War with the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth 1654 1667 map. Russian-Polish War (1654—1667)

Reunification of Ukraine with Russia (1653-1654).

In the 17th century expansion continued territories Russia- on west And southwest as a result foreign policy events, caused by Ukraine's desire to break away from Polish rule.

In the middle of the seventeenth century. Russian-Polish relations were determined by events in Ukraine. The Ukrainian and Belarusian peoples living on the territory of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth experienced severe oppression in social, national and religious relations. The war of liberation against Polish rule began in 1648. The Cossacks, led by Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky, launched an uprising in which Ukrainian and Belarusian peasants took part.

In the first year of the liberation war, the Cossacks defeated the Polish army near Korsun and Pilyavtsy and occupied Kiev. The impressive victories of B. Khmelnytsky forced the Polish government to conclude the Zboriv Peace Treaty with them in August 1649. According to its terms, the Cossacks received independent public administration in the Kiev, Chernigov and Wroclaw voivodeships.

However, the peace proved fragile, and hostilities resumed the following year. For the Cossacks of B. Khmelnitsky they turned out to be unsuccessful. In June In 1651 they suffered a heavy defeat at Berestechko. After this, the Cossacks were forced to conclude a new peace treaty, its signing took place in December 1651 in Bila Tserkva. According to this agreement, the hetman's power was maintained only in Kyiv.

B. Khmelnitsky , realizing that the Cossacks would not be able to cope with Poland on their own, turned to Russia with a request to accept Ukraine into its composition.

The inclusion of Ukraine into Russia and

Declaration of war on Poland.

January 8, 1654 In the city of Pereyaslavl, a council (rada) met, at which elected representatives from all classes of the Ukrainian population unanimously spoke out in favor of Ukraine’s entry into Russia.

After Pereyaslavl Rada Ukraine became part of Russia with the rights autonomy - the tsarist government admitted:

Election of the Ukrainian Hetman;

The right to operate local self-government authorities that arose during the liberation struggle.

The inevitable consequence of the decisions of the Zemsky Sobor and the Pereyaslav Rada was the Russian-Polish War of 1654-1667.

First campaign (1654-1656) was generally successful for Russia. Her troops took Smolensk, Polotsk and Vitebsk in 1654, and Minsk and Vilno in 1655.

Taking advantage of the failures of Poland, which was also going through a period of “kinglessness” that was usual in its history, Sweden declared war on it. In an effort to counteract Swedish expansion in Poland and Ukraine, Alexey Mikhailovich, in turn, declared war on Sweden. Between Russia and Poland, in view of the military threat to both countries from the Swedes, a truce was concluded in 1656.

The second military campaign against Poland began in 1657. This year B. Khmelnytsky died, and the new hetman I. Vygovsky entered into an alliance with her. This contributed to the resumption of the Russian-Polish war with new strength which has become protracted.

In 1659, the Cossacks overthrew Hetman I. Vygovsky and reaffirmed the oath

to the Moscow Tsar. The son of B. Khmelnytsky, Yuri, became hetman.

Reunification of Ukraine with Russia

Stages	Events
First (1648-1649)	The peoples who lived in the territories that were previously part of the Old Russian state experienced social, national and religious oppression in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. In 1648, the Cossacks, led by B. Khmelnitsky, began a liberation struggle against Poland, in which Ukrainian and Belarusian peasants took part. In 1648 they won a number of victories (at Korsun, Pilyavtsy) and occupied Kyiv. Stage result- conclusion in August 1649 of the Zboriv Peace Treaty with Poland, according to which the Cossacks received independent government, headed by Hetman B. Khmelnytsky in the Kiev, Chernigov and Wroclaw voivodeships
Second (1650-1651)	The concluded peace turned out to be fragile, and hostilities resumed. The Cossacks of B. Khmelnytsky suffered a heavy defeat near Berestechko in June 1651 and were forced to conclude a new peace treaty in Bila Tserkva in December 1651, according to which the hetman’s power was retained only in Kyiv
Third (1653-1654)	B. Khmelnitsky understood that the Cossacks could not cope with Poland on their own, and turned to Russia with a request to accept Ukraine into its composition. On October 1, 1653, the Zemsky Sobor decided to incorporate Ukraine into Russia and declare war on Poland. On January 8, 1654, in the city of Pereyaslavl, the council (rada), which brought together elected representatives from all classes of the Ukrainian population, unanimously spoke in favor of the reunification of Ukraine and Russia

Khelnitsky Yuri.

In 1660-1662. The Russian army suffered defeats near the settlements of Gubarevo and Chudnovo and at Kushliki ( 1661 ). The Poles managed to take Vilna. Thus, Russia lost the territories of Lithuania and Belarus that it had previously captured. Hetman Yu. Khmelnytsky went over to the side of Poland.

The third military campaign began in 1663. Russian-Polish battles went on with varying degrees of success. The decisive victories were the victories of the Russian-Ukrainian troops near Korsun and Bila Tserkva (1665).

In 1666, peace negotiations began. They ended in January 1667. signing Truce of Andrusovo for a period of thirteen and a half years . Russia received:

Smolensk, Starodub, Novgorod-Seversky, Chernigov;

Left Bank Ukraine;

Part of the Right Bank of the Dnieper together with Kiev -

those. lands that were part of Ancient Rus'..

Poland retained Belarus and the main part of Right Bank Ukraine;

Difficult relationship with Polish state were allowed the conclusion in 1686 in Moscow of a treaty called “Eternal Peace”.

Russian-Polish War 1654-1667

Campaign	Events
1654-1656	The capture of Smolensk (1654), Polotsk and Vitebsk (1654) by Russian troops. Capture of Minsk and Vilna by Russian-Ukrainian troops in 1655. The conclusion of a truce in 1656 between Russia and Poland due to the military threat to both countries from Sweden
1657-1662	1657 - death of B. Khmelnitsky, conclusion of an alliance with Poland by the new hetman I. Vygovsky, which contributed to the resumption of the Russian-Polish war, which became protracted. 1659 - Cossacks overthrew Hetman I. Vygovsky and confirmed their oath to the Moscow Tsar. The son of B. Khmelnytsky, Yuri, became hetman. 1660-1662 - a number of significant defeats of the Russian army: at Gubarevo and Chudnovo (1660), at Kushliki (1661), the capture of Vilna by the Poles (1662). Russia's loss of previously captured territories of Lithuania and Belarus
1663-1667	1663-1664 - Russian-Polish battles with varying success in Right Bank Ukraine. 1665 - victories of Russian-Ukrainian troops near Korsun and Bila Tserkva. 1666 - the beginning of Russian-Polish peace negotiations. January 1667 - signing of the Andrusovsky (near Smolensk) truce between Russia and Poland for 13.5 years, according to which Russia received Smolensk and lands lost in Time of Troubles, as well as Left Bank Ukraine with Kiev
1686 - “Eternal Peace” - transition from confrontation to peaceful and cooperative relations between Russia and Poland

Science, education, literature, architecture, painting in

The start of the war was led by the decision of the Zemsky Sobor in 1653 to include all Western Russian lands into Russia. In accordance with this decision, on October 23, 1653, the Moscow state declared war on the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, but in historical literature it is generally accepted that it began in 1654, when the actual fighting.

