Yermak Timofeyevich, The Stroganov Chronicle

From Armstrong, Terence, ed. Yermak’s Campaign in Siberia.  Tatiana Minorsky and David Wileman, trans.  Hakluyt Society: London, 1975.

On the taking of the Siberian land, how to the Pious Sovereign, the Tsar and Great Prince Ivan Vasil’yevich of all Russia, God granted the Siberian state for the sovereign to rule over, and granted that he should defeat the Sultan of Sibir’, Kuchyum son of Murzata, and capture alive his son, the khan’s heir Mametkul, and how God enlightened that Siberian land by holy baptism and by the holy churches of God and established in it a bishop’s throne for an archiepiscopacy.  

[1]  News came to the hearing of the Pious Sovereign, the Tsar and Great Prince Ivan Vasil’yevich of all Russia, concerning the frequent warlike incursions of infidels from the Siberian peoples into the sovereign’s land of Perm’, and how the godless ones by their incursion had brought much captivity and desolation on the sovereign’s cities and settlements and villages of the land of Perm’.  God inspired the Pious Sovereign, the Tsar, to question the men of his state who had knowledge concerning that land.  The sovereign ordered that Yakov and Grigorey Stroganov should be brought before him, and he questioned them how the land of Perm’ might be protected from attack by the Siberian peoples and by what means restraint could be exercised on Sultan Kuchyum.  They related everything in detail to the sovereign, and their words were pleasing to the sovereign.  He granted them his favour and commanded that they should be given according to their wishes what was needed, howsoever the land of Perm’ might be protected by them from the Siberian peoples.  He commanded concerning this that in all matters the sovereign’s charters should be granted to them for trade among the Siberian peoples and the peoples of other hordes and lands.

[11]  On the sending of the Volga atamans and cossacks, Yermak son of Timofey and his comrades, and of the troops of the Stroganovs to Sibir’ against the Siberian sultan.
In the year 7090 [1581] on the first of September, sacred to the memory of our holy father St Simeon Stylites, Semen and Maksim and Nikita Stroganov sent from their strongholds the Volga atamans and cossacks, Yermak son of Timofey and his comrades, to Sibir’ against the Siberian sultan.  Together with them they had assembled from their strongholds in their troops, men of Lithuania, foreigners, Tatars and Russians, daring, brave and valiant soldiers, three hundred in number.  They sent them out together with the Volga atamans and cossacks, and from them they formed that gathering of eight hundred and forty daring and brave men.  Assembling together they offered up hymns of prayer to all-merciful God, glorified in the Trinity, and to his most pure Mother, Mother of God, and to all the powers of heaven and to His holy saints.  They paid them a satisfactory reward, attired them in clothing and supplied them with fire-arms, cannons and rapid-firing guns and seven-span muskets and many provisions and all these things in sufficiency.  They gave them guides, who knew that road to Sibr’, and interpreters of the infidel language, and sent them in peace to the Siberian land.  Those atamans and cossacks together with hired troops advanced gladly into the Siberian land against the Siberian sultan, with their formation of companies, appointed for clearing the country of Sibir’, to make clean the land and to drive out the godless barbarian.

