.gif)
Battle of Kazan (1774)
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Kazan was a major battle during the Pugachev Rebellion. It took place on 12–15 July 1774 in Kazan
, Russia
, and the surrounding area. The first stage began in the morning of 12 July, when rebels
under Yemelyan Pugachev
defeated government troops and besieged them in the Kazan Kremlin
. During the battle some government
forces defected
to the rebels' side. However, in the evening, tsarist forces under Johann Michelson reached Kazan and defeated the rebels in two battles which took place on 13 and 15 July, forcing Pugachev to retreat to Tsaryovokokshaysk and then to cross the Volga. Out of 25,000 and 15,000 rebels who participated in the first and last stages of the battle respectively, only 500 escaped.
and Arsk Field
to Qaban lakes. There, government troops were reinforced by gymnasium
pupils under headmaster Kanitsa and armed town militiamen. The second was from the Pleteni to Yamskoy quarter under general-mayor Larionov, and the third was from Yamskoy to Kazanka, under colonel Svechin. The area north from the citadel
was defended by Admiralty
troops under Shchelin. The citadel itself was reinforced and the garrison under Letskoy was ready to fight. Zilantov Monastery and the Admiralty were turned into strongholds, redoubt
s were installed at Kazanka's bank and Arsk Field, and a system of knife-rests was installed around the city. Nine cannon
s were placed behind the knife-rests. The suburb
an settlements were left to defend themselves without government assistance.
There were 1,500 regular troops in Kazan, along with policemen, Admiralty troops and firemen the defenders numbered 2,000. On 2 July the governor
von Brandt announced a coming siege.
s sent by Catherine's officers to agitate against Pugachev were killed by rebels. The Orthodox bishop Veniamin appealed to Christians to refuse from joining Pugachev army. However, many peasants from the entire region of modern Tatarstan joined the rebellion and marched to Kazan.
On 10 and 11 July Pugachev's troops encamped to the north-east of Kazan, between Troitskaya Noksa and Tsaritsyno
. The army numbered 25,000, mostly Cossacks supported by Tatar and Udmurt
peasants and Bashkir cavalry. Only the Cossacks had firearms; the Bashkirs were armed with bows while the peasants were mostly equipped with clubs and stakes. On 11 July, Pugachev, with an interpreter, approached Kazan borders and demanded that the loyalist forces surrender. The Tatar community was invited to support the rebellion. Von Brandt refused to disarm; however, the Tatars quarters sent seventy emissaries with presents to Pugachev. They also disclosed weaknesses in the Kazan defense.
On 12 July, at four o'clock in the morning, Pugachev convened a council of war, dividing his army into 4 groups. The first two under Beloborodov and Mineyev should attack Arsk Field, the main group under Pugachev himself attacked Sukonny (Broadcloth Manufactory) quarter. The group under Ovchinnikov and Bakhmutov should attack Tatar quarters. The storm started at six o'clock after Pugachev's prayer.
Street. Pugachev's cannons neutralized government artillery and shelled the defenders of the cloth fabric under manufacturer Dryablov. Workers joined the rebel army. The fourth group of rebels reached Mokry quarter and Admiralty.
Government troops were forced to retreat and were besieged in the citadel
. Nearly half of the defenders, mostly ethnic Tatars, defected to the rebels. The central stone part of Kazan, mostly settled by Russian nobles and merchants, was set on fire. Sukonny and Tatar quarters, however, stayed safe.
Pugachev ordered his troops to safeguard the lives of civilians and captives. They were convoyed to the nearby village of Savinovo, where Pugachev invited them to join his troops. Among others, a captive Lutheran priest was appointed colonel
in Pugachev's army, but nobles and resisters were massacred.
service. Then he had a dinner at Tatar merchant Musa Apanayev's house.
In the evening governmental troops from Ufa
under Johann Michelson reached Kazan. A harsh battle took place at the modern Gogol street, but neither side won. Pugachev retreated to Savinovo and Sukhaya Reka villages. On 13 July he tried to prevent the end of the siege of the citadel, but under the pressure of Michelson and Potyomkin the rebels were defeated and were forced to retreat. On 15 July Pugachyov's army of 15,000 was defeated in the battle of Arsk Field. Pugachev with 500 men escaped to Tsaryovokokshaysk, to cross the Volga on 18 July and to continue his struggle then. Michelson didn't follow him, as government forces had no horses.
