Samiilo Velychko Samiilo Vasyliovych Velychko ( uk, Самі́йло Васи́льович Вели́чко) (1670–after 1728 ) — was a Ukrainian Cossack nobleman and chronicler who wrote the first systematic presentation of the history of the Cossack Hetma ...

Ukrainian history Prehistoric Ukraine, as a part of the Pontic steppe in Eastern Europe, played an important role in Eurasian cultural contacts, including the spread of the Chalcolithic, the Bronze Age, Indo-European migrations and the domestication of the hors ...

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the st ...

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 ...

Chudniv Treaty Treaty of Chudnov or Treaty of Cudnów ( pl, Ugoda cudnowska, uk, Чуднівський трактат) was a treaty between the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Cossacks, signed in Chudniv (Polish: Cudnów) on 17 October 1660 during the ...

hetman ( uk, гетьман, translit=het'man) is a political title from Central and Eastern Europe, historically assigned to military commanders. Used by the Czechs in Bohemia since the 15th century. It was the title of the second-highest military ...

Bohdan Khmelnytsky Bohdan Zynovii Mykhailovych Khmelnytskyi ( Ruthenian: Ѕѣнові Богданъ Хмелнiцкiи; modern ua, Богдан Зиновій Михайлович Хмельницький; 6 August 1657) was a Ukrainian military commander and ...

Pushkar Pushkar is a city and headquarters of Pushkar tehsil in the Ajmer district in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is situated about northwest of Ajmer and about southwest of Jaipur.Barabash Mutiny, until the ascension of

hetman ( uk, гетьман, translit=het'man) is a political title from Central and Eastern Europe, historically assigned to military commanders. Used by the Czechs in Bohemia since the 15th century. It was the title of the second-highest military ...

Ivan Mazepa Ivan Stepanovych Mazepa (also spelled Mazeppa; uk, Іван Степанович Мазепа, pl, Jan Mazepa Kołodyński; ) was a Ukrainian military, political, and civic leader who served as the Hetman of Zaporizhian Host in 1687–1708. ...

in 1687. The period was characterised by continuous strife,

civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...

, and foreign intervention by neighbours of

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inva ...

. A Ukrainian saying of the time, "Від Богдана до Івана не було гетьмана" (''From Bohdan to Ivan there was no hetman n between'), accurately summarises the chaotic events of this period.

Background

The Ruin started after the death of

hetman ( uk, гетьман, translit=het'man) is a political title from Central and Eastern Europe, historically assigned to military commanders. Used by the Czechs in Bohemia since the 15th century. It was the title of the second-highest military ...

Bohdan Khmelnytsky Bohdan Zynovii Mykhailovych Khmelnytskyi ( Ruthenian: Ѕѣнові Богданъ Хмелнiцкiи; modern ua, Богдан Зиновій Михайлович Хмельницький; 6 August 1657) was a Ukrainian military commander and ...

in 1657. Khmelnytsky had delivered Ukraine from centuries of Polish and

Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...

n domination through the campaigns of the

Khmelnytsky Uprising The Khmelnytsky Uprising,; in Ukraine known as Khmelʹnychchyna or uk, повстання Богдана Хмельницького; lt, Chmelnickio sukilimas; Belarusian: Паўстанне Багдана Хмяльніцкага; russian: � ...

(1648–1657) and Ukraine's

Treaty of Pereyaslav The Pereiaslav AgreementPereyaslav Agreement

(1654) with the Tsardom of Moscow. While Khmelnytsky had operated as a charismatic and influential leader, clearly one of the prominent figures in Ukrainian history, he did not establish clear rules of succession and his will favoured his son Yurii as the new hetman. Yurii Khmelnytsky (1641–1685), young and inexperienced, clearly lacked the charisma and the leadership qualities of his father, as he showed during his attempts to rule (1657, 1659–1663, 1677–1681, 1685). At the time of Bohdan Khmelnytsky's death, the Cossack state had a territory of about and a population of around 1.2 to 1.5 million. Society consisted of the remaining non-Catholic nobles, the ''

starshina ( rus, старшина, p=stərʂɨˈna, a=Ru-старшина.ogg or in Ukrainian transliteration) is a senior non-commissioned rank or designation in the military forces of some Slavic states, and a historical military designation. In army ...

