Years of the Russian-Iranian war under Alexander 1. Russian-Iranian wars. Aspect ratio and command

Tormented Europe Napoleonic Wars, invasion 1812 year, the subsequent victorious raid of the Russian army across Europe, overshadowed the great battles of the Russian-Iranian war that broke out in 1804 year, when the Russian Empire single-handedly waged two long-term wars in Asia. And both came out victorious.
At first 19 century, the increased military power of the empire made Russian citizenship attractive to small Asian khanates and kingdoms. The voluntary annexation of Eastern Georgia, several Azerbaijani khanates and sultanates to Russia led to the complication of relations with the geopolitical neighbors of the Russian Empire - Iran and Turkey.
In May 1804 In the 18th century, the Shah of Iran, irritated by Russian expansion in Transcaucasia, through his ambassador, presented an ultimatum to the commander-in-chief of the Russian army in Georgia, General Tsitsianov, which contained a demand for the withdrawal of troops from Transcaucasia. A month later, Abbas-Mirza, the militant heir of the khan, led the Iranian troops gathered in the vicinity of Yerevan to storm Tiflis (present-day Tbilisi). The Russian army in Transcaucasia was three times smaller than the Iranians. However, in several oncoming battles, she managed to push the enemy back to Yerevan and laid siege to the city. In September, due to lack of ammunition and food, the siege had to be lifted.
The army returned to Tiflis. Despite the not entirely successful campaign, its morale effect was very strong. During the year, several more khanates voluntarily joined Russia, including Karabakh. Russian garrisons were placed on their territories.
The outbreak of conflict in Europe led to a rapprochement between Napoleonic France, seeking to weaken Russia, and Iran. The Shah hoped, using the support of an influential European state, to oust the weakened bloody war in the West of the Russian neighbor.
Fighting resumed in the summer 1805 of the year. The Shah's army invaded Karabakh and the environs of Yerevan. Tsitsianov, aware of the multiple numerical superiority of the enemy, decided to act on the defensive, distracting the enemy with amphibious landings involving the Caspian Flotilla.
The successful raids of the Caspian flotilla and the staunch defense of Colonel Koryagin's detachment in Karabakh thwarted the Iranian invasion of Georgia and made it possible for the Russian command to regroup its troops. Having managed to assemble a strong army grouping and seizing the strategic initiative, Tsitsianov laid siege to the fortress of Baku. During negotiations on the surrender of the fortress with the head of the Baku garrison, Mustafa Khan, in February 1806 a Russian general was treacherously killed.
The new commander-in-chief, General Gudovich, had an even harder time than his predecessor. 1806 the year was overshadowed by the start of another Russian-Turkish war. Irreconcilable neighbors Iran and Turkey, thanks to the strong diplomatic pressure of France, concluded a peace treaty. The small Russian army in Transcaucasia had to fight on two fronts.
In June 1806 Russian regiments, together with the allied mountain detachments, captured Derbent without a fight. By the end of the year, Baku, the Cuban Khanate and the entire territory of Dagestan were occupied by the Russian army.
Under the terms of the Tilsit Peace Treaty, Russia and France were nominally allies. However, Napoleon continued to provide assistance to Iran, sending military advisers to the Shah to create regular army a new model with units of infantrymen-sarbaz. With the active support of France, the production of artillery pieces and the reconstruction of fortresses were launched in Iran.
When in September 1808 year, after the breakdown of the negotiation process, Russian troops tried to storm the fortress of Yerevan modernized by Europeans, they suffered serious losses and retreated to Georgia.
Disillusioned with Napoleon, the Shah of Iran moved closer to Great Britain. England, becoming an enemy of Russia, took the chance to weaken the empire with a long war in Asia and provided Iran with comprehensive support.
IN 1810 In the same year, the restless Abbas Mirza began to gather troops in Nakhichevan to capture Karabakh. The Russian command played ahead of the curve. The jaeger detachment of Colonel Kotlyarovsky stormed the impregnable mountain fortress of Migri, repelled all attacks of Abbas Mirza, who came to the aid of the garrison, and then turned the enemy troops outnumbered into a stampede with a counterattack.
Abbas Mirza, together with the detachments of the Erivan Khan and the Akhaltsikhe Pasha, tried to take revenge near Akhalkhalaki, but was again defeated.
Fighting resumed in September 1811 of the year. The Iranian Shah's army was reinforced by British supplies. She got 20 thousand new guns and 32 guns.
General Paulucci, who replaced Gudovich, decided to finally drive the Turkish troops out of Transcaucasia, capturing the last Turkish fortress in this region - the city of Akhalkalaki. A consolidated detachment under the command of the brilliant commander Kotlyarovsky, during an hour and a half assault, captured the citadel, capturing its commandant, Izmail Khan. This victory helped M.I. Kutuzov to successfully complete his diplomatic mission in Asia. IN 1812 a month before the French invasion in Bucharest, peace was concluded between Russia and Turkey.
The Shah of Iran continued the war alone. autumn 1812 Abbas-Mirza's army captured the Lankaran fortress in the Talysh Khanate. The Iranian army, numbering over 30,000 trained soldiers, camped on the banks of the Araks River. Early morning 19 October she was attacked from the rear by a small detachment (about 2000 huntsmen and Cossacks) Major General Kotlyarovsky, who on the eve walked around it through mountain passes. The Iranians retreated in panic, losing about 10,000 people. The trophies of the Russians were cannons and several Iranian banners with a dedicatory inscription of the English monarch - From the king over the kings, the shah over the shahs. Building on success, in December 1812 General Kotlyarovsky led his consolidated detachment on the offensive against Lankaran. The authority of the Russian commander was so high that the equal Iranian garrison of the Arkevan fortress, which stood in the way of his detachment, did not offer him any resistance and fled, leaving guns and ammunition behind. At the end December Kotlyarovsky's detachment joined the Russian naval garrison he had unblocked in the town of Gamushevan. 1 January 1813 General Kotlyarovsky led his fighters to storm the Lankaran fortress. The fortress was protected by an earth rampart and massive stone walls. Lankaran garrison numbered 4,000 or more 60 guns. The assault began at five o'clock in the morning in complete silence without drumming. Before the assault, the soldiers were warned that there would be no command to retreat under any circumstances. It was not possible to covertly approach the fortress - the garrison opened heavy artillery fire on the advancing columns, preventing them from climbing the walls along the assault ladders. Fighting in the forefront, Kotlyarovsky was wounded in the leg and face. The bullet knocked out the general's right eye. However, the Iranians failed to defend the fortress. When the Russian chasseurs burst onto the walls, the garrison faltered and fled. Enraged by the wounding of their respected commander, the soldiers destroyed all the defenders of the fortress. The thirty-year-old lieutenant general, who received three serious wounds, remained alive, having withstood almost three hundred kilometers of evacuation along mountain paths. However, on this military career ended. He retired with the rank of General of Infantry.
spring 1813 In the 1890s, the infantrymen of Colonel Pestel staged a pogrom of Iranian troops near Yerevan. The Shah of Iran hastened to start negotiations for peace. Gulistan peace treaty between Russia and Iran concluded in October 1813 year secured the accession to Russia of several new khanates, including Baku. The Shah recognized the territories of Dagestan and Eastern Georgia as Russian. There was also an exclusive right Russian Empire maintain a military flotilla in the Caspian.

