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Venevsky district - Crimean War. Venevsky district - Crimean War Participation of Kostroma residents in the Crimean War

The spirit in the troops is beyond description. During the times of ancient Greece there was not so much heroism. I was not able to be in action even once, but I thank God that I saw these people and live in this glorious time.

Lev Tolstoy

The wars of the Russian and Ottoman empires were a common phenomenon in international politics in the 18th-19th centuries. In 1853, the Russian Empire of Nicholas 1 entered into another war, which went down in history as the Crimean War of 1853-1856, and ended in the defeat of Russia. In addition, this war showed the strong resistance of the leading countries of Western Europe (France and Great Britain) to the strengthening of Russia's role in Eastern Europe, in particular in the Balkans. The lost war also showed Russia itself problems in domestic politics, which led to many problems. Despite victories in the initial stage of 1853-1854, as well as the capture of the key Turkish fortress of Kars in 1855, Russia lost the most important battles on the territory of the Crimean Peninsula. This article describes the causes, course, main results and historical significance in a short story about the Crimean War of 1853-1856.

Reasons for the aggravation of the Eastern Question

By the Eastern Question, historians understand a number of controversial issues in Russian-Turkish relations, which at any moment could lead to conflict. The main problems of the Eastern question, which became the basis for the future war, are the following:

  • The loss of Crimea and the northern Black Sea region to the Ottoman Empire at the end of the 18th century constantly stimulated Turkey to start a war in the hope of regaining the territories. Thus began the wars of 1806-1812 and 1828-1829. However, as a result, Türkiye lost Bessarabia and part of the territory in the Caucasus, which further increased the desire for revenge.
  • Belonging to the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits. Russia demanded that these straits be opened for the Black Sea Fleet, while the Ottoman Empire (under pressure from Western European countries) ignored these Russian demands.
  • The presence in the Balkans, as part of the Ottoman Empire, of Slavic Christian peoples who fought for their independence. Russia provided them with support, thereby causing a wave of indignation among the Turks about Russian interference in the internal affairs of another state.

An additional factor that intensified the conflict was the desire of Western European countries (Britain, France, and Austria) not to allow Russia into the Balkans, as well as to block its access to the straits. For this reason, countries were ready to provide support to Turkey in a potential war with Russia.

The reason for the war and its beginning

These problematic issues were brewing throughout the late 1840s and early 1850s. In 1853, the Turkish Sultan transferred the Temple of Bethlehem in Jerusalem (then the territory of the Ottoman Empire) to the management of the Catholic Church. This caused a wave of indignation among the highest Orthodox hierarchy. Nicholas 1 decided to take advantage of this, using the religious conflict as a reason to attack Turkey. Russia demanded that the temple be transferred to the Orthodox Church, and at the same time also open the straits to the Black Sea Fleet. Türkiye refused. In June 1853, Russian troops crossed the border of the Ottoman Empire and entered the territory of the Danube principalities dependent on it.

Nicholas 1 hoped that France was too weak after the revolution of 1848, and Britain could be appeased by transferring Cyprus and Egypt to it in the future. However, the plan did not work; European countries called on the Ottoman Empire to act, promising it financial and military assistance. In October 1853, Türkiye declared war on Russia. This is how, to put it briefly, the Crimean War of 1853-1856 began. In the history of Western Europe, this war is called the Eastern War.

Progress of the war and main stages

The Crimean War can be divided into 2 stages according to the number of participants in the events of those years. These are the stages:

  1. October 1853 – April 1854. During these six months, the war was between the Ottoman Empire and Russia (without direct intervention from other states). There were three fronts: Crimean (Black Sea), Danube and Caucasian.
  2. April 1854 - February 1856. British and French troops enter the war, which expands the theater of operations and also marks a turning point in the course of the war. The Allied forces were technically superior to the Russians, which was the reason for the changes during the war.

As for specific battles, the following key battles can be identified: for Sinop, for Odessa, for the Danube, for the Caucasus, for Sevastopol. There were other battles, but the ones listed above are the most basic. Let's look at them in more detail.

Battle of Sinop (November 1853)

The battle took place in the harbor of the city of Sinop in Crimea. The Russian fleet under the command of Nakhimov completely defeated the Turkish fleet of Osman Pasha. This battle was perhaps the last major world battle on sailing ships. This victory significantly raised the morale of the Russian army and inspired hope for an early victory in the war.

Map of the Sinopo naval battle November 18, 1853

Bombing of Odessa (April 1854)

At the beginning of April 1854, the Ottoman Empire sent a squadron of the Franco-British fleet through its straits, which quickly headed for the Russian port and shipbuilding cities: Odessa, Ochakov and Nikolaev.

On April 10, 1854, the bombardment of Odessa, the main southern port of the Russian Empire, began. After a rapid and intense bombardment, it was planned to land troops in the northern Black Sea region, which would force the withdrawal of troops from the Danube principalities, as well as weaken the defense of Crimea. However, the city survived several days of shelling. Moreover, the defenders of Odessa were able to deliver precise strikes on the Allied fleet. The plan of the Anglo-French troops failed. The Allies were forced to retreat towards Crimea and begin battles for the peninsula.

Fighting on the Danube (1853-1856)

It was with the entry of Russian troops into this region that the Crimean War of 1853-1856 began. After success in the Battle of Sinop, another success awaited Russia: the troops completely crossed over to the right bank of the Danube, an attack was opened on Silistria and further on Bucharest. However, the entry of England and France into the war complicated the Russian offensive. On June 9, 1854, the siege of Silistria was lifted, and Russian troops returned to the left bank of the Danube. By the way, Austria also entered the war against Russia on this front, which was worried about the rapid advance of the Romanov Empire into Wallachia and Moldavia.

In July 1854, a huge landing of the British and French armies (according to various sources, from 30 to 50 thousand) landed near the city of Varna (modern Bulgaria). The troops were supposed to enter the territory of Bessarabia, displacing Russia from this region. However, a cholera epidemic broke out in the French army, and the British public demanded that the army leadership give priority to the Black Sea Fleet in the Crimea.

