Siege of Varna (July — September 29, 1828) was a war episode during the
Russo-Turkish War, 1828-1829The Russo–Turkish War of 1828–1829 was sparked by the Greek War of Independence. The war broke out after the Sultan, incensed by the Russian participation in the Battle of Navarino, closed the Dardanelles for Russian ships and revoked the Akkerman Convention.When the hostilities erupted, the...
.
VarnaVarna is the largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and in Northern Bulgaria, third-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia and Plovdiv, and 77th-largest in the European Union, with a population of 355,450 .Commonly referred to as the marine capital of Bulgaria, Varna is a...
was held by the
OttomanThe Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State , also known by its contemporaries as the Turkish Empire or Turkey , was an empire that lasted from 1299 to November 1, 1922 The Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State (Ottoman Turkish: دَوْلَتِ عَلِیَّهِ عُثْمَانِیَّه Dawlet-il ʿAliyyat-il ʿOs̠māniyye, Modern Turkish:...
army. The approach to Varna by Russian forces was first attempted on June 28, but the Russian avantgardes were met by significant Turkish forces, and the siege was postponed.
By the end of July the Black Sea Fleet under command of Aleksey Greig approached Varna and delivered the landing forces.
Siege of Varna (July — September 29, 1828) was a war episode during the
Russo-Turkish War, 1828-1829The Russo–Turkish War of 1828–1829 was sparked by the Greek War of Independence. The war broke out after the Sultan, incensed by the Russian participation in the Battle of Navarino, closed the Dardanelles for Russian ships and revoked the Akkerman Convention.When the hostilities erupted, the...
.
VarnaVarna is the largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and in Northern Bulgaria, third-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia and Plovdiv, and 77th-largest in the European Union, with a population of 355,450 .Commonly referred to as the marine capital of Bulgaria, Varna is a...
was held by the
OttomanThe Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State , also known by its contemporaries as the Turkish Empire or Turkey , was an empire that lasted from 1299 to November 1, 1922 The Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State (Ottoman Turkish: دَوْلَتِ عَلِیَّهِ عُثْمَانِیَّه Dawlet-il ʿAliyyat-il ʿOs̠māniyye, Modern Turkish:...
army. The approach to Varna by Russian forces was first attempted on June 28, but the Russian avantgardes were met by significant Turkish forces, and the siege was postponed.
By the end of July the Black Sea Fleet under command of Aleksey Greig approached Varna and delivered the landing forces. In the mid-August the Guards Corps arrived to Varna, with Emperor
Nicholas INicholas I , , was the Emperor of Russia from 1825 until 1855, known as one of the most reactionary of the Russian monarchs. On the eve of his death, the Russian Empire reached its historical zenith spanning over 20 million square kilometres.Nicholas I was born in Gatchina to Emperor Paul I and...
. The
siege was put under the command of
Adjutant generalAn Adjutant General is a military chief administrative officer.-Imperial Russia:In Imperial Russia, the General-Adjutant was a Court officer, who was usually an army general. He served as a personal aide to the Tsar and hence was a member of the Svita...
Menshikov, with total forces of 23,000 personnel and 170 artillery pieces against the 20,000 garrison of Varna.
In an attempt to desiege Varna,
Omer VryonisOmer Vrioni was a leading Ottoman figure in the Greek War of Independence.-Early life:Omer Vrioni was actually Albanian from the village of Vrioni near Berat, with a distinguished record in the battles in Egypt against Napoleon...
Pasha brought a 20,000 army, but was successfully held off.
Eventually Varna was taken with 6,900 prisoners and 140 artillery pieces.
However the Russians suffered big losses during the summer-autumn campaign, and withdrew from Varna and
DanubeThe Danube is the longest river in the European Union and Europe's second longest river after the Volga.The river originates in the Black Forest in Germany as the much smaller Brigach and Breg rivers which join at the German town Donaueschingen, after which it is known as the Danube and flows...
to resume the campaign in the following spring.