| Greek Battalion of Balaklava | |
|---|---|
 Officer of the Greek Battalion of Balaklava | |
| Disbanded | 1859 |
| Country |  Russian Empire |
| Allegiance |  Tsar of Russia |
| Branch | Imperial Russian Army |
| Type | Battalion |
| Garrison/HQ | Balaklava |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Stefanos Beis Mavromichalis Konstantinos Zaponis Theodosis Reveliotis Lykourgos Katsonis |
The Greek Battalion of Balaklava was a military unit of the Imperial Russian Army which participated in the Russo-Turkish wars of 1768–1774, 1787–1792 and 1806–1812. It consisted of Greek expatriates who were living in the Balaklava area.[1]
Initially the battalion was named "Greek Infantry Regiment" and in 1797 was renamed to "Greek Balaklava Battalion". Its Greek soldiers were from the Peloponnese, the Aegean islands, the Ionian Islands and the Venetian dominions in Albania. They were experienced in guerrilla warfare and contributed significantly to the Russian annexation of Crimea and the expulsion of the Ottomans from the area.
In the 1787-1789 war they fought also at sea with the Dnieper oared flotilla and the Black Sea Fleet. The battalion's contribution was crucial in the battles for the capture of Kaffa (Feodosiya) (1783) and the siege of the fortress of Sudak. They participated in the Russian suppression of the Tatar uprising of 1777-1778 which was supported by the Ottoman Empire and of the Tatar rebellion during the 1812 war against Napoleon. In the 1853-1856 Crimean War they opposed the British occupation of the city and port of Balaklava.[1]
The base of the Greek Infantry Regiment was Balaklava after the imperial decree of February 18, 1784. The soldiers settled in Balaklava with their families, a total number of about 500 adults in 1778, increased to about 1,700 in 1802.[1]
According to the April 4, 1797 imperial decree the battalion was composed of three companies, each having 100 soldiers. Including officers and other staff its total force amounted to 396 people. The soldiers were issued red and green uniforms and weaponry of the same type. The battalion’s organisation and operation was modeled on the armed divisions of the Don Cossacks, since these were closer to the Greek character and ethnic traditions. Among the battalion’s commanders were Captain Stefanos Beis Mavromichalis (1775-1779, 1794-1801), Major Konstantinos Zaponis (1790-1794), General Theodosis Reveliotis (1809-1831) and Lieutenant Colonel Lykourgos Katsonis, son of Lambros Katsonis,[2] (1831-1859).[1]
The battalion was disbanded in 1859.[3]
- ^ a b c d Selekou, Olympia (2007). "Balaklava battalion". Encyclopaedia of the Hellenic World, Black Sea. Foundation of the Hellenic World.
- ^ Stamou P. (2007) Comments on "The first Lestrygones of Balaklava" by Valentin Pikul, p.1 footnote 4, p.4, 10. In Greek language Archived 2012-04-25 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Town Residence of the Inkerman Monastery with the Temple of the Twelve Apostles in Balaklava. Official site of the Simpheropol and Crimean Eparchy, Ukrainian Orthodox Church". Archived from the original on 2012-04-25. Retrieved 2011-09-26.