Fighting in the Caucasus (1853-1856)

An important battle took place in July 1854 near the village of Kyuryuk-Dara (Western Armenia). The combined Turkish-British forces were defeated. At this stage, the Crimean War was still successful for Russia.

Another important battle in this region took place in June–November 1855. Russian troops decided to attack the eastern part of the Ottoman Empire, the Karsu fortress, so that the Allies would send some troops to this region, thereby slightly easing the siege of Sevastopol. Russia won the Battle of Kars, but this happened after the news of the fall of Sevastopol, so this battle had little impact on the outcome of the war. Moreover, according to the results of the “peace” signed later, the Kars fortress was returned to the Ottoman Empire. However, as the peace negotiations showed, the capture of Kars still played a role. But more on that later.

Defense of Sevastopol (1854-1855)

The most heroic and tragic event of the Crimean War is, of course, the battle for Sevastopol. In September 1855, French-English troops captured the last point of defense of the city - Malakhov Kurgan. The city survived an 11-month siege, but as a result it was surrendered to the Allied forces (among which the Sardinian kingdom appeared). This defeat was key and provided the impetus for ending the war. From the end of 1855, intensive negotiations began, in which Russia had practically no strong arguments. It was clear that the war was lost.

Other battles in Crimea (1854-1856)

In addition to the siege of Sevastopol, several more battles took place on the territory of Crimea in 1854-1855, which were aimed at “unblocking” Sevastopol:

  1. Battle of Alma (September 1854).
  2. Battle of Balaklava (October 1854).
  3. Battle of Inkerman (November 1854).
  4. Attempt to liberate Yevpatoria (February 1855).
  5. Battle of the Chernaya River (August 1855).

All these battles ended in unsuccessful attempts to lift the siege of Sevastopol.

"Distant" battles

The main fighting of the war took place near the Crimean Peninsula, which gave the name to the war. There were also battles in the Caucasus, on the territory of modern Moldova, as well as in the Balkans. However, not many people know that battles between rivals also took place in remote regions of the Russian Empire. Here are some examples:

  1. Petropavlovsk defense. The battle, which took place on the territory of the Kamchatka Peninsula between the combined Franco-British troops on one side and the Russian ones on the other. The battle took place in August 1854. This battle was a consequence of Britain's victory over China during the Opium Wars. As a result, Britain wanted to increase its influence in eastern Asia by displacing Russia. In total, the Allied troops launched two assaults, both of which ended in failure. Russia withstood the Petropavlovsk defense.
  2. Arctic company. The operation of the British fleet to attempt to blockade or capture Arkhangelsk, carried out in 1854-1855. The main battles took place in the Barents Sea. The British also launched a bombardment of the Solovetsky Fortress, as well as the robbery of Russian merchant ships in the White and Barents Seas.

Results and historical significance of the war

Nicholas 1 died in February 1855. The task of the new emperor, Alexander 2, was to end the war, and with minimal damage to Russia. In February 1856, the Paris Congress began its work. Russia was represented there by Alexey Orlov and Philip Brunnov. Since neither side saw the point in continuing the war, already on March 6, 1856, the Paris Peace Treaty was signed, as a result of which the Crimean War was completed.

The main terms of the Treaty of Paris 6 were as follows:

  1. Russia returned the Karsu fortress to Turkey in exchange for Sevastopol and other captured cities of the Crimean peninsula.
  2. Russia was prohibited from having a Black Sea fleet. The Black Sea was declared neutral.
  3. The Bosporus and Dardanelles straits were declared closed to the Russian Empire.
  4. Part of Russian Bessarabia was transferred to the Principality of Moldova, the Danube ceased to be a border river, so navigation was declared free.
  5. On the Allad Islands (an archipelago in the Baltic Sea), Russia was prohibited from building military and (or) defensive fortifications.

As for losses, the number of Russian citizens who died in the war is 47.5 thousand people. Britain lost 2.8 thousand, France - 10.2, Ottoman Empire - more than 10 thousand. The Sardinian kingdom lost 12 thousand military personnel. The number of deaths on the Austrian side is unknown, perhaps because it was not officially at war with Russia.

In general, the war showed the backwardness of Russia compared to European countries, especially in terms of the economy (completion of the industrial revolution, construction of railways, use of steamships). After this defeat, the reforms of Alexander 2 began. In addition, the desire for revenge had been brewing in Russia for a long time, which resulted in another war with Turkey in 1877-1878. But this is a completely different story, and the Crimean War of 1853-1856 was completed and Russia was defeated in it.

L. N. Novozhilova

Art. Researcher at the Kostroma Museum-Reserve

"For Faith, Tsar, and Fatherland"

Regimental banners and company insignia of the Kostroma militias from the funds of the Kostroma Museum-Reserve

In 1991, the museum received a letter from the grandson of one of the officers of the 503rd squad of the Kostroma militia during the First World War. His grandfather, Dmitry Mikhailovich Ratkov, a captain and then a lieutenant colonel, took part in the formation of the squad, went through the entire war with it, and in 1918 returned to his homeland in Usa. Rozhdestveno near Plyos. The author of the letter asked if it was possible to see and bow to the banner of the 503rd squad, which, according to his mother, was in the historical exhibition of the museum-reserve. It was this letter that prompted us to more carefully and seriously study the history of museum collections and, in particular, the history of the banners of the Kostroma militias of the 19th - early 19th century. XX century, as well as the history of the militias themselves.

Over the many years of the existence of the local history exhibition of the museum-reserve, located within the walls of the Ipatiev Monastery, several signs and a banner were exhibited in sections on the history of the Patriotic War of 1812 and the Crimean War (1853–1856). All that was known about them was that the banners belonged to the militias formed in the Kostroma province during these troubled years for the country. But when and under what circumstances they ended up in the museum where they were previously kept - these questions remained a mystery for a long time.

History of the Kostroma militia 1812-1815. partially known from publications in both modern and pre-revolutionary publications 1. The gathering of soldiers of the Kostroma militia began on September 1, 1812. The formation of a popular military force was slow. Among the nobles called up to officer positions, there were frequent cases of evasion of conscription. Some landowners supplied peasants unsuitable for service in the militia - physically weak, sick, old, poorly equipped. The participation of serfs in the militia was seen as the result of a donation from their owners to the extent that landowners donated other types of their property to the militia. The most difficult problem was the armament of the warriors.

