to have spent their youth serving in the Volga villages under the conqueror of Siberia. Thus, to the question of where Ermak lived around 1565, we can answer that he was in the Volga region and was already an ataman. This means that at that time he was no less than 20 years old. More information preserved about the military exploits of Ermak. Thus, from a letter from the Lithuanian commandant of the city of Mogilev to King Stefan Batory, you can find out that he participated as a Cossack centurion and distinguished himself during the siege of the Mogilev fortress. Later, his detachment helped Khvorostinin stop the advance of the Swedes. As for whether Ermak’s wife and children existed, there is no mention of them in any source.

Ermak and the Stroganovs

In 1582, the famous merchants Stroganov invited a Cossack squad consisting of 540 Cossacks to serve. Their leader was Ataman Ermak, who was already famous as a fearless warrior and an excellent commander. The Stroganovs' goal was to ensure the protection of their lands from frequent attacks by troops of the Siberian Khan Kuchum. The army arrived in the Chusovsky towns in the summer of 1582 and remained there until September, after which it went to fight for the Stone Belt, as it was called in those days. There are records that the Stroganovs “opened their barns for the military men” and supplied them with everything necessary for the campaign.

Conquest of Siberia

Ermak's army used plows as a means of transportation. In total, the Cossacks had 80 ships, on which 840 people of different nationalities went on a campaign. Having risen through the water to the Tagil Pass, Ermak’s squad was forced to drag the plows along the ground to the Zheravlya River and then get to Tobol, on the banks of which a battle took place with the army of the Siberian Khan Kuchum. Having won the battle, the Cossacks captured the city of Kashlyk. Then representatives of local peoples began to come to bow to Ermak, whom the ataman “met kindly” and forced to swear allegiance. In 1582, he sent one of his comrades with the good news about the conquest of Siberia. The king was delighted with the news received and sent Ermak rich gifts and 300 military men to help. The detachment arrived in Siberia in the fall of 1583. However, by this time fortune had turned away from the ataman, many of his commanders were killed in battles with the Tatars.

Where Ermak drowned: what the Cossacks said

At the time of his death, the famous ataman was already a fairly well-known person, therefore, several years after the last battle of the Cossacks with the army of Kuchum, on the orders of the Tobolsk Archbishop Kipriyan, an investigation was carried out and the surviving comrades of Ermak were interrogated. In addition, the Tatars who fought as part of the Khan’s army also gave testimony.

If we combine all the facts presented by eyewitnesses, the following picture emerges: last Stand took place on the Vagai bow, where the Cossacks spent the night. They set up “canopy” tents on the banks of the Irtysh, not far from their plows, on which each warrior had his own specific place and your pilot. That night a storm broke out, and therefore Kuchum’s detachment managed to take them by surprise. Despite this, most of the Cossacks managed to get on their ships and sail away. Further, contradictions begin in written sources. In particular, in an earlier document, recorded from the words of the surviving veterans of Ermak’s army, it is indicated that they reproach themselves because they abandoned the ataman and a small handful of comrades, and they themselves left the scene of the battle on the plows. Completely different information is contained in the synodial record, which the deacons compiled later, and there you can read that all the Cossacks died along with Ermak, and only one of them escaped and spoke about the defeat of the detachment.

The death of Ermak according to the Tatars

The most interesting thing is that information about the death of the ataman in the waves of the Irtysh near the Vagai bow is found only in records made from the words of the Tatars. In particular, many former warriors they claimed that Ermak nevertheless overpowered the attackers and, trying to get to the sailing Cossack ships, went to the bottom. However, there are no records indicating whether the chieftain was wearing armor at that moment.

Legends about the conqueror of Siberia

Both the life and death of the great ataman over the past centuries have become overgrown with many myths. For example, one of the legends mentions Ermak’s failed wife. As stated in the Cossack legend, one day the Tatar Murza of the Sargach volost, wanting to secure Ermak’s friendship, brought his beautiful daughter to his camp and offered to take her as his wife. However, the chieftain rejected this proposal and sent the girl home. In addition, everyone knows the story about the chain mail, allegedly given to Ermak by Ivan the Terrible and causing the death of the hero. As some historians claim, even if the ataman ended up at the bottom of the Irtysh because of heavy armor, it could not possibly have been a gift from the tsar.

