| Battle of Novhorod-Siverskyi | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Polish–Russian War (1605–1618) | |||||||
 | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Army of False Dmitry I | Tsardom of Russia | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| False Dmitry I |
Fyodor Mstislavsky Peter Basmanov Nikita Trubeckoy | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 15,000 |
25,000–40,000; 1,500 in garrison of Novhorod-Siverskyi | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Significant | About 4,000 | ||||||
The Battle of Novgorod-Seversky was the first major battle of False Dmitry I against Boris Godunov.[1]
Prelude
False Dmitry I crossed the border of the Tsardom of Russia in winter of 1604 commanding a mercenary army of Polish-Lithuanian noblemen. Many residents of southern Russian lands flocked to his banner, and the fortified cities of Chernigov and Putyvl accepted him as their "rightful sovereign".[2]
Siege of Novgorod Seversky
Novgorod Seversky was the only city that resisted False Dmitry's troops, defended by Voivode Peter Basmanov and Nikita Trubetskoi with 1,500 men and several heavy cannon. The siege began on November 21, but two major assaults were successfully repulsed.
Battle
Nevertheless, the army of the impostor continued to grow to about 15.000, as new towns and cities recognized his authority. To help Basmanov, Tsar Boris Godunov sent some 25.000 servicemen (probably 40.000 including armed serfs) under Prince Fyodor Mstislavsky. But False Dmitry I took the initiative and attacked the larger Russian army on December 31, 1604, on the outskirts of the city. Polish Hussars, led personally by the impostor, routed the right wing of the Russian army, put the center in a disarray, and wounded Prince Mstislavsky himself. The Prince was saved by a counter-attack of Streltsy under Mikhail Shein, and the Russian army retreated to their fortified camp.[3]
Aftermath
The Tsar's army quickly recovered and defeated the usurper in the Battle of Dobrynichi in January 1605.[4]
References
- ^ Dunning, Chester; Emerson, Caryl; Fomichev, Sergei; Lotman, Lidiia (2006-04-15). The Uncensored Boris Godunov: The Case for Pushkin's Original Comedy. Univ of Wisconsin Press. ISBN 9780299207632.
- ^ Željko., Fajfrić (2008). Ruski carevi (1. izd ed.). Sremska Mitrovica: Tabernakl. ISBN 9788685269172. OCLC 620935678.
- ^ Fajfrić, Željko (2003). Istorija Rusije. Šid : Grafosrem. p. 280.
- ^ G., Skrynnikov, R. (2002). Boris Godunov. Moskva: Izd-vo AST. ISBN 5170108923. OCLC 50393092.
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This page was last edited on 12 February 2024, at 09:06