The storming of Ishmael is a great victory for the Russian army. The capture of the Turkish fortress Izmail

Victory in the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774 provided Russia with access to the Black Sea. But under the terms of the Kuchuk-Kainardzhiyskiy treaty, the strong fortress of Izmail, located at the mouth of the Danube, remained with Turkey.

In 1787, Turkey, supported by Britain and France, demanded that Russia revise the treaty: the return of the Crimea and the Caucasus, invalidation of subsequent agreements. Having been refused, she began hostilities. Turkey planned to seize Kinburn and Kherson, land a large assault force in the Crimea and destroy the Russian naval base Sevastopol.

The storming of Ishmael

To deploy military operations on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus and Kuban, significant Turkish forces were sent to Sukhum and Anapa. To support its plans, Turkey prepared a 200,000-strong army and a strong fleet of 19 battleships, 16 frigates, 5 bombardment corvettes and a large number of ships and support vessels.

Russia deployed two armies: the Yekaterinoslav Field Marshal General Grigory Potemkin (82 thousand people) and the Ukrainian General Field Marshal Peter Rumyantsev (37 thousand people). Separated from the Yekaterinoslav army, two strong military corps were located in the Kuban and Crimea.

The Russian Black Sea Fleet was based at two points: the main forces were in Sevastopol (23 warships with 864 guns) under the command of Admiral M.I. Voinovich, the future great naval commander Fyodor Ushakov served here, and the rowing flotilla in the Dnieper-Bug estuary (20 small-tonnage ships and vessels, partially not yet armed). On the side of Russia was a large European country - Austria, which sought to expand its possessions at the expense of the Balkan states, which were under Turkish rule.

The action plan of the allies (Russia and Austria) was offensive in nature. It consisted in invading Turkey from two sides: the Austrian army was to launch an offensive from the west and capture Khotin; The Yekaterinoslav army was to deploy hostilities on the Black Sea coast, capture Ochakov, then cross the Dnieper, clear the area between the Dniester and the Prut from the Turks, for which they take Bender. The Russian fleet was supposed to be active in the Black Sea to pin down the enemy's fleet and prevent Turkey from carrying out amphibious operations.

Military operations developed successfully for Russia. The capture of Ochakov, the victories of Alexander Suvorov at Fokshany and Rymnik created the preconditions for the end of the war and the signing of a peace beneficial for Russia. Turkey did not have at this time the forces for serious resistance to the armies of the allies. However, politicians were unable to seize the opportunity. Turkey managed to gather new troops, get help from Western countries, and the war dragged on.

Portrait of A.V. Suvorov. Hood. Yu.Kh. Sadilenko

In the 1790 campaign, the Russian command planned to take the Turkish fortresses on the left bank of the Danube, and then move the hostilities across the Danube.

During this period, brilliant successes were won by Russian sailors under the command of Fyodor Ushakov. The Turkish fleet suffered major defeats in the Kerch Strait and at Tendra Island. The Russian fleet seized a lasting dominance in the Black Sea, providing conditions for active offensive operations of the Russian army and rowing flotilla on the Danube. Soon, having captured the fortresses of Kiliya, Tulcha and Isakcha, Russian troops approached Izmail.

The Izmail fortress was considered impregnable. Before the war, it was rebuilt under the leadership of French and German engineers, who significantly strengthened its fortifications. On three sides (northern, western and eastern) the fortress was surrounded by a rampart 6 km long, up to 8 meters high with earthen and stone bastions. A ditch 12 meters wide and up to 10 meters deep was dug in front of the rampart, which in some places was filled with water. On the south side, Ishmael was covered by the Danube. Inside the city there were many stone buildings that could be actively used for defense. The garrison of the fortress numbered 35 thousand people with 265 fortress guns.

In November, the Russian army of 31 thousand people (including 28.5 thousand infantry and 2.5 thousand cavalry) with 500 guns laid siege to Izmail from land. The river flotilla under the command of General Horace de Ribas, having destroyed almost the entire Turkish river flotilla, blocked the fortress from the side of the Danube.

Two assaults on Ishmael ended in failure and the troops proceeded to a systematic siege and artillery shelling of the fortress. With the onset of the autumn bad weather, mass diseases began in the army, located in an open area. Having lost faith in the possibility of taking Ishmael by storm, the generals who were in charge of the siege decided to withdraw the troops to winter quarters.

On November 25, the command of the troops near Izmail was entrusted to Suvorov. Potemkin gave him the right to act at his own discretion: "whether by continuing the enterprises on Ishmael or by leaving it." In his letter to Alexander Vasilyevich, he noted: "My hope is in God and in your courage, hurry up, my dear friend ...".

Arriving at Izmail on December 2, Suvorov stopped the withdrawal of troops from under the fortress. After assessing the situation, he decided to immediately prepare an assault. Having examined the enemy's fortifications, he noted in a report to Potemkin that they were "without weak points."

Map of the actions of the Russian troops during the assault on Izmail

Preparations for the assault were carried out in nine days. Suvorov sought to make the most of the surprise factor, for which he carried out preparations for the offensive in secret. Particular attention was paid to preparing troops for assault operations. Ramparts and walls similar to those of Izmail were built near the village of Broska. For six days and nights, the soldiers practiced on them ways to overcome ditches, ramparts and fortress walls. Suvorov encouraged the soldiers with the words: "More sweat - less blood!" At the same time, in order to deceive the enemy, preparations for a long siege were simulated, batteries were laid, and fortification work was carried out.

