Rodilov, Epifan Ivanovich

For the first time the name of the chieftain Epifan Rodilov was mentioned in 1613 in a letter from Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich to the Don Army .

In the fall of 1616, Don Cossacks removed Smag Chershensky from the atamanism and elected Epifan Rodilov as the new military ataman.

In the winter of 1617, the chieftain E.I. Rodilov sent messengers to the Zaporizhzhya Sich , agreeing with the Zaporozhye Cossacks on a joint campaign against the Turkish and Crimean possessions. In January of the same year, the Azov Turks and Tatars raided the Cossack winter houses, some of which were ravaged and burned. In response, the Don Cossacks ravaged the Azov suburbs, and in the spring of 700 Cossacks plowed down to the sea, ravaging the villages along the shores of the Azov and Black Seas. The Sultan sent two Pasha against the Don Cossacks with a group of Janissaries in seven "hard labor". The Donets, overtaken by the enemy, defeated the Turks. The Turks were killed and captured. One pasha was killed, and the Ottoman penal servitude was captured.

In the same 1617, ataman Epifan Rodilov led a new naval campaign against the Turks. Two thousand Zaporizhzhya Cossacks joined the Donets. At the mouth of the Dnieper, the Cossack flotilla was attacked by two Turkish squadrons. The Cossacks defeated the Turkish fleet, capturing Kapudan Pasha.

In 1618, the new Ottoman sultan Ahmed ordered the Dead Donets navigable canal to be filled up and the second duct blocked, building a fortress on its shore where a Turkish garrison with cannons was placed. Kafinsky Pasha with a large group of Janissaries was sent to Azov. The Russian Embassy of Peter Mansurov, returning from Istanbul to Moscow, was detained by the Turks in Azov . Ataman Epifan Rodilov received news from Azov that if the Cossacks try to prevent the filling of the Dead Donets and the construction of a fortress on the Kalancha duct, the Turks will crack down on the Russian embassy. Ataman was forced to restrain the Cossacks from attacking the Turks. By the fall of 1618, the Turks fell asleep on the Dead Donets and completed the construction of a fortress on Kalancha, and the Russian embassy was released home. The Turks thought that they finally blocked the way for the Cossacks at sea, but they miscalculated. Cossacks dug a direct channel ( erik ) upstream the Kalanchi canal into another arm of the Don Girl, which was called the Cossack erik. Donets continued to make devastating campaigns on the Turkish and Crimean coasts.

In the spring of 1618, the tsarist government, which continued the war with the Commonwealth, called on the Don Cossacks to send 5-6 thousand horse and foot soldiers to help Moscow. The Don army responded to the king’s request. The 2-thousand-strong detachment of Cossacks under the command of the ataman Gavrila Starodub in the fall moved to help Moscow. Although the Cossack regiments arrived late and did not take part in hostilities, the tsarist government sent a letter to the Army, thanks to the Cossacks for their service.

Don Cossacks continued the struggle against the Turks and Crimean Tatars. In December 1619, the Azovites, Nogais and Crimeans attacked, devastated and burned one of the Cossack towns, lying below the Manychsky town. More than 100 people were captured. Attempts by the enemy to take other Don towns failed. The Don people, joining their forces, repelled the enemy attack. Ataman Epifan Rodilov called on the Cossacks from the Don and its tributaries to make a return campaign to Azov .

In the spring of 1620, a large number of Don Cossacks gathered in a circle to discuss a plan for a return campaign to Azov . Several hundred Cossacks came to the aid of the Don Cossacks. Ataman Rodilov and his supporters advocated the capture of Azov , and another part of the Cossacks, led by ataman Shalygin, demanded a sea voyage to the Ottoman possessions. 1300 Donets and 400 Cossacks under the command of the chieftains Sulima, Shilo and Yatsko went to sea and went to the shores of Turkey. Sea trip ended in complete failure. The Cossacks could not take the city of Rize , where the Turks, receiving reinforcements, repelled their attack and forced the Cossacks to retreat. On the way back, the Cossack flotilla fell into a strong storm and collided with the Turkish squadron. The Turks won, partially sinking and scattering the Cossack plows. Only 300 Donts and 30 Cossacks were able to return from the campaign. The campaign of the Cossacks to Kazyev ulus also ended unsuccessfully.

During the sea campaign, the ataman Epifan Rodilov, collecting the remaining forces, went on a campaign by land and water to the Azov fortress. 3-4 thousand Cossacks besieged the fortress, but could not take it by storm. The Don people were repelled, but were able to ruin the Azov posad and the immediate vicinity.

