Storming of Lankaran
The Storming of Lankaran took place on 1 January 1813 as part of the Russo-Persian War. It was noted for its bitterness and cruelty.
After a siege of five days, which included the shelling of the place, the Russians managed to storm the citadel, despite an Iranian numerical superiority. Though suffering heavy losses in the siege during which most of the officers and non-commissioned officers were killed, the Russians, by taking the Persian fortress, had thereby taken Lankaran.
After having taken the fortress, all survivors were murdered by the Russians and none were taken captive. General Kotlyarevsky himself became heavily injured during the siege after which he couldn't participate anymore, while Sadiq Khan, the Persian commander, was killed during the storming of the fortress. Of the besieging Russian 17th Jaeger regiment consisting of 296 people only 74 of them survived the battle.
Lankaran's citadel
In the course of the ongoing Russo-Persian War, the British managed to build a strong fortress in Lankaran. According to eyewitnesses "she made a strong impression by high stone walls and rows of sharp teeth". Furthermore, the citadel was surrounded by deep trenches. It had a shape of an irregular quadrilateral, with the left bank of the river Lankaranki, which is situated not far from the Caspian Sea, in the marshes nearby the citadel. Most of the southwest side stretched up for up to 130 meters long. The length of the northeast side, built in the shape of an irregular polygon, stretched up to 80 meters. The south-east side and from the northwest (from the front to the villages of Gamushevani were 100 meters long each. Besides that, on each corner were bastions located. The most imposing of them were the ones from the northeastern side. The ditch in front of the citadel was 4 meters deep and 10 meters in width.Background
After several years of stale combat in various regions of Transcaucasia, with neither parties making significant territorial gains, the Russians had gained the upper hand and by now had reached territories close to Persia's heartlands. On December 18, 1812 the marching military detachment of general Kotlyarevsky had crossed the Aras river and had passed the 80 miles straight without water and roads through the Mughan plains through salt flats and swamps. After crossing swamps and marshes, the soldiers were then transferred to a weather of terrible snow and blizzard. By that time, his army had undergone a heavy need for resupplies especially drinking water and food.On December 20, Russian detachment came across Shahsevan which were made often to flee and partly captured. The Russians confiscated their cattle.
By December 21, Kotlyarevsky's squad had reached the Talysh Khanate where they encountered 500 Persian horsemen, commanded by Abusalema. The horsemen and Abusalema evaded combat and retreated to Arkivan.
Subsequently, the Russian avant-garde met the cavalry sardar Pir-Quli-Khan and a detachment of 1000 Persian soldiers. After a brief exchange of fire, the retreating Persians were pursued by Cossacks.
On December 22, Kotlyarevsky left Karayazı to cover the rear of the rear guard under the command of Major Dyachkova and the 200 infantrymen, 170 Cossacks, several horses from Karabakh, and one field gun, and went to Arkivan. With the rearguard also remained the freed Karabakh families and the Shahsevan prisoners taken captive several days earlier.
The garrison of Arkivan under the command of Bala Khan and Asghar Khan left the town's its fortress, leaving behind two field guns, with all the artillery reserve provisions and forage.
For the pursuit of the Persians, Kotlyarevsky sent 400 Jaegers and 300 Cossacks under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Ushakov, who subsequently followed the Persians for 15 miles.
In the course of the pursuit, 50 of the 400 Russian deserters surrendered and up to 300 Persians were killed. The Russians subsequently seized more than 600 horses and a considerable baggage. The damage to the pursuing party amounted up to 1 dead and 5 wounded. To protect Arkivani 100 Jaegers were left stationed, who were in greatest need of the rest.
Mir Mustafa Khan, having learned about the movement of the Russian troops after the defeat of the Persian army at Aslanduz, quickly went to Gamushevan, in which in advance he rebuilt warm barracks, stables and barn for the horses and cattle, and filled it with all the other necessary provisions.
Having entered area administered by the Khan of the Talysh Khanate, Kotlyarevsky announced to its residents:
This statement by Kotlyarevsky influenced a part of the Talysh, who subsequently began to cut the forest where the Persian fugitives were reportedly hiding.
