The year of conquest of Constantinople. Drop Constantinople and Byzantine Empire

Fragment of Panorama dedicated to the fall of Constantinople

By the middle of the XV century, the Byzantine Empire (or rather, the fact that it remained from it) looked like a certain relic, a remnant of the long-spent ancient world. Little loskutok, paving on the coast of the Bosphorus, several small enclaves in the south of Greece on Peloponnese - that's all that left from the once of a huge state, which extended in three parts of the world. On the northern coast of Malaya Asia, another public education was located, formally had attracted to Byzantium, - the Trapezund Empire, formed after the capture of Konstantinople, the crusaders in 1204. Weak, torn by internal straightening and fell dependent on the neighbors, this state will cease to exist in 1461 .

The new force came from the mountainous asia asia. At first, her presence felt the inhabitants of the Balkans, but soon a unpleasant chill swept over Europe. The Sultanata of Seljuks under the leadership of Osman I, state education, which has developed, quickly began to choose friends and enemies and, thanks to a gentle attitude toward defeated and violence, stretched on most of the Asia Minor. In 1352, Ottomans for the first time landed on the European Coast of Dardanelle. At first, the threat did not react seriously - and in vain. Already in 1389, the Turks broke the United Army of Serbs on the Kosovo field. While Serbia has expired blood, in Europe argued on the topic of eternal issues: "What to do?" And "Who will behave?". The late debate was the Battle of Nikopol 1396, in fact, the last major crusade. "The national team" of Europe (and many generally chose the role of the audience) was the head of the broken. The Balkans simply fell to Osmans in the hands - Byzantium decreased to a tiny size, the Bulgarian kingdom was fragmented. The nearest neighbor, the Kingdom of Hungary, only collected the strength to counteract aggression.

Potted gold

The capture of Constantinople was worried about the Muslim East's Vladyka from the period of Arab conquests, that is, from the VIII century. Turks The capital of the Christian Empire was not different as "Kizil-Elma", "Red Apple", having in mind the value of this while a solid tallery piece. The nineteen-year-old Sultan Mehmed II, the poet and the dreamer (in interruption between routine cases), established on the throne in 1451, decided to finally get rid of such an annoying neighbor, like the Byzantine Empire in the face of her tiny fragments. The position of the young Sultan, quite recently by the state of the state after the death of his father Murad, was very shaky, and to increase, as they say now, the political rating and their own prestige needed a convincing victory. The best candidate than Constantinople, which is actually in the midst of Ottoman possessions, was not. In addition, the Turks seriously feared that Venice or Genoa could use a comfortable harbor as a parking lot or a naval base for his fleet. Originally, the neighbors, and the Byzantine emperor, too, considered Mehmed II as an inexperienced young man - in this and there was their mistake. The "inexperienced" young men, who, by the way, (probably inexperienced) ordered to drown his younger brother Ahmet in the pool, were very competent and militant advisers - Zhanazy Pasha and Shikhab al-Din Pasha.

Last Emperor Byzantium Konstantin XI, Monument in Athens

Emperor Konstantin XI made pretty rash diplomatic steps and began to seek concessions for the Byzantium, hinting for the possibility of unleashing the civil war inside the Ottoman state. The fact is that one of the contenders for the throne, the grandson of Sultan Bayazid I Orhan, lived in Constantinople as a political emigrant. Similar maneuvers of tiny Byzantium caused rage from the Turks and even more strengthened Mehmed in desire to master the ancient city. The young Sultan took into account the errors of the predecessors - the Turks were not the first time besieved by Constantinople. Last time, this attempt was made by his father Murad II in the summer of 1422 g. At that time, the Turkish army did not have a sufficient fleet or a powerful artillery. After an unsuccessful bloody sturm of the siege was removed. Now, the future campaign was treated with all seriousness and thoroughness.

By order, Mehmed II on the European coast of Bosphorus was forced to build the fortress Rumel-Hisar, that in the translation means "the knife at the throat." Several thousand workers were cozy for the construction of this fortifications. To speed up the process, a stone was widely used from nearby disassembled Greek monasteries. The construction of Romel-Hisar was completed in record time (no more than five months) by spring 1452 in the fortress armed with impressive bombards, posted a garrison of 400 people under the command of Firiz-Bay. His responsibilities included charges of duty with passing ships. Not everyone turned out to be ready for such changes - the large venetian ship who was walking past the fortress refused to stop for inspection, after which it was immediately surfed with a large stone core. The team was beheaded, and the incomprehensible captain put on the count. Since then, unwillingly pay for the passage was noticeably dressed.

In addition to the new fortress, a newly new Turkish fleet appeared in the Bosphorus - first in small quantities: 6 gallery, 18 galiots and 16 transports. But his increase, given the resources of Ottomans, was only a matter of time. The emperor, quite clearly understanding, what threat to the Turkish preparations and against whom they are directed, sent to Mehmond II to the delegation with the relevant gifts - to find out the intentions. Sultan did not accept them. The persistent emperor twice sent ambassadors twice for the "dialogue", but in the end, whether the obsessiveness of Constantine, whether he was incomprehensible, Mehmed ordered simply beaged by the Byzantine "Commission to resolve the crisis." It was the actual announcement of the war.

It is impossible to say that in Constantinople sat folded hands. Even at the very beginning of Turkish preparations, the Embassies are sent to the West with requests for help. By signing Florentine Ulya in 1439 with the Catholic Church and recognizing the dominance of the latter, Byzantium was counted on support for the Pope and other heads of European countries. This Sania itself, in fact subordinating to Orthodoxy, the Holy See, was perceived by part of the clergy and the public is far from unambiguously. This union was adopted in the conditions of an increasing threat from the East in the hope that in the case of direct aggression against Byzantium "West will help us." And this time has come. Byzantine ambassadors hurt the thresholds in the residence of Pope in the hope of obtaining some guarantees. Indeed, Dad Nikolai V appealed to European monarchs with a call to organize another crusade. But the full enthusiasm of the appeal was met without inspiration. Large and small kingdoms were absorbed by their own problems - no one showed the desire to fight because of the "Some Greeks". In addition, Orthodoxy was presented for a long time with a Roman Catholic ideology as a dangerous heresy, which also played a role. As a result, Konstantin XI, in vainly awaiting assistance from the "Western partners", was one on one with a large Ottoman state, which on combat power exceeded tiny bye's orders.

Sultan is preparing

All autumn 1452 Mehmed spent in continuous military preparations. The troops were tightened to the then Turkish capital of Edirne, the artisans were engaged throughout the country. While the practical component of the war was created under the sound of the forge Molotov, Sultan gave proper theory: he carefully studied various treatises about military art, manuscript and drawings. The famous Italian scientist and traveler Kiriako Pizzicli, or Kiriako from Ancona, was provided to comprehend the difficult science. Another "War Assist", which provided Turks to considerable assistance in the future siege of Constantinople, was the Hungarian cannon master of Urban. Initially, he offered his services to Constantinople, but the reward that was noticed there was not arranged. According to one of the versions, the emperor stood up, but rather, the extremely impoverish empire simply had no money. Mehmed asked whether the master could make an instrument capable of breaking the walls of Constantinople, and received an affirmative answer. The first guns produced by Urban were tested near the Sultansky Palace and after successful tests were sent for the armament of the Romeli-Hisar fortress.

Cooking was carried out in Byzantium. Konstantinopol, though he was considered a great city in the inertia, but it was very highlighted and lost the former gloss. On the eve of an imminent siege from the capital of Byzantium, the outcome of the population began, and no more than 50 thousand inhabitants remained to its beginning in the oncemost millionth city. By order of Constantine, the creation of food reserves began, residents of nearby villages were resettled in the city. A special foundation was created, where the means and donations were flocked not only by the state, but also of individuals and, of course, the church. Many temples and monasteries sacrificed dear decorations for coin chasing.

Congreon Giovanni Justiniani Longo

From a military point of view, everything was unfavorable. First, the walls of Constantinople, although they had an impressive look, but dilapidated and demanded repairs. There was no necessary number of soldiers either - it remained to be relied on mercenaries. The Turks are concerned about the acceleration of their ship, and the main threat of trading loss with the entire Black Sea, the Venetians sent small contingents of troops and equipment to Constantinople, and in the meantime they themselves began to prepare a military expedition to help Grekam. Unfortunately, the Venetian squadron arrived in the Aegean Sea too late - the city is already pal. Genoa, the eternal trade rival of the Venetian republic, also took part in military preparations. In January 1453, the Konotyor Giovanni Justiniani Longo with a hired squad of 700 people and large reserves of military assets arrived in Golden Horn. Professionalism and knowledge of Longo were so high that Konstantin appointed his commander of the land defense city. The Vatican decided to receive his benefit in the current situation. Taking advantage of the difficult position of the Greeks, Cardinal Isidore was sent to Byzantium with a proposal to go on the framework of the Florentine Union and combine both churches in one. The detachment of 200 archers brought with him was regarded as an avangount of a huge army, and on December 12, 1452, a joint service with Catholics was served in the Church of St. Sophia. The population and part of the clergy doubtedly reacted to a similar idea, given the long-term "favorable" attitude of the Vatican to Orthodoxy and his explicit care in a difficult situation. In Constantinople, riots occurred. The promised assistance did not follow. As a result, no more than 10 thousand people were available to protect the walls of the wall with a total length of 26 km at the disposal of Konstantin XI, of which 3 thousand were foreign mercenaries. The naval forces deposited did not exceed 26 ships, of which only 10 Greek. Once the huge Byzantine fleet became, as the mighty empire itself.

By the beginning of 1453, Turkish preparations were conducted by a high pace. Mehmed II planned to master Constantinople in a short time, until they were sensed in Europe and did not move from the "letters of support" to something more substantial. For this purpose, there was not only a large and rapidly emerging land army, but also a fleet. In addition, high hopes were imposed on the activities of the "Field Design Bureau" under the leadership of Urban. True, Sultan wished to capture the city in a relatively main state and with more or less preserved in the living people as future subjects. The plans of the defendant party were reduced to the maximum delaying of the siege based on the fact that the Turks do not have enough resources and patience, but most importantly, high hopes were assigned to the aid of Europe. As it turned out, it was vain hopes - only Venice equipped fleet with a landing squad, which came too late. Genoa, despite the initiative of Longo, formally remained neutral. The nearest ground force represented by the Kingdom of Hungary and Regent Janos Hunyadi demanded territorial concessions from the Greeks and did not hurry to fight. Vassal Turks The ruler of Serbia Georgy generally set auxiliary contingents for the Turkish army. In the fall of 1452, the Turks invaded the Peloponnese and took control of the local Byzantine enclaves, managed by the brothers of the emperor Foma and Demetrios. Constantinople was actually insulated - only the sea had to contact him.

