a thousand-strong army, with which Kazan was besieged. The Kazan people came up with a defense plan that was essentially distinguished by great wit: more than 30 thousand troops were placed in the capital, and the cavalry under the command of the famous horseman Prince Yapanchi valley was constantly harassing the Russian army, taking Arek as its starting point, from where it was supposed to attack the rear and impede the delivery of food supplies and supplies from the Volga.
And truly, in the first days of the siege, despite the numerical superiority of the besiegers, who were more on the besieged sides, they even went over to an active defense and ceaselessly disturbed the Russian army with their forays.
At the royal council, it was decided to besiege the city as much as possible and begin proper siege work. On August 29, this was accomplished, and 150 heavy guns at that time began to destroy the city so vigorously that they silenced the fortress artillery. The most difficult task in this the time was the extermination of Yapanchi’s detachment, which was strongly fighting the cause; fulfilled it
Prince VKurbatov-Shuisyui with 80 thousand cavalry and 15 thousand piebald Cossacks; he took Arsik, cleared Arsk lei, destroyed the Yapanchi detachment and devastated the country by almost 150 square meters. The captured men taken were killed, and the women and children were brought to the camp. The terrible king ordered the prisoners to be brought to the city walls and announced to the Kazan people that
*) Prof. {Ppeleveky—Ancient cities and Bulgaro-Tatar monuments in the Kazan province.
all prisoners will be killed immediately if the city is not surrendered; As an answer, a cloud of gunshots flew and the Kazan people themselves shot at the unfortunates. The next day, two tunnels were started: one under the corner tower, to the left of the Arsk Gate, and the other from Vulak to the Nogai Gate (where the university is now). Suddenly, a mine was placed under a secret underground passage discovered by the Russians, located near the present Tainitsky Gate, a passage through which the besieged received water from the spring. On September 5, 11 barrels of gunpowder were blown up in a mine: the secret passage and with it part of the city wall collapsed. Rusesha's troops were brought into the city, but were repulsed by the bravely fighting Kazanians.
Deprived of the opportunity to obtain good water, the besieged were forced to be content with the found source of rotten, bad water, from which they fell ill and died. Their situation was terrible, but they endured it steadfastly and did not surrender the cities. It was unsightly for the besiegers; On the one side
Observatory of Kazan University.
Constantly disturbed either by forays or by meadow cheremis, which often disturbed them from the north side and stole the herds that belonged to them, they also began to suffer from diseases and mortality that developed little by little, especially strong on the right swampy bank of the Kazanka. The troops began to lose heart.
On October 1, the tsar announced that the next day, Sunday, the last attack would be administered. The main attack was to be carried out under the command of Prince Vorotynsky from the Arsk field, through a breach in the wall blown up by the Russians on September 80, when, by the way, the Arsk tower itself was occupied.
Other commanders subordinate to Vorotynekiy were ordered to attack:
Sheremetyev - Muraleev Gate, Pleshcheev - Tezidemya, Troekurov - Obolivye, Prince Khilkov - Kaibademya and Prince Kurbeky - Elbugin Gate. At the head
Each column was ordered to march to the archers, boyars' people and Cossacks. TO
At 2 o'clock in the morning, all the detachments stood in readiness, each opposite the gate assigned to him; The mines contained 48 barrels of gunpowder. The Terrible Tsar himself did not participate in the battles and remained with a detachment of 20 thousand people, but the charm of his name alone was enough. At dawn there was the crack of the explosion of the first mine, and behind the darkness the roar of the second explosion, which destroyed parts of the town. A hot attack began. But the Tatars defended their capital extremely courageously, and King Yudiger of Kazan and his nobles gave a hint of courage to the rest of the troops. At about 10 o'clock in the morning the Russians captured the southeastern and southwestern parts, and Yudiger, slowly retreating, locked himself in the northern part, in the present Kremlin.