The siege of Dorogobuzh took place in October 1632, during the

Smolensk War The Smolensk War (1632–1634) was a conflict fought between the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and Russia. Hostilities began in October 1632 when Russian forces tried to capture the city of Smolensk. Small military engagements produced mix ...

. Russian forces under Fyodor Sukhatin and Aleksander Lesley managed to capture the fortress of

Dorogobuzh Dorogobuzh (russian: Дорогобуж) is a historic town and the administrative center of Dorogobuzhsky District in Smolensk Oblast, Russia, straddling the Dnieper River and located east of Smolensk, the administrative center of the oblast. ...

, which was held by some 300 Polish-Lithuanian soldiers, supported by an unknown number of

Zaporozhian Cossacks The Zaporozhian Cossacks, Zaporozhian Cossack Army, Zaporozhian Host, (, or uk, Військо Запорізьке, translit=Viisko Zaporizke, translit-std=ungegn, label=none) or simply Zaporozhians ( uk, Запорожці, translit=Zaporoz ...

, loyal to the

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and, after 1791, as the Commonwealth of Poland, was a bi- confederal state, sometimes called a federation, of Poland and Lithuania ru ...

. On 20 June 1632 the

Zemsky Sobor The Zemsky Sobor ( rus, зе́мский собо́р, p=ˈzʲemskʲɪj sɐˈbor, t=assembly of the land) was a parliament of the Tsardom of Russia's estates of the realm active during the 16th and 17th centuries. The assembly represented Russi ...

declared war on Poland–Lithuania. The Russians hoped to recapture

Smolensk Smolensk ( rus, Смоленск, p=smɐˈlʲensk, a=smolensk_ru.ogg) is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River, west-southwest of Moscow. First mentioned in 863, it is one of the oldest ...

and other territories which they had lost after the

Polish–Muscovite War (1605–18) Polish–Muscovite War can refer to: *Muscovite–Lithuanian Wars * Polish–Muscovite War (1605–18) *Smolensk War (1631–34) *Russo-Polish War (1654–67) Armed conflicts between Poland (including the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth) and ...

. The Russians acted very slowly and their army did not leave

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...

until 9 August, crossing the border on 30 September. Altogether, the

Russian Army The Russian Ground Forces (russian: Сухопутные войска �ВSukhoputnyye voyska V}), also known as the Russian Army (, ), are the land forces of the Russian Armed Forces. The primary responsibilities of the Russian Ground Force ...

had some 60 000 men, including a main force of 25 000 and 158 cannons, led by

Mikhail Shein Mikhail Borisovich Shein (Михаил Борисович Шеин, ) (late 1570s–1634) was a leading Russian general during the reign of Tsar Mikhail Romanov. Despite his tactical skills and successful military career, he ended up losing his ar ...

. Due to muddy ground, the march was slow, reaching

Vyazma Vyazma (russian: Вя́зьма) is a town and the administrative center of Vyazemsky District in Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Vyazma River, about halfway between Smolensk, the administrative center of the oblast, and Mozhaysk. Thr ...

on 6 October. There, Shein ordered the front guard under Sukhatin and Lesley to march towards Dorogobuzh and capture the town, opening the way towards Smolensk. In spring of 1632, upon the initiative of

Voivode Voivode (, also spelled ''voievod'', ''voevod'', ''voivoda'', ''vojvoda'' or ''wojewoda'') is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe since the Early Middle Ages. It primarily referred to the ...

of Smolensk

Aleksander Korwin Gosiewski Aleksander Korwin Gosiewski ( lt, Aleksandras Korvinas Gosievskis) ''de armis'' Ślepowron (b. – d. 1639), was a Polish nobleman, military commander and diplomat, Lithuanian Field-Quartermaster since 1630, Palatine-Governor of Smolensk ...

, the fortifications of Dorogobuzh were reinforced. Its garrison consisted of a 100-strong unit of heavy cavalry, Polish infantry (200 men), and Cossacks. All forces were commanded by Jerzy Luskina. By 14 October the Russians burned most of the town, murdering many of its residents. The defenders retreated to a castle, located on a nearby hill, which fell on 28 October. Two days later main the Russian force under Shein arrived at Dorogobuzh. The captured fortress served as main supply base for the Russians.

Sources

* Dariusz Kupisz, Smolensk 1632-1634, Bellona, 2001, {{DEFAULTSORT:Dorogobuzh, Siege of Conflicts in 1632 Sieges involving Poland Sieges involving Russia Sieges involving the Grand Duchy of Lithuania 1632 in Europe 1632 in Russia Battles of the Smolensk War