History is a book that will never be completely written. Moreover, it has many blank pages that meticulous researchers can fill in. Perhaps they will someday be able to find out where Ermak’s family lived, or they will be able to tell us some more interesting facts concerning the personality of this national hero of Russia, who conquered the vast expanses of Siberia for his homeland.

- the legendary Cossack ataman, who laid the foundation for the development of the vast Siberian lands by the Russians, is one of the most famous figures in the history of Russia. Unfortunately, there is no reliable information about the date and place of birth of the glorious ataman Ermak Timofeevich. According to folk legends he came from a village located on the Northern Dvina. His full name was Ermolai, shortened - Ermak. And he was born somewhere in the 30-40s of the sixteenth century. It is not known why Ermak left northern village and ended up in the Volga expanses. Here he spent at least a quarter of a century, headed the Cossack village and, together with the Cossacks and other atamans, raided Nogai camps. In these raids, Ermak was distinguished by his enormous bravery, bravery and ingenuity, and over time he became a famous Cossack chieftain. IN Livonian War in 1581 he commanded a Cossack hundred.

After the truce with the Poles and Lithuanians, Ermak and her squad moved to Yaik, where they united with a detachment of Cossacks under the command of Ivan Koltso. According to some sources, soon he received an offer from the Ural merchants the Stroganovs to enter their service in order to protect their possessions from attacks by the Siberian Tatars. During the period from 1572 to 1582, the Tatars carried out at least five major invasions, in which Russian settlements located along the Chusovaya, Kama, and Sylve rivers were subjected to robbery, murder and violence. Repeatedly they besieged small towns and forts, as well as the main fortress of the Perm region - the city of Cherdyn.

The Stroganovs provided Ermak with gunpowder, lead and food, and in September 1582 the Cossack flotilla, which consisted mostly of light ships, moved along the Chusovaya and Serebryanka rivers. Having overcome a distance of three hundred kilometers, moving against the current, the Cossacks reached the Tagil passes. They carried the cargo and ships across the pass in their arms, and then along the riverbeds that originated at the passes they reached Tagil and further to the Irtysh, covering another 1,200 kilometers. Now the fast Siberian rivers themselves carried light Cossack ships. Along the way, the Cossacks had to engage in battle with the Tatars and local tribes; an important dignitary of the Karachi Khanate was defeated at the mouth of the Tobol.

The Siberian Khan Kuchum began to urgently gather an army from the Tatars and Mansi for the battle with the Cossacks; the army was commanded by Kuchum’s nephew, the best commander Mametkul. According to some sources, Ermak’s detachment numbered 540 Cossacks, while at the same time the army of Khan Kuchum was several times larger than them. However oh, the Cossacks were much better armed. On October 26, 1582, a battle took place near Chuvyshev Cape, as a result of which the leader of the Tatar army, Mametkul, was wounded, and Khan Kuchum and his people fled. Ermak and the Cossacks entered Siberia (Kashlyk or Isker) - the capital of the Kuchumov Khanate. Ermak divided the captured booty equally among the Cossacks. However, the khan did not want to give up, and five weeks later the selected Siberian Horde led by Aley came out against Ermak. December 5, 1582 at the Battle of Lake Abalak, thanks to experience and talent outstanding commander, Ermak’s Cossacks completely defeated the enemy forces, which were several times superior.