Suvorov found time to develop special instructions for officers and soldiers, which contained the rules for conducting a battle during the assault on the fortress. On the Trubaevsky mound, where a small obelisk rises today, the commander's tent stood. Here painstaking preparation for the assault was carried out, everything was thought out and provided for to the smallest detail. "Such an assault," Alexander Vasilyevich later admitted, "could only be dared once in a lifetime."

Before the battle at the council of war, Suvorov said: “Twice the Russians stood in front of Ishmael and twice retreated from him; now, for the third time, they have no choice but to take the fortress or die ... ". The council of war unanimously came out in support of the great commander.

On December 7, Suvorov sent Potemkin's letter to the commandant of Izmail with an ultimatum to surrender the fortress. In case of voluntary surrender, the Turks were guaranteed life, preservation of property and the opportunity to cross the Danube, otherwise "the fate of Ochakov will follow with the city." The letter ended with the words: "A brave general, Count Alexander Suvorov-Rymniksky, has been appointed to do this." And Suvorov attached his note to the letter: “I arrived here with the troops. 24 hours to think for surrender and will; my first shots are already bondage; assault is death. "

Suvorov and Kutuzov before the storming of Izmail in 1790. Hood. O. G. Vereisky

The Turks refused to surrender and in response declared that "the Danube will sooner stop in its course and the sky will bow to the ground than Ishmael will surrender." This answer, on the orders of Suvorov, was read out in each company to inspire the soldiers before the assault.

The assault was scheduled for December 11th. To keep the secret, Suvorov did not give a written order, but limited himself to an oral statement of the task to the commanders. The commander planned to conduct a night simultaneous attack by ground forces and a river flotilla from different directions. The main blow was struck at the least protected riverine part of the fortress. The troops were divided into three detachments of three columns each. The column consisted of up to five battalions. Six columns operated from land and three columns from the Danube.

A detachment under the command of General P.S. Potemkin of 7,500 people (it included the columns of generals Lvov, Lassi and Meknob) was to attack the western face of the fortress; detachment of General A.N. Samoilov numbering 12 thousand people (columns of Major General MI Kutuzov and Cossack brigadiers Platov and Orlov) - the north-eastern face of the fortress; a detachment of General de Ribas of 9 thousand people (columns of Major General Arsenyev, Brigadier Chepega and Guards Seconds-Major Markov) was supposed to attack the river front of the fortress from the Danube. The general reserve of about 2500 people was divided into four groups and located opposite each of the fortress gates.

Of the nine columns, six were concentrated on the main line. The main artillery was also located here. Ahead of each column was to move a team of 120-150 riflemen in loose formation and 50 workers with a trench tool, then three battalions with fascines and ladders. The reserve, built in a square, closes the column.

Actions of the Russian artillery during the assault on the fortress of Izmail in 1790. Hood. F.I. Usypenko

Preparing for the assault, from the morning of December 10, Russian artillery from land and from ships conducted continuous fire on the enemy's fortifications and batteries, which continued until the start of the attack. At 5:30 am on December 11, the columns moved to storm the fortress. The river flotilla, under cover of naval artillery fire (about 500 guns), landed troops. The besieged met the attacking columns with artillery and rifle fire, and in some areas with counterattacks.

Despite heavy fire and desperate resistance, the 1st and 2nd columns immediately broke into the rampart and captured the bastions. During the battle, General Lvov was seriously wounded and Colonel Zolotukhin took command of the 1st column. The 6th column immediately captured the rampart, but then delayed, repelling a strong counter-attack by the Turks.

The third column found itself in the most difficult conditions: the depth of the ditch and the height of the bastion, which it had to take, turned out to be greater than in other places. The soldiers had to tie up the ladders under enemy fire in order to climb the rampart. Despite heavy losses, it fulfilled its task.

The 4th and 5th columns, made up of dismounted Cossacks, withstood a heavy battle. They were counterattacked by the Turks who emerged from the fortress, and Platov's Cossacks also had to overcome the moat with water. The Cossacks not only coped with the task, but also contributed to the successful attack of the 7th column, which, after landing, divided into four parts and went on the attack under the flank fire of Turkish batteries. During the battle, Platov had to take over command of the detachment, replacing the seriously wounded General Samoilov. The remaining columns, which attacked the enemy from the Danube, also successfully coped with the tasks.

Entrance A.V. Suvorov to Izmail. Hood. A.V. Rusin

At dawn, the battle was already going on inside the fortress. By 11 o'clock the gates were opened and reinforcements entered the fortress. Heavy street fighting continued until dusk. The Turks fiercely defended themselves. The assault columns were forced to separate and operate in separate battalions and even companies. Their efforts were steadily increasing due to the introduction of reserves into battle. To support the attackers, part of the artillery was also introduced into the fortress.

“Fortress Izmail, so fortified, as vast and which seemed invincible to the enemy, was taken by the terrible weapon of Russian bayonets. The stubbornness of the enemy, who haughtily relied on his hope for the number of troops, was overthrown, ”Potemkin wrote in a report to Catherine II.