In the fall of 1620, the Cossacks removed Epifan Rodilov from the atamanism, accusing him of failing a spring sea voyage under the leadership of ataman Shalygin. He was also accused of inaction during the construction by the Turks of a fortress on Kalancha and backfilling of the Dead Donets. Isai Martemyanov was elected the new chieftain. Despite this, Rodilov did not lose his influence in the Don Army. His name continued to be mentioned in royal letters, along with the name of Isai Martemyanov .

In 1620, ataman Epifan Rodilov headed the winter village in Moscow. In the same autumn , Rodilov headed the winter village to Moscow, for difficult negotiations on receiving the next royal salary, and solving other pressing issues.

In 1625, the Don and Zaporozhye Cossacks, led by Ataman Isai Martemyanov, made an unsuccessful sea voyage to Turkish possessions. Taking advantage of this circumstance, the Crimean Tatars and Azovites attacked the Don towns. Five of them were taken by attack and completely destroyed. Troop chieftain E. Rodilov, collecting Cossacks from the surrounding towns, defeated the enemy. On a convoked Cossack circle, a decision was made on a return campaign to the Azov fortress. Epifan Rodilov, at the head of the 3,000th army, rushed to Azov and personally led the attack on the Turkish fortress. The Turkish garrison was able to repel all Cossack attacks. Ataman Rodilov himself received several wounds in the battles. The Cossacks could not take the well-fortified Azov , but the next day they easily took a new fortress on Kalancha, where they killed the entire garrison.

In the fall of 1625, a flotilla of Don Cossacks (from 1300 to 2000 thousand people in 27 plows) made a sea voyage on the coast of Turkey. In the Black Sea, the Don people connected with the Zaporozhye Cossacks (more than 10,000 thousand people with 300 gulls). The allies captured and plundered the wealthy Turkish cities of Trebizond , Samsun and Sinop . The Sultan sent a 100,000th army and a large fleet against the Cossacks. The Cossacks were defeated in the naval battle, the Don people lost 500 people, and the Cossacks more than 800. On the way back, the Don and Zaporozhye Cossacks ravaged the neighborhood of Gezlev (Kozlev).

In the spring of 1626, the Don Cossacks raided the Crimean coast again, plundered and burned several Tatar villages in the vicinity of Gezlev , capturing several hundred people and freeing many Russian slaves. On the way back to the sea, the Donians attacked and captured three Turkish merchant ships.

At this time, the chieftain Epifan Rodilov, having united with the detachment of the Cossacks, at the head of the 2-thousandth army set out on a campaign against the Azov fortress . The Cossacks could not take a well-fortified city and ravaged the suburbs.

In the spring of 1627, ataman Epifan Rodilov led the naval campaign of the combined detachment of the Don and Zaporozhye Cossacks on the coast of Turkey. The Cossack flotilla suddenly appeared in the vicinity of Istanbul. They broke into the Golden Horn Bay and set fire to the standing military and merchant ships of the Turks. Cossacks landed and began to exterminate Muslims and Jews. A great panic erupted in the Ottoman capital. Turkish janissaries with great difficulty forced the Cossacks out of the port and suburbs. Having plundered port warehouses, the Don and Zaporozhye Cossacks returned home with huge booty.

In the spring of 1628, Epifan Rodilov surrendered his Ataman powers to Volokite Frolov, who traveled to Moscow with him.

In the spring of 1630 he was again elected military ataman. On April 5, at the head of a Cossack detachment (1000 donors and 500 Cossacks) in 28 plows, he undertook a campaign “for zipuns”. On April 29, the Cossacks approached Kerch. An attempt to storm the city failed. Having lost 100 people killed and wounded, they were repelled and retreated. A week later, the Cossack plows again landed on the shore, where the Cossacks began to ravage the Tatar villages. Tatars gathered strength and repelled the Cossacks. Then the Don and Cossacks went to the Turkish coast. Initially, they ravaged two Greek villages: Iseres and Arpaty, owned by the Sultan. Then they captured and plundered Nebela, in the vicinity of Sinop , where they ruthlessly exterminated Muslims, but did not touch the Orthodox Greeks.

After 1630, the name of Epifan Ivanovich Rodilov does not appear in historical acts.

• Don Chronograph 1605-1619
• Don chronograph 1620-1631