May 28th, 2013

On July 26, 1572, the Battle of Youth began, in which Russian troops inflicted a crushing defeat on the six-fold superior forces of the Crimean Khanate.

It is unlikely that passengers on a suburban train passing the Kolkhoznaya station, which is 30 km from the Moscow Ring Road (between Podolsk and Chekhov), will be able to answer the question of what this place is famous for. They will be surprised to learn that 430 years ago, the fate of Russia was decided in the surrounding fields. We are talking about the battle that took place here in the summer of 1572 near the village of Molodi. In terms of its significance, some historians equate it to the Battle of Kulikovo Field.

It’s hard to imagine now, but in the 16th century, Oka near Moscow was a harsh Russian borderland. During the reign of the Crimean Khan Devlet-Girey (1551-1577), Russia's struggle against steppe raids reached its climax. A number of major campaigns are associated with his name. During one of them, Moscow was burned (1571).

Davlet Giray. 14th Khan of the Crimean Khanate. In 1571, one of the campaigns, carried out by his 40,000-strong army with the support of the Ottoman Empire and in agreement with Poland, ended with the burning of Moscow, for which Devlet I received the nickname Taht Alğan - Who Took the Throne.

The Crimean Khanate, which broke away in 1427 from the Golden Horde, which was disintegrating under our blows, was the worst enemy for Rus': from the end of the 15th century, the Crimean Tatars, whom they are now trying to present as victims of the Russian genocide, made constant raids on Russian Kingdom. Almost every year they ravaged one or another region of Rus', taking captive women and children, whom the Crimean Jews resold to Istanbul.

The most dangerous and ruinous raid was carried out by the Crimeans in 1571. The goal of this raid was Moscow itself: in May 1571, the Crimean Khan Davlet Giray with a 40,000-strong army, bypassing, with the help of defectors sent by the traitor Prince Mstislavsky, the abatis lines on the southern outskirts of the Russian kingdom, the Crimean army, having forded the Ugra, reached the Russian flank an army numbering no more than 6,000 people. The Russian guard detachment was defeated by the Crimeans, who rushed to the Russian capital.

On June 3, 1571, Crimean troops ravaged undefended settlements and villages around Moscow, and then set fire to the outskirts of the capital. Thanks to strong wind The fire quickly spread throughout the city. Driven by the fire, citizens and refugees rushed to the northern gates of the capital. A crush arose at the gates and narrow streets, people “walked in three rows over each other’s heads, and the top ones crushed those who were under them.” The Zemstvo army, instead of giving battle to the Crimeans in the field or on the outskirts of the city, began to retreat to the center of Moscow and, mingling with the refugees, lost order; Voivode Prince Belsky died in a fire, suffocating in the cellar of his house. Within three hours, Moscow burned to the ground. The next day, the Tatars and Nogais left along the Ryazan road to the steppe. In addition to Moscow In addition to Moscow, the Crimean Khan ravaged the central regions and massacred 36 Russian cities. As a result of this raid, up to 80 thousand Russian people were killed, and about 60 thousand were taken prisoner. The population of Moscow decreased from 100 to 30 thousand people.

Crimean Tatar horseman

Davlet Giray was sure that Rus' would not recover from such a blow and could itself become an easy prey. Therefore, the next year, 1572, he decided to repeat the campaign. For this campaign, Davlet Giray was able to gather a 120,000-strong army, which included 80,000 Crimeans and Nogais, 33,000 Turks and 7,000 Turkish Janissaries. The existence of the Russian state and the Russian people themselves hung in the balance.

Fortunately, this very hair turned out to be Prince Mikhail Ivanovich Vorotynsky, who was the head of the border guards in Kolomna and Serpukhov. Under his leadership the oprichnina and zemstvo troops were united. In addition to them, Vorotynsky’s forces were joined by a detachment of seven thousand German mercenaries sent by the tsar, as well as Don Cossacks who came to the rescue. The total number of troops under the command of Prince Vorotynsky was 20,034 people.

The moment for the attack was good. Russian state was in critical isolation and was fighting against three strong neighbors at once (Sweden, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Crimean Khanate). The situation was worse than ever. At the beginning of 1572, Ivan the Terrible evacuated the capital. The treasury, archives, and the highest nobility, including the Tsar's family, were sent from the Kremlin to Novgorod on hundreds of carts.

