Mikhailushkin //Read. - 1998. - No. 49. – S. 23.

More than 500 years ago, the Azov fortress was a tough nut to crack . And her ramparts are not a criminal defense(the story will be short and fluent). How many copies were brokento overcome an earthen ditch up to8 meters and climb 8 mi , and in some places on10 meter peak shaft . Thousands of armies of Russian soldiers, Turks , Crimean Tatars , Don Cossacks and many other peoples laid down their heads during the assaults on these ramparts. With 1475 Turkish Ottoman Empire founded this fortress. And they seemed that there is no such force in the worldwho could conquer them and drive them out of this fortress. And only at the end of the 15th century, the Don Cossacks announced themselves menacingly, as a force capable of defending its influence throughout the Don and the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov. AT In 1637, after a two-month siege, the Don Cossacks captured Azov by storm and military cunning. And in 1642 , having not received support from the Moscow Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov, the Cossacks were forced to leave Azov. Having razed to the ground all its fortifications and burned down everything in the fortress, went to Cherkassk(now Starocherkassk). The Turks came and1672 restored all the fortifications. And again flared up at this time Russian- Turkish war . Azov remains under the rule of the Turks. AT 1696 in the second campaign to the young 24- x-year-old Russian Tsar Peter Alekseevich Romanov managed to take the Azov fortress. After the capture of the fortress, Peter I orders his best engineers to create the Azov fortress according to all the latest European models.. This is how a new Azov fortress is being built in a star-shaped plan with a deep moat and high earthen ramparts., extending from the mouth of r.Azovka to the modern Container Plant in 1km and 100 meters . A new territory expanded along the perimeter is added to the former old Turkish ramparts from the modern Lermontov Street to the mouth of the Azovka River(the so-called Alekseevsky suburb). What was the fortress like? 1475-1637. G . no one managed to find in the Soviet archives.

In 1711 the war with Turkey continues, and as a result of the unsuccessful Prut campaign, Peter I returned Azov and Taganrog to the Turks. Before leaving the fortress, all defensive structures were blown up. The Turks came to Azov again and restored everything in the fortress according to Peter's plan.

AT In 1736, during the reign of Anna Ivanovna, the Russian army again took Azov, however, under the Belgrade Treaty in 1739 Azov was demilitarized, i.e. all its fortifications were completely destroyed. The now preserved ramparts are an example of the military art of engineering military defensive fortifications in the 17th-18th centuries. According to the historical plans of the Petrine era, there were several powder magazines on the territory of the fortress. One (by the way, this is the only gunpowder magazine-monument in the entire North Caucasus) and one wall of the Geuz Gates (in the time of Peter the Great they were called the Lower Taganrog Gates) have survived. Unfortunately, the matter does not reach the preservation of these ancient monuments and their restoration.

P.S. And here is what the Don church chronicle preserved about the memory of the Don heroes after an almost 5-year siege sitting in the Azov fortress in 1637-1642.

In 1867, a rich brick chapel was built on the Monastyrsky tract (this is from Azov up the Don near the village of Starocherkassky), in front of the entrance there were cast-iron cannons taken out from Azov on cast-iron gun carriages. Every year at Shrovetide a prayer service was performed with military honors - a commemoration of the Cossacks who fell from the Turks. When laying the foundation of the chapel, a vessel with sacred oil was buried and. the entry: "To the glory of the Most Blessed God, His Most Holy Mother of God and Defender of Azov, St. John the Baptist, this monument was laid in honor and eternal glory of the Don heroes who conquered the Russian state in 1637 and defended it in 1641 from the thirty-thousandth Turkish army."

"Lord! Let there be a monument, this pledge of love of the entire Christ-loving Don army for their ancestors resting in God. Amen!"

Don Diocesan Gazette of 1890, pp. 251-253.

The fortress of Azov is a former subject of dispute between two states: Russia and the Ottoman Empire. Wars on the territory of the former fortress of Azov were fought for a century. The fortress periodically changed hands between Russia and Turkey. (13 photos)

The fortress is located in Russia, on the banks of the Don River, at the place where the river flows into the Sea of ​​Azov. The first city appeared here in the 3rd century BC. And it was a major political and economic center of the Bosporan kingdom. Which, in turn, flourished on the Kerch Strait and the Taman Isthmus. Educated around 480 B.C.

The city grew and prospered, primarily due to the favorable geographic location. Being near the sea, on a large river, it quickly became a trading center. There was a trade connecting Europe with Asia.

A long history preceded the arrival of the Turks in these places, we will not dive into it. So in 1471 the city was captured by the Ottoman Empire. At that time the city was called Tana. For the Turks, Azov was beneficial strategic object, thanks to him, they could go to sea, as well as rest after raids on the southern lands of the Russian Empire.

Turkey, on the site of the former, weakly defended city, erected solid defensive structures. A high stone wall was built on a hill, which in turn was surrounded by a moat with water. Defensive towers rose on the walls, in total there were 11.

Azov fortress and its photos

The fortress of Azov was well guarded. 4,000 Turkish soldiers stood in defense of Azov. As well as defensive cannons in the wall of the fortress.

Constant raids on the Don Cossacks by the Turks were devastating, and did not allow the Cossacks to develop calmly. In addition, this had a bad effect on the further part of Russia, which also had difficulties from the raids of nomads and Turks. A striking example of such a city is Voronezh.

The heart and engine of all raids was the castle of Azov. Therefore, in 1637, the Don Cossacks, united with the Zaporizhzhya Cossacks, captured Azov.

