Part one
Much, of course, has already been written on this topic. But few, probably, who knows what is written about this in the book of Nikolaas Witsen "Northern and Eastern Tartary". The book was written by him in the 17th century. Published during his lifetime. One copy of this book was presented to Peter 1. And it was kept (it is still possible to keep it) in the Leningrad library. In the first half of the 20th century, this book was translated into Russian by a Dutch woman who emigrated to Russia. It so happened that I personally know her daughter, who digitized this book from her mother's manuscripts. Therefore, I am sure that at least their work was done honestly and with high quality. Errors, of course, can be with Witsen himself. Since he was not a witness and eyewitness of the events that he describes. His entire book is a collection of various information sent to him from different parts of the world by different people. His job was to translate it all into Dutch and organize it more or less by subject. Therefore, his story about Ermak also consists of messages from different people sent to him from Russia.
Here is one of them:
“One message sent to me from these lands tells about the conquest of Siberia and its annexation to the Moscow crown:
“Never before has no country been conquered with such speed and such a small number of people as the kingdom, or the kingdom of Siberia, by Tsar Ivan. More than 100 years ago, a certain Cossack Ermak Timofeevich, a native of Murom, went with his squad to hunt down the Volga River. He defeated several planes belonging to the king, after which the order was given to pursue and capture him. He and his comrades fled along the Kama River to Chusovaya.
Local map.
It was an island, 500-600 versts higher than Kazan, belonging to a noble Russian merchant named Danilo Stroganov, who also founded a city (Some say that this town called Chertova stood on an island on the Kama branch) called Stroganov, on this island but now it is destroyed.
Map of the possessions of the Strogonov family.
Promotional video:
Stroganov did not know about his robberies or, perhaps, considering need for the good, was forced to help him, as he was surrounded by robbers. Ermak asked for help to seek salvation in Siberia. That [Stroganov] supplied him with the necessary military supplies, gunpowder, wicks and guns. With this, he went along the Tanga River on a plow (This is a kind of ship) to the Tura River. There is a place called Yapanchin (modern Turinsk, this is about 440 km in a straight line - approx. Mine)
Map of the area between Perm and Tobolsk.
at that time inhabited by tartars, whom he drove out of there. Ermak went further with a detachment and came to the city of Tyumen (147 km), which they also occupied. And from there they went along the Tobol River to the city of Tobol (the residence of the prince of that country), which they also occupied quite easily. (200 km in a straight line)
From there Yermak went up the Irtysh River, 50 miles from Tobol, in pursuit of the retreating prince. He caught up with him and put him to flight. Here he remained for 6 weeks and sent about 300 of his people to pursue this prince further. But of these 300, only a few escaped from the hands of the tartar, so that Yermak with only the remaining 200 was forced to hide [on the island] surrounded by water. He was attacked at night, driven into the water and killed. Of the people who survived, about 40 went to Muscovy to explain to Tsar Ivan how things were and ask for further help. He immediately gave 600 people, with whom they went back to Tobol and retained this place, fortifying it. They sent daily military detachments until the surrounding Tartars, tired of fighting, surrendered voluntarily to obedience to the king. "The mentioned message ends here."
A summary of what has been said: a certain Cossack Ermak with his retinue, fleeing the persecution of the tsarist justice, went to Strogonov, and demanded to help him hide from persecution in Siberia. But instead, he, quickly overcoming long distances, dispersed the tartars living there from the cities on the way. Finally, the tartarars, apparently tired of running away from the formidable ataman, quickly defeated his entire squad of 500 people (it is a pity that the number of inhabitants of those cities that Yermak captured so quickly was not reported) and killed him. The survivors apparently forgot about the original purpose of their coming to Siberia: salvation from the tsar's persecution, they quickly went to the tsar himself, and he, instead of punishing them for their crimes, quickly gave them 600 people to return to Siberia and finished what they started. Something clearly does not fit in this story..
We read further:
“It may be true that Yermak had a reason to fight the Siberian prince, which is not reported in the above message, which I convey, how I received it.
According to other reports, more than 100 years ago, several thousand Don Cossacks, who separated from the rest of the Cossacks, invaded Siberia, successfully occupied and held this country. Their descendants are in the service of Their Royal Majesties to this day, with a good salary. They, like all those who are now sent to Siberia for military service, for disgrace or other reasons, bear the name of the Siberian Cossacks.
In Siberia, there is a plant called scythe grass, which is said to break iron.
Frederic Krizhanich, a Polish monk who lived in Tobol for many years, says in a message that he presented to the Polish Majesty in 1680 that the Stroganov family contributed to the conquest of Siberia in many ways. They still live in these parts. As an honorary title, they are allowed to sign when they submit petitions to the king, in the name of your Orphan, which means, as it were, a vassal, an orphan, while other nobles sign “your servant,” which means a slave. This family is also called a peasant, that is, a peasant, mainly as an honorary name. They own many estates that were granted to them in earlier times by Their Royal Majesties.
The Tartar prince, who lost Siberia, kept his court in the city of Siberia or, as others say, in Tobol (which means that the city of Tobolsk had another name before - Siberia, for example). His name was Kuchum. The Cossacks who occupied this area destroyed the city, and when the last prince Kuchum died, the Cossacks killed his son during lunch (as he, Krizhanich, says).