Walk-city

Moscow could become the prey of the Gireys

When preparing to march on Moscow, Devlet-Girey had already set a larger goal - to conquer all of Russia. The head of state, as we have already said, moved to Novgorod. And in Moscow, which was burned down from the previous raid, there were no large formations. The only force covering the deserted capital from the south, along the Oka line, was a 60,000-strong army led by Prince Mikhail Vorotynsky. A thousand Don Cossacks with ataman Mishka Cherkashenin came to his aid. Also in Vorotynsky’s army was a 7,000-strong detachment of German mercenaries sent here by the tsar.

At Serpukhov, he equipped the main position, strengthening it with a “walk-city” - a mobile fortress made of carts, on which wooden shields with slots for shooting were placed.
The khan sent a 2,000-strong detachment against her to distract her. On the night of July 27, the main forces crossed the Oka River in two weakly defended places: at Senkino Ford and near the village of Drakino.

The 20,000-strong vanguard of Murza Tereberdey crossed at Senka Ford. On his way there was only a small outpost of 200 soldiers. They did not retreat and died heroically, resurrecting the famous feat of three hundred Spartans in history. In the battle of Drakin, the detachment of the famous commander Divey-Murza defeated the regiment of governor Nikita Odoevsky. After this, the khan rushed to Moscow. Then Vorotynsky withdrew his troops from the coastline and moved in pursuit.

The cavalry regiment of the young Prince Dmitry Khvorostinin raced ahead. In its vanguard were the Don Cossacks - experienced fighters of the steppes. Meanwhile, the head units of the Khan’s army approached the Pakhra River. Rear - to the village of Molodi. Here Khvorostinin overtook them. He fearlessly attacked the Crimean rearguard and defeated it. This strong unexpected blow forced Devlet-Girey to stop the breakthrough to Moscow. Fearing for his rear, the khan turned back to crush Vorotynsky’s army following behind. Without its defeat, the ruler of Crimea could not achieve his goals. Enchanted by the dream of conquering Moscow, the khan abandoned the usual tactics of his army (raid-and-retreat) and became involved in a large-scale battle.

For a couple of days, maneuver skirmishes took place in the area from Pakhra to Molodi. In them, Devlet-Girey probed Vorotynsky’s positions, fearing the approach of troops from Moscow. When it became clear that the Russian army had nowhere to wait for help, on July 31, the khan attacked its base camp, equipped at the Rozhai River, near Molodei.

On July 26, the Crimean-Turkish army approached the Oka and began to cross it in two places - at the confluence of the Lopasny River into it along the Senkin Ford, and upstream from Serpukhov. The first crossing point was guarded by a small guard regiment of “children of the boyars” under the command of Ivan Shuisky, consisting of only 200 soldiers. The Nogai vanguard of the Crimean-Turkish army under the command of Tereberdey-Murza fell upon him. The detachment did not take flight, but entered into an unequal battle, but was scattered, however, managing to inflict great damage on the Crimeans. After this, Tereberdey-Murza’s detachment reached the outskirts of modern Podolsk near the Pakhra River and, having cut all the roads leading to Moscow, stopped waiting for the main forces.

The main positions of the Russian troops were near Serpukhov. Our medieval tank was also located here. Walk-city, armed with cannons and squeaks, which differed from ordinary hand-guns by the presence of hooks that hooked onto the fortress wall in order to reduce recoil when fired. Pishchal It was inferior in rate of fire to the bows of the Crimean Tatars, but had an advantage in penetrating power: if the arrow got stuck in the body of the first unprotected warrior and quite rarely pierced the chain mail, then the squeak bullet pierced two unprotected warriors, getting stuck only in the third. In addition, it easily penetrated knight's armor.

As a diversionary maneuver, Davlet Giray sent a detachment of two thousand against Serpukhov, and he himself with the main forces crossed the Oka River in a more remote place near the village of Drakino, where he encountered the regiment of governor Nikita Romanovich Odoevsky, who was defeated in a difficult battle. After this, the main army moved towards Moscow, and Vorotynsky, having removed his troops from coastal positions, moved after him. This was a risky tactic, since all hope was pinned on the fact that by clinging to the tail of the Tatar army, the Russians would force the khan to turn around for battle and not go to defenseless Moscow. However, the alternative was to overtake the Khan along a side route, which had little chance of success. In addition, there was the experience of the previous year, when the governor Ivan Belsky managed to arrive in Moscow before the Crimeans, but could not prevent it from being set on fire.