Fortress of Azov photo

This event immediately affected the growth rate of the Cossacks and also Russia. But the fortress remained in the possession of the Cossacks for only 5 years. Further, due to the impossibility of holding the defense of the fortress from Turkey on their own, the Cossacks decided to leave the fortress.

For more than 50 years, the fortress existed under Turkish rule. Until in 1696, after successful hostilities, the fortress was captured by Russia. The order to capture the fortress was given personally by Peter I. It is noteworthy that this was the second campaign against the fortress, and only the second time they managed to conquer Azov. Before that, the first attack ended with the retreat of the Russian troops.

Later, 15 years later, in 1711, Azov once again returned to Turkey. Then this was preceded by a forced peace treaty, which gave up positions in the area of ​​​​the Azov fortress.

But in 1739, the fortress of Azov was again captured by Russia, with the participation of the Don army. Since then, the fortress of Azov is controlled only by Russia and has not come to anyone.

Just imagine how much blood has been shed here and how many lives our descendants have laid down. During the capture of the fortress, or rather one siege, up to 1500 people could die. And that's just on one side.

Historians claim that during the defense of the fortress by the Cossacks from the Turks, while trying to capture, Turkey, for its part, lost about 70 thousand people. It is worth noting that the Cossacks did not surrender the fortress, but left on their own, did not wait for new raids. This was forced by running out of provisions.

The Cossacks, for all their greatness, would not be able to wage war with a powerful state - Turkey. And Russia at that moment, in 1641, could not support the Cossacks, otherwise it would mean a new war with Turkey.

Today, little remains of the Azov fortress. We can only observe the defensive rampart, the main entrance to the former fortress, and small remains of stone walls.

The defensive rampart is around the perimeter. Its height is about 15 meters and its width is up to 30 meters. The remains of earthen hills inside the fortress have also been preserved, earlier streets passed through them.

The central gate, which served as the entrance to the fortress, has also been preserved. This is a wide arch in a strong, thick wall made of bricks.

The remains of the Azov fortress, photo

Today, the fortress of Azov has been partially restored, and is only a smaller copy of the former fortress. For example, a meter-long wall imitating defensive structures was built. Ornamental cannons were also installed.

Many stop by on the way to the Azov or Black Sea. The fortress of Azov is one of the historical monuments of the city of the same name.

Despite the external disorder of the place, the Azov fortress is very popular among tourists and vacationers.

Photo of the moat in front of the Azov fortress

Archaeological excavations on the territory of the Azov fortress were carried out in 1935.

Today, on the territory of the fortress, the annual holiday of the Cossacks is held. Thousands of people come here to take part in a costume show dedicated to the defense of the fortress by the Cossacks from the Turks.

Article. Azov Fortress

Kushnaryova Tatyana Nikolaevna - teacher of geography, MBOU secondary school No. 9 of the city of Azov, Rostov
Description: Dear colleagues, I propose to get acquainted with my favorite city - Azov.
Article - The Azov fortress will introduce you to the unique cultural and historical object of our city, during the article you will get to know our ancient provincial town better.

Not many cities in Russia have a 1000-year history of their existence. One of these cities is located on the left bank of the Don River. Perhaps every citizen of our country has heard of him.
Azov is the pearl of Russian history, the "small city" of Peter I. In all the years of its existence, having an important geographical and strategic position, it played a major role both in foreign and in Russian history. Azov is now cultural, historical Center south of Russia. Therefore, interest in our small provincial town and at present. New stage of development cultural heritage city ​​began after the release of the joint order of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation No. 418 and the Ministry of Regional Development of the Russian Federation No. 339 dated July 29, 2010, which approved the list of historical settlements for the first time Russian Federation. Among 41 locality our city is included. From the Rostov region, this list, except for Azov, includes only Taganrog and the village of Starocherkasskaya. Azov is included in the Russian and international tourist routes because its historical monuments are of international importance. The best part is that while walking around the city - all the sights can be reached on foot. Unique objects of the city, unfortunately, are not monuments world heritage UNESCO, but require careful treatment.
With our students, for several years we have been studying the history of the Don region, as well as the history hometown, its architectural monuments, industrial development. The focus of our study is many unique objects of the city of Azov. Over the years of work in this direction, a rich database of photo and video materials has been collected.
Our city is really rich in objects of culture and history:

Objects of federal importance - 3; Objects of protection of regional importance - 61; Monuments of archeology of the city of Azov - 20
The Azov fortress is the most impressive and large-scale sight of the city, an object of federal significance. This cultural and historical monument is a witness to the siege seat of the Don Cossacks (17th century) and the Azov campaigns of Peter the Great, so the object requires careful attitude from others. Preservation of cultural historical heritage is the preservation national history that it carries within it. The loss of cultural values ​​is irreplaceable and irreversible. This is what explains our choice to present this cultural and historical monument to you.

