Fire of Moscow
- When
- 1571
- Where
- Moscow suburbs and Oka River region; Moscow defensive perimeter; Moscow
- Episodes
- 3
On 24 May 1571, the Crimean army under Devlet I Giray bypassed Russian defenses, defeated sentry troops, and burned Moscow in retaliation for prior Muscovite incursions into Crimea.
Episodes
- Crimean Advance and Bypass
Devlet I Giray's army bypassed Oka River fortifications and crossed the Ugra River to approach Moscow suburbs.
- Defeat of Russian Sentries
Crimean and Ottoman forces crushed Russian sentry troops, forcing the main Russian army to retreat to Moscow.
- Burning of Moscow
On 24 May 1571, Crimean forces burned Moscow in retaliation for prior Muscovite attacks on Crimea.
Background and detail
Background. Tensions escalated after Muscovy violated oaths to the Giray dynasty by invading Crimea in 1556 and 1558, burning villages and capturing Tatars. In spring 1571, Devlet I Giray led 40,000 men north after earlier failed attempts along the Oka River, targeting Kozelsk and Bolkhov.
Military Action. The Crimean forces bypassed Serpukhov fortifications on the Oka River and crossed the Ugra River. They crushed Russian sentry troops and rounded the flank of the 36,000–40,000 strong Russian army, which subsequently retreated to Moscow without engaging in a decisive battle.
People involved
- Devlet I Giray · Khan of Crimea and military commander
- Russian Army · Defending force
Sources
- Fire of Moscow (1571) Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-11
- Devlet I Giray Wikipedia, revision of 2026-07-01
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.