'' or richer Cossack officers, the mass of the Cossacks and those peasants who did not bear arms. The

Orthodox Church Orthodox Church may refer to: * Eastern Orthodox Church * Oriental Orthodox Churches * Orthodox Presbyterian Church * Orthodox Presbyterian Church of New Zealand * State church of the Roman Empire * True Orthodox church See also * Orthodox (d ...

held 17% of the land; local nobles held 33%. The remaining 50% had been confiscated from the Poles and was up for grabs. Ukrainians comprised a frontier society with no natural borders, no tradition of statehood and a population committed to Cossack liberty or

anarchy Anarchy is a society without a government. It may also refer to a society or group of people that entirely rejects a set hierarchy. ''Anarchy'' was first used in English in 1539, meaning "an absence of government". Pierre-Joseph Proudhon adopte ...

. The confiscated lands could easily change hands in any conflict. There was an unresolved conflict between the mass of poorer cossacks and the wealthier group who aspired to semi-noble status. The state was weak and needed a protector, but of the regional powers, the Poles wanted to take the Ukrainian lands back, Muscovite-Russian autocracy fitted ill with Cossack ideals of liberty, the

Crimean Khanate The Crimean Khanate ( crh, , or ), officially the Great Horde and Desht-i Kipchak () and in old European historiography and geography known as Little Tartary ( la, Tartaria Minor), was a Crimean Tatar state existing from 1441 to 1783, the long ...

concentrated on Slavic slave-raiding and the Turks of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University ...

showed little concern for the Ukrainian frontier. The

Swedish Empire The Swedish Empire was a European great power that exercised territorial control over much of the Baltic region during the 17th and early 18th centuries ( sv, Stormaktstiden, "the Era of Great Power"). The beginning of the empire is usually ta ...

's territory remained still too far away during this period, and the

Don Cossacks Don Cossacks (russian: Донские казаки, Donskie kazaki) or Donians (russian: донцы, dontsy) are Cossacks who settled along the middle and lower Don. Historically, they lived within the former Don Cossack Host (russian: До ...

and the Kalmucks stayed out of the conflict. The history of Ukraine in this period became very complex. Basic themes included: * the failure to find a single

leader Leadership, both as a research area and as a practical skill, encompasses the ability of an individual, group or organization to "lead", influence or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. The word "leadership" often gets v ...

of Ukraine who could pursue a consistent policy * the constant switching of alliances with outside powers who had their own interests * conflict between richer and poorer Cossacks * the influence of the Orthodox Church, which tended to favour coreligionist Moscow

Left and Right Banks 1648–1663

''1648-57: Khmelnitsky: Crimea and Russia:'' Khmelnitsky started his rebellion in alliance with the

Khanate of Crimea The Crimean Khanate ( crh, , or ), officially the Great Horde and Desht-i Kipchak () and in old European historiography and geography known as Little Tartary ( la, Tartaria Minor), was a Crimean Tatar state existing from 1441 to 1783, the long ...

. When his acceptance of Russian overlordship in 1654 ( Treaty of Pereiaslav) led to the

Russo-Polish War (1654–1667) The Russo-Polish War of 1654–1667, also called the Thirteen Years' War and the First Northern War, was a major conflict between the Tsardom of Russia and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Between 1655 and 1660, the Swedish invasion was ...