At the end of winter, 1453 Mehmed II arrived from Greece in Edirne, where the formation of the army was completed. According to different estimates, it consisted of 100 to 120 thousand people, including the Janchar Corps, regular and irregular parts, as well as contingents from vassal states. Much attention was paid to the transportation of artillery, first of all, the products of the Master of Urban. To prepare for the transport of huge bombard, a special engineering team of 50 carpenters and 200 excavators, which were engaged in the arrangement of the road was created. The main bombard of Urbana dragged a surround of 60 oxes, which helped 400 people.

Already in February 1453, the advanced Turkish detachments begin to occupy one by one of the Greek cities on the coast of the Marmara and Black Seas. Those who surrendered without resistance retained life and even property. These methods of the Turks stimulated the local population to change the citizenship. The resistance has blocked and left for later. The Turkish fleet, which has a total of more than 100 ships, mostly rowing, focused in Gallipoli, and in March, he moved to the close approach to Constantinople, choosing the bay of two columns to the north of the Galat as an advanced base. The Greeks have not yet been afraid of Turkish ships, since the entrance to the Golden Horn bay was reliably closed with a massive metal chain. In March, in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Fortress Rumeli-Hisar, the main forces of the Turkish Army began to cross: at the beginning of the cavalry and Janchar, the infantry and sumports followed them. Everything that was possible for the defense of the city was already done. For the winter, old fortifications were repaired, created detailed lists of all capable of keeping the weapon, however, when this information was brought to the emperor, he ordered to keep them in a strict mystery, because the numbers were depressingly small. The forces of the defenders were distributed in the most threatening directions, primarily in the areas of the gate. In less dangerous, limited to pickets and guard. The smallest defense was put out from the Golden Horn, which is still fully controlled by the Greeks and allies. The central plot of defense with a detachment of 2 thousand mercenaries and the Greeks was headed by Justiniani Longo. There was an operational reserve in a thousand soldiers. Constantinople had plenty of cold weapons, but there were few guns.

On the walls!

Scheme of the siege of Constantinople

March 23 Mehmed II arrived with the main forces under the walls of Constantinople and became a camp about 4 km from the city. Artillery was concentrated in 14 batteries along the wall of the city. In the afternoon of April 2, the Greeks finally blocked the Golden Rog chain, and on April 6, the Turkish troops began direct sieges of no more than 1.5 km from Constantinople. Rumelian (that is, troops scored in the Balkans) made up the left flank line, Anatolian - right. In the center, on the hill Maltepe, the rate of Sultan himself was located. Part of the elite divisions was in the reserve in the camp. Christian sources, obviously exaggerating, argued that the Turks under the walls of Constantinople gathered at least 200 thousand, although more realistic calculations indicate 80 thousand soldiers and a large number of workers who were precipitated, obviously perceived as a soldier.

According to one of the versions, before the start of a full-scale siege to Konstantin XI, parliamentaries were sent to the proposal to surrender to the preservation of the life and property of citizens. The head of state itself was supposed to leave his capital, and in this he will not blame obstacles. Konstantin said that he agrees to the conference and loss of any of his few territories, but the city refused to pass. On April 6, Turkish batteries opened fire on the positions of the Greeks. On April 7, the Turks took an attack on the advanced fortifications of the Byzantines, using mainly auxiliary infantry. Attacing were captured by the forts nominated forward. The captured prisoners were demonstratively executed in the eyes of the deposited. The insufficient number of guns in the Greeks did not allow them to carry out an effective controlarian struggle and focus on the damage to infantry. With this task, the serf artillery, headed by the Bokcardi brothers, coped successfully throughout the siege. In the first days of the siege, the defenders produced several fairly successful colors, but soon Justiniani Longo, having considered that the losses in these promotions exceed the result, ordered all efforts to protect the external perimeter.

In the siege there was some pause - the Turks shook their artillery batteries, transferring some of them to the most appropriate positions. On April 11, Ottoman artillery resumed the shelling, which now practically did not stop. At this time, the Hungarian ambassador arrived in the Turkish camp as an observer - "to understand the situation". According to the reports of then historians, Hungar even helped the Turks by the Council, how to properly arrange guns. On average, the guns produced from 100 to 150 shots per day, consuming up to half a porch. On April 12, the Turkish fleet tried to break through to the Golden Horn, but was removed by an allied squadron. More high-speed ships of the Greeks and Venetians made it efficiently to fire. On the night of April 17-18, Ottomans took the local night attack in the Mesoteyone area, but after a four-hour battle, the deposited kept their positions. The victim of the Fleet Mehmed II sent to the seizure of the printed islands belonging to the Byzantium in the Marmara Sea. All of them one after another were passed under the power of Sultan, only the largest of the archipelago, Prinkipos, had resisted the invaders.

Meanwhile, Dad Nicholas V, whose exhortations did not bring significant results, provided to Constantinople full assistance, drove the three chartered Genoese galleys loaded with weapons and various supplies. All early April, this detachment was waiting for the passing wind at the Island of Chios. Finally, on April 15, he joined, and the ships were unhindered in the Marmara Sea. On the way to them joined the Greek vessel, loaded with grain. On April 20, the flotilla was already in mind Constantinople. Mehemed II immediately ordered the Commander Fleet Admiral Baltoglu to reach the sea and intercept the enemy. Due to the strong southern wind, the Turks had the opportunity to use only rowing vessels, whose carriages were reinforced by Janchars. Under the sounds of pipes and drums, the Turks went to the attack, having an overwhelming numerical advantage. However, the sharp and long braid appeared on a sturdy stone. At the far distance, the Genoese and the Greeks caused a strong damage to the enemy from sides of their high ships, and then Baltoglu ordered to take galleys to the board. The main attack was aimed at weakly armed Greek grain. His crew, under the command of Captain Flatelos, defeated the attack at the attack, and, according to eyewitnesses, they were applied by the famous "Greek fire". In the end, four ships were wounded by each other, forming a monolithic floating strengthening. In the evening, the enthusiastic wind again blew, and at dusk, the flotilla entered the Golden Horn at dusk for the unlawful cries of defenders of Constantinople. Sultan was in a rage - Baltoglu was removed from all the posts and bats. The execution of the experienced military leader Mehmed did not dare.

While the battery was boiled to the sea, and the plethors were slowly whipped her back Baltoglu, the Turks decided to carry out a brave intent, which brought them an important tactical advantage and influenced the company's course. More unknown, who suggested Mehmed to equip wolves between the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn Cove: whether the idea was born in the environment of the very Turkish command, or her numerous European "business people" was bought from the Sultan rates. In any case, transportation of ships was known to the wolts in the East - in the XII Salah of Ad-Dean, ships of the Nile in the Red Sea slowed down. On April 22, the Turks began to drag their rowing vessels in the Golden Rog under the cover of the art crease of the Turks. At about noon, the whole fleet of Galiotov was under the side of the departed city.

The secret meeting on the complex of measures to prevent a threat was immediately convened. The only right solution to the Venetians saw the attack of enemy ships under the cover of darkness. The plan was decided to drag from the formally holding neutrality of the Genoese ships and postponed the attack until April 24, since the Venetians had to prepare their ships by defending their cotton and wool bales. However, the Genoese was recognized by the 24th of the plan and were offended by the fact that they want to deprive glory. The attack was postponed until April 28, already with the involvement of the Genoes, but by this time they did not know about this in the city only deaf-and-dumb. When the fleets of the Allies finally attacked the Turks, significantly added in the quantity, for the lack of working force they did not have experienced, it was met with a dense tool fire with Galiot and coastal batteries. Part of the ships of the deposited was surfed, the part was forced to go back. The next day, the Turks publicly executed all prisoners of sailors. In response, the Greeks were beheaded by the Turks who were in captivity. However, now the Turkish fleet tightly strengthened in Golden Horn. Part of him was in the Bosphorus, and besieged constantly had to keep his strength at the chain. On May 3, a small Venetian brigantine with a crew from volunteers left Constantinople and went to search for the Venetian fleet, which allegedly had to be nearby. The news of the preparations of Venice brought sustained ships with them.

The situation deposited in the meantime was becoming worse. Turkish engineers built a pontoon bridge over the Golden Horn, which allowed unhindered to transfer troops and artillery from one shore to another. The bombardment continued - a repaired giant bombard, "Basilica" Urbana, again put forward on positions. This product possessed a colossal for those times the punching force and was able to send the kernel weighing in half a distance for almost 2 km away. In the area of \u200b\u200bthe Gate of the Holy Roman, on May 7, the Turks with the help of "Basilica" did the breach and even implemented a tactical breakthrough, which hardly managed to neutralize with a decisive counterattack.

Widely using specially sent Serb miners, Osmans began to dig subpoples. The besieged successfully opposed them. On May 16, one of the mines was blown up with the sapers who were in it. On May 21, another mine was flooded with water. On May 23, prisoners were captured in the underground battle, which indicated the location of all other mine subposses, soon destroyed. Turks and large siege towers were used, trimmed with camel and buffalo skins. On May 18 and 19, during successful seals, some of these towers were blown up and burned. Nevertheless, Constantinople was in a critical position. The decline in personnel was replaced with nothing - during the reflection of attacks in the second half of May I had to shoot sailors from ships. The destruction of the walls and the towers under continuous Turkish fire - the townspeople have yet been damaged, but it has become more difficult to do it. To top it all, natural phenomena influenced the combat spirit of the city defenders. On the night of May 24, a lunar eclipse occurred, and the next day brigandine returned, sent in search of the Venetian fleet, which she naturally did not find it. The congestion held soon was forced to stop due to heavy rain with a hail. Having information that the Spirit of defenders of Constantinople falls, Mehmed II sent to the city of parliamentaries with the last proposal for the surrender. Konstantin XI answered with a decisive refusal and a statement that he would die along with his city. Turks began to prepare for the general sturm.

Storm

May 26 Mehmed gathered a military council for final disposition. The army was solemnly announced that he would soon be assigned to the city, and the city would be given to looting for three days. It was encountered with ordinary enthusiasm. Credited by the promise of rich production, soldiers started to prepare for the assault. May 28 was officially declared a day of rest and repentance. Sultan climbed around his troops, pushing them and chatting with warriors. All major preparations were completed to the night's o'clock on May 29. Preparing and besieged, making what was within their limited forces. Bars in the walls were somehow close up, scant reserves are redistributed. The most combat-ready parts of the defenders in the amount of about 3 thousand people. They were in the area of \u200b\u200bthe already destroyed gates of the Holy Roman. Immediately, most of the firearms eved in the city were focused.