During the assault, the Turks lost more than 26 thousand people, 9 thousand were captured. The Russians captured about 400 banners and bunchuk, 265 guns, the remnants of the river flotilla - 42 ships, large stocks of ammunition and many other trophies. Russian losses amounted to 4 thousand killed and 6 thousand wounded.

Officer's cross and soldier's medal for participation in the storming of Izmail in December 1790

The capture of Izmail by the Russian troops dramatically changed the strategic situation in the war in favor of Russia. Turkey was forced to move to peace negotiations.

“There has never been a stronger fortress, there has been no defense more desperate than the defense of Ishmael, but Ishmael was taken,” these words from Suvorov's report to Potemkin are carved on a monument erected in honor of the great Russian commander.

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Ishmael city is located on the banks of the Danube River in the very south of the Odessa region, in the historical region of Bessarabia. Romania is already on the other side of the river from the city. The distance from Izmail to the Black Sea coast is about 80 km. This place is quite isolated, to get to the city you need to drive for several hours through the wilderness of the steppe. Also, an hour and a half by car separates Izmail from the Ukrainian-Moldovan border - this is the main direction for traveling by car from Ukraine to Romania and Bulgaria.

How to get to Izmail?

Getting to Izmail, shall we say, is not easy. The road that connects the city with Odessa is in a rather poor condition. Although the authorities repaired several small sections of this road in 2016, the road remains in places completely destroyed. There are several sections of the track where cars prefer to drive in the field rather than the road, as there are fewer holes. If you don’t feel sorry for your car, then you can get from Odessa to Izmail in 4 hours. Regular buses and minibuses travel along the same road for about 5 hours, with a technical stop in Tatarbunary. The ticket price is about 120 UAH. During the daytime, minibuses run quite often, every 30-40 minutes.

There is also a train Odessa-Izmail and Kiev-Izmail. From Odessa to Izmail train # 6860 departs three times a day (Tuesday, Friday, Sunday) at 16:20. The train leaves Izmail for Odessa on the same days at 23:59. Train Kiev-Izmail-Kiev № 243/244 runs daily. Departure time from Kiev and Izmail is the same - at 17:06. Travel time by train will be slightly longer than by bus or car - about 7 hours. But tickets are also cheaper.

Sights of Izmail.

There are several interesting places for tourists in Izmail. Also, do not forget that just an hour's drive from the city is Vilkovo (Ukrainian Venice), as well as the Black Sea coast.

Izmail fortress

Probably everyone heard about the legendary impregnable Izmail fortress, which was taken by storm by the troops of Suvorov in 1790. Unfortunately, this fortress has not survived to this day. After its capture, its walls were razed to the ground and nothing remained of this interesting architectural monument. Now on the site of the fortress there is the Izmail Memorial Park-Museum "Fortress". The only building that has survived since that time is the building of the mosque, where the diorama of "storming the fortress" is being created.

Intercession Cathedral

The Cathedral of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos is located in a city park in the center of Izmail on Suvorov Avenue. The cathedral was built in the first half of the 19th century on the site of the older Nicholas Church. The architect was A. Melnikov. Masha Pasha liked this church very much. The cathedral itself looks quite unusual; it has long antique colonnades and porticoes. A nice park is laid out around it, as well as a monument to Suvorov.

Suvorov Avenue

In the central part of the city, Suvorov Avenue has a long pedestrian green area where you can walk on foot. There are also many nice low two-storey buildings of the 19th century built here. If you walk along Suvorov Avenue straight towards the Danube, then you will eventually come to the river station of the Ukrainian Danube Shipping Company and a small embankment along the Danube.

Infrastructure, entertainment in Izmail

In Izmail there is only one large supermarket Tavria, which is located on Suvorov Avenue at the entrance to the central part of the city. The Pokrovsky Cathedral and the city center are quite far to walk from here. Several entertainment facilities are located on Prospekt Mira in the area of ​​the "circle" - a square with a circular traffic, on which the monument to the liberators of Izmail is located. There is a cinema, Celentano pizzeria and a number of other shops, restaurants and cafes. There are also many small shops and cafes located in the central part of Suvorov Avenue.

Our room in a VIP hotel in Izmail.

Where to stay in Izmail?

MashaPasha, visiting Izmail, stayed at the "VIP" hotel (Pushkin street 20). This is one of the best hotels in town, clean and nicely furnished. Prices for rooms in it start from 580 UAH. per double room per day. Hotel website www.vip-hotel.com.ua

The real peak of the military glory of the Russian army at the end of the 18th century was the storming of the strongest Turkish fortress Izmail on December 11 (22), 1790. She has always been considered unapproachable. French and German engineers worked hard to strengthen it. There was no second such fortress in Turkey.

Izmail Fortress was an irregular triangle adjacent to the bank of the Danube. On three sides - north, west and east - it was surrounded by a rampart 6 km long, 6 - 8 m high with earthen and stone bastions. In front of the rampart, a ditch 12 m wide and 6-10 m deep was dug, in some places filled with water to a depth of 1 m. There were four gates in the rampart. On the south side, Ishmael was covered by the Danube. Inside the city, there were many stone buildings that contributed to the conduct of a stubborn defense. Its garrison numbered 35 thousand people with 265 fortress guns.

