Streltsy (nonfiction)

Streltsy (Russian: стрельцы́, IPA: [strʲɪlʲˈt͡sɨ], lit. 'shooters'; sg. стреле́ц IPA: [strʲɪˈlʲet͡s]) were the units of Russian firearm infantry from the 16th to the early 18th centuries and also a social stratum, from which personnel for Streltsy troops were traditionally recruited. They are also collectively known as streletskoye voysko (стрелецкое войско). These infantry troops reinforced feudal levy horsemen or pomestnoye voysko (поместное войско).

History

The first streltsy units were created by Ivan the Terrible sometime between 1545 and 1550 and armed with arquebuses. During his reign, Russia was fighting wars almost continuously, including the Livonian War in the North and wars against the Khanates in the South. They first saw combat at the Siege of Kazan in 1552. Initially, the streltsy were recruited from among the free tradespeople and from the rural population. Subsequently, military service in this unit became lifelong and hereditary.

Fiction cross-reference

• Gnomon algorithm
• Gnomon Chronicles

Nonfiction cross-reference

• Ivan the Terrible (nonfiction)

External links

• Streltsy @ Wikipedia