The armament, uniforms and food supply of the militia took place using funds both voluntarily donated by the population and mandatory contributions from nobles, rural peasant communities and artisans. All Kostroma estates participated in the preparation of the militia:

The Kostroma militia set out on a campaign only on December 15, 1812. The militia included 4 infantry and 1 cavalry regiments, a total of 10,800 people. The regiments were divided into battalions and companies. Lieutenant General P.G. Bardakov, who distinguished himself in the campaigns of A.V. Suvorov, during the assault on the Ochakov fortress and in the battle of Rymnik, was appointed provincial commander of the Kostroma military force. The Kostroma militia, which was part of the Volga militia of the 3rd district under the command of Lieutenant General Count P.A. Tolstoy, did not participate in the military operations of 1812 on Russian territory.

On September 13, 1813, the Kostroma residents arrived at their destination - the Glogau fortress in Silesia. Overall command over all militia units, and regiments of not only the Kostroma, but also the Ryazan, Simbirsk, Nizhny Novgorod and Kazan militias fought near Glogau, was entrusted to P.G. Bardakov. He proved himself to be an experienced military leader: under his direct leadership, the fortress was besieged according to all the rules of military art - a single blockade line was created around Glogau. The coming autumn cold affected the warriors. Mass illnesses began in the regiments, and uniforms fell into disrepair. Despite all the hardships and hardships, the militia steadfastly carried out siege service and made daring forays. The keys to the Glogau fortress, which capitulated to the allied Russian-Prussian army, were presented to the Russian Emperor Alexander I by the Kostroma resident, the brigade commander of the Kostroma militia, S.P. Tatishchev. In an order dated October 10, 1814, the commander of the blockade forces at Glogau, General Rosen, highly praised the military exploits of the militia: “You, having taken up arms (...) in defense of the Fatherland, burning with zeal and jealousy with tireless patience, overcame all difficulties (...), during in the harsh winter, in bivouacs, they repelled strong attacks from the enemy, knocked down his forward posts (...), forced the famous fortress to surrender, which earned them universal praise and worthy respect (...)"2

At the beginning of February 1815, the Kostroma militia returned to Kostroma, where a thanksgiving prayer service was held in front of a large crowd of people on the main square in the Assumption Cathedral.

Each company that was part of the regiment had its own company sign. The signs, which are now stored in the museum reserve, are a small canvas on which on one side the monogram of Emperor Alexander I is depicted. On the other side in the center is the coat of arms of Kostroma Paul I (a shield with a cross and a month). Above the coat of arms is the inscription “Kostroma Militia” and the number of the regiment, below is the number of the battalion and company (for example, “4th Regiment of the 2nd Battalion of the 3rd Company”) 3.

The report of the Kostroma Scientific Society for the Study of the Local Region for 1922 contains information about the receipt of banners of 1812 from the provincial revolutionary tribunal to the regional museum. On March 1, 1922, an entry was made in the museum’s book of receipts under number 1606: “From the Gubrev Tribunal: battalion badges of the militia of 1812. Half-decayed, torn, broken frames” 4 A total of 10 badges were received. The signs were on the poles. They were registered and included in the inventory of the “Weapons” fund, compiled in the 1st half of the 20s of the 20th century. Opposite the entry about the signs in the inventory, the note “Written off... September 20, 1955” later appeared. But the museum workers did not raise their hand to get rid of the objects testifying to the military exploits of the Kostroma residents in those distant years, and such rarities are rare in local museums.

In 1955, new inventory and receipt books were established in the museum-reserve, and new numbers were given to items. Information about the sources of receipt of things, with rare exceptions, was not included in the new documents. Now the signs of the Kostroma militia of 1813-1815. are stored in the "Tissues" fund. Some of them can be seen at the exhibition “Warriors and Wars” in the guardhouse building. They were strengthened during the Soviet years, but nevertheless require careful restoration.

Simultaneously with the signs of 1812, 6 more banners of the Kostroma militia, but from the era of the Crimean War, were transferred to the museum from the Revolutionary Tribunal. “1853 Militia Banners of green raw silk on tasseled staffs except one and with eagles at the top of the staff. Half-decayed” is entry number 1607 in the receipts book for 1922 5 . The banners were also included in the inventory book of the “Weapons” fund; one of them was written off, but left in the museum. Of the six, truly half-decayed, huge panels, through the efforts of a first-class restorer, only two have been brought back to life and exhibited so far 6 . They are presented at the exhibition “Warriors and Wars” and at the exhibition “Russian Emperors in Kostroma” in the Romanov Museum. On each side of the banner there is a militia cross with the monogram of Emperor Nicholas I and the inscription “For Faith, Tsar and Fatherland.” On one of the banners there is a metal plate with the inscription “Kostroma militia banner of the 150th squad, received by the squad on July 10, 1855, illuminated on the 14th, the campaign was from the city of Chukhloma to the city of Piotrkova, Warsaw province and back, handed over from the squad in Kostroma Assumption Cathedral, September 30, 1856. The head of the squad is Major Denisyev, Adjutant Warrant Officer Belikhov.”7

At the end of the war, according to the Highest Decree, the banners of the militia squads were placed in the cathedrals of the provincial cities “as a keepsake for posterity”8. It should be added that in some provinces the squads received before the campaign the banners of the 1812 militia, which were kept in local cathedrals after the Patriotic War. Consequently, the signs of the first Kostroma militia were in the cathedral. After the closure of the Assumption Cathedral, all military relics stored there were transferred to the regional museum.

For a long time, information about the formation of the militia in the Kostroma province during the Crimean War, and about where it performed military service, was not found. The situation for the author of this study became clearer in the beginning. 90s XX century, after working with documents from the regional archives, which gradually became available again, new interesting documents were discovered9.

A provincial militia committee was created to guide the formation of the militia. The officer corps was recruited from Kostroma nobles. Some of them joined the militia of their own free will, realizing the duty entrusted to them. There was no patriotic mood among the bulk of the nobility. Unknown author of the manuscript “From Memoirs of the Militia of 1855” 10, apparently, a member of the militia himself, in his notes talked about how the elections of nobles to the Kostroma militia took place, and what problems arose in connection with this, with what “hunting” the Kostroma nobles went to the militia, and what caused this . The manuscript was first published in 1995. 11 The observations made by the author are confirmed by archival documents.