The Crimean army was fairly stretched out and while its advanced units reached the Pakhra River, the rearguard was only approaching the village of Molodi, located 15 versts from her. It was here that he was overtaken by an advanced detachment of Russian troops under the leadership of the young oprichnina governor, Prince Dmitry Khvorostinin. On July 29, a fierce battle took place, as a result of which the Crimean rearguard was practically destroyed.
After this, what Vorotynsky hoped for happened. Having learned about the defeat of the rearguard and fearing for his rear, Davlet Giray deployed his army. By this time, Gulyai-city had already been developed near Molodei in convenient place, located on a hill and covered by the Rozhaya River. Khvorostinin’s detachment found itself face to face with the entire Crimean army, but, having correctly assessed the situation, the young governor was not at a loss and lured the enemy to Walk-Gorod with an imaginary retreat. With a quick maneuver to the right, taking his soldiers to the side, he brought the enemy under deadly artillery and squeal fire - “many Tatars were beaten.”

In Gulyai-Gorod there was a large regiment under the command of Vorotynsky himself, as well as the Cossacks of Ataman Cherkashenin who arrived in time. A protracted battle began, for which the Crimean army was not ready. In one of the unsuccessful attacks on Gulyai-Gorod, Tereberdey-Murza was killed.

After a series of small skirmishes, on July 31, Davlet Giray launched a decisive assault on Gulyai-Gorod, but it was repulsed. His army suffered heavy losses in killed and captured. Among the latter was the adviser to the Crimean Khan, Divey-Murza. As a result of large losses, the Tatars retreated.

The next day the attacks stopped, but the situation in the besieged camp became critical. There were many wounded there, food was running out. On August 2, the ruler of Crimea finally decided to put an end to the “walking city” and threw his main forces against it. The climax of the battle has arrived. Expecting victory, the khan did not take losses into account.

Moscow Sterlets

On August 2, Davlet Giray again sent his army to attack. In a difficult struggle, up to 3 thousand Russian archers were killed defending the foot of the hill near Rozhaika, and the Russian cavalry defending the flanks also suffered serious losses. But the attack was repulsed - the Crimean cavalry was unable to take the fortified position. In the battle, the Nogai Khan was killed, and three Murzas died. And then the Crimean Khan made an unexpected decision - he ordered the cavalry to dismount and attack the Gulyai-city on foot together with the Janissaries. The climbing Tatars and Turks covered the hill with corpses, and the Khan threw in more and more forces. Approaching the plank walls of the walk-city, the attackers cut them down with sabers, shook them with their hands, trying to climb over or knock them down, “and here they beat many Tatars and cut off countless hands.”

However, the cavalry could not take the fortifications. Here it was necessary to have a lot of infantry. And then Devlet-Girey, in the heat of the moment, resorted to a method uncharacteristic for the Crimeans. The Khan ordered the riders to dismount and, together with the Janissaries, go to the attack on foot. It was a risk. The Crimean army was deprived of its main trump card - high maneuverability.

Already in the evening, taking advantage of the fact that the enemy was concentrated on one side of the hill and carried away by the attacks, Vorotynsky undertook a bold maneuver. Having waited until the main forces of the Crimeans and Janissaries were drawn into a bloody battle for Walk-Gorod, he quietly led a large regiment out of the fortification, led it through a ravine and struck the Tatars in the rear. At the same time, accompanied by powerful volleys of cannons, Khvorostinin’s warriors made a sortie from behind the walls of the city.

Crimean warriors, not accustomed to fighting cavalry on foot, could not stand it double strike. The outbreak of panic reduced the best horsemen of the empire to the position of a crowd rushing to escape from Vorotynsky’s horsemen. Many died without ever mounting their horses. Among them were the son, grandson and son-in-law of Devlet-Girey. By nightfall the carnage died down. Having collected the remnants of the defeated army, the khan began to retreat. Thus ended the great multi-day battle in the vastness from Oka to Pakhra.

During the pursuit of the foot Crimeans to the crossing of the Oka River, most of those who fled were killed, as well as another 5,000-strong Crimean rearguard left to guard the crossing. No more than 10 thousand soldiers returned to Crimea.

Having been defeated in the Battle of Molodi, the Crimean Khanate lost almost its entire male population. However, Rus', weakened by the previous raid and the Livonian War, was unable to undertake a campaign to Crimea to finish off the beast in its lair.

Vienna or still Molodi?