On May 15, 1654, the Tsar's campaign to the west began with the advance of the Advanced Regiment from Moscow. On May 18, the tsar himself advanced to the western borders of the country with the main forces. At the same time, his advanced troops, joined by detachments of Ukrainian Cossacks, crossed the Lithuanian border and began the liberation of the Smolensk and Novgorod-Seversk lands. Having cleared these territories of the enemy, they moved to Eastern Belarus and occupied Smolensk, Dorogobuzh, Orsha, Mogilev, Gomel, Mstislavl, Chechersk, Propoisk, U Svyat, Shklov and others.

In the winter of 1654–1655, Polish troops tried, acting in alliance with the Crimean Tatar army, to invade Ukraine, but their attack was repelled by the efforts of the Russian-Ukrainian army, commanded by V. B. Sheremetev and B. Khmelnitsky. The siege of Mogilev that began was unsuccessful for the enemy, and the subsequent offensive of the Russian troops ended with the capture of the cities of Minsk, Grodno, Vilno, and Kovno. By the end of the summer of 1655, the troops of Y. K. Cherkassky and Ukrainian Colonel I. N. Zolotarenko reached the city of Brest-Litovsk and the Neman River. In November 1655, Russian troops under the command of the Novgorod governor, Prince S. A. Urusov, defeated an army under the command of Hetman P. Ya. Sapieha near Brest-Litovsk, but failed to take the city itself. Brest-Litovsk was well fortified, with a large garrison holding its defense.

An important event of this year's campaign was the entry into the war of Sweden, whose troops occupied most of the territory of the Polish-Lithuanian state. After the first great Swedish victories, the point of view of A. L. Ordin-Nashchokin prevailed in the political leadership of the Russian state, who believed that the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, lying in ruins, now did not pose a threat to Russia. From now on, according to Ordin-Nashchokin and his like-minded people, Sweden becomes Moscow's main enemy.

Moscow decided that the time had come to return the Karelian, Izhora, and, if possible, Baltic lands that previously belonged to Russia. In May 1656, a war with Sweden began, even before the end of military operations against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Only on October 23, 1656, Russian representatives entered into an agreement with the Polish delegates on their temporary termination.

Having received a respite, Polish troops were able to repel the Swedish invaders and expel them from their country, and then, refusing to recognize the annexation of Ukrainian and Belarusian lands to Russia, they resumed hostilities in their eastern voivodeships. The situation was greatly complicated by the betrayal of the Ukrainian hetman I. E. Vygovsky, who, at the head of the united Ukrainian-Polish-Tatar army on June 27–28, 1659, defeated the army of Prince A. N. Trubetskoy near Konotop. And although after the uprising of the pro-Russian part of the Ukrainian Cossacks, led by I. Bohun and I. D. Sirko, he fled to Poland, who became hetman in 1660, Yurko Khmelnytsky also went over to the side of the enemies of Russia. Thanks to this, one of the Russian armies operating in Ukraine was surrounded and capitulated at Chudnov. Voivode V.B. Sheremetev, who commanded the Russian troops in Ukraine, was captured.

Only in 1664, having recovered from the Chudnovsky defeat, were Russian troops able to attack the enemy again. However, the fighting was carried out with varying degrees of success, since the forces of the parties were exhausted. Under these conditions, the authorities of Russia and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth began peace negotiations. They ended on January 30, 1667 with the signing of the Truce of Andrusovo for 13.5 years. The lands of Smolensk and Chernigov, annexed to Poland under the Treaty of Deulin in 1618, and Left Bank Ukraine went to Russia. Kyiv was transferred to Russia for two years, but was not returned to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth - the legality of this action was recognized by the “Eternal Peace” of 1686. The Zaporozhye Sich passed under the joint control of Russia and the Polish-Lithuanian state. Poland retained Belarusian and part of Ukrainian lands on the right bank of the Dnieper.

One of important conditions The agreement concluded in Andrusovo became a mutual obligation of the parties to resist the Turkish and Crimean threat. Both Russia and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth should not have helped the Tatars in their campaigns against the possessions of the neighboring state. Soon Russia had to oppose Ottoman Empire. Having concluded an alliance with the hetman of Right Bank Ukraine P. Doroshenko, the Turks occupied Podolia, supporting the claims of this hetman to the left bank part of Ukraine, where hetman I. Samoilovich ruled. In 1673, military operations began between Russian troops and Samoilovich’s Cossacks against Doroshenko. They continued until September 1676, when Doroshenko surrendered to the tsarist commanders and was exiled to Russia. A Russian garrison was stationed in Chigirin. It was then that full-scale hostilities began between Russia and Turkey. The main events unfolded around Chigirin, who became the main irritant for Sultan Mehmed IV.

During the first campaign against Chigirin, the 120,000-strong army of Ibrahim Pasha, nicknamed “Shaitan” by the Turks themselves, crossed Russian lines and besieged this fortress. The commander of the Russian troops in Ukraine, Voivode G. G. Romodanovsky, hastened to come to the aid of the Chigirinsky garrison, despite the fact that the number of his army, together with the Cossacks of Hetman I. S. Samoilovich who joined, did not exceed 60 thousand people. In this campaign, to protect against attacks by the Tatar cavalry, instead of the shields of the sedentary “walk-city”, light slingshots were used for the first time - rows of interconnected sharpened stakes capable of stopping the attacks of the Tatar cavalry. On the night of August 26-27, 1677, G. Romodanovsky crossed with his regiments to the right bank of the Dnieper. In a night battle near the city of Buzhin on August 28, he defeated the forward corps of the Janissaries and the Tatar detachments operating on its flanks. Without waiting for the Russian army to approach Chigorin, Ibrahim Pasha abandoned the cannons, lifted the siege of the fortress and retreated to the Ingul River.

On next year a second campaign was organized. This time the 125,000-strong Turkish army was led by the Grand Vizier Kara Mustafa. On July 9, 1678, his troops approached Chigorin and began his siege. Chigorin's garrison numbered only 12 thousand people. It was commanded by the okolnichy I.I. Rzhevsky, who died in the explosion of a Turkish grenade during the battles for the city. The army of G. G. Romodanovsky numbered 80 thousand people. and stood on the Buzhinsky fields near the Dnieper, repelling attacks from numerically superior enemy forces. Then, having crossed the Dnieper, on July 12 the Russians moved to Chigorin. During a fierce battle on August 3, 1678, Romodanovsky’s army managed to capture Turkish positions on Strelnikova Mountain and push back enemy troops across the Tyasmin River. However, by that time the Turks had captured the Lower Town, and on the night of August 12, the Russian garrison, commanded by Colonel Patrick Gordon, left the fortress. With minimal losses, he managed to break through to his main forces.

The new battle, which took place on August 19, ended in favor of the Russian army. After this, the position of the enemy army became critical, Kara-Mustafa had to forget about the further continuation of the campaign. On August 20, a hasty retreat of the Turkish army began from the walls of the completely destroyed Chigorin; Moscow decided not to restore it. However, failures in the fight for this city predetermined the collapse of the aggressive plans of the Ottoman Empire towards the whole of Ukraine. The enemy's forces were undermined, and in 1681 the Russian and Turkish sides signed the Peace of Bakhchisarai. In fact, it was a truce for a 20-year period. The Dnieper was recognized as the border between the two states.