The stormy dramatic history of the city has more than 2000 years. Powers fought for Azov, armies fought, diplomatic intrigues were carried out in order to only possess this city on the high left bank of the Don.
On June 24, 1641, the siege of the Azov fortress began. In the Azov fortress, behind not quite strong walls, 5367 Cossacks and 800 Cossack wives were preparing to take the fight. About 300 cannons stood on the fortress walls. The "Azov siege seat" lasted for four months. The Don Cossacks, having shown unparalleled courage, defended Azov, however, not having received the support of the Russian state, they were forced to leave the fortress by royal decree. All Azov fortifications were blown up.
At the end of the 17th century, the strengthened Russian state was already openly entering the struggle for Azov with the Ottoman Empire. In 1695, it was not possible to take the fortress of Azov, the fortress was taken on July 18, 1696. During the second siege of Azov, Peter I turned 24 years old. The victory over Azov was a political victory - the result was an increase in the international prestige of Russia and the authority of the young Peter. The capture of the Azov fortress marked the beginning of the struggle of Russia for access to the seas, which she was deprived of.
The fortress, which was first captured by the Cossacks, and then by the archers of Peter I, was destroyed in the middle of the 18th century. The only defensive structures left from the fortress were the Alekseevsky gates and ramparts. The ramparts of the fortress were built in the 16th-17th centuries. Turks, with the help of the most primitive technique of that era - human hands and hats. In the 18th century the ramparts were rebuilt by the Russians, the author of the project was the Austrian military engineer de Laval, who was in the service of Peter I (“Arrangement” of the harbor and the construction of the Admiralty near Azov). Subsequently, Azov became the first experience in the construction of cities - fortresses of a new type.
In total, there were eleven gates on the ramparts of the fortress, of which only the Alekseevsky gates, made of stone and brick, were preserved in good condition. At the time of the excavations, the gate looked like two parallel stone walls (pylons) located at the end of the earthen rampart. Their length reached 13 m. The distance between the stone walls was more than 3 m.
The walls of the Alekseevsky gates were covered with hewn stone. Initially, they were erected in wooden form, but in 1801-1805. they were rebuilt in stone. The gates were finally restored in the 20th century. Gate leaves are located in the city of Starocherkassk, which are currently one of the symbols of the city.
Within the boundaries of Azov, the ramparts have also been preserved. They stretched for several hundred meters. The height of the ramparts ranges from 4 to 15 m, the width is from 10 to 30 m. On Dzerzhinsky Street today you can see the fortress moat built in the 16th century. Its length reaches 100 m, and its depth is 12 m.
After an almost 100-year series of Russian-Turkish wars for the right to possess the Azov fortress, in 1774 Azov was forever assigned to the Russian Empire.
Memorial plaques and monuments, located nearby, are a kind of historical reserve, emphasizing the inseparable connection of eras.
Under the arches of the Alekseevsky Gates, you will feel the breath of history: the booming echo of your steps seems to repeat the rumble of the fierce battles that once took place here. The inhabitants of Azov call this old defensive structure the Turkish rampart, which is historically incorrect. Experts call Russian or Alekseevsky.
The ramparts and Alekseevsky gates are interesting monuments military engineering art. The first thorough study of this monument took place during excavations in 1935.
In Azov, the city of Cossack glory, near the ramparts of the Azov fortress in 1991, a cross-monument was opened in memory of the Cossacks who died in the Azov Seat.
Today, the Azov Fortress is one of the favorite places for walking residents and guests of the city, because it is from here that beautiful view to the Don River Delta. Climbing the walls of the ramparts, you will definitely take your breath away: on the one hand, the Don delta, on the other, the old part of the former fortress, where the Powder Cellar is located. The powder magazine is a monument of military engineering art of the 18th century, which houses a diorama of the assault on Azov by the army of Peter I.

After taking the first steps and touching the ancient cannon, you will want to learn as much as possible about these places.
The Azov fortress, for which Russian soldiers fought so many times, is now again becoming the arena of battle. On August 3, 2013, ancient Azov cordially received guests and participants of the IX All-Russian Festival of Military Historical Clubs from numerous cities of Russia and foreign countries. Over the 9 years of its existence, the festival has turned into a real folk festival of the All-Russian scale. Under open sky The Azov Fortress hosts both demonstration performances by participants in the reconstruction, and a real assault, striking in its mass character. Armament, historical costumes of the 17th century, create the atmosphere of a bygone era. Under the roar of cannonade, the rattle of metal, inspired human exclamations and screams, a grandiose performance is taking place before the eyes of eyewitnesses, reproducing the events of the famous Azov siege sitting of the Don Cossacks in 1641. The festival attracts many spectators and is a bright holiday for the residents of Azov and tourists.

From January to May 2014, my guys and I took part in the project "Pearls of the Earth", our team learned a lot about the objects of the World Cultural and natural heritage. Now everyone who took part can give a precise definition of what a cultural and historical object is. It should be a masterpiece of architecture, expressing the ideas and beliefs of the people. This object should also be a rare example of a traditional lifestyle of a certain period of history, or a building that is unique in its complexity of construction. Without cultural and historical heritage are inconceivable modern life. My students believe that the Azov Fortress is a unique cultural and historical site that deserves to be added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Information sources:
1.V.O.Burlak "Azov siege seat of the Don Cossacks" Publishing House of the Azov Historical, Archaeological and Paleontological Museum-Reserve. 2008. 12p.
2.L.B. Perepechaeva "Azov campaigns of Peter I" Publishing house of the Azov historical, archaeological and paleontological museum-reserve. 2006. 12p.

I.V. Volkov

The importance of finding out the size, location and population and cultural characteristics of the Venetian fortress of Tana (Azov) in the 15th century. needs no explanation. However, these issues cannot be considered satisfactorily resolved. In the works of M. M. Kovalevsky and E. Ch. Skrzhinskaya, complementary to each other, the history of Italian settlements in Azov is considered in great detail on the basis of a wide range of Italian written sources. Meanwhile, a mass of documents relating to trade, economic and political life Tany gives, as a rule, incomplete or indirect information on the issues raised. We know only two descriptions of the fortress left by the Italians 1 . Archaeologically, the territory of the fortress has been studied extremely poorly due to the fact that it is almost completely built up. In addition, there are many oddities in the interpretation of archaeological finds from the fortress 2 . Generally speaking, only one find is known to date that reliably relates to the Venetian Tania - this is the tombstone of consul Jacopo Cornaro. But even this find only indicates that the place where she lay falls into the territory of Tana. Numerous written sources testify that the trading post and fortress of the Venetians was located on the banks of the Don and occupied mainly the lowland part. The surviving ramparts of the fortress, poured after its capture by Peter I and restored after the occupation of Azov by the army of Field Marshal P. A. Rumyantsev in 1769, indicate that Tana was inside them. It is impossible to supplement this meager information with materials from large-scale archaeological excavations. Therefore, in order to solve the questions posed, it is necessary to draw on other sources that lie outside the chronological period of the existence of the Venetian Tana itself.