Approximately three hours before dawn, the Turkish line was illuminated by artillery shots - the assault began. The first on the walls rushed irregular parts - Bashibuzuki and volunteers. They carried huge losses, and after two hours Sultan ordered them to retreat. Anatoly infantry, protected, unlike Bashibuzuki armor, and much more disciplined was thrown in the predestal twilight. And this time the attacks were repulsed. The attempt was also attempting to plant a landing of ships in the Gold Horn to the fortress walls. Then Sultan threw his last on the scales, but an impressive argument is the Fresh Jancharian Corps. Yanychars attacked calmly, without musical accompaniment, well observing the system. Their Natisk was incredibly strong, but the defenders did not inferior to them in valor. Finally, at the height of the attack, someone from Janicar noticed that in the wall remained open and left unattended door Kerkoports - a small wicket used to organize the sealing. About 50 soldiers passed through it and raised the battle banner on the fortress walls. At about the same time, another rock chance played to the hand of the Turks. The reflecting attacks of the Turks at the gate of the Holy Roman, Longo was hardly injured: the bullet, released from above, struck his shoulder, damaging the lung. Congreter asked him to take it into the til on the dressing. Nearby Emperor Konstantin begged the Italian to stay in positions, but, apparently, the Spirit of Longo was undermined by the wound. He was incurred to the port. Soldiers of Justiniani, seeing that their leader is not with them, a panic was shifted and drown. At the same time, a Turkish banner on the wall was observed. Sultan and his warlords threw into a breakthrough everything that was. The protector line scared - originated and began to rapidly develop panic. The rumor has spread that the Turks through the Golden Horn broke through to the city.

The exact place of the death of the last emperor of Byzantium is not established, but there is an assumption that he fell with a weapon in his hands in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Gate of the Holy Roman. Justiniani Longo was on the dressing when he was informed about the breakthrough, "he immediately ordered his people with a pipe signal. Ottoman troops river flowed into the city. Italians managed to disconnect the chain blocking the output from the Golden Horn, and give the road to Venetian and Genoese ships to which several Byzantine joins. Foci of organized resistance Gasli one by one. Bashibuzuki, sailors from ships immediately rushed to rob everything that came on hand. They broke into the Church of St. Sophia and began to seize hostages among noble citizens.

J.-H. Benjan-Konstan "Mehmed II entry into Constantinople"

After noon on May 29, Mehmed II solemnly entered the defeated city. After the deadline expires, all robbery has been discontinued, and the disadvantaged order are executed. It is believed that during the assault of Constantinople, a much less civilian population died than during the seizure by his French knights in 1204. A new civil administration was appointed from among the Greeks. Sultan also reported that he would not interfere in the affairs of the Orthodox Church. Mehmed II officially accepted the title of Sultan and the Lord of Romeyev, obviously hinting for the continuity of the Roman Empire. Byzantine Empire, which existed a thousand years, ceased to exist. Instead of a tiny archaic state, a new powerful force appeared on the world stage, the Ottoman Empire, who forced to shuddered the European rulers not one hundred years.

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Many rulers of the East and the Kings of the West dreamed of mastering the wealth of the Christian Byzantine Empire and her beautiful capital - Constantinople.
On May 29, 1453, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, the largest city of Middle Ages Konstantinople, was captured by Omman Turkis, under the leadership of Sultan Mehmed II Fatiha (conqueror). Omman Turks captured over 60 thousand city inhabitants, plundered the Christian capital and arranged a bloody massacre of Christian residents in the city.
In battles for Constantinople the last Byzantine Emperor Konstantin XI Paleologist (Dragash) died in battle.

The fall in the city put the end of the Christian Eastern Roman, the Byzantine Empire, and had deep consequences, both for all Christian Europe and Islam.
Take Constantinoplein 1453.daloopportunityosman Turkas dominate in the eastern Mediterranean basin and on the Black Sea.

A few years later, the last fragments of the Eastern Roman Byzantine Empire have ceased to exist.
In 1460. Osman Turks captured the entire Peloponnese Peninsula, which was then called the Slavic name of the Sea.
In 1461. The Turkish Ottoman Empire destroyed the last stronghold of the East Roman Byzantine Empire - Trapezund kingdom.

The fall of Constantinople affected the situation in Tavrid (Crimea). In 1475, the Omman Turks invaded Tavrid, They captured the entire coast from the cafe (Feodosia) to Chersonesos (Sevastopol), and defeated the Christian capital of the Principality of the Guodoro in the mountains, which was subordinate to the Trapezund kingdom. At the site of the capital of the Principality of the Feodoro Turkish-Osmans completed the dilapidated fortress, calling her

Muscovy took the fall of Constantinople 1453, and the destruction of the Orthodox Byzantine Empire, as a sign that the World Mission of Orthodox Byzantium passes to the Moscow Kremlin. The old man of the Pskov Monastery of the Philofey in the famous theological theory called "Moscow - the Third Rome", and "the fourth - not to be." "Two Rome fell, and the third - the Great New Russia stands, and will stand in the centuries."
Soon Mehmed II Conqueror abused the restoration of the Constantinople Christian Patriarchate. After the death of St. Mark, the Orthodox opposition of Christian Union in Constantinople headed the monk Gennady Scholary, who, after the fall of the Byzantine capital, was sold to slavery in Adrianopol. Mehmed II released Gennady Scholaria from slavery and put on the Patriarchy throne in the new capital of the Ottoman Empire, awarding the title of Millet-Bashi. The new "ethnar" was headed by the entire Orthodox people of the Ottoman Empire, not only in spiritual, but also in secular relationship.

The city of Constantinople remained the capital of the Ottoman Empire before her decay in 1922, and March 28, 1930 Constantinople was officially renamed the Turkish authorities in İstanbul.
Historians consider the fall of Constantinople with a key point in European history, Separating Middle Ages from the Renaissance.
Many Universities of Western Europe have been replenished with Greek scientists who fled from Byzantium, which contributed to the subsequent formation of the Roman law and the flourishing of medieval art - painting, sculptures, architecture, as well as science and new technologies.
The fall of Constantinople also blocked the main trading paths from Europe to Asia,it forced Europeans to look for new naval roads to India, develop the naval and transport fleet in Europe. The era of great geographical discoveries beganFor the inhabitants of the Old World, a new part of the world was a famous part of the world, as a result of the first expedition of Christopher Columbus (1492-1493).

On May 29, 1453, the capital of the Byzantine Empire fell under the blows of the Turks. Tuesday 29 May is one of the most important goals of the world. On this day, the Byzantine Empire, created by another 395, was stopped by the final section of the Roman Empire after the death of Emperor Feodosia I on the Western and Eastern part. With her death ended a huge period of human history. In the lives of many nations of Europe, Asia and North Africa, a radical fracture has come, due to the establishment of Turkish rule and the creation of the Ottoman Empire.

It is clear that the fall of Constantinople is not a clear face between the two epochs. Turks in the century before the fall of the Great capital were established in Europe. Yes, and the Byzantine Empire, by the time of the fall, was already a fragment of the former majority - the power of the emperor was distributed only to Constantinople with the suburb and part of Greece with the islands. Byzantium, the 13-15 centuries can be called the Empire only conditionally. At the same time, Constantinople was a symbol of an ancient empire, was considered the "second Rome".

Background Fall

In the XIII century, one of the Turkic tribes - Kaya - led by Ertogrul-Beem, extruded from the nomads in the Turkmen steppes, was converging in the western direction and stopped in Malaya Asia. The tribe was assisted by the Sultan of the largest of the Turkish states (was founded by the Seljuk Turkis) - the Rumsky (Konian) Sultanate - Aladdin Kay-Kubad in his fight against the Byzantine Empire. For this, Sultan gave the ERRIOGRULA of the Lens of the Earth in the field of Viphinia. The son of the leader ERROGRULA - Osman I (1281-1326) Despite the constantly growing power, recognized its dependence on the kones. Only in 1299, he accepted the title of Sultan and soon subjugate the whole western part of Malaya Asia, having won a number of victories over the Byzantines. By the name Sultan Osman, his subjects became known as Ottoman Turks, or Osmans (Ottomans). In addition to the wars with the Byzantines, Ottomans conducted the struggle for the subordination of other Muslim possessions - by 1487, the Omman Turks approved their power over all Muslim possessions of the Majual Peninsula.

A great role in strengthening the power of Osman and his successors was played by Muslim clergy, including local debris orders. The spiritual persons not only played a significant role in creating a new Great Power, but justified the policy of expansion as "the struggle for faith." In 1326, the Omman Turks were captured by the largest shopping city of Bursa, the most important point of transit caravan trade between the West and East. Then Nikia and Nikomidia fell. The sultans captured by the Byzantines of the Earth distributed nobility and distinguished soldiers as Timarov - the conditioned possessions received for the service of the service (places). Gradually, the Timar system has become the basis of the socio-economic and military administrative device of the Power of Ottomans. With Sultan Orhans I (rules from 1326 to 1359) and his son Murade I (rules from 1359 to 1389), important military reforms were carried out: the irregular cavalry was reorganized - equestrian and infantry troops convened from the Turks-agriculture. The warriors of equestrian and infantry troops in peacetime were farmers, receiving benefits, during the war they were obliged to come to the army. In addition, the army was completed by the militia from the peasants of the Christian faith and the Yanychar Corps. In Yanychars, the prisoners of Junior Christians were originally taken, who were forced to accept Islam, and from the first half of the 15th century - from the sons of Christian subjects of Ottoman Sultan (as a special tax). Siphai (a kind of nobles of the Ottoman Power, who received income from Timarov) and Yanychars became the core of the Army of Ottoman Sultanov. In addition, in the army, the divisions of Pushkjers, gunsmiths and other parts were created. As a result, a powerful power arose at the boundaries of Byzantium, which claimed the domination in the region.

It must be said that the Byzantine Empire and the Balkan states themselves accelerated their drop. During this period between Byzantium, Genoa, Venice and the Balkan states, there was an acute struggle. Often the fighting parties sought to enlist the military support of Ottomans. Naturally, this sharply facilitated the expansion of the Ottoman Power. Osmans received information about ways, possible crossing, strengthening, strengths and weaknesses of enemy troops, internal situation, etc. Christians themselves helped crossing the straits to Europe.