Russo-Turkish War 1676–1681 led to a convergence of the foreign policy interests of Russia and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and in 1686 the “Eternal Peace” was concluded between the two countries. Under this agreement, Poland recognized the annexation of Kyiv to Russia, receiving compensation for it in the amount of 146 thousand rubles. The Russian government committed itself to entering into a coalition with the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Venice and Austria and starting a war with Turkey. This war dragged on and ended under Peter I with the signing of the Peace of Constantinople in 1700.

360 years ago, on April 6, 1654, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich signed a letter of grant to Hetman Bogdan Khmelnytsky. The charter meant the actual annexation of part of the Western Russian lands (Little Russia) to Russia, limiting the independence of the hetman's power. In the document, for the first time, the words “autocrat of all Great and Little Russia” were used as the title of the Russian sovereign. This charter and the Pereyaslav Rada itself became the prerequisites for the long Russian-Polish war (1654-1667).

It all started with the uprising of the Western Russian population under the leadership of Bogdan Khmelnitsky. A huge part of the Russian land was captured by Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which united and created the state of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Russian and Orthodox population was under severe ideological (religious), national and economic oppression. This constantly led to violent uprisings and riots, when the population, driven to extremes, responded to the oppression of the Poles and Jews (they carried out much of the economic exploitation of the local population) with wholesale massacres. Polish troops responded by “cleansing” entire regions, destroying Russian villages and terrorizing the survivors.

As a result, the Polish “elite” was never able to integrate the Western Russian regions into the common Slavic empire, or create an imperial project that would satisfy all groups of the population. This ultimately ruined the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (). Throughout the first half of the 17th century, uprisings raged in Little Russia. The most active (passionate) group were the Cossacks, who became the instigators and the fighting core of the rebellious masses.

The reason for the new uprising was the conflict between the Chigirin centurion Bogdan Khmelnitsky and the Chigirin sub-elder Danil (Daniel) Chaplinsky. Shlyakhtich seized the centurion's property and kidnapped Khmelnitsky's mistress. In addition, Chaplinsky ordered his 10-year-old son Bogdan to be whipped, after which he fell ill and died. Bogdan tried to get justice in a local court. However, the Polish judges considered that necessary documents Khmelnitsky does not have Subotov's ownership. Moreover, he was not properly married; the kidnapped woman was not his wife. Khmelnitsky tried to sort things out with Chaplinsky personally. But as an “inciter” he was thrown into the Starostin prison, from which his comrades freed him. Bogdan, not finding justice in the local authorities, at the beginning of 1646 went to Warsaw to complain to King Władysław. Bogdan knew the Polish king from earlier times, but his appeal was unsuccessful. No documents have been preserved about the content of their conversation. But according to a rather plausible legend, the elderly king explained to Bogdan that he could not do anything (the central government in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was extremely weak) and finally said: “Don’t you have a saber?” According to another version, the king even gave Bogdan a saber. In the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, most disputes among the gentry ended in a duel.

Bogdan went to Sich - and away we go. Quite quickly, a detachment of hunters (as volunteers were called) gathered around the offended centurion to settle scores with the Poles. All of Little Rus' then resembled a bundle of dry firewood, and even soaked in flammable substances. A spark was enough to start a powerful fire. Bogdan became this spark. In addition, he showed good management abilities. People followed the successful leader. And the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth found itself in a state of “kinglessness.” This predetermined the outcome of the scale of the uprising, which instantly grew into a liberation and peasant war.

However, the Cossacks, although they entered into alliances with the Crimean Tatars, who, taking advantage of the moment, hijacked entire villages and regions, clearly did not have enough strength to cope with the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and achieve what they wanted (initially they wanted to achieve maximum independence and benefits within a single states). The lord's arrogance did not give Warsaw the opportunity to find a compromise with the Cossack foreman. Realizing that Warsaw would not make concessions, Bogdan Khmelnitsky was forced to look for an alternative. The Cossacks could become vassals of the Ottoman Empire, receiving a status like the Crimean Khanate, or submit to Moscow.

Since the 1620s, the Little Russian elders and clergy have repeatedly asked Moscow to accept them as their citizenship. However, the first Romanovs more than once rejected such proposals. Tsars Michael and then Alexei politely refused. At best, they hinted that the time had not yet come. Moscow was well aware that such a step would cause a war with Poland, which then, despite all its troubles, was a powerful power. Russia was still recovering from the consequences of the long and bloody Time of Troubles. The desire to avoid war with Poland was the main reason for Moscow’s refusal to interfere in any way in events on the territory of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. In 1632-1634. Russia tried to recapture Smolensk, but the war ended in failure.

But in the fall of 1653, Moscow decided to go to war. The Khmelnitsky uprising took on the character of a national liberation war. Poland suffered a number of heavy defeats. In addition, significant military transformations (regular army regiments were created) and preparations were carried out in Russia. Domestic industry was ready to supply the army with everything necessary. In addition, large purchases were carried out abroad, in Holland and Sweden. Military specialists were also discharged from abroad, strengthening personnel. In order to eliminate parochial disputes (on the topic “who is more important”) in the army, and they more than once led the Russian troops to defeat, on October 23, 1653, the tsar in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin announced: “Governors and military men of all ranks should be in the current service without places..." In general, the moment was successful in order to liberate the Western Russian lands from the Poles. In January 1654, the Pereyaslav Rada took place.

For Bogdan's troops the situation was difficult. In March-April 1654, the Polish army occupied Lyubar, Chudnov, Kostelnya and were “exiled” to Uman. The Poles burned out 20 cities, many people were killed and captured. Then the Poles retreated to Kamenets.

Banner of the Great Sovereign Regiment of 1654

War

Campaign of 1654. The first to set out on the campaign were the siege artillery (“outfit”) under the command of the boyar Dolmatov-Karpov. On February 27, 1654, guns and mortars moved along the “winter route.” On April 26, the main forces of the Russian army set out from Moscow under the command of Prince Alexei Trubetskoy. On May 18, the Tsar himself came out with the rearguard. Alexey Mikhailovich was still young and wanted to gain military glory.

On May 26, the tsar arrived in Mozhaisk, from where two days later he set out towards Smolensk. The beginning of the war was successful for the Russian troops. The Poles did not have significant forces on the eastern border. Many troops were diverted to fight the Cossacks and rebel peasants. In addition, the Russian population did not want to fight with their brothers; often the townspeople simply surrendered the cities.

On June 4, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich received news of the surrender of Dorogobuzh to Russian troops. The Polish garrison fled to Smolensk, and the townspeople opened the gates. On June 11, Nevel was also surrendered. On June 14, news arrived about the surrender of Belaya. On June 26, the first skirmish of the Advanced Regiment with the Poles took place near Smolensk. On June 28, the Tsar himself was near Smolensk. The next day the news came about the surrender of Polotsk, and on July 2 - about the surrender of Roslavl. On July 20, news was received of the capture of Mstislavl, and on July 24 - of the capture of the small fortresses of Disna and Druya ​​by the troops of Matvey Sheremetev.

