death_place death_date birth_place other_names nationality birth_date known_for article_title name occupation
sibiryak , qashliq , khanate of sibir , russia august 5 or 6 , 1585 along or don river , russia chusovaya river , dvina river , kama river vasiliy ` yermak ` timofeyevich alenin , ermak timofeevich russian between 1532 and 1542 cossack the reign of tsar ivan the terrible who led the russian conquest of siberia in yermak timofeyevich
 yermak timofeyevich soldier pirate , explorer , porter , sailor , river
yermak timofeyevich

vasiliy ` yermak ` timofeyevich alenin -lrb- ; born between 1532 and 1542 -- august 5 or 6 , 1585 -rrb- was a cossack who led the russian conquest of siberia , in the reign of tsar ivan the terrible .
russia 's fur interests fueled their desire to expand east into siberia .
the tsar 's ultimate goal was to extend all the way to the bering strait .
the tatar khanate of kazan was established as the best entryway into siberia .
in 1552 , ivan the terrible 's modernized army toppled the khanate .
after the takeover of kazan , the tsar looked to the powerful and affluent stroganov merchant family to spearhead the eastward expansion .
in the late 1570s , the stroganovs recruited cossack fighters to invade asia on behalf of the tsar .
they elected yermak as the leader of their armed forces and , in 1582 , yermak set out with an army of 840 to conquer siberia .
on october 26 , 1582 , yermak and his soldiers overthrew kuchum khan 's tatar empire at qashliq in a battle that marked the `` conquest of siberia . ''
yermak remained in siberia and continued his struggle against the tatars until 1584 , when he and his party were ambushed and killed in a raid organized by kuchum khan .
the specifics of yermak 's life , such as his appearance , background , and dates of events , are points of controversy for historians because the texts that document his life are not reliable .
however , his life and conquests had a profound influence on siberian relations , sparking russian interest in the region and establishing imperial russia as an aggressive power in the east .