The Turks-Ottoman Turkis have achieved in Sultan Murade II (rules in 1421-1444 and 1446-1451). With it, the Turks recovered after a heavy lesion deposited by Tamerlane in the Angora battle of 1402. In many ways, this is the defeat and delayed the death of Constantinople on the attachment. Sultan suppressed all the uprisings of Muslim Lord. In June 1422, Murad was siege to Konstantinople, but could not take. The absence of a fleet and powerful artillery affected. In 1430, the major city of the Dessaloniki in Northern Greece was captured, he belonged to Venetians. Murad II won a number of important victories in the Balkan Peninsula, noticeably expanding the ownership of his power. So in October 1448 the battle was held on the Kosovo field. In this battle, the Ottoman army opposed the united forces of Hungary and Valahia under the command of the Hungarian General Janos Hunyadi. The fierce three-day battle ended with the full victory of Ottomans, and decided the fate of the Balkan peoples - for several centuries they were under the dominion of the Turks. After this battle, the Crusaders suffered a final defeat and no longer undertake serious attempts to beat the Balkan Peninsula at the Ottoman Empire. Constantinople's fate was solved, the Turks were able to solve the task of seizing the ancient city. Byzantium itself no longer represented a big threat to the Turks, but the coalition of Christian countries, relying on Constantinople, could bring significant harm. The city was almost in the middle of Ottoman possessions, between Europe and Asia. The task of seizing Constantinople solved Sultan Mehmed II.

Byzantium. Byzantine powers for the 15th century lost most of its possessions. The entire XIV century was a period of political failure. For several decades it seemed that Serbia would be able to capture Constantinople. Various internal discords were a constant source of civil wars. So the Byzantine Emperor John V Paleologist (Rule from 1341 - 1391) was heard from the throne three times: his son, son and then grandson. In 1347, a "black death" epidemic rolled, which claimed the lives of at least a third of the population of Byzantium. The Turks crossed Europe, and using the troubles of Byzantium and the Balkan countries, by the end of the century they went to the Danube. As a result, Constantinople was surrounded by almost all sides. In 1357, the Turks master Gallipoli, in 1361 - Adrianopole, which became the center of Turkish possessions in the Balkan Peninsula. In 1368, Sultan Murada I submitted to Nissa (countryside location of the Byzantine emperors), and Ottomans were already under the walls of Constantinople.

In addition, there was a problem of the struggle of supporters and opponents of Ulya with the Catholic Church. For many Byzantine politicians, it was obvious that without the help of the West, the empire could not survive. Back in 1274, the Byzantine Emperor Mikhail VIII promised to the Pope to seek the reconciliation of churches from political and economic considerations. True, his son Emperor Andronik II convened the cathedral of the Eastern Church, which rejected the decision of the Lyon Cathedral. Then John Paleologist went to Rome, where I solemnly accepted faith in the Latin rite, but I did not receive help from the West. Supporters of Union with Rome were mainly politics, or belonged to the intellectual elite. Open enemies of Ulya was the lowest clergy. John VIII Paleologist (the Byzantine Emperor in 1425-1448) believed that Constantinople could be saved only with the help of the West, so I tried to conclude a sland as soon as possible with the Roman Church. In 1437, together with the Patriarch and the delegation of the Orthodox Bishops, the Byzantine Emperor goes to Italy and spent more than two years in the Ferrara, and then at the Universal Cathedral in Florence. At these meetings, both sides came to a dead end and were ready to stop negotiations. But, John forbade his bishops to leave the cathedral before making a compromise decision. In the end, the Orthodox delegation was forced to give way to Catholics almost all major issues. On July 6, 1439, Florentine Union was adopted, and the eastern churches reunited with Latin. True, the Sania turned out to be fragile, after a few years, many Orthodox hierarchs attended the council began to deny their agreement with unia or say that the decisions of the cathedral were caused by bribing and threats from Catholics. As a result, the Sania was rejected by most eastern churches. Most clergy and people did not accept this sland. In 1444, the Roman dad was able to organize a crusade against the Turks (the main force was Hungary), but under the boat crusaders suffered a crushing defeat.

Disputes about the ENIA occurred against the background of the country's economic decline. Constantinople The late 14th century was a sad city, a city of decline and destruction. The loss of Anatolia deprived the capital of the empire of almost all agricultural land. The population of Constantinople, which in the XII century consisted of 1 million people (together with the suburb), fell to 100 thousand and continued to decline - by the time of falling in the city there were approximately 50 thousand people. The suburb in the Asian coast of Bosphorus was captured by the Turks. The suburb of the feather (Galata) on the other side of the Golden Horn was the colony of Genoa. The city himself was surrounded by a wall of 14 miles, lost a number of quarters. In fact, the city has become several separate settlements separated by gardens, gardens, abandoned parks, ruins of buildings. Many had their own walls, fences. The most crowded villages were located along the shores of the Golden Horn. The richest quarter, adjacent to the bay, belonged to the Venetians. Nearby were the streets where the people lived from the West - Florentine, Ankonants, Ragusyan, Catalans and Jews. But, the pier and the bazaars were still full of merchants from Italian cities, Slavic and Muslim lands. Each year pilgrims arrived in the city, mainly from Russia.

Recent years before the fall of Constantinople, preparation for war

Konstantin XI Paleologist (Rule in 1449-1453) became the last emperor of Byzantium. Before becoming the emperor, he is a despot of sea - the Greek province of Byzantium. Konstantin possessed a sound mind, was a good warrior and administrator. He possessed the gift to cause love and respect for his subjects, he was met in the capital with great joy. For a short years of his reign, he was dragged by Constantinople to Siege, looking for help and union in the West and tried to calm the confusion caused by unia with the Roman Church. He was appointed Luka Notarace to his first minister and commander-in-chief fleet.

Sultan Mehmed II received a throne in 1451. It was a targeted, energetic, clever man. Although it was originally believed that this was not shaking the young man - it was the impression on the first attempt to rule in 1444-1446, when his father Murada II (he handed the throne to his son to move away from public affairs) had to return to the throne to solve the appeared Problems. It reassured the European rulers, all their problems have enough. Already in winter, 1451-1452 Sultan Mehmed has commanded the construction of a fortress in the narrowest place of the Bosphorus Strait, thereby cutting off Konstantinople from the Black Sea. Byzantines were confused - it was the first step towards siege. An embassy was sent to a reminder of the oath of Sultan, who promised to preserve the territorial integrity of Byzantium. The embassy was left unanswered. Konstantin sent messengers with gifts and asked not to touch the Greek villages located on the Bosphorus. Sultan ignored this mission. In June, the third embassy was directed - this time the Greeks were arrested and then beheaded. In fact, it was the announcement of the war.

By the end of August 1452, the fortress of Bogat Caesan ("Overlooking Strait", or "Calm Throat") was built. In the fortress they installed powerful guns and announced the ban to pass the Bosphorus without inspection. Two Venetian ships were distilled and the third recessed. The crew was beheaded, and the captain was planted on the count - it dispelled all the illusions at the expense of Mehmed's intentions. Osmanov's actions caused concern not only in Constantinople. Venetsians in the Byzantine capital belonged a whole quarter, they had significant privileges and benefits from trade. It was clear that after the fall of Constantinople, the Turks would not stop, Venice's possessions in Greece and the Aegean Sea turned under the blow. The problem was that the Venetians were bogged down in a costly war in Lombardy. With the Genoa, the Union was impossible, with Rome the relationship was stretched. Yes, and with the Turks, the relationship did not want to spoil - the Venetians led profitable trade in Ottoman ports. Venice allowed Konstantin to recruit the soldiers and sailors in Crete. In general, Venice retained neutrality about the time of this war.

Genoa was about the same situation. Concern caused the fate of feathers and Black Sea colonies. Genoese, as well as Venetians, showed flexibility. The government appealed to the Christian world to send the help of Constantinople, but did not provide such support. Private citizens received the right to act at their discretion. The administrations feathers and the islands of Chios received an indication to adhere to the Turks of such a policy that they would find the most appropriately suitable situation.

Ragusan - residents of Raguz (Dubrovnik), as well as Venetians, recently received from the Byzantine Emperor, confirmation of their privileges in Constantinople. But the Dubrovnitskaya Republic did not want to risk their trade in Ottoman ports. In addition, the city-state fleet was small and did not want to risk, if there is no widespread coalition of Christian states.

Roman dad Nikolai V (Head of the Catholic Church from 1447 to 1455), having received a letter to Konstantin with consent to take the Ulya, turned in vain for help from various sovereigns. There was no proper response to these appeals. Only in October 1452, the papal legat to Emperor Isidor brought with him 200 hired in Naples. The problem of UII with Rome again caused disputes and excitement in Constantinople. December 12, 1452 in the temple of St. Sofia served the solemn liturgy in the presence of the emperor and the entire courtyard. It mentions the names of Pope, Patriarch and officially proclaimed the provisions of the Florentine Union. Most citizens took this news with sullen passivity. Many hoped that if the city deceives, it will be possible to reject the Ulya. But paying this price for the help, the Byzantine elite was calculated - courts with soldiers of Western states did not profit for the help of a dying empire.

At the end of January 1453, the issue of war was finally solved. Turkish troops in Europe received an order to attack the Byzantine cities in Thrace. Cities on the Black Sea surrendered without a fight and avoided the pogrom. Some cities on the seaside of the Marmara Sea tried to defend themselves, and were destroyed. Part of the army invaded Peloponnese and attacked the brothers Emperor Konstantin, so that they could not come to the aid of the capital. Sultan took into account the fact that a number of previous attempts to take Constantinople (his predecessors) failed due to the lack of fleet. Byzantines had the opportunity to bring reinforcements and supplies. In March in Gallipoli, all the vessels available to the Turks are tightened. Part of the courts were new, built over the past few months. In the Turkish fleet was 6 trill (two-dimensional sail-rowing vessels, one step was kept three rowes), 10 BIME (a single-handed vessel, where there were two rowes on one paddle), 15 gallery, about 75 pust (lungs, high-speed vessels), 20 parandaries (heavy transport barges) and a lot of small sailing boats, boats. At the head of the Turkish fleet was Suleiman Baltoglu. Rowers and sailors were prisoners, criminals, slaves and part of volunteers. At the end of March, the Turkish fleet passed through Dardanelles to the Marmara Sea, causing horror of the Greeks and Italians. It was another blow to the Byzantine elite, they did not expect the Turks to prepare such significant sea forces and will be able to block the city from the sea.