The fortifications of the Italians became part of the Turkish fortress after the capture of Gedik Ahmed Pasha by its army in 1476. In the 17th century. they were described by Evliya Celebi. These fortifications existed until the destruction of the fortress under the Belgrade peace treaty in 1744. From the period preceding the destruction, visual schemes and “semi-instrumental” plans of the fortress, made by military topographers of the Russian army, have been preserved. Comparison of the verbal description of Evliya Celebi with the available plans allows us to determine the size and configuration of many fortifications Tany. If we admit that the lines of the walls have remained unchanged to this day, then linking the plans of the fortress to the terrain does not cause difficulties.

According to the description of Evliya Celebi, the Azov fortress had the shape of a square and was divided into 3 parts: Frank-hissar, Orta-hiosar and Toprak-kale (Fig. 1). The fortress built by the Italians - Frank Hissar - occupied eastern part and had the shape of a rectangle elongated perpendicular to the bank of the Don. With all the possible inaccuracies and schematism, the description of Evliya Celebi is very reliable. There is no doubt that the compiler of the scheme for the siege and capture of Azov in 1696 was not familiar with the text of the Turkish traveler. At the same time, the image of the walls of the fortress exactly matches the description of Evliya Celebi, including the square shape (Fig. 2). There is only one difference - in the diagram, the western wall of Orta-hissar is extended to the outer southern wall of Toprak-kale. Therefore, this section of the wall was built in the period from the description of Evliya in 1667 to 1696.

Rice. 1. Azov fortress according to the verbal description of Evliya Celebi. Numerical designations (for all figures): 1 - Frank-hissar (Tana, Venedik-kale, Azov), 2 - Orta-hissar (Dzheneviz-kale, Tashkalov, Stone City), 3 - Toprak-kale (Earth city), 4 - Lion Tower, 5 - Water (Bloody) Tower, 6 - Guard (Patrol) Tower, 7 - Pointed Tower, 8 - Shahin Pasha Tower, 9 - Guest Church - Baezid Veli Mosque, 10 - Tower mentioned by Evliya Celebi, 11 - the place where the tombstone of Consul Jacopo Cornaro was found

Rice. 2. Azov fortress according to the plan 1695-1696. (Laskovsky F.F. Maps, plans and drawings ... V.2. Fig. 1.7)

Still, there are certain contradictions in the text of Celebi. For example, the eastern gate of Toprak-kale, located approximately in the middle of the wall facing the Don, Evliya places “... in the very corner. And facing east." To explain this contradiction, it is necessary to turn to later plans. On the plan of Azov, according to an old drawing of 1740, an image of the wall of the “old city was taken from the Turks, and after taking the old wall was broken and fortified again” . Part of the walls (the eastern steppes of Frank-hissar, the western and eastern walls of Orta-hissar, the northern wall of Toprak-kale) are shown in dotted lines, which is easily explained by the greatest vulnerability of these walls during the Russian bombardment of 1736 [see. fortress shelling schemes: 27; 28]. The stone wall is depicted even more fully on the plan of 1698. These plans show that the eastern gates of Toprak-Kale are indeed oriented along the ZE axis and facing east when viewed from the outside, which is quite natural, since Evliya did not penetrate Toprak-Kale. The general division of the fortress on the plans corresponds to the description of Celebi. Hence the stone wall. depicted on the plans of 1698 and 1741. and described by Evliya, this is one and the same building, and its part Frenk-hissar corresponds to the Venetian Tanya.

It is easy to determine the names of the Italian towers depicted on the plans and described by Evliya Celebi (Fig. 3). The lion's tower is the main gate tower in the center of the northern wall of Frank Hissar. It was built during the first consulate of Andrea Contarnni (1411-1413) and later mentioned in two decrees of the Venetian Senate of May 24, 1414. Probably, the construction was completed as early as 1412, since already in 1414 it turned out to be neglected due to the fact that no one lived in it, and by a special resolution of the Senate, four or more ballistarii were ordered to be appointed. who had to live permanently in it. From the description of Evliya Celebi, it is known that at a height of ten arshins (7.58 m) a marble slab with a depiction of a winged lion, the coat of arms of the Republic of St. Mark, was inserted into the wall of this tower. Apparently, it was one of the most significant fortifications of the Azov fortress. It was one of the three towers that survived during the Azov siege, and the only one that the Cossacks did not blow up during the retreat from the fortress. Blood Tower - In the northeast corner of Frank Hissar. Water tower on the plans of 1698 and 1740 not marked, but the fact that it was located in the northwestern corner of Frank Hissar is beyond doubt. On the mentioned schemes of the siege and capture of Azov in 1695 and 1696. , as well as on an engraving dating back to the same time, it is indicated. The fact that this tower did not survive until 1698 is quite natural, since it was "neither strong nor powerful." Guard - "an unusually strong and powerful, huge" tower on the southeast corner of Frank Hissar.

