Tatar sailors in the Crimean (Eastern) War of 1853–1856

170 years ago, on October 17, 1854, the 349-day defense of Sevastopol by Russian troops began in the Crimean War. This defense is also called the First Defense of Sevastopol, in contrast to the defense of the city in 1941–1942. The Crimean War began in 1853 and at the initial stage against the Ottoman Empire was accompanied by victories of Russian troops both on the land theatre of military operations and in the Black Sea. However, after France, Great Britain and the Kingdom of Sardinia entered the war on the side of Turkey, the position of the Russian Empire changed for the worse - Russia lost the most important battles on the territory of the Crimean Peninsula. Limited military operations were also conducted in the Baltic, the White Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Tatars of Kazan province were mainly recruited to the Baltic fleet, only a few were sent to the Black Sea Fleet. But from the southern provinces, especially Saratov province, where in some districts there were areas of compact residence of Tatars, Tatar recruits were periodically sent to the Black Sea Fleet. Tatar sailors took part in all the battles of the Crimean War – on land and at sea. For citation: Naserov Sh.А. Tatar sailors in the Crimean (Eastern) War of 1853–1856. From History and Culture of Peoples of the Middle Volga Region. 2024, vol.14, no.4, pp.107–119. https://doi.org/10.22378/2410-0765.2024-14-4.107-119 (In Russian)