Moving along the Tom River, above the Ob, before its beginning, there are places where barges are dragged across a small piece of land and so they are transported to the Yenisei River. This is also the case at the mouth of the Ket River. This cleric's message ends here."
This is how Vasily Ivanovich Surikov draws the capture of Tobolsk:
Vasily Ivanovich Surikov, "The Conquest of Siberia by Ermak".
It is quite a fully formed city in the 16th century.
Tobolsk in the drawing by N. Witsen, 17th century:
obolsk, 17th century.
And also other Siberian cities:
Turinsk, 17th century.
Tyumen, 17th century.
Kazan, 17th century.
In appearance, these Tartar cities, in my opinion, do not differ in any way from Russian cities of that time, including the appearance of religious buildings - they all look like ordinary Orthodox churches. For example:
Church in the village of Upa, Arkhangelsk region.
Or did all the artists paint something that is not true? It is clear that Witsen himself did not see these cities, but he drew his drawings from the drawings sent to him. Redrawn them, in a word.
Wikipedia says that:
the city of Tobolsk was founded in 1587 as a center for the development of Siberia.
Tyomen is the first Russian city in Siberia, founded in 1586.
Turinsk was founded on January 30, 1600 as a prison on the site of the ancient settlement of Epanchin destroyed by Yermak
It is clear, which means that the beginning of the foundation of the city is considered, in general, not with the beginning of the laying of the first house, but from the moment when these cities officially belonged to Their Royal Majesties.
But I digress, and Witsen has a lot more to say about Ermak and not only him:
“There is another message about the Stroganovs, or Stroganovs, and the conquest of Siberia, as I was sent from the nearest regions
“The origin of the rich peasants, named Stroganovs, in Russia is as follows: their ancestor was from the country of Gold, or the Golden Horde, located not far from Astrakan, and was the son of the local king. He wished to convert to the Christian faith and went to Russia, where he was baptized according to the Greek rite. The Tsar of Russia gave him his own daughter. When this Stroganov married and began to live in Russia, the Tartars were very unhappy with this and for this they started a war with the Russians. The tsar sent Stroganov himself with an army against these tartars. The Tartars accidentally captured him and cut his body and killed him in this way, for Stroganov means "planed" in Russian. He left his pregnant wife, and she gave birth to a son, who was given the nickname Stroganov, and all his descendants are called Stroganov to this day. This old Stroganov brought abacus to Russia, as they say,or arithmetic, which they still use to this day. These are bone beads strung on iron rods.
(i.e. tartarine Stroganov brought arithmetic to Russia (from Tartary?), because in Russia this has not yet happened? - approx. mine)
Here is what Wikipedia writes about the Strogonovs, referring again to Witsen:
“The Stroganovs (Strogonovs) are a family of Russian merchants and industrialists, from which came the large landowners and statesmen of the 16th-20th centuries. Natives of the wealthy Pomor peasants.
According to one version, which came from the Dutchman Nikolai Witsen, who in turn took it from the merchant Isaac Mass, the surname allegedly comes from a Tatar who adopted the name Spiridon in Christianity. This Spiridon married a relative of the Moscow prince Dmitry Donskoy, but later he was captured by the Tatars and for his unwillingness to return to his old faith he was subjected to a martyr's death - the khan ordered “to tie him to a pillar, to slaughter his body on it, and then, to chop everything to pieces, scatter”, which was done immediately by the deed. After the death of Spiridon, which occurred in 1395, his son was born, named Kuzma (Kozma), who received the surname Stroganov (Strogonov) in memory of the circumstances of his father's death. This version was already rejected by N. M. Karamzin, who, without denying the origin of the Stroganovs from the Golden Horde, considered the fact of planing a fable.
Another version derives the Stroganov family from Novgorodians. This hypothesis was put forward by N. G. Ustryalov, who worked in the Stroganov archive to compile the Stroganovs' genealogy by order of Countess S. V. Stroganova. The manager of the Perm estate of the Stroganovs, FA Volegov, clarified that the Stroganovs descend from Spiridon, whose grandson Luka Kuzmich gave funds to ransom the Moscow prince Vasily the dark from Tatar captivity.
This is how Anika Fedorovich Stroganov, the founder of the wealth of the Stroganov family, looked like:
Anika Fyodorovich Stroganov.
“Further, these Stroganovs were the first to discover Siberia. They helped one robber named Ermak Timofeevich with weapons and supplies. This [robber] arrived by ships up the Chusovaya, and since he could not climb higher than the Utka River, because the Chusovaya River is shallow there, he dragged the ships along the ground and arrived in Siberia, where, after many skirmishes, he advanced to the Tobol river. But finally, at night, the tartars attacked him. When he awoke, he intended to run to his ships on the river. But since he was heavily armed, dressed in chain mail, when he wanted to jump into his boat, he miscalculated and plunged like a stone into the water. His bodies could not be found.
Some of his surviving comrades returned home from Siberia along the same road, along Chusovaya, and they put, they say, their treasures there in one mountain. This mountain is very steep and high. There is a cave in the cliff, as I myself saw. The Russians call this mountain and now Ermakova Mountain, or Ermakgora, which means Mount Ermak.