Many nobles were dissuaded from serving on the pretext of illness or simply did not show up for service. It was impossible to select persons under trial and investigation into the militia. Provincial and also district officials took advantage of this and were put on trial for lapses in service. They rushed to the Criminal Chamber with a request to suspend the decision of their cases.

In addition to patriotically minded and conscientious nobles, those who, having squandered their fortune, did not know what to do next, also joined the militia. Others decided to exchange the invisible career of a provincial official for an officer's rank and epaulettes.

More than half of the militia officers had no idea about military service. Of the 20 officers of the Varnavinsky squad No. 152, 10 people were military in the past; only three had previously participated in military campaigns. The age of the squad officers ranged from 21 to 60 years, the majority were under 40 years old 12. The period from 1815 to 1853 in the history of Russia was not full of large-scale military events, and it was not possible for young nobles to gain experience.

The main composition of the militia consisted of peasants and townspeople. The supply of peasants to the squads was at the expense of their owners. They had to contribute money for uniforms, food, fodder, and salaries. If desired, part of the contributions could be made in kind. The landowners tried to sell off the hands of old, careless, unreliable peasants. Rumors spread among the peasants that all militias would be freed from serfdom after the war. Therefore, many of them left the landowners without permission for the city to enroll in the militia.

The formation of the militia was not easy. There were not enough warriors, uniforms, food, and property for the convoys. Individual members of the provincial militia committee abused their official position 13 . By the summer of 1855, 10 squads were formed in the counties. According to information as of May 23, 1855, the total number of the Kostroma militia was 11,003 lower ranks from the bourgeoisie and peasants and 199 officers from the nobility14

At the request of the nobility, the actual state councilor Fyodor Ivanovich Vaskov was confirmed as the head of the Kostroma militia. He was a participant in the Patriotic War of 1812, with the rank of lieutenant he fought near Smolensk and was wounded in the Battle of Borodino, and took part in the foreign campaign of the Russian army in 1813–1814. Later, Colonel Pasynkov was appointed acting head of the Kostroma militia, and then Count Igelstrom.

From July 12 to August 4, 1855, Kostroma residents accompanied the squads on a campaign. To the sound of bugles and drums, with flying banners, the squads set out on a campaign. Previously, each banner was solemnly illuminated 15.

The governors, district and provincial leaders of the nobility of those provinces in which the militias gathered received the highest gratitude for their formation. But for the “bad” equipment of the militia, the Kostroma governor and the provincial leader of the nobility were given the Highest reprimand 16. In Warsaw, at a review during the reception of the Kostroma militia, General Sumarokov scolded the chief of the militia.17.

Kostroma residents did not participate in the military battles of the Crimean War. The once friendly Austria, together with Prussia, began to show aggressive aspirations and moved troops to the border of the Russian Empire. Emperor Nicholas 1 was forced to concentrate part of his forces in Poland and the southwestern region. The Kostroma militia was sent to help the active army in the Kingdom of Poland. The squads were located in Warsaw (Alexandrovskaya Citadel), Bobruisk, Petrkov. The militia carried out guard duty, engaged in combat training, and studied military regulations. The training program for the front-line education of the squads of the Kostroma and Yaroslavl militias involved direct training in “pal6e” (strel6e) only once a week. The rest of the time was occupied by rifle techniques, calculation of military columns, loose formation, marching, etc. On Sunday it was allowed in the afternoon to “gather in circles by company and sing songs” 18 .

On March 20, 1856, a peace treaty was signed. Soon an order was issued to disband the State Mobile Militia. The banners of the squads were ordered to be handed over to the nearest arsenals 19 . But, already on May 5, 1856, the emperor canceled this order and ordered all the banners to be placed “for permanent storage in the cathedrals of provincial cities”20. After the squads returned to their homeland, the banners were transferred to the Assumption Cathedral.

But the military service of the banners of the Kostroma militia in the Crimean War did not end. In 1914, shortly after the outbreak of the First World War, the formation of a militia began again in the province21. On November 14, 1914, a thanksgiving prayer service was held on Susaninsky Square, after which three foot squads were given the banners of the Kostroma militia of 1855 from the Assumption Cathedral 22. These three banners never returned from the battlefields of the First World War to Kostroma.

Notes

1 Notes on the Kostroma militia // Bulletin of Europe. 1815. Part 81. No. 12; Vinogradova S. The battle path of the Kostroma militia 1812–1815 / Kostroma antiquity. 1995. No. 7. pp. 20–24; Napoleon's formidable age. Notes about the Kostroma militia. From the diary of P. G. Bardakov. The publication was prepared by S. G. Vinogradova // Provincial House. 1996. No. 5. pp. 32–37.

2 Notes on the Kostroma militia. pp. 310–311.

3 KMZ VKh 101-104, VKh 1156, DVKh 15 ...

4 KMZ Receipt Book No. 27: “Record of donations and receipts of various things to the museum in 1918 and in subsequent years.” P.98 vol.

6 KMZ KOK 7242.

7 KMZ KOK 7242.

9 Novozhilova L.N. Kostroma militia 1855–1856 // Province as a sociocultural phenomenon: collection. scientific tr. participants of the XVIII conference. Kostroma, May 2000. Kostroma: KSU named after. Nekrasova, 2000. T. 1. P. 49–53.

10 GAKO, f. 558, op. 2, no. 89.

11 “The quiet sea of ​​provincial life was stirred up”: From memories of the militia of 1855 / entry. Art. L. Novozhilova // Provincial House. 1995. No. 6. pp. 48–53

12 GAKO, f. 1009, op. 1, no. 104.

13 GA RF, f. 109, d. 445, l. 19–21.

14 GAKO, f. 1009, op. 1, no. 48.

15 Andronikov P. Illumination of the banners of the Kostroma and Buisk squads of the Kostroma militia / Kostroma Provincial Gazette. 1855. No. 32.