The "Eastern Question" for the Russian Empire has always remained an acute problem. The emperors sought to strengthen their interests in the East, which often led to military conflicts. One of the countries with which interests clashed was Iran.

The second war between Russia and the Persian Empire began in 1826 and lasted almost two years. In February 1828, the Turkmanchay Peace Treaty was concluded between the parties, which put an end to relations between the empires. But the conditions of peace became very difficult for Iran, which subsequently led to the country's economic and political crisis.

Russia's previous war with Iran ended with the signing of the Gulistan Peace Treaty. According to the latter, Northern Azerbaijan and Dagestan departed to the Russian Empire.

In addition, many eastern countries voluntarily applied for Russian protection. This state of affairs did not suit Iran, which strove for independence. In addition, Great Britain intervened in the affairs of countries.

Causes of the conflict

In Iran, in the spring of 1826, an aggressive government headed by Abbas Mirza, supported by Great Britain and the Shah's court, came to power. The Russian Empire did not support the new ruler.

After that, open propaganda began. new war with Russia. Nicholas I hastened to resolve the conflict peacefully and sent a peace delegation headed by A. Menshikov for negotiations. But the Iranian side refused to receive the ambassadors, and the delegation returned without results.

After that, with the permission of the religious elite of the khanate, fighting against Russia.

The reasons for starting the war were:

• revenge for the Russian-Iranian war of 1804-1813;
• return of the lost territories according to the Gulistan peace;
• the desire to weaken the influence of the Russian Empire on the world stage;
• the desire of England to stop the trade of Russian merchants in the East.

The course of hostilities

Russia did not expect the beginning of an open armed attack and initially was not ready for worthy resistance. In addition, the Persian troops were supported by England. In the first months, the Russian army was forced to retreat.

Aspect ratio and command

Side Plans

Main events

Stage I: July 1826 - September 1826

During the offensive, Abbas-Mirza counted on the help of Armenians and Azerbaijanis living in Russia. But the hopes were not justified, small nations sought to get rid of the oppression of the Iranian khans and shahs. For this reason, Russian troops were actively supported.

On July 16, Khan of Erivan Hussein Khan Qajar attacks the Russian border territories near Mirak. Here was a small Russian army, which was forced to retreat and leave the territories of the Shirvan and Sheki khanates;

Russian units retreated to Karkalis. The defense of the latter, the Russian troops held together with a detachment of Armenians and the Tatar cavalry.

in mid-July, Abbas-Mirza laid siege to the fortress of Shusha.

The Shah's army numbered about 40 thousand people. There were much fewer Russians, the number of the garrison was 1300 people. Commander of the Russian troops in Karabakh I.A. Reut sent reinforcements to the fortress, but not all reached, 1/3 was killed in local battles. The peoples of Karabakh, loyal to Russia, hid behind the walls. The commander managed to equip another 1500 Armenians. But the army did not have enough food, so they had to rely on the products of civilians.

Abbas Mirza promised to fight only against the Russians, so part of the Armenians and Azerbaijanis nevertheless joined the Iranians.

The defense of the fortress lasted 47 days. The Iranian command used various tactics: even to bring discord between the peoples of the East and the Russians. By order of Abbas Mirza, several Aryamen families were executed in front of the walls of the fortress, and the Russians were accused. But it failed to create discord.

As a result, the siege of Shusha was lifted and the Iranian troops withdrew to Elizavetopol, intending to attack Tiflis from there.

• in August, near Tiflis, on the orders of Yermolov, Russian troops began to gather. A detachment of Madatov, numbering 1800 people, was sent towards Abbas-Mirza to contain the Iranian army.

Stage II September 1826 - February 1828 counteroffensive of the Russian army

• September 3 - Battle of Shakhmor. The small detachment of Madatov was able to defeat the 18,000-strong enemy army on the way to Tiflis. Thus the commander accomplished his task;
• September 13 battle near Elizavetpol. Cossacks under the command of General I.F. Paskichev was defeated by 35,000 Iranians. The Russian army at the same time consisted of a little more than 10 thousand people and 24 guns. After a crushing defeat, the enemy army retreated to Arkas.

March 16, 1827 - Paskevich is appointed commander-in-chief of the Russian army in the Caucasus instead of Yermolov.

in early August, the army of Abbas-Mirza leaves for the Erivan Khanate;

On August 15, the Iranian army, together with Hussein Khan, laid siege to Etchmiadzin, which was defended by 500 people of the Sevastopol infantry regiment and 100 volunteers of the Armenian cavalry.

August 16 Battle of Oshakan. By order of the command, the army of A.I. was sent to help Echmiadzin. Krasovsky in 3000 people. But on the way to the fortress, the army was attacked by the enemy army, the number of which was about 30,000 people. The Russians suffered heavy losses during the battle (1154 people were killed, wounded and missing). But despite this, Krasovsky's army managed to break through to the fortress. As a result, the siege of Etchmiadzan was lifted.

On October 1, the Russian army under the command of Paskevich captured Erivan, after which they entered the territory of Iranian Azerbaijan;

Turkmenchay peace treaty

After a series of crushing defeats, the Persian Empire agreed to peace negotiations with Russia. By February 1928, an agreement had been reached.

On February 10, a peace treaty was signed between the Russian and Persian empires, which went down in history as the Turkmanchay. The well-known Russian writer Alexander Griboyedov participated in the development of the main points of the agreement.

According to the terms of the world:

• all the conditions of the Gulistan peace were confirmed;
• Russia received Eastern Armenia, the Erivan and Nakhichevan khanates;
• Persia took an obligation not to interfere with the voluntary resettlement of the Armenian population;
• the losing party must pay an indemnity in the amount of 20 million rubles in silver;
• Russia recognized Abbas Mirza as heir to the throne.

In addition to territorial and political decisions, trade decisions were made.

A treaty was concluded, according to which Russian merchants had the right to trade in Iran. Merchant ships were allowed to move freely in the Caspian Sea. All these changes seriously affected trade between Iran and Great Britain. The interests of the latter were strongly affected.

