Stepan Lukich Velyaminov (russian: Степан Лукич Вельяминов; 1670–1737) was a Russian military and state figure,
Major General#Russia, President of
Collegium of Little Russia (1722–1727)
Collegium of Little Russia (russian: Малороссийская коллегия) was an administrative body of the Russian Empire in the Hetmanate created for the first time by the ukase of Peter the Great on May 27, 1722, in place of the Li ...
, privy councilor, senator.
He participated in the
Great Northern War
The Great Northern War (1700–1721) was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swed ...
and for sometime performed duties of military commandant of
Poltava
Poltava (, ; uk, Полтава ) is a city located on the Vorskla River in central Ukraine. It is the capital city of the Poltava Oblast (province) and of the surrounding Poltava Raion (district) of the oblast. Poltava is administrative ...
city. In 1720–1722 he was a voivode of the
Belgorod Province and commander of all
Sloboda Ukraine
Sloboda Ukraine (literally: Borderland of free frontier guards; uk, Слобідська Україна, Slobidska Ukraina), or Slobozhanshchyna ( uk, Слобожанщина, Slobozhanshchyna, ), is a historical region, now located in Northeas ...
cossack regiments. On instructions of the
War Collegium, Velyaminov participated in fortification of the southern borders of
Cossack Hetmanate
The Cossack Hetmanate ( uk, Гетьманщина, Hetmanshchyna; or ''Cossack state''), officially the Zaporizhian Host or Army of Zaporizhia ( uk, Військо Запорозьке, Viisko Zaporozke, links=no; la, Exercitus Zaporoviensis) ...
. On 19 April 1722 as a
brigadier
Brigadier is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several thousand soldiers. In ...
he was appointed the president of the new Collegium of Little Russia (confirmed by the manifest of Emperor
Peter the Great
Peter I ( – ), most commonly known as Peter the Great,) or Pyotr Alekséyevich ( rus, Пётр Алексе́евич, p=ˈpʲɵtr ɐlʲɪˈksʲejɪvʲɪtɕ, , group=pron was a Russian monarch who ruled the Tsardom of Russia from t ...
on 16 May 1722).
As the president of the Little Russian Collegium, Velyaminov made great efforts to implement in life a policy of the Tsarist government aimed at substantial narrowing of the
Cossack Hetmanate
The Cossack Hetmanate ( uk, Гетьманщина, Hetmanshchyna; or ''Cossack state''), officially the Zaporizhian Host or Army of Zaporizhia ( uk, Військо Запорозьке, Viisko Zaporozke, links=no; la, Exercitus Zaporoviensis) ...
autonomy, use of material resources of the land for the needs of whole empire, bringing into compliance with Russian norms the Ukrainian justice system and commerce, preparing foundation for complete annexation of the
Left-bank Ukraine
Left-bank Ukraine ( uk, Лівобережна Україна, translit=Livoberezhna Ukrayina; russian: Левобережная Украина, translit=Levoberezhnaya Ukraina; pl, Lewobrzeżna Ukraina) is a historic name of the part of Ukrain ...
by the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the List of Russian monarchs, Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended th ...
. He was a hard-liner against the opposition-minded Cossack officers by initiating their recall from Ukraine and imprisonment in
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
the acting hetman
Pavlo Polubotok
Pavlo Polubotok ( uk, Павло Леонтійович Полуботок, russian: Павел Леонтьевич Полуботок, pl, Paweł Połubotok; born around 1660, died on 29 December 1724), was a Ukrainian Cossack political and mil ...
and all Cossacks' General Officers.
Velyaminov prepared number of drafts about reformation of the system of power relations of the Cossack Hetmanate that in 1723 became a basis of legislative acts of
Peter the Great
Peter I ( – ), most commonly known as Peter the Great,) or Pyotr Alekséyevich ( rus, Пётр Алексе́евич, p=ˈpʲɵtr ɐlʲɪˈksʲejɪvʲɪtɕ, , group=pron was a Russian monarch who ruled the Tsardom of Russia from t ...
and the
Governing Senate
The Governing Senate (russian: Правительствующий сенат, Pravitelstvuyushchiy senat) was a legislative, judicial, and executive body of the Russian Emperors, instituted by Peter the Great to replace the Boyar Duma and last ...
. As the result of their realization, Velyaminov took over the functions of the Ukrainian Governor, subjected the Cossacks' General Military Chancellery and the local government. For success reached in reformation of the Hetmanate administrative system, Velyaminov was awarded a rank of
Major General
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
by
Catherine I
Catherine I ( rus, Екатери́на I Алексе́евна Миха́йлова, Yekaterína I Alekséyevna Mikháylova; born , ; – ) was the second wife and empress consort of Peter the Great, and Empress Regnant of Russia from 1725 u ...
on 11 July 1726. At the same time Velyaminov became involved into a conflict over some properties with
Alexander Menshikov who was a big landowner in Ukraine.
External links
Stepan Veliaminovat the Encyclopedia of history of Ukraine
at the Hrono
{{DEFAULTSORT:Velyaminov, Stepan Lukich
1670 births
1737 deaths
Imperial Russian major generals
Russian military personnel of the Great Northern War
Senators of the Russian Empire
Collegium of Little Russia (1722–1727)