16 RGVIA, f. 12281, op. 1, d. 1, l. 137.

17 Kolyupanov N.P. From the past // Russian Review. M. 1895. No. 6. P. 598–599. In 1850–1857 served as an official of the Chamber of State Property in Kostroma.

18 GAKO, f. 1009, op. 1. Orders for the Kostroma militia of 1855

20 Regulations on the dissolution of the state mobile militia dated April 5, 1856 // Kostroma Provincial Gazette. 1956. No. 11. June 2.

21 Grigorov A.I. Kostroma militia in the great war of 1914–1918. // Romanov readings. History of Russian statehood and the Romanov dynasty: current problems of study // materials of the conference. Kostroma May 29–30, 2008. Kostroma, 2008. pp. 241–256.

II Romanov readings. Center and province in the system of Russian statehood: conference materials . Kostroma, March 26 - 27, 2009 / comp. and scientific ed. A.M. Belov, A.V. Novikov. - Kostroma: KSU named after. ON THE. Nekrasova. 2009.

Crimean War 1853-1856.
Based on materials from Venevsky district

Denis Makhel
2006-2018

View of the Inkerman Heights, 2006

The largest war in Europe after the Napoleonic Wars was the Eastern War, known in our country as the Crimean War.

Formation of the squad

With the landing of enemy troops in Crimea in 1854, the mechanism for the formation of militia squads was launched, which also affected Venev. The Venevsky district squad, which received the number “89,” recruited 1,083 people. Of these, 1 staff officer, 12 chief officers and 1070 warriors. 4 main companies and one reserve company were formed. From April 26, 1855, the 2nd company was quartered in the village of Khavki, and the 3rd in the village of Gati; from June 21, the 4th company was quartered in the village of Medvedki. The 1st company was located in Venev itself. The local merchants donated 217 silver rubles to the militia.

Before the Venevians went on a campaign, several incidents happened with the squad. On June 16, 1855, a large fire occurred in Khavki. At 5-30 at night, lightning struck one of the houses, which caught fire, the fire quickly spread, about 60 houses, an entire settlement, burned down. During the fight against the fire, some warriors distinguished themselves, including constable Mikhail Kazmin, son of Zharkov.

As for small arms, the squad received 100 pieces of old flintlock smoothbore rifles and was supposed to receive 900 percussion smoothbore rifles from the Tula Arms Factory, but according to the statement at the end of 1855 there were only 800 pieces of flintlocks.

In June 1855, Tatyana Gavrilovna Grishchenko handed over the image of Our Lady of the Softening of Evil Hearts, written on a cypress board, in a gilded silver crown, and embroidered with 50 gilded bronze crosses. The icon was transferred to the 1st company.

In the period from July 1 to July 15, 1855, the only escape was recorded in the squad for the entire time of its existence.


Uniform and weapons of the State Mobile Militia

Hike

On July 19, a general gathering took place in the city of Venev; on July 20, the militia set out on a campaign in the city of Berdyansk, Taurida province, where it arrived on September 22, but was sent to Bakhchisarai along a changed route. On October 4, squad No. 89 reached its destination, by this time Sevastopol had already been surrendered (August 27, 1855) and no active hostilities were conducted. For comparison, the squad from the neighboring Zaraisky district was only able to reach the city of Nikolaev and returned back, having lost 20% of its composition from the epidemic. In general, the Russian army lost 102 thousand people from disease in 1853-55 and only 51 thousand people were killed. During the entire campaign, squad No. 89 lost 20 people due to death, 9 of them from ordinary diseases and 11 from epidemic diseases, and not a single person during the fighting. Thus, the losses of the Venevians amounted to only about 2%.

The route of the squad from Venev to Crimea: Tula province - 12 days, Oryol province. - 4 days, Kursk province. - 17 days, Kharkov province. - 7 days, Ekaterinoslavskaya - 17 days, Tavricheskaya - 26 days.The Tula militia squads joined the active army in excellent condition, which was noted in a special order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Southern Army, Prince. Gorchakova. 6 militia squads were merged into the regiments as fourth battalions.


Stamp from one of the documents,
from GATO funds

Squad No. 89 became part of the Okhotsk Jaeger Regiment of the 11th Infantry Division. On October 5, the Venev militias were transferred to positions in the village of Zelenkoy, on October 6 to the Orto-Korolez position, and on October 8 they occupied the Inkerman Heights. Where on October 29, 1855, they took part in the review of troops by Emperor Nicholas I, for which the head of the squad, Colonel Norov I.D. received the "Highest Blessing", and the rest of the militia were granted 1 ruble per person participating in the review. On November 11, the squad was transferred to Mount Mycenzius.

Interesting fact: the squad was assigned musicians (buglers and drummers), and they were recruited by the end of 1855, consisting of 12 people from the Venev warriors.

The situation with small arms during the Crimean War became a classic example of the technological gap between the Russian army and the Anglo-French. The Russian army did not have a significant amount of rifled weapons, while the Allies had up to 50% of the total arsenal. Smoothbore guns allowed firing at a range of up to 300 steps, while rifled models hit the target at a distance of about 1000 steps. One of the solutions to the problem was suggested by the enemy himself; the French introduced new Neusler system bullets into their army for old smoothbore guns, thereby increasing their range to 600 steps. The Russian army quickly adopted this experience, even the Venev militia was issued new “French” style bullets with improved aerodynamics.

At the beginning of 1856, the first samples of rifled weapons in the amount of 72 pieces were transferred to squad No. 89; these were remade guns from old smooth-bore guns. Classes were conducted with warriors in bullet shooting; in February 1856, 150 rounds of ammunition were spent for this purpose. The acute shortage of small arms is confirmed by the fact that out of 800 existing old flintlock rifles, 190 were transferred to the fortifications of the northern side of the city of Sevastopol.

There were also not enough qualified specialists to repair weapons. The command asked the Tula militia to provide warriors familiar with weapons. The Tula Arms Factory periodically used peasants for temporary work in the production of weapons, so there were some in the militia. The Venev squad was ordered to find 1 mechanic and 2 liens, and send them to Simferopol to the workshops.

On February 28, 1856, the squad was transferred to the location of the Kolyvan Jaeger Regiment in Azis to carry out temporary highway work.