Historical meaning

The Russian-Iranian war and the Turkmenchay peace had Negative influence for the development of Iran. Historians emphasize that the terms of the peace treaty seriously undermined the economic and political health of the state.

Russian-Iranian relations on the terms of the concluded peace lasted until the October Revolution.

Russian - persian war 1804-1813

The activity of Russia's policy in the Transcaucasus was connected mainly with Georgia's persistent requests for protection from the Turkish-Iranian onslaught. During the reign of Catherine II, the Georgievsky Treaty (1783) was concluded between Russia and Georgia, according to which Russia was obliged to defend Georgia. This led to a clash first with Turkey, and then with Persia (until 1935 the official name of Iran), for which the Transcaucasus has long been a sphere of influence. The first clash between Russia and Persia over Georgia took place in 1796, when Russian troops repulsed the invasion of Georgian lands by Iranian troops. In 1801, Georgia, by the will of its king George XII, joined Russia.

GeorgeXII

This forced St. Petersburg to get involved in the complex affairs of the troubled Transcaucasian region. In 1803, Mingrelia joined Russia, and in 1804, Imeretia and Guria. This caused dissatisfaction with Iran, and when in 1804 Russian troops occupied the Ganja Khanate (for the raids of Ganja detachments on Georgia),

After the annexation of Georgia to Russia and the granting to it of the administration that existed in other regions of the Empire, the pacification of the Caucasus became a necessary, albeit extremely difficult, task for Russia, with the main attention being paid to the establishment in Transcaucasia. By annexing Georgia, Russia became openly hostile towards Turkey, Persia and the mountain peoples. The petty sovereign Transcaucasian princes, who managed to become independent, taking advantage of the weakness of the Georgian kingdom, under whose protectorate they were, looked extremely hostilely at the strengthening of Russian influence in the Caucasus and entered into secret and open relations with the enemies of Russia. In such a difficult situation, the choice of Alexander I settled on the book. Tsitsianov.

Pavel Dmitrievich Tsitsianov

Realizing that for successful operations in Georgia and the Transcaucasus, not only an intelligent and courageous person was needed, but also someone familiar with the area, with the customs and habits of the highlanders, the Emperor recalled the commander-in-chief Knorring appointed by Paul I and, on September 9, 1802, appointed Astrakhan military governor and chief commander in Georgia, Prince. Tsitsianova. Entrusting him with this responsible post and informing him of the plan of Count Zubov, which consisted in the occupation of lands from the Rion River to the Kura and Araks, to the Caspian Sea and beyond, Alexander I ordered: by firm behavior try to acquire a power of attorney to the government not only of Georgia, but also of various neighboring possessions. “I am sure,” the Emperor wrote to Tsitsianov, “that convinced by the importance of the service entrusted to you, and guided both by the knowledge of my rules for this land and by your own prudence, you will fulfill your duty with the impartiality and rightness that I have in you always guessed and found."

Realizing the seriousness of the danger posed by Persia and Turkey, Tsitsianov decided to secure our borders from the east and south and began with the Khanate of Ganzhinsky, the closest to Georgia, which had already been conquered by c. Zubov, but, upon the removal of our troops, again recognized the power of Persia. Convinced of the impregnability of Ganja and hoping for the help of the Persians, its ruler, Javat Khan, considered himself safe, especially since the Dzhars and Elisuans, convinced by the Dagestan princes, had fallen out of obedience, despite the convictions of Tsitsianov. Javat Khan, in response to a letter from Tsitsianov inviting him to submit, declared that he would fight the Russians until he won. Then Tsitsianov decided to act energetically. Reinforcing the detachment of Gulyakov, who had a permanent post on the river. Alazani, near Aleksandrovsk, Tsitsianov with 4 infantry battalions, part of the Narva Dragoon Regiment, several hundred Cossacks, a detachment of the Tatar cavalry, with 12 guns, moved to Ganzha. Tsitsianov did not have a plan of the fortress and a map of its environs. I had to do reconnaissance on the spot. On December 2, for the first time, Russian troops clashed with the troops of Javat Khan, and on December 3, Ganzha was besieged and bombardment began, since Javat Khan refused to surrender the fortress voluntarily. Tsitsianov did not dare to storm Ganzha for a long time, fearing to suffer heavy losses. The siege lasted for four weeks, and only on January 4, 1804, the main mosque of Ganzhi was already "turned into a temple to the true God," as Tsitsianov put it in his letter to General Vyazmitinov. The assault on Ganja cost 38 men killed and 142 wounded. Javat Khan was among those killed by the enemy.

Javat Khan

The Russians got into booty: 9 copper guns, 3 cast iron, 6 falconets and 8 banners with inscriptions, 55 pounds of gunpowder and a large grain supply.

Persia declared war on Russia. In this conflict, the number of Persian troops many times exceeded the Russian ones. The total number of Russian soldiers in Transcaucasia did not exceed 8 thousand people. They had to operate on a large territory: from Armenia to the shores of the Caspian Sea. In terms of armament, the Iranian army, equipped with British weapons, was not inferior to the Russian one. Therefore, the final success of the Russians in this war was associated primarily with a higher degree of military organization, combat training and courage of the troops, as well as with the military leadership talents of military leaders. The Russian-Persian conflict marked the beginning of the hardest military decade in the history of the country (1804-1814), when the Russian Empire had to fight almost along the entire perimeter of its European borders from the Baltic to the Caspian Sea. This demanded from the country an unprecedented tension since the Northern War.

Campaign of 1804 .

The main hostilities of the first year of the war unfolded in the area of ​​Erivan (Yerevan). The commander of the Russian troops in Transcaucasia, General Pyotr Tsitsianov, began the campaign with offensive actions.

The main forces of the Persians, under the command of Abbas Mirza himself, had already crossed the Araks and entered the Erivan Khanate.

Abbas Mirza

On June 19, Tsitsianov approached Etchmiadzin, and on the 21st, the eighteen thousandth Persian corps surrounded Tsitsianov, but was driven back with heavy losses. On the 25th of June the attack resumed and again the Persians were defeated; Abbas Mirza retreated behind the Araks. Notifying the Erivan Khan about this, Tsitsianov demanded that he surrender the fortress and take an oath of allegiance. The treacherous khan, wanting to get rid of the Russians and ingratiate himself with the Shah of Persia, sent to ask him to come back. The result of this was the return of the 27,000th Persian army, encamped at the village of Kalagiri.

