Battle of Shipka Pass The Battle of Shipka Pass consisted of four battles that were fought between the Russian Empire , aided by Bulgarian volunteers known as Opalchentsi , and the Ottoman Empire for control over the vital Shipka Pass during the Russo - Turkish War ( 1877 – 1878 ) . The crucial moment came in August 1877 , when a group of 5 , 000 Bulgarian and 2 , 500 Russian troops repulsed an attack against the peak by the Ottoman Central army . First Battle of Shipka Pass . In July , 1877 four Russian corps had crossed the Danube River and were moving into Bulgaria . To precede the main Russian army Joseph Vladimirovich Gourko led a detachment to capture the vital Balkan Mountain passes . Gourko approached Shipka Pass , which was held by an Ottoman garrison of 4 , 000 - 5 , 000 soldiers under Suleiman Pasha . On July 17 , Gourko attacked from the north with four divisions . The two flank divisions captured mountain positions but the two divisions in the center were repulsed . On the 18th Gourko attacked from the south . Again the main attack on the pass was repulsed but the Russians carried some of the trenches . Gourko planned a combined attack from the north and the south on the 19th . The next day however the Ottoman forces evacuated the pass and Russia took possession of it . In just over two weeks Gourko had captured three important mountain passes but the main army would become held up the day after Shipka Pass fell in the Siege of Plevna . The Ottoman Army would make two major attempts to retake the pass in 1877 and then in 1878 Gourko delivered a final blow to the Ottoman forces in the Shipka Pass area . Second Battle of Shipka Pass . The Second Battle of Shipka Pass took place in August 1877 . After taking the pass in July , 1877 the Russia n forces built up a defensive position there . Russian General Stoletov placed his 7 , 500 defenders ( 5 , 500 Bulgarians , 2 , 000 Russians ) on three positions at St . Nicholas ( today : Peak Stoletov ) , Central Hill and the reserves in between these two points . Suleiman Pasha gathered 38 , 000 Ottomans and was determined to retake the pass instead of simply bypassing it . On August 21 , the Ottoman forces bombarded Russian positions and then made an attack against St . Nicholas . The attack was repulsed and the Ottoman forces dug in away . The next day the Ottoman forces moved their artillery up the mountain side and bombarded the pass while the infantry moved around the Russian flank . On August 23 , the Ottoman forces attacked all Russian positions with the main effort again at St . Nicholas where most of the defenders were Bulgarian volunteers . The Ottoman forces thought that the volunteer positions would be easy to capture , but this turned out to be their greatest mistake . Instead , the first unit that began to retreat were the Russians on Central Hill . However , they rallied when the 4th Rifle Brigade arrived and all Ottoman attacks were repulsed . On the 26th , an Ottoman attack on St . Nicholas ( a position referred to as " the Eagle ' s Nest " ) reached the Russian trenches but was repulsed again by a Bulgarian bayonet charge . More Russian reinforcements arrived and on the 26th , an attack was made against the Ottoman position but driven back to Central Hill . This ended the battle for all practical purposes . The Russians and Bulgarians had made a gallant stand . In the final having finished their ammunition , they threw rocks and bodies of fallen comrades to repulse the Ottoman attacks . Suleiman Pasha would attempt to retake the pass one more time in 1877 . Third Battle of Shipka Pass . Suleiman Pasha made a second attempt to retake Shipka Pass from the Russians after a failed attempt in August . The Russian defenses had continually been worked on since August but reinforcements were limited due to the siege of Plevna . On September 13 , Suleiman began to shell the Russians . The bombardment continued in earnest until the 17th when Suleiman launched a frontal assault against the St . Nicholas position . Capturing the first line of trenches , the Ottoman forces moved towards the summit . General Fyodor Radetzky , now commanding the defenses , brought up reinforcements and a Russian counterattack drove the Ottoman forces from all captured ground . Secondary Ottoman assaults to the north were repulsed as well . This would be the last attempt the Ottoman forces made to retake Shipka Pass . Fourth Battle of Shipka Pass . The Fourth Battle of Shipka Pass from January 5 – 9 was the final battle for Shipka Pass and a crushing Ottoman defeat . Background . In December , 1877 , the fortress of Plevna surrendered to the Russian Army , freeing a significant number of Russian troops . General Gourko now had as many as 65 , 000 soldiers to contend with the Ottomans . First Gourko forced the Araba Konak Pass and took Sofia . From Sofia , he moved south through the Balkan Mountains to cut off the Ottoman army fronting Shipka Pass . The battle . General Radetzky , commanding the garrison , made preparations to attack from the pass on January 5 while Gourko brought up two columns under Generals Mikhail Skobelev and Nikolai Mirskii to cut off the Ottoman retreat . On January 8 , Radezky ' s attack began but Skobelev was held up by unexpectedly heavy resistance and Mirskii attacked unsupported , making little progress . On January 9 , Mirskii faced an Ottoman counter - attack , but Skobelev was able to move forward in support and defeat the Ottoman forces . Completely surrounded , the remaining Ottoman forces under Veissel Pasha surrendered the same day . Results . Russian forces under Gourko were able to crush Suleiman Pasha ' s army at the Battle of Philippopolis several days later and threaten Istanbul . Today the Shipka Pass is in the Bulgarka Nature Park and is home to a monument commemorating those who died in the battle .