This was the last major battle between Rus' and the steppe. The blow at Molodi shook the Crimean power. According to some reports, only 20 thousand soldiers returned home to Crimea (no one of the Janissaries escaped).

And now a little about the history of geography. It is known that extreme point Vienna is considered to be where the Ottoman advance in Europe was stopped. In fact, the palm belongs to the village of Molodi near Moscow. Vienna was then located 150 km from the borders of the Ottoman Empire. Whereas Molodi is approximately 800 km away. It was at the walls of the Russian capital, under Molodi, that the most distant and grandiose campaign of the troops of the Ottoman Empire deep into Europe was reflected.

Comparable in importance to the battles on the Kulikovo Field (1380) or Poitiers (732), the Battle of Molodi still remains a little-known event and is almost not mentioned among the famous victories of Russian weapons.

Let us recall more episodes from the glorious military history Russia: let’s kaknu and let’s not forget The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy was made -

I answered what was drilled into my head in school: “The most important battles are Battle on the Ice, Battle of Kulikovo, capture of the fortresses Oreshek, Vyborg and Azov by Peter the Great, Chesma, Borodino and Defense of Sevastopol in the Crimean War."

Another question followed: “What do you know about the Battle of Molodin?”...

“What kind of battle!?” - I asked again.

“Molodinskoye, also known as Molodeyskoye, or the Battle of Molodi. Molodi is a village in the Moscow region.”

To my shame, I knew nothing about this battle...

Let me outline my point of view, and you (if you become interested or doubtful) can draw on your own Additional information in other sources and resources.

In terms of its significance, the Battle of Molodi is comparable to the Battle of Kulikovo or the Battle of Borodino. MORE than HUNDRED THOUSAND people died in the battle of Molodi. For comparison, two hundred and forty years later, fewer died at Borodino - about 80 thousand. Moreover, when comparing these losses, the levels of artillery should be taken into account different eras. In the clash of the Russian Kingdom with the Crimean Khanate under Molodi, not only the fate of Rus' was decided - it was about the fate of the entire European civilization.

So, first things first.

So, in the summer of 1572, on July 27, the Crimean-Turkish army approached the Oka River and began to cross it along the Senka Ford. You know, this is the famous ford! It was along it that Prince Dmitry Donskoy led his army to the Kulikovo Field.

Do you know what Gulyai-gorod is? No, this is not the place where they pass festivities! And not a city where frivolous women live. Gulyai-Gorod is a Russian military trick, a mobile fortress, fortified carts with loopholes. And in those loopholes there were cannons and squeaks.

The Khan's elite cavalry ran into a very unpleasant surprise and was forced to move along the front of 40 carts. Of course, Devlet Giray had very brave and desperate warriors, and they were excellent cavalry. But the whole point is that a bullet fired from a squeaker easily pierces one person and gets stuck in the second. Sometimes even in the third - if the warriors are not protected by chain mail or other armor. A volley of thousands of guns swept away and scattered the Khan's cavalry. In addition, in addition to arquebuses, the Russians also had cannons and bows, and they also fired very effectively under the cover of the walls of the Gulyai-city.

The united Russian army was commanded by Prince Mikhail Vorotynsky. He very successfully organized the defense of the city of Gulyai. For two days, wave after wave of desperate Krymchaks and Ottomans stormed the mobile fortress, but thousands of their cavalry fell into a cruel meat grinder, and abundantly drenched the Russian land with their blood... On the third day, the khan ordered his cavalry to dismount, and sent the remnants of the army into a foot attack .

In the midst of the battle, princes Vorotynsky and Khvorostinin organized a bold foray from behind the walls of the Gulyai-city and struck the Crimeans and Turks in the rear. This blow decided everything. In the heat of battle, it was unclear - what kind of troops struck in the rear? Perhaps these are fresh forces coming from Moscow?

In a field near the village of Molodi, all seven thousand selected Turkish Janissaries were cut down without a trace. Devlet-Girey’s son, grandson and son-in-law were killed. The Crimean Khanate lost almost its entire combat-ready male population in this campaign. They went to rule the Russian land, but they were left to lie in it.

The Khan's army outnumbered the Russians by 4 times! And despite this, almost nothing remained of the Khan’s 120,000-strong army - only 10,000 people returned to Crimea. The history of that time did not know such a grandiose military disaster. The largest army at that time in Europe (and actually in the world too) simply ceased to exist. Our losses are estimated at 6,000 people, and this is against 110 thousand enemy ones. It should also be noted that in that battle almost all the guardsmen who fought in it died. So much for the secret police of Tsar Ivan the Terrible.