Before the trial captives were imprisoned in a camp near the suburb of Bishbalta. In autumn two gallows were placed in Kazan, one in Sukonny, another in Tatar quarter. Many captive rebels were executed, including Beloborodov and Mineyev.
and Usman Timerev continued the resistance, but they were shortly neutralized by governmental troops.
The battle of Kazan had a significant role in Tatarstan's history
. The Tatar
participation in the rebellion numbered up to 85,000. Nevertheless the participants of the rebellion were harshly punished, Tsar's government continued its policy of the support of Muslim nobility and clergy, to prevent similar as a result of religious oppression in future. Feudal oppression, however, stayed for a long time.
This battle took a major place in the Soviet culture. The first Tatar movie Bulat-Batır
was devoted to Pugachev rebellion in Tatarstan
and the siege of Kazan.
Kazan
Kazan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. With a population of 1,143,546 , it is the eighth most populous city in Russia. Kazan lies at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers in European Russia. In April 2009, the Russian Patent Office granted Kazan the...
, Russia
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
, and the surrounding area. The first stage began in the morning of 12 July, when rebels
Rebellion
Rebellion, uprising or insurrection, is a refusal of obedience or order. It may, therefore, be seen as encompassing a range of behaviors aimed at destroying or replacing an established authority such as a government or a head of state...
under Yemelyan Pugachev
Yemelyan Pugachev
Yemelyan Ivanovich Pugachov , was a pretender to the Russian throne who led a great Cossack insurrection during the reign of Catherine II...
defeated government troops and besieged them in the Kazan Kremlin
Kazan Kremlin
The Kazan Kremlin is the chief historic citadel of Tatarstan, situated in the city of Kazan. It was built on behest of Ivan the Terrible on the ruins of the former castle of Kazan khans...
. During the battle some government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
forces defected
Defection
In politics, a defector is a person who gives up allegiance to one state or political entity in exchange for allegiance to another. More broadly, it involves abandoning a person, cause or doctrine to whom or to which one is bound by some tie, as of allegiance or duty.This term is also applied,...
to the rebels' side. However, in the evening, tsarist forces under Johann Michelson reached Kazan and defeated the rebels in two battles which took place on 13 and 15 July, forcing Pugachev to retreat to Tsaryovokokshaysk and then to cross the Volga. Out of 25,000 and 15,000 rebels who participated in the first and last stages of the battle respectively, only 500 escaped.
Prelude to the battle
Kazan was threatened by Pugachev as early as the autumn of 1773. Many of the town's nobles escaped to Moscow, inspiring fear there. A defensive plan was formulated by the Russian high command and was approved personally by Catherine the Great.Kazan's defenders
There were 3 sectors of defense in Kazan. The first, under general Banner, extended from KazankaKazanka
Kazanka may refer to:*Kazanka River, a river in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia*Kazanka, Russia, name of several rural localities in Russia*Kazanka, Ukraine, an urban-type settlement in Mykolaiv Oblast, Ukraine*Kazanka , a type of motorboat...
and Arsk Field
Arsk Field
Arsk Field was west of the walls of mediæval Kazan. The name may come from the Archa Darugha, a subdivision of the Khanate of Kazan. Alternatively, it could be named for the road leading to the city of Arsk, which passed through the field. In 1552 it served as the base of for Tatar troops during...
to Qaban lakes. There, government troops were reinforced by gymnasium
Kazan Gymnasium
Kazan Gymnasium was a gymnasium of Kazan, Tatarstan, Russia. It is notable for its alumnus, Nikolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky, who graduated from the school in 1807. Other notable alumni include Ivan Shishkin, a Russian landscape artist....