Abbas Mirza was making preparations for decisive action here, but Tsitsianov warned him. On June 30, a three thousandth detachment of Russian troops crossed the river. Zangu and, repulsing the sortie made from the Erivan fortress, attacked the enemy, who occupied a strong position on the heights. At first, the Persians stubbornly defended themselves, but in the end they were forced to retreat to their camp, located three miles from the battlefield. The small number of cavalry did not allow Tsitsianov to pursue the enemy, who left his camp and fled through Erivan. On this day, the Persians lost up to 7,000 killed and wounded, the entire convoy, four banners, seven falconets, and all the treasures looted along the way. Tsitsianov's award for the victory was (July 22, 1804) the Order of St. Vladimir 1st class. Having won a victory over the Persians, Tsitsianov directed his forces against the Erivan Khan and on July 2 besieged Erivan. At first, the khan resorted to negotiations, but since Tsitsianov demanded unconditional surrender, on July 15, part of the garrison and several thousand Persians attacked the Russian detachment. After a ten-hour battle, the attackers were repelled, losing two banners and two cannons. On the night of July 25, Tsitsianov sent Major General Portnyagin with part of his troops to attack Abbas Mirza, whose camp was located in a new place, not far from Erivan. This time the victory was on the side of the Persians and Portnyagin was forced to retreat. Tsitsianov's position became more and more difficult. Intense heat exhausted the army; convoys with provisions came with a significant delay or did not come at all; the Georgian cavalry, sent by him back to Tiflis, was captured by the enemy on the road and taken to Tehran; Major Montresor, who held a post at the village of Bombaki, was killed by the Persians, and his detachment was exterminated; Lezgins made raids; the Karabakh people invaded the Yelisavetpol region; the Ossetians also began to worry; the detachment's relations with Georgia were interrupted. In a word, Tsitsianov's position was critical; Petersburg and Tiflis were waiting for news of the death of the detachment and Tiflis was preparing for defense. Only Tsitsianov did not lose heart. Unbending will, faith in himself and in his army gave him the strength to continue the siege of Erivan as persistently as before. He hoped that with the onset of autumn the Persian troops would withdraw and the fortress, without their support, would be forced to surrender; but when the enemy burned all the grain in the vicinity of Etchmiadzin and Erivan and the detachment began to face inevitable starvation, Tsitsianov faced a dilemma: lift the siege or take the fortress by storm. Tsitsianov, true to himself, chose the latter. Of all the officers he invited to the military council, only Portnyagin joined his opinion; everyone else was against the assault; yielding to the majority of votes, Tsitsianov gave the order to retreat. On September 4, Russian troops set out on a return campaign. During the ten-day retreat, up to 430 people fell ill and about 150 died.

Having refused to take Erivan, Tsitsianov hoped that through peaceful negotiations he would be able to expand the borders of Russia, and his attitude towards the mountain khans and rulers was the opposite of that followed by the Russian government before Tsitsianov. “I dared,” he wrote to the chancellor, “to adopt a rule contrary to the system that used to be here and instead of paying a certain kind of tribute for their imaginary allegiance with salaries and gifts determined to soften the mountain peoples, I myself demand tribute.” In February 1805, Prince. Tsitsianov accepted an oath of allegiance to the Russian Tsar from Ibraim Khan of Shushinsky and Karabakh; in May, Selim Khan of Sheki took the oath; in addition, Dzhangir Khan of Shagakh and Budakh Sultan of Shuragel expressed their obedience; having received a report on these accessions, Alexander I awarded Tsitsianov with a cash lease in the amount of 8,000 rubles. in year.

But although the troops of Tsitsianov in the battle of Kanagir (near Erivan) defeated the Iranian army under the command of Crown Prince Abass-Mirza, the Russian forces were not enough to take this stronghold. In November, a new army under the command of Shah Feth-Ali approached the Persian troops.

Shah Feth-Ali

The Tsitsianov detachment, which had already suffered significant losses by that time, was forced to lift the siege and retreat to Georgia.

Campaign of 1805 .

The failure of the Russians under the walls of Erivan strengthened the confidence of the Persian leadership. In June, a 40,000-strong Persian army under the command of Prince Abbas Mirza moved through the Ganja Khanate to Georgia. On the Askeran river (the region of the Karabakh ridge), the vanguard of the Persian troops (20 thousand people) met stubborn resistance from the Russian detachment under the command of Colonel Karyagin (500 people), which had only 2 guns. From June 24 to July 7, the rangers of Karyagin, skillfully using the terrain and changing positions, heroically repelled the onslaught of a huge Persian army. After a four-day defense in the Karagach tract, on the night of June 28, the detachment fought its way into the Shah-Bulakh castle, where it was able to hold out until the night of July 8, and then secretly left its fortifications.

Shah Bulakh Castle

The selfless resistance of Karyagin's warriors actually saved Georgia. The delay in the advance of the Persian troops allowed Tsitsianov to gather forces to repel the unexpected invasion. On July 28, in the battle of Zagama, the Russians defeated the troops of Abbas Mirza. His campaign against Georgia was stopped and the Persian army retreated. After that, Tsitsianov transferred the main hostilities to the Caspian coast. But his attempts to carry out a naval operation with the aim of capturing Baku and Rasht ended in vain.

Campaign of 1806 .

P.D. Tsitsianov set off on a campaign against Baku.

The Russians were moving through the Shirvan Khanate and, on this occasion, Tsitsianov managed to persuade the Shirvan Khan to join Russia. Khan took the oath of citizenship on December 25, 1805. From Shirvan, the prince informed the Khan of Baku about his approach, demanding the surrender of the fortress. After a very difficult transition through the Shemakha mountains, Tsitsianov with his detachment approached Baku on January 30, 1806.

Sparing the people and wanting to avoid bloodshed, Tsitsianov once again sent the khan an offer to submit, and he set four conditions: a Russian garrison would be stationed in Baku; Russians will manage the income; the merchant class will be guaranteed against harassment; the eldest son of the khan will be delivered to Tsitsianov as an amanat. After rather long negotiations, the khan declared that he was ready to submit to the Russian commander in chief and betray himself into eternal allegiance to the Russian Emperor. In view of this, Tsitsianov promised to leave him the owner of the Baku Khanate. Khan agreed to all the conditions set by the prince, and asked Tsitsianov to set a date for accepting the keys. The prince appointed February 8. Early in the morning he went to the fortress, having with him 200 people who were supposed to stay in Baku as a garrison. Half a verst before the city gates, Baku foremen were waiting for the prince with keys, bread and salt, and, bringing them to Tsitsianov, announced that the khan did not believe in his complete forgiveness and asked the prince for a personal meeting. Tsitsianov agreed, gave back the keys, wishing to receive them from the hands of the Khan himself, and rode forward, ordering Lieutenant Colonel Prince Eristov and one Cossack to follow him. About a hundred steps from the fortress, Hussein-Kuli-khan came out to meet Tsitsianov, accompanied by four Bakuvians, and while the khan, bowing, brought the keys, the Bakuvians fired; Tsitsianov and Prince. Eristov fell; the khan's retinue rushed to them and began to cut their bodies; at the same time, artillery fire on our detachment opened from the city walls.

