Historedia
EuropeEvent

Siege of Pskov

When
1581–1582
Where
Pskov; Pskov and surrounding Russian regions
Episodes
4

In 1581, King Stephen Báthory of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania besieged Pskov during the Livonian War. The Polish-Lithuanian army attempted to capture the city but failed, leading to a blockade until early 1582. The conflict ended with the Truce of Jam Zapolski.

Episodes

  1. August 18, 1581 · PskovArrival of Polish Forces

    Polish-Lithuanian detachments reached Pskov in August 1581, initiating the siege.

  2. November-December 1581 · Pskov and surrounding Russian regionsGarrison Sallies and Raids

    The Pskov garrison conducted frequent sallies while Polish cavalry raided Russian regions.

  3. Winter 1581-1582 · PskovWinter Crisis and Mutiny Prevention

    Chancellor Zamojski prevented mutiny in the besieging army during the harsh winter of 1581-1582.

  4. December 13, 1581 - February 4, 1582 · PskovTruce and Withdrawal

    Negotiations led to the Truce of Jam Zapolski, and Polish forces withdrew from Pskov in early 1582.

Background and detail

Background. Stephen Báthory, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, led Commonwealth forces in the Livonian War. After capturing Polotsk in 1579 and Velikiye Luki in 1580, his army advanced toward Pskov. The Sejm had granted subsidies for war against Muscovy, setting the stage for this final stage of the conflict.

Siege Operations. Polish detachments arrived at Pskov's walls in August 1581. The garrison conducted frequent sallies, particularly in late 1581. Meanwhile, Polish cavalry raided Russian regions reaching the Volga and Lake Ladoga. The harsh winter of 1581-1582 threatened the besieging army, which was kept in check by Chancellor Zamojski.

Conclusion. The siege failed to take the city. Negotiations began in December 1581, leading to the Truce of Jam Zapolski in January 1582. The last Polish-Lithuanian detachments left Pskov on February 4, 1582. The event is commemorated in Warsaw with dates ranging from August 1581 to January 1582.

People involved

Sources

  1. Siege of Pskov Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-22
  2. Stephen Báthory Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-29

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.