Day of military glory of Russia - Day of the capture of the Turkish fortress Izmail. Capture of Ishmael

December 24th is one of the days military glory Russia - Day of the capture of the Turkish fortress Izmail Russian troops under the command of A.V. Suvorov (1790).

Unwilling to accept the results Russian-Turkish war 1768-1774, Turkey in July 1787 demanded with an ultimatum that Russia return Crimea, renounce the patronage of Georgia and agree to inspect Russian merchant ships passing through the straits. Having not received a satisfactory answer, the Turkish government declared war on Russia on August 12, 1787. In turn, Russia decided to take advantage of the situation to expand its possessions in the Northern Black Sea region by completely displacing the Turkish invaders from there.

In October 1787, Russian troops under the command of A.V. Suvorov almost completely destroyed the 6,000-strong Turkish landing party, who intended to capture the mouth of the Dnieper, on the Kinburg Spit. Despite the brilliant victories of the Russian army at Ochakov (1788), at Focshan (1789) and on the Rymnik River (1789), the enemy did not agree to accept the peace terms that Russia insisted on, and in every possible way delayed negotiations. Russian military leaders and diplomats were aware that successful completion Peace negotiations with Turkey would be greatly facilitated by the capture of Izmail.

Russian troops approached Izmail in November 1790 and began its siege. However, the autumn weather made it difficult fighting. Sickness began among the soldiers. And then the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, Field Marshal G.A. Potemkin decided to entrust the capture of Izmail to A.V. Suvorov, who arrived to the troops on December 2 (13). Suvorov had 31 thousand people and 500 guns under his command.

The outstanding Russian commander Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov did not know a single defeat. He was born on November 24, 1730 into an old noble family of the general-in-chief, a former orderly of Emperor Peter the Great. He was educated at home and mastered artillery under the guidance of his father. Suvorov, who was addicted to reading from childhood, spent his entire life educating himself, becoming one of the most educated military figures of the 18th century, having brilliantly studied, in addition to military disciplines, mathematics, philosophy, history, and spoke eight languages. . Father didn't think about military career son due to the weakness of his health, but, succumbing to the boy’s requests, he enrolled him in 1742 as a soldier in the Semenovsky Life Guards Regiment. Suvorov began active military service in 1748 with the rank of corporal, six years later received his first officer rank. Baptism of fire the future generalissimo took place in incessant skirmishes with the enemy at the end Seven Years' War, during which he earned the following review from his superiors: “Quick in reconnaissance, courageous in battle and calm in danger.” Suvorov devoted his entire life to serving Russia. Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov died on May 6, 1800. Suvorov was buried in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.

Suvorov immediately began preparing for the assault. The troops were trained to overcome obstacles using fascines and assault ladders. Much attention was paid to raising the morale of Russian soldiers. The plan for the assault on Izmail was a sudden night attack of the fortress from three sides at once with the support of a river flotilla.

After completing preparations for the assault on A.V. On December 7 (18), Suvorov sent a letter to the commandant of the fortress Aidos Mehmet Pasha demanding surrender. The commandant's envoy conveyed the answer that “it would be more likely for the Danube to stop in its flow, for the sky to fall to the ground, than for Ishmael to surrender.”

On December 10 (21), Russian artillery opened fire on the fortress and continued it all day. On December 11 (22), at 3 o'clock in the morning, at a signal from a rocket, columns of Russian troops began to advance to the walls of Izmail. At 5.30 the assault began. The Turks opened strong rifle and cannon fire, but it did not hold back the rush of the attackers. After a ten-hour assault and street fighting, Ishmael was taken. During the capture of Izmail, Major General M.I. distinguished himself. Kutuzov, who was appointed commandant of the fortress.

Enemy losses amounted to up to 26 thousand killed and about 9 thousand captured. The Russian army had 4 thousand killed and 6 thousand wounded.

Izmail was taken by an army that was inferior in number to the garrison of the fortress - an extremely rare case in the history of military art. The advantage of an open assault on fortresses compared to the then dominant methods in the West of mastering them through a long siege was also revealed. New way made it possible to take fortresses in a shorter time and with few losses.