The body of the book Tsitsianov was first buried in a hole, at the very gate where he was killed. General Bulgakov, who took Baku in the same 1806, gave his ashes to be buried in the Baku Armenian Church, and who ruled in 1811-1812. Georgia Marquis Paulucci moved him to Tiflis and buried him in the Sioni Cathedral. A monument with an inscription in Russian and Georgian was erected over the grave of Tsitsianov.

I.V. Gudovich

General Ivan Gudovich was appointed commander-in-chief, who continued the offensive in Azerbaijan. In 1806, the Russians occupied the Caspian territories of Dagestan and Azerbaijan (including Baku, Derbent, and Cuba). In the summer of 1806, the troops of Abbas-Mirza, who were trying to go on the offensive, were defeated in Karabakh. However, the situation soon became more complicated. In December 1806, the Russian-Turkish war. In order not to fight on two fronts with his extremely limited forces, Gudovich, taking advantage of the hostile relations between Turkey and Iran, immediately concluded a truce with the Iranians and began military operations against the Turks. The year 1807 passed in peace negotiations with Iran, but they did not lead to anything. In 1808 hostilities resumed.

Campaign of 1808-1809 .

In 1808 Gudovich transferred the main military operations to Armenia. His troops occupied Etchmiadzin (a city west of Yerevan) and then laid siege to Erivan. In October, the Russians defeated the troops of Abbas-Mirza at Karababa and occupied Nakhichevan. However, the assault on Erivan ended in failure, and the Russians were forced to retreat from the walls of this fortress a second time. After that, Gudovich was replaced by General Alexander Tormasov, who resumed peace negotiations. During the negotiations, troops under the command of the Iranian Shah Feth-Ali unexpectedly invaded northern Armenia (the Artik region), but were repelled. The attempt of Abbas-Mirza's army to attack Russian positions in the Ganja region also ended in failure.

A.P. Tormasov in the army

Campaign of 1810-1811 .

In the summer of 1810, the Iranian command planned to launch an attack on Karabakh from its Meghri stronghold (a mountainous Armenian village located on the left bank of the Arak River). To prevent the offensive actions of the Iranians, a detachment of rangers under the command of Colonel Kotlyarevsky (about 500 people) went to Meghri, who on June 17 managed to seize this stronghold with a surprise attack, where there was a garrison of 1.5 thousand with 7 batteries. Russian losses amounted to 35 people. Iranians lost more than 300 people. After the fall of Meghri, the southern regions of Armenia received reliable protection from Iranian invasions. In July, Kotlyarevsky defeated the Iranian army on the Arak River. In September, Iranian troops attempted to launch a western offensive against Akhalkalaki (southwestern Georgia) to link up with Turkish troops. However, the Iranian offensive in the area was repulsed. In 1811 Tormasov was replaced by General Paulucci. However, the Russian troops did not take active actions during this period due to the limited number and the need to wage a war on two fronts (against Turkey and Iran). In February 1812 Paulucci was replaced by General Rtishchev, who resumed peace negotiations.

Campaign of 1812-1813 .

P.S. Kotlyarevsky

At this time, the fate of the war was actually decided. A sharp turn is connected with the name of General Pyotr Stepanovich Kotlyareveky, whose bright talent as a commander helped Russia to end victoriously a protracted confrontation.

Battle of Aslanduz (1812) .

After Tehran received news of the occupation of Moscow by Napoleon, the negotiations were interrupted. Despite the critical situation and the obvious lack of forces, General Kotlyarevsky, who was given freedom of action by Rtishchev, decided to seize the initiative and stop the new offensive of the Iranian troops. He himself moved with a 2,000-strong detachment towards the 30,000-strong army of Abbas Mirza. Using the surprise factor, Kotlyarevsky's detachment crossed the Arak in the Aslanduz region and on October 19 attacked the Iranians on the move. They did not expect such a quick attack and retreated in confusion to their camp. In the meantime, night fell, hiding the real number of Russians. Having instilled in his soldiers an unshakable faith in victory, the fearless general led them to attack against the entire Iranian army. Courage trumped strength. Breaking into the Iranian camp, a handful of heroes with a bayonet charge caused an indescribable panic in the camp of Abbas Mirza, who did not expect a night attack, and put the whole army to flight. The damage to the Iranians amounted to 1,200 people killed and 537 captured. The Russians lost 127 people.

Battle of Aslandz

This victory of Kotlyarevsky did not allow Iran to seize the strategic initiative. Having crushed the Iranian army near Aslanduz, Kotlyarevsky moved to the Lankaran fortress, which covered the way to the northern regions of Persia.

Capture of Lankaran (1813) .

After the defeat near Aslanduz, the Iranians pinned their last hopes on Lankaran. This strong fortress was defended by a 4,000-strong garrison under the command of Sadyk Khan. Sadyk Khan answered the offer to surrender with a proud refusal. Then Kotlyarevsky ordered his soldiers to take the fortress by storm, declaring that there would be no retreat. Here are the words from his order, read out to the soldiers before the battle: “Having exhausted all means to force the enemy to surrender the fortress, finding him adamant about it, there is no longer any way left to conquer the fortress with this Russian weapon, as soon as by the force of assault ... We must take the fortress or everyone to die, why are we sent here ... so we will prove, brave soldiers, that nothing can resist the power of the Russian bayonet ... " On January 1, 1813, an attack followed. Already at the beginning of the attack, all the officers were knocked out in the forefront of the attackers. In this critical situation, Kotlyarevsky himself led the attack. After a cruel and ruthless assault, Lankaran fell. Less than 10% of its defenders survived. Russian losses were also great - about 1 thousand people. (50% composition). During the attack, the fearless Kotlyarevsky also received severe injuries (he became disabled and left the armed forces forever). Russia has lost a bright successor of the Rumyantsev-Suvorov military tradition, whose talent was only just beginning to work "Suvorov's miracles."

assault on Lankaran

Peace of Gulistan (1813) .

The fall of Lankaran decided the outcome of the Russian-Iranian war (1804-1813). It forced the Iranian leadership to stop hostilities and agree to the signing of the Gulistan peace [concluded 12(24). October 1813 in the village of Gulistan (now the village of Gulustan in the Goranboy region of Azerbaijan)]. A number of Transcaucasian provinces and khanates (Derbent Khanate) went to Russia, which received the exclusive right to maintain a navy in the Caspian Sea. Russian and Iranian merchants were allowed to trade freely on the territory of both states.

Table: Russian-Iranian war 1804 - 1813 Minimum for the exam.

The Khan of Ganja, under the auspices of the Persian Shah, made raids in the Transcaucasus. Prince P. D. Tsitsianov went on a campaign to Ganja, in January 1804 he conquered it and renamed it Elizavetpol.