Mount Ermak.
Some Russians with whom I spoke went inside to search for treasures that could be put there. They descended on ropes, with danger to their lives, into this cave, but, although they were tearing the ground for a long time, they did not find anything except old weapons, arrows, spears and other things of little value.
On the Chusovaya River, which flows into the Kama, up the river for about 200 miles, there is a town belonging to the Stroganovs, called Nizhnee Usolye. Several miles away, on the opposite bank, there is another town, Verkhnee Usolye, or Usolye Kamskoye, about which many say that it stands only at a distance of 2 miles from the first Usolye, which also belongs to this family. Almost all the land on both sides of the river belongs to them. A lot of salt is loaded there, which is mainly taken to Nizhny, or Nizhny Novgorod, and throughout Russia. From there, up the river, at a distance of 25 versts, there is a town called Camassina. From there, about 20 versts, on the left bank, is the mentioned Ermakov mountain. Right there, at a distance of 30-40 versts, live Voguls, or Voguls, who have houses and dwellings. At a distance of about 6 or 7 versts up the river lie the ships of this Ermak *,though decayed, but stored as a memory.
This message ends here."
(It is interesting that all the messages converge in some way, but in some ways they say completely different things. Perhaps, some key points were known, and the narrators filled in the gaps with their imagination? - note mine)
I got the materials for the article from the book “Northern and Eastern Tartaria” by Nicholas Witsen, which is freely available on the Internet.
Part two
Excerpts from the book "Northern and Eastern Tartary" by Nikolaas Witsen about the conquest of Siberia by Yermak. A little more detail about the author himself:
Nicholas Witsen (1641-1717), a prominent statesman of the Netherlands, a descendant of an influential Dutch family, was a renowned scientist, cartographer, collector, writer, merchant, diplomat and was repeatedly elected to the post of burgomaster of Amsterdam. Author of an essay on the construction of ships. Visited Russia in 1664-1665. His main work "Northern and Eastern Tartaria" is the first extensive work about Siberia, on the first edition of which (1692) Witsen worked for 25 years, on the second, revised and supplemented edition he worked for another 10 years (1705). As far as can be judged, an unsurpassed connoisseur of Inner Eurasia, he not only studied all the sources of information available at that time, but also collected a huge amount of relevant information about this region, practically still unknown in Western Europe. Thanks to his key position in the highest political and commercial circles of the Netherlands, Witsen was able to create an extensive network of informants in Europe, Russia and Asia, from where he received the data of interest to him. Thanks to his numerous acquaintances and correspondents in Europe, Russia and Asia, Witsen managed to collect a huge library consisting of books, maps, manuscripts of unpublished travel stories, letters and reports on the world outside Europe. He also gained a lot of useful information from oral conversations, since his house was considered "a meeting place for both Dutch and foreign inquisitive men, scientists and travelers." He proved that in 17th century Amsterdam, which after Antwerp began to play the role of European Babylon, power, money and education can be used with great benefit. With a certain political weight and significant finances, he spent, according to him, “many thousands” of guilders and fully used the quid pro quo principle to obtain any kind of information. So he received a number of unpublished manuscripts. Source.
And this is what Witsen was sent and what he writes next about Ermak:
Regarding the conquest of Siberia, which took place more than 100 years ago, they also write to me the following short message:
“Ermak Timofeevich, who occupied Tobol, fled from the Volga, where he was robbing, up the Kama, and came to the Chusovaya River. There was the famous Stroganov rich land. The family still owns a large amount of land (70 German miles). Ermak came to the grandfather of this Stroganov to ask for help in order to obtain forgiveness from his Tsarist Majesty. That [Stroganov] extended a helping hand to him, gave him ships, weapons, workers, and so on. So he went along the Serebryanka River, which flows into the Chusovaya. There he moved his ships by land to the Tagil River. Descending along it, he came to Tura and occupied the city of Tyumen. Here he interrupted all the people and approached Tobol. He captured him. There was ruled by one Tartar prince named Altanai Kuchumovich, otherwise Kuchum, whose son's son is still alive and is known in Moscow under the name of the Siberian Tsarevich. It is very generously kept,he enjoys good deeds and honor. They also say that now there are still some small Siberian princes, whom Ermak captured and sent to the court. By this feat he achieved his goal: he achieved mercy and forgiveness for his robberies. However, he did not survive his victories for long, because during the sortie from Tobol he was pursued by the tartars so that he did not have time to approach the ships, fell into the water and drowned. The short message sent to me ends here. "The short message sent to me ends here. "The short message sent to me ends here."
And one more, the longest and most detailed:
“Other written reports convey the aforementioned incident as follows:
“In 1572, after the birth of Christ, during the reign of Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich, several free Don Cossacks, under the leadership of their ataman Yermak Timofeevich, left the Don and secretly went to the Volga River, where they caused a great loss to the state, robbed all kinds of people, and killed some …
They carried all the loot on their ships in such a way that they seemed to lock the Volga, not allowing anyone from Astrakan with goods to pass through. And although the tsar sent against them various Russian people with lower ranks, nevertheless this chieftain always defeated and scattered them.