The numerous Turkish Danube military flotilla, which took refuge here from the Russian rowing flotilla after a series of battles lost on the river, stood under the Ishmael walls.

In November, the Russian army of 31 thousand people (including 28.5 thousand infantry and 2.5 thousand cavalry) and over 500 guns laid siege to Izmail from land. The weakness of the infantry, which had to go to the assault, was that almost half of it were Cossacks, who had lost their horses in the war. Their shortened pikes and sabers could not replace rifles with baguettes in hand-to-hand combat, which the Cossacks did not have, as well as the skills of infantrymen. In addition, the Russians almost did not have, unlike the Turks, large-caliber guns, from which siege bresh-batteries were formed. The artillery of the military flotillas was distinguished by small calibers and could only fire from close distances.

River flotilla under the command of General O.M. de Ribasa blocked the fortress from the side of the Danube, destroying almost the entire Turkish river flotilla with artillery fire. Two attempts by Russian troops to take Izmail by storm ended in failure. The fighting was limited to artillery fire. With the onset of the autumn bad weather, mass diseases spread in the army. The morale of the troops was falling. The generals who led the siege, believing that it was impossible to capture Ishmael, decided at the council of war to withdraw the troops from under the fortress and place them in winter quarters.

On November 25 (December 6), A.V. Suvorov. He was given the right to act at his own discretion: either to undertake an assault, or to end the siege and withdraw the troops.

Suvorov arrived at Izmail on December 2 (13), when the withdrawal of troops from the fortress had already begun. Quickly assessing the situation, he decided to storm the fortress. Wasting no time, Suvorov began to prepare for the assault, which lasted nine days. In order to use the surprise factor, this preparation was carried out covertly, at night. To create the appearance of preparation for a long siege, he ordered to lay four batteries, at the same time, assault ladders, fascines were procured in the troops, and a trench tool was accumulated.

Before the assault, special attention was paid to the preparation and training of troops. Away from the fortress, Suvorov ordered to dig a ditch and build a rampart that would resemble the Izmail ones, and on them the troops trained in overcoming these fortifications. At the same time, much attention was paid to the moral and ethical training of the troops. Suvorov convened a council of war, at which he made an inspired speech, after which everyone agreed that an assault was necessary.

On December 7 (18), Suvorov sent an ultimatum to the commandant of Izmail to surrender the fortress. The Turks refused to surrender and in response declared that "the Danube will sooner stop in its course and the sky will fall to the ground than Ishmael will surrender." This answer, on the orders of Suvorov, was read out in each company to inspire the soldiers.

The idea of ​​the assault was a sudden night concentric attack by ground forces and a river flotilla. At the same time, the main efforts were concentrated along the less protected riverine part of the fortress. The troops were divided into three detachments of three columns each. The column included five battalions. Six columns operated from land and three from the Danube.

A detachment under the command of General P.S. Potemkin, numbering 7,500 people, was supposed to attack the western face of the fortress, a detachment under the command of General A.N. Samoilov numbering 12 thousand people - the northeastern front of the fortress and the detachment of General O.M. de Ribasa numbering 9 thousand people was supposed to attack the river front of the fortress from the Danube. The general reserve of about 2,500 people was divided into four groups and located opposite each of the fortress gates.

In front of each column, teams of riflemen (120 - 150 people) and 50 workers with a trench tool were to move in loose formation, then three battalions with fascines and ladders advanced, and the reserve closed the columns.

All day and night on December 10 (21), Russian artillery from land and ships fired incessantly, preparing the assault. At 5:30 in the morning on December 11 (22), at the signal of a rocket, the columns moved towards the fortress walls. The river flotilla has landed troops. The besieged met the Russian attack with brutal artillery and rifle fire. With counterattacks, they threw off the attacking battalions from the walls of the fortress. The battle for mastering the shaft lasted eight hours. The responsible role in the storming of Izmail belonged to M.I. Kutuzov, whose column, breaking the enemy's resistance, was the first to break into the city.

At dawn, a struggle began inside the fortress. Bloody street fighting lasted until 5 pm. I had to fight for every street, every house. The assault columns, as a rule, were dismembered and operated in battalion and port numbers. The huntsmen, in cooperation with the artillery, ensured the advance of the columns, covered their flanks and repelled enemy counterattacks. The actions of the assault forces were increased at the expense of private and general reserves, which were introduced simultaneously in several sectors. Izmail stronghold fell by 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Thus ended the battle for the fortress of Izmail, the victory in which glorified Russian weapons and immortalized the name of the commander A.V. Suvorov-Rymniksky.

The Turks lost more than 26 thousand people killed and 9 thousand prisoners during the assault. Russian trophies were 400 banners, 265 guns, the remains of the river flotilla, large stocks of ammunition and many other trophies. The Russians lost 1,815,000 people killed and 2,445,000 wounded.

In terms of the losses of the opposing sides during the assault on Izmail, its ferocity and bloodshed, this battle of the Russian-Turkish war of 1787-1791 has no equal in world military history.