On August 2, Russian troops occupied Orsha. The army of the Lithuanian hetman Janusz Radziwill left the city without a fight. On August 12, in the battle of Shklov, Russian troops under the command of Prince Yuri Baryatinsky forced the army of Hetman Radziwill to retreat. On August 24, Russian troops under Trubetskoy defeated the army of Hetman Radziwill in the Battle of the Oslik River (Battle of Borisov). The Russian army stopped the attack of the Lithuanian troops, and the attack of the “winged” hussars did not help either. Russian infantry, built in three lines, began to press back the army of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. At the same time, the cavalry of the left flank under the command of Prince Semyon Pozharsky made a roundabout maneuver, entering from the flank. The Lithuanian troops began to panic and ran. Radziwill himself, wounded, barely escaped with several people. Poles, Lithuanians and Western mercenaries (Hungarians, Germans) were smashed to smithereens. About 1 thousand people were killed. About 300 more people were taken prisoner, including 12 colonels. They captured the hetman's banner, other banners and signs, as well as artillery.

Almost simultaneously Gomel was captured. A few days later Mogilev surrendered. On August 29, the Cossack detachment of Ivan Zolotarenko took Chechersk, Novy Bykhov and Propoisk. On August 31, Shklov surrendered. On September 1, the tsar received news of the enemy’s surrender of Usvyat. Of all the Dnieper fortresses, only Old Bykhov remained under the control of the Polish-Lithuanian troops. The Cossacks besieged it from the end of August to November 1654, and were never able to take it.

Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, planning to annex to the Russian kingdom not only Smolensk, lost during the Time of Troubles, but also other Western Russian lands captured in the 14th - 15th centuries. Lithuania and Poland, took measures to gain a permanent foothold in the lands recaptured from the Poles. The sovereign demanded that the governors and Cossacks not offend new subjects, the “Orthodox Christian faith“who will not learn to fight”, it was forbidden to take and destroy in full. The Orthodox gentry from Polotsk and other cities and lands were offered a choice: to enter the Russian service and go to the Tsar for a salary, or to leave freely for Poland. Quite significant contingents of volunteers joined the Russian troops.

In a number of cities, like Mogilev, residents retained their previous rights and benefits. Thus, townspeople could live under Magdeburg law, wear the same clothes, and not go to war. They were forbidden to be evicted to other cities, city yards were freed from military quarters, Poles (Poles) and Jews (Jews) were forbidden to live in the city, etc. In addition, Cossacks could not live in the city, they could visit the city only by service.

It must be said that many local townspeople and peasants had a wary attitude towards the Cossacks. They were self-willed and often plundered cities and settlements. They treated the local population as enemies. So, the Cossacks of Zolotarenko not only robbed the peasants, but also began to take quitrents in their favor.

Russian archers of the 17th century

Soon besieged Smolensk also fell. On August 16, Russian commanders, wanting to distinguish themselves in the presence of the Tsar, staged a premature, poorly prepared assault. The Poles repelled the attack. However, this was where the successes of the Polish garrison ended. The Polish command was unable to organize the townspeople to defend the city. The gentry refused to obey and did not want to go to the walls. The Cossacks almost killed the royal engineer, who tried to drive them out to work, and deserted in droves. The townspeople did not want to participate in the defense of the city, etc. As a result, the leaders of the defense of Smolensk, Voivode Obukhovich and Colonel Korf, began negotiations on the surrender of the city on September 10. However, the population did not want to wait and opened the gates themselves. The townspeople flocked to the king. On September 23, Smolensk became Russian again. The Polish command was allowed to return to Poland. The gentry and townspeople received the right to choose: stay in Smolensk and swear allegiance to the Russian Tsar or leave.

On the occasion of the surrender of Smolensk, the tsar arranged a feast with the governors and heads of hundreds, and the Smolensk gentry were allowed to the tsar’s table. After this, the king left the army. Meanwhile, the Russian army continued its offensive. On November 22 (December 2), the army under the command of Vasily Sheremetev took Vitebsk after a three-month siege.

1655 Campaign

The campaign began with a series of minor setbacks for Russian troops, which were unable to change the strategic situation in Poland's favor. At the end of 1654, a counter-offensive of 30 thousand began. army of the Lithuanian hetman Radziwill. He besieged Mogilev. Residents of Orsha switched sides Polish king. Residents of the town of Ozerishche rebelled, part of the Russian garrison was killed, and another was captured.

Radziwill was able to occupy the suburbs of Mogilev, but the Russian garrison and townspeople (about 6 thousand people) held out in the inner fortress. On February 2 (12), Russian troops made a successful sortie. The attack was so unexpected for the Lithuanian army that Radziwill's troops retreated several miles from the city. This allowed the regiment of Hermann Fanstaden (about 1,500 soldiers), who came from Shklov, to enter the city and capture several dozen convoys with supplies.

On February 6 (16), Radziwill, without waiting for all forces to arrive, began an assault on the city. He hoped for a quick victory, since Colonel Konstantin Poklonsky (a Mogilev nobleman who swore allegiance to the Russian Tsar with his regiment at the beginning of the war) promised to surrender the city. However, most of Poklonsky’s regiment remained faithful to the oath and did not follow the traitor. As a result, instead of a swift capture, there was a bloody battle. Heavy street fighting continued throughout the day. The Poles were able to capture part of the city, but the fortress survived.

On February 18, the Poles again launched an assault, but it was repelled. Then the great hetman began a siege, ordered to dig tunnels and lay mines. Three more assaults followed on March 8, April 9 and 13, but Russian troops and townspeople repelled them. The assault, which took place on the night of April 9, was particularly unsuccessful. The defenders of the fortress blew up three tunnels, the fourth collapsed on its own and crushed many Poles. At the same time, the Russians made a sortie and beat many Poles, who were confused by such a start to the assault.

At this time, a detachment of Cossacks moved forward to help Mogilev along with the forces of governor Mikhail Dmitriev. Radziwill did not wait for the approach of Russian troops and on May 1 he “walked away in shame” for the Berezina. When leaving, the hetman took many townspeople with him. However, the Cossacks were able to defeat part of Radziwill’s army and recaptured 2 thousand people. As a result of the siege, the city suffered greatly, up to 14 thousand citizens and residents of surrounding villages died from lack of water and food. However heroic defense Mogilev had a great strategic importance. The Polish-Lithuanian forces were tied up by a siege for a significant time and refused serious action in other directions. The hetman's army suffered heavy losses and was demoralized, which overall had a very negative impact on the conduct of the 1655 campaign by the Polish army.

To be continued…

Textbook of Russian history Platonov Sergey Fedorovich

§ 95. Russian-Polish War 1654-1667

In the spring of 1654, Moscow's war against Poland and Lithuania began. Moscow troops won a number of brilliant victories. In 1654 they took Smolensk, in 1655 - Vilna, Kovna and Grodna. At the same time, Khmelnitsky took Lublin, and the Swedes invaded Greater Poland. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was completely destroyed. She was saved only by a quarrel between Moscow and Sweden. Not wanting to allow the success of the Swedes, Tsar Alexei concluded a truce with the Poles and began a war with the Swedes, in which, however, he had no success.