Despite the victories, Ermak and his comrades understood that without help from Russia in the form of food, weapons and people, they would not be able to hold Siberia. At the Cossack circle they made a decision that had the greatest historical significance, on the annexation of Siberia to the Russian state. Ermak sent an ambassador to the Tsar, he was Ataman Ivan Ring. Messengers were also sent to the merchants Stroganov. Having learned about the capture of Siberia, Ivan the Terrible richly rewarded the Cossacks and in the fall of 1583 sent Prince Volkhovsky to Ermak as the Siberian governor and with him another 300 archers. The Cossacks were looking forward to the archers, who were supposed to deliver food supplies. However, almost all the supplies were used up on the way and with the onset of winter came starvation. The archers and almost half of the Cossack detachment died from hunger. Ermak died on the night of August 6, 1585, when he and a hundred Cossacks sailed along the Irtysh. The sleeping Cossacks were attacked by the Tatars of Kuchum. According to legend, Ermak was seriously wounded and tried to swim to the plows, but drowned in the Irtysh due to his heavy chain mail. The Cossacks had to briefly cede Siberia to Kuchum, who returned here a year later with the tsarist troops. They took the most important and difficult step in the development of Siberia.

09.05.2015 0 10399

How difficult is it to distinguish a real story from a skillfully told legend? Especially when they both touch absolutely real person. ABOUT Ermak Timofeevich, a Cossack chieftain who lived in the mid-late 16th century, legends were composed by both friends and enemies.

A great warrior and conqueror of Siberia, who fought and died for the glory of his country. There are disputes about his name, the number of troops under his command and the circumstances of his death... But his feat is beyond doubt.

Famine and siege

Siberia, Tatar city of Kashlyk (Isker), 1585. The winter was long and monstrously cold, even by Siberian standards. There was so much snow that it was difficult to walk a few steps, let alone hunt. Both night and day, a dank icy wind blew incessantly.

Previously, due to the incessant autumn fighting, the Cossacks were unable to collect enough supplies. Ermak’s army was not used to grumbling, but there was a catastrophic shortage of food, and there were no more than two hundred people left...

Spring did not bring relief: the Tatars came again, encircling the city. The siege threatened to last for many months, dooming the Cossacks to starvation. But Ermak remained Ermak - as always, wise and cool-headed.

Having waited until June and lulled the vigilance of the Tatars, he sent his closest associate, Matvey Meshcheryak, on a night sortie. Matvey, together with two dozen soldiers, made their way to the camp of Karachi, the Tatar commander, and carried out a massacre.

Karachi escaped with difficulty, but both of his sons died, and the Cossacks disappeared into the night as unexpectedly as they had come.

The siege was lifted, but the issue of provisions remained as acute as in winter. How to feed an army when the Tatars can attack at any moment?

And then in August the long-awaited good news came - a rich trade caravan with supplies for the Cossacks was approaching Kashlyk. We just need to protect him from the enemy...

What's in my name?

It is not known for certain in what year Ermak was born. The dates are given differently: 1532, 1534, 1537 and even 1543. Rumors about the place of his birth also vary - either this is the village of Borok on the Northern Dvina, or an unknown village on the Chusovaya River, or the Kachalinskaya village on the Don. This is understandable, almost every Cossack clan wanted to boast that it was they who gave birth to the legendary chieftain!

Even Ermak’s name is in question. Some historians claim that Ermak is an abbreviation of the Russian name Ermolai, others call him Ermil, and others derive the name from Herman and Eremey. Or maybe Ermak is just a nickname? And in fact, the ataman’s name was Vasily Timofeevich Alenin. It is unknown where the surname came from - in those days they were not in use among the Cossacks.

By the way, about the Cossacks: the word “armak” for them meant “big”, like a common cauldron for meals. Doesn't remind you of anything? And of course, we must not forget about Ermak’s enemies, who, despite all their hatred towards him, respected him immensely. Irmak in Mongolian means “rapidly gushing spring”, practically a geyser. In Tatar, yarmak means “to chop, to dissect.” In Iranian, ermek means “husband, warrior.”

And this is not the whole list! Imagine how many copies historians have broken, arguing among themselves and trying to unearth Ermak’s real name or at least his origin. Alas, the Cossacks rarely kept chronicles, and when information is disseminated orally, something is lost, something is invented, something changes beyond recognition. Something like this true story and falls into dozens of myths. The only thing that cannot be denied is that Ermak’s name turned out to be very successful.