Causes, goals, objectives of the war

The main causes of the war:

• rivalry between Russia and Iran in Transcaucasia;
• entry of the Georgian principalities into the Russian Empire: in 1804, Russian troops conquered Ganja;
• the desire of Persia to influence Azerbaijan;
• the desire of the Ottoman Empire to return the Crimea and Kuban;
• geopolitical interests of England.

To stop the spread of Russian influence in the Caucasus, the Persians in the summer of 1804 began military operations against Russia.

Hostilities

Map Russian-Iranian War 1804 - 1813

End of the war

Having suffered a crushing defeat at Aslanduz, Abbas-Mirza asked the commander-in-chief N.F. Rtishchev to resume peace negotiations. They took place in the village of Gulistan (Karabakh). Under the peace treaty, Persia recognized Russia as a significant part of the Transcaucasus.

In accordance with the agreement, Russia received the right to deploy a fleet in the Caspian.

The Treaty of 1813 was made public only in 1818, after which trade resumed between Russia and Persia.

Thanks to the accession of most of the Transcaucasus to Russia, the raids of the Persians and Turks stopped, the peoples of this region breathed freely. Began economic development Transcaucasia and the gradual elimination of feudal fragmentation.

Pavel Mikhailovich Karyagin

In 1805 Abbas-Mirza went to fight Tiflis. At Askeran, a small detachment of Colonel P. M. Karyagin blocked his path. June 24 - July 7, 493 huntsmen and musketeers of the 17th regiment fought off the 20,000th enemy army. And then they broke out of the ring and, having built a crossing from the bodies of soldiers, transported the guns through the obstacle. The idea of ​​using a "living bridge" belonged to Private Gavrila Sidorov, who paid with his life for his dedication.

On the night of June 28, the detachment secretly approached the Shah-Bulakh castle and captured it by a sudden assault. The remnants of the heroic detachment managed to hold out in the besieged fortress until June 8 and saved Georgia with their resistance.

P. M. Karyagin was awarded a golden weapon for courage. The war undermined the health of the valiant commander, and 2 years later, on May 7, 1807, he was gone.

Pyotr Stepanovich Kotlyarevsky

P. S. Kotlyarevsky was born on June 12, 1782 in the family of a priest in the village. Olkhovatka, Kharkov Province. The Caucasian officer I.P. Lazarev advised the father of Pyotr Stepanovich to send his son to the army. Soon the young man was already serving under the command of I.P. Lazarev.

At the age of 17, he was transferred to the 17th Jaeger Regiment as Lazarev's adjutant. With him, at the invitation of George XII, he made the transition to Georgia, overcoming the Caucasus Mountains.

When Lazarev was meanly killed in Tiflis, Pyotr Kotlyarevsky took command of the Jaeger company. He stormed Ganja with her and was seriously wounded. Fortunately, Count Vorontsov noticed the wounded man and saved him from the battlefield.

In 1805, he fought on the banks of Askeran, near Shah-Bulakh and Mukhrat, and was again wounded.

In 1810, the commander-in-chief A.P. Tormasov ordered Kotlyarevsky to occupy Migri (Meghri). The soldiers made their way through the mountain paths and captured the village and batteries.

Ahmed Khan approached Migri with a 10,000th Persian corps, surrounded the detachment of Kotlyarevsky. As a result of a night sortie into the Persian camp, the Russians destroyed the enemy corps.

Alexander I appointed Kotlyarevsky chief of the 17th Grenadier Regiment and awarded the Order of St. George of the 4th degree for the capture of Migri.

General Tormasov was replaced by Marquis Paulucci. He decided to clear the fortress of Akhalkalaki from the Turks. Again, Kotlyarevsky took the garrison of the fortress by surprise, overcoming the Triolet mountains. The enemy fled, leaving their guns and banners behind.

In 1812, Napoleon launched a war with Russia. Deciding to take advantage opportunity, Abbas-Mirza entered the Talysh Khanate, conquered Lankaran. The new commander-in-chief N.F. Rtishchev did not dare to attack the enemy. On October 19, General Kotlyarevsky crossed the Araks with a 2,000-strong detachment and suddenly appeared in the Persian camp. The enemy fled in panic.

Abbas Mirza gathered all his forces in Aslanduz. Under the cries of "Hurrah!" Russian grenadiers mercilessly stabbed the enemy, leaving no survivors. Aslandus castle fell. Abbas Mirza hid in Tabriz.

In December 1812, a detachment of Lieutenant General Kotlyarevsky approached Lankaran, and an assault began. Soldiers on ladders overcame the walls of the fortification. A bloody battle ensued. The fortress fell.

The seriously wounded Kotlyarevsky was found after the battle among the bodies of the dead. He miraculously survived thanks to the regimental doctor. One and a half thousand soldiers fought in the ranks of those who took Lankaran. Only a handful of brave men survived.

After the capture of Lankaran, the Gulistan peace was concluded. The 31-year-old commander received an award - the Order of St. George, 2nd degree.

References:

• Kersnovsky A.A. History of the Russian army in 4 volumes. T.1. From Narva to Paris 1700-1814 - M., Voice, 1992, 304 p.
• Potto V.A. Caucasian war in separate essays, episodes, legends and biographies. T.1. From ancient times to Yermolov. - SPb., Type. E. Evdokimova, 1887, 737p.
• Painting by Franz Roubaud "Living Bridge"

At that time, Persia was in a state of collapse and anarchy. The weakness of the Persian state opened the way for Turkish expansion into the Caspian region. This did not suit Russia in any way, which itself sought to control the Caspian zone.