Rice. 3. Binding to the terrain of the stone walls of the Azov fortress (preserved earthen ramparts are taken as the basis)

Taking into account the fact that Frank-hissar of the time of Evliya Celebi and the Venetian Tana are one and the same settlement, it is possible with a certain degree of reliability to extend the quantitative characteristics of Frank-hissar to Tana of the 15th century, using for verification the actual dimensions of the fortress depicted on the plans of 1698 and 1740s

Of the fortress garrison troops listed by Evliya Celebi, at least 13 thousand soldiers were stationed on the territory of Frank Hissar. The maximum possible number is 14,300. It is noteworthy that this is the entire regular garrison. In addition, there could be some part of the civilian population. The Turkish traveler lists the following buildings located in Frank Hissar: 1000 small houses, “good and unimportant”, 5-6 houses for washing the dead, warehouses for fire and ammunition, food and clothing, 23 shops, at the pasha’s palace, houses of the Janissary agha , jibeji-bashi, kulkethudy, dizdar-aghi, azab-aghi and other forty ag - kitchens, stables and annexes, Sharia court, tekke (dervish monastery) Hindi Baba, two mosques, a bathhouse. The general dimensions of Frank-hissar do not seem to be quite definite - a rectangle of approximately 1000 × 400 steps. Therefore, there should have been an average of 13 people per house. Such a population density seems somewhat overestimated, although it is quite acceptable for the 15th century. (Barbaro reports that during the fire in Tana, he made a hole in the wall of the barn, from which up to forty people came out). Apparently, there was a practice of building houses of two floors and above, as in the neighboring fortress Buttercup. This is all the more likely that the tradition of building multi-storey adobe houses was widespread in the Muslim world. The Venetians built their houses in Tana with terraces and often covered them with thatch. Evliya Celebi notes that "the houses have walls made of mats and reeds and are covered with clay" .

Is the reliability of Evliya Celebi's information about Azov confirmed by comparison with the data about the fortress of Buttercup (Sed-Islam)? partially excavated. Its choice for comparison is justified by the fact that, unlike Azov, it was one-part, better studied, and its characteristics are more definite. The actual dimensions of this fortress are 39X40 m. Evliya Celebi reports that her circumference is 300 full steps (17, p. 208]. Therefore, his step should be approximately 52.7 cm, which is quite realistic. He determines the size of the garrison at 500 people. This exactly corresponds to the data of the interrogatory speeches of the Cossacks and prisoners brought to Moscow... On the territory of this fortress there were "21 residential huts, mosques, stables". Consequently, the population density was approximately 3 sq. m per person and 24 people per 1 house. At the same time, residential buildings had less than two floors and were located almost exclusively near the walls... As you can see, Celebi's data on Lyutik, firstly, correspond to data from other sources, and secondly, are comparable to his information about Azov.

All the figures given by the Turkish traveler about Azov seem somewhat overestimated. To verify them, you can also use the data of Russian sources. As already noted, almost the entire regular garrison of Azov was in Frank Hissar. This indication of Celebi is quite reliable, as it is confirmed in the list of trophies captured here by the army of Peter I (items related to "fire and ammunition", warehouses and "barracks" were taken only in this part of the fortress). In the interrogative speeches of the Cossacks and prisoners, synchronous with the description of Evliya, the number of military people in Azov is more or less regularly mentioned. Therefore, their number should be close to the number of inhabitants of Frankhissar. This will turn out to be even more probable if we consider the Russian names of parts of the Azov fortress, which are easy to restore from the description of the fortress compiled by the nobleman Athanasius Zhelyabuzhsky and the clerk Orefa Bashmakov in March 1642 and the description of 1696. Frank-hissar was called Azov, Orta-hissar - Tashkala (Stone City), Toprak-kale had the same name among both Russians and Turks. Therefore, when the questioning speeches mention the number of soldiers in Azov, one must rely on the fact that these are mainly residents of that part of the fortress that was built by the Italians.

In questioning speeches during the 17th century. indicates the presence of 3000-6000 soldiers in Azov. The most common number is 5,000. Probably the same, at least not less, was the number of the Cossack garrison of the fortress during the Azov siege. After the capture of Azov by Peter I, a garrison of 8303 people was left in the entire fortress. If the number 5000 is recognized as correct, then we will get a very real ratio of the number of houses and the number of inhabitants - 1:5. This definition of the population will be more than twice the maximum in medieval Middle Eastern cities - 1000 people / ha, then we will get the optimal number of inhabitants of the trading post - 1200 - 2500 people.

These results do not contradict the information of Italian written sources, which, however, provide indirect information. Several hundred slaves were exported from Tana every year. The number of Saracens and other foreigners who were simultaneously in the city could reach 300 people. Here it was possible to hire 120-150 day laborers at a time. Consequently, the total number of inhabitants of the fortress should have been measured in thousands.

