Yermak Timofeyevich

In this name that follows Eastern Slavic naming customs, the patronymic is Timofeyevich.
For other uses, see Yermak (disambiguation).
Yermak Timofeyevich
17th century portrait of Yermak, the first Russian leader of the exploration and conquest of Siberia
Bornbetween 1532
Along Chusovaya River, Dvina River, Kama River or Don River, Russia
DiedAugust 5 or 6, 1585 (aged 43–53)
Sibiryak, Qashliq, Khanate of Sibir, Russia
Occupations
Known forThe Cossack who led the Russian exploration and conquest of Siberia, in the reign of Tsar Ivan the Terrible
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Yermak Timofeyevich (Russian: Ермак Тимофеевич, IPA: [jɪrˈmak tʲɪmɐˈfʲejɪvʲɪt͡ɕ]; 1532 (supposedly) – August 5 or 6, 1585) was a Cossack ataman and is today a hero in Russian folklore and myths. During the reign of the Russian tsar Ivan the Terrible, Yermak started the Russian conquest of Siberia.

Russians' fur-trade interests fueled their desire to expand east into Siberia. The Tatar Khanate of Kazan was established by Ulugh Muhammad as the best entryway into Siberia. In 1552, Ivan the Terrible's modernized army toppled the khanate.[1] After the takeover of Kazan, the tsar looked to the powerful and affluent Stroganov merchant family to spearhead the eastward expansion. In the late 1570s, the Stroganovs recruited Cossack fighters to invade Asia on behalf of the tsar.[2] These Cossacks elected Yermak as the leader of their armed forces, and in 1582 Yermak set out with an army of 840 to attack the Khanate of Sibir.[3]

On October 26, 1582, Yermak and his soldiers overthrew Kuchum Khan's Tatar empire at Qashliq in a battle that marked the "conquest of Siberia".[4] Yermak remained in Siberia and continued his struggle against the Tatars until 1584, when a raid organized by Kuchum Khan ambushed and killed him and his party.[5]

The specifics of Yermak's life, such as his appearance, background, and dates of events, remain points of controversy for historians because the texts that document his life are not reliable.[6] However, his life and conquests had a profound influence on Siberian relations, sparking Russian interest in the region and establishing the Tsardom of Russia as an imperial power east of the Urals.[7]

  1. ^ Lincoln, p. 30
  2. ^ Lincoln, p. 40
  3. ^ Lincoln, p. 41
  4. ^ Lincoln, pp. 42–43
  5. ^ Wright, p. 131
  6. ^ Rasputin, pp. 38–40
  7. ^ Wright, pp. 131–132