Free Cossack

In the first decades mature life, somewhere before 1570, Ermak Timofeevich was by no means an angel. He was a typical Cossack ataman, walking along the free Volga with his squad and attacking Russian merchant caravans and Tatar and Kazakh detachments. The most common opinion is that Ermak, in his youth, entered the service of the then famous Ural merchants Stroganov, guarding goods on the Volga and Don. And then he “went from work to robbery,” gathered himself a small army and went over to the freemen.

However, the controversial period in Ermak’s life lasted relatively short. Already in 1571, he helped the squad repel the attack of the Crimean Khan Devlet-Girey under the walls of Moscow, and in 1581 he valiantly fought in the Livonian War under the command of governor Dmitry Khvorostinin, commanding a Cossack hundred. And already in 1582, the same Stroganovs remembered the brave chieftain.

Forgetting about all Ermak’s sins, they extremely respectfully asked him to protect the merchant interests of Rus' in Siberia. In those years, the Siberian Khanate was ruled by the cruel and dishonest Khan Kuchum, who overthrew Khan Ediger, who maintained more or less good relations with the Russian kingdom. Kuchum spoke about peace, but in reality he constantly attacked merchant caravans and moved his army to the Perm region.

Ermak agreed with the merchants not only for the sake of a rich reward. The Tatar Khan was a devout Muslim and spread Islam throughout Siberia and wherever he could reach it. For the Orthodox Cossack chieftain, it was a matter of honor to challenge Kuchum and win. Having gathered a relatively small squad - about 600 people - Ermak Timofeevich set out on a great campaign to Siberia.

Thunderstorm of the Siberian Khanate

To describe all the military exploits of Ermak, one article will not be enough. Moreover, as in the case of his place of birth or name, many of them are distorted by retelling, others are downplayed or embellished, there are two or three versions for almost every event. In fact, the incredible happened - six hundred Cossack warriors passed through the huge Siberian Khanate, over and over again defeating the Tatar army twenty times superior to them.

Kuchum's warriors were fast, but the Cossacks learned to be faster. When they were surrounded, they left along the rivers in small mobile boats - plows. They took cities by storm and founded their own fortifications, which then also turned into cities.

In each battle, Ermak used new tactics, confidently beat the enemy, and the Cossacks were ready to follow him through thick and thin. The conquest of Siberia took four years. Ermak broke the resistance of the Tatars and negotiated peace with the local khans and kings, bringing them to the citizenship of the Russian kingdom. But luck could not accompany the ataman forever...

The rumor about a merchant caravan carrying supplies for the starving Cossack army turned out to be a trap. Ermak, together with the rest of his squad, moved out of Kashlyk up the Irtysh River and was ambushed by Kuchum. The Cossacks were attacked under cover of darkness, and although they fought back like mad, there were too many Tatars. Out of 200, no more than 20 people survived. Ermak was the last to retreat to the plows, covering his comrades, and died by falling into the river waves.

Legendary man

Legend has it that the body of the great chieftain, caught from the river by his enemies, lay in the air for a month without beginning to decompose. Ermak was buried with military honors in the cemetery of the village of Baishevo, but behind a fence, since he was not a Muslim. The Tatars respected the fallen enemy so much that his weapons and armor were considered magical for a long time. For one of the chain mails, for example, they gave seven families of slaves, 50 camels, 500 horses, 200 bulls and cows, 1000 sheep...

Ermak lost that fight, but his cause did not die with him. The Siberian Khanate did not recover from the blow inflicted on it by the Cossack army. The conquest of Western Siberia continued, Khan Kuchum died ten years later, and his descendants were unable to provide worthy resistance. Towns and cities were founded throughout Siberia; previously warring local tribes were forced to accept citizenship of the Russian kingdom.

Tales about Ermak were written both during his life and after his death. No, no, and there was a descendant of a descendant of another descendant who knew for certain a certain Cossack from the squad of the great ataman and was ready to tell the whole truth. In my own way, of course. And there are dozens and hundreds of such examples. But is it so important in this case to distinguish reality from fiction? Ermak Timofeevich himself would probably have had a lot of fun listening to stories about himself.