The thunder of the cannons near Izmail announced one of the most brilliant victories of Russian weapons. The legendary feat of Suvorov's miracle heroes, who crushed the strongholds of the impregnable fortress, became a symbol of Russian military glory. The assault on the Izmail fortress ended the military campaign of 1790. However, Türkiye did not lay down its arms. And only the defeat of the Sultan’s army near Machin in the Balkans, the capture of Anapa in the Caucasus, the victory of Rear Admiral F.F. Ushakov in the naval battle of Kaliakria was forced Ottoman Empire go to peace talks. On December 29, 1791 (January 9, 1792), the Yassy Peace Treaty was concluded between Russia and Turkey, which confirmed the annexation of Crimea to Russia and established the Russian-Turkish border along the river. Dniester. Thus, the entire northern Black Sea region from the Dniester to the Kuban was assigned to Russia.

Assault on Izmail- siege and assault in 1790 of the Turkish fortress of Izmail by Russian troops under the command of Chief General A.V. Suvorov, during the Russian-Turkish War of 1787-1791.

Not wanting to come to terms with the results of the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774, Turkey in July 1787 demanded from Russia the return of Crimea, renunciation of the patronage of Georgia and consent to inspect Russian merchant ships passing through the straits.

Having not received a satisfactory answer, The Turkish government declared war on Russia on August 12 (23), 1787. In turn, Russia decided to take advantage of the situation to expand its possessions in the Northern Black Sea region by completely displacing Turkish troops from there.

In October 1787 Russian troops under the command of A.V. Suvorov almost completely destroyed the 6,000-strong Turkish landing party, who intended to capture the mouth of the Dnieper, on the Kinburn Spit.

However, despite the brilliant victories of the Russian army, the enemy did not agree to accept the peace terms that Russia insisted on, and in every possible way delayed the negotiations. Russian military leaders and diplomats were aware that the successful completion of peace negotiations with Turkey would be greatly facilitated by the capture of Izmail.

By the beginning of the Russian-Turkish War of 1787-1792, the Turks, under the leadership of German and French engineers, turned Izmail into a powerful fortress with a high rampart and a wide ditch 6 to 11 meters deep, in places filled with water. There were 260 guns on 11 bastions.

Strengthening Izmail

The Izmail fortress had a successful geographical position . It rose to a height in the Danube, which acted as a natural barrier with south side. On the western side, the fortress was surrounded by two lakes Kuchurluy and Alapukh. From the east the fortress was surrounded by Lake Kalabukh. The natural defense of Ishmael on three sides significantly limited the room for maneuver of enemy armies. A wide ravine ran along the fortress, which divided the city into two parts: the old fortress (western part of the city) and the new fortress ( East End cities).

In 1790, the Izmail fortress included the following defensive structures:

Wall around the fortress, more than 6 km long and with maximum height up to 10 m.
Moat with a width of 14 m and a depth of up to 13 m. Most of it was filled with water.
8 bastions, built in such a way that they contained a large number of corners A bastion is a protruding part of a fortress wall.
There was a stone quarry in the south-eastern part of the fortress, 12 m high.
The southern side, to which the Danube adjoined, was the least fortified. The Turks considered the river to be a strong obstacle, and also relied on their fleet, which was always supposed to hold back the enemy.

The city itself was in great danger during the assault on Izmail. Almost all buildings in the city were built of stone with thick walls and big amount towers Therefore, in fact, each building represented a strong point from which defense could be launched.

The garrison of Izmail consisted of 35 thousand people under the command of serasker Aidozly Muhammad Pasha. However, according to other sources, the Turkish garrison at the time of the assault on Izmail consisted of up to 15 thousand people, and it could have increased due to local residents. Part of the garrison was commanded by Kaplan Giray, brother of the Crimean Khan, who was helped by his five sons. The Sultan was very angry with his troops for all the previous capitulations and ordered with a firman that in the event of the fall of Ishmael, everyone from his garrison should be executed, wherever he was found.

Preparations for the assault on Izmail

November 25, 1790 Potemkin gives the order to Chief General Suvorov to immediately report to Izmail. The order was received on November 28 and Suvorov set off for the fortress from Galati, taking with him the troops he had previously trained: the Phanagorian Grenadier Regiment, the hunters of the Acheron Regiment (150 people) and the Arnauts (1000 people). Together with the troops, Suvorov sent food, 30 ladders for the assault and 1000 fascines (bundles of rods that were used to overcome ditches).

