A Swedish victory over Russian forces near Walk (1657) demonstrated the vulnerability of Russian armies operating in Livonia during the Russo-Swedish War.
Key Facts
- Date
- July 8, 1657
- Swedish commander
- Friedrich von Löwen
- Russian commander
- Matvey Sheremetyev (stolnik)
- Russian force (Swedish claim)
- 8,000 men men
- Russian force (archive estimate)
- 2,193 men men
- Swedish killed
- 12 men
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
During the Second Northern War, Russian forces under Matvey Sheremetyev were tasked with pressuring Swedish-held territory in Livonia, aiming to force Swedish troops back toward Tallinn or Riga and create a scorched-earth buffer zone along the frontier.
On July 8, 1657, Swedish forces under Friedrich von Löwen engaged the Russian army near Walk. The bulk of the Russian troops disobeyed Sheremetyev and withdrew early, leaving him reliant on roughly 250 reiters under Colonel Denis Fonvizin. Though Fonvizin's cavalry enabled a partial breakout, the Swedes won decisively, capturing 32 standards and banners.
Sheremetyev was captured and died of his wounds in Swedish captivity. Russian casualty figures are disputed: Swedish sources claimed 1,500 dead or wounded, while Russian archival analysis puts losses at 108 killed and 28 wounded from a force of only about 2,193 men, suggesting Swedish accounts significantly inflated Russian numbers.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Friedrich von Löwen.
Side B
1 belligerent
Matvey Sheremetyev, Denis Fonvizin.