First Persian campaign (1722-1723) i>

8 months after the end of the Northern War, in May 1722, Peter I spoke in Persian campaign. The reason for it was the fact that Russian merchants were robbed in Persia for a total of 500 thousand rubles. The reason for such decisive actions was the desire to seize the shores of the Caspian Sea and forestall Turkey's access to them. At that time, Persia was in a state of collapse and anarchy. The weakness of the Persian state opened the way for Turkish expansion into the Caspian region. This did not suit Russia in any way, which itself sought to control the Caspian zone. It should be noted that back in 1721, almost all the princes of Dagestan swore allegiance to the Russian emperor, and the Kartli king Vakhtang VI asked to send Russian troops to Georgia. About 50 thousand people took part in the Persian campaign, including 5 thousand sailors, 22 thousand infantrymen, 9 thousand cavalry, as well as irregular troops (Cossacks, Kalmyks, etc.). In the summer of 1722, the Russian army, led by Peter I, left Astrakhan on ships, and the cavalry went on foot from Tsaritsyn. Having united in the area of ​​the Agrakhan Bay, the Russians moved to Derbent, in the area of ​​which they defeated the troops of the Utemish Sultan Mahmud. On August 23, 1722, the naib of Derbent handed Peter the keys to the fortress. On this campaign in 1722 actually ended. Its continuation was prevented by autumn storms in the Caspian Sea, which complicated the delivery of food by sea. From a leak in the courts, flour supplies partially deteriorated, which put the Russian army in a difficult position. Then Peter left a garrison in Derbent under the command of Colonel Juncker, and he himself moved on foot back to Russia with the troops. The troops maintained strict discipline. In particular, refusal to the patient in a place on the cart was punished death penalty. On the road near the Sulak River, the tsar founded a new fortress of the Holy Cross to cover the Russian border. From there, Peter went to Astrakhan by sea. Further military operations in the Caspian were led by General Matyushkin. They actually boiled down to the landing of Russian troops on the western and southern coasts of the Caspian Sea. At the same time, negotiations were underway with the Persian government. Peter suggested Persian Shah Tahmasp help in the fight against Turkey, the Afghans and other aggressors. For this, the king demanded that the shah cede the eastern and southern coasts of the Caspian to Russia.

Petersburg Treaty (1723). In December 1722, a detachment of Colonel Shilov was occupied to guard against attacks by opponents of the Shah of Rasht. In July 1723, General Matyushkin occupied Baku. According to the Russian-Persian treaty (1723), signed in St. Petersburg, Russia provided military assistance to Persia. In return, Russia ceded the entire western and southern coast of the Caspian Sea (Derbent and Baku, the provinces of Gilan, Mazandaran and Astrabad) to Russia. The firm position of Russian diplomacy did not allow Turkey, whose troops invaded Transcaucasia at that time, to continue the offensive against Persia. According to the Russian-Turkish treaty (1724), Transcaucasia (Armenia, eastern Georgia and part of Azerbaijan) remained for Ottoman Empire, and the Caspian coast - for Russia. The death of Peter crossed out the surge of Russian activity on southbound. After the death of the king, Persia tried to return the lost lands in the Caspian. In the next decade, frequent military clashes between Russians and Persians took place in this area, not only with the troops of local princes. As a result, in the Caucasian-Caspian region in the second half of the 1920s, a quarter of all Russian army. In parallel, negotiations were underway on the return assignment of these areas. Constant military skirmishes, raids, as well as high mortality from diseases (only in 1723-1725, diseases claimed the lives of 29 thousand people in this area) made Russia's Caspian possessions of little use both for trade and for economic exploitation. In 1732, the powerful ruler Nadir Shah came to power in Persia. In 1732-1735. Empress Anna Ioannovna returned to Persia the Caspian lands conquered by Peter the Great. The last impetus for the return of the lands was the preparation of Russia for the war with Turkey (1735-1739). The successful conduct of hostilities with the Turks required, in particular, the settlement of territorial relations with Persia in order to ensure a peaceful rear in the south.

Second Persian Campaign (1796) i>

The campaign of Russian troops in the Azerbaijani provinces of Persia in response to the invasion of Persian troops in Georgia in 1795. In December 1796, the troops were recalled by Emperor Paul I.

War of 1804-1813 i>

The activity of Russia's policy in the Transcaucasus was connected mainly with Georgia's persistent requests for protection from the Turkish-Iranian onslaught. During the reign of Catherine II, the Georgievsky Treaty (1783) was concluded between Russia and Georgia, according to which Russia was obliged to defend Georgia. This led to a clash first with Turkey, and then with Persia (until 1935 the official name of Iran), for which the Transcaucasus has long been a sphere of influence. The first clash between Russia and Persia over Georgia took place in 1796, when Russian troops repulsed the invasion of Iranian troops into Georgian lands. In 1801, Georgia, by the will of its king George XII, joined Russia. This forced St. Petersburg to get involved in the complex affairs of the troubled Transcaucasian region. In 1803, Mingrelia joined Russia, and in 1804, Imeretia and Guria. This caused dissatisfaction in Iran, and when in 1804 Russian troops occupied the Ganja Khanate (for raids by Ganja detachments on Georgia), Persia declared war on Russia. In this conflict, the number of Persian troops many times exceeded the Russian ones. The total number of Russian soldiers in Transcaucasia did not exceed 8 thousand people. They had to operate on a large territory: from Armenia to the shores of the Caspian Sea. In terms of armament, the Iranian army, equipped with British weapons, was not inferior to the Russian one. Therefore, the final success of the Russians in this war was associated primarily with a higher degree of military organization, combat training and courage of the troops, as well as with the military leadership talents of military leaders. The Russian-Persian conflict marked the beginning of the hardest military decade in the history of the country (1804-1814), when the Russian Empire had to fight almost along the entire perimeter of its European borders from the Baltic to the Caspian Sea. This demanded from the country an unprecedented tension since the Northern War.

Campaign of 1804. The main hostilities of the first year of the war unfolded in the area of ​​Erivan (Yerevan). The commander of the Russian troops in Transcaucasia, General Pyotr Tsitsianov, began the campaign with offensive actions. He moved into the Erivan Khanate, dependent on Iran (the territory of present-day Armenia), and laid siege to its capital, Erivan. But although the troops of Tsitsianov in the battle of Kanagir (near Erivan) defeated the Iranian army under the command of Crown Prince Abass-Mirza, the Russian forces were not enough to take this stronghold. In November, a new army under the command of Shah Feth-Ali approached the Persian troops. The Tsitsianov detachment, which had already suffered significant losses by that time, was forced to lift the siege and retreat to Georgia.

Campaign of 1805. The failure of the Russians under the walls of Erivan strengthened the confidence of the Persian leadership. In June, a 40,000-strong Persian army under the command of Prince Abbas Mirza moved through the Ganja Khanate to Georgia. On the Askeran river (the region of the Karabakh ridge), the vanguard of the Persian troops (20 thousand people) met stubborn resistance from the Russian detachment under the command of Colonel Karyagin (500 people), which had only 2 guns. From June 24 to July 7, the rangers of Karyagin, skillfully using the terrain and changing positions, heroically repelled the onslaught of a huge Persian army. After a four-day defense in the Karagach tract, on the night of June 28, the detachment fought its way into the Shah-Bulakh castle, where it was able to hold out until the night of July 8, and then secretly left its fortifications. The selfless resistance of Karyagin's warriors actually saved Georgia. The delay in the advance of the Persian troops allowed Tsitsianov to gather forces to repel the unexpected invasion. On July 28, in the battle of Zagama, the Russians defeated the troops of Abbas Mirza. His campaign against Georgia was stopped and the Persian army retreated. After that, Tsitsianov transferred the main hostilities to the Caspian coast. But his attempts to carry out a naval operation with the aim of capturing Baku and Rasht ended in vain.