Early morning December 2 Alexander Suvorov arrived near Izmail and took command of the garrison. The general immediately began training the army. First of all, Suvorov organized reconnaissance and positioned the troops in a semicircle around the fortress, forming a dense ring on land and an equally dense ring along the Danube, creating an element of complete siege of the garrison. main idea Suvorov near Izmail was to convince the enemy that there would be no assault, but that all preparations were being made for a systematic and long-term siege of the fortress.

On the night of December 7 On the eastern and western outskirts of the fortress, at a distance of up to 400 m from it, 2 batteries were erected, each containing 10 guns. On the same day, these guns began shelling the fortress.

Deep in his rear, out of sight of the Turkish army, Suvorov ordered the construction exact copy Ismaila. We are not talking about completely copying the fortress, but about recreating its moat, rampart and walls. It was here that, using a clear example, the general trained his troops, honing their actions to the point of automatism, so that in the future, during a real assault on the fortress, each person knew what he needed to do and understood how to behave in front of one or another fortification system. All training took place exclusively at night. This is not due to the specifics of preparations for the capture of Izmail, but to the specifics of Suvorov’s training of his armies. Alexander Vasilyevich liked to repeat that it was night exercises and night battles that provide the basis for victory.

To give the Turkish army the impression of preparing a long siege, Suvorov ordered:

Fire from guns that were located close to the walls of the fortress
The fleet was constantly maneuvering and constantly firing sluggishly
Every night, rockets were launched to accustom the enemy to them and to disguise the real signal to begin the assault.

These actions led to the fact that the Turkish side greatly overestimated the size of the Russian army. If in reality Suvorov had 31,000 people at his disposal, then the Turks were sure that he had about 80,000 people at his disposal.

On December 9, 1790, at a meeting of the military council, a decision was made to storm Izmail.

The capture was planned to be carried out in three directions:

From the west, the attack is led by Pavel Potemkin and 7,500 people. Includes: Lvov detachment (5 battalions and 450 people), Lassi detachment (5 battalions, 178 people, more than 300 fascines), Meknob detachment (5 battalions, 178 people, more than 500 fascines).
Samoilov and 12,000 men lead the attack from the east. Includes: Orlov's detachment (3,000 Cossacks, 200 soldiers, 610 fascines), Platov's detachment (5,000 Cossacks, 200 soldiers, 610 fascines), Kutuzov's detachment (5 battalions, 1,000 Cossacks, 120 soldiers, 610 fascines).
Deribas and 9,000 men lead the attack from the south. Includes: Arsenyev’s detachment (3 battalions, 2000 Cossacks), Chepegi’s detachment (3 battalions, 1000 Cossacks), Markov’s detachment (5 battalions, 1000 Cossacks).

The cavalry, which numbered 2,500 people, was supplied as a reserve.

The Russian army numbered 31,000 people, 607 guns (40 field and 567 on ships).

The Turkish army numbered 43,000 people and 300 guns (excluding guns on ships, since there is no data on them).

The beginning of the assault on Izmail

On December 10, artillery preparation for the attack began. All 607 guns fired non-stop, increasing in intensity as night approached. Turkish artillery also responded, but towards the end of the day its salvoes practically ceased.

On December 11 at 3:00 a.m. a rocket was launched, signaling the Russian army to move to its starting position for the attack. At 4:00 a.m. the second rocket was launched, at the signal of which the troops began to form into battle formation.

In the morning of December 11, 1790, the third rocket was launched, which meant the beginning of the assault on the Izmail fortress. It took several attacks to break into the city. The Turks often launched counterattacks that drove back the Russian army, after which it again went on the offensive, trying to take advantageous positions.

Already by 8 o'clockmorning Russian troops captured all the walls of the fortress. From that moment on, Izmail’s attack was virtually over; the Turkish army retreated deeper into the city, and Russian soldiers closed a circle inside Izmail, creating an encirclement. The complete unification of the Russian army and the completion of the encirclement occurred at 10 am. Until about 11, fighting continued for the outskirts of the city. Each house had to be taken with a fight, but due to the courageous actions of the Russian soldiers, the ring was compressed more and more tightly. Suvorov ordered the introduction of light cannons, which fired grapeshot into the city streets. It was important point, since the Turks at that moment no longer had artillery and could not respond in a similar way.