On the same day, December 11, General-in-Chief A.V. Suvorov reported on the capture of the enemy fortress to the commander-in-chief of the Russian army in the south of Russia, Field Marshal General of Civil Aviation. Potemkin-Tavrichesky: “There is no stronger fortress, there is no more desperate defense, like Ishmael, who fell before the highest throne of Her Imperial Majesty in a bloody assault! My lowest congratulations to your lordship! General Count Suvorov-Rymniksky.

The success of the assault was ensured by the surprise of actions, thorough and comprehensive preparation, skillful formation of battle formation, well-organized interaction between the advancing units and subunits, strict adherence to the assault plan, combined with a broad manifestation of reasonable initiative of the commanders, decisiveness of actions and perseverance in achieving the goal, concentration of forces in the direction the main attack, the massive use of artillery, the interaction of the land army and the river flotilla.

The capture of Izmail meant a major contribution to the development of Russian military art. The storming of Ishmael showed that the methods of seizing fortresses by means of a long siege that existed then in the West had long outlived their usefulness. Relying on the high fighting qualities of the Russian army, Suvorov put forward and brilliantly implemented the idea of ​​mastering the fortress by the method of open assault, combined with skillful engineering training. The new method made it possible to take fortresses in a shorter time and with less losses for the troops than during long sieges. During the assault on Izmail, the tactics of columns and loose formation were further developed. The troops stormed in columns, ahead of which the arrows acted in loose formation. Fire and maneuver were widely used in this formation. On the streets of the city, the troops fought in loose formation. The victory was achieved not only thanks to the military leadership skills of Suvorov, but also to the high moral qualities of the Russian soldiers. (In memory of this event, the Day of Military Glory was established - December 24.)

In 1768, the Turkish sultan declared war on Russia, then headed by Catherine II. The leader of the Ottoman Empire wanted to get Podolia and Volhynia, expand his possessions in the Northern Black Sea region and the Caucasus, as well as establish a protectorate over the Commonwealth.

During the war, the Russian army under the leadership of Peter Rumyantsev and Alexander Suvorov defeated the Turkish troops, and the Mediterranean squadron of the Russian fleet under the command of Alexei Orlov and Grigory Spiridov defeated the Turkish fleet. As a result, Russia forced the enemy to sign the Kuchuk-Kainardzhi treaty, according to which the Crimean Khanate formally gained independence, but in fact began to depend on Russia. In addition, the Ottoman Empire paid Russia military indemnities in the amount of 4.5 million rubles. and ceded the northern Black Sea coast along with two important ports.

In 1783, by the manifesto of Catherine II, the Crimean Khanate was annexed to Russia.

In 1787, the Ottoman Empire issued an ultimatum to Russia demanding the restoration of the vassalage of the Crimean Khanate and Georgia. In addition, the attacking side wanted to get permission from Catherine II to inspect ships passing through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles. The empress refused, and the sultan immediately declared a new war on Russia. True, he did not know that

Austria will also fight against the Ottoman Empire, which shortly before that signed a military treaty with the Russian Empire.

"I myself am amazed at the agility and courage of my people."

In the war, Russia won victories one after another. So, the Russian-Austrian army under the command of Alexander Suvorov defeated the Turkish army near Focsani. And the Sevastopol squadron under the leadership of Marko Voinovich and Fyodor Ushakov defeated the enemy fleet near the island of Fidonisi. Catherine II wrote to the commander-in-chief of the Russian army and prince Grigory Potemkin about the naval battle: “The action of the Sevastopol fleet made me happy: it’s almost incredible, with what little power God helps to beat strong Turkish weapons! Tell me, how can I please Voinovich? Crosses of the third class have already been sent to you, will you give him one, or a sword? "

Soon a battle took place near the Kerch Strait, during which the Russian squadron under the command of Fyodor Ushakov won a victory and did not allow the Ottoman Empire to land its troops in the Crimea.

“I myself am amazed at the agility and courage of my people,” Ushakov said. "They shot at the enemy ship infrequently and with such dexterity that it seemed that everyone was learning to shoot at a target."

And here is what Catherine II wrote about the results of the battle: "We celebrated the victory of the Black Sea Fleet over the Turkish fleet yesterday with a prayer service at Kazan ... I ask Rear Admiral Ushakov to thank all his subordinates."

Execute everyone

However, despite the multiple victories of the Russian army, the Ottoman Empire did not agree to accept the peace terms on which Russia insisted, and the Sultan dragged out the negotiations in every possible way. It became clear that it would be possible to speed up the negotiation process with the capture of Ishmael, a powerful fortress with a high rampart and a wide moat, whose garrison was about 35 thousand people under the command of Aydozly-Muhammad Pasha.

The Sultan issued an order that in the event of the fall of Ishmael, it would be necessary to execute every soldier defending the fortress.

At the end of November 1790, Grigory Potemkin ordered Alexander Suvorov to take command of the units that besieged Izmail. The commander immediately sent an ultimatum to the commandant of Ishmael demanding the surrender of the fortress no later than a day after the delivery of the ultimatum. The ultimatum was rejected.

Alexander Suvorov convened a military council, which decided that it was necessary to begin the assault as soon as possible. According to the memoirs of his contemporaries, the great Russian commander ordered his soldiers "to take Izmail at any cost."

State Memorial Museum A.V. Suvorov "Portrait of A. V. Suvorov in the uniform of the Preobrazhensky Guards Regiment", Joseph Kreitsinger. Oil on canvas, 40.5 × 31.5 cm.1799.

