Pashkov's army established fortified camps at Kolomenskoe, with earthworks and palisades, and at Zabore, using encircling sleds stacked upon each other and then covered in water which froze, creating an "Improvised rampart as strong as stone."

Meanwhile, Bolotnikov began to send letters, including to Moscow, where he called on the people to revolt against the boyars, nobles and merchants, as well as kiss the cross "to the legitimate sovereign Dmitry Ivanovich".

In total, they numbered about 100 thousand people and their army was divided into units under the command of the famous governors, among whom were Sumbulov, Lyapunov, Pashkov, Bezzubtsev and others.

[2] In mid-November, Shuiskii opened the road to Smolensk when Grigorii I. Poltev led a force of men to clear Dorogobuzh and Viazma of rebels, before proceeding to the Mozhaisk fortress, where the ataman Ivan Goremykin surrendered after a week long siege.

According to Dunning,"With the western blockade of the capital now broken, Kriuk-Kolychev combined the forces of Poltev, Mezetskii, and his own men with servicemen from Viazma, and returned to Moscow by 29 November.

[1] According to Dunning, "Before December 2, Tsar Vasilii's officials secretly contacted Pashkov and made careful plans to use his betrayal during the upcoming battle to maximum advantage.

The remnants of his army, mainly Cossacks, strengthened in the village of Zaborye, however, after a short resistance, the ataman Bezzubtsev surrendered and swore allegiance to Shuisky.