In early January 1877, the West army group Gurko successfully crossed the Balkan Mountains. Parts of the group was to focus on Yana village. The Orkhanie Ottoman army after the Battle of Tashkessen retired to the Sofia area. Western group Gurko passed to operation Orkhanie to defeat the Ottoman army, according to the plan for final action in the war. General Iosif Gurko said: Probably we would not have crossed the mountain, were it not for these silent and strong Bulgarians who brought us bread and hot food. They prompted us to remove the horses to harness their oxen to the guns and so went the first party to pass through snowdrifts and freezing cold.