At the same time, the army was preparing in Frakia. All winter gunsmiths did not give up the hands did various kinds, the engineers created the trumpeted and stalking machines. A powerful shock fist from about 100 thousand people was assembled. Of these, 80 thousand were regular army - cavalry and infantry, Janchars (12 thousand). Approximately 20-25 thousand. There were irregular troops - militias, Bashibuzuki (irregular cavalry, "awesome" did not receive a salary and "awarded" themselves as a looting), rear divisions. Much of attention, Sultan paid and artillery - the Hungarian Master of Urban cast several powerful guns capable of drowning the ships (with the help of one of them the Venetian vessel) and destroy powerful fortifications. The largest of them were dragging 60 bulls, and a team of several hundred people were put to her. The gun fired about 1200 pounds with cores (about 500 kg). During March, the huge army of Sultan began to gradually move towards Bosphorus. On April 5, Mehmed II itself arrived under the walls of Constantinople. The morale of the army was tall, everyone believed in success and hoped for rich prey.

People in Constantinople were depressed. A huge Turkish fleet in the marble sea and a strong enemy artillery, only enhanced anxiety. People remembered the predictions about the fall of the empire and the coming of the Antichrist. But it is impossible to say that the threat deprived all the wills of the will to resistance. All winter men and women who are encouraged by the emperor, worked, clearing the rye and strengthening the walls. A fund for unforeseen expenses was created - the emperor, churches, monasteries and individuals were made to it. It should be noted that the problem was not the availability of money, but the lack of the right number of people, weapons (special firearms), the problem of food. All weapons were collected in one place to distribute the most threatened areas if necessary.

There were no hopes for external assistance. The support of Byzantium was only some individuals. So, the Venetian colony in Constantinople offered his help to the emperor. Two captain of the Venetian vessels returned from the Black Sea - Gabriele Trevorzano and Alvizo Diedo, gave an oath to participate in the fight. Total fleet, defending Konstantinople, consisted of 26 ships: 10 of them belonged to the visa to the Vizantians, 5 - Venetsians, 5 - Genoesers, 3 - Cretans, 1 arrived from Catalonia, 1 from Ancona and 1 from Provence. Several noble genes arrived to fight for the Christian faith. For example, a volunteer from Genoa Giovanni Justiniani Longo led 700 soldiers with him. Justiniani was known as an experienced military, so he was appointed emperor to the commander of the defense of the land walls. In general, the Byzantine emperor, not including allies, was about 5-7 thousand warriors. It should be noted that part of the population of the city left Constantinople before the start of the siege. Part of the Genoes - the Colony of Feather and Venetians retained neutrality. On the night of February 26, seven ships - 1 from Venice and 6 from Crete left the Golden Horn, thoroughly 700 Italians.

To be continued…

"The death of the empire. Byzantine lesson » - Publicistic film of the governor of the Moscow Sretensky Monastery of Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunova). The premiere was held on the State Channel "Russia" on January 30, 2008. Leading - Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov) - from the first person gives its version of the collapse of the Byzantine Empire.

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Already at the end of Mehmed II on the throne, everything was clear to everyone that the state would rule the capable monarch. In Anatolia, the main rival remained Bailik Karamanov, in Europe - the Byzantine Emperor. Starting state cases, Mehmed II (called later for his numerous successful military campaigns - Fatih-conqueror) immediately set the task of mastering Constantinople - the capital of Byzantium.

By order, Mehmed II, at the end of March 1452, on the opposite shore of the Bosphorus, the construction of the Rumelichisar fortress was launched in the very narrow scene. With the completion of the construction of this fortress, Constantinople could at any time be cut off from the Black Sea, which meant the cessation of the extension of food from the territory of the Black Sea region. After the end of the construction of the fortress, it settled a strong garrison. On the towers were installed guns of large caliber. Mehmed II gave an order to subjected to customs inspection passing through the Bosphorus of the Court, and ships, evading the inspection and payment of duty, to destroy can be destroyed. Soon the big Venetian ship was sweeping, and his crew was executed for non-interference by order of inspection. Turks began to call this fortress "Bogat Kesien" (disperse throat).

When Konstantinople learned about the construction of the Rumelichisar fortress and estimated the possible consequences of this for Byzantium, the emperor sent to Sultan ambassadors, saying protest against the structure of the fortress on the lands, and still belonging to the formally of Byzantium. But Mehmed did not even accept Konstantin ambassadors. When the work was completed, the emperor again sent ambassadors to Mehmed, wishing to at least get the assurance that the fortress would not threaten Constantinople. Sultan ordered to throw ambassadors to the dungeon, and Konstantin offered to give him the city. In return, Mehmed offered Emperor Konstantin to possession of the sea. Konstantin categorically rejected the proposal to refuse an ancient capital, stating that she prefers death on the battlefield like a shame. After the completion of the construction of a new fortress, the Mehmed army approached Constantinople. "

On April 5, 1453, the Sultan himself came to the walls of the city with the latest divisions. Sultansky army laid out Constantinople along the entire line of its land defensive front. Half of the troops (approximately 50 thousand warriors) were immigrants of European Vassalov Mehmed II from Bulgaria, Serbia and Greece.

On the morning of April 6, the Sultan parliamentarians transferred his message to Constantinople defenders, in which Mehmed offered to the Byzantine voluntary surrender, guaranteeing them the preservation of life and property. Otherwise, Sultan did not promise to anyone from the defenders of the city. The offer was rejected. Then the Turkic guns were raised, which at that time did not have equal in Europe. Although artillery continuously led the shelling of fortress walls, damaged caused by it was very insignificant. Not only because of the strength of the walls of Constantinople, but the inexperience of artilleryrs Mehmed gave itself to know. Among other cannons there was a huge bombard cast by the Hungarian engineer Urban, which had a powerful destructive power .. However, in the first days of the siege of the Bombard of Urban, the defenders brought into horror broke out, wounding his creator during the explosion. As a result, by the end of the siege, the gun was still able to repair and make a good shot of him destroying the wall, from where they could break into the city.

The siege of the city continued for fifty days. The fall of Constantinople was accelerated by the cunning, to which Mehmed was resorted. He ordered to deliver the land of his ships into the Gulf of Golden Horn, where the entrance of the Turkish ships was blocked by heavy iron chains.

To drag ships on land, there was a huge wooden flooring. He was packed with the walls of Galats. Within one night, on this flooring, thickly lubricated fat, the Turks dragged 70 heavy ships on the ropes to the northern coast of the Golden Horn and descended them into the water of the bay.

In the morning the Turkic squadron in the waters of the Golden Horn appeared in the morning. Nobody expects an attack on this side, the seabed walls were the weakest plot of defense. Under the threat, the ships of the Byzantines, which are guarding at the burnt of the bay.

The day until the last storming of the city of Mehmed offered the emperor or agree to the annual tribute in the amount of 100 thousand golden visantines, or leave the city with all its inhabitants. In the latter case, they were promised not to cause harm. On the Emperor's Council, both suggestions were rejected. Such an incredibly large tribute to the Byzantines would not be able to collect Never, but to give up the city of the enemy without a fight, the emperor and his approximal did not want.

At dawn on May 29, 1453, before the start of the decisive assault of Konstantinople, Sultan (according to the Greek historian, a dukey, who had witnessed these events, turned to his warriors with the words that "he is not looking for any other production, except for buildings and walls of the city." After his speech, a team was given on the assault. The deafening sounds of the Turkic Rozhkov - Sur, Litavrov and the Barabanov announced the beginning of the assault. By evening, the capital of Byzantium fell. Emperor Konstantin was killed in street fighting, he was simply not recognized, since he was disguised into ordinary military clothes. Mehmed II joined the conquered Constantinople three days after his capture, renamed the city to Istanbul and moved his residence here.

Constantinople was twice on the verge of fall, and both times fate helped him. The first time - when Seljuk troops approached his walls at the end of the XI century. And only the collapse of the Seljuk Empire and the starting crusades saved Constantinople.

For the second time at the beginning of HVV. The troops of the Great Timur defeated the army of Sultan Bayazid and those again saved Constantinople from the conquest.

For the third time, the fate of Constantinople was solved

Source: Moscow Patriarchate magazine

The Christianization of the enormous Roman Empire in the IV century turned it into the World Street of Christianity. Actually, almost the entire Christian world entered the limits of the state that included all the countries of the Mediterranean basin and far away from its limits, owned and the Black Sea and Britain. Being actually so great, empire and before and after the victory of Christianity theoretically attracted to be worldwide. About this long-time doctrine reminds us by worship. The words of the liturgy of St. John Zlatoustoy: I also bring a verbal service of the settlement about the universe - they mean the subject of prayer is not cosmic and not geographical, namely the political one - the "universe" was one of the official naming of the empire. The beginning of the Christianization coincided with the foundation of the new capital on the Bosphorus.

The Holy Equal-Apostle Konstantin Great In the site of the ancient city of Visania built a new one, or the second Rome - Constantinople, which Slavs called the Tsargrad subsequently. In 330, the city was solemnly consecrated, and in Greek mines there is a service of May 11 - in the memory of the birthday, or update, Konstantinograd. Already after the death of Celebration, Konstantin in 1453 in the West began to call the power, which had this hail of the capital, Byzantia, according to the old name of Grad. The "Byzantines" themselves never called themselves: they called themselves the Romans (so far the Caucasian Greeks are still called) and their own - Roman. In the posthumous renaming of it - doubly derogatory meaning. The West refused to her in the Roman name and heritage, since he wanted to usurp and the other in the Empire of Charles Great, and later - in the "Holy Roman Empire of the German nation." And at the same time, the West, in the history of which the Middle Ages was the dark time of the barbarism, refused "Byzantium" in an independent cultural meaning: for him she was only the intermediary of transfer to the West an antique heritage. In fact, "Byzantia" (West only by the end of the nineteenth century began to understand this) created the greatest culture that grew on the ancient soil (the church, unlike sect and heresy, never rejected antiquity climbing), absorbed some oriental influences, He coupled with faith of Christ and brought the wonderful fruits of spiritual - theology, worship, art. The mogood creation of the Christian state, the Christian society, the Christian culture was accompanied by the elements of this world, all human disadvantages and sins and in the harsh confrontation by external destructive forces.

In the V century, the relocation of peoples led the empire to the first catastrophe: the German barbarians captured not only Rome (which many perceived as a sign of the end of the world), but also the whole western part of the empire. The Roman power survived due to the power of the eastern part of it.