The last center of resistance to the Turkish army in Izmail was formed in the city square, where 5,000 Janissaries, led by Kaplan-Girey, defended. Russian soldiers, trained by Suvorov to use bayonets, pressed back the enemy. In order to win the final victory, Suvorov gave the order to the cavalry, who were in reserve, to attack the city square. After this, resistance was completely broken. At 4 o'clock in the afternoon the assault on Izmail was over. The fortress fell. Nevertheless, even before the end of December 12, rare shooting continued in the city, as isolated Turkish soldiers took refuge in basements and mosques, continuing to defend. But ultimately these resistances were suppressed.

Only one Turk managed to escape alive. At the beginning of the battle, he was slightly wounded and fell from the fortress wall, after which he fled. The rest of the troops were mostly killed, a smaller part was taken prisoner.

Suvorov sent a message to the Empress:"Russian flag on the walls of Izmail."

Losses of the parties

Turkish army lost and 33,000 people were killed and wounded, 10,000 people were captured. Among the dead were: commandant Izmail Aydozli Mehmet Pasha, 12 pashas (generals), 51 senior officers.

The Russian army lost 1830 people were killed, 2933 people were wounded. During the assault, 2 generals and 65 officers were killed. These figures were in Suvorov's report. Later historians said that during the capture of the Izmail fortress, 4 thousand people died and 6 thousand were wounded.

As trophies, Suvorov's army captured:

up to 300 guns (in different sources the figure ranges from 265 to 300)
345 banners
42 ships
50 tons of gunpowder
20,000 cores
15,000 horses
jewelry and food supplies for the garrison and city for six months

Historical significance of the capture of Ishmael

Suvorov's victory at Izmail was of great significance for the Russian-Turkish war. Many Turkish fortresses, whose garrisons considered Izmail impregnable, began to surrender Russian army without a fight. As a result, a radical change was made in the war.

The capture of the Izmailov fortress made it possible to open a direct road for the Russian army to Constantinople. This was a direct blow to the sovereignty of Turkey, which for the first time faced the threat of complete loss of statehood. As a result, she was forced in 1791 to sign a peace treaty in Iasi, which meant her defeat.

Catherine II commanded knock out a medal in honor of A.V. Suvorov for the capture of Izmail and established it to reward for feats accomplished during the assault on Izmail.

For awarding lower military ranks who participated in the assault and capture of the powerful Turkish fortress of Izmail was established

December 24- The day of the capture of the Turkish fortress of Izmail by Russian troops under the command of A.V. Suvorov (1790) celebrated in Russia as the Day of Military Glory.

December 24 - Day of the capture of the Turkish fortress of Izmail by Russian troops under the command of A.V. Suvorov (1790)

This Day of Military Glory of Russia is established Federal law No. 32-FZ of March 13, 1995 “On the days of military glory (victory days) of Russia” in honor of the Day of the capture of the Turkish fortress of Izmail by Russian troops under the command of A.V. Suvorov in 1790.

Of particular importance during the Russian-Turkish war of 1787-1791 was the capture of Izmail, the citadel of Turkish rule on the Danube. The fortress was built under the leadership of German and French engineers in accordance with latest requirements fortification. From the south it was protected by the Danube, which is half a kilometer wide. A ditch 12 meters wide and 6 to 10 meters deep was dug around the fortress walls; in some places of the ditch there was water up to 2 meters deep. Inside the city there were many stone buildings convenient for defense. The fortress garrison numbered 35 thousand people and 265 guns.

In November 1790, Russian troops began the siege of Izmail. Two attempts to take the fortress ended in failure. And then the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, Field Marshal G.A. Potemkin entrusted the capture of the impregnable fortress to Suvorov. Intensified preparations for the assault began.

In an effort to avoid bloodshed, Suvorov sent an ultimatum to the commandant of Izmail to surrender the fortress, to which the answer followed: “It is more likely that the sky will fall to the ground and the Danube will flow upward than Ishmael will surrender.”