In 1573 His Imperial Majesty gathered a large army, land and river, and sent it with all sorts of military supplies against these Cossacks. But when the latter learned about this, they, without waiting for the troops, set off up the big river Kama, 60 versts above the city of Kazan. They conquered the former subjects of the Kazan king Simion - the Cheremis, Mordovians, Votyaks, Bashkirs and other tartars living along this river, and along the Vyatka river. Since this is a very backward people who do not know firearms, he [Ermak] easily conquered them. He ordered all these people to obey His Imperial Majesty Ivan Vasilyevich. He took hostages from them and a tribute with furs for His Majesty. He captured the cities of Rybny, Devil's Gorodok, Alabukha, Sarapul, Osu and the surrounding lands, and subordinated them to the Imperial Majesty Ivan Vasilievich. From here, heading down the river,he reached the place where a certain Stroganov lived. This man was from Novgorod (Others say that he came from the Golden Horde), but several years before Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich went there with a large army to punish the Novgorodians for uprisings and resistance, this Stroganov, with a good part of his treasures and with the whole family fled for Perm, Ustyug, past Kaygorodok and settled here, since this country abounds in everything - meat, fruits and furs. Although the ataman (this means, as it were, the head, the chief) with his Cossacks were not very pleasant to this Stroganov, nevertheless he treated them all perfectly and abundantly, for he was very rich. Then he told them about the Siberian kingdom, with all the details: that the country is replete with various valuable furs, that people there are not brave and careless. The main city is located about 4000 versts from them [from the Stroganov places]. He further said that it was only 500 versts to the border, and now was the best time to render a service to Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich and to receive forgiveness from him for the crimes committed. He wishes to supply them with cannons, rifles or muskets, gunpowder, lead, ships and military supplies. Ataman Ermak Timofeevich and his comrades liked this very much. He promised to try if he, Stroganov, did not leave him. Everything necessary for the campaign was prepared with all seriousness, and Stroganov treated the chieftain and his comrades well. When everything needed was ready, the chieftain set off with his people up the Utka River. This river flows through wild steppes, or wastelands, and originates from the huge Verkhoturye rocks, or mountains, and flows into the large Kama river. He further said that it was only 500 versts to the border, and now was the best time to render a service to Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich and to receive forgiveness from him for the crimes committed. He wishes to supply them with cannons, rifles or muskets, gunpowder, lead, ships and military supplies. Ataman Ermak Timofeevich and his comrades liked this very much. He promised to try if he, Stroganov, did not leave him. Everything necessary for the campaign was prepared with all seriousness, and Stroganov treated the chieftain and his comrades well. When everything needed was ready, the chieftain set off with his people up the Utka River. This river flows through wild steppes, or wastelands, and originates from the huge Verkhoturye rocks, or mountains, and flows into the large Kama river. He further said that it was only 500 versts to the border, and now was the best time to render a service to Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich and to receive forgiveness from him for the crimes committed. He wishes to supply them with cannons, rifles or muskets, gunpowder, lead, ships and military supplies. Ataman Ermak Timofeevich and his comrades liked this very much. He promised to try if he, Stroganov, did not leave him. Everything necessary for the campaign was prepared with all seriousness, and Stroganov treated the chieftain and his comrades well. When everything needed was ready, the chieftain set off with his people up the Utka River. This river flows through wild steppes, or wastelands, and originates from the huge Verkhoturye rocks, or mountains, and flows into the large Kama river.that the borders are only 500 miles away and now is the best time to render a service to Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich and to receive from him forgiveness for the crimes committed. He wishes to supply them with cannons, rifles or muskets, gunpowder, lead, ships and military supplies. Ataman Ermak Timofeevich and his comrades liked this very much. He promised to try if he, Stroganov, did not leave him. Everything necessary for the campaign was prepared with all seriousness, and Stroganov treated the chieftain and his comrades well. When everything needed was ready, the chieftain set off with his people up the Utka River. This river flows through wild steppes, or wastelands, and originates from the huge Verkhoturye rocks, or mountains, and flows into the large Kama river.that the borders are only 500 miles away and now is the best time to render a service to Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich and to receive from him forgiveness for the crimes committed. He wishes to supply them with cannons, rifles or muskets, gunpowder, lead, ships and military supplies. Ataman Ermak Timofeevich and his comrades liked this very much. He promised to try if he, Stroganov, did not leave him. Everything necessary for the campaign was prepared with all seriousness, and Stroganov treated the chieftain and his comrades well. When everything needed was ready, the chieftain set off with his people up the Utka River. This river flows through wild steppes, or wastelands, and originates from the huge Verkhoturye rocks, or mountains, and flows into the large Kama river.lead, ships and military supplies. Ataman Ermak Timofeevich and his comrades liked this very much. He promised to try if he, Stroganov, did not leave him. Everything necessary for the campaign was prepared with all seriousness, and Stroganov treated the chieftain and his comrades well. When everything needed was ready, the chieftain set off with his people up the Utka River. This river flows through wild steppes, or wastelands, and originates from the huge Verkhoturye rocks, or mountains, and flows into the large Kama river.lead, ships and military supplies. Ataman Ermak Timofeevich and his comrades liked this very much. He promised to try if he, Stroganov, did not leave him. Everything necessary for the campaign was prepared with all seriousness, and Stroganov treated the chieftain and his comrades well. When everything needed was ready, the chieftain set off with his people up the Utka River. This river flows through wild steppes, or wastelands, and originates from the huge Verkhoturye rocks, or mountains, and flows into the large Kama river.the chieftain went with his people up the Utka river. This river flows through wild steppes, or wastelands, and originates from the huge Verkhoturye rocks, or mountains, and flows into the large Kama river.the chieftain went with his people up the Utka river. This river flows through wild steppes, or wastelands, and originates from the huge Verkhoturye rocks, or mountains, and flows into the large Kama river.
