Khazar campaign of Svyatoslav (964-965)

Khazar campaign of Svyatoslav (Russian: Хазарский поход Святослава) was a campaign during which the Rus troops led by Svyatoslav Igorevich defeated the neighboring Vyatichi tribe, and also put an end to the Khazar Khaganate.

Khazar campaign of Svyatoslav
Svyatoslav I by Eugene Lanceray (1886)
Date 964-965 Location Volga region, Western coast of the Caspian Sea, Khazar Khaganate (modern Russia) Result Rus' victory Destruction of the Khazar Khaganate Russia becomes independent from the Khazar Khaganate
Belligerents
Khazar Khaganate	Kievan Rus
Commanders and leaders
unknown	Svyatoslav I of Kiev

Campaign

Having gathered a large army, the Russian prince first moved against the Vyatichi, who considered themselves tributaries of the Khazar Khaganate, defeated them and moved to fight against Khazaria. Having learned of this, the Khazar Khagan, together with his army, went to meet Svyatoslav, but Russians defeated him and took Sarkel. After Svyatoslav besieged Itil and took it, the Jews living there decided to make a sortie, but were completely defeated by the army of the Russians. Afterwards Svyatoslav moved to the Terek, to the city of Semender, having defeated it, he took the spoils and went across the Don to Rus'.

Aftermath

As a result of this campaign, the Khazar Khaganate ceased to exist, and the Jews who lived there began to settle in other territories. Rus' became independent from the Khazar Khaganate. Less than 100 years later, these territories would fall under other peoples-Polovtsians

References

Bibliography

• Gumilev, Lev (2024). от Руси к России [from Rus to Russia] (in Russian). Moscow. ISBN 978-5-17-153493-6.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• Karamzin, Nikolai (2023). История государства Российского [History of the Russian state] (in Russian). Moscow: Russian imperial library press. ISBN 978-5-699-25867-3.
• Konovalova, I. (2000). Поход Святослава на восток [Svyatoslav's campaign to the East] (in Russian). Startum Plus.