(11) December 22, 1790 Russian troops in nine columns with different sides moved to storm the fortress. The river flotilla approached the shore and, under the cover of artillery fire, landed troops. The skillful leadership of Suvorov and his comrades, the courage of soldiers and officers decided the outcome of the battle, which lasted 9 hours - the Turks defended stubbornly, but Izmail was taken. The enemy lost 26 thousand killed and 9 thousand captured. 265 guns, 42 ships, 345 banners were captured. Suvorov indicated in his report that the Russian army lost 1,815 people killed and 2,455 wounded.

It is noteworthy that Izmail was taken by an army that was inferior in number to the garrison of the fortress. The case is extremely rare in the history of military art. Success was ensured by the thoroughness and secrecy of the preparations, the surprise of the actions and the simultaneous impact of all columns, and the clear and precise setting of goals. The capture of Izmail contributed to the quick and successful end of the war with Turkey (1791).

Catherine II ordered a medal to be knocked out in honor of A.V. Suvorov for the capture of Izmail and established an officer’s gold cross with the inscription “For excellent courage” - to reward for feats accomplished during the storming of the city. However, it is also worth noting that according to the Treaty of Yassy (1791), Izmail was returned to Turkey.

The Day of Military Glory of Russia, celebrated today, was established in honor of the day of the capture of the Turkish fortress of Izmail by Russian troops under the command of A.V. Suvorov in 1790. The holiday was established by Federal Law No. 32-FZ of March 13, 1995 “On the days of military glory (victory days) of Russia.”

Of particular importance during the Russian-Turkish war of 1787-1791 was the capture of Izmail, the citadel of Turkish rule on the Danube. The fortress was built under the leadership of German and French engineers in accordance with the latest fortification requirements. From the south it was protected by the Danube, which is half a kilometer wide. A ditch 12 meters wide and 6 to 10 meters deep was dug around the fortress walls; in some places of the ditch there was water up to 2 meters deep. Inside the city there were many stone buildings convenient for defense. The fortress garrison numbered 35 thousand people and 265 guns.

Brief information

The assault on Izmail in 1790 was undertaken during the Russian-Turkish war of 1787-1792. by order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Southern Army, Field Marshal General G. A. Potemkin. Neither N.V. Repnin (1789), nor I.V. Gudovich and P.S. Potemkin (1790) were able to solve this problem, after which G.A. Potemkin entrusted the operation to A.V. Suvorov. Arriving near Izmail on December 2, Suvorov spent six days preparing for the assault, including training troops to storm models of the high fortress walls of Izmail. The commandant of Ishmael was asked to capitulate, but in response he ordered to report that “the sky would sooner fall to the ground than Ishmael would be taken.”
For two days, Suvorov conducted artillery preparation, and on December 11, at 5:30 a.m., the assault on the fortress began. By 8 a.m. all the fortifications were occupied, but resistance on the city streets continued until 4 p.m. Turkish losses amounted to 26 thousand people. killed and 9 thousand prisoners. The losses of the Russian army amounted to 4 thousand people. killed and 6 thousand wounded. All the guns, 400 banners, huge reserves of provisions and jewelry worth 10 million piastres were captured. M.I. Kutuzov was appointed commandant of the fortress.

Today Izmail, with a population of 92 thousand people, is a city of regional subordination in the Odessa region

Background

Not wanting to come to terms with the results of the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774, Turkey in July 1787 demanded from Russia the return of Crimea, the renunciation of Georgian protection and consent to inspect Russian merchant ships passing through the straits. Having not received a satisfactory answer, the Turkish government declared war on Russia on August 12, 1787. In turn, Russia decided to take advantage of the situation to expand its possessions in the Northern Black Sea region by completely displacing the Turkish invaders from there.

In October 1787, Russian troops under the command of A.V. Suvorov almost completely destroyed the 6,000-strong Turkish landing party, who intended to capture the mouth of the Dnieper, on the Kinburg Spit. Despite the brilliant victories of the Russian army at Ochakov (1788), at Focshan (1789) and on the Rymnik River (1789), the enemy did not agree to accept the peace terms that Russia insisted on, and in every possible way delayed negotiations. Russian military leaders and diplomats were aware that the successful completion of peace negotiations with Turkey would be greatly facilitated by the capture of Izmail.

