On September 19, 1609, the defense of Smolensk began. The siege of the fortress lasted 20 months, becoming one of the glorious pages in the history of our Motherland. The city began to be subjected to methodical shelling, to which the Smolensk gunners responded not without success. A mine war began. The Poles let down underground mine galleries, the defenders - countermines and blew up the enemy. The defenders of the fortress constantly harassed the Polish camp of the enemy with daring forays, including for obtaining water and firewood. The garrison of the fortress repulsed several assaults.
For over twenty months, the Smolensk people bravely defended their hometown. What the enemy troops and the diplomacy of the Polish king could not do through the traitorous boyars, who urged Shein to surrender, were done by the famine and scurvy that raged in the besieged fortress: from the large population of Smolensk, about 8 thousand people survived. By early June 1611, there were only 200 men in the garrison capable of fighting. Each warrior had to observe and defend a 20-30-meter section of the fortress wall. There were no reserves, as well as hope for outside help.
On the evening of June 2, 1611, the last assault on Smolensk began. The traitor-deserter Smolensk landowner Dedeshin pointed out a weak spot in the western part of the fortress wall. One of the Knights of the Order of Malta in an explosion brought down part of the wall. Through the gap, the Poles broke into the city. At the same time, in another place, German mercenaries climbed the stairs to that part of the fortress wall, which there was no one to guard. The fortress fell.
The defense of Smolensk once again showed what heroism and self-sacrifice the Russian people are capable of in battle with enemies. Heroes of Smolensk set as an example to his warriors voivode Dmitry Pozharsky. In Nizhny Novgorod, as in all corners of the Russian land, the progress of the defense of the fortified city was watched with alarm and pain. Its defenders became for Kuzma Minin and Nizhny Novgorod residents a model of military courage, valor in glory, instilling faith in the future liberation of Russia from the invaders.
Background
The ancient Russian city of Smolensk, located on both banks of the Dnieper, is known from chronicle sources from 862-863. as the city of the union of the Slavic tribes of the Krivichi (archaeological evidence speaks of its more ancient history). Since 882, the Smolensk land was annexed by Prophetic Oleg to the unified Russian state. This city and land has written many heroic pages in defense of our Fatherland. For more than a thousand years Smolensk became the main fortress on the western borders of Russia-Russia, right up to the Great Patriotic War.
The territory of the Smolensk land was of strategic importance: the principality was located at the crossroads of trade routes. The Upper Dnieper was connected with the Baltic through the river. Western Dvina, with Novgorod across the river. Lovat, from the upper Volga. In the early period through Smolensk there was a way from the "Varangians to the Greeks" - from the Baltic and Novgorod along the Dnieper to Kiev and further to the Black Sea and Constantinople-Constantinople. Then the closest route from the West to Moscow passed through Smolensk, so the path of most enemies from the West to Moscow always ran through Smolensk.
After the collapse of the unified Russian state, the Smolensk principality became independent. In the second half of the XIV century. and the beginning of the 15th century. Smolensk land loses its main cities and gradually falls under the rule of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Russia. In 1404, Prince Vitovt finally annexed Smolensk to Lithuania. From that time on, the independence of the Smolensk principality was done away with forever, and its lands were included in the Lithuanian-Russian state. In 1514, as a result of the war with Lithuania (1512-1522), which was successful for the Grand Duchy of Moscow, Smolensk came under the control of Moscow, returning to the Russian state.
Smolensk has always played an important defensive role in history, so the Russian sovereigns took care of strengthening it. In 1554, by order of Ivan the Terrible, a new, high wooden fortress was built. However, at this time, wooden fortresses, taking into account the development of artillery, were no longer considered strong. Therefore, at the end of the 16th century, it was decided to build a new stone fortress on the site of the old one.
