Sack of Baturyn

Sack of Baturyn Part of Great Northern War (Mazepa Affair) Reconstruction of the Baturyn Citadel Date November 1-2, 1708 Location Baturyn, Cossack Hetmanate Result Sack of the city by the Russian forces and extermination of its population Belligerents Cossack Hetmanate Russian Empire Commanders and leaders Colonel Chechel Prince Menshikov Strength ~8,000 ~25,000

Great Northern War Campaigns Denmark Russia and the Baltic provinces Poland-Lithuania/Saxony Ottoman Empire Sweden and Northern Germany Norway Finland Battles 1st Riga 1st Tönning Humlebæk 1st Narva Petschora Düna Rauge Erastfer Druskininkai Vilnius Klissow Hummelshof Nöteborg Saladen Pultusk Systerbäck Wesenberg Thorn Jakobstadt Posen 2nd Narva Punitz Gemauerthof Warsaw Praga 1st Grodno Fraustadt Kletsk Kalisz 2nd Grodno Holowczyn Neva Malatitze Rajovka Lesnaya Desna Koniecpol Veprik Oposhnya Krasnokutsk–Gorodnoye Sokolki Poltava Perevolochna 2nd Riga 2nd Vyborg Pruth Campaign Helsingborg Køge Bay Gadebusch 2nd Tönning Bender Finland Hogland Pälkäne Storkyro Gangut Stralsund Fehmarn Rügen Stresow Dynekilen Göteborg Strömstad Fredriksten Carolean Death March Ösel Stäket Grengam Treaties Anti-Mazepa Conflict Baturyn Novhorod Lebedyn Smile Bila Tserkva Romny Sich Poltava Perevolochna Charles XII invasion of Russia Grodno II Holowczyn Neva Malatitze Rajovka Lesnaya Desna Baturyn Koniecpol Veprik Oposhnya Krasnokutsk–Gorodnoye Sokolki Poltava Perevolochna

Sack of Baturyn (Ukrainian: Захоплення Батурина, Russian: Взятие Батурина) (November 1-2, 1708), sometimes also referred to as the Slaughtering in Baturyn, was a part of series of punishing raids conducted by the Russian Imperial Army against Mazepa and Cossack state. On November 2, 1708 upon the sack of Baturyn its entire civil population was exterminated (~7,000 according to Serhiy Pavlenko), while the "Hetman Residence" was completely obliterated.

Battle events

Before the storm of Baturyn Menshikov had at his disposal some 20 Dragoon Regiments of some 15 to 20 thousands dragoons.^[1] Baturyn at that time was a heavily fortified city reinforced with a high number of artillery.^[2] Considering that Menshikov decided to use his diplomatic skills to convince the defenders to surrender and sent down Andrei Markovich with his message. The Baturyn defenders refused and opened fire onto the Menshikov's positions.^[3]

The appointed colonel Ivan Nis of Pryluky Regiment and an interpreter Stefan Zertis were arrested by Serdyuk Guards as saboteurs and attached to artillery guns. Trying to save himself from being executed for desertion Nis was able to sent to Menshikov one of his officers, Solomakha, who pointed to a secret entrance to the fortress.^[4] The next morning on November 2 at six o'clock the Russian forces penetrated into the city and, after some two hour of resistance from cossacks, were victorious. According to the official Ukrainian version, after being left completely defenceless the whole civil population of the city was tortured to death.^[5]

Losses: Ukrainians, 15 thousand including civilians. Russians, 3 thousand soldiers.

Notes

Bibliography

• Pavlenko, S. "Perishing of Baturyn on November 2, 1708". "Ukrainska vydavnycha spilka". Kiev, 2007.
• Pavlenko, S. "Ivan Mazepa". "Alternatyvy". Kiev, 2003.
• Tairova-Yakovleva, T. "Mazepa". "Molodaya gvardiya". Moscow, 2007.

External links

• (Ukrainian) The Western Europe about Mazepa by the director of the Scientific-Research Institute of Cossackdom at NANU Institute of History
• (Ukrainian) Pavlenko, S. Baturyn tragedy of 1708: thoughts and facts. All-Ukrainian daily newspaper "Day" #210, December 1, 2007.
• (Ukrainian) Was Baturyn doomed?
• (Russian) Petr I. Order to Zaporizhian Host (October 27, 1708)
• (Russian) Petr I. To Prince Menshikov (November 5, 1708)

Coordinates: 51°20′N 32°52′E / 51.333°N 32.867°E / 51.333; 32.867