A friend of mine, a very smart and well-read person, once asked me: “What are the most significant battles in Russian history before the 20th century?”

I answered what was drilled into my head from the school curriculum: “The most important battles are the Battle of the Ice, the Battle of Kulikovo, the capture of the fortresses Oreshek, Vyborg and Azov by Peter the Great, Chesma, Borodino and the Defense of Sevastopol in the Crimean War.”

Another question followed: "What do you know about Battle of Molodino? »…

“What kind of battle!?”- I asked again.

“Molodinskoye, also known as Molodeyskoye, or the Battle of Molodi. Molodi is a village in the Moscow region.”

To my shame, I knew nothing about this battle...

The Battle of Molodi in 1572 has been undeservedly forgotten, erased from school curricula, and only professional historians and especially advanced lovers of Russian History know about it. Moreover, in the “historical” community there are still heated debates about the reliability of some of its details. Opinions are very diverse. After all, it is difficult to judge these very details of an event so distant in time.

Let me briefly describe this forgotten history, and you (if you become interested or doubtful) can independently obtain additional information from other sources and resources.

In terms of its significance, the Battle of Molodi is comparable to the Battle of Kulikovo or the Battle of Borodino. Died in the Battle of Molodi MORE THAN HUNDRED THOUSAND Human. For comparison, two hundred and forty years later, fewer died at Borodino - about 80 thousand. Moreover, when comparing these losses, the levels of artillery of different eras should be taken into account. In the clash of the Russian Kingdom with the Crimean Khanate under Molodi, not only the fate of Rus' was decided - it was about the fate of the entire European civilization.

So, first things first.

In 1571 Crimean Khan Devlet Giray burned Moscow. It was made of wood back then and almost all of it was burnt out. Tens of thousands of Russian people were killed, and more than 150 thousand were captured and taken into slavery. A year later, the khan undertook another campaign, believing that he could completely subjugate the Russian state. He assembled a military force unprecedented at that time - 120 thousand people, most of them were Krymchaks and Nogais. This army was armed with cannons, several dozen barrels. The most combat-ready were the 7 thousand best Turkish Janissaries - in fact, they were the special forces of that time, elite troops with extensive experience in waging wars and capturing fortresses.

Going on a campaign, Devlet Giray declared that he was “going to Moscow for the kingdom.” Do you understand? He was not just going to fight, he was going to reign! It never occurred to him that someone would dare to oppose such a force, is it a joke - 120 thousand warriors In all of Europe at that time there was no worthy opponent for him. Against them Tsar Ivan the Terrible I could only post 30 thousand people- Streltsy, guardsmen, Cossacks and German mercenaries. According to the plans of the Crimean Khan, his huge army was supposed to enter Russian borders and remain there forever - in order to rule Russia.

So, in the summer of 1572, on July 27, the Crimean-Turkish army approached the Oka River and began to cross it along the Senka Ford. You know, this is the famous ford! It was along it that Prince Dmitry Donskoy led his army to the Kulikovo Field.

The crossing site was guarded by a small guard detachment under the command of Ivan Shuisky, consisting of only two hundred “boyar children” and eight hundred militia. If we draw a historical analogy, then the battle at Senka Ford can be compared with the Brest Fortress - our soldiers’ readiness for self-sacrifice was so similar. The Nogai cavalry attacked this guard detachment... The chronicles do not contain information on how long this outpost held out. There are only mentions that ours did not flee, entered the battle, and battered the Nogai cavalry so much that in the subsequent main battle it took only an auxiliary part...

The army of the Crimean Khan crossed the Oka, headed towards Moscow and stretched along the road for 40 miles. A small detachment went to the rear of this huge line guardsman Dmitry Khvorostinin. He was a prince, and judging by his actions, a good commander. He made the only right decision - lightning attacks on the tail of the column, the destruction of the rear and convoys, and a quick retreat. What else could a partisan detachment of nine hundred people do? Stepping on the heels of the Crimean army, and methodically cutting off these heels, he made Devlet Giray nervous. How could he not be nervous if the arrogant Muscovite destroyed all the convoys and even had the audacity to approach the Khan’s headquarters himself.