The Izmail fortress lay on the left bank of the Kiliya branch of the Danube between lakes Yalpukh and Katlabukh, on a gently sloping slope ending at the Danube bed with a low but rather steep slope. The strategic importance of Izmail was very great: the routes from Galati, Khotin, Bender and Kili converged here; here was the most convenient place for an invasion from the north across the Danube into Dobruja. By the beginning of the Russian-Turkish War of 1787-1792, the Turks, under the leadership of German and French engineers, turned Izmail into a powerful fortress with a high rampart and a wide ditch with a depth of 3 to 5 fathoms (6.4-10.7 m), in places filled with water. There were 260 guns on 11 bastions. The garrison of Izmail consisted of 35 thousand people under the command of Aydozle Mehmet Pasha. Part of the garrison was commanded by Kaplan-girey, the brother of the Crimean Khan, who was assisted by his five sons. The Sultan was very angry with his troops for all the previous capitulations and ordered with a firman that in the event of the fall of Ishmael, everyone from his garrison should be executed, wherever he was found.

Siege and assault of Izmail

In 1790, after capturing the fortresses of Kiliya, Tulcha and Isakcha, the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, Prince G.A. Potemkin-Tavrichesky gave the order to the detachments of generals I.V. Gudovich, P.S. Potemkin and the flotilla of General de Ribas to capture Izmail. However, their actions were hesitant. On November 26, the military council decided to lift the siege of the fortress due to the approach of winter. The Commander-in-Chief did not approve this decision and ordered Chief General A.V. Suvorov, whose troops were stationed at Galati, took command of the units besieging Izmail. Having taken command on December 2, Suvorov returned the troops retreating from the fortress to Izmail and blocked it from land and from the Danube River. Having completed the preparations for the assault in 6 days, Suvorov on December 7, 1790 sent an ultimatum to the commandant of Izmail demanding the surrender of the fortress no later than 24 hours from the date of delivery of the ultimatum. The ultimatum was rejected. On December 9, the military council assembled by Suvorov decided to immediately begin the assault, which was scheduled for December 11. The attacking troops were divided into 3 detachments (wings) of 3 columns each. The detachment of Major General de Ribas (9 thousand people) attacked from the river side; right wing under the command of Lieutenant General P.S. Potemkin (7,500 people) was supposed to strike from the western part of the fortress; left wing of Lieutenant General A.N. Samoilov (12 thousand people) - from the east. Brigadier Westphalen's cavalry reserves (2,500 men) were on the land side. In total, Suvorov's army numbered 31 thousand people, including 15 thousand irregulars, poorly armed. (Orlov N. Suvorov’s assault on Izmail in 1790. St. Petersburg, 1890. P. 52.) Suvorov planned to begin the assault at 5 o’clock in the morning, about 2 hours before dawn. Darkness was needed for the surprise of the first blow and the capture of the rampart; then it was unprofitable to fight in the dark, since it made it difficult to control the troops. Anticipating stubborn resistance, Suvorov wanted to have as much daylight as possible at his disposal.

On December 10, at sunrise, preparations began for an assault by fire from the flank batteries, from the island, and from the flotilla ships (about 600 guns in total). It lasted almost a day and ended 2.5 hours before the start of the assault. On this day, the Russians lost 3 officers and 155 lower ranks killed, 6 officers and 224 lower ranks wounded. The assault did not come as a surprise to the Turks. They were prepared every night for a Russian attack; in addition, several defectors revealed Suvorov's plan to them.

At 3 o'clock in the morning on December 11, 1790, the first signal flare went up, according to which the troops left the camp and, forming columns, set out to places designated by distance. At half past five in the morning the columns moved to attack. Before the others, the 2nd column of Major General B.P. approached the fortress. Lassi. At 6 o'clock in the morning, under a hail of enemy bullets, Lassi's rangers overcame the rampart, and a fierce battle ensued at the top. Absheron riflemen and Phanagorian grenadiers of the 1st column of Major General S.L. Lvov overthrew the enemy and, having captured the first batteries and the Khotyn Gate, united with the 2nd column. The Khotyn gates were open to the cavalry. At the same time, at the opposite end of the fortress, the 6th column of Major General M.I. Golenishcheva-Kutuzova captured the bastion at the Kiliya Gate and occupied the rampart up to the neighboring bastions. The greatest difficulties fell on the 3rd column of Meknob. She stormed the large northern bastion, adjacent to it to the east, and the curtain wall between them. In this place, the depth of the ditch and the height of the rampart were so great that the ladders of 5.5 fathoms (about 11.7 m) turned out to be short, and they had to be tied together two at a time under fire. The main bastion was taken. The fourth and fifth columns (Colonel V.P. Orlov and Brigadier M.I. Platov, respectively) also completed the tasks assigned to them, overcoming the rampart in their sectors.

