Fight at Achansky Jail

In the autumn of 1651, a detachment of about 200 Russian servicemen and “free” Cossacks, led by Erofei Khabarov, descended down the Amur River to the lands of Achan (ancestors of Ulcha and Nanai ), where it was decided to settle for the winter. On October 8 (18), winter quarters were suddenly attacked by 800 Achan and Ducher . The attack was repelled, and the surrounding villages were brought into submission. However, the Cossacks still proceeded to the construction of a fortified prison. True, the wooden fortress was small in size, part of the houses where the Cossacks were located, was located outside the walls and was not protected from attacks. In addition, Khabarov did not provide for positions for artillery, which, subsequently, was blamed on him: “I didn’t put any guns or guns on the guns, but simply put them in the street” All Russian Cossacks had handguns — long-barreled wick squeaks . In addition, the detachment was one large copper and two small iron guns.

Nowadays, a few kilometers from the location of the Achansky burg, is the village of Achan of the Amur district of the Khabarovsk Territory .

Meanwhile, the elders of acher and ducher sent messengers to the Ningut Manchurian border fortress. At the end of 1651, the Ningut Chzhangin (military commandant) Haise decided to oppose the Russian Cossacks and capture them. He went to Achansky land with a detachment, which was also commanded by the company commander Seth (Russian sources mention only one Manchurian commander - Seth (Isinea)). The detachment consisted of 600 soldiers, armed mainly with melee weapons. There were only 6 light cannons and 30 pischale with 3 or 4 short trunks, as well as clay firecrackers filled with gunpowder to break up fortifications. The Manchus moved along winter roads on horseback (three horses for every two people).

The Manchurian detachment managed to secretly approach Achansky prison. At dawn on March 24 ( April 3 ) the Russian fortress upstream of the Amur suddenly had an army of horsemen dressed in armor. The guard Cossack immediately raised the alarm. The Cossacks quickly got up from their sleep, armed themselves and put on kuyaki (armor). The gates of the prison were closed, so the Cossacks, who spent the night in houses outside the fortress, were forced to move through the walls.

The Manchus opened fire with cannons and pishchale on the prison, the Russians fired back at the walls with pishchals. The shootout lasted all day. Towards evening the Manchus advanced to the very walls of the prison, hiding behind abandoned Russian houses. Having reached even closer, the Manchus managed to cut down three links of the log wall, opening their way to the fortress. However, Khabarov managed to bring a large copper cannon to the breach and meet the attackers with fire at close range. In the breach, the Manchus suffered the greatest losses and moved back. Khabarov decided to develop success and he made a raid.

156 Cossacks came out of the fortress, and the remaining 50 Russians covered them with fire from the pishchals from the fortress walls. Protected by armor, the Cossacks, led by Khabarov, entered into a hand-to-hand fight with the Manchus and put them to flight. Several prisoners were captured, who later gave testimony, eight enemy banners, 2 iron cannons, 17 pishchali, 830 horses and food reserves. On the battlefield left 676 enemies killed. Cossacks lost 10 people killed, 78 were injured.

Despite the victory, the Russians understood that they were facing a much more serious enemy than the detachments of local tribes. In the spring of 1652, the Russian detachment left the Achansky jail and went up the Amur, Reporting what had happened to Yakutsk, Khabarov explained that he couldn’t gain a foothold in the Amur region without support: “And in the Daur land on the mouth of Zeya and on the mouth of Shingala ( Sungari) we don’t dare to sit down with those people, because Bogdoev’s (Chinese) land is close, and the army comes to us big with fiery weapons and cannons and small weapons of fire, so that the government’s execution of the penalty will not kill Cossack heads in vain not to lose ” ^{[ 1]} . At the same time, Khabarov tried to start peace negotiations with the Manchus through the Ducher.

In Qing, China also appreciated the new adversary, with whom it was difficult to cope with the small forces on the border. He was punished for defeating Haise and Cifu at Ningut and was replaced as commander by the famous Manchurian commander Sharkhud, who began to systematically prepare for hostilities against the Russians - organizing numerous troops from the local population, building the river fleet, preparing food supplies, etc. Later, Sharhud succeeded turn the tide of hostilities in their favor. In the next battle at Sungari, the Manchus already achieved partial success.

• Leontyeva G. A. Zemleprokhodets Yerofey Pavlovich Khabarov. M., 1991.
• Yu. M. Vasiliev. Where to look for Achansky town? // Bulletin of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. 2002. No. 1
• Makhinov A.N., Shvetsov V.G. Achanskoe battle on the lower Amur in 1652 // “Military-Historical Journal”, 2013, No. 1. - Pp.72-75.