Among the medical personnel during the transition, the squad had a paramedic. Upon arrival in Crimea, squad No. 89 was assigned a battalion doctor to the Okhotsk regiment.

On March 18, 1856, the “Paris Peace” was concluded, and on April 17, the Venev squad set off on the return journey, arriving in the city of Venev on August 17 of the same year. The State Archive of the Tula Region has fully preserved the archive of squad No. 89, which contains, among other things, numerous receipts from representatives of the authorities of settlements along the route. “Both from the gentlemen officers and from the lower ranks of the residents there were no insults or oppressions; they did not take anything forcibly from anyone, and the lower ranks were content with government provisions,” is recorded in most of the receipts.

Symbolism

All eleven squads of the Tula militia had their own banner.All banners were unified and had a common appearance: “banner model 1855 for State Militia squads.”On a light green cloth on both sides was depicted a militia cross with a monogram of the name of the sovereign emperor. In the upper part there is the inscription “For Faith” in gold, in the lower part – “The Tsar and the Fatherland”. There were no marks indicating that the banner belonged to a specific squad.

After 1856, all eleven banners were kept in the Assumption Cathedral of the Tula Kremlin near the eastern pillars. Three banners have survived to this day and are in the collections of the Tula Museum of Local Lore., today a copy of one of them is on display. One of the surviving ones indicates that this is the banner of the Aleksinsky district, the other two are similar, but without markings, the panels are stored without a pole. In any case, the banner of the Venevsky district militia of the 1855 model looked exactly like this.

In March-April 1915, the newly formed Tula militia squads were given old banners from the Assumption Cathedral of the Tula Kremlin. The Tula State Archives preserved documents on the issuance of four banners of former squads No. 80 (Belevskaya), No. 81 (Tula), No. 82 (Aleksinskaya), No. 84 (Bogoroditskaya). Apparently, the keepers of the banners in Tula knew which squad a particular banner belonged to during the Crimean War. In 1915, bronze plates were made on the poles of the issued banners indicating the number of the squad.

The new Tula squad of 1915 was issued the banner of the Alexin squad of 1855. On August 15, 1915, the Tula squad was disbanded, and the banner was sent to the Moscow Arsenal. At the request of the Tula governor Troinitsky, the banner was returned to the Tula Cathedral. Therefore, today this is the only surviving banner that has a bronze plate with the number of the squad.

In the Tula province during the First World War, only five squads were formed, whereas in 1855 there were eleven. Thus, the banner of the Venev squad could be preserved, since it was not in demand.

Despite the fact that the Venev militia did not have time to arrive for the main hostilities in 1856, the officers of the squad were awarded commemorative medals. Apparently, this is the medal that stands out in A.P.’s photograph. Izmailovsky given below.

Participants

Officers of the Venev squad No. 89.

1. Head of the squad: Guard Colonel Ilya Dmitrievich Norov.
2. captain Ilya Pavlovich Khripkov.
3. Staff Captain Ilya Borisovich Avramov.
4. Staff captain Ivan Yakovlevich Milovsky.
5. Staff Captain Mikhail Andreevich Grishchenko, commander of the 1st company.
6. Staff Captain Evgraf Stepanovich Strogov, commander of the 4th company.
7. Lieutenant Nikolai Mikhailovich Trufanov.
8. Lieutenant Nikolai Alekseevich Ushakov.
9. Lieutenant Alexander Ilyich Uvarov.
10. titular adviser Nikolai Nikolaevich Barykov.
11. Lieutenant Pyotr Ivanovich Zvegintsev.
12. collegiate secretary Ivan Aleksandrovich Shumilov.
13. provincial secretary Mikhail Petrovich Izmailovsky, treasurer and quartermaster of the squad
14. artillery warrant officer Sergei Aleksandrovich Yankov, commander of the 2nd company.
15. collegiate registrar Grigory Petrovich Terekhov.
16. collegiate registrar Alexey Petrovich Izmailovsky, 2nd adjutant.
17. collegiate registrar Fedor Fedorovich Tsenin.
18. collegiate registrar Nikolai Vasilievich Romanus.
19. collegiate registrar Mikhail Nikolaevich Uvarov.

Romantic story

The 33-year-old lieutenant Pyotr Ivanovich Zvegintsev, who came from Tula nobles, served as part of the Venev squad. However, he did not inherit any property. His father was a military man who was ennobled in 1840. During the squad's stay in Crimea in the fall of 1855 - spring of 1856, Pyotr Ivanovich began a romantic relationship with a resident of Sevastopol, Pelageya.

Pelageya Ivanovna moved to the Tula province. Here they got married. Soon Pyotr Ivanovich acquired the Izrog estate in Efremovsky district, where the Zvegintsev family settled.

The name of Peter Ivanovich was preserved in the lists of benefactors of the local rural church. Son Vyacheslav at the beginning of the 20th century was a deputy of the provincial assembly of nobles. In July 2011, we managed to find their descendants living in Tula.


Zvegintseva Pelageya Ivanovna, OK. 1855

Sources

1. Atlasov A., Venev. Historical and economic review, Tula, 1959.
2. Service record of the Noble Assessor of the Venev Guardianship of the Court Counselor Fyodor Fedorovich Tsenin in 1899, GATO f. 39, op. 2, d. 2503, l. 96-205 rpm
3. Chernopyatov V.I., Materials for the genealogies of the Tula Noble Estate, M., 1907.
4. GATO f. 39, op. 1, d. 150, l. 85
5. Formation of the Tula militia in the Crimean War of 1853-1856. (1855).
6. Bulletin No. 2 of the Tula Orthodox Classical Gymnasium.
7. GATO F.90 op.3 d.377 Correspondence with the commanders of the Moscow Military District on the transfer of banners to militia detachments, 1914-1915
8. GATO f.495
9. Statement on the condition of guns and cartridges in Druzhina No. 89 for the month of February 1856, GATO f.495, op.1, d.10
10. Annual report on the arrival and departure of people and horses in Druzhina No. 89 of the Tula State Militia for 1855, GATO f.495, op.1., d.7





























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Presentation on the topic: Crimean War 1853-1856