Evliya Celebi's data on the absolute dimensions of the fortress are the most doubtful. He reports that the perimeter of the fortress delivered 4000 paces or 4000 arshins. A square of this size (758 × 758 m) cannot fit inside the ramparts built by the Russian army at all. Therefore, we need to turn to the surviving plans of the fortress. Judging by them, the area of ​​Frank Hissar should have been 5654 square meters. sazhens, which equals approximately 25726 sq.m. At the same time, the length of the eastern wall is 145 m, the northern wall is 171 m, the southern wall is 115 m, and the western wall is 201 m. In this case, the actual population density is about 5.15 square meters. m per person. The area per house is a little over 25 sq. m (together with the area of ​​streets and non-residential buildings). If we admit that the circle with a square in the center at the southeastern corner of the fortress, shown in the same way as the walls, is the image of the Guard Tower, then the southeastern corner of the fortress can be “pushed back” to this tower. Then the area of ​​the fortress will increase slightly and will amount to 5958 square meters. sazhens, which is equal to 27109 sq. m. However, this seems unlikely, since the square in the center of the image is noticeably smaller than even the Peaked Tower, while the circle on the contrary is larger than the most powerful tower of Shahin Pasha. It is quite possible that this building is a turbe Yogurtchu-baba, erected over the graves of Archi-baba, Bashchi-baba and Yogurtchu-baba and mentioned several times by Evliya Celebi, since from the text of the Turkish traveler it follows that the mausoleum huddled at the edge of the moat, to the side qibla south of the eastern part of the fortress, near a strong tower that withstood the Turkish bombardment (Karaulnaya).

The greatest difficulty is the binding of the fortress to the terrain. If we consider the configuration of the ramparts of the fortress unchanged, then the image of the stone fortress can be transferred to the modern grid of quarters, as shown in Fig. 3. However, when comparing the scales, it turned out that the fortress, the ramparts of which are depicted on the plans of 1698 and 1740, is larger than the modern remains and ramparts depicted on the plans of the late 18th century. about 1.2 times. This suggests the idea that during the restoration of the fortress after it was occupied by the Russian army in 1709, the lines of the ramparts were not repeated exactly. This is quite acceptable, since the ramparts were blown up under the terms of the Belgrade Peace Treaty, which is recorded on the plan. Trial archaeological excavations are necessary to check the binding. Some data for this can be gleaned from materials already carried out excavations.

During the first studies in Azov, carried out by V.N. Yastrebov in 1890, the remains of a building were examined on the territory of the fortress, which in the XIV century. was an Italian church. The latter is evidenced by the discovery of a triangular stone with a recess in the center, which “could serve as a cup for holy water placed at the entrance to Catholic churches,” and a Christian cemetery synchronous with the building, where Jacopo Cornaro was buried. Most likely, this building is the Guest Church (hospitalis ecclesium), mentioned in the text of the agreement between the Venetians and Khan Uzbek (M. M. Kovalevsky translated its name as “Church of the Hospitalists”). During the reign of the Turks, this church was rebuilt into a mosque, a minaret was attached to it (7, pp. 43 - 44). During the time of Evliya Celebi, it was called the Cathedral Mosque of Sultan Baezid Veli and was described by him as “an ancient, ancient-looking, earth-covered mosque with a wooden minaret”. Since there were only two mosques on the territory of Frankhissar, and the second one did not have a minaret, the proposed interpretation of the building is not in doubt.

If we accept the binding of the fortress, proposed in Fig. 4, correct, then the Guest Church will be located at the northern wall of the fortress, which runs along the coast. This does not quite correspond to the description of Celebi and the mention in the text of the treaty, which says that the Venetians were allocated "a low-lying place behind the guest church up to the banks of the Don River." The excavated church is located just on the border of the "low ground", at the foot of the floodplain terrace. Consequently, the proposed binding is doubtful, since in this case the territory between the church and the bank of the Don would remain unfortified.

Rice. 4. The most likely link to the modern area of ​​​​Tana (Frank-Hissara) - the Guest Church - the Baezid Veli Mosque was taken as the basis

One more variant of the binding can be proposed, taking the Baezid Veli Mosque as a basis. Four plans in the central part of Frankhissar depict buildings that correspond in size to the church excavated by V.N. Yastrebov, that is, mosques. On one of them, a ledge is even marked on the site of the minaret. On two plans it is explained as a "broken yard". Most likely, this is the mosque of Baezid Veli, preserved as one of the strongest buildings in the fortress, which suggests another option for linking (Fig. 4).

Then another building, depicted on the plans of 1698 and 1740, can be defined as the bathhouse described by Evliya Celebi. The location of the building is quite consistent with the description of the Turkish traveler: at the bottom (below the Peaked Tower), next to the gate leading from Frank-hissar to Toprak-kale (this place is a clear mistake - instead of Toprak-kale there should be Orta-hissar). The building should be associated with the remains of the bath, mentioned by V. N. Yastrebov. This researcher mentioned only that the remains of brickwork and clay pipes covered with scale were found in the cellar. Consequently, the remains should have been related to the Turkish time, since the presence of a Turkish cultural layer less than 3 m thick on the territory of the fortress is unlikely. Since the building is located on the territory of Frankhissar, where there was only one bathhouse, the definition can be considered reliable. In addition, measurements of the distance between two buildings on the plans of the fortress and between the church and the bathhouse, recorded by V. II. Yastrebov, give absolutely identical results. This correspondence testifies in favor of the latter version of the binding of the fortress.

Returning to Tanya from the time of Josaphat Barbaro, we can note the following periods of construction of her fortress:

1) the construction of the Lion Tower (1411-1413);

2) the construction of walls around the lower section of the trading post in the order: northern, western and eastern, southern (1414-1422);

3) the erection of walls around the upper, southern section of the trading post and the demolition of the adjacent wall, passing somewhat south of the church (after 1422).

The sequence of construction to some extent repeats the order of development of the territory by the Venetians in the 14th century - first, a section from the bank of the Don to the church (as under an agreement with Khan Uzbek), then an enlarged territory towards the mountain, as far as necessary (as under an agreement with Khan Dzhanibek).

