The conquest of Siberia at one time became an important stage in the formation of Russian statehood. Ermak’s campaign in 1581-1585 played a huge role in this.
Historians have differing opinions regarding the origin of the idea of conquering Siberian lands. Some believe that the original idea of the campaign itself belonged to the Perm merchants Stroganov, who had previously invited Ermak to their place, caring for the safety of the lands. But at present, most are inclined to believe that the idea belongs to Ermak himself. And the merchants did not act as ideologists of the campaign, but only as a source of financing. In turn, historian G. Krasinsky is of the opinion that the campaign was organized at the direction of the Moscow government.
Reasons for the trip
- Immense spaces. There were rumors about the wealth and beauty of the Siberian lands, which aroused the Russian state's interest and desire to take possession of them.
- Exploration and acquisition of lands. Word of mouth alone was not enough. It was necessary to find out for sure what kind of lands lie in the East, how the local population lives and how they feel (at that time about 250 thousand people lived in Siberia). Depending on the results of the reconnaissance, if possible, it was planned to annex the lands under the hand.
- Protecting your own borders. Ivan the Terrible considered it necessary to strengthen the eastern borders. There really was a threat from Siberia at that time. For example, the Siberian Khan Kuchum often raided the Urals, thereby significantly slowing down its development.
As a result, the campaign was prepared under the auspices of the conquest and development of Siberian lands. And Ermak made every effort to achieve this.
Main events
There is still no reliable information about the chronology of the events of the campaign and their relationship. The Siberian chronicles are fragmentary, confused in years and do not contain information about months and dates. But the facts of the battles themselves do not raise doubts among historians:
- It is customary to take 1581 as the beginning of Ermak’s campaign in Siberia, although other options can be found in the literature on history (1580 or 1582).
- Alleged clash with Prince Begbel of Pelym in 1581.
- Conquest of the Principality of Nazym by Ermak.
- Entry into the Kolpukol volost, where Ermak was able to defeat Prince Samar.
- Peace treaty with the prince from the Lower Ob region (who then remained to rule over the same territory on behalf of Ermak).
- The battle on the Irtysh River, where Ermak fought with the army of Khan Mametkul (a relative of Kuchum) and defeated his troops with his unexpected offensive. The Russians conquered the city of Kashlyk, the capital of the Siberian Khanate.
- In 1985, difficult times came for the Cossacks, with heavy losses and a shortage of people (help from Moscow was delayed, including due to the death of Ivan the Terrible).
- The death of Ermak and his squad at the hands of Kuchum and the sad end of the campaign.
Results of the campaign
Unfortunately, the Siberian pioneers gave their lives conquering new lands. But the fruits of the conquest of Siberia for the Russian state cannot but be appreciated. New cities were built across the vast expanses and peasants gradually settled. The rumor about the wealth of the lands beyond the Urals mountains turned out to be true, and the Russian treasury increased due to increased taxes.
The Russians began to advance into the borders Khanate of Siberia, another fragment of the Golden Horde. Here, in Western Siberia, along the Irtysh, Tobol, Ob and their tributaries lived Siberian Tatars, Khanty (the Russians called them Ostyaks), Mansi (Voguls), Nenets (Samoyeds, Yuracs), Selkups and other small nationalities. In total, no more than 200-220 thousand inhabitants lived in Siberia at that time, right up to the Pacific Ocean. These were cattle breeders (southern regions), hunters and fishermen (taiga and tundra belts). Small in number and backward, they often became the target of attacks and robberies from their neighbors, and exploitation by Siberian khans and princelings. Civil strife and mutual attacks were frequent.
Siberian peoples and their rulers from the middle of the 16th century ., after, they increasingly come into contact with Moscow and raise the question of citizenship. Such a request was made in 1555 by the Siberian Khan Edigar, who suffered a lot from the raids of the Bukhara rulers. Ivan IV agreed, and the Siberian “yurt” began to pay tribute (yasak) in furs to his treasury. But after 1572 (the Crimean attack on Russia), the new Khan Kuchum broke off relations with Russia.
As before, Russian industrial and commercial people walked “over-the-stone” by way (along the Pechora and its tributaries, through Kamen (Ural) to the tributaries of the Ob and beyond) or “sea-ocean” to the east for fur-bearing animals and other riches. The Stroganovs, Solvychegodsk industrialists, equipped detachments of “hunting people”, Cossacks. One of them was headed by Ermak. According to one version, he is a free Cossack, “walking man” from the Volga, according to another - a native of the Urals, named Vasily Timofeevich Alenin.