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Contents1. Exacerbation of the Eastern Question1.1 Outcome 2. Russia's goals3. Opponents' goals4. Army5. The beginning of the Russian-Turkish war5.1 Military actions5.2 Military actions6. 18546.1 The Russian border strip was divided into sections7. Invasion of Crimea and siege of Sevastopol7.1 Military actions7.2 Military actions8. Diplomatic negotiations9. Crimea and the siege of Sevastopol9.1 Dates and military actions10. Battle of the Baltic Sea11. Diplomatic efforts12. Austria presented Russia with an ultimatum12.1 Result13. Results of the war14. Results of the war15. Military results.16. War rewards17. Questions

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Exacerbation of the Eastern Question Emperor Nicholas I in February 1853 demanded that the Porte (Turkish government) place all Orthodox subjects of the Ottoman Empire under his protection. The Porte, backed by England and France, rejected the king's advances. In response, Russian troops crossed the Prut River in July 1853 and occupied Moldavia and Wallachia, which were under the suzerainty of the Sultan. Nicholas I was confident that in this way he would force the Porte to make concessions without bringing the matter to war. Militarily, Russia was much stronger than Turkey, and the tsar considered the intervention of other powers in the Russian-Turkish conflict unthinkable. England, France and other European powers at this time sought to come to an agreement among themselves at the expense of economically backward Russia. In addition, the ruling circles of England and France were ready to undertake foreign policy adventures in the East in order to strengthen their dominance within the country. Therefore, British and French diplomacy spared no effort to aggravate the Russian-Turkish conflict and did not stop at actively interfering in it.

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Result Taking advantage of the emergence of the Russian-Turkish conflict, the Anglo-French fleet entered the Sea of ​​Marmara. Diplomatic relations between Russia and Turkey were interrupted. At the same time, negotiations began between the governments of England, France, Austria, Prussia and Sweden on the formation of a coalition against Russia.

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Russia's goals1. Russia sought to secure its southern borders2. To ensure their influence in the Balkans and establish control over the Black Sea straits of the Bosporus and Dardanelles, which was important from both a military and economic point of view. 3. Nicholas’s desire to help the oppressed Orthodox inhabitants of the Turkish Empire.4. He sought to continue the work of liberation of Orthodox peoples under the rule of Ottoman Turkey.5. According to the plan, Russian troops were not supposed to cross the Danube and were supposed to avoid clashes with the Turkish army.

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Opponents' goals1. Åland Islands and Finland are returned to Sweden.2. The Baltic region goes to Prussia.3. The Kingdom of Poland must be restored as a barrier between Russia and Germany (not Prussia, but Germany); Moldavia and Wallachia and the entire mouth of the Danube go to Austria, and Lombardy and Venice from Austria to the Kingdom of Sardinia.4. Crimea and the Caucasus are taken from Russia and given to Turkey, with part of the Caucasus (“Circassia”) forming a separate state in vassal relations with Turkey.

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Army Until 1853, the Russian army issued 10 rounds of ammunition per year per person for training infantry and dragoons. The Allied armies also had shortcomings. Thus, in the British army during the Crimean War, the archaic practice of recruiting officers to the army by selling ranks for money was widespread. The Caucasian troops of Russia (combat units that conquered the Caucasus before the start of the war) differed from the troops of the European part of the country: initiative and determination, high coordination of actions of the infantry, cavalry and artillery.

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Military actionsIn early October, before the deadline specified by Omer Pasha, the Turks began to fire at Russian forward pickets. On October 21 (November 2), Turkish troops began to cross to the left bank of the Danube and create a springboard for an attack on the Russian army. In the Caucasus, Russian troops defeated the Turkish The Anatolian army in the battles of Akhaltsikhe and Bashkadyklar, which made it possible to spend the winter period calmly. On the Black Sea, the Russian fleet blocked Turkish ships in ports.

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Military actions On November 4 (15), the Russian steamer Bessarabia, cruising in the Sinop area, captured without a fight the Turkish steamer Medjari-Tejaret (became part of the Black Sea Fleet under the name "Turk"). November 5 (17) the world's first battle of steam ships. The Russian steam frigate "Vladimir" captured the Turkish steamer "Pervaz-Bahri" (became part of the Black Sea Fleet under the name "Kornilov"). On November 9 (21), a successful battle in the area of ​​​​Cape Pitsunda of the Russian frigate "Flora" with 3 Turkish steamships "Taif", "Feizi-Bahri" and "Saik-Ishade" under the overall command of the English military adviser Slade. After a 4-hour battle, the Flora forced the ships to retreat, taking the flagship Taif in tow. On November 18 (30), a squadron under the command of Vice Admiral Nakhimov destroyed the Turkish squadron of Osman Pasha during the Battle of Sinop.

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The Russian border strip was divided into sections: the Baltic Sea coast (Finland, St. Petersburg and Ostsee provinces), the military forces of which consisted of 179 battalions, 144 squadrons and hundreds, with 384 guns; the Kingdom of Poland and western provinces - 146 battalions, 100 squadrons and hundreds, with 308 guns; The space along the Danube and the Black Sea to the Bug River - 182 battalions, 285 squadrons and hundreds, with 612 guns (sections 2 and 3 were under the main command of Field Marshal Prince Paskevich); Crimea and the Black Sea coast from the Bug to Perekop - 27 battalions, 19 squadrons and squadrons, 48 ​​guns; the coast of the Azov Sea and the Black Sea region - 31½ battalions, 140 squadrons and squadrons, 54 guns; Caucasian and Transcaucasian regions - 152 battalions, 281 hundreds and a squadron, 289 guns (⅓ of these troops were on the Turkish border, the rest - inside the region, against hostile highlanders). The shores of the White Sea were guarded by only 2½ battalions. The defense of Kamchatka, where there were also insignificant forces, was headed by Rear Admiral Zavoiko.

