03 June 2024
The destruction and burning of Moscow: Devlet I Giray’s Crimean campaign.
As part of our cooperation with the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance, we have prepared an article about Devlet I Giray’s Crimean campaign of 1571.
453 years ago, the army of the Crimean Khanate burned down the capital of the Moscow Kingdom, Moscow.
This happened amid the Moscow-Crimean War, in which Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible of Moscow opposed the Crimean Khanate in an alliance with the Ottoman Empire.
In 1473, Moscow’s Grand Prince Ivan III swore an oath on the Bible to the Crimean Girays and refused to pay tribute to the Grand Horde. The Muscovy began expanding to the east and west, conquering other principalities and starting war after war. The Moscow princes called themselves “younger brothers” of the Giray family, receiving their support and patronage.
During the reign of Ivan IV the Terrible, after conquering Kazan and Astrakhan, Moscow dared to confront the Crimean Khanate. In 1556, a Moscow detachment invaded Crimea and burned several settlements in western and eastern Crimea. Ivan the Terrible planned to launch a larger-scale confrontation with the Crimean Tatars to free himself from tribute, but the Moscow Kingdom was stuck in the “oprichnina” (the policy of mass repression of the boyars (Russian aristocrats), including public executions and confiscation of their land and property).
In 1561, Muscovy received the so-called “false charter” of the Patriarch of Constantinople, where Ivan IV was recognized as the successor to Byzantium. This led to a significant deterioration in relations between Moscow and Crimea.
In the spring of 1571, Devlet I Giray assembled a large army consisting of Crimean Tatars, Ottoman troops, janissaries, large and small Nogai hordes, and Circassians. The Crimean Khan headed out to punish the Moscow vassal for his disobedience, but an attack on Moscow was not initially planned, as Crimean troops had not been able to go deep into Muscovy before due to strong resistance.
However, upon learning of the weak Moscow garrison, Devlet’s army made an unexpected maneuver: they bypassed the tsarist army of many thousands on the Oka River from the west and marched directly to the capital.
On June 2 (May 23 according to the old calendar), the Crimean Khan approached Moscow. Its defense was led by the commander-in-chief of the tsarist army, Ivan Bielskii, who managed to stop the Crimean army. However, the majority of Moscow’s forces remained stretched over a large area from the Oka and were forced to reach the city on their own. Eventually, the capital of the kingdom was abandoned by its tsar, who fled to Rostov.
In a bloody battle on June 3, Crimean troops were able to defeat Moscow troops, who began to retreat. Moscow was only partially protected by walls, so the battle spilled over into the streets. Even the commander of the Moscow army was wounded. Later, intentionally or not, a fire started. Due to the strong wind, it quickly turned into a real firestorm.
As a result, the flames spread to the Kremlin. According to the chronicler, “Moscow burned down all over…” and nothing made of wood remained. The fire and smoke in the Kremlin’s stone buildings caused massive civilian and military losses on both sides, and Moscow commander Ivan Bielskii was killed.
It is difficult to establish the exact number of dead, but according to the Papal Ambassador Antonio Possevino, in 1580 no more than 30,000 people lived in Moscow, although in 1520 its population was about 100,000. Instead, Moscow chroniclers did not even try to count the losses. In addition to the dead and refugees, thousands of Muscovites were taken into captivity. The capital of Muscovy was completely devastated.
Having devastated the city’s outskirts, the Crimean army returned to the steppe and began its journey to the Crimea.
In the negotiations after the campaign, Ivan the Terrible swore allegiance to his sovereign again, resumed paying tribute, and ceded Astrakhan to the Crimean Khan. In addition, he renounced his royal title and the title of heir to the Second Rome (Constantinople). However, Ivan did not plan to agree to the Khan’s conditions to surrender the recently captured Kazan, nor did he plan to finally admit defeat. All this led to new wars.
The article was prepared on the basis of materials by historian Serhiy Hromenko.