The landing troops of Major General de Ribas in three columns, under the cover of the rowing fleet, moved at a signal to the fortress and formed a battle formation in two lines. The landing began at about 7 o'clock in the morning. It was carried out quickly and accurately, despite the resistance of more than 10 thousand Turks and Tatars. The success of the landing was greatly facilitated by Lvov's column, which attacked the Danube coastal batteries in the flank, and by the actions of ground forces on the eastern side of the fortress. The first column of Major General N.D. Arsenyeva, who sailed up on 20 ships, landed on the shore and split into several parts. A battalion of Kherson grenadiers under the command of Colonel V.A. Zubova captured a very tough cavalier, losing 2/3 of his people. The battalion of Livonian rangers, Colonel Count Roger Damas, occupied the battery that lined the shore. Other units also captured the fortifications lying in front of them. The third column of brigadier E.I. Markova landed at the western end of the fortress under grapeshot fire from the Tabiya redoubt.

When daylight arrived, it became clear that the rampart had been taken, the enemy had been driven out of the fortress tops and was retreating into the inner part of the city. Russian columns from different sides moved towards the city center - Potemkin on the right, Cossacks from the north, Kutuzov on the left, de Ribas on the river side. A new battle has begun. Particularly fierce resistance continued until 11 am. Several thousand horses, rushing out of the burning stables, raced madly through the streets and increased the confusion. Almost every house had to be taken in battle. Around noon, Lassi, who was the first to climb the ramparts, was the first to reach the middle of the city. Here he met a thousand Tatars under the command of Maksud-Girey, the prince of Genghis Khan's blood. Maksud-Girey defended himself stubbornly, and only when most of His detachment was killed and surrendered with 300 soldiers remaining alive.

To support the infantry and ensure success, Suvorov ordered the introduction of 20 light guns into the city to clear the streets of the Turks with grapeshot. At one o'clock in the afternoon, in essence, victory was won. However, the battle was not over yet. The enemy did not try to attack individual Russian detachments or hid in strong buildings like citadels. An attempt to snatch Izmail back was made by Kaplan-Girey, the brother of the Crimean Khan. He gathered several thousand horse and foot Tatars and Turks and led them towards the advancing Russians. In a desperate battle, in which more than 4 thousand Muslims were killed, he fell along with his five sons. At two o'clock in the afternoon all columns penetrated into the city center. At 4 o'clock the victory was finally won. Ishmael fell.

Results of the assault

The losses of the Turks were enormous; more than 26 thousand people were killed alone. 9 thousand were taken prisoner, of which 2 thousand died from their wounds the next day. (Orlov N. Op. cit., p. 80.) Of the entire garrison, only one person escaped. Slightly wounded, he fell into the water and swam across the Danube on a log. In Izmail, 265 guns, up to 3 thousand pounds of gunpowder, 20 thousand cannonballs and many other military supplies, up to 400 banners, blood-stained defenders, 8 lançons, 12 ferries, 22 light ships and a lot of rich booty that went to the army, totaling up to 10 million piastres (over 1 million rubles). The Russians killed 64 officers (1 brigadier, 17 staff officers, 46 chief officers) and 1816 privates; 253 officers (including three major generals) and 2,450 lower ranks were wounded. The total number of losses was 4,582 people. Some authors estimate the number of killed to be 4 thousand, and the number of wounded to be 6 thousand, a total of 10 thousand, including 400 officers (out of 650). (Orlov N. Op. op., pp. 80-81, 149.)

According to the promise given in advance by Suvorov, the city, according to the custom of that time, was given to the power of the soldiers. At the same time, Suvorov took measures to ensure order. Kutuzov, appointed commandant of Izmail, in important places posted guards. A huge hospital was opened inside the city. The bodies of the killed Russians were taken out of town and buried in church rite. There were so many Turkish corpses that the order was given to throw the bodies into the Danube, and prisoners were assigned to this work, divided into queues. But even with this method, Ishmael was cleared of corpses only after 6 days. The prisoners were sent in batches to Nikolaev under the escort of Cossacks.

