Extermination of 61 settlements of lowland Chechnya and mountainous Ichkeria by Rosen's troops, burning alive of the defenders of Germenchuk, and extortion of hostages from 80 villages (1832)
In August 1832, corps commander Rosen led a ten-thousand-strong detachment on a campaign through Chechnya and Ichkeria — the mountainous southeastern part of Chechen land, into which imperial troops had never before penetrated. The historian D. A. Khozhaev wrote: "Rosen's ten-thousand-strong tsarist detachment invaded mountainous Ingushetia and Chechnya, ablaze with the fire of a people's war of liberation. Despite the steadfast resistance of the inhabitants of mountainous Chechnya, who courageously defended every inch of their land, the tsarist troops destroyed several dozen auls and hamlets"[1]. On August 22, after crossing the Argun River, the villages of Belgatoy and Dzhan-yurt were annihilated. On August 23, Germenchuk — the richest village of Chechnya, numbering 600 households — was taken by storm. Rosen reported to Minister of War Chernyshev: "more than 100 bodies were left by them in the village itself," while a group "numbering about 60 men, for the most part people sent by Kazi-Mulla to hearten the inhabitants of Germenchuk," led by Mullah Abdurakhman, "was cut off and surrounded by us in one large house"[2]. The surrounded men refused to surrender and, on the order of General Volkhovsky, were burned alive. The imperial historian Volkonsky, writing from Rosen's dispatches, admits: "Major General Volkhovsky ordered burning firewood and hay to be thrown into the chimneys. This had its effect... but the greater part, together with Mullah Abdurakhman, perished in the flames, continuing to sing verses of the Quran"[3]. For two days "the troops annihilated the houses of the village of Germenchuk"; on August 26, Shali was destroyed "with the exception of 11 households that had paid the fine and the tribute"[3]. Rosen himself acknowledged the pattern of the campaign: the villages, "having been unable to agree among themselves on the release of our prisoners, were punished by the annihilation of their dwellings and plowlands, for which purpose, on the 27th and 28th of this past August, Colonel Shumsky was dispatched... He annihilated Alkhan-yurt, Sala-yurt, Katar-yurt, Lyalsin-yurt, Nazari-yurt, Uzden-yurt, Uruzbey-yurt, and Khyzin-Erzo-yurt"[2]. Further annihilated were Anzeli-yurt and Chingaroy-yurt, the crops and dwellings of Avtury, Said-yurt, the plowlands and houses of Geldigen, Anto-yurt, Askhor-yurt, Taba-yurt, and Kudish-yurt; Mairtup was burned, and in Ichkeria — Shoni, Tsentoroy, Belgatoy, the hamlet of Khamer, Ali-yurt, Bey-Bulat-yurt, Bachin-yurt, Khelboyn-yurt; Benoy was burned[3][2][1]. Rosen summed up the results in his report to Chernyshev of September 27, 1832: "In all, up to the present time, more than 80 Chechen and Ichkerian villages have submitted, a quarter of which had never been in dependence on us; 30 of our prisoners, men and women, have been returned; tribute and fines in money and livestock have been paid... about 5 th. r. s. [five thousand rubles in silver]. 61 unsubmitted villages have been annihilated, many of which, after punishment, declared their submission and fulfilled all demands"[2].
Actors
| ID | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| G0009 | Russian Empire |
From August 22 to the end of September 1832, corps commander Baron Rosen conducted a campaign through Chechnya and Ichkeria (the mountainous southeastern part of the Chechen land) in retribution against the people for the uprising, applying a uniform scheme: a village that failed to meet the conditions was exterminated. Rosen acknowledged the scheme in a report to Minister of War Chernyshev: the villages, "being unable to agree among themselves on the release of our prisoners, have been punished by the destruction of dwellings and plowed fields"[2]. Historian D. A. Khozhaev wrote: "In the summer and autumn of 1832, the troops of General Rosen swept through Chechnya, leaving death and destruction in their wake"[1]. |
Techniques Used
| ID | Name | Use | |
|---|---|---|---|
| T0053 | Abduction of People |
On September 9, 1832, during the seizure of the village of Tsentoroy in Ichkeria, the column of General Volkhovsky from the detachment of corps commander Baron Rosen took captive a woman from among the residents who had not managed to flee. The imperial historian Volkonsky wrote: "one woman was taken prisoner"[3]. On September 15, near the village of Dungen-yurt, the cavalry of Major Boreysha took captive residents caught while attempting to leave their homes. Rosen reported to Minister of War Chernyshev: the cavalry "managed to take prisoner 4 persons and 1 woman"[2]. |
|
| T0121 | Artificial Famine |
In August–September 1832, the troops of corps commander Baron Rosen destroyed the crops and plowed fields of the villages being ravaged — the people’s food base on the eve of winter. Rosen acknowledged this in a report to Minister of War Chernyshev: the unsubmitted villages were "punished by the destruction of dwellings and plowed fields"[2]. The imperial historian Volkonsky wrote: on September 1, the residents of Avtury, for refusing to hand over prisoners, were "punished by the destruction of crops and dwellings"; on September 3, near Geldigen, the detachment "exterminated their plowed fields and houses"[3]. |
|
| T0052 | Expropriation of Resources |