In the meantime, Bogdan Khmelnitsky died (1657) and unrest began in Little Russia, directed against Moscow. When Little Russia was annexed to Moscow, the Moscow government understood the matter in such a way that the Little Russians were becoming subjects of the Russian Tsar. Therefore, Moscow sent garrisons to Little Russian cities (especially Kiev), wanted to keep their governors in Little Russia and thought to subordinate the Little Russian church to the Moscow Patriarch. In Little Russia they looked at it askance. Little Russian leaders, the Cossack “sergeant major” (hetman, his elected assistants, then colonels and centurions of individual Cossack regiments) wanted complete autonomy for themselves and looked at their country as a special state. Seeing Moscow's policy, they did not want to submit to it and were already dreaming of separation from Moscow and a new treaty with Poland. Ivan Vygovsky, who was elected hetman after the death of Khmelnytsky, took the matter in this direction. However, ordinary Cossacks, who did not want to return to Poland, turned against the “sergeant major.” A bloody civil strife began. Vygovsky openly rebelled against Moscow and, with the help of the Tatars, inflicted a terrible defeat on the Moscow troops near the city of Konotop (1659). Moscow was frightened and surprised by the unexpected betrayal, but did not want to give up Little Russia. The Moscow governors managed to re-negotiate with the new hetman Yuri Khmelnitsky (son of Bogdan), who replaced Vygovsky, and Little Russia was behind Moscow while this Khmelnitsky was hetman. When he left his post, Little Russia was divided into two parts. The regiments that were on the left bank of the Dnieper elected themselves a special hetman (Zaporozhye ataman Bryukhovetsky) and remained behind Moscow. They received the name “Left Bank Ukraine”. And all of “Right Bank Ukraine” (except for Kyiv) fell to Poland with its own special hetman.

The beginning of the unrest in Little Russia coincided with the beginning new war Moscow with the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. This war dragged on for ten years (1657–1667) with varying success. It went on in Lithuania and Little Russia. In Lithuania the Russians suffered setbacks, but in Little Russia they held on strong. Finally, exhausted by the war, both states decided to make peace. In 1667, a truce was concluded in the village of Andrusovo (not far from Smolensk) for 13 and a half years. Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich abandoned Lithuania, which was conquered by Moscow troops; but he retained Smolensk and the Seversk land, taken away from Moscow in times of troubles. Moreover, he acquired Left Bank Ukraine and the city of Kiev on the right bank of the Dnieper (Kyiv was ceded to the Poles for two years, but remained with Moscow forever).

Thus, according to the Treaty of Andrusovo, Little Russia remained divided. It is clear that this could not satisfy the Little Russians. They looked for a better life for themselves in all sorts of ways - among other things, they thought to succumb to Turkey and with its help gain independence from Moscow and Poland. Bryukhovetsky betrayed Moscow and, together with the Right Bank hetman Doroshenko, surrendered to the Sultan. The result of this risky step was the intervention of the Turks in Little Russian affairs and their raids on Ukraine. Tsar Alexei died at a time when the danger of a Turkish war hung over Moscow. So, under this sovereign, the Little Russian question has not yet received its resolution.

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In response to numerous requests from representatives of the Ukrainian people, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich convened the Zemsky Sobor. The question was not easy. The conflict with Poland was considered by many to be inappropriate due to the concluded peace, as well as material complications. The memory of the actions of the Ukrainian Cossacks in the previous Russian-Polish wars was also fresh. And the enemy himself inspired fears. Previous clashes with the Poles ended unsuccessfully for the Russians. At first, Moscow tried to protect Khmelnitsky through negotiations with Warsaw. But all the negotiations ended in nothing. In an effort to hurry the tsar, the hetman said that, otherwise, he would accept the Turkish Sultan’s offer of citizenship. This not only lowered the international prestige of Russia, but also meant the appearance of the borders of the Ottoman Empire, which had views of Kazan and Astrakhan, near Kursk and Kharkov.
The council dragged on for a long time - from 1651 to 1653. In the end, supporters of the protection of the Ukrainian people and Orthodoxy prevailed. An embassy headed by boyar Vasily Buturlin went to Khmelnitsky. On January 8, 1654, in Ukraine, in the city of Pereyaslav, a general council was held, at which the citizens of Ukraine unanimously swore allegiance to the Moscow Tsar. “God, confirm! God, strengthen! So that we may all be one forever.” These were the final words of the people's oath. Under the agreement with Moscow, Ukraine (Little Russia) retained local self-government and its army. So it happened historical event- reunification of Ukraine with Russia. The consequence of this was the wars of the Russian state with Poland, Sweden, and subsequently with Turkey.

The wars from 1654 to 1667 can be roughly divided into a number of campaigns. 1. Campaign 1654-1655 2. Campaign of 1656-1658, or Russian-Swedish War 3. Campaign of 1558-1559 4. Campaign of 1660. 5. Campaign of 1661-1662. 6. Campaign 1663-1664 7. Campaign 1665-1666

In all campaigns Russian troops simultaneously conducted military operations in two theaters of military operations - northern (Belarusian-Lithuanian) and southern (Ukrainian). In terms of scale, it was one of the largest wars of the Russian state in the previous period. It is worth noting that for the first time the Russian army had to conduct major military operations in Ukraine. This war was accompanied by strong internal conflicts on the territory of hostilities (primarily in Ukraine), as well as the involvement of other states (Sweden, the Crimean Khanate) in the conflict.

Campaign of 1654-1655

This campaign was generally offensive in nature on the part of the combined Russian-Ukrainian forces. It was distinguished by major successes of the allies, who drove back the troops of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from the Dnieper to the Bug. The primary goal of the Russian command in the initial period of the war was the return of Smolensk and other Russian cities captured by Poland. Based on these tasks, the plan for the first year of the campaign was built. The main forces of the Russian army, led by Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, were marching towards Smolensk. To the north, in the direction of Polotsk and Vitebsk, the army of governor Vasily Sheremetev struck. The Russian auxiliary corps operated in Ukraine together with the troops of Bogdan Khmelnitsky.
The composition of the Russian army was significantly updated. Its core was foreign regiments, the majority of which were Russian rather than mercenary units. Together with the regiments of the foreign system, horse and foot militias, archers, as well as significant Cossack formations went on campaign. The power of the combined forces of Russia and Ukraine made it possible to achieve previously unprecedented results in the first period of the war. The first and one of the largest successes of Russian weapons in this war was the capture of Smolensk.

Capture of Smolensk (1654). In June 1654, the Russian army led by Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich (about 40 thousand people) approached Smolensk. The city was defended by a Polish-Lithuanian garrison under the command of Voivode Obukhovich (over 2 thousand people). The siege began on July 26. On the night of August 16, the Russians launched an assault, which ended unsuccessfully for them. The besieged blew up one of the towers, into which the attackers burst, forcing them to retreat. The Russians lost 300 killed and 1 thousand wounded during the assault. Poles and Lithuanians - 200 people. killed. However, this success did not help raise the morale of the besieged. They did not have enough people, gunpowder, and the desire to defend themselves.
After the defeat of Hetman Radziwill's troops on the Shklovka River, the besieged's hopes for outside help disappeared. In addition, the townspeople expressed open sympathy for the Russian troops and did not want to sit in a long siege. Desertion began among the Smolensk garrison. In September, Voivode Obukhovich proposed to begin negotiations on the surrender of the fortress. The negotiations were accelerated by the townspeople themselves, who opened the gates to the Russian Tsar. On September 23, 1654, the garrison capitulated. The leaders of the defense (voivode Obukhovich and Colonel Korfu) were allowed to travel to Lithuania. The remaining defenders of the fortress and townspeople received the right to choose - either to swear allegiance to the Moscow Tsar or to leave for Lithuanian possessions. From now on, Smolensk was returned to the Russian state.

