Siege of Smolensk (1654)

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Siege of Smolensk

Part of the Polish-Russian War (1654-1667)

Date	summer 1654
Location	Smolensk
Result	Russian victory

Belligerents

Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

Tsardom of Russia

Russo-Polish War (1654–1667)

Basya – Barysaw – Chudniv – Horodok – Ozerna – Konotop – Kushliki – Lyakhavichy – Lyubar – Lake Medyol – Mahylyow – Okhmativ – Polonka – Slobodyshche – Smolensk– Shepelevichy – Shklow 1654 – Shklow 1664 – Stavishchy – Verki – Wilno – Vitebsk

The Siege of Smolensk was one of the first great events of the Russo-Polish War (1654–1667). Smolensk, which had been under the rule of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth since 1611, was besieged by a Russian army in June 1654. The Polish garrison of the city hoped to get reinforcements from the army of Janusz Radziwill, stationed in Orsha. Its situation worsened when Radziwill suffered a defeat from Prince Yakov Cherkassky in the Battle of Shklow. In September, the Polish garrison agreed to leave the city after it was promised a free retreat. The garrison left Smolensk and handed over its weapons and ensigns to the Russians before retreating to Commonwealth-controlled territory. A significant number of landowners, however, preferred to stay and keep their estates, becoming subjects of the Russian Tsardom.