Conquest of the Siberian Khanate
Ermak's detachment in 1582 came from the Chusovaya River, crossing the Ural ridge, to Tura, “tube and Siberian country”. Then he moved, “with or without fighting,” along the Tobol and Irtysh. At the end of October, brave pioneer warriors approached Kashlyk, the capital of Khan Kuchum, not far from modern Tobolsk. The city has begun “slash of evil”. Kuchum's army (from the Tatars, Khanty and Mansi) was defeated and fled. The Khan migrated to the south, to the steppe. Local residents began to pay tribute to Moscow.
The following year, the king sent 500 people, led by Prince S. Volkhovsky, to help Ermak. But they arrived only at the end of 1584. Throughout the Khanate, clashes took place between local residents and newcomers. Ermak's greatly reduced detachment was ambushed, and he himself drowned in the waters of the Irtysh (August 1585). The remnants of Ermak and Volkhovsky's detachments went home. But soon new detachments appeared - governor I. Mansurova, V. Sukina and others. They set up fortified forts and strengthened garrisons. Tyumen (1586), Tobolsk (1587), which became the capital of Russian Siberia for a long time, and other cities were founded. By the end of the century, Kuchum, who attacked Russian troops and forts from the depths of the steppes, suffered a final defeat. Khanate of Siberia ceases to exist.
The eastern borders of the state were greatly expanded. Furs, fish and other goods flowed from Western Siberia to European Russia.
The image of the freedom-loving chieftain, who with a handful of brave men risked crossing the Stone Belt - the Ural Mountains - and delving into a truly unknown hostile country, does not fade in people's memory, lives in legends and songs. Individual documents have also been preserved, there is chronicle evidence (largely contradictory), and there is extensive literature.
According to the chronicler, Ermak was “greatly courageous and reasonable, and humane, and pleased with all wisdom.” Apparently, Ermak is not his name (there is no such name in the Orthodox calendar), but a nickname: but Dalyu, “ermak” is an artel cauldron or a millstone of a hand mill. It is generally accepted that he comes from the Don. It is reliably known that in 1579 a group of Cossacks under his leadership, driven from the Volga by tsarist troops, went to the Urals and were accepted into service there by the merchants and industrialists Stroganovs to protect their possessions from the raids of the “Siberian Saltan” Khan Kuchum (“Receiving them with for their honor and deeds they were given many gifts and food, and they enjoyed their drink abundantly").
According to the Stroganov Chronicle, the ataman and his 510 Cossacks served their new masters for “two summers and two months,” defended the eastern border of the Kama region, and in the meantime began to explore routes to the east - to Siberia.
Having gracious permission from Ivan the Terrible to build towns beyond the Urals, the Stroganovs, who had been sending their clerks to the east - right up to the lower Oba - for many years, gathered their strength and decided to strike at the very heart of the Khanate, equipping Ermak’s detachment for this (at the same time they got rid of and from the most restless Cossack freemen, who apparently annoyed them quite a bit).
According to the chronicle, according to the debt list, the Cossacks were given for each “3 pounds of pure gunpowder and the same amount of lead, another 3 pounds of rye flour, two pounds of cereal and oatmeal, and salt, and half a carcass of salted pork, and a steelyard (about 1 kg) butter for two.” The Stroganovs strengthened a detachment of 300 of their people, among whom were “leaders leading that Siberian way"(guides) and "interpreters of the Busurman language" (translators). The expedition received “cannons” and squeaks - the main weapons in battles with the army of the khan, who did not have firearms. The “little people” of the Stroganovs helped the Cossacks build “good plows”. From the later (1584) charter it is clear that these plows lifted “twenty people each with supplies.” Thus, it can be assumed that Ermak’s fleet consisted of at least 20 such ships.
On September 1, 1581, amid the thunder of cannons, accompanied by the entire population of the Chusovsky towns, the detachment set off. Going on a hike in the fall, and not earlier, is explained by the fact that it was possible to collect the necessary supply of flour only after harvesting. In addition, the autumn flood raised the water in small rivers and made it easier to pass through shallow areas.
Most detailed description The campaign is given in the Pogodin Chronicle, which says that, having passed Chusovaya and Serebryanka, the detachment overwintered at the mouth of Kukuy and in the spring of 1582 made a portage along the tributary of Barancha Zhuravlik and along Barancha, Tagil, Tura and Tobol went to the Irtysh. Kuchum was defeated and its capital Isker was occupied. Ermak began to swear in the local population, ruled in the name of the king and expanded the domains under his control. At the beginning of August 1584, during the return from one of the campaigns, Ermak’s small detachment was taken by surprise. The ataman died in the stormy waters of the Irtysh. However, the work of the pioneers and their sacrifices were in vain.
The path to Siberia was open, enterprising industrialists and settlers followed the military detachments, life began to boil, and towns sprang up. The development of a huge region began, about which Lomonosov would later say, “that Russia’s power will increase with Siberia.”
