Crimean campaign (1589)

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Crimean campaign
Part of the Cossack raids
MapEvpator-1904-0819.jpg
1904 map of Yevpatoria (Gezlev) which got attacked during the campaign
DateJuly 1589
Location
Gezlev and nearby settlements, Crimea
Result See § Aftermath
Territorial
changes
Cossacks temporarily defeat the Tatars but get pushed back on the next day
Belligerents
Flag of the Zaporizhian Sich.svg Zaporozhian Cossacks Flag of the Crimean Khanate (15th century).svg Crimean Khanate
Flag of Ottoman Empire (1517-1793).svg Ottoman Empire
Commanders and leaders
Flag of the Zaporizhian Sich.svg Zakhar Kulaga   Flag of the Crimean Khanate (15th century).svg Ğazı II Giray
Flag of the Crimean Khanate (15th century).svg Feti-Giray
Strength
800–1,500 Unknown
Casualties and losses
At least 30 captured Unknown amount of killed and wounded; Several galleys captured
Several civillians killed and captured

The Crimean campaign [a] was a military expedition carried by the Zaporozhian Cossacks led by ataman Zakhar Kulaga against the Crimean Khanate and the Ottoman Empire in July of 1589.

Contents

Background

The Zaporozhian Cossacks were undertaking regular raids against the Ottoman Empire and the Crimean Khanate at the end of XVI century. In 1575, Ruzhynsky's Cossacks devastated Crimea, in 1587 Cossacks sacked Ochakov and in 1588 Zaporozhians attacked the western coast of the Crimean peninsula and sacked several Tatar villages. [1] In 1589, Zakhar Kulaga was elected hetman of the Zaporozhian Host. He gathered approximately 800 [2] [3] (according to other sources - 1500 [4] ) Cossacks and sent them on a raid by the Dnieper.

Campaign

In July, the Cossacks who had set off for the raid earlier, captured several Ottoman galleys that were stationed on the raid, [3] [5] invaded Crimea and sacked several Tatar villages [4] Then they approached Gezlev (now Yevpatoria) at the night and attacked the city. They robbed shops and killed some of the city's inhabitants. However, in the morning a Crimean fleet led by kalga Feti-Giray approached Gezlev and attacked the Cossacks who were still in the city. The battle resulted in a Crimean victory with Zakhar Kulaga being killed and some 30 Cossacks being captured. [3]

Aftermath

Although the Crimean army eventually repelled the raid, most of the Cossacks managed to escape with captured loot. [3] [6] In a response to a Cossack attack, in the autumn of 1589 the Crimean-Wallachian [5] forces raided Galicia and captured some loot there. [2] While returning from the raid, the Tatar forces faced the Cossack army at the Dnieper and a battle took place that resulted in a heavy casualties on both sides. [2] The following year, the Cossacks launched a major raid on North Anatolia and captured the cities of Trebizond and Sinop. [1]

See also

Notes

  1. Crimean Tatar: Qırım Seferi
    Ukrainian: Кримський похід
    Turkish: Kırım Seferi

References

  1. 1 2 Шляхторов, Алексей (2017-01-11). Без Крыма России не быть! «Место силы» всей Русской Земли (in Russian). Litres. ISBN   978-5-04-037202-7.
  2. 1 2 3 "О. Гайворонский. «Повелители двух материков» :: Том. I: Крымские ханы XV—XVI столетий и борьба за наследство Великой Орды :: Часть IX. Гази II Герай. 1588—1608 :: «У Крыма много рук и глаз...» (1589—1592)". krimoved-library.ru. Retrieved 2025-07-16.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Походы казаков на Гёзлёв". evpcur.16mb.com. Retrieved 2025-07-16.
  4. 1 2 Lepszy, Kazimierz (1939). Rzeczpospolita Polska w dobie Sejmu Inkwizyczjnego (1589-1592) (in Polish). Nakł. Polskiej Akademii Umiejętności, skł. gł. w księg. Gebethnera i Wolffa.
  5. 1 2 "Українське життя в Севастополi Мирослав МАМЧАК КОШОВИЙ ОТАМАН ЗАХАРІЙ КУЛАГА". ukrlife.org. Retrieved 2025-07-16.
  6. "Крымское ханство. Запорожский вектор". Крым.Реалии (in Russian). 2020-12-01. Retrieved 2025-07-16.