Lyrical digression about cards
Ermak's hike. S. Pavlovskaya.
Here is a diagram of how Yermak's campaign looked approximately. If in a straight line, then from Solikamsk to Tobolsk 677 km. But then it was possible to move only along the rivers, and the rivers meandering. Is it possible that the distances between settlements were measured earlier along the channels of the rivers connecting them? This is how, for example, the Tura river winds, according to which, judging by the descriptions, Ermak got from Turinsk to Tyumen:
Tura River.
And how can you figure out without a map, how do you get from point A to point B?
If the path lay only along one river, but you also have to make transitions from one river to another in order to get exactly where you need to. And Yermak seemed to be going quite purposefully - to the main city, the capital. Perhaps he had such a card with him?
This is a map from Semyon Remezov's "Drawing Book of Siberia" (north is below).
"Drawing Book of Siberia", compiled in 1701 by the Tobolsk boyar son Semyon Emelyanov Remezov and published in 1882. it is clear that Ermak in 1572 could not have it.
Basically, all currently known maps of Siberia were compiled by Western European cartographers. And it turns out that there were no Russian maps before the 18th century?
Here's another Russian map:
Drawing of Siberia by Peter Godunov 1667.
Also almost 100 years younger than Ermak's campaign.
It is believed that the map of Tartary by Nikolaas Witsen is the first detailed printed map in Western Europe, which depicted the entire territory of Siberia up to the shores of the Pacific Ocean.
Nikolaas Witsen map of Tartary 1690.
A brief history of the creation of this map:
25 years after his trip to Moscow, in 1690, Witsen published the first map of Siberia and the book of commentaries "Northern and Eastern Tartary", in which he describes Siberia and neighboring countries (1692/1705). This was the first Dutch in-depth study of Russia at the time. He used the cards he received from Andrei Vinius. Andrej Winius, the son of a distant relative of Witsen who emigrated to Russia, who was an Amsterdam merchant and had grown to the postmaster (head of the post office) of the Russian Empire. He, like no one else, had the opportunity to see new secret handwritten maps and to conduct inconspicuous correspondence with Witsen. (Apparently, where did Witsen get so many messages from Russia? - mine) Thanks to Vinius, Witsen became a famous cartographer of Siberia in Europe. [Source]
Here is what Soviet and Russian history Boris Petrovich Polevoy writes about this map:
“Outstanding historian of Siberia, Acad. GF Miller (1761) wrote: "This map begins a new period in land description and history of land maps in Russia", as Witsen "was the first to depict on it all the countries lying from the Yenisei to the east, although not in perfect authenticity, but much more accurately than all his ancestors."
And further:
“Let's try to clarify what kind of Russian sources NK Witsen used when compiling his sensational map of Tatarstan“1687”
First of all, NK Witsen used various Siberian geographic drawings. “Particularly useful,” he wrote, “was a small, wood-carved map of Siberia, made by order of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich through the care of the Siberian governor Pyotr Ivanovich Godunov.” The map covers the northern regions from Novaya Zemlya to China”(Witsen, 1692, foreword). Obviously, here we were talking about a drawing of Siberia in 1667. But recently we learned that a whole atlas was made for this general primitive drawing, which consisted of a series of travel drawings (Polevoy, 1966). So, under numbers 4 and 5 in this collection of drawings - "appendices" were detailed drawings of the river. Iset. It is not difficult to be convinced that NK Witsen had these drawings at his disposal. In his book "Northern and Eastern Tataria" N. K. Witsen (Witsen, 1705, p. 766) expressed regret,that during the production of my map I could not, due to lack of space, show many details from the drawing on it”[Source].