In the VI century, with Holy Justinianan, the Empire returned to himself Italy, Latin Africa, part of Spain. The victory over the barbarians was the victory of Orthodoxy, since the Germans were Ariana.

In the VII century, the empire survived the Persian conquest of Syria, Palestine and Egypt; The capital itself was in siege. Emperor Irakli, the voltage of all his strength crushed the power of the Persians, returned to Jerusalem captive by them like a trophy cross the Lord, but turned out to be powerless before the new conqueror - Arabs. In a short time, the lands were lost, just returned from the Persians. The ease of conquest is explained by the fact that monophysites in Egypt and Syria have been powered by the authorities of the Orthodox Empire. In the VII-VIII centuries, Arabs continued to conquer, and the capital itself was repeatedly in siege.

In the VII century, the empire appeared another opponent: the Slavs crossed the Danube and took the entire Balkan Peninsula. The empire lacked military force to confront the dangers, but at her disposal there were spiritual weapons: those who were enemies were captured in obedience and enriched with all the spiritual heritage of Christianity. Yesterday's conquerors took the Greek language - the language of the church and culture and became loosened empire. However, Constantinople Missionaries Saints Equal-Apostles Cyril and Methodius laid the beginning of the Slavic Church Culture, which became the exact reproduction of Greek prime. By the beginning of the twentieth century, the empire returned to themselves: her lands included the Balkans from the Danube and Dran, Malnya Asia, Armenia, Syria, South Italy. But by the end of the same century, Seljuki captured all ownership of it in Asia.

By that time, the West had already destroyed church unity with the East. The church gap of 1054 was predetermined by a political gap of 800, when the dad proclaimed the Roman emperor Charles Great. Pressure from the West has increased. To obtain assistance in the reflection of Western Danger, the Tsareghad government was forced to conclude an agreement with the pioneer of capitalism - the Venice Republic, according to which Venice received great privileges in the territory of the Empire, to the severe and long-term damage of the Byzantine economy and trade.

The losses of the territories actually turned the empire to the Greek state, but the ideology of Roman universalism remained untouched. Almost every emperor renewed negotiations on the Union with the Western Church, but since neither the rulers nor the clergy, nor the people wanted to retreat from Orthodoxy, negotiations always went to a dead end.

The new situation was created by crusades. On the one hand, they allowed to restore the power of the Orthodox Power in Western Malaya Asia. On the other hand, the countries created by the Crusaders in Syria and Palestine state were very hostile to the Greeks, who were depicted by the main culprits of the failures of the Crusaders, and the aggressiveness of the West against the Greeks grew.

West - Venice and Crusaders - managed to crush the empire in 1204. Constantinople was burned and captured, and the territory of the Empire conquerors wanted to share among themselves. The years of Latin dominion on Bosphorus (1204-1261) - the time of systematic export from the recent cultural capital of the world of all shrines, wealth and values \u200b\u200bthat survived the first days of looting. Much was just barbaric destroyed. In 1453, the Turks remained very little prey. 1204 The most important psychological factor added to the religious reasons for separation: the West showed his face an evil rapist and barbarian. Naturally, the winners tried to subjugate the Greek Church of Pope: in St. Sophia, the Latin Patriarch was raised, and on the captured lands (in some way, for several centuries: in Crete, in Cyprus), the Greeks were forced to live in the weather mode. The fragments of the Orthodox Empire persisted on the periphery, and its main center was Nikeya in Malaya Asia.

The first emperor from the Paleologists dynasty, Mikhail VIII, returned Constantinople. After decades of Latin rule, it was the shadow of the previous city. The palaces lay in ruins, the churches lost all their decoration, the pitiful residential neighborhoods were mixed with wastelands, gardens and gardens.

The liberation of the capital increased the aggressiveness of the West. Mikhail did not find a different means to prevent the threat to the conquest of the empire Catholics, except to conclude a church Ulya with Rome. Ultimately, it did not give him anything. Western states would very briefly refused aggressive intentions, but among the subjects of Mikhail Ulya caused almost universal rejection, and the emperor, together with the Uniate Patriarch, Konstantinople, consisted of broad repressions against opponents of Ulya. Despite the determination of Mikhail to approve the Ulya by any means, Papa Martin IV rejected him from the Church for the infidelity of Ulya! Ulya existed for eight years and died with Mikhail (1282).

Defining from the West, Mikhail VIII actively influenced European politics and had some military and diplomatic success. But in his activities the empire exhausted the last forces. After it, the fading of the Orthodox Empire begins.

But, in an amazing way, in a state of all expanding political, military, economic, social decline, the Eastern Empire not only did not fade spiritually, but, on the contrary, brought the most mature, beautiful and perfect fruits. Many people, many creations written and artistic will remain unknown for us - the memory of them died in the fire of conquest. Much remained and remains unlucky simply because after the catastrophe there was no one to evaluate what this died society lived. Only at the end of the nineteenth century, the world appreciated the external forms of his worldview - "Byzantine art." Only in the middle of the twentieth century, the Orthodox (and nonsense), the world began to study the spiritual and mystical and theological vertex of Isychasm. The critical publication of the chief teacher of Isicham is not yet completed - St. Gregory Palama. Almost tens of thousands of handwritten pages of his contemporaries still remain at all ... Than the most infirmity became a Romary Power, the unquestion it was its spiritual influence everywhere in the Orthodox world - in Russia of St. Alexy, in Serbia Stephen Sushan, in the Bulgaria of St. Euthemia ...

There were an empire at the global crossroads, on the way from Europe to Asia and the Mediterranean Sea to Black, the spiritually and Orthodox and even the Alupic World and protecting the Christian world from Asian conquerors. Now her ministry came to the end. By 1300, the Turks won her fairly large and rich possessions in Malaya Asia, except for the few cities that captured during the XIV century. In the middle of this century, the Turks stepped into Europe. By the end of his Turks were already destroyed by Bulgaria, Serbia was defeated on the Kosovo Field (1389) and captured most of the European possessions of the Empire, including the second city - thesalonics.

With the empire, from which only the capital remains, distant Peloponnese and several islands were no longer considered anymore. In Moscow, who was always loyal and recognized the championship of the Tsareghad king (they prayed for him in Russian churches), the Grand Duke Vasily Dimitrievich ordered to stop the mumage of the emperor, saying: "We have a church, but there is no king." In defense of the imperial ideology, the word Constantinople Patriarch Anthony IV, who wrote a great prince: "Sorrow, hearing a sense, the verbal welfare of your welfare about the Holy and Saint my dealer and the king. For they say that you prevent Metropolitan to remember the Divine name of the king in diptych, the matter is completely unacceptable ... it's not good. Holy Tsar has a great place in the church; It is not the fact that other princes and local ruler, because the kings inscribed and identified piety throughout the universe, and the Ecumenical Cathedrals of the kings were collected, and what applies to the right dogmas and to Christian residents that the Divine and Sacred Canons say, they approved And the locale to love and read ... why they have a great honor and place in the church. And although, according to God's linations, the tongues surround the region and the land of the king, but the king from the church and the same chin and the same prayers and the same prayer, and the world and the church and the church and the king and the autocrat of the Romans, that is, all Christians, and at any place and all the patriarchs and metropolitans and bishops commemorate the name of the king, where Christians are called, which nobody has no other rulers or location, and this has in comparison with all the power as Latinians themselves who do not have any communication with our Church, also give him the same obedience as in ancient days when they were one with us. Many more Orthodox Christians should have it this ... It's impossible to Christians to have a church, but not to have the king. For the kingdom and church have a lot of unity and community, and their mutual partition is impossible. Only the kings only reject Christians - heretics ... The worst and saint of my autocratic and the grace of God eating the Orthodox and the Bandeller and Intercession of the Church and the Defenseist and the defender, and it is impossible to be a bishop, which does not remember him. Hear the Supreme Apostle Peter, speaking in the first of the Cathedral Messages: God is worried, the king honor (1 Pet. 2, 17). He did not say: the kings so that he did not think about the so-called king of individual peoples, but: the king, pointing out that one is universal (Katholikos) king ... for if other people from Christians have assigned the name of the king, then all such ... illegally ... for what fathers, what cathedrals, what canons talk about them? But the nature of the nature and decrees and the doings of loved ones and the Chtims across the universe are about the natural king and the decrees, and the Christians are everywhere. "1.

At that time, Manuel Paleologist reigned (1391-1425), one of the noble states. Being calling the theologian and scientists, he spent time in the humiliating and fruitless search for the exit from the hopeless position of the Empire. In 1390-1391, being as hostage in Malaya Asia, he had frank conversations about faith with the Turks (which treated him with deep respect). Of these discussions, "26 dialogues with some passion" (as the archaizer literary manner demanded to call the Turks), and only a few dialogues are devoted to the controversy with Islam, and the harder part is a positive statement of Christian faith and morality. The essay has been published only in a smaller part.

Manuel found a consolation in the Scripture of church chants, sermons and theological treatises, but did not obscure it from a terrible reality. Turks stepped into Europe far to the north and west of the surrounded Constantinople, and it was for Europe to show a reasonable egoism, defending the Eastern Empire. Manuel went to the West, got to the distant London, but did not receive anything anywhere in except for sincere sympathy and uncertain promises. When all the opportunities were already exhausted, to the emperor, who was in Paris, reached the news that the fishery of God found an unexpected means: Timur struck the Turks crushing defeat (1402). The death of the empire was delayed on half a century. While the Turks recovered forces, the empire managed to free himself from Dani, which was paid to the Turks, and return Solun.

After the death of Manuil, the last generation of Paleologists came to power. With his son, John VIII, the situation was becoming more and more terrible. In 1430, Solun fell again - now five without small centuries. The disastrous danger forced the Greeks again (which is already!) Go to negotiations about Unia with Rome. This time, a unional attempt gave the most tangible results. And yet it can be argued that this time I was doomed in advance for failure. The parties did not understand each other, representing two different worlds - in theological, and in church-political aspects. For Eugene IV, Eugene IV has been to restore and approve a shameless papal authority. For the Greeks, she was a tragic attempt to preserve everything, as before, is not only an empire, but also the church with all its property of faith and rite. Someone from the Greeks naively hoped that the "victory" of the Orthodox legend over Latin innovations will occur at the Florentine Cathedral. This did not happen, and it could not be. But the real result was not a simple surrender of the Greeks. The main goal of the Pope was not subordination of the Greeks, but the defeat of the opposition of the Western Bishopath, which in a significant part rebelled against the papal alliance and tried to subordinate the father of the cathedral. In the face of a formidable enemy in the West (many state trucks stood behind rebellious bishops) it was possible to go for some compromises with the East. Indeed, the Union signed on July 6, 1439 had a compromise, and the question was, "whose will take" in its practical application. So, the Sania stipulated the "preservation of all rights and privileges" of the four Oriental Patriarchs, but Dad tried to experience the Greeks "for strength" and declared his readiness to appoint a new Patriarch Konstantinople. The emperor firmly objected that it was not a dad business - to make such appointments. Dad wanted to be issued to the court and crucify the saint Mark Ephesus, a solid defender of Orthodoxy, who did not sign the union. Again a firm statement was followed, which is not the case of the Pope - to judge Greek clerics, and the saint Mark returned to Constantinople in the imperial retinue.

