Battle of Węgrów

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January Uprising
Date February 3, 1863 Location Węgrów Result Russian victory
Belligerents
Poland	imperial Russia
Commanders
Władysław Jabłonowski Jan Matliński	colonel Georgij Papaafanasopulo
Strength
2 000 infantry including scythemen	3 companies of infantry, 3 squadrons of cavalry, 6 cannons
Casualties and losses
150	?

Battle of Węgrów was one of the most famous skirmishes of January Uprising. It took place February 3, 1863 near Węgrów in east Masovia.

On January 22 Polish partisans liberated a town from Russians forces. Here Poles established a military base, in a few days gathering almost 3,500 soldiers.

But the Russians decided to recapture Węgrów by rapid attack force composed of a 1,000-strong unit with artillery, led by colonel Georgi Papaafanasopulo. The Poles were threatened by encirclement, and Polish commander Jan Matliński ordered to retreat from the town. He left about 500 scythemen to cover the retreat of the main forces. Scythemen attacked the Russian left flank and routed Russian cavalry squadron and cannons, ensuring the safe retreat of the Polish forces from the town. Almost all attacking scythemen were killed by Russian infantry fire. Russians entered the town, but most of the Polish forces have already left it.

Polish attack was rumoured all over the Europe. French poet Henri Auguste Barbier wrote a poem Węgrów attack, comparing the Polish fighters to Spartans at the Battle of Thermopylae. This battle is the so-called "Polish Thermopylae."