Sergey EVTUSHENKO

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

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 a patronymic or nickname was often used. The exact origin of Ermak is not clear, but there is an assumption that he was a runaway peasant, distinguished by enormous physical strength. At first, Ermak was a chur among the Volga Cossacks - a laborer and squire.

In battle, the smart and brave young man quickly obtained weapons for himself, participated in battles, and thanks to his strength and organizational skills, a few years later he became an ataman. 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 founder of the first Marine Corps, which was then called the “plow army”. There are other historical versions about the origin of Ermak, but this one is the most popular among historians.

Some are of the opinion that Ermak was of 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 ataman was selective. Today Ermak is a historical hero of Russia, whose main merit is the annexation of Siberian lands to the Russian state.

Idea and goals of the trip

Back in 1579, the Stroganov merchants invited Perm region Cossacks Ermak to protect the 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 was the idea of Ermak 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 doubt that the campaign was organized with the approval of the central authorities. Most likely, this decision became a consensus between the authorities who wanted to acquire new lands, merchants who were concerned about safety from Tatar raids, and the Cossacks who dreamed of getting rich and showing off their prowess on the campaign only after the khan’s capital had fallen. At first, the tsar was against this campaign, about which he wrote an angry letter to the Stroganovs demanding the return of Ermak to guard the Perm lands.

Riddles of the hike: It is widely known that the Russians first penetrated into Siberia in quite ancient times. Most definitely, the Novgorodians walked along White Sea to the Yugorsky Shar Strait and further beyond it, into 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, led by 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 discipline in the army was strict - the ataman demanded that everyone comply Orthodox holidays, posts, did not tolerate laxity and revelry. The army was accompanied by three priests and one defrocked monk. The future conquerors of Siberia boarded eighty plow boats and set sail to meet dangers and adventures.

Crossing the "Stone"

According to some sources, the detachment set out on September 1, 1581, but other historians insist that it was later. The Cossacks moved along the Chusovaya River until Ural mountains. At the Tagil Pass, the fighters themselves cut the road with an ax. It is a Cossack custom to drag ships along the ground at passes, but here this was impossible due to large number boulders that could not be moved out of the way. Therefore, people had to carry plows up the slope. At the top of the pass, the Cossacks built Kokuy-gorod and spent the winter there. In the spring they rafted down the Tagil River.

Defeat of the Siberian Khanate

The “acquaintance” of Cossacks and local Tatars took place on the territory of what is now the Sverdlovsk region. The Cossacks were fired upon by their opponents, but repelled the impending attack of the Tatar cavalry with cannons and occupied the city of Chingi-tura in the present Tyumen region. In these places, the conquerors obtained jewelry and furs, and along the way took part in many battles.

On 05.1582, at the mouth of the Tura, the Cossacks fought with the troops of six Tatar princes.
07.1585 - Battle of Tobol.
July 21 - the battle of the Babasan yurts, where Ermak stopped a cavalry army of several thousand horsemen galloping towards him with volleys of his cannon.
At Long Yar, the Tatars again fired at the Cossacks.
August 14 - the battle of Karachin town, where the Cossacks captured 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 Voguls and Ostyaks. At the most crucial moment, it turned out that Kuchum’s best troops 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 Ermak occupied the capital of the Khanate - the city of Kashlyk.

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

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

Ermak promised to protect everyone from Kuchum and other enemies, imposing yasak on them - a mandatory tribute. The ataman took an oath from the leaders about taxes from their peoples - this was then called “wool”. After the oath, these nationalities were automatically considered subjects of the king and were not subject to any persecution. At the end of 1582, some of Ermak’s soldiers were ambushed on the lake and were completely exterminated. On February 23, 1583, the Cossacks responded to the khan, capturing his chief military leader.

