Yermak Timofeyevich

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(d. 1585), Cossack chieftain, leader of an expedition that laid the basis for Russia's annexation of Siberia.

Little is known about Yermak's early biography, and many of the details of his Siberian campaign are still disputed. Most sources indicate that he was a Volga Cossack who fled north in 1581 in order to escape punishment for piracy; Ruslan Skrynnikov, however, argues that Yermak was fighting in the Livonian War in 1581 and went to Siberia in 1582. Yermak and his Cossack band were hired by the Stroganovs, a family of wealthy Urals merchants, to protect their possessions against attacks by the Tatars and other indigenous peoples of Siberia. Thereafter Yermak and his band of a few hundred men set off along the Siberian rivers in lightweight boats; it is not clear whether the Stroganovs sent them to attack the Siberian khanate, or whether the decision to go on to the offensive was taken by the Cossacks. In October 1582 they defeated the Siberian khan, Kuchum, and occupied his capital, Kashlyk (Isker). The local peoples recognized Yermak's authority and rendered him tribute. In 1585, however, Khan Kuchum launched a surprise attack on the Cossack camp and killed most of the band. Yermak himself, according to legend, drowned in the River Irtysh, weighed down by a suit of armour that he had received as a gift from the tsar. Subsequent expeditions continued the Russian annexation of Siberia that Yermak had pioneered. After his death Yermak became a folk hero; his achievements were celebrated in oral tales and songs, and later depicted in popular prints (lubki).

Bibliography

Armstrong, Terence, ed. (1975). Yermak's Campaign in Siberia: A Selection of Documents, tr. Tatiana Minorsky and David Wileman. London: Hakluyt Society.

Perrie, Maureen. (1997). "Outlawry (Vorovstvo) and Redemption through Service: Ermak and the Volga Cossacks." In Culture and Identity in Muscovy, 1359 - 1584, ed. A. M. Kleimola and G. D. Lenhoff. Moscow: ITZ-Garant.

Skrynnikov, R. G. (1986). "Ermak's Siberian Expedition." Russian History / Histoire Russe 13:1 - 39.

—MAUREEN PERRIE

Yermak redirects here. For the ship, see Icebreaker Yermak.

Yermak

Yermak Timofeyevich (Russian: Ерма́к Тимофе́евич, also Ermak) (born between 1532 and 1542 – August 5 or 6, 1585), Cossack leader, Russian folk hero and explorer of Siberia. His exploration of Siberia marked the beginning of the expansion of Russia towards this region and its colonization. ("Timofeyevich" is his patronimic, not the last name, so in references he must be looked up as "Yermak" or "Yermak Timofeyevich"; his last name, if any, is unknown).

In 1558, the Stroganov merchant family received their first patent for colonizing "the abundant region along the Kama River", and in 1574 lands over the Ural Mountains along the rivers Tura and Tobol. They also received permission to build forts along the Ob and Irtysh rivers. Around 1577, the Stroganovs hired the Cossack leader Yermak to protect their lands from attacks of the Siberian Khan Kuchum.

Conquest of Siberia by Yermak, painting by Vasily Surikov

In 1579 or 1581 Yermak began his voyage into the depths of Siberia. After a few victories over the khan's army, Yermak's people defeated Kuchum's main forces after a 3-day battle (October 23–25, 1582) on the banks of Irtysh. The remains of the khan's army retreated to the steppes. On October 26, Yermak captured the capital of the Siberia Khanate, Qashliq (17 km from the city of Tobolsk). Since Kuchum still had enough forces to resist, he suddenly attacked Yermak on August 6, 1585 in the dead of night and killed most of his people. Yermak was wounded and tried to swim across the Wagay River (Irtysh's tributary), but drowned under the weight of his own chain mail. The remains of Yermak's forces under the command of M. Mescheryak retreated from Qashliq.

Yermak's exploration of Siberia is reflected in the so-called Siberian Chronicles. His life and death have been subjects for numerous Russian songs, books, and paintings since the 16th century. In 1995 a historical biopic "Yermak" was shot.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Yermak

• Icebreaker Yermak
• History of Siberia
• Exploration of Asia
• Russian conquest of Siberia

References

This article incorporates text from the Great Soviet Encyclopedia

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