Battle on the Shilovka River (1654). During the siege of Smolensk, troops under the command of Voivode Alexei Trubetskoy defeated the Polish army of Hetman Radziwill on the Shklovka River, outside the village of Shepelevichi (eastern Belarus) on August 14, 1654. The Russians captured the convoy, banner and carriage of the wounded Radziwill, who barely escaped. 282 people were captured by the Russians, including 12 colonels. The Russians lost 9 people killed and 97 wounded. After this battle, the Poles no longer had large forces left in the south of Belarus, between the Dnieper and Berezina. Under the influence of the Russian victory at Shklovka, Mogilev surrendered on August 26. Radziwill's defeat actually deprived the Smolensk garrison of hope for outside help.

Capture of Polotsk and Vitebsk (1654). Meanwhile, the army of governor Sheremetev, after a two-week siege, captured Polotsk in June, and then, after defeating Polish troops in the battles of Susha and Glubokoye, approached Vitebsk in August. Sheremetev did not have sufficient forces to storm this powerful fortress. Therefore, the Russian commander tried to persuade the garrison to surrender. After long fruitless negotiations, Sheremetev, sensing the approach of winter cold, nevertheless decided to storm Vitebsk in November. The Russians captured two forts and forced the besieged to retreat to the main citadel, the attack on which was continued. The “immense attack” impressed the defenders of Vitebsk, and on November 22 they capitulated. This was the last major Russian success in the northern theater of operations in the 1654 campaign.

Battle of Drozhipol (1655). In the southern (Ukrainian) theater, the summer of 1654 was not marked by allied activity, which allowed the Poles to seize the initiative here at the end of the year. The 18,000-strong Polish army led by hetmans Lyantskoronsky and Pototsky, reinforced by the troops of the Crimean Khan Magmet-Girey, went on the offensive in Right Bank Ukraine. Russian-Ukrainian troops under the command of governor Vasily Sheremetev and hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky (25 thousand people) came out to meet them. The decisive battle between the Polish-Crimean and Russian-Ukrainian troops took place in the Akhmatova region (Right Bank Ukraine) in January 1655.
The battle took place in a severe cold (that’s why the battlefield received the name Trembling Field). Despite the numerical superiority of the Polish-Crimean army, Sheremetev and Khmelnitsky boldly entered the battle. The Russian and Cossack regiments built a fortification from carts (camp) and valiantly fought back for four days. The Poles and Crimeans burst into the camp several times, but were repulsed in hand-to-hand combat. In the end, the Russian-Ukrainian army managed to break through to Bila Tserkva, where the army was stationed under the command of governor Fyodor Buturlin. The Poles and Crimeans, who suffered heavy losses in the Battle of Drozhipol, did not dare to launch a further offensive. As a result of this fierce battle, the Polish-Crimean offensive against Ukraine was stopped.

Winter offensive in Belarus (1655). That same winter, Polish-Lithuanian troops went on the offensive in Belarus. Taking advantage of the fact that the main Russian troops were withdrawn to Russia in the winter, the detachment of Prince Lukomsky in January 1655 tried to recapture Vitebsk, but was defeated by the detachment of the governor Matvey Sheremetev. At the same time, the Polish-Lithuanian army under the command of Hetman Radziwill (24 thousand people) entered the eastern part of Belarus. She recaptured Kopys, Dubrovna and Orsha, and also relieved the Polish garrison besieged in Old Bykhov. But Radziwill's attempt to take possession of Mogilev ended in failure. After a three-month siege of this city, the Polish-Lithuanian army was forced to retreat.

Battle of Vilia (1655). March on Lviv (1655). In the summer of 1655, Russian-Ukrainian troops in Belarus launched a decisive offensive. On July 3 they took Minsk, and at the end of the month they reached the Vilna region. Here, near the Viliya River (a tributary of the Neman), on July 29, 1655, a battle between the Russian-Ukrainian army under the command of Prince Jacob of Cherkassy and Hetman Ivan Zolotarenko took place with the Polish army under the command of Hetman Radziwill. The stubborn battle lasted the whole day. In the end, it ended in complete defeat for the Poles, who retreated across the river in confusion. The victory at Vilia allowed the Russians to take possession of the capital of Lithuania, Vilna, for the first time. In August, Kovno (Kaunas) and Grodno were also taken. The Russian victories were made easier by the fact that Poland was also attacked by Sweden in the summer of 1655, whose troops captured Warsaw in August.
In the southern theater of military operations, Russian-Ukrainian troops under the command of Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky and governor Vasily Buturlin went on the offensive in Right Bank Ukraine and besieged Lviv in September 1655. However, this offensive had to be stopped, since Ukraine was invaded by a huge army of the Crimean Khan Magmet-Girey, who took advantage of the departure of the main Russian-Ukrainian forces to the west. The Crimean onslaught was repulsed, but the Russian offensive in the south also had to be stopped. The campaign of 1655 was the peak of success for the Russian-Ukrainian troops, which reached the Grodno-Brest-Lvov line.

Russo-Swedish War (1656-1658)

Further struggle between Russia and Poland was temporarily interrupted by the outbreak of the Russian-Swedish war. Sweden's aggression made serious adjustments to the Russian-Polish conflict. Part of the Polish nobility recognized the Swedish monarch Charles X as their king. In an effort to prevent the strengthening of Sweden by creating a unified Polish-Swedish state, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich concluded a truce with the Poles and in 1656 began a war with the Swedes. At the same time, he hoped (under the influence of the unprecedented successes of his army) to recapture from Sweden the Russian lands it had captured during the Time of Troubles, and also to achieve access to the Baltic Sea. The change in guidelines was also explained by the presence of disagreements among the Moscow elite regarding foreign strategy. Some, led by boyar A.S. Matveev, considered the main task to be the unification of Ukraine with Russia. Others, primarily boyar A.L. Ordin-Nashchokin, saw the primary goal in the struggle for the Baltic coast.
In 1658, due to the resumption of the war with Poland and the aggravation of the situation in Ukraine, the Russians agreed to a truce with the Swedes. According to the Treaty of Valiesar (1658), the parties concluded a three-year truce with the Russians retaining the territories they occupied (primarily Dorpat).

Campaign 1658-1659

The end of the war with Poland strained Russian-Ukrainian relations. The leaders of the Cossacks acted as instigators of unrest. They no longer needed Moscow's support and wanted to rule the country independently. Their ideal was the position of the Polish lordship. Having expelled the Poles, the Cossack elite seized significant lands into their own property and now tried to secure them for themselves with the considerable set of privileges that existed in the neighboring kingdom.
In 1657, Bohdan Khmelnytsky died. On the initiative of the elders, Ivan Vygovsky, a supporter of an alliance with the Poles, was elected hetman. He secretly concluded the Gadyach Treaty (1558) with them, providing for a federal union of Poland and Little Russia. The agreement gave the Cossack elite the rights of the Polish aristocracy and high privileges. Having united with the Crimean Khan, Vygovsky established his power in Ukraine, suppressing popular discontent with the help of the Poles. As a result, events took an unfavorable turn for Moscow. Poland, having acquired a new ally, resumed the war against Russia.
First of all, hostilities broke out in the northern theater, where Polish troops under the command of Hetman Gonsevsky tried to unite with that part of the Ukrainian regiments stationed in Belarus that took the side of Vyhovsky. To prevent this, the army of governor Yuri Dolgoruky quickly advanced to meet the Poles.