In 1981-1982 The 400th anniversary of Ermak's campaign is celebrated. There is great interest in ancient events. And in this regard, it should be noted that there are many serious discrepancies in the surviving materials and in the scientific literature about the campaign. In particular, according to almost all sources, it turns out that the path to the khan’s capital was covered by Ermak in two seasons with wintering at the watershed, and according to the latest works of Dr. ist. Sciences R. G. Skryntsikov it turns out that Ermak went on a campaign a year later (1.IX 1582) and managed to fight through the 1500-klom-meter path in less than two months.
Is this possible when such a cumbersome detachment is moving? After all, Ermak had to go at least 300 km against the current along small and fast rivers rolling down from the watershed to the west. Walk along them, guiding heavily loaded canoes with a towline! How can we not remember the ancient legends, which say that we had to build dams - drive in stakes and stretch sails sewn together across the river in order to raise the water even in a small area. And the drag itself? After all, this is a minimum 20-kilometer journey through rough terrain, not for nothing called the Ural Range.
We re-read the sources again and again, turning to folklore. The song about Ermak says:
“Where should Ermak look for a way?
He should look for ways on the Silver River.
We went along Serebryanka, reached Zharovlya,
They left the Kolomenka boats here
On that Baranchinskaya crossroads.”
It turns out that at the portage Ermak had to abandon the “good plows” and load supplies onto hastily made rafts and smaller boats, and then, going down to Tagil, build new plows. Here is what is said about this in the epics: “They were dragging one (kolomenka) boat, but they sat on it, and there they left it, and at that time they saw the Barancha River and were happy.” And further:
“We made pine boots and hammer boats,
We sailed along the Barancha River and soon sailed into the Tagil River,
That one has the Bear Stone. at Magnitsky's.
And on the other side they had a raft,
They made big rocks so that they could get away completely.”
In principle, the places mentioned are described in our local history literature, but apparently no one thought of crossing the Stone Belt, exactly following Ermak’s path. Without visiting the watershed and without seeing what kind of Serebryanka, Zharovlya and Barancha it was, without examining the place of the portage, it was impossible to definitely accept one point of view or another.
Why not visit? Thus was born the idea of the expedition, which was organized and carried out in July - August 1981 jointly by the Geographical Society of the USSR, the Leningrad Tourists Club and the Leningrad Palace of Pioneers.
So, setting off on a long journey, the expedition members set themselves main goal- to cordon off the possibility of completing the entire route in two months (of course, from the point of view of modern water tourists), to determine the place of the portage. In addition, there was an assignment from the Hydrological Institute - to clarify in certain sections of rivers their width, flow speed, and height of water rise during floods.
Studying the route showed that Ermak’s entire route from Chusovskie towns to the Tobolsk region was 1580 km. Our group simply did not have the necessary time for water to travel this entire path. It was decided to seal from the watershed, and then go through Serebryanka and Chusovaya. not upstream, like Ermak, but downstream. After this, return by train to the watershed, reconnoiter the portage and, starting from the village of Nizhne-Baranchinsky, go east.
On July 5 we boarded the train. We are the crews of seven kayaks. The youth part of the expedition consisted of 11 schoolchildren - members children's club"Planet" at Geographical Society THE USSR. These were mostly tenth-graders: the youngest, cameraman Sasha Kurashkevich, was 15 years old. And the oldest member of the expedition (the author of these lines) is much older - 72.
My soul is light and joyful - all the troubles are behind me!
We crossed the Ural ridge. The places are such that you can’t drag the guys away from the carriage windows!
We got off at Goroblagodatskaya station and ended up in the city of Kushva. One would like to call this city of miners and metallurgists ancient, but it is younger than our Leningrad - it was founded in 1735 in connection with the discovery by Mansi hunter Stepan Chumin of the largest deposit of magnetic iron ore - Mount Blagodat (352 m).
On the same day, we climbed the mountains by car and drove to the village of Kedrovka (27 km). On the way, to everyone's delight, we made a stop at a chapel marking the border between Europe and Asia.
Here is the beginning of the active part of our route; now we will descend from the ridge to the west along Serebryanka. The length of the river is 136 km. It begins versts somewhere 50 km north of Kedrovka, and flows into Chusovaya on the right, 311 km from its mouth. Flows among picturesque hills covered mixed forest. In some places there are rocks approaching the shore. Before the village of Serebryanka, there are dumps from dredging works - this is what distinguishes the current landscape from the one seen by Ermak. Today the dredge is working somewhere above us - the water in the river is muddy. In the upper reaches the width is only 10-15 m, the current is fast, there are many riffles.