The khan had to call the vanguard, which had already almost reached the gates of Moscow, and from the march turn the army of one hundred thousand people 180 degrees. To deploy such a colossus is very serious. Braking time and stopping distance are like those of an ocean liner. This clumsy maneuver was accompanied by everything that should accompany a huge army, namely, confusion and inconsistency. Everything in her was resting, crowding and fussing, not understanding what was happening. Finally, a full-fledged cavalry division with a number of 12 thousand heads was formed and sent to destroy Khvorostinin’s detachment, which was so tired of its raids. But Prince Dmitry Ivanovich once again made a knight's move - he not only led his soldiers away from inevitable death, he also lured the pursuers under the walls Walk-Cities.

Do you know what Gulyai-gorod is? No, this is not a place where folk festivals take place! And not a city where frivolous women live. Walk-city- this is such a Russian military trick, a mobile fortress, fortified carts with loopholes. And in those loopholes there were cannons and squeaks.

The Khan's elite cavalry ran into a very unpleasant surprise and was forced to move along the front of 40 carts. Of course, Devlet Giray had very brave and desperate warriors, and they were excellent cavalry. But the whole point is that a bullet fired from a squeaker easily pierces one person and gets stuck in the second. Sometimes even in the third - if the warriors are not protected by chain mail or other armor. A volley of thousands of guns swept away and scattered the Khan's cavalry. In addition, in addition to arquebuses, the Russians also had cannons and bows, and they also fired very effectively under the cover of the walls of the Gulyai-city.

After an avalanche of deadly fire from the embrasures of Gulyai-Gorod, the Krymchaks’ pursuit of Khvorostinin’s detachment stopped. The remnants of the pursuers returned to the khan, and greatly upset him with stories about some terrible shaitan-arba that shoots fire.

The united Russian army was commanded by Prince Mikhail Vorotynsky. He very successfully organized the defense of the city of Gulyai. For two days, wave after wave of desperate Krymchaks and Ottomans stormed the mobile fortress, but thousands of their cavalry fell into a cruel meat grinder, and abundantly drenched the Russian land with their blood... On the third day, the khan ordered his cavalry to dismount, and sent the remnants of the army into a foot attack .

In the first ranks of the attackers were the fierce Janissaries. In the last rows, cooks and transport workers, barbers and massage therapists huddled in fear. The khan also drove them out for the last and decisive assault... This assault actually turned out to be both decisive and the last.

In the midst of battle Princes Vorotynsky and Khvorostinin They organized a bold attack from behind the walls of Gulyai-Gorod and struck the Crimeans and Turks in the rear. This blow decided everything. In the heat of battle, it was unclear - what kind of troops struck in the rear? Perhaps these are fresh forces coming from Moscow?

This is where panic began among those who had previously fought the Russians quite courageously. And panic always ends in disorderly flight and beating of those running... During the pursuit of the remnants of the Crimean army, several thousand more enemy soldiers were killed. With just one panicked crossing of the Oka River about 10 thousand Tatars drowned- Things have always been unimportant with swimming among the steppe peoples. On the afternoon of August 3, 1572, it was all over with the grandiose campaign of Khan Devlet Giray to Rus'.

In a field near the village of Molodi, all seven thousand selected Turkish Janissaries were cut down without a trace. Devlet-Girey’s son, grandson and son-in-law were killed. The Crimean Khanate lost almost its entire combat-ready male population in this campaign. They went to rule the Russian land, but they were left to lie in it.

The Khan's army outnumbered the Russians 4 times! But despite this, from 120 thousand Khan's troops had almost nothing left - Only 10 thousand people returned to Crimea. The history of that time did not know such a grandiose military disaster. The largest army at that time in Europe (and actually in the world too) simply ceased to exist. Our losses are estimated at 6,000 people, and this is against 110 thousand enemy ones. It should also be noted that in that battle almost all the guardsmen who fought in it died. So much for the secret police of Tsar Ivan the Terrible.

There is heated debate about the Battle of Molodin among historians, experts and history buffs. The strengths of the parties are hotly discussed - the numerical number of warriors on both sides is constantly being clarified. Opinions vary widely. It is difficult to judge the details of such a distant event. My task was to draw your attention to this little known page our history. If you pass the village of Troitskoye, Chekhov district, Moscow region, then stop by and bow to the modest monument on the very spot where the last major campaign of the Crimean Khanate against the Russian state ended.

P.S.

