# Siege of Azov (1637–1642)

The Siege of Azov, in Russian historiography known as Azov sitting (Russian: Азовское сидение, romanized: Azovskoe sidenie) or Azov Crisis (Turkish: Azak krizi) was a series of conflicts over control of Azov fortress between Don-Zaporozhian Cossacks and Ottoman-Crimean-Nogai forces from 21 April 1637 to 30 April 1642.

## Prelude

4,000 Zaporozhian Cossacks and 3,000 Don Cossacks unexpectedly met each other as they were moving through Crimean and Nogai steppes. Zaporozhian leader Pavlo Pavliuk and Don leader Mikhail Tatarinov decided to change their respective plans, instead planning a joint campaign on the Ottoman fortress of Azov. They viewed this as a brilliant idea where they could get plenty of loot and possession of their own city.

## Campaigns
### Capture of Azov 1637

On April 21, Cossacks besieged the Azov fortress. The fortress was defended by 4,000 Ottoman Janissaries who had 200 guns at their disposal. Janissaries attempted to deter the Cossacks by firing at them, the Cossacks dug under the city and placed explosives under the city walls.
On June 18, the explosives were activated and the city walls were breached, killing many Ottoman Janissaries and civilians in process. After some fighting, the Janissaries retreated to the castle. Cossacks only had 4 light cannons at their disposal which couldn't do serious damage to the castle's walls, but this was enough to put psychological pressure on besieged Janissaries, who eventually surrendered.
After the capture, Cossacks looted the city and massacred Ottoman civilians, enslaving survivors. Ottoman ambassador Foma Cantacuzene was executed by Cossacks. Cossacks freed Rus' captives and allowed Greeks to return to the city. Don Cossacks remained in the city, while Zaporozhian Cossacks returned with loot and captives.
After the news of Cossacks capturing Azov spread, Tsar Michael attempted to distance himself from the actions of Cossacks. He wrote to Sultan Murad IV:
   And you, my brother, do not be angry and offended at us because the Cossacks killed your ambassadors and took Azak. They did this against our will and on their own. We will never stand behind such thieves, and if you destroy those thieves in an hour, we will not be able to do it for them. We do not want to fight. We desire to have close relations of brotherhood and friendship with you, the statesman.

### Sporadic Clashes 1638–1640

The capture of Azov by Cossacks severally undermined the ability of Crimean-Nogai Tatars to continue their raids. Merchants were coming to Azov and opened shops there. Garrison of the city consisted of 4,000 Don Cossacks and 700 Zaporozhian Cossacks during that time. Tatars sporadically clashed with Cossacks over control of Azov.
On August 1638, Crimean-Nogai cavalry besieged Azov, but were repulsed by Cossacks. Nogai Murza Yanmamet defected through Azov to Tsardom of Russia with his 1,200 cavalry troops.
Ottomans were too busy with war against Iran to be able to organise a large force for recapture of Azov. In 1639, Ottomans finished their war and Sultan Murad IV was organising an army to recapture Azov. However, the Sultan died in 1640 and was replaced by Sultan Ibrahim who could only start the campaign for recapture of the city next year.

### Ottoman Campaign 1641

On May 1641, Sultan Ibrahim sent 70,000$^{:286}$ or 100,000 or 150,000 to 240,000 troops for recapture of Azov, while garrison of the city during that time consisted of 5,500 Cossacks, including 800 women.
On July, Turkish-Tatar army besieged Azov and shelled it from their guns. Turkish-Tatar troops managed to capture the earthen forts, but the Cossacks retreated to stone fortress where they repelled 24 Turkish-Tatar attacks.
As the autumn approached and sea froze in winter, Turkish-Tatar army begun to suffer from shortage of supplies. Rumours spread that Tsar Michael I sent a large army to assist the besieged Cossacks.
On September 26, Turkish-Tatar army lifted the siege and withdrew. Turkish-Tatar army suffered 100,000 casualties during the campaign. Khan Bahadır I Giray died from wounds or illness on the way back. The failure to capture Azov made Sultan Ibrahim angry, he ordered the surviving commanders to be executed when they arrived to Istanbul. However, Deli Hüseyin Pasha avoided getting executed.
The losses of the Turks alone killed were enormous. Astrakhan strelets Ivan Ivanov reported to Moscow about 18,000 dead Turks, referring to the testimony of the allied Ottomans of the Tatars. Another strelets, Kuzma Fedorov, heard from an Ottoman officer that the losses among the "best people" (perhaps he meant Janissaries) amounted to 6,000 dead, 8,000 militia members also died.$^{:286}$ Another source determines the number of deaths in 20,000.$^{:114}$ Total death rate may reach 25,000, including 15,000 Ottoman troops, 3,000 from the Ottoman Navy and 7,000 Tatars.$^{:107}$$^{:12}$

## Delegation to Tsar

On October 1641, the delegation of 24 Cossack figures, led by Don ataman Naum Vasilyev and Yasaul Fyodor Poroshin arrived to Moscow. They requested Tsar to put Azov under his protection and station his troops there due to heavy Cossack losses, saying:
   His Majesty the Tsar extend a helping hand to them and take Azak under the wings of his benevolence.
On January 3, 1642, after Tsar discussed this issue with his boyars, they concluded that trying occupy Azov would be too costly and they wanted to avoid a war with Ottoman Empire. However, Tsar didn't want to directly say to Cossacks that he refused to place Azov under his protection so he sent a delegator Yarlik to inform Don ataman.
On April 30, 1642, Yarlik arrived to Azov to inform the Don ataman about the Tsar's decision. Yarlik told him:
   You, the ataman and the Cossacks, Azak doesn't belong to anyone. We not only refuse to take it under our protection, but we also advise you to leave the city and return to your villages.
Cossacks were left with no choice but to abandon the fortress, taking everything of value out of it and demolishing it.

## Aftermath

Cossacks captured Azov fortress in 1637 and repelled all Turkish-Tatar attacks that took place in 1638–1641, inflicting heavy losses on the Turkish-Tatar army. Cossacks abandoned the fortress and demolished it at the end of April 1642. Ottomans only reoccupied Azov on September 1642. Rebuilding the fortress took 7 months combined with further fortifications. The Turks were unable to win a military victory here, which even the Ottoman Pasha acknowledged, stating: "The conquest of Azov was not a conquest".