The resolutions of the Venetian Senate mention the lengths of the walls of the fortress in passes: northern - 80.5, southern - 50, adjacent between the lower and upper sections of the trading post - 72, western and eastern walls of the lower section of the trading post - 65 passes each. The total perimeter of the fortress was to be at least 793 passes. However, it is still difficult to use these values ​​for a number of reasons. Firstly, the length of the pass could be different - 1.74 m or 2.34 m. Secondly, it is difficult to determine how large were the errors in determining the length on an inclined surface, especially uneven in the southern part of the fortress. Thirdly, most of the distances are given before the walls were built. Fourthly, it seems that for some reason the Senate used passes of different sizes in the descriptions, since when substituting the tabular values ​​of this value, absolutely incredible inconsistencies with reality are obtained. The latter especially concerns the general perimeter of the fortress. All this does not currently allow full use of data from Italian sources.

Nevertheless, with their help, without fear of a significant error, it is possible to establish the location of the wall separating the upper and lower sections of the trading post, given that the northwestern corner of Frank Hissar can be taken as a starting point, the location of which was unchanged thanks to the towers located on the northern and western walls (Fig. 4).

With the well-known ambiguity of the findings, now with the help of targeted excavations of a small area, one can get a very complete picture of the fortification capabilities of Tana in the 15th century.

1 I take this opportunity to thank S.P. Karpov, who provided me with translations of these documents.

Literature.

1. Kovalevsky M.M. To the early history of Azov. Venetian and Genoese colonies in Tana in the XIV century.// Tr. XII AS. M. 1905. V.2.

2. Skrzhinskaya E. Ch. History of Tana // Skrzhinskaya E. Ch. Barbaro and Contarini about Russia. L., 1971.

3. Skrzinskaja E.C. Storia della Tana// Studii Veneziani. 1968. No. 10.

5. ASV, Senato, Misni, LIV, f. 4r - 5v. Decree of March 3, 1422. Translation by S.P. Karpov.

6. Yastrebov V. N. The case of the IAC about the excavations of V. N. Yastrebov in the Region of the Land of the Don Cossacks// Archive of the Loya of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. D. 9A for 1890. L. 21-27.

7. KLA for 1890. St. Petersburg, 1893, pp. 40-44.

8. Lunin B.V. Report on the work carried out in 1934-1935// Archives of the LOIA of the USSR Academy of Sciences. F. 2. Op.1. No. 100. 1935

9. Lunin B.V. Gor. Azov / / Archaeological research in the RSFSR 1934 - 1936. M.-L., 1941

10. Kazakova L.M. Report on the work in the city of Azov, near the Genoese Gates in 1962 // Archive of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. R-1. No. 2560a.

11. Volkov I.V. Report on the excavations at the settlement of Batai - 1 and in the city of Azov in 1984-1986. //Archive of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. R-1. No. 11456a.

12. Volkov I.V. Rescue excavations in the city of Azov 1985 / / Results of the research of the Azov-Donetsk expedition in 1985; Tez. report to the seminar. Azov. 1986.

13. Album of drawings from AK reports for 1882-1898. St. Petersburg, 1906, p.23. Rice. 127.

14. Popov Kh.I. Marble tombstone from Azov (Editor's note)//Tr. XII AS. M. 1905. V.2.

15. Skrzhinskaya E. Ch. Venetian ambassador to the Golden Horde (according to the tombstone of Jacopo Cornaro, 1362) / / VV. 1973. No. 35.

16. Skrzinskaja E.C. Un ambasciatore veneziano all`Orda d`Oro// Studii Veneziani. 1974. No. 16.

17. Evliya Celebi. Book of travel (Extractions from the work of a Turkish traveler of the 17th century). M., 1979. Issue 2

18. TsGVIA. F. 349. Op. 3. D.88. Plan of the siege and capture of Azov in 1696

19. TsGVIA. F. 349. Op. 3. D.91. Plan of the fortress of Azov with the adjacent situation (1736)

20. TsGVIA. F. 349. Op. 3. D.98. Plan of the city of Azov 1738

21. TsGVIA. F. 349. Op. 3. D.101. Azov according to the old drawing of 1740

22. TsGVIA. F. 349. Op. 3. D.102. Plan of the city of Azov 1740

23. TsGVIA. F. VUA. D.21602. Plan of the fortress of Azov 1698

24. TsGVIA. F. VUA. D.21603. Geographische Vorstellung von Asoff.

25. TsGVIA. F. VUA. D.21606. The plan of the former Azov fortress, in what condition is it now

26. Laskovsky F.F. Maps, plans and drawings for the II and III parts of materials for the history of engineering art in Russia. St. Petersburg, 1861, 1866.

27. TsGVIA. F. 349. Op. 3. D.89. Attack of the fortress of Azov 1736

28. TsGVIA. F. 349. Op. 3. D.90. Plan of the fortress of Azov 1736

29. Barbaro Josaphat. Journey to Tana // Skrzhinskaya E. Ch. Barbaro and Contarini about Russia. L. 1971.

30. Garlic V.F. Fortress Buttercup XVII - XVIII centuries. //IROMK. Rostov n/a. 1988. issue. 5.

31. Don affairs. Book. II - V. St. Petersburg, 1906 - 1917

32. Ruban. C. The campaign of the boyar and the large regiment of the governor Alexei Stepanovich Shein to Azov, and the capture of him and Buttercup of the town. SPB., 1773.

33. "Poetic" story about the Azov siege seat // Military stories Ancient Russia. M. - L., 1949.

34. Soloviev S.M. History of Russia since ancient times. M., 1959. T.9.

35. Bolshakov O.G. Medieval city Middle East. M., 1984.

36. Inalcik H. Azak.// The Encyclopedia of Islam. vol.1. London-Leiden. 1960. P. 808.

37. Thiriet F. Regestes des de liberations du Senat de Venise concernant la Romanie. Paris-la-Haye. 1958 - 1961. Vol. thirteen.