Continuation of the interrupted message about Ermak:
“In 1574, ataman Ermak with his comrades remained at these Verkhoturye mountains, near the source of the Utka River, until the first winter journey. Here he unloaded his ships, prepared skis (These are devices on which they move in winter) and sledges, crossed these mountains, heading approximately to the sources of the Nitsa River. These rivers - Nitsa, To, Verkhoturka, Tobol, Obdora, Pelym, Iset and others - all emerge from the named mountains and flow into the large Ob river. The Ob flows into the ocean or into the Siberian Mangazeya frozen sea, from where the city of Mangazeya got its name. This city stands on the Mangazeya River, which flows into the sea there. From the mouth of the Mangazeya River, you can get to Archangel in 2 or 3 weeks past Pust-Lake or Pechora. From Verkhoturye, heading by water to Siberia, they go down the Nitsa River, and then along the Tobol River, past the city of Tyumen, further to the city of Tobolsk. The Tobol River flows into the large Irtysh River, near the city of Tobolsk. From Tobolsk, down the Irtysh River, they pass by Damyansky and the town of Samorovsky Yam. On both banks of all these rivers, near the forests, several ethnic groups of a special faith live in yurts. Slightly below the Samorovsky Yam, the Irtysh River flows into the Ob. From the mouth of the Ob River, you can get by Siberian ships past Pust-Ozero to Arkhangel, and this distance is 6000 versts. Between Verkhoturye and Tobol, people were tributaries of the Siberian king Kuchum. The chieftain with his Cossacks pacified them all and brought them into citizenship of the Russian Tsar, taking their constant hostages. He imposed a tribute on them in the form of furs, warning them to remain steadfast in obedience to His Royal Majesty.pass by Damyansky and the town of Samorovsky Yam. On both banks of all these rivers, near the forests, several ethnic groups of a special faith live in yurts. Slightly below the Samorovsky Yam, the Irtysh River flows into the Ob. From the mouth of the Ob River, you can get by Siberian ships past Pust-Ozero to Arkhangel, and this distance is 6000 versts. Between Verkhoturye and Tobol, people were tributaries of the Siberian king Kuchum. The chieftain with his Cossacks pacified them all and brought them into citizenship of the Russian Tsar, taking their constant hostages. He imposed a tribute on them in the form of furs, warning them to remain steadfast in obedience to His Royal Majesty.pass by Damyansky and the town of Samorovsky Yam. On both banks of all these rivers, near the forests, several ethnic groups of a special faith live in yurts. Slightly below the Samorovsky Yam, the Irtysh River flows into the Ob. From the mouth of the Ob River, you can get by Siberian ships past Pust-Ozero to Arkhangel, and this distance is 6000 versts. Between Verkhoturye and Tobol, people were tributaries of the Siberian king Kuchum. The chieftain with his Cossacks pacified them all and brought them into citizenship of the Russian Tsar, taking their constant hostages. He imposed a tribute on them in the form of furs, warning them to remain steadfast in obedience to His Royal Majesty.and this distance is 6000 versts. Between Verkhoturye and Tobol, people were tributaries of the Siberian king Kuchum. The chieftain with his Cossacks pacified them all and brought them into citizenship of the Russian Tsar, taking their constant hostages. He imposed a tribute on them in the form of furs, warning them to remain steadfast in obedience to His Royal Majesty.and this distance is 6000 versts. Between Verkhoturye and Tobol, people were tributaries of the Siberian king Kuchum. The chieftain with his Cossacks pacified them all and brought them into citizenship of the Russian Tsar, taking their constant hostages. He imposed a tribute on them in the form of furs, warning them to remain steadfast in obedience to His Royal Majesty.
From here he went along the rivers to Verkhoturye, Nitsa, Iset, Pelynka, Tavda to the city of Tyumen. This city stands between the rivers Tobol and Tyumen. He bravely stormed the city, occupied it and also subordinated it to the Imperial Majesty. When Tsar Kuchum learned that the chieftain with his army occupied his cities: Tyumen, Verkhoturye, Tomsk, Pelym and others - and subordinated them to His Imperial Majesty, he was greatly amazed, for Tyumen is only 180 versts from the main city of Tobolsk. And Kuchum sent his beloved adviser Murza Kanchei with an army to Tyumen in order to prevent the chieftain from getting closer, and if possible, to take away the captured cities. But the ataman put this murza and all his army to flight. On the other side, five miles from Tyumen, he killed many with his rifles and took the wounded Kanchei prisoner. Very few of this skirmish remainedwho could bring him [Kuchum] news.
When King Kuchum heard about this defeat, he was even more frightened, but after consulting with his entourage, he decided to send messengers throughout the kingdom so that all his subjects, young and old, would come to him without any delay. He sent them gilded arrows instead of letters, so that they would not expect other news; all disobedient ones will be executed. He ordered to say that a powerful enemy is going against them (no one knows who he is and where he is from), causing very great damage to the country and intending to conquer the whole kingdom. When his subjects and hordes learned this from their prince, they gathered with great zeal in the city of Tobolsk, or Tobol, with their wives and children, which made up large hordes.
Tsar Kuchum took some courage and plucked up courage. Every day he sent messengers to find out where the chieftain was, and they reported to him that he was going straight for him. Hearing this, he sent his wife Simbulu with children on horses and camels deep into the country, in the steppe, to his place of entertainment on Naboalak, where a large village now stands. From Tyumen, the ataman with his army went down the Tobol River on ships to the main city of Tobolsk. This city stands on the Irtysh River, for the Tobol River flows into the Irtysh River near the city, and on the Kurdyumka River, on a very high mountain surrounded by a wooden wall (Now it is made of stone). He [ataman] was located at a distance of about 7 versts from the city, in the place where now the village of Shishkin. Here he wanted to spend the night. The next day, before sunrise, when these people, according to their old custom,they were still asleep (for in the evening they sit for a long time, and in the morning they get up late), the chieftain left the named place, came with his ships to Tobolsk and settled in a meadow. In the morning, when the sun rose, King Kuchum saw his enemy in front of the city.
He immediately sent his men against him, armed with arrows and bows. The chieftain, seeing such a crowd of people walking towards him, and even more people at the top of the mountain and in the city, ordered his Cossacks to load cannons, rifles and muskets with empty wads to cheer up the enemies. Those who walked out of the city rushed with the greatest shout at the Cossacks. But the Cossacks, keeping in close formation, retreated in perfect order, firing only with wads, as a result of which none of the enemies was killed.
