Russian troops under the command of General Count Ivan Fyodorovich Paskevich captured the Turkish fortress of Erzurum

On 27 June (9 July) 1829 during the Russian-Turkish war (1828-1829) the garrison of the Turkish fortress Erzerum capitulated to the Russian troops under the command of General Count Ivan Fyodorovich Paskevich.

With the beginning of the Russian-Turkish war on 14 (26) April 1828, I. F. Paskevich was appointed commander of the Russian troops in the Caucasus theatre of military operations. Under his command the Russian army took Kars on 23 June (5 July) 1828, Akhalkalaki on 23 July (4 August), and in early August defeated twice the superior forces of the Turks at the fortress of Akhaltsikh, three weeks later completely capturing it.

The following year the troops under the command of I. F. Paskevich repelled two Turkish counter-offensives and, despite insufficient numbers, unrest of the Caucasian highlanders and the military threat from Persia, continued active combat operations. In a field battle at the village of Kainly on 19 June (1 July) 1829, the Russians defeated the Turkish army under the command of Gakki Pasha, which opened the way for a further offensive deep into Turkish Anatolia. The battle was witnessed by the poet Alexander Pushkin, who later described it in his travel essay "Journey to Arzrum" (1836).

In three days, having overcome more than 80 miles (more than 80 km) troops of General Paskevich took the fortress of Hassan-Kale, and on 27 June (9 July) 1829 entered the Turkish fortress of Erzerum - the main city in Asian Turkey, whose garrison capitulated to the Russian army. "On the abandoned battery we found Count Paskevich with all his retinue. From the height of the mountain in the gully, Arzrum with its citadel, its minarets, and its green roofs pasted one on top of the other came into view. The count was on horseback. Before him on the ground sat the Turkish deputies who had come with the keys of the city," wrote A. S. Pushkin in "Journey to Arzrum". - "Our regiments went to Arzrum, and on 27 June, on the anniversary of the battle of Poltava, at six o'clock in the evening the Russian banner developed over the Arzrum citadel <...> we entered the city, which presented an amazing picture. Turks from their flat roofs gloomily looked at us. The Armenians crowded noisily in the crowded streets. Their boys ran in front of our horses, crossing themselves and repeating: "Christian! Khristiyan!...". For the capture of Erzerum I.F. Paskevich was awarded the Order of St George of the 1st degree, becoming its full cavalier.

The successes of the Russian army determined the outcome of the Russian-Turkish war of 1828-1829. On 2 (14) September 1829 the Andrianople Peace Treaty was concluded, under the terms of which the eastern coast of the Black Sea was transferred to Russia. Turkey also recognised the transfer to Russia of the Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti, Imeretia, Mengrelia, Guria, as well as the Khanates of Erivan and Nakhichevan, transferred by Iran under the Treaty of Turkmanchay (1828), confirmed the obligations assumed under the Akkerman Convention (1826) to respect the autonomy of Serbia, and also agreed with the London Convention (1827) to grant autonomy to Greece. In addition, the autonomy of Moldavia, Wallachia and Serbia was confirmed. Turkey was obliged to pay Russia a contribution of 1.5 million Dutch chervonets within 18 months.

LIt.: Малашенко О. А. Паскевич Иван Фёдорович // Большая российская энциклопедия. Электронная версия (2023); Пушкин А. С. Путешествие в Арзрум во время похода 1829 года // Пушкин А. С. Полное собрание сочинений: В 16 т. Т. 8, кн. 1. Романы и повести. Путешествия. М.; Л.:, 1948. С. 441—490 [Электронный ресурс]. URL: http://feb-web.ru/feb/pushkin/texts/push17/vol08/y082441-.htm?cmd=p; Русско-турецкая война 1828–1829 гг. // Руниверс [Электронный ресурс]. URL: https://runivers.ru/conflicts/conflict/c2/russko_turetskaya_voyna_1828_1829_gg/.

Based on the Presidential Library's materials:

Paskevich Ivan Feodorovich (1782–1856): [digital collection]

Seizure of Erzurum by Russian troops // On this day. 16 February 1916