In 1595-1602 During the reign of the tsars Fyodor Ioannovich and Boris Godunov, under the leadership of the architect Fyodor Kon, the Smolensk fortress wall was built, with a length of walls of 6, 5 kilometers and with 38 towers up to 21 meters high. The height of the strongest of them - Frolovskaya, which was closer to the Dnieper, reached 33 meters. Nine towers of the fortress had gates. The main driveway tower is Frolovskaya (Dneprovskaya), through which the exit to the capital passed. The second most important was the Molokhov Tower, which opened the road to Kiev, Krasny and Roslavl. In the Smolensk fortress wall there was not a single identical tower, the shape and height of the towers was determined by the relief. Thirteen blind towers were rectangular in shape. Sixteen-sided (seven towers) and round (nine) ones alternated with them.
The thickness of the walls reached 5-6, 5 m, the height - 13-19 m, the depth of the foundation was more than 4 m. In addition to the wall itself, where it was possible, F. Kon laid ditches filled with water, ramparts and ravels. Under the foundations were built "rumors", galleries-passages for eavesdropping on enemy burrows and the location of part of the troops. The walls were equipped with passages for communication with the towers, ammunition pantries, rifle and cannon loopholes. These fortifications played a huge role in the future defense of the city. The architect introduced several novelties to the already traditional scheme for him: the walls became higher - in three tiers, and not two, as before, the towers are also taller and more powerful. All three tiers of walls were adapted for combat: the first tier, for plantar combat, was equipped with rectangular chambers in which squeaks and guns were installed. The second tier was for medium combat - they built trench-like vaulted chambers in the center of the wall, in which guns were placed. The gunners climbed up to them along the attached wooden ladders. Upper battle - was located on the upper battle area, which was fenced off by battlements. Deaf and fighting teeth alternated. Between the battlements there were low brick floors, because of which the archers could beat from the knee. Above the platform, on which the guns were also installed, was covered by a gable roof.
By the beginning of the war with Poland, the population of Smolensk was 45-50 thousand people before the siege (together with the posad). The city was a strategic fortress on the western border of the Russian kingdom and a major trade center.
Model of the Smolensk fortress wall
The walls of the Smolensk Kremlin
The situation at the border. The beginning of hostilities
Even before the outbreak of open war, the Poles, taking advantage of the turmoil in the Russian state, raided the Smolensk land. The Polish government had information that Tsar Shuisky had withdrawn the available troops from the western regions, and there were no border guards on the border. Autumn - Winter 1608-1609 Polish-Lithuanian troops began to concentrate on the borders. As the Russian scouts reported to Smolensk, "… Khodkevich's infantry of seven hundred with cannons at Bykhov and in Mogilev, they said that in the spring they would go to Smolensk." At the same time, news came that 600 soldiers had gathered in Minsk.
From the autumn of 1608, Polish troops began to make systematic raids on the Smolensk volosts. So, in October, the Velizh headman Alexander Gonsevsky sent 300 people to the Shchuch volost, headed by his brother Semyon. Gonsevsky and Lithuanian Chancellor Lev Sapega suggested that the king go to Moscow through the Smolensk land, so they stepped up actions in the Smolensk direction. In addition, Gonsevsky tried to expand his personal possessions, so he planned, with the help of the constant threat of ruin, to persuade the Smolensk nobility and peasants to go under royal "protection".
In January 1609, a Diet was held in Warsaw, at which King Sigismund III proposed to erect his son Vladislav on the Russian throne. In winter - spring 1609, the gentry at their seimiks approved the campaign against Moscow. In March - April, Smolensk was already informed about the gathering of the enemy army: "Hungarians, hussars, German infantry, Inflian soldiers with Pernavsky's regiment, two hundred Cossacks, the Cossacks have letters from Dmitry to go to Smolensk, soldiers from Orsha left their head Zhmotinsky", “In Orsha, hundreds of horse hayduks, one hundred and fifty on foot, Bernatni went to Lyubavichi and Mikuly to Velizh, Kolukhovsky, Stebrovsky, Lisovsky, a company of Tatars all went to Vitebsk, waiting for Zhmotinsky, he would go to Belaya with a large army … from Orsha they write that merchants were not allowed to go to Smolensk, there will be a great charm”(Alexandrov S. V. Smolensk siege. 1609-1611. M., 2011). In the spring of 1609, Alexander Gonsevsky intensified the raids. The Poles seized the Shchucheskaya and Poretskaya volosts, which facilitated the approach of the royal army to Smolensk and jeopardized Bela communications, through which the Russian fortress maintained contact with the army of Prince Skopin.