Campaign of 1806. In February 1807, Tsitsianov set off on a campaign against Baku, but on February 8 he was treacherously killed by the Baku people during negotiations with the local khan under the walls of the fortress. General Ivan Gudovich was appointed commander-in-chief, who continued the offensive in Azerbaijan. In 1806, the Russians occupied the Caspian territories of Dagestan and Azerbaijan (including Baku, Derbent, and Cuba). In the summer of 1806, the troops of Abbas-Mirza, who were trying to go on the offensive, were defeated in Karabakh. However, the situation soon became more complicated. In December 1806, the Russian-Turkish war began. In order not to fight on two fronts with his extremely limited forces, Gudovich, taking advantage of the hostile relations between Turkey and Iran, immediately concluded a truce with the Iranians and began military operations against the Turks. The year 1807 passed in peace negotiations with Iran, but they did not lead to anything. In 1808 hostilities resumed.

Campaign of 1808-1809. In 1808 Gudovich transferred the main military operations to Armenia. His troops occupied Etchmiadzin (a city west of Yerevan) and then laid siege to Erivan. In October, the Russians defeated the troops of Abbas-Mirza at Karababa and occupied Nakhichevan. However, the assault on Erivan ended in failure, and the Russians were forced to retreat from the walls of this fortress a second time. After that, Gudovich was replaced by General Alexander Tormasov, who resumed peace negotiations. During the negotiations, troops under the command of the Iranian Shah Feth-Ali unexpectedly invaded northern Armenia (the Artik region), but were repelled. The attempt of Abbas-Mirza's army to attack Russian positions in the Ganja region also ended in failure.

Campaign of 1810-1811. In the summer of 1810, the Iranian command planned to launch an attack on Karabakh from its Meghri stronghold (a mountainous Armenian village located on the left bank of the Arak River). To prevent the offensive actions of the Iranians, a detachment of rangers under the command of Colonel Kotlyarevsky (about 500 people) went to Meghri, who on June 17 managed to seize this stronghold with a surprise attack, where there was a garrison of 1.5 thousand with 7 batteries. Russian losses amounted to 35 people. Iranians lost more than 300 people. After the fall of Meghri, the southern regions of Armenia received reliable protection from Iranian invasions. In July, Kotlyarevsky defeated the Iranian army on the Arak River. In September, Iranian troops attempted to launch a western offensive on Akhalkalaki (southwestern Georgia) to link up with Turkish troops there. However, the Iranian offensive in the area was repulsed. In 1811 Tormasov was replaced by General Paulucci. However, the Russian troops did not take active actions during this period due to the limited number and the need to wage a war on two fronts (against Turkey and Iran). In February 1812 Paulucci was replaced by General Rtishchev, who resumed peace negotiations.

Campaign of 1812-1813. At this time, the fate of the war was actually decided. A sharp turn is connected with the name of General Pyotr Stepanovich Kotlyareveky, whose bright talent as a commander helped Russia to end victoriously a protracted confrontation.

Battle of Aslanduz (1812). After Tehran received news of the occupation of Moscow by Napoleon, the negotiations were interrupted. Despite the critical situation and the obvious lack of forces, General Kotlyarevsky, who was given freedom of action by Rtishchev, decided to seize the initiative and stop the new offensive of the Iranian troops. He himself moved with a 2,000-strong detachment towards the 30,000-strong army of Abbas Mirza. Using the surprise factor, Kotlyarevsky's detachment crossed the Arak in the Aslanduz region and on October 19 attacked the Iranians on the move. They did not expect such a quick attack and retreated in confusion to their camp. In the meantime, night fell, hiding the real number of Russians. Having instilled in his soldiers an unshakable faith in victory, the fearless general led them to attack against the entire Iranian army. Courage trumped strength. Breaking into the Iranian camp, a handful of heroes with a bayonet charge caused an indescribable panic in the camp of Abbas Mirza, who did not expect a night attack, and put the whole army to flight. The damage to the Iranians amounted to 1,200 people killed and 537 captured. The Russians lost 127 people. This victory of Kotlyarevsky did not allow Iran to seize the strategic initiative. Having crushed the Iranian army near Aslanduz, Kotlyarevsky moved to the Lankaran fortress, which covered the way to the northern regions of Persia.

Capture of Lankaran (1813). After the defeat near Aslanduz, the Iranians pinned their last hopes on Lankaran. This strong fortress was defended by a 4,000-strong garrison under the command of Sadyk Khan. Sadyk Khan answered the offer to surrender with a proud refusal. Then Kotlyarevsky ordered his soldiers to take the fortress by storm, declaring that there would be no retreat. Here are the words from his order, read out to the soldiers before the battle: “Having exhausted all means to force the enemy to surrender the fortress, finding him adamant about it, there is no longer any way left to conquer the fortress with this Russian weapon, as soon as by the force of assault ... We must take the fortress or everyone to die, why are we sent here ... so we will prove, brave soldiers, that nothing can resist the power of the Russian bayonet ... " On January 1, 1813, an attack followed. Already at the beginning of the attack, all the officers were knocked out in the forefront of the attackers. In this critical situation, Kotlyarevsky himself led the attack. After a cruel and ruthless assault, Lankaran fell. Less than 10% of its defenders survived. Russian losses were also great - about 1 thousand people. (50% composition). During the attack, the fearless Kotlyarevsky also received severe injuries (he became disabled and left the armed forces forever). Russia has lost a bright successor of the Rumyantsev-Suvorov military tradition, whose talent was only just beginning to work "Suvorov's miracles."

Peace of Gulistan (1813). The fall of Lankaran decided the outcome of the Russian-Iranian war (1804-1813). It forced the Iranian leadership to stop hostilities and agree to the signing of the Gulistan peace [concluded 12(24). October 1813 in the village of Gulistan (now the village of Gulustan in the Goranboy region of Azerbaijan)]. A number of Transcaucasian provinces and khanates (Derbent Khanate) went to Russia, which received the exclusive right to maintain a navy in the Caspian Sea. Russian and Iranian merchants were allowed to trade freely on the territory of both states.

War of 1826-1828

The war was started by Persia with the aim of returning Eastern Transcaucasia. Russian troops took Nakhichevan, Erivan (later - Yerevan), Tabriz. It ended with the Turkmanchay Peace of 1828 [concluded on February 22, 1828, in p. Turkmanchay (near Tabriz)]. Erivan (Armenia) and Nakhichevan khanates went to Russia. The Gulistan peace of 1813 confirmed the right of Russia to keep a navy in the Caspian Sea. The basis of Russian-Iranian relations until 1917.

"From Ancient Rus' to the Russian Empire". Shishkin Sergey Petrovich, Ufa.