Free Cossacks ( uk, Вільне козацтво) were

Ukrainian Cossacks The Zaporozhian Cossacks, Zaporozhian Cossack Army, Zaporozhian Host, (, or uk, Військо Запорізьке, translit=Viisko Zaporizke, translit-std=ungegn, label=none) or simply Zaporozhians ( uk, Запорожці, translit=Zaporoz ...

that were organized as volunteer militia units in the spring of 1917 in the

Ukrainian People's Republic The Ukrainian People's Republic (UPR), or Ukrainian National Republic (UNR), was a country in Eastern Europe that existed between 1917 and 1920. It was declared following the February Revolution in Russia by the First Universal. In March 1 ...

. The Free Cossacks are seen as precursors of the modern Ukrainian national law enforcement organizations such as the

National Guard of Ukraine The National Guard of Ukraine (NGU; uk, Націона́льна гва́рдія Украї́ни, Natsionalna hvardiia Ukrainy, , ) is the Ukrainian national gendarmerie and Internal Troops, internal military force. It is part of the Minist ...

or the

Internal Troops of Ukraine The Internal Troops of Ukraine ( uk, Внутрішні війська України, - Interior Forces of Ukraine; Russian: Внутренние войска Украины, ''Vnutrenniye Voyska Ukrainy''), abbreviated ВВ 'VV') were a unif ...

. The primary purpose of those militia formations was to provide security and civil order for the local population. The consolidation process of various smaller units started sometime in April near the town of Zvenyhorodka,

Kiev Governorate Kiev Governorate, r=Kievskaya guberniya; uk, Київська губернія, Kyivska huberniia (, ) was an administrative division of the Russian Empire from 1796 to 1919 and the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic from 1919 to 1925. It wa ...

during the local assembly of the Free Cossacks which created the Zvenyhorodka Kosh (battalion). The assembly elected Semen Hryzlo the

Kosh Otaman Kish otaman ( uk, Кошовий отаман, ; russian: Кошевой атаман, ; pl, Ataman koszowy; also known as of the Zaporizhian Host) was a chief officer of the ''Kish'' (central body of government) of the Zaporozhian Host in the 1 ...

, who became the otaman of Kalnyboloto Kurin (company). Under this title, he was delegated to the 2nd All-Ukrainian Military Congress in Kiev in June 1917. Hryzlo was also one of the organizers of the 1st All-Ukrainian Congress of the Free Cossacks that took place on October 3, 1917 in the former Cossack capital of

Chyhyryn Chyhyryn ( uk, Чигирин, ) is a city and historic site located in Cherkasy Raion of Cherkasy Oblast of central Ukraine. From 1648 to 1669 the city was a Hetman residence. After a forced relocation of the Ruthenian Orthodox metropolitan see ...

. The congress elected the Hetman of All Ukraine, who became General

Pavlo Skoropadskyi Pavlo Petrovych Skoropadskyi ( uk, Павло Петрович Скоропадський, Pavlo Petrovych Skoropadskyi; – 26 April 1945) was a Ukrainian aristocrat, military and state leader, decorated Imperial Russian Army and Ukrainian Army ...

. Hryzlo was elected as the General

Yesaul Yesaul, osaul or osavul (russian: есау́л, translit=yesaul, uk, осаву́л, translit=osavul) (from Turkic yasaul - ''chief''), is a post and a rank in the Ukrainian Cossack units. The first records of the rank imply that it was introd ...

. The Free Cossacks units distinguished themselves during the Ukrainian-Soviet War (particularly from December 1917 to April 1918) and were disbanded around May and June 1918. In January-April 1918 the Ukrainian government tried to create the Free Registered Cossack Troops for county security, but after the April coup-d'etat led by

Pavlo Skoropadsky Pavlo Petrovych Skoropadskyi ( uk, Павло Петрович Скоропадський, Pavlo Petrovych Skoropadskyi; – 26 April 1945) was a Ukrainian aristocrat, military and state leader, decorated Imperial Russian Army and Ukrainian Arm ...

all Free Cossacks formations were officially dissolved.

External links

at the

Encyclopedia of Ukraine The ''Encyclopedia of Ukraine'' ( uk, Енциклопедія українознавства, translit=Entsyklopediia ukrainoznavstva), published from 1984 to 2001, is a fundamental work of Ukrainian Studies. Development The work was creat ...

Free Cossacks (ВІЛЬНЕ КОЗАЦТВО)
Encyclopedia of History of Ukraine. History of the Cossacks in Ukraine Military history of Ukraine Military units and formations of Ukraine Military units and formations established in 1917 Counterinsurgency Law enforcement agencies of Ukraine Emergency management in Ukraine Gendarmerie Ukrainian People's Republic Ukrainian–Soviet War {{Ukraine-hist-stub

See also

Further reading

External links