Portrait of Sigismund III Vasa, 1610s. Jacob Troshel. Royal Castle in Warsaw
Voivode Mikhail Borisovich Shein, who led the defense of the Smolensk land, was an experienced commander. He distinguished himself in the battle of 1605, near Dobrynichi, when the Russian army inflicted a crushing defeat on the troops of False Dmitry I. - became the chief voivode in Smolensk. The voivode possessed rich combat experience, was distinguished by personal courage, firmness of character, perseverance and perseverance, and had broad knowledge in the military field.
Smolensk voivode, boyar Mikhail Borisovich Shein. Yuri Melkov
Initially, the Lithuanian elders attributed the robbery to the "willfulness of the gentry," and Shein had to resort to similar tricks in order not to violate the ceasefire that was important for Russia in the context of the civil war. He sent voluntary detachments of "hunting people" against Lithuanian incursions into border volosts. In the spring of 1609, voivode Mikhail Shein began to set up outposts on the Smolensk borders. In March, the nobleman Vasily Rumyantsev was sent to the Shchuch parish with an order "to hunt over the Lithuanian people, as much help as God will give and notches from the Lithuanian rebezh to pick up". However, they turned out to be ineffective: the peasants could not offer serious resistance to the enemy and fled, and the nobles and boyar children did not arrive or dispersed, not wanting to fight. At the same time, the nobles did not go over to the side of the enemy and did not oppose the tsarist power, the governor Shein. The nobles cared more about their own welfare than about public service. In addition, a significant and best part of the noble militia went to join the army of Skopin-Shuisky. In May and summer 1609 Shein tried to organize outposts with the help of archers under the leadership of the nobleman Ivan Zhidovinov. But in July, the archers were recalled to strengthen the defense of Smolensk, after which Zhidovinov could not organize the defense of the volosts, and in August the Gonsevskys captured the Shchuch volost.
At the same time, Shein was the organizer of an extensive intelligence network in the eastern lands of the Commonwealth. Historian V. Kargalov calls Shein in this period the main organizer of strategic intelligence in the western direction of the defense of the Russian state (Kargalov V. V. Moscow governors of the XVI-XVII centuries. M., 2002). Therefore, Shein was aware of Poland's preparation for the invasion and the formation of an enemy army in the borderlands. Thus, the Poles were unable to organize a surprise strike and Smolensk, taking into account the available capabilities, was ready for defense.
At the same time, it was necessary to take into account the threat posed by the Tushins. Under Shein, the Smolens remained loyal to the government of Shuisky and did not succumb to the propaganda of the impostor. The delegation that arrived from the Tushinsky thief was arrested by Shein and thrown into prison. Smolensk had to, despite the threat from the Commonwealth, send reinforcements to the Moscow government. In May 1609, Shein sent the most combat-ready part of his garrison of 2 thousand military men: three rifle orders numbering 1200 people and 500-600 boyar children to help the Skopin-Shuisky army advancing on Moscow. Thus, the combat capability of the Smolensk garrison was significantly weakened, it had to be restored with the help of the militia, that is, people without combat experience.
Smolensk Kremlin
Forces of the parties. Preparing the fortress for defense
The garrison of Smolensk in 5, 4 thousand people: 9 hundred nobles and children of boyars, 5 hundred archers and gunners, 4 thousand warriors from the townspeople and peasants, led by voivode Mikhail Borisovich Shein. The second commander was Pyotr Ivanovich Gorchakov. In order to somehow compensate for the loss in the archers and noblemen who had departed to help the Skopin-Shuisky army, Shein in August 1609 issued two decrees on the recruitment of subsidies from the noble estates and from the archbishop's and monastic estates. At the end of August, the following were compiled: the painting of the Smolensk garrison on the towers, the painting of the townspeople and the painting of the artillery. Thus, Shein actually formed a new army, and prepared the fortress for a long defense. Although most of the garrison consisted of townspeople and dacha people, which reduced its combat effectiveness. But under the protection of the walls of Smolensk, the militias were also a serious force, which was proved by the 20-month heroic defense.