Embassy in Moscow

Ermak in 1582 sent ambassadors to the king, 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 mercifully gave gifts to the messengers; among the gifts were two expensive chain mail for the chieftain. Following the Cossacks, Prince Bolkhovsky was sent with a squad of three hundred soldiers. The Stroganovs were ordered to choose forty the best people and join them to the squad - this procedure took a long time. The detachment reached Kashlyk in November 1584; the Cossacks did not know in advance about such a replenishment, so the necessary provisions were not prepared for the winter.

Conquest of the Voguls

In 1583, Ermak conquered Tatar villages in the Ob and Irtysh basins. The Tatars offered fierce resistance. Along the Tavda River, the Cossacks went to the land of the Vogulichs, extending the king’s power to the Sosva River. In the conquered town of Nazim, already in 1584, there was a rebellion in which all the Cossacks of Ataman N. Pan were slaughtered. In addition to the unconditional talent of a commander and strategist, Ermak acts as a subtle psychologist with an excellent understanding of people. Despite all the difficulties and difficulties of the campaign, not one of the atamans wavered, did not change their oath, and until their last breath they were Ermak’s faithful comrade-in-arms and friend.

The chronicles do not preserve the details of this battle. But, given the conditions and method of war used by the Siberian peoples, apparently, the Voguls built a fortification, which the Cossacks were forced to storm. From the Remezov Chronicle it is known that after this battle Ermak had 1060 people left. It turns out that the losses of the Cossacks amounted to about 600 people.

Takmak and Ermak in winter

Hungry winter

The winter period of 1584-1585 turned out to be extremely cold, the frost was about minus 47°C, and winds constantly blew from the north. It was impossible to hunt in the forest because of the deep snow; wolves circled in huge packs 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 of Ataman Ermak also decreased greatly. During this period, Ermak tried not to meet with the Tatars - he took care of the weakened fighters.

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

Revolt of the Murza of 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 Y. Mikhailov. Almost all the Cossacks died, and the rebels blocked their former capital Russian army. 06/12/1585 Meshcheryak and his comrades made a bold foray and drove back the Tatar army, but the Russian losses were enormous. At this point, Ermak only had 50% of those who went on the hike with him survive. 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 August 3, 1585, Ataman Ermak died with fifty soldiers on the Vagai River. The Tatars attacked the sleeping camp; only a few warriors survived this skirmish, who brought terrible news to Kashlyk. Witnesses to Ermak’s death 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 make the 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 brought it to the khan. For a month the Tatars shot arrows at the body of the defeated enemy, during which time no traces of decomposition were noticed. The surprised Tatars buried Ermak in a place of honor (in modern times this 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 their leader, the Cossacks gathered for a meeting, where it was decided to return to their native land - spending the winter in these places again would be like death. Under the leadership of Ataman M. Meshcheryak, on August 15, 1585, the remnants of the detachment moved in an organized manner along the Ob River to the west, home. The Tatars celebrated their victory; they did not yet know that the Russians would return in a year.

Results of the campaign

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

The conquest of Siberia often took place " little blood", and the personality of Ataman Ermak has become overgrown with numerous legends. People composed songs about the brave hero, historians and writers wrote books, artists painted pictures, and directors made films. Ermak's military strategies and tactics were adopted by other commanders. The formation of the army, invented by the brave chieftain, 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 success. According to the logic of things, the Cossacks should have laid down their heads during the campaign. But Ermak was lucky, he captured the capital of the Khanate and went down in history as a winner.

Conquest of Siberia by Ermak, painting by Surikov

Three hundred years after the events described, the 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 shows one of the battles of a small detachment of Cossacks with the huge army of the khan.

The artist managed to describe everything in such a way that the viewer understands the outcome of the battle, although the battle has just begun. Christian banners with the image of the Savior Not Made by Hands flutter over the heads of the Russians. The battle is led by Ermak himself - he is at the head of his army and at first glance it is evident that the Russian commander is of remarkable strength and great courage. The enemies are presented as an almost faceless mass, whose strength is undermined by fear of the alien Cossacks. Ermak Timofeevich is calm and confident, with the eternal gesture of a commander he directs his warriors forward.