Suvorov expected to receive the rank of field marshal general for the assault on Izmail, but Potemkin, petitioning the empress for his award, proposed awarding him with a medal and the rank of guard lieutenant colonel or adjutant general. The medal was knocked out, and Suvorov was appointed lieutenant colonel of the Preobrazhensky Regiment. There were already ten such lieutenant colonels; Suvorov became eleventh. The commander-in-chief of the Russian army, Prince G.A. Potemkin-Tavrichesky, having arrived in St. Petersburg, received as a reward a field marshal's uniform, embroidered with diamonds, worth 200 thousand rubles. Tauride Palace; In Tsarskoe Selo, it was planned to build an obelisk for the prince depicting his victories and conquests. Oval silver medals were distributed to the lower ranks; a gold badge was installed for officers; the chiefs received orders or golden swords, some received ranks.

The conquest of Ishmael was of great political significance. It influenced the further course of the war and the conclusion of the Treaty of Iasi between Russia and Turkey in 1792, which confirmed the annexation of Crimea to Russia and established the Russian-Turkish border along the river. Dniester. Thus, the entire northern Black Sea region from the Dniester to the Kuban was assigned to Russia.

Materials used from the book: “One Hundred Great Battles”, M. “Veche”, 2002

WITH Today is the day of military glory of Russia...
It was erected in honor of the Day of the capture of the Turkish fortress of Izmail by Russian troops under the command of A.V. Suvorov in 1790. Of particular importance during the Russian-Turkish war of 1787-1791 was the capture of Izmail, the citadel of Turkish rule on the Danube. The fortress was built under the leadership of German and French engineers in accordance with the latest fortification requirements....

The Izmail fortress was considered impregnable. Its walls are built of durable stone. From the south it was protected by the Danube, which is half a kilometer wide. And all around there was a high rampart stretching for six miles, from three to four fathoms in height, and around the rampart a ditch was dug 12 meters wide and 6 to 10 meters deep, in some places there was water up to 2 meters deep. There were more than two hundred huge cannons on the rampart...

Inside the city there were many stone buildings convenient for defense. The fortress garrison numbered 35 thousand people and 265 guns.

In November 1790, Russian troops (outnumbered) began the siege of Izmail. Two attempts to take the fortress ended in failure. And then the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, Field Marshal G.A. Potemkin entrusted the capture of the impregnable fortress to Suvorov. Intensified preparations for the assault began.

In an effort to avoid bloodshed, Suvorov sent an ultimatum to the commandant of Izmail to surrender the fortress:

“To Seraskir, the elders and the whole society. I arrived here with the troops. 24 hours to think about surrender - and the will; My first shots are already bondage. Assault is death. Which I leave to you to consider.”

In response, the Turks sent a long, flowery answer, the meaning of which boiled down to a request for another 10 days to think about it.

Phrase: “It is sooner that the sky will fall to the ground and the Danube will flow upward than Ishmael will surrender,” was told to Suvorov after the assault, but was not expressed as an official response to the ultimatum.

Suvorov gave the Turks another day to think and continued to prepare the troops for the assault.

(11) On December 22, 1790, Russian troops in nine columns from different directions moved to storm the fortress.

The river flotilla approached the shore and, under the cover of artillery fire, landed troops. The skillful leadership of Suvorov and his comrades, the courage of soldiers and officers decided the outcome of the battle, which lasted 9 hours - the Turks defended stubbornly, but Izmail was taken.

The enemy lost 26 thousand killed and 9 thousand captured. 265 guns, 42 ships, 345 banners were captured.

Suvorov indicated in his report that the Russian army lost 1,815 people killed and 2,455 wounded. It is noteworthy that Izmail was taken by an army that was inferior in number to the garrison of the fortress. The case is extremely rare in the history of military art.

Suvorov gave the city to the army for three days to plunder. Many soldiers' families became rich after this. The soldiers recalled for a long time the assault on Ishmael and the wealth of its population. Those who did not regret parting with their property and showed resistance were mercilessly killed. Suvorov himself did not take anything, not even the stallion that was very persistently given to him.

Success was ensured by the thoroughness and secrecy of the preparations, the surprise of the actions and the simultaneous impact of all columns, and the clear and precise setting of goals.

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