Battle of Varna (1606)

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Battle of Varna
Part of Cossack raids and the Cossack naval campaigns
Repin-Cossacks on the Black Sea (1908).jpg
Cossacks on the Black Sea. Painting by Ilya Repin
DateSummer of 1606
Location
Result Cossack victory [1]
Belligerents
Flag of the Zaporizhian Sich.svg Zaporozhian Cossacks Flag of Ottoman Empire (1517-1793).svg Ottoman Empire
Commanders and leaders
Flag of the Zaporizhian Sich.svg Hryhoriy Izapovych
Flag of the Zaporizhian Sich.svg Petro Sahaidachny
Flag of Ottoman Empire (1517-1793).svg Local garrison commander 
Flag of Ottoman Empire (1517-1793).svg Ali-Pasha (blocking at Ochakov)
Strength
Unknown Unknown
Casualties and losses
Light Heavy
10 galleys captured [2]
Large civillian casualties
Lots of captives freed

The Battle of Varna [a] was a major battle over the fortress of Varna on the Black Sea between the Zaporozhian Cossacks led by Hryhoriy Izapovych and the Ottoman garrison of the city as a part of the Cossack naval campaigns. The Cossacks unexpectedly attacked Varna from the sea and captured it with a series of assaults.

Contents

Background

The Zaporozhian Cossacks, who had recently emerged as a separate community were often going on a raids against the Ottoman empire and it's vassals, especially the Crimean Khanate. The raids had intensified during Sahaidachny's era – in 1602, the Cossacks on 30 chaikas defeated the Ottoman fleet near Kiliia and in 1604 the Cossacks attacked Varna for the first time. In 1605, Cossack hetman Izapovych defeated the Tatar raiders at Dniester river. [2]

Battle

In the summer of 1606, the Cossacks under the command of hetman Hryhoriy Izapovych launched a major raid on the Black sea, attacked the fortresses of Kiliia and Akkerman and approached Varna. [2] In the night, some of the Cossacks bypassed the fortress by moving upstream along the river. [3] The raiders attacked Varna both from the sea and the land, firing at the fortress from cannons. [3] A battle took place, which turned out to be a Cossack victory – the fortress was destroyed, although not captured due to strong resistance and the galleys stationed in the city were either destroyed or captured. The Ottomans tried to block the way for Cossacks that were returning from a successful campaign in Varna but were caught up by the Cossacks near Ochakov and defeated with heavy casualties and only Ali-Pasha being able to escape. [1]

Aftermath

The looters destroyed the Varna fortress and captured a prey with a total cost of 180 thousand złotys. [4] In 1606, following the return to Ukraine, Izapovych warned the population of Dnieper Ukraine about the large upcoming Tatar invasion. [2] In the next year, Cossacks led by Petro Konashevych raided Ochakov and Perekop and in 1608 they attacked the Danube delta. [4] This expedition became the first major Cossack expedition where Sahaidachny is being mentioned. [4]

Legacy

A Ukrainian folk song was dedicated to this campaign: [5] [6]

Була Варна здавна славна.

Славнішії козаченьки.

Що тої Варни дістали

І в ній турків забрали.

See also

Notes

  1. Ukrainian: Битва під Варною
    Turkish: Varna Muharebesi
    Bulgarian: Битка за Варна

References

  1. 1 2 "Козацькі морські походи під проводом Петра Сагайдачного та перемога в Хотинській війні. Українське козацтво - ключова воєнна сила у Східній Європі | Історія в школі" (in Ukrainian). 2018-08-13. Retrieved 2025-07-11.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Grushevskyi, Mykhailo (1909). History of Ukraine-Rus'. Volume VII. Chapter VI.
  3. 1 2 "Геній морських походів: як гетьман Сагайдачний став страшним сном для Османської імперії". 5 канал (in Ukrainian). 2023-07-16. Retrieved 2025-07-11.
  4. 1 2 3 "Морські походи під проводом П. Сагайдачного - 100 ключових подій української історії". uahistory.co (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2025-07-11.
  5. "Володимир Сергійчук. Морські походи запорожців". exlibris.org.ua. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  6. "Кащенко. Про гетьмана Сагайдачного". УКРЛІТ.ORG. Retrieved 2025-08-27.