Conclusion of Ulya in the form in which it was developed and signed, it turned out to be possible only because the Greeks did not have internal unity. Representative Greek delegation at the Cathedral - Emperor, Patriarch Iosif II (who died two days before signing Ulya and buried after him, jointly with the Greeks and Latinians), Sonm Hierarchov (some of them were represented by three eastern patriarchs) - was a motley spectrum of views and sentiment. The Orthodoxy Mark, and Hierarchs, who defended Orthodoxy, who defended Orthodoxy, was also an adamant warrior, and later the shaded or skilled dialectic of Latinians, or a rude and tangible pressure of others or their own, and "humanists", more busy antique philosophy than Christian theology, and fanatical Patriots ready for all for the sake of saving the empire from Muslims.

The views and the activities of each of those who have signed the Ulya are subject to a special study. But the circumstances are such that they do not allow the name of all of them and followed by "Catholics" or even "uniats". John Evgenik, the brother of St. Mark, calls John the VIII "Christ-loving king" and after signing them. Strictly anticatolic author of Archimandrite Ambrose (Pogodin) speaks not about disappearance from Orthodoxy, but about the "humiliation of the Orthodox Church" 2.

For Orthodoxy, the compromise is impossible. History says that this is not the way to overcome the misfidence, but the way to create new doctrines and new divisions. Far from to really unite East with the West, the Ulya made a division and struggle to the Eastern Church in the critical hour of its history. The people and clergy could not take this. Under their influence, they began to renounce their signatures those who put them under Bully Ulya. Of the thirty-three spiritual persons, only ten did not remove their signature. One of them - Protosyngel Grigory Mammy, then became the Patriarch of Constantinople and in 1451 under the pressure of antiuniators forced to flee into Rome. The siege and the fall of Constantinople met without the Patriarch.

At first, it was possible to think that the political calculations of supporters of Ulya were correct - the West would come to the crusade against the Turks. However, it was still far from time when the Turks will be precipitated by Vienna, and the West as a whole was still indifferent to Byzantium. Those whom the Turks threaten directly: Hungarians, as well as Poles and Serbs. Crusaders entered Bulgaria already belonging to Turks already in half a century and were headed down on November 10, 1444 under Varna.

On October 31, 1448, John VIII Paleologist died, and not decided to officially declare the Ulya. The throne took his brother, Konstantin XI Paleologist Dragas, who subscribed to two family names - decent and maternal. His mother, Elena Dragash, was a serb, the only Slavkin, who became Konstantinople Empress. After the death of the spouse, she took a monasticism with the name of Jipomoni and glorified as a holy (memory on May 29, on the day of the fall of Constantinople). She was the last empress, because I experienced my daughter-in-Empress.

Konstantin XI, born on February 8, 1405, was the eldest from Manuel II remained in the living sons. But his rights to the throne were not indisputable. In the Eastern Empire, there was no law on the throne, and the ruling emperor was to determine the heir. If he did not have time to do this, according to the situation, the Empress mother decided at that time. Elena-Ipomoni blessed his fourth (there were only six of them) Son to go to the throne. Konstantin was a man of noble soul, harsh and courageous warrior, a good warlord. About his interests in science, literature and art, we know little, although the courtyard in Mr. on Peloponnese, where he was before accepted the royal crown, was the focus of the finest culture. The most important problem remained a fortune. Church disputes in Constantinople reached such a heat that Konstantin did not wish him to be married to the kingdom not recognized by the Antiuniatats of Patriarch Gregory III. The crown was delivered to Mrut, and the local Metropolitan was coronated on January 6, 1449. In the summer of 1451, the Imperial Ambassador was sent to Rome, which, in particular, delivered the message from the "Assembly" (Synaxis) of the Bishops and other opponents of Unia, who offered to dad to cancel the Resolution of the Florentine Cathedral and take part in the new Universal Cathedral, this time in Constantinople. This is quite significant. The emperor, officially adhered to Ulya, cooperates with her opponents, which, entering his position, do not declare its "meeting" of the cathedral (synod).

At the same time, Orthodox, rejecting the prisoner of the Ulya, occupy a constructive position and are ready for new negotiations and discussions. However, not all Orthodox were so optimistic. Dad did not want to hear about the revision of Ulya. His ambassador, Cardinal Isidore (former Metropolitan of the Russian Church, deployed by the Grand Duke Vasily Vasilyevich, arrived in Constantinople (former Metropolitan of the Russian Church, for the proclamation of Unia and fled from a Moscow prison). Metropolitan Cardinal achieved that he was allowed to remember the dad and proclaim the unional bull in the solemn service in St. Sophia. This, of course, has elapsed the opposition of opponents and supporters of Ulya. But among the latter there were no unity: many hoped that if the city survives, then everything could be revised.

In 1451, the Sultan's throne took Mehmed II Conqueror - the ruler is capable, a wonderful military leader, a cunning politician, a monarch, loving science and art, but extremely cruel and completely immoral. He immediately began to prepare for the capture of Holy Constantine. Looking at the European coast of Bosphorus, who still belonged to the Empire, he began to destroy the Greek villages, capture the few remaining the city of the city and erect the fortress, equipped with powerful guns at the mouth of the Bosphorus. The exit to the Black Sea was locked. The coverage of bread in Constantinople could be stopped at any time. Of particular importance, the conqueror attached a fleet. For the siege of the city, more than one hundred warships were cooked. The land army of Sultan was at least 100 thousand. The Greeks argued even that there were up to 400 thousand warriors. The shock force of the Turkish army was the Yanycharian shelves. (Yanychars - the sons of Christian parents who were taken from families in infancy and brought up in the spirit of Islamic fanaticism).

The Turkish army was perfectly armed and had an important advantage in the technique. The Hungarian cannon master Urban offered his services to the emperor, but, without having agreed on a salary, he fought to Sultan and cast a gun of an unprecedented caliber for him. During the siege, it exploded, but was immediately replaced by a new one. Even during the short weeks of the siege of gunsmiths, at the request of Sultan, technical improvements were made and many of the methods of an improved sample were cast. And only weak, small-caliber guns had the defeated city.

When Sultan arrived on April 5, 1453, under the walls of Constantinople, the city was already besieged from the sea, and from Sushi. Residents of the city have long been preparing for siege. The walls were cleared, serfs were cleaned. For the needs of Defense, donations were made by monasteries, churches and individuals. The garrison was negligible: less than 5 thousand subjects of the empire and less than 2 thousand Western warriors, primarily Italians. There were about 25 ships at the besieged. Despite the numerical predominance of the Turkish fleet, the deposited had at sea some benefits: Greek and Italian sailors were much more experienced and brave, and moreover, their ships were armed with Greek Fire, a flammable substance that could burn even in water and caused large Fires.

According to Muslim laws, if the city surrendered, its inhabitants guaranteed the preservation of life, freedom and property. If the city was taken by storm, the inhabitants were exterminated or enslaved. Mehmed sent parliamentarians with a suggestion. The emperor, who was close to repeatedly offered to leave the doomed city, was ready to stay until the end at the head of his small military. And although residents and defenders treated in different ways to the prospects of the city and some preferred the power of the Turks to close alliance with the West, the city was willing to defend almost everything. Even for the monks there were combat posts. April 6 began fighting.

Konstantinople had, roughly speaking, triangular outlines. From all sides, he was surrounded by the walls, he was washed from the North to the Golden Horn Bay, from the East and South - the Marmara Sea, and the Western fortifications took place on land. From this side, they were especially powerful: water-filled meters had 20 meters of width and 7 meters of depth, above it - five-meter walls, then the second row of walls with a height of 10 meters with 13-meter towers, and for them more walls with a height of 12 meters from 23- meter towers. Sultan strongly sought to achieve a decisive prevalence at sea, but the main goal believed the assault of land fortifications. The week lasted powerful artillery preparation. The big gun of Urbana shot seven times a day, in general, the guns of different caliber produced around the city to one hundred cores per day.

At night, the inhabitants, men and women cleaned the falling pips and latali latali boards and barrels with earth. On April 18, the Turks moved to the storming of fortifications and were repulsed, losing many people. On April 20, the Turks suffered defeat and the sea. Four ships with weapons and food approached the city, which was not enough in the city. They were met by many Turkish ships. Dozens of Turkish ships surrounded by three Genoese and one imperial ship, trying to set fire to them and take on the board. The magnificent learning and discipline of Christian sailors took over the opponent who had a huge numerical predominance. After a multi-hour battle, four victorious ships escaped from the environment and entered the Golden Horn Bay, locked with an iron chain, which was kept on wooden rafts and was attached to the wall of Constantinople, and the Other - to the wall of the Gaize the Gaulic Fortress.

Sultan was trembled, but immediately invented a new course, which significantly complicated the position of besieged. On the uneven, the elevated area was built the road, according to which on wooden polishes on special, immediately built by wooden carriages of the Turks have broken many ships in the Golden Horn. This happened on April 22. In secret, a night attack on Turkish ships in the rog was prepared, but the Turks learned in advance about it and the ones began to be a cannon. The tied sea battle again showed the superiority of Christians, but Turkish ships remained in the bay and threatened the city from this side. On the rafts installed guns that shot in the city from the horns.

In early May, the lack of food became such a tangible that the emperor again gathered funds from churches and from individuals, she missed all the cash of food and arranged distribution: each family received a modest, but sufficient packs.

Again, Velmazhi offered Konstantin to leave the city and away from danger to allocate the antitururek coalition, hoping to save both the city and other Christian countries. He responded to them: "Colo-forecast before Men of the former, grand and Slavs, the victim, and for her fatherland, smoldering; Az Li Paka last of this is not going to? Nor, my Lord, nor, but yes, I will die with you "3. On August 7 and 12, the Turks again stormed urban walls, which were increasingly destroyed by a continuous cannonade. Turks began with the help of experienced mines to make subpopkins. Until the very end, the precipitated successfully digged counterpodcops, burning wooden backups, exploding the Turkish moves and smoking the turkey smoke.

