Home – Home – Jornals – Humanitarian sciences in Siberia 2015 number

The purpose of this article is not only to describe the events associated with armed clashes between the Russian troops and the highlanders near the village of Endirey, but also to reveal the causes of this negative event in the history of Russian-Dagestan relations based on the available archival documents. In addition, attention is paid to the relationships of Russia with several Kumyk feudal rulers. In July 1722 the Emperor Peter the Great and his army entered the territory of Dagestan. However, the beginning of the company was not easy. The Russian army began to suffer losses long before the first clash with the enemy: 150 soldiers died from diseases in Astrakhan, while 40 soldiers escaped. The cavalry crossing the North Caucasian steppe was behind the original schedule. As envisioned by the tsar, the dragoons would arrive in the Agrakhan Gulf sooner than the infantry traveling by sea in order to ensure the landing operation with the construction of piers and to provide cover against possible enemy attacks. All such orders were given by Peter to Brigadier Andrey Veterani on July, 7. The cavalry, however, could not meet the deadline. G.S. Kropotov with his regiments made a forced crossing of the Volga river near the town of Selitrennoye only on July, 5 but in the next three weeks he still could not reach the Terek. On July, 30 he reported that he was encamped at “Kizlyar Lake” and could not move faster: “Dragoon horses are rather thin due to long marching across the great steppes, poor quality of forage and most of all due to heat and salt water”. The corps of Veterani moving from Tsaritsyn crossed the Terek on July, 16-17 and had to wait until gunpowder and lead were delivered from the Terskiy town. Thus, Veterani as a commander notified the tzar that he would be able to move on only in the night of July, 21. In the same report the Brigadier informed of other bad news: Ukrainian Cossack colonel Apostle while following after him found himself in the middle of the “burnt steppe”, facing the loss of horses and lack of forage. Veterani was to take Andreevskaya village (village of Endirey) and to ensure the landing operation in the Agrakhan Gulf. He was joined by the prince of Greater Kabarda Elmurza Cherkassky (the lieutenant in the Russian service, the younger brother of the deceased in Khiva A. Cherkassky) and the prince of Minor Kabarda Aslambek Kommetov. Endirey rulers Aydemir and Chopan-Shamhal tried to resist and attacked the regiments marching near the village. After a fierce battle on the 23th of July, the dragoons broke through to Endirey and destroyed it, having lost 89 people dead and 115 wounded. In conclusion the authors identify the causes that led to the battle between the Russian army and highlanders near the village Endirey.