Azov Fortress

The site had been Venetian and Genoese colonies before the second half of the 15th century. A town named Tana served as major transit point for trafficking between West and East. Tana became a part of the Ottoman Empire in 1471. The Ottomans founded an enormous fortress there. It consisted of a stone wall with 11 towers around a hill. The Faubourg was separated by a moat and ramparts. The fortress' garrison was armed with 200 cannons.^[2]

Cossack period

The Don and Zaporozhian Cossacks stormed the fortress in June 1637. Cossack cavalry with the strength of 400 horsemen defended the fortress from steppe side. Turkish army attempted to retake Azov in 1641. The fortress sustained heavy shelling by guns that reduced much of the fortress to rubble. Turks spent 700-1000 shells per day.^[4] The walls were completely destroyed in parts. Only three towers among 11 were spared during the battle. Forces of Ottoman Empire stormed the fortress, but they sustained heavy losses and retreated. After the gun-fire forces of Ottoman Empire organized a massive attack against the fortress. Outnumbered Turkish Army forced the cossacks to retreat to the Citadel.^[5] Siege of Azov ends due to heavy toll (20–70 thousand wounded or killed in three months) problems with Turkish army support and supply of the provisions.

Russian period

The Don army (28,000 strong) under the command of imperial commander Peter Lacy besieged the fortress in 1736. Forces of Russia opened continuous artillery fire on the fortress on 11 June. Lacy gave an order to begin the storming in the night of 28/29 June. During the battle the Russian Army encountered unexpected resistance. The total Russian losses in the battle for the Azov fortress were 7 killed and 38 wounded. After the night attack Azov Pasha Mustafa Agi was invited to surrender the fortress to the Russians. Per the terms of the Treaty of Belgrade the city became part of the Russian Empire.^[9]

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