Siege of Chernigov (Premysloides Dynasty)

Background
Chernigov was among important centers of Volga Commonwealth, not only breadbasket, but also crossroad of Volga Commonwealth members and while relative small, one of wealthiest city in the Russian territories.

For imperial forces, attack on Chernigov was crucial to form breachhead and unify their forces with northern Russian republics.

Siege
Siege was laid on July 15, when Imperial Legion arrived and encirceled city. City walls was under artillery fire, all supply roads were cut off, local farms plundered and all supplies took by imperial forces. This was first mistake, as enraged peasants joined Volga Army moving, that leaved Nizhny Novgorod and moving toward Chernigov.

Imperial Army expected that Chernigov will not receive any reinforcements or support, as Pskov, Smolensk and Novgorod levies, mercenaries and armies fighting with other Volga Army forces.

Everything changed on July 20, when 2,000 infantry and 3,000 cavalry troops arrived from north, during dusk and attacked surprised Imperial Legion, siege camps and fortifications.

Legatus Marcus Tirrinius was killed in first ten minutes of ambush and it took only one hour to XVI and III Imperial Legion.

Aftermath
Battle was catastrophic defeat that brink Imperial Campaign of Rus to verge of collapse and total imperial defeat. It also scared inreliable northern allies (Pskov, Novgorod and Smolensk). They knew that if Roman Empire will leave war, it will mean nothing for Empire, aside of embarassment and weakened position, but they - Pskov, Smolensk and Novgorod - will be destroyed in Volga Commonwealth punitive campaign. Because of that, northern leaders finally gathered their armies from plundering and sent them to south, to reinforce Imperial Armies.

Historian PhD. Alexej Varsky (Faculty of History, Constantinople Dome of Wisdom) claim that battle of Chernigov was defeat of Volga, because of long-term consequences and that destruction of northern Russian republics, or invading imperial territories in south, would be better and compare this situation with ambush of Skopia, after which Mongol Empire joined Roman Empire under Romanos against Roman Empire under Manuel.