Ermak’s conquest of Siberia

In 1581 the Ermak’s detachment (initially it was intended to protect the lavish Ural estates by the Stroganovs merchants) launched the famous campaign inside Siberian territory, and won some important victories.

In summer 1582, a detachment of 600 people headed by Ermak moved further to the east. Their rout laid through the rivers Chusovaya, Tagil, Tura, Tobol, and Irtysh. Having conquered the town of Karatchi, Ermak forwarded to the khan Kutchum’s capital Iskher. On October 21st, 1582 a decisive battle was held at the outskirts of Iskher , near the Chuvashski cape 15 km away from Tobolsk. On October 25 Kutchum’s troops were defeated, and Ermak occupied Iskher. From here, in 1582-85 he would undertake campaigns to the southern parts of the Siberian khanate.

Though, due to a small number of his detachment it was impossible to keep on his dominance over huge territories, and Ermak sent an embassy to Moscow for reinforcement. The Tsar awarded the participants of the Siberian campaign, forgave the criminals who had joined Ermak, and promised to send 300 strelets to assist Ermak. Ermak himself was entitled the rank of ‘the Siberian prince’.

On their way to Ermak the reinforcement group of the strelets headed by the Prince Volkhovski has lost their supplies, and when they reached Iskher they completely ran out of provision. Meanwhile Ermak’s Cossacks had stored up as much supplies as they would need themselves to survive through the winter. The stored provision came to an end very quickly, and severe famine commenced. After the hungry winter the number of Ermak’s troops reduced considerably. In order to save people Ermak would avoid collisions with tartars, but it was hardly always possible. Under these heaviest conditions Ermak managed to win some brilliant victories. In the summer of 1585 Ermak’s detachments, despite their scantiness, would undertake some campaigns to the southern parts of the Siberian khanate pursuing Kutchum. One of these campaigns turned out to be the last for Ermak. During the August night the tartars undertook a surprise attack. Ermak tried a break-through battle, succeeded, and burst his way through the enemy’s rows, but failed to reach his boat and got drowned in the Vagai river.