I highly recommend watching Dmitry Puchkov’s extremely interesting and detailed interview with military historian Klim Zhukov about the Battle of Molodi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63aPv56lF5A

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

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

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

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

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

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

Text on the cartouche:

RUSSIAE, MOSCOVIAE ET TARTARIAE DESCRIPTIO Auctore Antonio

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

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

On the vignette in the upper left corner:

Depicted Ioannes Basilius Magnus Imperator Russie Dux Moscovie, i.e. Ivan Vasilievich (Basilevs?) Great Emperor Russian Prince of Muscovy.

Left edge, middle:

Hic pars Litu/anie Imperatori/Russie subdita est.

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

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

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

Foreign policy of Ivan the Terrible in the south

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

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

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

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

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

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

It was this force that Tsar Ivan the Terrible faced.

Battle of Molodinskaya

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Not by any road.

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

Aftermath of the battle

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

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

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

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

"The Battle of Molodi or the Battle of Molodinskaya is a major battle that took place between July 29 and August 2, 1572, 50 versts south of Moscow, in which Russian troops under the leadership of the governor Prince Mikhail Vorotynsky and the army of the Crimean Khan Devlet I Giray, which included, in addition to the Crimean troops, Turkish and Nogai detachments. Despite their double numerical superiority, the 120,000-strong Crimean army was put to flight and almost completely killed.

In 1570, the military party gained the upper hand in Crimea. Russia was devastated by famine and plague. Tsarist army suffered defeats at Revel and Moscow. The Russian capital seemed an easy prey to the Tatars. Its old fortifications were destroyed by fire, and new ones, hastily erected, could not completely replace them. Military failures shook Russian rule in the Volga and Caspian regions. The Nogai horde finally broke vassal relations with Moscow and joined the anti-Russian coalition. The conquered peoples of the Volga region began to move and tried to overthrow the power of the tsar.

Many Adyghe princes from the North Caucasus became allies of Crimea. Behind the Crimeans stood the largest military power in Europe - the Ottoman Empire. In such a situation, the khan hoped to tear the Middle and Lower Volga regions away from Russia, burn and plunder Moscow. The Sultan sent a special mission to Crimea to participate in the campaign against Rus'.

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

Khan had Turkish artillery at his disposal.

The Russian command positioned its main forces near Kolomna, reliably covering the approaches to Moscow from Ryazan. But it also took into account the possibility of a second invasion of the Tatars from the southwest, from the Ugra region. In this case, the command moved the governor, Prince Dmitry Khvorostinin, with an advanced regiment to the extreme right flank in Kaluga. Contrary to tradition, the advanced regiment was superior in numbers to the regiments of the right and left hands. Khvorostinin was assigned a mobile river detachment to defend the crossings across the Oka.

The Tatars invaded Rus' on July 23, 1572. Their mobile cavalry rushed to Tula and on the third day tried to cross the Oka River above Serpukhov, but was repulsed from the crossing by a Russian guard regiment. Meanwhile, the khan with the entire horde reached the main Serpukhov crossings across the Oka. Russian commanders were waiting for the enemy beyond the Oka River in well-fortified positions.

Having encountered strong Russian defenses, the khan resumed his attack in the area of ​​Senkina Ford above Serpukhov. On the night of July 28, the Nogai cavalry dispersed two hundred nobles guarding the ford and captured the crossings. Developing the offensive, the Nogais went far to the north overnight. In the morning, Khvorostinin and the advanced regiment arrived at the Tatar crossing point. But, faced with the main forces of the Tatars, he avoided battle. Soon the regiment right hand tried to intercept the Tatars in the upper reaches of the Nara River, but was driven away. Khan Devlet-Girey went to the rear of the Russian army and began to move unhindered towards Moscow along the Serpukhov road. The Tatar rearguards were commanded by the sons of the khan with numerous selected cavalry.

The advanced regiment followed the princes, waiting for an opportune moment. When such a moment came, governor Khvorostinin attacked the Tatars. The battle took place near the village of Molodi, 45 versts from Moscow. The Tatars could not withstand the blow and fled.
Khvorostinin drove the Tatar guard regiment to the Khan's headquarters. To improve the situation, Devlet-Girey was forced to send 12,000 Crimean and Nogai horsemen to help his sons. The battle grew, and the chief governor, Vorotynsky, in anticipation of the Tatars, ordered the installation of a mobile fortress - a “walk-city” near Molodya. The warriors took refuge behind the walls of the fortress, preparing for battle.