We drank, leaving one person in each kayak to reduce the draft, but soon we had to get out or not. As recorded in the expedition journal, “almost the entire Serebryanka - about 70 km - was walked on foot: the kayaks were pulled along with a rope.”
I am describing the first stage of our journey in more or less detail, since many will certainly want to visit these alluring places, where everything breathes history. So, in the first three days we passed 38 small riffles, of which only two were able to be overcome on the move, and all the rest had to be carried through by kayaks. In addition, we had to make one carry over the dam (25 m), and at the second dam we had to drag ourselves over a huge blockage. After passing 7 more rapids, we came out into a large flood, where the further path was blocked by a temporary dam. It was made four days before our arrival to create a settling tank for suspended particles that clog the water during dredging work. Below the dam the riverbed is dry. Convinced that we would have to wait for water here for a very long time, we decided to look for a truck in the forest area, disassemble the kayaks and get to the village. Serebryansky. This is a large village, picturesquely located among the mountains, the only locality after Kedrovka; There is a store and post office.
From here it is 51 km to the mouth. We pass the most beautiful section of Serebryanka. The river flows in high wooded banks. In some places, cliffs covered with forest and steep cliffs come close to the water, inferior in beauty to the famous “stones” of Chusovaya. The banks are clean, the forest is wonderful. Yes, it's worth visiting here! Although our guys are experienced tourists, they are delighted with Serebryanka.
There is still little water and many - too many - riffles. For the most part, the first numbers of the crews walk along the shore, making their way among the bushes and tall grass, and where it is impossible to pass - the rocks come out to the water, they get into kayaks. In this section we “registered” 68 riffles (5 of them were passed on the move) and a number of small reaches in which we had to maneuver among the stones. At the mouth on the right bank stands the abandoned village of Ust-Serebryanka.
In conclusion, about this first stage of the journey, it should be said that Serebryanka should be kayaked only in high water!
Having reached Chusovaya, the crews for the first time truly took their places in the kayaks. Chusovaya is one of the most beautiful and largest rivers on the western slope of the Ural ridge. Its length is 735 km. This is the left tributary of the Kama. The current is fast, there is enough depth on the reaches, but you have to walk carefully, as you come across rocky shoals.
Ural legends call one of the coastal cliffs Camp Ermak. Here, allegedly, he spent the night and almost wintered in a cave. We stopped specifically to explore and film this place and were disappointed. The entrance to the cave is somewhere in the middle of the height of the 40-meter cliff; you can get there only by climbing down on a rope from above. I don’t know what it all looked like under Ermak, but now it’s not easy to climb the rock: only the experienced climber Gemma Melnikova of us managed to reach the very top! According to those who have visited the cave, it is very small: two people can hardly squeeze in. No, this does not look like the wintering place of the leader of a large detachment!
We easily do an average of 40 km a day. Before Oslyanka we meet many tourist groups and individuals descending from the camp site in Kaurovka. Below there are few tourists; Mostly there are motorboats of local residents. After the wild beauty of Serebryanka, the children liked Chusovaya much less. It's crowded here, and there are no traces human activity too much (to be fair, it is worth mentioning that many scenic spots Chusovoy are located significantly higher than Serebryanka). The banks are low, the forests have disappeared, and the current does not carry the kayaks so fast.
We decided to finish our acquaintance with this river in the city of Chusovoy, a large industrial center of the Urals. Its history is connected with the construction of a mining railway in 1878, which brought ore from Mount Blagodat, and the construction of a large ironworks.
We go by bus (80 km) to the village. Chusovsky towns - I really want to see and shine those places where Ermak’s campaign began. This is one of the oldest Russian settlements in the Urals. It was founded by the Stroganovs as a fortress and was famous for its salt production - the remains of ancient salt works have been preserved. We are told that most of the residents here have two surnames: Oto or Ermakovs, or Kuchumovs.
Returning to Kuvsha, we devote two more to reconnaissance of a possible portage route. We examine the tributaries of Serebryanka and Barancha mentioned in the legends - Kukui and Zharovlya (aka Zhuravlik). Today these are almost dry streams, but it is absolutely clear that they were not full-flowing rivers even 400 years ago! There are hills and forest all around, but in principle the most convenient place for portage is quite clearly visible: we will put it on the map.
At the end of the second day, we transfer the kayaks by car to the left bank of Barancha - we collect them just below the village. Nizhne-Baranchinsky, next to the rest house.