The air is filled with gunpowder, it seems that shots are heard, flying arrows whistle. On the second the plan is going well hand-to-hand combat, and in the central part the troops raised an icon, asking for help higher powers. In the distance you can see the Khan's stronghold - a little more and the Tatars' resistance will be broken. The atmosphere of the picture is imbued with a feeling of imminent victory - this became possible thanks to the great skill of the artist.

The future greatest violinist of all times was born in 1782 in Genoa. Niccolo Paganini is both an outstanding guitarist and composer. The peaks of his creativity are works for violin “24 Caprices”, “Perpetual Motion”, “Venice Carnival”, rondo...

The idea of Ermak's campaign in Siberia

Who came up with the idea of going to Siberia: Tsar Ivan IV , industrialists Stroganov or personally Ataman Ermak Timofeevich - historians do not give a clear answer. But since the truth is always in the middle, most likely, the interests of all three parties converge here. Tsar Ivan - new lands and vassals, the Stroganovs - security, Ermak and the Cossacks - the opportunity to profit under the guise of state necessity.

In this place, a parallel between Ermakov’s troops and corsairs () - private sea robbers who received letters of safe conduct from their kings for the legalized robbery of enemy ships simply suggests itself.

Goals of Ermak's campaign

Historians are considering several versions. With a high degree of probability this could be: preventive protection of the Stroganovs' possessions; the defeat of Khan Kuchum; bringing the Siberian peoples into vassalage and imposing tribute on them; establishing control over the main Siberian water artery Obie; creating a springboard for the further conquest of Siberia.

There is another interesting version. Ermak was not at all a rootless Cossack chieftain, but a native of the Siberian princes who were exterminated by the Bukhara protege Kuchum when he seized power over Siberia. Ermak had his own legitimate ambitions for the Siberian throne, he did not go on an ordinary predatory campaign, he went to conquer from Kuchum my land. That is why the Russians did not encounter serious resistance from the local population. It was better for him (the population) to be “under his own” Ermak than under the stranger Kuchum.

If Ermak established power over Siberia, his Cossacks would automatically turn from bandits into a “regular” army and become the sovereign’s people. Their status would change dramatically. That is why the Cossacks so patiently endured all the difficulties of the campaign, which did not at all promise easy gain, but promised them much more...

Campaign of Ermak's troops to Siberia through the Ural watershed

So, according to some sources, in September 1581 (according to other sources - in the summer of 1582) Ermak went on a military campaign. This was precisely a military campaign, and not a bandit raid. His armed formation included 540 of his own Cossack forces and 300 “militia” from the Stroganovs. The army set off up the Chusovaya River on plows. According to some reports, there were only 80 plows, that is, about 10 people each.

From the Lower Chusovsky towns along the bed of the Chusovoy River, Ermak’s detachment reached:

According to one version, he climbed up the Serebryannaya River. They dragged the plows by hand to the Zhuravlik River, which flows into the river. Barancha – left tributary of Tagil;

According to another version, Ermak and his comrades reached the Mezhevaya Utka River, climbed it and then transferred the plows to the Kamenka River, then to the Vyya - also a left tributary of Tagil.

In principle, both options for overcoming the watershed are possible. No one knows where exactly the plows were dragged across the watershed. Yes, it's not that important.

How did Ermak’s army march up the Chusovaya?

Much more interesting are the technical details of the Ural part of the hike:

What plows or boats did the Cossacks sail on? With or without sails?

How many miles a day did they travel up the Chusovaya?

How and how many days did you climb Serebryannaya?

How they carried it over the ridge itself.

Did the Cossacks winter at the pass?

How many days did it take to go down the Tagil, Tura and Tobol rivers to the capital of the Siberian Khanate?

What is the total length of the campaign of Ermak’s army?

A separate page of this resource is dedicated to the answers to these questions.

Plows of Ermak's squad on Chusovaya

Military actions

The movement of Ermak’s squad to Siberia along the Tagil River remains the main working version. Along Tagil, the Cossacks descended to Tura, where they first fought with the Tatar troops and defeated them. According to legend, Ermak planted effigies in Cossack clothes on the plows, and he himself with the main forces went ashore and attacked the enemy from the rear. The first serious clash between Ermak’s detachment and the troops of Khan Kuchum occurred in October 1582, when the flotilla had already entered Tobol, near the mouth of the Tavda River.

