The way to the sea: 330 years since the capture of the Azov fortress by the troops of Peter the Great

Exactly 330 years ago, on July 19 (July 29, new style), 1696, the second Azov campaign of Peter the Great ended, as a result of which the Turkish fortress of Azov fell after a long siege. The victory was made possible by the coordinated actions of the army and navy. Russia gained access to the Sea of Azov and significantly strengthened its position in the south. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.

Why was the Azov Fortress so important

The fortress occupied a key position at the mouth of the Don River, effectively blocking access to the Sea of Azov. Control of the Azov Sea gave Russia a strategic foothold: it ensured the security of its southern borders and opened up opportunities for maritime trade.

Before the capture of Azov, Russia did not have its own southern port and trade went through intermediaries, which caused goods to become noticeably more expensive. Direct access to the sea would allow for the export of Russian and import of European goods without unnecessary links.

Photo: RIA Novosti

In addition, Azov has long served as a center of the slave trade: people captured during raids on Russian lands were brought here. The elimination of this node was important for the protection of the population and the stability of the southern borders.

The victory was supposed to impress foreign politicians as well: it would strengthen Russia's prestige in Europe. For Peter the Great, the capture of the fortress became a personal challenge and a test of his reforms — proof that the course towards creating a regular army and navy was justified.

Preparation of Peter the Great's army

The failure of the first Azov campaign in 1695 showed the main problem: it was impossible to block the seaside fortress without a fleet — the Turkish garrison freely received reinforcements and supplies by sea. Already in the autumn of 1695, Peter the Great began large-scale preparations, relying on the construction of a fleet and the reorganization of the army.

The fleet was created at a rapid pace. The galleys were built in the village of Preobrazhenskoye near Moscow, then dismantled, transported to Voronezh and reassembled. Two 36‑gun ships, the Apostol Peter and the Apostol Pavel, were laid down in Voronezh.

In total, 23 galleys were built, 1,300 tugs for transporting troops and cargo, as well as four fireships for setting fire to enemy ships. The crews were formed from soldiers of the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky regiments, who were specially trained in naval battles. Foreign specialists, engineers and ship carpenters, were also involved in the work.

Photo: Global Look Press/Wolfgang Diederich

In parallel, the ground forces were reformed. Instead of three commanders, one was appointed — boyar Alexei Shein. Under his leadership, the army of about 75,000 people was divided into three divisions. The infantry was based on 30 regiments of soldiers, and the cavalry was reinforced, including by Don and Zaporozhian Cossacks. The troops were purposefully trained in engineering and siege warfare.

To man the regiments, on January 13, 1696, a decree was issued authorizing the recruitment of serfs into the army. We have identified collection points (Voronezh, Tambov, Valuiki) and routes of movement along rivers and land. Peter also requested the help of military engineers from the allies (the Polish king and the Austrian Emperor). Some of the supplies were left in the fortified camp of Sergievsky (Novosergievsky) under the protection of a strong garrison.

By the beginning of the campaign, the fleet was built, and the troops were fully staffed. General management was carried out by Peter I. himself.

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Assault and capture of Azov

In May 1696, the Russian army besieged Azov. By the end of the month, the Don Cossacks had seized 10 transport ships in a surprise attack, and this disrupted sea supplies to the fortress.

In early June, the Russian flotilla entered the Sea of Azov and completely blocked Azov from the water: the garrison was unable to receive reinforcements and supplies. The approaching Turkish squadron did not dare to join the battle.

Systematic siege work was underway on land. An earthen rampart was being built: he protected the besiegers from fire and allowed them to gradually approach the walls of the fortress. Batteries were placed on the outside of the rampart to bombard the stone fortifications.

Photo: RIA Novosti/Valery Shustov

The course of the siege was accelerated by the decisive actions of the troops. On July 21, the Russians captured the corner bastion, and on July 27, Cossack detachments voluntarily stormed, broke through the line of fortifications and gained a foothold in two bastions. Having lost the rampart, the Turks retreated to the stone citadel.

On July 29, 1696, the Turkish garrison surrendered. Peter the Great guaranteed the defenders and residents of the fortress complete immunity: the Turks left Azov with all their weapons, banners and property, and the tsar provided them with ships to evacuate to the mouth of the Kagalnik.

On July 30, 1696, the Turkish fortress of Lyutikh, located at the mouth of the northernmost branch of the Don and covering it with the fire of its guns, also surrendered.

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The significance of the capture of Azov for Russia

The capture of Azov was Russia's first major victory over the Ottoman Empire and Peter I's first significant foreign policy success. Russia gained a stronghold on the Sea of Azov, took control of the Azov water area and eliminated one of the key hubs from where raids on Russian lands were carried out.

The experience of the campaign clearly demonstrated the importance of joint actions of the army and navy during the siege of the seaside fortress. It was he who laid the foundation for the development of the regular Russian Navy. However, it was not immediately possible to use Azov as a naval base due to the lack of a convenient harbor. The problem of the lack of a convenient harbor was solved by choosing a new location: on July 27, 1696, Peter the Great pointed to Cape Taganiy Rog. Two years later, Taganrog was founded here, the first Russian military port on the Sea of Azov.

Photo: RIA Novosti/Anton Denisov

The most important result of the victory was the decision of the Boyar Duma of October 30, 1696, adopted at the insistence of the tsar: "There should be naval vessels." This date is considered the starting point of the regular Russian Navy.

For his success in the second Azov campaign, Voivode Alexei Shein was appointed the first generalissimo in Russia. In honor of the victory, a medal with the image of Peter the Great and the inscription "The winner with lightning and waters" was released: It symbolized the new character of the Russian military force — a combination of artillery fire and naval power.

The victory at Azov was the debut of the Russian fleet in a major military operation and the first serious victory of the troops formed according to new principles. Control over the mouth of the Don River has strengthened Russia's position in the south, allowing it to build a system of strongholds and more effectively contain threats. In addition, the success strengthened the authority of Peter the Great and gave him weighty arguments for further large-scale transformations of the army, navy and public administration.