Barancha (length 66 km) flows into Tagil on the left, 288 km from its mouth. The river is narrow, the current is weak, and there are often rocky shallows. The banks are hilly, covered with mixed forest, interspersed with pretty meadows. Lots of forest debris. We covered the entire Baranca in four days, and it was not an easy sail! We had to overcome 16 small riffles and 26 full-fledged forest debris, two of which turned out to be impassable (120 and 30 m drift). In addition, there was also a demolition of the pumping station dam (words 40 m). We stopped on the outskirts of the village. Estyunikha.
The next day we took a bus to Nizhny Tagil and visited one of the oldest museums of local history in the country. The beginning of industry in this area was laid in 1699 by a decree of Peter I on the construction of the Nevyansk state-owned plant. Returning to the camp, we made a 100-meter enlargement of the bridge along the right bank (Barancha was taken into a pipe at this point), then walked along the river down 6.5 km, guiding the ships through 4 small rifts, and ended up in the left, shallowed branch of Tagil (with a very dirty water), and a little later into the main channel.
Tagil - the right tributary of the Tura - originates on the eastern slope of the ridge at an altitude of 520 m. The length of the river is 414 km. Slope 0.001. Its width is 60-80 m, depth from 1.5 m to 0.2 on the rifts. To the village Verkhne-Tagilsky has a typically mountainous character. In the middle reaches the banks are hilly; Closer to the mouth they decrease, the forest moves to the side. In the area of the villages there are fields and meadows. We assumed that Tagil would be a deep, easy-to-swim river, but our hopes were not justified. There was little water, we immediately encountered a short (25 m) rapid, traversable along the main stream, and 4 small riffles with tacking between stones.
We stopped on the right bank at the foot of the Bear Stone. After all, according to legend, it was here that Ermak stood and made new plows to replace those abandoned in the portage. On the left bank, where there was a raft, we met archaeological expedition Nizhny Tagil schoolchildren, led by Amalia Iosifovna Razsadovich. She said that she had been working here at the excavations for about thirty years, and the study of the site by scientists began in the first post-war years. Since then, over 1,000 objects dating back 400 years have been found. We all excitedly looked at the round lead zeros and spearheads, and examined the iron smelting furnace of Ermakov’s craftsmen. At the request of A.I. Razsadovich, our guys carried out measurements and made a plan for another Ermakov settlement lower down the river.
We walked for four days to the Tagil Cordon, where we had to demolish a bridge under construction. In this section we encountered 14 rapids (25-50 m each), of which we were able to overcome 9 on the move. After the village Balakino water has become cleaner, the black stripes along the banks have disappeared. Some reaches are heavily overgrown. The banks are beautiful, the forest on them is mixed, there are a lot of raspberries. It is better to take water from numerous springs.
It took another 4 days to reach Mikhnevo, a large urban-type settlement. We went through another 25 rapids, 15 of them quite difficult: the most difficult Novozhilovsky - 2 km long. the rest are short, ranging from 15 to 200 m in length. Villages, mostly abandoned, began to appear more and more often (Morshinino, Brekhovo, Kamelskaya). The banks are gradually lowering. I remember the very beautiful turn of Tagil near the village. Tolmachevo. To the left, large white rocks protrude from the water.
Below there are no riffles, the river becomes wider, and there are shoals. The banks are low. let's go to the fields. It takes another two days to reach the mouth of Tagil. In front of the village of Kishkinka there is a new obstacle: a floating bridge that had to be sunk. Then, near the abandoned village of Cheremisino, the riverbed was blocked by the destruction of an old mill dam. After a preliminary inspection, they took the risk of passing it through the gap along the vowel stream. As we approach the mouth of the coast. overgrown with willow and alder bushes, they go down. 0.7 km from the mouth on the right bank is the large village of Volotovo.
It is curious that at the confluence the Tagil looks more impressive than the Tura, although it is its tributary. Tura is the right tributary of the Tobol. Its length is 1030 km. The river is narrow. winding. The right bank is mostly elevated, to the left!! - named with water meadows. The current is weak. The bed is sandy and muddy in places.
It is immediately obvious that we are in an old industrial area - the forest has long been cut down, only in places there are small groves of trees. The water is unsuitable for cooking, and there are few springs (water has to be stocked in the villages). The shores are boring and monotonous. There are no obstacles. We make a decision; finish the water part of the route in Zhukovo.
Two hours along the highway - and we are in Turnisk. These are one of the oldest cities in the Urals (25 thousand inhabitants): it was founded in 1600, but the history of these places is closely connected with the topic that interests us. Ermak’s detachment, which was following along the Tura on plows, was continually attacked by the Tatar prince Epancha, whose capital was located exactly in the place where Turinsk later arose. It is known that, as a warning, Ermak ordered the “Epanchin town” to be burned to the ground...
In the XVIII-XIX centuries. Turinsk served as a place of political exile. We visited an ancient park, according to legend, planted by the Decembrists, a local history museum, and a match factory.
