# Cossacks hold Azov (1637)

URL: https://history-russia.com/timeline/1637-cossacks-hold-azov
Categories: battle

Don Cossacks captured the Ottoman fortress of Azov in 1637 and held it against a huge Ottoman army in 1641. They offered it to the tsar, but a Zemsky Sobor declined for fear of war with the Ottomans, and it was abandoned in 1642. The defence inspired a famous literary tale. Azov remained a goal of Russian policy until Peter the Great took it in 1696.

## Why it matters
Azov remained a goal of Russian policy until Peter the Great took it in 1696.

Ruler at the time: [Michael I](https://history-russia.com/rulers/michael-i)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Siege of Azov (1637–1642)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Azov_(1637–1642))
- [Wikipedia — Don Cossacks](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Cossacks)
- [Wikipedia — House of Romanov](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Romanov)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Cossacks hold Azov](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Cossacks+hold+Azov)
- [Wikipedia — Timeline of Russian history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Russian_history)