When the Kuchumites saw this, they became braver and boldly attacked the enemies who returned to their ships. Then the chieftain ordered to sail away, and they sailed up the Irtysh, further 2 versts, to the place where the Tobol flows into it. Here he remained for two days, ordering the Cossacks to clean and keep their weapons ready and load them with rectangular pieces of iron and bullets, such charges as the weapon could withstand. He addressed them with a speech so that they would remember all the evil that they had done to His Imperial Majesty Ivan Vasilyevich and Christianity by shedding a lot of innocent blood, and so that now they would fight bravely, then they would not only defeat these unfaithful pagans, but also achieve mercy and forgiveness of the king. Hearing this from their chieftain, they answered him with tears in their eyes,that they are ready to bravely fight for His Imperial Majesty and the Christian faith, they are ready to risk their heads, "and we (they said) obediently obey you and do everything that you order us."
Then the chieftain with his ships and 600 people returned to the city of Tobol and dropped anchor in the same place. Kuchum, seeing his enemy for the second time in front of the city, turned to his people with the following words: “My brave heroes, amiable and honest soldiers, attack these unclean dogs - Cossacks without fear and cowardice. Their weapons cannot harm us, for our gods protect us. Only stand bravely, and I will reward you for your service. " These people of different tribes and beliefs (some of these Siberians were Mohammedans, and others were pagans), hearing this from the lips of their prince, with great joy rushed out of the city, calling each other to courage. Only King Kuchum with some advisers remained in the city to watch the battle from above. Then his people pounced on the Cossacks with great noise, shouting: "Mohammed is with us!" And everyone walked for their faith. The chieftain ordered his men to fire only half of their muskets, and while they are reloading them, the others fire from their guns. He inspired them to be brave with these words: "Brothers, do not be afraid of this large crowd of unbelievers, for God is with us." The battle began at 2 pm and lasted until evening. It was May 21, 1574.
Finally, the ataman Ermak Timofeevich won, inflicting a great defeat on his enemies of various tribes and beliefs, taking many alive prisoners. The Cossacks, simultaneously with the retreating enemy, entered the city. Tsar Kuchum, seeing the great defeat of his army, fled with a few people to the place where his wife and children were, which were about 20 miles from the city. In the city of Tobolsk lay two large cast iron cannons, 6 cubits long, firing 40 pounds of cannonballs. Kuchum ordered during the battle to charge them and shoot from above at the enemies. But they did not manage to shoot at them, so with a terrible curse he ordered to throw them [guns] from a height into the Irtysh River. So ataman Ermak Timofeevich occupied the city of Tobol, staying here for 6 weeks. He took the most distinguished inhabitants hostage. He imposed a tribute on them and the surrounding people,from each hunter 10 sables with tails for His Imperial Majesty, and ordered them to live under the auspices of the [Russian] Tsar. The ataman ordered to pull out of the river one of these iron cannons with a gun carriage and bring it back to the city, where it stands to this day.
From Tobol, Ataman Ermak Timofeevich sent one of his best Cossacks (together with five others) named Groza Ivanovich, to Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich in Moscow, and with them the collected tribute of 60 sables with navels and tails, 50 beavers, 20 black foxes and 3 noble captives from the army of Kuchum, with a petition so that His Imperial Majesty would mercifully forgive the Ataman Yermak Timofeevich and his comrades for the crimes committed, in view of their faithful and difficult service. And so that the king would send someone, at his discretion, as a voivode to Tobolsk, who could accept the capital, along with other cities and lands, and protect them on behalf of his Imperial Majesty. When this ambassador Groza Ivanovich with his comrades and prisoners came to Moscow, he fell at the feet of His Majesty, begging for mercy and forgiveness for the atrocities committed earlier, for the sake of hard workput by them for his Imperial Majesty.
He asked that the king deign to accept the tribute that they collected for His Majesty and the captives they brought, and deigned to send someone there who could receive from them the main city with all other occupied cities. The tsar was greatly delighted with this news. He, with all the clergy, thanked God in the Great Apostolic Council for this victory, distributed a lot of alms to the poor, forgave Ataman Yermak Timofeevich and all his Cossacks for their crimes for the sake of this service. He ordered to accept from them the tribute and prisoners brought and to treat these Cossacks abundantly. He allowed them to kiss the hand and ordered them to provide them with daily rich maintenance. Then, releasing them, His Majesty bestowed ataman Ermak Timofeevich and all the Cossacks, each separately, several gifts. He sent a silk caftan to Yermak,embroidered with golden flowers, with velvet ornaments, and a double ducat. And for each Cossack a piece of cloth for a caftan and a piece of damask, a piece of velvet for a hat, and each for a golden kopeck * A silver penny costs 5 cents.
Another letter with a large gold seal, in which the tsar praised their heroic deed, forgave past atrocities and expressed a desire that they continue their faithful service in the future, for which he will richly reward them, that in winter he will send the voivode there, but for now let him, ataman Ermak, manages all the occupied places and collects tribute. In the same year, in the fall, this Groza Ivanovich arrived from Moscow to Tobol, bringing with him honorable gifts and a letter and forgiveness of His Imperial Majesty, to which the ataman and the Cossacks were very happy. They prayed to God for the health and long life of His Majesty.