Another 4.5 hours by bus - and our expedition ends up in Tyumen, founded in 1586 on the site of the ancient Tatar settlement Chimgi-Tura (Tsarevo ancient settlement). There are many interesting historical and architectural monuments- Trinity Cathedral, Znamenskaya and Spasskaya churches, the building of the Local History Museum, Art Gallery. But modern Tyumen is also a large, rapidly developing industrial center. It has about 400 thousand inhabitants. We are proudly shown the new House of Culture for Oil Workers. We were introduced to today's Tyumen by excursions to the exhibition "Oil Developments of the Region" and to the Oil Bottling Station.
Then we follow by train, so we still don’t see the place where the Tura flows into the Tobol - Railway passes to the north. We have read a lot about the fierce battles of Ermak and the Tatar troops that took place at the mouth of the Tura. Actually, it was one battle that lasted several days with varying success. If you believe the legends, having won, the Cossacks captured so much loot that it was impossible to take it away, and somewhere here the treasure is still buried.
Then the train passes approximately where, already on the Tobol, about 30 km below the confluence of the left tributary of the Tavda, in July 1582, a five-day battle took place with the army of Kuchum. The Tatars were ultimately defeated, but this battle was not the last...
We are hospitably greeted by Tobolsk, founded in 1587, a year later than Tyumen. At the very edge of the high bank stand the stone walls and towers of the Kremlin, built in early XVIII V. captured by the Swedes. A steep entrance leads along a wide ravine to the white massifs of ancient walls, high watchtowers, and stone buildings of “public places” - the so-called Nikolsky Platoon. On the other side of the ravine, on Cape Chukmansky, there is a city garden, surrounded by high cliffs, planted with old larches and cedars. At its very beginning there is a monument to Ermak - a tall obelisk, visible from afar against a green background.
In the local Museum of History and Local Lore, the richest collection of which is the best of all those examined during this trip, an entire hall is dedicated to Ermak’s campaign. It is interesting that more than a dozen portraits of Ermak are on display, but the images are not at all similar to one another. However, it is not surprising; All these portraits were painted in the 18th century!
We also learned a lot about modern Tobolsk, and became acquainted, in particular, with the construction of a huge oil and gas plant. In short, we could talk a lot about old and new Tobolsk, but this would take us away from the main topic.
We visited Cape Chuvash, where on October 24-25, 1582, in a decisive battle, Ermak defeated the hordes of Kuchum. This victory made it possible, after a couple of days, to occupy the main city of the Siberian Khanate, abandoned by Kuchum and all the inhabitants - Isker or Kashlyk, called by the Russians “the city of Siberia”. And now 400 years later we stand on the high right bank of the Irtysh. Somewhere here was this noisy eastern city, which gave the name to the whole of great Siberia. Here Ermak, a few days after the victory, met the first envoys of the local Khanty and Tatars with “kindness and greetings”, here with “ the best people“Took the “shert”, that is, the oath and the obligation to pay “yasak” on time, from here he sent a messenger with a report of victory to the great sovereign Ivan Vasilyevich. We read that back in the middle of the 18th century. one could discern the triple ramparts and ditches protecting the city. Now, of course, there are no traces of fortifications. And only the deep valley of the rare Siberian River, covering the city from the north, remained in place.
Now all we have to do is go to the crossing and take a bus to the mouth of the Vagai. Somewhere here, on a dark rainy night, from August 5 to 6, 1684, the Cossacks returning from a campaign were taken by surprise by Kuchum’s warriors: they burst into Ermak’s camp and began to chop down the sleeping men. Ermak, according to the chroniclers, woke up, managed to pave the way to the shore with his sword, but, trying to swim to the plow, drowned, since he was wearing expensive heavy armor (a gift from the Tsar) ...
Our 45-day journey along the Ermak path has ended. We visited the Chusovsky towns, where he began his legendary campaign, and visited the nameless island at the mouth of Vagai, where he died. The children were able not only to truly delve into the history of the Motherland, but also to see with their own eyes the current scale of construction and get acquainted with the glorious deeds Soviet people looking to the future. This, of course, is the main thing.
As for the answer to controversial issue about the possibility of Ermak covering the 1,580-kilometer route through the Urals to the Irtysh in just 53 days. the way it seems to the participants of the Leningrad expedition, it is hardly real. This is how we formulated our conclusion, reporting on December 18 the results of the work done at a meeting at the Geographical Society of the USSR.
History, in a sense, is the sacred book of peoples: the main, necessary; a mirror of their existence and activity; the tablet of revelations and rules; the covenant of the ancestors to their descendants; addition, explanation of the present and example of the future.