Battle of Varka (1658). The meeting of the Polish and Russian armies took place on October 8, 1658 near the village of Varka, near Vilna. At first, the Polish cavalry acted successfully and were able to push back the Russian infantry. To help the faltering infantrymen, Dolgoruky sent two regiments of the new formation. The blow of fresh Russian forces decided the outcome of the battle, putting the Polish-Lithuanian army to flight. Many Poles were captured, including Gonsevsky. However, Dolgoruky was unable to build on his success. When he asked for reinforcements from another commander, Prince Nikita Odoevsky, he did not want to do this because of disputes about who should obey whom. Nevertheless, the defeat at Warka did not allow the Poles to seize the initiative in the northern theater of military operations. After the victory at Varka, Russian troops suppressed the resistance of Vygovsky’s supporters in Belarus.

Battle of Konotop (1659). In the southern theater of military operations, events unfolded at first not so successfully. After Vygovsky’s betrayal, a large army headed by governor Alexei Trubetskoy (according to some sources, up to 150 thousand people) moved to Ukraine in the spring of 1659. But instead of joining forces with the troops of governor Vasily Sheremetev stationed in Kyiv, Trubetskoy decided to first take Konotop, where the supporters of the betrayed hetman were settled. The siege dragged on for more than one month. In June, Vygovsky approached the city, bringing with him the troops of the Crimean Khan Magmet-Girey. Leaving the main forces in ambush beyond the Sosnovka River, the hetman with a small detachment of Cossacks attacked the Moscow army on June 27, and then began to feign retreat. Trubetskoy, seeing a small number of attackers, sent only cavalry led by princes Semyon Lvov and Semyon Pozharsky to pursue them. They did not attach any importance to the testimony of the prisoners about the impending ambush and resolutely rushed in pursuit.
On June 28, Pozharsky defeated a small Cossack detachment and began the pursuit with excitement. However, having crossed Sosnovka, the Moscow cavalry unexpectedly encountered a huge army, was surrounded and completely defeated, losing up to 30 thousand people. (including more than 5 thousand prisoners who were mercilessly slaughtered). Lvov and Pozharsky were also captured. When Pozharsky was brought to the Crimean Khan, the Moscow governor, instead of expressing submission, spat in his face and scolded him, for which he was immediately beheaded. Lvov’s life was spared, but he soon died in captivity. The Battle of Konotop became one of the most brutal defeats of Russian troops in the 17th century. The flower of the Moscow noble cavalry, which could not be restored throughout the war, perished in it.
But Vygovsky was unable to develop his success. His advance was stopped by the stubborn defense of the Gadyach fortress. After the Don Cossacks attacked Crimea, the khan left to defend his possessions. The Poles also could not yet send serious reinforcements to Vygovsky. Without their support, his army no longer represented a serious force. It moved to the right bank of the Dnieper in Chigirin. In August, Vygovsky’s troops tried to launch a new offensive in Left Bank Ukraine, but were defeated near Kiev by the troops of Vasily Sheremetev.
If the Cossack elite followed Poland, then the majority of the Cossacks, for whom the Gadyach Treaty meant the return of Polish feudal order, remained loyal to Russia. In the fall of 1559, the Cossacks overthrew Vygovsky and reaffirmed their oath to the Moscow Tsar. Khmelnitsky's son Yuri was elected hetman.

Campaign of 1660

The year 1660 was a turning point in the Russian-Polish war. It was from this time that the Russians lost the strategic initiative, which gradually passed to the Polish-Lithuanian side.
In the northern sector of military operations, the campaign of 1660 was initially successful for the Russians. Thus, the troops of governor Ivan Khovansky occupied the strong fortress of Brest, and the detachment of steward Semyon Zmeev defeated the Poles near Slutsk. However, the situation soon changed. In the spring of 1660, Poland concluded the Peace of Oliwa with Sweden. Now the Polish command was able to transfer all forces against the Russians and launch a counteroffensive in Belarus. During the fighting, the Polish army ousted Russian troops from Lithuania (except Vilno), as well as most of the regions of western and central Belarus. The Polish onslaught was temporarily stopped in the fall of 1660 in the battle near the village of Gubarevo (Mogilev region).

Battle of Gubarevo (1660). On September 24-26, 1660, near the village of Gubarevo, a battle took place between the united Polish troops under the command of hetmans Sapieha, Charnetsky, and Polubensky with the Russian army under the command of Prince Yuri Dolgoruky (25 thousand people). The Poles attacked Russian positions from two sides. The Russian cavalry was the first to falter, but the infantry stationed in the forest repelled the Polish onslaught and restored balance. The stubborn battle lasted three whole days and did not give a final advantage to either side. However, the Polish offensive was stopped. In October, a 12,000-strong detachment of Prince Khovansky set off from Polotsk to help Dolgoruky. The detachments of Sapieha and Chernetsky came out to meet him. They inflicted defeat on Khovansky's army, forcing him to retreat. After this, Dolgoruky’s army, without receiving reinforcements, retreated to Mogilev.

Battle of Lyubar and Chudnov (1660). At this time, truly dramatic events were unfolding in the southern theater of military operations. The end of the unrest in Ukraine finally allowed the Russian and Ukrainian command to resume joint offensive operations. At the beginning of September 1660, the Russian army of governor Vasily Sheremetev (30 thousand people) and the Cossack army of Yuri Khmelnitsky (25 thousand people) set out on a campaign against Lviv along two converging roads. On September 5, near Lyubar, Sheremetev’s troops were stopped by the Polish-Crimean army under the command of hetmans Pototsky and Lyubomirsky (30 thousand Poles and 60 thousand Crimean Tatars). In a two-day battle, the Russians were defeated.
Sheremetev's army, outflanked, dug in and, hiding behind the carts, stubbornly defended itself until September 16. Then it began to move towards Chudnov (a town on the Teterya River) in a moving camp. Approaching Chudnov, Sheremetev took a very unfortunate position in the lowland. However, the Russian commander considered these inconveniences temporary, since he expected the approach of Khmelnitsky’s allied army from hour to hour. When Sheremetev learned about the approach of the Cossacks, he tried to break through to them, but to no avail. Khmelnitsky did not come to his aid. Fearing defeat, the Ukrainian hetman concluded peace and alliance with the Poles. After this, the Russians found themselves surrounded by a dense ring and finally lost all hope of outside help. They lost a third of their personnel from battles, hunger and disease. On October 23, Sheremetev capitulated.
Under the terms of surrender, he pledged to withdraw all Moscow troops from Ukraine. For this, the Poles had to let his army go home without banners and weapons. Instead, they handed over the prisoners to their allies - the Crimeans. Sheremetev was also sent to Crimea (he returned from there 21 years later). After their victory, the Poles demanded that the governor Yuri Boryatinsky, who was stationed near Kiev, fulfill the Chudnovsky Treaty. But he answered them with a historical phrase: “I obey the decrees of my tsar, not Sheremetev! There are many Sheremetevs in Moscow.” The Poles did not dare to storm Kyiv and retreated. Soon unrest began in their army due to non-payment of salaries. In this regard, most of it refused to participate in further hostilities. As a result of Boryatinsky’s firmness and its own troubles, the Polish side missed an opportune moment for a major offensive on Left Bank Ukraine.
Nevertheless, the defeat at Chudnov had extremely negative consequences for the Russians. After it, Ukraine split. The left bank part remained loyal to Moscow, and a new hetman was elected on the right bank of the Dnieper. This caused many years civil war in Ukraine. The Little Russian Troubles and the loss of an entire army completely deprived the Russians of offensive initiative in the southern theater of military operations. From now on Russian army limited itself to the defense of the Left Bank. In addition, in this difficult situation, Russia had to agree to the Treaty of Kardis with Sweden (1661) and abandon its conquests in the Baltic states. The Battle of Chudno became one of the largest defeats of the Russian army in the 17th century.