pupils under headmaster Kanitsa and armed town militiamen. The second was from the Pleteni to Yamskoy quarter under general-mayor Larionov, and the third was from Yamskoy to Kazanka, under colonel Svechin. The area north from the citadel
Kazan Kremlin
The Kazan Kremlin is the chief historic citadel of Tatarstan, situated in the city of Kazan. It was built on behest of Ivan the Terrible on the ruins of the former castle of Kazan khans...
was defended by Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
troops under Shchelin. The citadel itself was reinforced and the garrison under Letskoy was ready to fight. Zilantov Monastery and the Admiralty were turned into strongholds, redoubt
Redoubt
A redoubt is a fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on earthworks, though others are constructed of stone or brick. It is meant to protect soldiers outside the main defensive line and can be a permanent structure or a...
s were installed at Kazanka's bank and Arsk Field, and a system of knife-rests was installed around the city. Nine cannon
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
s were placed behind the knife-rests. The suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
an settlements were left to defend themselves without government assistance.
There were 1,500 regular troops in Kazan, along with policemen, Admiralty troops and firemen the defenders numbered 2,000. On 2 July the governor
Kazan Governorate
The Kazan Governorate or Government of Kazan was a governorate of Imperial Russia from 1708–1920, with the city of Kazan as its capital.-History:...
von Brandt announced a coming siege.
Rebels
Ten mullahMullah
Mullah is generally used to refer to a Muslim man, educated in Islamic theology and sacred law. The title, given to some Islamic clergy, is derived from the Arabic word مَوْلَى mawlā , meaning "vicar", "master" and "guardian"...
s sent by Catherine's officers to agitate against Pugachev were killed by rebels. The Orthodox bishop Veniamin appealed to Christians to refuse from joining Pugachev army. However, many peasants from the entire region of modern Tatarstan joined the rebellion and marched to Kazan.
On 10 and 11 July Pugachev's troops encamped to the north-east of Kazan, between Troitskaya Noksa and Tsaritsyno
Tsaritsyno
Tsaritsyno is a Moscow Metro station in Tsaritsyno District, Southern Administrative Okrug, Moscow. It is on the Zamoskvoretskaya Line, between Kantemirovskaya and Orekhovo stations....
. The army numbered 25,000, mostly Cossacks supported by Tatar and Udmurt
Udmurt
Udmurt may refer to:*Udmurt people, people who speak the Udmurt language*Udmurt language, a Finno-Ugric language*Udmurt Republic, a federal republic of Russia*Udmurt Autonomous Oblast, an autonomous oblast of the Soviet Union...
peasants and Bashkir cavalry. Only the Cossacks had firearms; the Bashkirs were armed with bows while the peasants were mostly equipped with clubs and stakes. On 11 July, Pugachev, with an interpreter, approached Kazan borders and demanded that the loyalist forces surrender. The Tatar community was invited to support the rebellion. Von Brandt refused to disarm; however, the Tatars quarters sent seventy emissaries with presents to Pugachev. They also disclosed weaknesses in the Kazan defense.
On 12 July, at four o'clock in the morning, Pugachev convened a council of war, dividing his army into 4 groups. The first two under Beloborodov and Mineyev should attack Arsk Field, the main group under Pugachev himself attacked Sukonny (Broadcloth Manufactory) quarter. The group under Ovchinnikov and Bakhmutov should attack Tatar quarters. The storm started at six o'clock after Pugachev's prayer.
Storm of Kazan
Beloborodov took Neyelova grove, the area of modern-day Gorky Park and approached the citadel by the avenue now known as Karl MarxKarl Marx
Karl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His ideas played a significant role in the development of social science and the socialist political movement...
Street. Pugachev's cannons neutralized government artillery and shelled the defenders of the cloth fabric under manufacturer Dryablov. Workers joined the rebel army. The fourth group of rebels reached Mokry quarter and Admiralty.
Government troops were forced to retreat and were besieged in the citadel
Citadel
A citadel is a fortress for protecting a town, sometimes incorporating a castle. The term derives from the same Latin root as the word "city", civis, meaning citizen....
. Nearly half of the defenders, mostly ethnic Tatars, defected to the rebels. The central stone part of Kazan, mostly settled by Russian nobles and merchants, was set on fire. Sukonny and Tatar quarters, however, stayed safe.