In August–September 1832, the troops of corps commander Baron Rosen appropriated the property and livestock of the residents and exacted monetary fines. The imperial historian Volkonsky wrote: the property of 50 families who had taken refuge in the forest near Mairtup "fell as booty to the detachment"; near Tsentoroy "6 horses and 50 head of cattle were seized"[3]. Rosen reported to Minister of War Chernyshev: on September 15, near the village of Dungen-yurt, the cavalry "seized 140 sheep and 9 head of cattle," and in total over the campaign "tribute and fines in money and livestock have been paid... about 5 th. r. s. [five thousand rubles in silver]"[2]. |
|
| T0099 | Hostage-Taking |
In August–September 1832, corps commander Baron Rosen coerced the villages of Chechnya and Ichkeria into handing over amanats (hostages) under direct threat of extermination. Rosen reported to Minister of War Chernyshev regarding the village of Miskit: "when it was announced to them that in the event of the slightest resistance the entire village, the grain and the hay would be exterminated, they immediately presented amanats"[2]. Rosen summed up the result in the same report: subjugation through hostage-taking covered "more than 80 Chechen and Ichkerian villages"[2]. |
|
| T0077 | Punitive Expeditions |
From August 22 to the end of September 1832, corps commander Baron Rosen conducted a campaign through Chechnya and Ichkeria (the mountainous southeastern part of the Chechen land) in retribution against the people for the uprising, applying a uniform scheme: a village that failed to meet the conditions was exterminated. Rosen acknowledged the scheme in a report to Minister of War Chernyshev: the villages, "being unable to agree among themselves on the release of our prisoners, have been punished by the destruction of dwellings and plowed fields"[2]. Historian D. A. Khozhaev wrote: "In the summer and autumn of 1832, the troops of General Rosen swept through Chechnya, leaving death and destruction in their wake"[1]. |
|
| T0056 | Taxation |
In September 1832, corps commander Baron Rosen imposed on the villages of Chechnya and Ichkeria an annual tribute from each household as a condition of being spared. The imperial historian Volkonsky wrote: "from the village of Metso-erzo-yurt, amanats (hostages) were taken along with a tribute of one ruble per hearth"; the villages of Eshta-kale and Eyni-kale undertook "to pay henceforth a tribute of 1 ruble per hearth"[3]. Rosen reported to Minister of War Chernyshev: the village of Gurdali "handed over an amanat and undertook to pay tribute"[2]. The tribute was exacted from a people whose villages and crops were in those very days being exterminated by the troops. |
|
| T0022 | Terror |
On August 23, 1832, during the storming of Germenchuk, the troops of corps commander Baron Rosen burned alive about 60 encircled defenders of the village, led by Mullah Abdurakhman, who had refused to surrender. Rosen reported to Minister of War Chernyshev: a group "numbering about 60 men ... led by ... Mullah Abdur-Rakhman, was cut off and surrounded by us in one large house"[2]. The imperial historian Volkonsky, writing on the basis of Rosen’s dispatches, acknowledges the method of the massacre: "Major General Volkhovsky ordered burning firewood and hay to be thrown into the chimneys. This had its effect... while the greater part, together with Mullah Abdurakhman, perished in the flames, continuing to chant verses of the Quran"[3]. The demonstrative burning of people alive served to terrorize all of Chechnya; Volkonsky acknowledges the calculation: the destruction of Germenchuk "was bound to have the most crushing effect on the Chechens"[3]. |
|
| T0105 | Total Destruction of Infrastructure |
From August 22 to September 23, 1832, the troops of corps commander Baron Rosen razed dozens of villages of Chechnya and Ichkeria: Belgatoy and Dzhan-yurt, the houses of the six-hundred-household Germenchuk, Shali (except for 11 households), Alkhan-yurt, Sala-yurt, Katar-yurt, Lyalsin-yurt, Nazari-yurt, Uzden-yurt, Uruzbey-yurt, Khyzin-Erzo-yurt, Anzeli-yurt, Chingaroy-yurt, Said-yurt, Anto-yurt, Askhor-yurt, Taba-yurt, Kudish-yurt, Mairtup, Shoni, Tsentoroy, the hamlet of Khamer, Ali-yurt, Bey-Bulat-yurt, Bachin-yurt, Khelboyn-yurt, Benoy, and others. Rosen reported to Minister of War Chernyshev on the dispatch of Colonel Shumsky, by whom "Alkhan-yurt, Sala-yurt, Katar-yurt, Lyalsin-yurt, Nazari-yurt, Uzden-yurt, Uruzbey-yurt and Khyzin-Erzo-yurt have been exterminated"[2], and summed up the result himself: "Of unsubmitted villages, 61 have been exterminated"[2]. Historian D. A. Khozhaev wrote: "The general’s troops burned Benoy and other Chechen villages"[1]. |
|
Instruments
| ID | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| S0010 | Regular Army |
From August 22 to the end of September 1832, corps commander Baron Rosen conducted a campaign through Chechnya and Ichkeria (the mountainous southeastern part of the Chechen land) in retribution against the people for the uprising, applying a uniform scheme: a village that failed to meet the conditions was exterminated. Rosen acknowledged the scheme in a report to Minister of War Chernyshev: the villages, "being unable to agree among themselves on the release of our prisoners, have been punished by the destruction of dwellings and plowed fields"[2]. Historian D. A. Khozhaev wrote: "In the summer and autumn of 1832, the troops of General Rosen swept through Chechnya, leaving death and destruction in their wake"[1]. |