Y. M. KARAMZIN
Map of Siberia from the “Drawing Book” (south - above, north - below, west - right, east - left).
The Siberian chronicles contain eight chronicles about Ermak Timofeevich’s campaign in Siberia, and even more, the chronicles tell about what happened after the death of the Cossack ataman Ermak Timofeevich, this is a treasure trove of unique historical essays, a particularly valuable detailed historical source.
Ermak Timofeevich, conqueror of Siberia. Lubok of the 19th century.
List of Siberian Chronicles.
1) RUMYANTSEV CHICKENER
2) CHRONOGRAPHIC STORY
3) Pogodinsky Chronicler
4) THE STROGANOV CHRONICLE
5) BUZUNOVSKY CHRNICALER
6) PUSTOZERSK CHRINICALIST
7) DESCRIPTION OF SIBERIA
8) Kungur Chronicler
Lion and unicorn on the banner of Ermak, which was with him during the conquest of Siberia (1581-1582) 
This is how Ermak was depicted in many similar portraits of the 17th and 18th centuries.
Historical information about modern word Siberia, rooted modern understanding The Siberian land, as follows from the chronicles, Siberia is, first of all, the city of the ruler Khan Kuchum, who was subsequently killed by the Kalmyks for ruining and robbing his charges at the end of his inglorious life, Kuchum stole a herd of horses for this crime, the Kalmyk warriors caught up with him, and killed.
“Tsar Kuchum tried many times to return Siberia and take revenge. One day (he) gathered an army, came to Siberia, reached the Irtysh River, destroyed several Basurman villages and went home. As soon as they found out about this in Tobolsk, the governor sent troops after him, and caught up with him on the border with the Steppe, and attacked, killed his people, and captured two queens and a son and enormous wealth from him. Kuchum himself fled with a small detachment, and having reached his ulus, he took the rest of the army and when he walked through the Kalmyk uluses, "Then he stole horse herds. The Kalmyk warriors caught up with him, and his troops defeated him and recaptured their horses. Then Tsar Kuchum fled to Nogai and was killed by them there."
Siberia (Kashlyk, Sibir, Siber, Iber, Isker) city, capital of the Siberian Khanate. It was located on the right bank of the Irtysh at the confluence of the Sibirka River, 17 km above modern Tobolsk in the Tyumen region, now the archeological monument “Kuchumovo Settlement”.
At that time, there were often raids of the Kuchumov tribes on Perm and the Perm Russian lands, which as a result suffered constant devastation, suffered violence and human grief, this worried Ivan Vasilyevich, after some questions of the Stroganov brothers about the Siberian kingdom, and about the possibility of protection from the raids of the Bashkirs , Ostyaks, Vaguls, Tatars, Nagais, Siberian troops, and other nomads, Ivan Vasilyevich gives the go-ahead with letters of approval with sovereign gold seals for lands from the mouth of the Chusovaya River up both banks up to the source and along tributaries to (their) sources, and in those places, from the Kama up the Chusovaya - 80 versts along the right and left banks to build fortifications for protection and defense against infidel raids, gives complete freedom of action, and protection by all available means, after which the construction of fortifications begins, the supply of the necessary resources, and recruitment is carried out squads.
From this moment on, Ataman Ermak appears on the scene with his comrades, who often robbed, smashed and plundered ships, hard labor, merchant trade caravans with a gang of 5,000 people on the Volga, Oka and Sea rivers, thinking of going to Kyzylbashi along with the Don and Yaik Cossacks, to dominate the sea, but this did not happen, robbing merchants, including the state treasury and other Orthodox people, shedding Christian blood, these exploits became known to the Tsar and Grand Duke of All Rus' Ivan Vasilyevich, the sovereign was furious and angry.
Subsequently, these events determined the fate of Ermak Timofeevich and his comrades to go into the service of the Stroganovs, protect the lands from raids by motley tribes, and subsequently carry out a military campaign in Siberia.
As a result, Ermak and his comrades enter the service of the Stroganovs to make amends, perhaps out of fear that he has become angry Grand Duke Ivan Vasilyevich, in one case or another, Ermak defends the Russian land and Perm the Great, defeats nomadic detachments and conquers nearby nomadic tribes, after which an expedition is prepared for the Siberian Khanate of Kuchum, and then there are bloody and terrifying battles with Khan Kuchum and the nomads, who were many times superior to the forces of Ermak and his comrades, often the Cossacks, before the battle with the enemy, knelt with a prayer on their lips, and then desperate courage followed in the battle (there was no place to retreat), so they took the opposing side, it is worth noting that help was in the Siberian land Ermak could not expect anything from anyone; after each battle, his comrades died.