The fortress was armed with 170-200 cannons. The cannons of the fortress ensured the defeat of the enemy up to 800 meters. The garrison possessed large stocks of hand-held firearms, ammunition and foodstuffs. Back in the summer, the voivode began to prepare for the siege, when he received information from the agents that the Polish army would be at Smolensk by August 9: Smolensk to Ospozhniy days (September 8) . From that time on, the voivode began preparations for the defense of the city. According to the plan of defense developed by Shein, the garrison of Smolensk was divided into two groups: siege (2 thousand people) and outcall (about 3, 5 thousand people). The siege grouping consisted of 38 detachments (according to the number of towers of the fortress), 50-60 warriors and gunners in each. She was supposed to defend the fortress wall and towers. The service at the city walls and towers was carefully scheduled and, under the threat of death penalty for non-observance of the painting, was strictly controlled. The outcry (reserve) grouping constituted the general reserve of the garrison, its tasks were sorties, counterattacks on the enemy, strengthening the most threatened defense sectors when repelling the assaults of the enemy army. The garrison of the fortress could be replenished at the expense of the population of the city, who showed the highest love for the Motherland and supported the defenders with all their might. Thus, thanks to skilful organization, early mobilization and the most severe discipline, it was possible to concentrate as much as possible all available forces for the defense of the city.
When the enemy's army approached Smolensk, the posad surrounding the city, including the Zadneprovsk part of the city (up to 6 thousand wooden houses), was burned out on the orders of the governor. This created more favorable conditions for defensive actions: improved visibility and firing capabilities for artillery, the enemy was deprived of shelters for preparing a surprise attack, dwellings on the eve of winter.
Heroic defense of Smolensk in 1609-11Source: Map from the "Atlas of the Smolensk region" M., 1964
On September 16 (26), 1609, the advance detachments of the Commonwealth, led by the chancellor of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania Lev Sapega, approached the city and began a siege. On September 19 (29), the main forces of the Commonwealth, led by Sigismund III, approached. Initially, the Polish army numbered about 12, 5 thousand people with 30 guns. The Polish army included not only Poles, but also Lithuanian Tatars, Hungarian and German mercenary infantry. The weakness of the Polish army was the small number of infantry, which was necessary for the assault on a strong fortress - about 5 thousand people. Apparently, the Polish king did not initially plan to storm the city, but counted on its quick surrender (according to his data, there were only a few hundred soldiers in the fortress) and the further advance of the entire army deep into the Russian state, but these calculations were not justified. Subsequently, the siege army increased significantly (according to various sources, up to 30-50 thousand cavalry and infantry): more than 10 thousand Cossacks and registered Cossacks, led by Hetman Olevchenko, approached; the bulk of the gentry from the Tushino camp; the number of landsknechts - German, Hungarian mercenaries - increased; siege artillery arrived.
Polish troops blockaded the city from all sides and occupied all the villages in its vicinity. The property of the peasants of the surrounding villages was plundered, and the peasants themselves were forced to carry food to the Polish camp. Many peasants fled to the forests and gathered in partisan detachments. So, one of the detachments of the Smolensk partisans, under the command of Treska, numbered almost 3 thousand warriors. The partisans destroyed the Polish foragers and boldly attacked the invaders.
The Polish lord Sigismund III presented Shein with an ultimatum of surrender, which was left unanswered by the Smolensk voivode. Shein, who delivered the ultimatum to the messenger, said that if he again appears with a similar proposal, he will be "given the water of the Dnieper to drink."
Thus, a sudden attack on the fortress city of Smolensk did not work. Thanks to the foresight of the voivode Mikhail Shein, who had his own spies in Poland, the city was not taken by surprise. The surrounding population managed to hide behind the fortress walls, the settlements were burned, the necessary supplies were prepared, the garrison was brought to full combat readiness. To the proposal to surrender ("to stand under the high royal hand") Shein, who led the defense, relying on the Zemsky general posad council, replied that the Russian fortress would defend itself to the last man.
Wall. Defense of Smolensk. Vladimir Kireev