"There were prisoners who died of fear at the sight of the massacre."

The assault on the fortress was scheduled for the early morning of December 22: Suvorov believed that darkness was needed to surprise the first strike. However, according to historians, the attack by the Russians did not come as a surprise to the Turks: the latter were ready for an assault every night and, moreover, knew from the defectors about the commander's plans.

At five o'clock in the morning, the assault began, and soon the enemy was driven out of the fortress tops and retreated to the inner part of the city. Through the captured Brossky, Khotinsky and Bendery gates, Alexander Suvorov moved reserves into battle. The Turkish garrison continued to resist - the troops of Aydozly-Muhammad Pasha fought for every house. According to memoirs, the Turks “sold their lives dearly, no one asked for mercy, women rushed brutally with daggers at the soldiers. The frenzy of the inhabitants increased the ferocity of the troops, neither gender, nor age, nor rank were spared; blood was pouring everywhere - we will cover the spectacle of horrors with a veil. "

By four o'clock in the afternoon, the fortress was completely taken. 26 thousand Turks were killed, the rest were taken prisoner. The total losses of the Russians were 4582 people.

“Our soldiers with lances and bayonets attacked the Turks, who were armed with sabers and daggers,” recalled French officer Lanzheron, a volunteer in the Russian army. - This battle lasted five hours: the Turks were driven from the walls, they barricaded themselves in the streets, and every house was besieged. Finally, at noon, four hundred Turks (the remaining of the 30,000 who defended the city) laid down their arms and the battle ended. The terrible robbery that followed ended only the next day. In almost all the columns we lost a third in killed and wounded, and in one - two thirds. For 23 thousand participants in the assault, there were from 6 thousand to 7 thousand victims, including three major generals, one brigadier, six colonels, more than forty lieutenant colonels or majors and two hundred to three hundred junior officers.

It took several days to remove the corpses that filled the ditches, earthen ramparts, streets and large squares. There could be no question of rescuing the wounded, almost all were mercilessly finished off. There were prisoners who, at the sight of this terrible massacre, died of fear. "

If the fallen Russians were buried according to the church rite, then the dead soldiers of the Ottoman Empire were thrown directly into the Danube. The captured Turks were sent to the city of Nikolaev under the escort of the Cossacks.

Suvorov appointed Mikhail Kutuzov, the future famous commander and winner of Napoleon, as the commandant of the fortress.

Who got the diamond tunic

“Thus, a victory has been accomplished,” Alexander Suvorov soon reported to Grigory Potemkin. - Fortress Izmail, so fortified, so vast and which seemed invincible to the enemy, was taken by the terrible weapon of Russian bayonets, the stubbornness of the enemy, who haughtily relied on his hope for the number of troops, was overthrown. Although the number of troops receiving taines was supposed to be 42 thousand, but according to the exact calculation, 35 thousand should be assumed.The number of the killed enemy was up to 26 thousand.

Seraskir Aidos Mehmet the three-bunchuzhny Pasha who commanded Ishmael, who sat down with a crowd of more than 1,000 people in a stone building and did not surrender, was attacked by Phanagoria grenadiers in the command of Colonel Zolotukhin. And both he and all those who were with him were beaten and stabbed.

In the fortress of Izmail, 245 cannons were found, including nine mortars, and twenty on the shore, 245 in total; a large powder magazine and various shells. The trophies included 345 banners, except for those that were torn in battles, seven bunchuks and two sanzhaks, eight lansons.

Bringing your lordship with the victory of the famous victory, congratulations and gratitude for entrusting me with only a famous feat, I consider myself a direct duty to testify to the firmness and courage of the bosses and the boundless diligence and courage of all ranks and to intercede with your favor and patronage for reward to my co-workers and comrades. "

For the assault on Izmail, Alexander Suvorov dreamed of receiving the rank of Field Marshal - the highest military rank in the ground forces. However, Potemkin received the field marshal's uniform embroidered with diamonds, and Suvorov was appointed lieutenant colonel of the Preobrazhensky regiment.

Thunder of victory, resound!

After the capture of Ishmael, panic began in the Ottoman Empire. The Sultan was forced to agree to the terms of the Yassy Peace Treaty, which ended the Russo-Turkish War. According to the document, the Ottoman Empire renounced claims to Georgia and pledged not to take any hostile actions against the Georgian lands. Russia, however, secured the entire Northern Black Sea region and strengthened its political positions in the Caucasus and the Balkans.

In 1794, the city of Odessa was founded on the lands obtained as a result of the Yassy Peace Treaty.

The unofficial Russian anthem "Thunder of victory, sound!" Is dedicated to the storming of Izmail. The author of the words was the poet Gabriel Derzhavin. The unofficial anthem of the Russian Empire began with the following lines:

Thunder of victory, resound!
Have fun, brave Ross!
Adorn yourself with sonorous glory.
You have ruined Mohammed!

Soon after the victory over the Turks, Alexander Suvorov began to strengthen the new Russian-Turkish border, which runs along the Dniester River. By his order, Tiraspol, the largest city in Transnistria today, was founded on the left bank of the Dniester in 1792.