Subsequent fighting Ermak's squads deserve a separate description. Books, monographs, and films have been made about Ermak’s campaign. There is enough information on the Internet. Here we will only say that the Cossacks really fought “not with numbers, but with skill.” Fighting on foreign territory with an enemy superior in numbers, thanks to coordinated and skillful military actions, they managed to defeat and put to flight the Siberian ruler Khan.

Kuchum temporarily expelled him from the capital - the town of Kashlyk (according to other sources, it was called Isker or Siberia). Nowadays there is no trace left of the town of Isker itself - it was located on the high sandy bank of the Irtysh and was washed away by its waves over the centuries. It was located about 17 versts up from present-day Tobolsk.

Conquest of Siberia by Ermak

Having removed the main enemy from the road in 1583, Ermak began to conquer the Tatar and Vogul towns and uluses along the Irtysh and Ob rivers. Somewhere he met stubborn resistance. Somewhere the local population themselves preferred to go under patronage Moscow in order to get rid of the alien stranger Kuchum, a protege of the Bukhara Khanate and an Uzbek by birth.

After the capture of the “capital” city of Kuchum - (Siberia, Kashlyk, Isker), Ermak sent messengers to the Stroganovs and an ambassador to the Tsar - Ataman Ivan Koltso. Ivan the Terrible received the ataman very kindly, generously gifted the Cossacks and sent the governor Semyon Bolkhovsky and Ivan Glukhov with 300 warriors to reinforce them. Among the royal gifts sent to Ermak in Siberia were two chain mail, including a chain mail that once belonged to Prince Pyotr Ivanovich Shuisky.

Tsar Ivan the Terrible receives an envoy from Ermak

Ataman Ivan Ring with the news of the capture of Siberia

Tsar's reinforcements arrived from Siberia in the fall of 1583, but could no longer correct the situation. Kuchum's superior troops defeated the Cossack hundreds individually and killed all the leading atamans. With the death of Ivan the Terrible in March 1584, the Moscow government had “no time for Siberia.” The undead Khan Kuchum became bolder and began to pursue and destroy the remnants of the Russian army with superior forces...

On the quiet bank of the Irtysh

On August 6, 1585, Ermak Timofeevich himself died. With a detachment of only 50 people, Ermak stopped for the night at the mouth of the Vagai River, which flows into the Irtysh. Kuchum attacked the sleeping Cossacks and killed almost the entire detachment; only a few people survived. According to the recollections of eyewitnesses, the ataman was dressed in two chain mail, one of which was a royal gift. It was they who dragged the legendary chieftain to the bottom of the Irtysh when he tried to swim to his plows.

The abyss of waters hid forever the Russian pioneer hero. Legend has it that the Tatars caught the chieftain’s body and mocked him for a long time, shooting at him with arrows. And the famous royal chain mail and other armor of Ermak were taken apart as valuable amulets that brought good luck. The death of Ataman Ermak is very similar in this regard to the death at the hands of the aborigines of another famous adventurer -

The results of Ermak's campaign in Siberia

For two years, Ermak’s expedition established Russian Moscow power in the Ob left bank of Siberia. The pioneers, as almost always happens in history, paid with their lives. But the Russian claims to Siberia were first outlined precisely by the warriors of Ataman Ermak. Other conquerors came after them. Soon enough all Western Siberia“almost voluntarily” she became a vassal, and then administratively dependent on Moscow.

And the brave pioneer, Cossack ataman Ermak became over time a mythical hero, a sort of Siberian Ilya-Muremets. He firmly entered the consciousness of his compatriots as national hero. Legends and songs are written about him. Historians write works. Writers are books. Artists - paintings. And despite many blind spots in history, the fact remains that Ermak began the process of annexing Siberia to the Russian state. And no one after that could take this place in the popular consciousness, and the adversaries could lay claim to the Siberian expanses.