38. Thomas G.M. Diplomatarium Veneto - Levantinum, sive Acta et Diplomata res venetas graecas atque levantis illustrantia. Venetiis, 1880. V.1. Doc. 125, a.1333. Treaty of Venice with Khan Uzbek. (Translated by S.P. Karpov).

39. Schilbach E. Byzantinische Metrologie. Munchen, 1970.

Historical geography of the Don and the North Caucasus. Rostov-on-Don. 1992

On the territory of Russia you can find a huge number of fortresses completely different eras. Many of them have survived in excellent condition today, but there are also those that, unfortunately, have turned into ruins, and one can only guess how they really looked.

And on the coast Sea of ​​Azov there are similar structures that are of interest to tourists and travelers who are fond of ancient history.

The article provides information about the most popular places recreation on the coast of this sea, each of which has its own interesting story. Also, after reading the article, you can learn about two interesting historical objects on the Sea of ​​​​Azov - the fortresses of Azov and Arabat.

Stanitsa Dolzhanskaya

Cossack village Dolzhanskaya - popular resort, extending at the very base of the Dolgaya Spit (the coast of the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov). This settlement belongs to the Yeysk district, it is 236 km away from Krasnodar.

The village was founded in the middle of the 19th century by Cossack settlers who came from the Dnieper and live here to this day. Today, the population is just over 7,000 people.

Dolzhanskaya attracts vacationers with its wonderful steppe climate, magnificent healing mud and mineral springs. Shallow depths and constant winds attract kitesurfers and windsurfers here. And the service sector in the village of Dolzhanskaya is much cheaper than in the larger resorts of the Krasnodar Territory.

Relatively good budget place for beach holiday- Sea of ​​Azov. "Dolzhanskaya fortress" - one of the good private hotels, located in this village on the coast of the Sea of ​​Azov. This remarkable place is located on a picturesque, closing spacious area. Today, this territory has the status of a protected landscape monument.

Dolzhanskaya has been popular among young people in recent years. Every year, since 2001, the A-ZOV festival has been held here, gathering on the spit a huge number of lovers of electronic music and extreme species sports.

Azov

Before we go to the description historical monument(Azov fortress), we will present a little information about the city of Azov.

On site modern city the first settlement was founded before our era by the Greeks. It was the city of Tanais. For thousands of years, different nations have sought to conquer it, as it was located in a very advantageous place: the intersection of the main trade routes of Asia and Europe. Huns, Sarmatians, Pechenegs and Khazars lived here.

In the hands of Prince Vladimir, the city ended up in the 10th century, and in 1067 it was conquered by the Polovtsy, and since then it has had its current name - Azov (translated from the Turkic "Azak" means "mouth of the river").

Since ancient times, Azov has been a bone of contention between the Ottoman and Russian empires. the remains of which are still preserved, were built by the Don Cossacks in 1641-1642, during the period of the Azov sitting. Azov became Russian after the bloody Russian-Turkish wars that took place in 1768-1774.

Now the fortress of the XIV century, or rather its fragments, is one of the most attractive sights not only for local residents but also for tourists.

Azov fortress: description

Now there is practically nothing left of that ancient Azov fortress, only the Alekseevsky gates and the ramparts. The former have been recently restored and attract many tourists. The place is very quiet and picturesque. The ramparts stretched for hundreds of meters. Their width is from 5 to 30 meters. The remains of the brick walls are preserved on the crests of the ramparts, and at their base are the Alekseevsky Gates. A reminder of the formidable past in these places historical events centuries ago, are the barrels of ancient cannons protruding menacingly from the loopholes. The Azov Fortress, together with the Alekseevsky Gates, is located near the old fish factory on Genuezskaya Street.

The very first thorough study of this historic building took place during the excavations carried out in 1935.

Fortress on the Azov coast of Crimea

There is another interesting object on the coast of the Sea of ​​Azov (Crimea) - the Tatar-Turkish fortress, which is the only one on the peninsula. It is located two kilometers northwest of the Ak-Monai village ( modern name- Kamenskoe). This fortification, together with the Yeni-Kale and Perekop fortresses, protected the Crimea from enemy attacks from the east and north.

The fortress, which has an octagonal shape, is surrounded by a deep moat along the perimeter; it is possible that it was connected to the Sea of ​​Azov through an underground passage.

Description

Compared with the Azov fortress and others, Arabatskaya is one of the most interesting and mysterious. Of particular note is the design of the building. The main fundamental point in the construction of fortifications in the Middle Ages was the moat in front of the fortress and the earthen rampart following it. In this case, the moat was filled with water from the Sea of ​​Azov and through specially laid channels. The entrance to the Arabat fortress, located on the side, was blocked by powerful gates. The remaining directions were protected by walls with several rows of loopholes and guns installed in them. All this made it possible to hold a circular defense for a long time.

The mysteriousness of the fortress lies in the fact that almost no documentary information has been preserved about it, and detailed scientific studies of the structure have also not been carried out.

The fortress, which was a silent witness to the tragic and turbulent events, still keeps many secrets.

Conclusion

Picturesque views of the Don River delta from the ramparts of the Azov fortress. Construction address: Rostov region, city of Azov, st. Genoese.

Every year, the All-Russian Festival of Military Historical Clubs is held on its territory. It is dedicated to the Azov siege seat of the Don Cossacks in 1641. More than 10 thousand spectators come to this site to participate in costumed military performances or simply admire this colorful spectacle.