[17]  On the capture of the stronghold of Atik murza.
The Russian army came up to the stronghold of Atik murza, captured it and settled down in it.  Already night had come and descended, and the cossacks having seen such a great gathering of the pagans at the barricade were alarmed at it and said among themselves:  “How can we stand against such a great gathering?”  They began to deliberate among themselves, forming an assembly, and they took good counsel concerning this and said one to another:  “Should we leave this place, or stand fast?”  Some began to reflect and to say:  “It would be better for us if we went away from them in retreat.”  Others spoke sternly and firmly against them.  “O like-minded brothers, where can we flee to, since autumn has already come upon us and ice is freezing over the rivers?  Let us not give ourselves up to flight and bring such ill repute upon ourselves, nor have such censure put on ourselves.  But let us place our hope in God.  For not from many troops does victory come, but help is given from God above.  For God can help even the helpless.  We have ourselves heard, brothers, how much evil those godless and accursed infidels of the Siberian land and Sultan Kuchyum did, how they brought desolation on our sovereign’s towns in our Russian land of Perm’, how they brought death and much captivity on the Orthodox Christians and how much harm they did to the Sroganov’s forts.  Because of this almighty God is bringing vengeance on these accursed men for this Christian blood.  Let us remember, brothers, our promise, how we gave our word and our vows to honourable men before God, and how we pledged ourselves by kissing the cross, so far as almighty God should grant to aid us, on no account to flee, although death should come on all to the last man.  We cannot go back because of the disgrace and because it would violate our word, which we pledged on oath.  If almighty God, glorified in the Trinity, aids us, then even after our death our memory will not fade in these lands and our fame will be eternal.”  
After this the atamans and cossacks all took heart and their courage was reaffirmed and they pledged themselves to the last man, all saying with one accord:  “Together we are ready to die for the holy churches of God and to suffer for the true Orthodox faith.  We shall serve the Pious Sovereign, the Tsar and the Great Prince Ivan Vasil’yevich of all Russia, and we shall stand firm against the pagans until blood is shed and until death itself comes.  And so, brothers, we shall not betray our vow and shall with one accord stand firm in that resolve.”  To all of them this good counsel commended itself.  
As night had already passed and day was dawning and the sun had shone out, the clouds were illuminated with brilliant light.  Yermak was greatly concerned about his affairs and said to his company with tears:  “O friends and brothers, let us pray to God and to His most pure Mother, Mother of God, and to all the heavenly powers and to His saints, that we may be saved from the attacks of our ungodly and accursed enemies.”  They came out of the stronghold to battle on the 23^rd of October, sacred to the memory of the holy apostle James, the brother of our Lord.  They proclaimed all together as if with one voice:  “God is with us!”  And again:  “O Lord, help us Your servants!”  They began to make and advance on the barricade most bravely and fiercely, and there was a great battle with the pagans.  The pagan shot innumerable arrows from the top of the barricade and from loop-holes.  They laid low many daring men of Yermak’s company, wounding some and despatching others to death.  The pagans seeing that brave men had fallen, themselves broke through their barricade in three places and came out on a sortie, hoping to put the cossacks to headlong flight.  During the sortie a great battle then took place, and they fought ruthlessly until in hand to hand fighting they cut each other down.  The cossacks all together fell upon the pagans, displaying their bravery and ferocity before the impious and godless infidels.  In a short time the pagans began to fail in their strength.  God granted the cossacks victory over the pagans.  The cossacks gained ground, overcame them and killed innumerable pagans.  They drove them from the barricade and planted their banners on the barricade.  They wounded the khan’s heir Mametkul, but his troops carried him off in a small boat across the river Irtish.  
Khan Kuchyum, standing on a lofty place, saw that his Tatars had fallen and that his son Mametkul had been wounded and had fled.  He swiftly commanded his mullahs to call out their abominable infidel prayer.  They began to summon to their aid their abominable gods, but there was not even a little aid granted them.  At that time the Ostyak princes departed with their men, each to his home.  Khan Kuchyum, seeing his ruin and the loss of his kingdom and riches said to all his men with bitter lamentation:  “O murzas and princes, let us flee without delaying.  We see ourselves the loss of our kingdom.  Our strong ones are exhausted, and our brave warriors have all been slain.  O woe is me, what shall I do or where shall I flee?  Shame covers my face!  Who is it who defeated me and deprived me of my kingdom?  The Stroganovs sent men of the common people against me from their forts to avenge on me the evil I had inflicted; they sent the atamans and cossacks, Yermak and his comrades, with not many of their men.  He came upon us, defeated us and did us such great harm.  They killed my troops and wounded my son, who was taken away from them barely alive.  He brought shame upon me myself and drove me from my kingdom.  My sickness has returned upon my head, and my iniquity has descended upon me.  For I with joy seized what was not mine, I waged war on the Russian land, Perm’ the Great and the Stroganovs’ forts.  But now I have been deprived of all I had and I have myself been defeated.  For there is no gladness on earth that does not turn to grief.”

[28]  On the killing of the brave ataman Yermak, together with Russian warriors.
In that year, on the 5^th of August, . . . During that night there was heavy rain.  The pagans, like a viper breathing fury against Yermak and his company, were preparing their swords for vengeance, were hoping to regain their inheritance, and wished to achieve the end of their desired aim.  The time was about midnight.  Yermak and his company were sleeping in their camps, beneath the curtains of the beds.  The pagans, breathing fury as if mad, prepared themselves for the shedding of blood, and understood that it was already time to achieve their wish.  Swiftly they unsheathed their arms, fell upon their camp and slew them with their drawn swords.  And so they were all killed there, and only one escaped; and the most wise, brave and eloquent Yermak was killed.

[36]  On the establishment of cities and forts in the Siberian land.
According to the command of the Sovereign, the Tsar and Great Prince Ivan Vasil’yevich of all Russia, and after him according to the command of his son, the Sovereign, the Tsar and Great Prince Fedor Ivanovich of all Russia, there began to be established in the Siberian land cities and forts and there began to be propagated in the Siberian land the Christian Orthodox faith.  Churches to God were raised up, and the preaching of the Gospel teaching spread to every end of the Siberian land, and the thunder of the psalms resounded.  In many places by the command of those sovereigns Christian cities and strongholds were established, and in them churches t God were raised up, and monasteries were constituted to the glory of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.  The unbelievers saw such grace shining forth in their land and the sovereign’s imperial hand raised over them, and many submitted themselves under the sovereign’s hand and left their impious faith.  Many unbelievers came to baptism and were baptised, living in the Orthodox faith.  Everywhere indeed was the grace of God spread abroad and poured out abundantly throughout the length of the Siberian lands.

[37]  On the collection of fur tribute.
After the capture and purification of all the Siberian land and after the pacification of the infidel people, . . . And henceforth Semen and Maksim and Nikita began to send their men to collect that fur tribute from their strongholds and forts along the rivers to the encampments of the Tartars, Ostyaks and Voguls and to collect fur tribute from those infidels and to send it with their men to Moscow to the Novgorod treasury.