Siege of Kyiv[a] or Defense of Kyiv[b] was a siege of Kyiv by troops led by Daniil Vyhovsky, whose garrison was commanded by the Russian Commander Vasily Sheremetev. As a result of the battle, Russian troops completely defeated the Cossack regiments and successfully defended Kyiv.
| Siege of Kyiv | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Russo-Polish War (1654-1667) | |||||||||
 Map of the defense of Kyiv by Sheremetyev's detachment from Vyhovsky's troops | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Cossack Hetmanate Crimean Khanate |
.svg){kind=small} Russian Tsardom | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
Daniil Vyhovsky Pavel Yanenko Vasili Vyhovsky  |
Vasily Sheremetev Yury Baryatinsky | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| 21,500 to 100,000 | 6,075 | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
|
15,000 dead and wounded, 47 banners 9 or 20 cannons | 21 killed, 109 wounded[1] | ||||||||
Background
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With the death of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, Ivan Vyhovsky became the new hetman of Ukraine. He hoped to build an independent Cossack state, balancing between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Russian Tsardom. The promises of the Polish king John Casimir to make any concessions to the Cossack hetman attracted Vyhovsky and he in turn betrayed Moscow and went over to the side of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.[2]
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Vigovskiy also renewed the “brotherly union of Cossacks and Tatars” and secured the support of the talented Crimean commander Karach-Bey.
Already on August 5, Vigovskiy openly declared that he would soon send army to Kyiv.
There was a garrison of 6,075 in Kiev, and it was besieged by a much larger army.[3] Sheremetyev himself wrote that he was probably besieged by an army of 100,000, which included 40,000 Cossacks and 60,000 Tatars.[4] Modern historiography has estimated the number of besiegers at 21,500[5]
Battle
editFirst day
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On August 16, soldiers sent into the forest ran to Kyiv and reported to Sheremetev that they had been attacked by Cossacks. The colonel sent mounted patrols forward and they confirmed that Cossack regiments were moving from the south to Kyiv. The number of troops near Kiev gradually increased and by evening Vyhovsky himself arrived with the Cossacks and Tatars.[6]
August 23 Daniil began the assault on the city without the hetman's order. Russian troops repelled the Cossacks' attacks and even made a sortie from the golden gate, the Russians started fighting. At the same time, the city was attacked by the Cossacks of Colonel Yanenko, who swore allegiance and promised to enter the battle on the Russian side, as Sheremetev writes: “all his words were lies”. Sheremetev successfully used artillery and sent his riflemen against the rebels.
The castle hill was taken by storm, and the battle that broke out in the south also ended in success for the Russians. However, this was only the first stage of the battle, on the orders of Daniil, Cossacks dug in to the southeast of the city, opposite the Pechersk gates.[5]
Second day
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At this time, Prince Baratinsky's detachment attacked the main forces of the Cossacks near Vasilkov and they fled, many people died, 47 banners and several cannons{{efn|or 20 cannons[4] were taken, Hetman's brother Vasily Vygovsky was captured, together with him the Russians received the Hetman's mace, which is still kept in the armory of Moscow.
In parallel, the Kiev colonel Yanenko again attacked the city walls, a successful defense allowed russians to gain time, thanks to which Baryatin, who had just defeated Daniil’s troops, also put Yanenko's regiments to flight.[7]
Aftermath
editSheremetev managed to eliminate the threat of the capture of the main fortress on Dnepr. The numerous army of Daniil Vyhovsky was scattered, and the hetman himself fled from the battlefield.
Reference and Notes
editReference
edit- ^ Babulin 2015, p. 99.
- ^ Malov 2006, p. 24.
- ^ Babulin 2015, p. 93.
- ^ a b Berh 1831, p. 127.
- ^ a b Babulin 2015, p. 95.
- ^ Babulin 2015, pp. 93–94.
- ^ Babulin 2015, p. 96.
Notes
editBibliography
edit- Malov, A. (2006). Русско-Польская война 1654-1667 гг. [Russo-Polish War 1654-1667] (in Russian). Moscow. ISBN 5-94038-111-1.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Babulin, I. (2015). Борьба за Украину и битва под Конотопом (1658-1659) [The struggle for Ukraine and the battle of Konotop (1668-1669)] (in Russian). ISBN 978-5-903389-99-5.
- Berh, Vasiliy (1831). Царствование Алексея Михайловича [The Reign of Alexei Mikhailovich] (in Russian). Saint-Petersburg: Типография Гинце.