454 years ago, the forces of the Crimean Khanate set fire to the capital of the Tsardom of Moscow \u2014 Moscow. This occurred during the Russo-Crimean War, in which Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible confronted the Crimean Khanate, allied with the Ottoman Empire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As early as 1473, the Tsar of Moscow, Ivan III, swore an oath on the Bible to the House of Geray and ceased paying tribute to the Great Horde. From that moment, Moscovia began its expansion eastward and westward, annexing neighboring principalities and fueling war after war. The Muscovite tsars referred to themselves as the “younger brothers” of the Crimean Khans, receiving their support and protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During the reign of Ivan IV the Terrible, following the conquest of Kazan and Astrakhan, Moscow also dared to challenge the Crimean Khanate. In 1556, Muscovite forces invaded Crimea, destroying several settlements in the western and eastern parts of the peninsula. Ivan IV intended to launch a large-scale war against the Tatars to permanently free himself from paying tribute; however, the autocracy became mired in the policies of the Oprichnina<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 1561, Moscovia received the so-called “false charter” from the Patriarch of Constantinople, which referred to Ivan IV as the heir to Byzantium. This significantly worsened relations between Moscow and Crimea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the spring of 1571, Crimean Khan Devlet Geray assembled a large army of Crimean Tatars, Ottomans, Janissaries, Nogai hordes, and Circassians. The Khan set out to punish Moscow\u2019s vassals for insubordination. Initially, an assault on Moscow was not planned, as Crimean forces had previously failed to advance deep into Muscovite territory due to fierce resistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, upon learning of the capital\u2019s weak garrison, Devlet Geray executed an unexpected maneuver: he bypassed the large tsarist army positioned on the Oka River from the west and advanced directly toward Moscow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On June 2 (May 23 in the old style), the Khan reached the capital. The city\u2019s defense was led by military commander Ivan Belskyi, who managed to delay the assault. However, the main Muscovite forces were scattered and failed to arrive in time. Tsar Ivan IV fled to Rostov, abandoning the capital to its fate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On June 3, a fierce battle took place. The Crimean forces broke through the defenses, and the fighting spilled into the city streets. Belskyi himself was wounded, and soon a fire broke out, which, fueled by strong winds, escalated into a full-scale firestorm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The flames reached even the Kremlin. According to chroniclers, “all of Moscow burned down” \u2014 not a single wooden structure remained. Thousands perished in the fire and chaos, including people from both sides of the conflict, among them the commander of the Muscovite forces, Ivan Belskyi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The exact death toll remains unknown, but according to the papal envoy Antonio Possevino, by 1580 Moscow\u2019s population had dwindled to no more than 30,000 inhabitants, whereas in 1520 it had reached 100,000. Muscovite sources provided no figures on casualties. Many residents were either killed or taken captive. The capital was completely looted and destroyed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After devastating the surrounding lands, the Crimean army withdrew to the steppe and returned to Crimea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result of the negotiations that followed the campaign, Ivan IV once again swore allegiance to the Crimean Khan, resumed tribute payments, and ceded Astrakhan. He also temporarily renounced his tsarist title and his claims to the Byzantine legacy. However, Ivan had no intention of returning Kazan, nor did he acknowledge a definitive defeat \u2014 developments that later led to renewed warfare.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":73152,"template":"","publication-type":[43],"class_list":["post-73277","press-center","type-press-center","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","publication-type-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n