On May 23, Brigantine appeared on the horizon, pursued by Turkish ships. The inhabitants of the city had hope that the squadron finally came, long ago expected from the West. But when the ship had a danger safely, it turned out that this is the very brigantine, who went into search of allied ships twenty days ago; Now she returned, so does not find anyone. The allies led a double game, not wanting to declare Sultan war and counting at the same time on the strength of urban walls, heavily underestimating the adamatural will of 22-year-old Sultan and the military advantages of his army. The emperor, thanking the Venetian sailors, who were not afraid to break into the city, to tell him this sad and important news, I cried and said that henceforth there was no earthly hopes.

An unfavorable celestial signs appeared. On May 24, the city was demoralized by a full lunar eclipse. In the morning, the procession began in the city with the image of odigitria, the heavenly patronage of the hail of St. Constantine. Suddenly the holy icon fell from the stretcher. Only only resumed - the thunderstorm began, hail, and such a shower that the children carried the stream; The move had to stop. The next day, the whole city was shrouded in thick fog. And at night and besieged, and the Turks saw some kind of mysterious light around the dome of St. Sophia.

Newly approximate came to the emperor and demanded that he left the city. He was in such a state that he fainted. Having come to Himself, he firmly said that he would die with everyone.

Sultan last suggested a peaceful decision. Or the emperor undertakes to pay 100 thousand gold every year (the amount for it is completely unreal), or all the inhabitants are removed from the city, taking movable property with them. Having received a refusal and having heard the assurances of military leaders and warriors in willingness to start the assault, Mehmed ordered to prepare the last attack. The soldiers recalled that, according to the customs of Islam, the city will be given for three days to the looting of the warriors of Allah. Sultan solemnly swore that production will be divided between them by fairness.

On Monday, May 28, along the walls of the city there was a large procession, in which many Holy Shrines were carried; The move united Orthodox and Catholics. The emperor joined the go, and at his end he invited commander and nobles to himself. "You know well, brethren," he said, - that we all obliged to prefer life for something one of four: first, for faith our and piety, secondly, for the homeland, thirdly for the king as an anointed The Lord and, Fourth, for relatives and friends ... How much more is for all these four. " In animate speech, the king convinced to fight for the holy and the right thing not to sparing his life and with hope for a victory: "Your remembrance and memory and glory and freedom are eternal and will be."

After speech addressed to the Greeks, he turned to the Venetians, "the city of the second birthplace", and to the Genoesers who belonged to "as me," with calls to the courageous opposition to the enemy. Then, referring to everyone together, he said: "I hope for God that we will get rid of the proper righteous advances. Secondly, the Adamant Crown is prepared in heaven, and the world will be eternal and worthy in the world. " With tears and laminations, Konstantin paid thanks to God. "Everyone like uniform litters" answered him, sobbing: "I will die for the faith of Christ and for the fatherland, our!" four . The king went to St. Sophia, prayed, sobbing, and the Holy Taine fell. For example, many others followed. Returning to the palace, he asked for forgiveness, and the title was announced by the moans. Then he went to the walls of the city to check the combat posts.

Many people gathered on prayer to the Holy Sophia. In one temple, the clergy prayed, until the last moment of the proposed religious struggle. S. Ransimen, author of a wonderful book about these days, exclaims with Paphos: "It was a moment when the Eastern and Western Christian churches" 5 really happened in Constantinople "5. However, unreasonable opponents of Latin and Union could pray separately, in many churches that were at their disposal.

On Tuesday night on May 29 (it was the second day of Petrov post), in the second hour, the assault began on the entire perimeter of the walls. The first to attack the Bashibuzuki - irregular parts. Mehmed was not hoping for their victory, but wanted to urged the deposited with them. To prevent panic for Bashibuzuki stood "progroms" of the military police, and for them - Yanychars. Two hours of intense fighting Bashibuzuk was allowed to move away. Immediately the second wave of attack began. A particularly dangerous position was created in the most vulnerable area of \u200b\u200bthe land wall, at the gate of the Holy Roman. Earned artillery. Turks met cruel back. When they were ready to sneeze, the kernel released from the Urbana cannon broke a barrier erected into the breaks of the wall. Several hundred Turks with victorious cries rushed in the break. But the detachments under the command of the emperor were surrounded by them and most of them were killed; The rest were pushed out in ditch. On other sites, the success of the Turks were even less. The attackers again moved away. And now, when the defenders were already tired by a four-hour fight, the selected shelves of Janichar, favorites of the conqueror went to the attack. An hour of Yanychars beat to no avail.

In the north-west of Constantinople was the Palace District of Velverna. His fortifications were part of the city walls. In these fortifications there was a well-disguised secret door called Kerkoport. It was successfully used for shafts. The Turks found it and discovered that she was not locked. Fifty Turks burst through it. When they were discovered, the broken Turks tried to surround. But here there was another fateful event nearby. At dawn, one of the main leaders of defense, Guesec Justiniani, was mortally wounded. Despite the request of Constantine to stay at the post, Justiniani ordered him to be taken. The battle went beyond the outer wall. When the Genoese saw that their commander was carried into the gate of the inner wall, they rushed at him in a panic. The Greeks remained alone, beat several Yanychar attacks, but in the end were discarded from external fortifications and are interrupted. Without meeting resistance, Turks climbed to the inner wall and saw the Turkish flag on the tower over Kerkoport. The emperor, leaving Justiniani, rushed to Kerkoport, but nothing could be done there. Then Konstantin returned to the gate through which Justiniani was taken, and tried to collect Greeks around him. With him there was his cousin Ferofil, a faithful companion John and Spanish Knight Francis. In four, they defended the gate and fell together on the field of honor. The head of the emperor was brought by Mehmed; He ordered it to put it on the forum, then she was applied and drove through the yards of Muslim Vladyk. The body of Constantine, identified by shoes with double-headed eagles, was buried, and the century showed the nameless of his grave. Then she came into oblivion.

The city fell. The broken Turks were primarily rushed to the goal, so that Turkish parts were poured from all sides. In many places, the deposited was surrounded by the walls they defended. Some tried to break through to the ships and run. Some persistently resisted and were interrupted. Until noon held in the towers Cretan sailors. From respect to their courage, the Turks allowed them to sit on the ships and swim. Committed by one of the Latin detachments Metropolitan Isidore, having learned that the city fell, changed clothes and tried to hide. The Turks killed someone who he gave clothing, and he himself was captured, but he remained unrecognized and very soon was redeemed. Roman dad proclaimed him by Patriarch Constantinople in Partibus Infidelium. Isidore tried to organize a crusade against the "Forestation of Antichrist and Son Satan", but everything was already over. West left a whole squadron of ships filled with refugees. The first hours of the Turkish fleet inactive: sailors, throwing trial, rushed to rob the city. But then the Turkish ships still blocked the way out of the Golden Horn remained there with imperial and Italian ships.

The fate of the inhabitants was terrible. No one who does not need children, old people and cripples were killed in place. All others appealed to slavery. A huge set prayed, locked in St. Sophia. When massive metal doors and the Turks were hacked into the temple of the Divine Wisdom, they were long taken by the prisoners lintels. When Mehmed was already entering the cathedral, he graciously let go of Christians who have not yet derived from him, as well as those who came to him from the secret doors of the priests.

I was crying was the fate of Christians, the fate of Christian Christian was sad. The icons and power were destroyed, the books died out of precious salary and burned. Inappropriately survived several of the great many churches. Whether they were considered to be surrendered to the mercy of the winner, whether the Christian vassals of Mehmed participating in the siege were taken under the patronage, whether he himself ordered them to keep them, because he assumed, clearing the city from the population, to re-settle him and give it a place in it also and Orthodox .

Already very soon the conqueror was concerned about the restoration of the Constantinople Patriarchate. He outlined a candidate for the Patriarchy Throne of the monk Gennady Scholaria, who headed after the death of St. Mark of the Ephesian Orthodox opposition of Ulya. Began to look for scholarium; It turned out that he was captured in Constantinople and sold to slavery in the then capital of Sultan Adrianopol. In the new state system created by Mehmed, the capital Patriarch - and the defeated Grad soon became a new capital - received the position of Millet-Bashi, "Etnarha", who headed the Orthodox "people", that is, all the Orthlask Ottoman Empire, not only in spiritual, but and in secular relationship. But this is a completely different story.

A few years later, the latest fragments of the Eastern Empire ceased to exist. In 1460, the Turks took Peloponnese, which was then called the Slavic name of the Sea. In 1461, his fate divided the Trapezund kingdom.

Great culture died. Turks were allowed worship, but banned Christian schools. Not in the best position was the cultural tradition of Orthodoxy in Crete, Cyprus and other Greek islands belonging to Catholics. The numerous carriers of Greek culture, which fled to the West, remained in the utility utilization and merger with the religious dubious environment "Renaissance".

But the church did not dither, and the new world stronghold of Orthodoxy became increasingly fastened by Rus.

In the consciousness of the Greeks, Konstantin Paleologist was and remains the personification of valor, faith and loyalty 6. In the "older books" published, that is, by definition, the most extreme anti-tolics, the lives of the saints there is a picture of Constantine, however, without Nibe. In his hand, he holds a scroll: the course of the skiates, faith is observed. And the Savior lowers the crown on him and the scroll with the words: Others, the taste is observed to you the crown of the truth. 7 And in 1992, the sacred synod of the Elaladian church blessed the service of St. Ipomoni "Anything not retreating from the dogmas and legends of our Holy Church." The service includes tropari and other chants Konstantin Paleologu, the glorious king-martyr.

Troparians 8, voice 5

The rake is honed from the creator of the friend of ESI, Martyrchi Vellenna, Paleologists Svetoma, Konstantine, Byzantia, the King of Extreme, Towjo, Lord is now screamed, his moths, the world to give everyone and the enemies to conquer under Nose of people of Orthodox 8.

Notes

1 Miklosich Fr., M LLER IOS. Acta et Diplomata Graca Medii Aevi Sacra et Profana. Vindobonae, 1862. V. Ii. P. 190-192.

2 Archimandrite Amvrosiy. St. Mark Ephesian and Florentine Union. Jordanville, 1963. P. 310, 320.

3 The story of taking Tsargrad by Turks // Monuments of the literature of ancient Russia. The second half of the XV century. M., 1982. P. 244.