Pugachev ordered his troops to safeguard the lives of civilians and captives. They were convoyed to the nearby village of Savinovo, where Pugachev invited them to join his troops. Among others, a captive Lutheran priest was appointed colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
in Pugachev's army, but nobles and resisters were massacred.
Pugachev's family
Pugachev's family, his wife Sofia Dmitrievna, his 11-year-old old son Trofim, daughters Khristina and Agrafena and his brother, were imprisoned in Kazan during the rebellion. Sofia Pugacheva should confirm, that Yemelyan isn't Peter III, but a Cossack. She could visit markets to spread this information. When Pugachev's group marched they occasionally met his family. Trofim called him, but Pugachev said that he is simply a friend of this family. So, he took them to unit transport.Michelson's arrival
The Kremlin surrounded, rebel cannons were installed near Spasskaya Tower and started shelling. After noon, Pugachev stopped the storm and retreated to Arsk Field. There he participated in thanksgivingThanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
service. Then he had a dinner at Tatar merchant Musa Apanayev's house.
In the evening governmental troops from Ufa
Ufa
-Demographics:Nationally, dominated by Russian , Bashkirs and Tatars . In addition, numerous are Ukrainians , Chuvash , Mari , Belarusians , Mordovians , Armenian , Germans , Jews , Azeris .-Government and administration:Local...
under Johann Michelson reached Kazan. A harsh battle took place at the modern Gogol street, but neither side won. Pugachev retreated to Savinovo and Sukhaya Reka villages. On 13 July he tried to prevent the end of the siege of the citadel, but under the pressure of Michelson and Potyomkin the rebels were defeated and were forced to retreat. On 15 July Pugachyov's army of 15,000 was defeated in the battle of Arsk Field. Pugachev with 500 men escaped to Tsaryovokokshaysk, to cross the Volga on 18 July and to continue his struggle then. Michelson didn't follow him, as government forces had no horses.
Before the trial captives were imprisoned in a camp near the suburb of Bishbalta. In autumn two gallows were placed in Kazan, one in Sukonny, another in Tatar quarter. Many captive rebels were executed, including Beloborodov and Mineyev.
Aftermath
After Pugachev's escape some rebel groups under Bäxtiär QanqayıvBäxtiär Qanqayiv
Bäxtiär Qanqayıv , was a colonel in Yemelyan Pugachev's rebel army, joined the rebellion in December of 1773. He agitated people to join the rebellion in Kungur, Ufa and Kazan uyezds, and united Tatar rebels to own unit. Participated in the battle of Kazan. In 1774 his unit was defeated by...
and Usman Timerev continued the resistance, but they were shortly neutralized by governmental troops.
The battle of Kazan had a significant role in Tatarstan's history
History of Tatarstan
-Pre-history:Human habitation in Tatarstan dates back to the Palaeolithic period. Remains of several cultures of the Stone and Bronze Ages have been discovered within Tatarstan....
. The Tatar
Volga Tatars
The Volga Tatars are the largest subgroup of the Tatars, native to the Volga region.They account for roughly six out of seven million Tatars worldwide....
participation in the rebellion numbered up to 85,000. Nevertheless the participants of the rebellion were harshly punished, Tsar's government continued its policy of the support of Muslim nobility and clergy, to prevent similar as a result of religious oppression in future. Feudal oppression, however, stayed for a long time.
This battle took a major place in the Soviet culture. The first Tatar movie Bulat-Batır
Bulat-Batir
Bulat-Batır or Bulat-batyr is a 1927 silent film, believed to be the first Tatar film and probably the only Tatar full-length feature silent film. The film was shot mostly in Kazan, and the Kazan Kremlin was one of its stills...
was devoted to Pugachev rebellion in Tatarstan
Tatarstan
The Republic of Tatarstan is a federal subject of Russia located in the Volga Federal District. Its capital is the city of Kazan, which is one of Russia's largest and most prosperous cities. The republic borders with Kirov, Ulyanovsk, Samara, and Orenburg Oblasts, and with the Mari El, Udmurt,...
and the siege of Kazan.