The taking of Lankaran
Siege
Sadiq Khan was garrisoned in Lankaran's fortress with an army comprising 4000 men. Abbas Mirza, the Persian crown prince and commander-in-chief of the empire's army sent him a mandate:This letter was read to all the officers and soldiers inside the Persian garrison. The garrison shouted unanimously in agreeance of the crown prince's words:
Sadiq Khan also urged all residents to take up arms and take all necessary measures in order to protect the fortress. For approachments from the north and west squadrons were installed. Fearing a Russian surprise attack, Sadiq Khan ordered supervision of the young officers and soldiers, besides himself closely following the movements of the enemy.
| Name of division | Field officer | Chief officer | Non-commissioned officer | Musicians | Privates | Total: |
| 14th Georgian Grenadier Regiment | 3 | 25 | 54 | 23 | 834 | 937 |
| 97th Livonia Infantry Regiment | 6 | 18 | 3 | 141 | 168 | |
| 17th Jaeger Regiment | 1 | 10 | 23 | 9 | 248 | 291 |
| Caspian Marine battalion and Navy | 2 | 12 | 33 | 2 | 264 | 313 |
| Аrtillery | 4 | 3 | 43 | 50 | ||
| Total: | 6 | 57 | 131 | 37 | 1 530 | Altogether: 1759 |
On December 27, Kotlyarevsky sent Sadiq Khan a letter with a proposal to surrender Lankaran:
The same day, Sadiq Khan responded:
Having read the above letter, Kotlyarevsky subsequently ordered to bombard the fortress. For a more effective attack, the nearby combat artillery ship to shore was to use its mortars as well. December 28 — December 29; the Russian battery constantly bombarded the fotress, however, without much success as the small shells of the field guns could not penetrate the strong walls layered with adobe and the men on the fortress manning the cannons on the garrison took refuge in their hideouts and attached a sloping to the inner side of the parapet. Seeing the futility of the shelling, Kotlyarevsky sent to Lankaran a secondary letter urging the Khans and officials of the garrison to spare themselves, their wives, their children and their property and without shedding of blood, to hand over the fotress. Kotlyarevsky also wrote that:
Sadiq Khan did not consider it necessary to reply to this letter.
Meanwhile, the position of the Russian detachment was becoming became critical. The artillery shells had been emptied, and the peoples suffered from the cold. In addition, news got received that Abbas Mirza, commander of all the Persian armies, was heading on its way to rescue Lankaran. Kotlyarevsky decided to waste no time and to take the fortress by storming it.
Storming
| Columns | Commanders | Units | Task |
| 1st Column | Colonel Ushakov | Georgian 14th Grenadier regiment | Storming facing the Gamushevani bastion and adjacent of the southwestern bastion. Capturing the gate to allow the reserves to come |
| 2nd Column | Major Povalishin | Trinity infantry regiment | The assault on the corner of the north-eastern bastion and the northwestern filling |
| 3rd Column | Major Tereshkevich | 17th Jaeger regiment. 37 people from Georgian 14th Grenadier regiment] | Storming the bastion in the northeast corner of the river and securing the filling. |
| 1st regiment of distracters | Half a squadron of the Grenadier regiment | Faking an attack on the south-eastern facade near the bastion near the river | |
| 2nd regiment of distracters | Half a squadron of the Grenier regiment | Faking an attack on the north-western facade near the bastion near the river |
At the mentioned dispositions: - do not listen to rebound, there will not be one…
The storming of Lankaran by the Russians began long before dawn, at 5 in the morning. The above-mentioned columns moved in the deepest silence, but the Persians were alerted and opened heavy fire from all guns and rifles. However, columns crossed the ditch quickly and soldiers, after putting up a ladder, climbed up on the wall towards the exposed peaks and started throwing grenades down. In the first series of losses, almost all officers were killed or wounded. The 1st column saw the death of Lieutenant Colonel Ushakov, as he hesitated for a time. Kotlyarevsky afterwards, despite having gained a leg injury, stood over the body of Ushakov and while holding his hand, ordered: Here to me! — And personally threw himself into the assault, but he soon received two bullet wounds in the head and rolled into the ditch. The Russian soldiers, deprived of their commanders, still continued the attack. Azerbaijani educator and teacher Teymur Bey Bajram Alibayov described these events as followed: Meanwhile, the columns storming the fortress were significantly thinned out, as the walls were continuously replinished with new defenders. A company of grenadiers managed to climb the wall and grabbed a weapon which they immediately turned and fired buckshot at the enemy inside. This facilitated the attack of the other two columns, which also managed to climb the wall and to the sides, overturning the enemy. Subsequently as a significant number of Russians managed to get inside the fortress, a brutal melee happened between the attackers and the defenders. The Persian historian Rovzet-ul Safa described these events: ''
Тeymur bey wrote:
The remaining defenders of the citadel tried to find refuge in the river, but they were met by Russian grapeshot by two cannons mounted on the right side under the cover of 80 riflemen. Going back, the fugitives were met with bayonets of the besieging soldiers.
The Persian garrison was completely cut off. No prisoners were taken. Sadiq, the commander of the fotress and about ten noble khans were also killed.
Kotlyarevsky was found under the dead bodies. Fluid leaked out of his right eye, he had a fractured jaw, and a bullet in his upper leg, but remained alive.