They won one of the most striking victories in history, taking the Turkish fortress of Izmail.

How Turkey woke up famously

Among the outstanding historical victories won by the Russian army, there are not so many that not only remained in the memory of descendants, but even entered folklore and became part of the language. The storming of Ishmael is just such an event. It appears both in anecdotes and in ordinary speech - “the capture of Ishmael” is often jokingly called “assault”, when an extremely large amount of work must be done in a short period of time. The storming of Izmail was the apotheosis of the Russian-Turkish war of 1787-1791. The war broke out at the suggestion of Turkey, which was trying to take revenge for previous defeats. In this endeavor, the Turks relied on the support of Great Britain, France and Prussia, which, however, did not themselves intervene in hostilities. The ultimatum of Turkey in 1787 demanded that Russia return Crimea, renounce Georgia's patronage and agree to inspect Russian merchant ships passing through the straits. Naturally, Turkey was refused and began hostilities. Russia, in turn, decided to use the favorable moment to expand possessions in the Northern Black Sea region.

The fighting developed catastrophically for the Turks. The Russian armies inflicted defeat after defeat on the enemy, both on land and at sea. In the battles of the 1787-1791 war, two Russian military geniuses shone - the commander Alexander Suvorov and the naval commander Fyodor Ushakov.
By the end of 1790, it was obvious that Turkey was suffering a decisive defeat. However, Russian diplomats did not succeed in persuading the Turks to sign a peace treaty. Another decisive military success was needed.

The best fortress in Europe

Russian troops approached the walls of the Izmail Fortress, which was the key object of the Turkish defense. Ishmael, located on the left bank of the Kiliyskiy branch of the Danube, covered the most important strategic directions. Its fall created the possibility of a breakthrough by Russian troops across the Danube into Dobrudja, which threatened the Turks with the loss of vast territories and even a partial collapse of the empire. Preparing for war with Russia, Turkey strengthened Ishmael as much as possible. The best German French military engineers were engaged in the fortification work, so that Ishmael at that moment became one of the strongest fortresses in Europe.
A high rampart, a wide moat up to 10 meters deep, 260 guns on 11 bastions. In addition, the garrison of the fortress by the time the Russians approached exceeded 30 thousand people.
The commander-in-chief of the Russian army, His Serene Highness Prince Grigory Potemkin, gave the order to seize Izmail, and the detachments of Generals Gudovich, Pavel Potemkin, as well as the flotilla of Generalada Ribas, began to carry it out.
However, the siege was carried on sluggishly, the general assault was not appointed. The generals were not cowards at all, but they had fewer troops at their disposal than were in the garrison of Ishmael. It seemed crazy to take decisive action in such a situation.
Having sat under siege until the end of November 1790, at the military council of Gudovich, Pavel Potemkin and de Ribas decided to withdraw troops to winter quarters.

War genius insane ultimatum

When such a decision became known to Grigory Potemkin, he flew into a rage, immediately canceled the order to withdraw, and appointed General-in-Chief Alexander Suvorov as the head of the assault on Izmail.

A black cat had run between Potemkin and Suvorov by that time. The ambitious Potemkin was a talented administrator, but his leadership skills were very limited. On the contrary, the fame of Suvorov swept not only throughout Russia, but also abroad. Potemkin was not eager to give the general, whose successes made him jealous, a new chance to excel, but there was nothing to do - Ishmael was more important than personal relationships. Although, it is possible that Potemkin secretly harbored the hope that Suvorov would break his neck on the bastions of Ishmael.
The resolute Suvorov arrived at the walls of Ishmael, on the move deploying the troops that were already leaving the fortress. As usual, he infected everyone around him with his enthusiasm and confidence in success.

Only a few knew what the commander really thought. Having personally traveled around the approaches to Ishmael, he briefly said: "This fortress has no weak points."
And after years, Alexander Vasilyevich will say: "It was possible to decide to storm such a fortress only once in a lifetime ...".
But in those days, the general-in-chief did not express doubts at the walls of Ishmael. He took six days to prepare for the general assault. The soldiers were sent to the exercises - in the nearest village they hastily erected earthen and wooden analogs of the ditch and walls of Izmail, on which methods of overcoming obstacles were practiced.
Ishmael himself, with the arrival of Suvorov, was taken into a tough blockade from the sea and land. After completing the preparations for the battle, the general-in-chief sent an ultimatum to the head of the fortress, the great serasker Aydozle-Mehmet Pasha.

An exchange of letters between the two military leaders went into. Suvorov: “I arrived here with the troops. Twenty-four hours to think - and freedom. My first shot is already bondage. The assault is death. " Aydozle-Mehmet-Pasha: "It is more likely that the Danube will flow backwards and the sky will fall to the ground, than Ishmael will surrender."
After the fact, it is generally accepted that the Turkish commander was overly boastful. However, before the assault, one could say that Suvorov was overly arrogant.
Judge for yourself: we have already spoken about the might of the fortress, as well as about its 35 thousandth garrison. And the Russian army numbered only 31 thousand fighters, of which a third were irregular troops. According to the canons of military science, an assault in such conditions is doomed to failure.
But the fact is that 35 thousand Turkish soldiers were actually suicide bombers. Furious with military failures, the Turkish sultan issued a special firman, in which he promised to execute anyone who left Ishmael. So the Russians were opposed by 35 thousand armed to the teeth, desperate fighters who intended to fight to the death in the fortifications of the best European fortress.
And therefore the answer of Aydozle-Mehmet Pasha to Suvorov is not boastful, but quite reasonable.