Campaign 1661-1662

During this period, Polish troops held the initiative. However, due to financial and economic problems, they were unable to ensure a simultaneous offensive in Belarus and Ukraine. The main efforts of the Polish command focused on the northern theater of military operations.

Battle of Kushliki (1661). This battle became decisive in the 1661 campaign in Belarus. In the fall of 1661, the Russian army under the command of governors Khovansky and Ordin-Nashchokin (20 thousand people) fought with the Polish-Lithuanian army under the command of Marshal Zheromsky. In this battle, the Russian army suffered a heavy defeat. According to some reports, only a thousand out of twenty people, together with Khovansky and the wounded Nashchokin, managed to escape within the walls of Polotsk. The rest died or were captured, including Khovansky’s son. The winners also received 9 cannons and banners. After the defeat at Kushliki, Russian troops were forced to leave the main part of Belarus.
In the winter of 1662, Polish troops captured Mogilev, and Borisov in the summer. By the end of 1662, the Russians held in Belarus mainly the Vitebsk region. Desertion among their troops is increasing. The situation within the country is also becoming more complicated due to the difficult financial and economic situation. The Copper Riot broke out in Moscow in 1662. In the face of military failures and an aggravation of the internal political situation, the Russian leadership began peace negotiations with Poland in 1662.

Vilna defense (1661-1662). Events in Ukraine (1661-1662). During this period, the cut-off Russian garrison of Vilna under the command of governor Danila Myshetsky continued to courageously defend itself. The Russians heroically repelled five attacks, enduring almost a year and a half of siege. By November 1662, only 78 soldiers remained in the ranks of the fortress’s defenders. Nevertheless, Myshetsky did not want to give up and wanted to blow up the fortress. Having learned about this, the surviving defenders of Vilna captured the governor and then handed him over to the Poles. By order of the Polish king Jan Casimir, Myshetsky was executed. With the loss of Vilna, the last Russian stronghold in Lithuania fell.
During the same period, fighting took place in Ukraine local significance. In winter, detachments of Yuri Khmelnitsky, Poles and Crimean Tatars made a series of incursions into the territory of Left Bank Ukraine, but were repulsed. After the departure of the main Polish units from Ukraine to Belarus, the Crimean Khan became the main ally and defender of Yuri Khmelnitsky. In the fall, detachments of Khmelnitsky and the Crimeans again invaded Left Bank Ukraine and besieged Pereyaslavl, but were repulsed. In the early summer of 1662 they repeated their raid. After a series of battles in the Pereyaslavl area, the Crimean-Ukrainian troops were again forced to retreat.
The repulsion of Khmelnytsky’s onslaught coincided with a fierce internal conflict on the Left Bank associated with the election of a new hetman here. The main fight took place between three contenders - Samko, Bryukhovetsky and Zolotarenko. In April 1662, Samko was finally chosen as hetman. But he did not retain the hetman’s mace for even a year before he was overthrown by his rival, Bryukhovetsky. Thus, the Moscow government had to not only fight with Poland, but also sort out the complicated Little Russian affairs, in which the betrayal of the hetmans, their mutual struggle and denunciations became commonplace. The complex, contradictory situation in Ukraine, where national and religious problems were combined with the strategic interests of neighboring powers and the property claims of individual classes, extremely complicated both the actions of the Russian army and the work of Moscow diplomacy.

Campaign 1663-1664

The main events in these years unfolded in the southern theater of military operations. Having knocked out the Russians from Lithuania and Belarus, the Polish command decided to achieve decisive success in Ukraine. In the fall of 1663, it came to Right Bank Ukraine Polish army led by King John Casimir total number less than 10 thousand people Having united with a 5,000-strong Crimean detachment and Cossack army Right Bank Hetman Teteri (who replaced Yuri Khmelnitsky), the Poles began an attack on Left Bank Ukraine. Not having sufficient forces to carry out such a large military operation, the king hoped to win over the left bank Cossacks to his side. If successful, the Poles could invade Russia, go behind the Russian troops in Belarus and organize a campaign against Moscow.
At first, the Polish army was successful. She captured 13 cities, but then events took a turn unfavorable for the king. As his army advanced, so did the resistance it faced. The Lokhvitsa fortress was stubbornly defended, taken by the Poles only after a fierce assault. The city of Gadyach, besieged by Teterya, did not surrender either. The king himself unsuccessfully besieged Glukhov, and then was defeated by Russian troops near Novgorod-Seversky and was forced to retreat. Only the indecisiveness of the governor Yakov Cherkassky saved the Polish army from complete defeat. The royal campaign on the Left Bank failed. In the winter - spring of 1664, Russian-Ukrainian troops launched a counter-offensive and carried out a number of raids on the Right Bank. In the summer of 1664, local battles on the Right Bank took place in the area of ​​Korsun and Kanev, where only one Russian detachment of governor Grigory Kosogov (2 thousand people) operated. Moscow could not allocate more for the offensive on the Right Bank.

Campaign 1665-1666 Truce of Andrusovo (1667)

Jan Casimir's campaign against Left Bank Ukraine was the last major operation Russian-Polish war. After this, hostilities began to fade. Neither Russia nor Poland had the strength for a decisive blow. In 1665, local battles took place in both the northern and southern theaters of military operations. In the south, Russian-Ukrainian troops in 1665 continued to make shallow raids on the Right Bank - in particular, they captured Korsun and defeated the Poles near Bila Tserkva. There were no major battles in Belarus either. The military activity of the parties gave way to diplomatic activity. In 1666, negotiations began, which ended in January 1667 with the signing of a truce for 13.5 years in the village of Andrusovo (near Smolensk).
According to the Truce of Andrusovo, Russia received Smolensk and all the lands it had lost during the Time of Troubles, as well as Left Bank Ukraine with temporary possession of Kiev (then it became permanent). The Zaporozhye Sich received autonomy. Belarus and Right Bank Ukraine remained with the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. For Russia, this war turned out to be one of the longest, it lasted for thirteen years with interruptions. Having acted there as a defender of Orthodoxy and its half-brothers, Moscow fought not only to change its borders, but also to restore the living space of the East Slavic world. After this war, Catholic Europe, which had extended its influence to the banks of the Dnieper, began to roll back.
The Treaty of Andrusovo, which meant the collapse of Warsaw's eastern policy, ends the period of armed rivalry between Russia and Poland. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was no longer able to fully recover from the losses suffered. It is beginning to lose its role as a regional leader in Eastern Europe and ceases to pose a serious threat to Moscow. Soon there is a rapprochement between the two countries, first on the basis of joint actions against the Ottoman Empire, and then against Sweden.

"From Ancient Rus' to the Russian Empire." Shishkin Sergey Petrovich, Ufa.