The threefold superiority of enemy forces forced Khvorostinin to retreat. But at the same time he pulled off a brilliant maneuver. His regiment, retreating, carried the Tatars to the walls of the “walk-city”. Volleys of Russian cannons fired at point-blank range brought devastation to the ranks of the Tatar cavalry and forced them to turn back.

The defeat at Molodi forced Devlet-Girey to suspend his attack on Moscow.
During the day, the Tatars stood behind Pakhra, waiting for the Russians to approach. But they did not resume attacks. Then the Tatars turned back from Pakhra to Molodi. The governors achieved undeniable success, forcing the khan to move away from Moscow and take the battle in the position they had chosen.

The center of the Russian defensive positions was a hill, on the top of which stood the “walk-city”, surrounded by hastily dug ditches. A large regiment took refuge behind the city walls. The remaining regiments covered his rear and flanks, remaining outside the fortifications. At the foot of the hill, beyond the Rozhai River, 3,000 archers stood to support the governor “on the arquebuses.”

The Tatars quickly covered the distance from Pakhra to Rozhai and attacked the Russian positions in their entire mass. Every single one of the archers died on the battlefield, but the warriors entrenched in the “walk-city” repelled the cavalry attacks with strong cannon and rifle fire.
Concerned about the failure, the main Tatar governor, Divey-Murza, went out on reconnaissance and approached the Russian positions. Here he was captured by the “frisky” boyar children.

The bloody battle continued until the evening of July 30. The Tatar losses were extremely high. The leader of the Nogai cavalry, Tereberdey-Murza, and three noble Crimean Murzas were killed. Having failed to achieve success, the khan stopped his attacks and within two days brought his disorganized army into order.

The Russians won the battle, but success threatened to turn into failure. When the thinned-out regiments took refuge in the “Walk-Gorod,” their food supplies quickly dried up, and in the army “there was great hunger for people and horses.”

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

The defense of the “walk-city” was entrusted to Prince Dmitry Khvorostinin, who received all the artillery and a small detachment of German mercenaries.

At the agreed signal, Khvorostinin fired a salvo from all guns, then “climbed out” of the fortress and attacked the enemy. At the same moment, Vorotynsky’s regiments fell on the Tatars from the rear. The Tatars could not withstand the sudden blow and began to flee.
Many of them were killed and captured. Among those killed were the son of Khan Devlet-Girey and his grandson. Many noble Crimean and Nogai Murzas fell into the hands of the governors.

The day after the victory, the Russians continued to pursue the enemy and defeated the rearguards left by the khan on the Oka and numbering up to 5,000 horsemen. According to long-established tradition, the glory of the victory over the Tatars is entirely attributed to the chief governor, Prince Mikhail Vorotynsky. Kurbsky praised him, but in restrained terms: “The man is strong and courageous, very skilled in regimental arrangements.” The prince distinguished himself under the walls of Kazan, but he did not have any major independent victories.

The appointment of Vorotynsky as commander-in-chief was connected primarily with local laws - the nobility of the governor. The real hero of the Battle of Molodi, it seems, was the young oprichnina governor, Prince Dmitry Khvorostinin, who formally held the post of second governor of the advanced regiment. His exceptional services in the wars with the Tatars were pointed out by an informed contemporary, Giles Fletcher. Two years before the Battle of Molodi, Khvorostinin inflicted a strong defeat on the Crimeans near Ryazan. But his military talent was fully revealed during the war with the Tatars in 1572. It was Khvorostinin who defeated the Tatar rearguards on July 28, and then took command of the “walk-city” during the decisive battle on August 2.

The Battle of Molodi in 1572 is one of the most significant events of the military history XVI V. Having defeated the Tatar horde in an open field, Rus' dealt a crushing blow to the military power of Crimea. Death of the Choice Turkish army near Astrakhan in 1569 and the defeat of the Crimean Horde near Moscow in 1572 put a limit to Turkish-Tatar expansion in Eastern Europe.

The victory of the united zemstvo-oprichna army over the Tatars was brilliant.

Ruslan Grigorievich Skrynnikov is a professor at St. Petersburg University and has written about 40 books. Most of them are devoted to key problems, dramatic events in the history of the Muscovite kingdom. The secret of the success of a world-famous scientist lies not only in a deep penetration into historical material, but also in a bright, figurative style of presentation. In his book, the author rethinks the established views on the history of Russia from the 9th to the 17th centuries.

Photos were used to create this post military historical reconstruction Festival "Molodinskaya Battle"