TRENDEFRARAtlas of the Sultans · Wars, battles and treaties
Siege · 1787
The war declared on Russia in 1787 to recover Crimea began, according to the TDV article on Abdülhamid I, with an attack by the commander of Ochakov to retake the fortress of Kinburn from the Russians. The Russians repulsed it and laid siege to Ochakov. Grand Admiral Cezayirli Gazi Hasan Pasha sailed into the Black Sea to relieve the fortress but could not land help because of the shallow coast, and the flotilla he sent was defeated; his victory over the Russian fleet at Fidonisi (August 1788) did not prevent the fall of Ochakov. According to the TDV article on Koca Yusuf Pasha, Ochakov fell to the Russians on 17 December 1788 and more than 10,000 of its inhabitants were killed. Abdülhamid I suffered a stroke while reading the report of its fall and died soon after (7 April 1789).
| Date | 1787 – 17 December 1788 |
|---|---|
| Location | Kinburn and Ochakov, at the mouth of the Dnieper |
| Result | The attack on Kinburn was repulsed; Ochakov fell to the Russians after a siege |
| Belligerents | Ottoman Empire | Russian Empire |
|---|---|---|
| Commanders | Cezayirli Gazi Hasan Pasha |
Took place during the reign of Abdulhamid I (1774–1789). Abdulhamid I
Open the reign of Abdulhamid I on the mapBy the atlas's calculation the Ottoman lands covered about 4,612,000 km² in 1787; at the start of Abdulhamid I's reign they measured 4,612,000 km², at its end 4,596,000 km².
During Abdulhamid I (1774–1789) the atlas records 0 regions gained and 1 region lost.
Regions lost: Ochakiv (Yedisan) (1788).
The sultan of Küçük Kaynarca and the loss of Crimea. The first surrender of a Muslim people to a Christian state was a heavy blow to the claim to the caliphate; the naval engineering school is his lasting legacy.
Areas are land area computed from the atlas's region data; see Method and sources.
Source: TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, “YÛSUF PAŞA, Koca” (Turkish); text written for the atlas.
Cite as: Atlas of the Sultans, “Siege of Ochakov (1787): Date, Commanders and Outcome”, https://padisahlaratlasi.com/en/events/siege-of-ochakov-1788/ (last updated 12 November 2026). Corrections