After receiving this letter with pardon and gifts from His Majesty, the ataman with his Cossacks decided to continue the war with Tsar Kuchum, leaving several loyal Cossacks as a garrison in the occupied cities and towns. In Tobol, he left Groza Ivanovich with sixty Cossacks, and in other places - the ataman with 30 Cossacks, well supplied with guns and military supplies. When His Majesty sent the Cossack Groza Ivanovich from Moscow back to Yermak, he gave Groza an open letter with a large hanging seal, which said that everyone who wished to travel with their wives and children to Siberia, Tobol or other conquered cities, could freely and go there without hindrance. They were ordered to give such people a free pass. And in the same year, 1,500 people with their wives and children voluntarily moved to Siberia with the Thunderstorm,His Majesty ordered the bishop to transport from Vologda 10 priests with wives and children together with the Storm on free carts (carts or sleighs), and besides that [give] each 20 rubles of money.
When Yermak Timofeevich arranged the proper order in all the cities, he with 6 hundred Cossacks went up the Irtysh to the Sibirka River, which flows into the Irtysh 15 miles from the city. King Kuchum was still there, in great fear and anxiety. Before reaching this place one and a half versts, ataman Yermak ordered his boats to be tied at the steep bank and settled down with the army in the steppe to spend the night. He ordered, however, that guards be posted around, according to his old custom. At midnight, two Cossacks, who were on guard, were seized by Kuchum's men who had carefully crept up. There was a commotion in the camp. The enemy, armed with bows, arrows and spears, attacked them with great noise and plundered their military supplies. The chieftain, who was sleeping in a tent in the middle of the camp, heard the noise, ran out and shouted to his Cossacks: “Brothers, do not be afraid of these infidels, but return to your boats!“When they returned to the boats, the chieftain Yermak jumped from the high bank into his boat, but as he made too long a jump over 3 boats, he fell into the water.
Since the river here is very deep, and it had two shells and, moreover, iron sleeves, it sank [into the water] like a stone and died prematurely. However, in this battle, the brother of his wife Murza Bulat and 65 ordinary people were killed by Kuchum. So the Cossacks lost their brave leader ataman Ermak Timofeevich. They captured 5 people, who were taken into their plows, or boats, and returned to Tobol, without delivering only the two above-mentioned prisoners. As soon as the Cossacks left, Kuchum ordered his fishermen and others to find the body of the drowned Yermak Timofeevich, promising the one who finds him as much silver as the body weighs. "For," he said, "as I get it, I will order it to be cut into small pieces, and I will eat it myself with my wife and children, as an enemy of my and my kingdom." Then the Cossacks, returning back,in order not to be left without a head, they chose the ataman, in place of Ermak Timofeevich, the aforementioned Groza Ivanovich.
In 1575, the ataman Groza, having performed, according to his custom, a service in the church, in the same boats as before, set off with 1000 Cossacks up the Irtysh and reached the place of Abalak, where Kuchum was still holding. He sent his brother-in-law, Iki Irka, against him, but ataman Groza defeated this Iki Irka and 540 people. He took 20 people prisoner alive. Of his people, only 6 people were injured. Tsar Kuchum, seeing that his people seemed to be melting, fled with his wife and children to the Kalmak khan Abdar Taisha, who was his uncle. This Kuchum had 7 real wives, although one of them was the main one, and 25 concubines. From the first he had 5 sons, and from the latter - 12.
After that Kuchum with his sons in large hordes often attacked the conquered [Cossacks] places, hoping to regain their kingdom. But they didn’t achieve anything, and with God's help, they were always smashed.”
This is where the above message ends.
After the death of Ataman Ermak Timofeevich, Ataman Groza Ivanovich with his Cossacks set off from Tobol along the Irtysh River to the Ob and went down the Ob to Berezov. (As for the spelling of the proper names of rivers, peoples and cities, I stuck to the text that was sent, but in our time they have changed somewhat.) This is a fairly large settlement. On all the people who lived on both banks of the great river, up to the ocean, the chieftain imposed a tribute, on each person - according to his wealth. He built the city of Berezov and placed hostages in it, taken from the neighboring peoples, with the condition that they be replaced every six months if the same influential people were appointed to their place. He took their most distinguished ones with him to Tobol. He made this trip in one year. He brought into citizenship all these peoples and not only them, but also those who live along the banks of the Obdora rivers), Sosva, Vogulka, Komda,Mrassa and other rivers."
From these reports it becomes clear that Siberia at that time was densely populated, and these were not just scattered nomadic tribes, but a well-organized state. With a large number of cities, and developed communication between these cities. By the names of rivers and cities, one can fully judge what language the inhabitants of this country spoke. It is not clear only who was Yermak Timofeevich? After all, Ermak is a nickname, not a name? And who is ataman Groza Ivanovich? (According to some sources, Ivan the Groza or the Groza Ivanov) Why did other people of that time have names, patronymics and surnames, but they only had nicknames?
It is also not entirely clear from these messages how a small Cossack detachment of Yermak could conquer an entire state?
Author: i_mar_a