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Military operations On June 3 (15), 1854, 2 English and 1 French steam frigate approached Sevastopol, from where 6 Russian steam frigates came out to meet them. Taking advantage of their superior speed, the enemy, after a short firefight, went to sea. June 14 (26), 1854 battle of the Anglo-French fleet. On September 2 (14), 1854, the landing of the coalition expeditionary force in Yevpatoria began. The command of the Black Sea Fleet was going to attack the enemy fleet in order to disrupt the Allied offensive. However, the Black Sea Fleet received a categorical order not to go to sea, but to defend Sevastopol with the help of sailors and ship guns.

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Military operations on September 22. Attack of the Anglo-French detachment. After a three-hour long-range firefight, the enemy ships, having received damage, went to sea. On October 5 (17), the first bombing of the city took place, during which Kornilov died. On October 13 (25), the battle of Balaklava took place. During the battle, Russian soldiers managed to capture some Allied positions defended by Turkish troops, which they had to abandon, consoling themselves with the trophies captured from the Turks (banner, eleven cast-iron guns, etc.). On November 5, Russian troops (totaling 32 thousand people) attacked British troops (8 thousand people) near Inkerman. On November 24, the steamship frigates “Vladimir” and “Khersones”, having left the Sevastopol roadstead at sea, attacked a French steamer stationed near Pesochnaya Bay and forced it to leave, after which, approaching Streletskaya Bay, they fired bombs at the French camp located on the shore and enemy steamships .

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Diplomatic negotiations In 1854 in Vienna, England and France, as peace conditions, demanded a ban on Russia to keep a navy in the Black Sea, Russia’s renunciation of the protectorate over Moldavia and Wallachia and claims to patronage of the Sultan’s Orthodox subjects, as well as “freedom of navigation” in Danube (that is, depriving Russia of access to its mouths). On December 2 (14), Austria announced an alliance with England and France. On December 28, 1854 (January 9, 1855), a conference of the ambassadors of England, France, Austria and Russia opened, but the negotiations did not produce results and were interrupted in April 1855. After the war, France concluded an agreement with Sardinia, in which it officially assumed the corresponding obligations ( which, however, were never implemented).

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Crimea and the siege of Sevastopol On February 5 (17), Russian troops made an unsuccessful attempt to liberate Evpatoria. On March 7 (19), Istomin died. On March 28 (April 9), the second bombardment of Sevastopol was launched. On May 12 (24), the Anglo-French fleet occupied Kerch, the garrison which he went to Feodosia. 3 steamships, 10 transports and small vessels caught in Kerch harbor were burned by their crews. The schooner "Argonaut", having entered into an unequal battle with the English steam schooner "Snake", which had superior machine power and weapons, caused the latter several damage, broke away from the enemy and went to Berdyansk. May 22-24 (June 3-5) the third bombardment, after which the allies, during a stubborn battle, captured the Selenga and Volyn redoubts and the Kamchatka lunette and came close to the Malakhov Kurgan - the key to the defense of Sevastopol.

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Dates and military actions On June 20, Totleben, who led the engineering work to protect the city, was wounded. On June 28, the commander-in-chief of the English troops, Lord Raglan, died. On July 10, Nakhimov died from a bullet from an English sniper. On August 16, Russian troops made their last attempt to lift the blockade from Sevastopol, but in a battle on the river The Blacks are defeated. On August 17-20, the fifth bombing of Sevastopol took place. The losses of Russian troops amounted to 900-1000 people per day. The enemy fire from August 21 to September 3 was weaker, but still put 500-700 people out of action every day. On September 4-7, the last, sixth bombardment took place. On September 8, French troops captured Malakhov Kurgan by storm. On September 9, Russian troops left the southern part of Sevastopol.

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Diplomatic EffortsAfter the fall of Sevastopol, differences arose within the coalition. Palmerston wanted to continue the war, Napoleon III did not. The French emperor began secret (separate) negotiations with Russia. Meanwhile, Austria announced its readiness to join the allies.

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Austria presented Russia with an ultimatum: 1) replacing the Russian protectorate over Wallachia and Serbia with the protectorate of all great powers; 2) establishing freedom of navigation at the mouths of the Danube; 3) preventing the passage of anyone’s squadrons through the Dardanelles and the Bosporus into the Black Sea, prohibiting Russia and Turkey from keeping on the Black Sea sea ​​military fleet and have arsenals and military fortifications on the shores of this sea; 4) Russia’s refusal to patronize the Sultan’s Orthodox subjects; 5) Russia’s concession in favor of Moldova of the section of Bessarabia adjacent to the Danube.

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Results of the war Russia returned the city of Kars with a fortress to the Ottomans, receiving in exchange Sevastopol, Balaklava and other Crimean cities captured from it. The Black Sea was declared neutral (that is, open to commercial and closed to military vessels), with Russia and the Ottoman Empire prohibited from having military fleets there and arsenals. Navigation along the Danube was declared free, for which the Russian borders were moved away from the river and part of Russian Bessarabia with the mouth of the Danube was annexed to Moldova. Russia was deprived of the protectorate over Moldova and Wallachia granted to it by the Kuchuk-Kainardzhi peace of 1774 and the exclusive protection of Russia over Christian subjects of the Ottoman Empire. Russia pledged not to build fortifications on the Åland Islands.

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Military results The Crimean War gave impetus to the development of the armed forces, military and naval art of European states. In many countries, a transition began from smooth-bore weapons to rifled weapons, from a wooden sailing fleet to a steam armored one, and the use of the telegraph for military purposes began. In the ground forces, the role of small arms and, accordingly, fire preparation for an attack increased. In the Crimean War, positional forms of warfare arose war, a new battle order appeared - the rifle chain, which was also the result of the sharply increased capabilities of small arms. Over time, it completely replaced columns and loose formation. The experience of the Crimean War partially formed the basis for the military reforms of the 1860-1870s in Russia.

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War awardsIn Great Britain, the Crimean Medal was established to reward distinguished soldiers, and the Baltic Medal was established to reward those who distinguished themselves in the Baltic in the Royal Navy and Marine Corps. In 1856, to reward those who distinguished themselves during the Crimean War, the Order of the Victoria Cross was established, which is still the highest military award in Great Britain. In the Russian Empire, on November 26, 1856, Emperor Alexander II established the medal “In Memory of the War of 1853-1856,” as well as medal “For the Defense of Sevastopol” and ordered the Mint to produce 100,000 copies of the medal.

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