The death of the Turkish garrison

Any other commander would really break his neck, but we are talking about Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov. The day before the assault, Russian troops began artillery preparation. At the same time, it must be said that the time of the assault did not come as a surprise to the Ishmael garrison - it was revealed to the Turks by the defectors, who apparently did not believe in Suvorov's genius.
Suvorov divided the forces into three detachments of three columns each. A detachment of Major General de Ribas (9,000 men) attacked from the river side; the right wing under the command of Lieutenant-General Pavel Potemkin (7,500 people) was to strike from the western part of the fortress; the left wing of Lieutenant-General Samoilov (12,000 people) - from the east. 2,500 cavalrymen remained Suvorov's last reserve in the most extreme case.
At 3 a.m. on December 22, 1790, Russian troops left the camp and began to concentrate in the starting points for the assault. At 5:30 in the morning, about an hour and a half before dawn, the assault columns began their attack. A fierce battle began on the defensive ramparts, where the opponents did not spare each other. The Turks fiercely defended themselves, but a blow from three different directions disoriented them, not allowing them to concentrate their forces in one direction.
By 8 o'clock in the morning, when daybreak, it became clear that Russian troops had captured most of the outer fortifications and began to push the enemy to the center of the city. Street fighting turned into a real carnage: the roads were littered with corpses, thousands of horses were galloping right along them, left without riders, houses were burning. Suvorov gave the order to introduce 20 light guns into the streets of the city and hit the Turks with direct fire with grapeshot. By 11 o'clock in the morning, the advanced Russian units under the command of Major General Major General Boris Lassi occupied the central part of Izmail.

By one o'clock in the afternoon, the organized resistance was broken. Separate centers of resistance were suppressed by the Russians until four o'clock in the evening.
A desperate breakthrough was made by several thousand Turks under the command of Kaplan Girey. They managed to get out of the city walls, but here Suvorov moved a reserve against them. Experienced Russian huntsmen pressed the enemy to the Danube and completely destroyed those who had broken through.
By four o'clock in the afternoon, Ishmael fell. Out of 35 thousand of its defenders, one person escaped and managed to escape. The Russians killed about 2,200 people, more than 3,000 were wounded. The Turks lost 26 thousand people killed, out of 9 thousand prisoners, about 2 thousand died from wounds in the first day after the assault. Russian troops captured 265 guns, up to 3 thousand poods of gunpowder, 20 thousand cannonballs and many other ammunition supplies, up to 400 banners, large supplies of provisions, as well as jewelry worth several million.

Purely Russian award

For Turkey, it was a complete military disaster. And although the war ended only in 1791, and the Yassy Peace was signed in 1792, the fall of Izmail finally broke the Turkish army morally. Suvorov's name alone terrified them.
According to the Yassy Peace of 1792, Russia gained control over the entire northern Black Sea region from the Dniester to the Kuban.
Delighted with the triumph of Suvorov's soldier, the poet Gabriel Derzhavin wrote the hymn "Thunder of victory, sound!", Which became the first, still unofficial anthem of the Russian Empire.

But there was one person in Russia who reacted with restraint to the capture of Izmail - Prince Grigory Potemkin. Petitioning Catherine II for rewarding those who distinguished themselves, he suggested that the Empress award him with a medal and a lieutenant colonel of the Preobrazhensky Guards Regiment.
The rank of lieutenant colonel of the Preobrazhensky regiment itself was very high, because the rank of colonel was worn exclusively by the current monarch. But the fact is that by that time Suvorov was already the 11th lieutenant colonel of the Preobrazhensky regiment, which greatly devalued the award.
Suvorov himself, who, like Potemkin, was an ambitious man, hoped to receive the title of Field Marshal General, and was extremely offended and annoyed by the award he received.

By the way, Grigory Potemkin himself was awarded a field marshal's uniform, embroidered with diamonds, worth 200,000 rubles, the Tauride Palace, as well as a special obelisk in his honor in Tsarskoe Selo for the capture of Izmail.
In memory of the capture of Izmail in modern Russia, the Day of Military Glory is celebrated on December 24.

Ishmael "from hand to hand"

It is interesting that the capture of Izmail by Suvorov was not the first and not the last storm of this fortress by Russian troops. It was first taken in 1770, but after the war it was returned to Turkey. The heroic assault on Suvorov in 1790 helped Russia win the war, but Ishmael was returned to Turkey again. For the third time, Izmail will be taken by the Russian troops of General Zass in 1809, but in 1856, following the unsuccessful Crimean War, he will come under the control of the Turkish vassal of Moldova. True, the fortifications will be torn down and blown up.

The fourth capture of Izmail by Russian troops will take place in 1877, but it will take place without a fight, since Romania, which controlled the city during the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878, will conclude an agreement with Russia.
And after that, Izmail will change hands more than once, until in 1991 it becomes a part of independent Ukraine. Is it forever? Hard to say. After all, when it comes to Ishmael, you cannot be completely sure of anything.