I note that eight chronicles about Siberia provide a variety of information, often complementing each other, as a result, a general picture of the chronology of events emerges, what happened in such a distant time, who Ermak was, his origin, what he did, what happened after the death of Ataman Ermak with comrades in the Siberian land, no Wikipedia, no movie will tell about this in full picture.
What do living modern Siberians know about this? I doubt that most of our contemporaries have heard anything about the historical Siberian Chronicles, especially what is described inside.
Postscript: After the conquest of the Siberian lands, expeditions were carried out to the edge and end of the Siberian land, the Russian Kingdom was actively developing Siberia (development was carried out along the rivers - Tobol, Irtysh, Ob, Yenisei, Amur), new fortified cities of Tyumen (1586), Tobolsk (1587) were founded ), Berezov and Surgut (1593), Tara (1594), Mangazeya (1601), Tomsk (1604), Kuznetsk (now Novokuznetsk) (1618), Krasnoyarsk (1628), churches, monasteries, residential and industrial buildings were rebuilt, Cossacks settled , merchants, industrial and service people, Cossacks, merchants, farmers, peasant migrants, and other people.
Drawing of all Siberian cities and lands from the atlas of Semyon Remezov, compiled in 1701. 
Ermolai Timofeevich (1537-1585) was the great Russian discoverer of Siberia. In history he is known under the name Ermak. Ermak's campaign helped the Russian people conquer the vast expanses and riches of Siberia. He was a brave and purposeful man who knew how to lead. They helped him not only leave a huge mark on the history of a great country, but also win the respect of his opponents.
Ermak's campaign lasted from 1582 to 1585, and he died during the battle with Khan Kuchum. The people composed many heroic songs about him. Scientists have never been able to find out real name hero. People called him Ermolai or Ermak Timofeev, since at that time many Russians were named after their father or nickname. He also had another name - Ermolai Timofeevich Tokmak. He possessed enormous physical strength, truly heroic.
At that time, there was famine and devastation in the country, so the future hero was forced to move to the Volga and there he hired himself to work for an elderly Cossack as a laborer.
This was in peacetime, and during military campaigns Ermak was a squire. He learned military skills and even acquired his own weapons. Soon, thanks to his physical and mental abilities, Ermak becomes an ataman.
At that time, about 250 thousand people lived in Siberia and it was of significant interest to the Russian state. This territory was famous for its wealth and pristine beauty.
But there was also a huge problem associated with Siberia. In those years, he severed all relations with Russia and periodically launched raids on the Urals, which greatly hindered its development. Eastern border by order of Ivan the Terrible, it was supposed to strengthen itself, where the ataman was sent for this purpose. Thus began the conquest of Siberia by Ermak.
The ataman's army consisted of 600 soldiers who had excellent training. The goal of the campaign was conquest and Ermak made every effort to achieve the task.
Under those conditions, only an unexpected attack could ensure success. The main battle took place on October 26, where Ermak defeated Tatar troops relative of Kuchum and entered the city of Kashlyk - the capital Khan Mametkul managed to hide, fearing reprisals, but Ermak’s campaign did not end there.
Ataman conquered the principality of Nazim and reached with his army the Kolpukol volost, where a battle took place with Prince Samar, who was destroyed. A little later, Ermak concluded a truce with the prince from the Lower Ob region. This prince began to rule in this territory on behalf of Ermak.
Mametkul himself was later captured and taken to Siberia.
The conquest of Siberia continued. The Cossacks fought with the Tatars, one after another the people of Ermak died, who in the current situation was forced to send 25 of his Cossack soldiers to Moscow to ask for help.
History knows the fact that all the soldiers of the campaign in Siberia were awarded by the king. The king also pardoned all criminals who acted against the state and promised to send 300 archers to help Ermak’s army.
The death of the king confused all the ataman's plans; the king's promises were not fulfilled for a long time. The development of Siberia by Ermak was under threat and became unpredictable.
Help arrived too late. The Cossack detachments had been destroyed by this time, and the main part of Ermak’s army, together with soldiers from Moscow who came to the rescue, was blocked in Kashlyk on March 12, 1585. No food was delivered. There are very few people left. Ermak's army had to independently obtain provisions for themselves. Finding the right moment, Kuchum killed Ermak’s men, then killed the chieftain. Ermak’s campaign ended with such a tragic end.
Many songs and legends have been written about his feat. His heroism has been repeatedly described in various literary works. Artists painted his image, creating great canvases. Many outstanding places of that time were named after Ermak.
The results turned out to be invaluable for the Russian state. Peasants began to live in its vast expanses, new cities were built, and more monetary fees - taxes - appeared in the Russian treasury. Ermak’s campaign contributed to the development of new rich lands located beyond the Urals mountains.