, the Crimeans switched sides and began raiding Ukraine. In his last years Khmelnitsky backed away from Russia and was negotiating with Sweden and Transylvania. ''1657-59: Vyhovsky and the Poles:'' At the time of Khmelnitsy's death his son Yurii was only 16, so the hetmanate was given to Ivan Vyhovsky (

regent A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

). He based his power on the richer cossacks ('starshina') and sought a rapprochement with Poland. This led to a rebellion of the more democratic cossacks Martyn Pushkar and Yakiv Barabash, which was defeated in June 1658, a civil war that cost about 50,000 lives. In September 1658 he signed the Treaty of Hadiach with Poland, which would have turned Ukraine into a third member of the Polish–Lithuanian commonwealth, but the treaty was never implemented. The treaty led to a Muscovite-Ukrainian War where Russians were defeated at the Battle of Konotop on 29 June 1659. Faced with a revolt by several pro-Moscow colonels, Vyhovsky resigned and retired to Poland in October 1659. ''1659-63: Yurii Khmelnitsky: Russia and Poland:'' The hetmanate passed to Bohdan's son

Yurii Khmelnytsky Yurii Khmelnytsky ( uk, Юрій Хмельницький, pl, Jerzy Chmielnicki, russian: Юрий Хмельницкий) (1641 – 1685(?)), younger son of the famous Ukrainian Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky and brother of Tymofiy Khmelnytsky, was ...

who was now about 18. In 1659 he was forced to sign the Pereiaslav Articles, which were often confused with the treaty itself. They significantly increased Russian power. The next year, fighting resumed between Russia and Poland. Yurii hung back. After a number of Polish victories, Yurii agreed to return Ukraine to the commonwealth. This led the left-bank cossacks under

Yakym Somko Yakym Somko ( uk, Яким Сомко, pl, Jakim Somko) (? in Pereiaslav – September 28, 1664), was a Ukrainian Cossack military leader of the Pereyaslav regiment and was the Acting Hetman of Left-bank Ukraine in 1660-1663, during The Rui ...

to depose him. Depressed by this effective partition of Ukraine, in January 1663 Yurii surrendered his hetman's mace and retired to a monastery.

Polish Right Bank 1663–1681

''1663-65: Teteria and Poland:'' Pavlo Teteria, who held only the right bank, followed a strongly pro-Polish policy. When his invasion of the left bank failed, he returned to deal with the numerous rebellions that had broken out against the Poles. The behaviour of his Polish allies cost him what little support he had, and he resigned and fled to Poland. ''1665-76: Doroshenko and the Turks:'' The goal of Petro Doroshenko was to re-unite the two halves of Ukraine. He held frequent councils to cultivate the poorer cossacks and created a 20,000 man band of mercenaries to free himself from the starshina. In 1667, Russia and Poland, without consulting the cossacks, signed the Treaty of Andrusovo, which partitioned the cossack lands at the Dnieper river. The thinly populated southern area (Zaporozhia) was to be a Russo-Polish

condominium A condominium (or condo for short) is an ownership structure whereby a building is divided into several units that are each separately owned, surrounded by common areas that are jointly owned. The term can be applied to the building or complex ...

, but it was in practice self-governing, to the extent that it had a government. In response, Doroshenko turned to the Turks ( Polish-Cossack-Tatar War (1666–1671)). In the fall of 1667 an Ottoman-Cossack force invaded Galicia and compelled the king to grant extensive autonomy to Doroshenko. He accepted a loose Ottoman overlordship, invaded the left bank, removed the rival hetman and in 1668 declared himself hetman of a united Ukraine. Crimea backed a rival hetman and the Poles backed

Mykhailo Khanenko Mykhailo Stepanovych Khanenko ( pl, Michał Chanenko, uk, Михайло Степанович Ханенко) (ca. 1620 – 1680) was a Ukrainian Cossack military leader, and nominal hetman of Right-bank Ukraine from 1669-74 in rivalry with Pet ...

, with whom they invaded the right bank. Turning to meet the invaders, he placed

Demian Mnohohrishny Demian Ignatovych (Mnohohrishny) ( uk, Дем'ян Многогрішний) (1621, Korop – 1703) was the Hetman of Left-bank Ukraine from 1669 to 1672. See The Ruin (Ukrainian history) His surname literally means "of many sins". In 1689 he pa ...

in control of the left bank, which quickly came under Russian control. In 1672 he helped the Turks annex

Podolia Podolia or Podilia ( uk, Поділля, Podillia, ; russian: Подолье, Podolye; ro, Podolia; pl, Podole; german: Podolien; be, Падолле, Padollie; lt, Podolė), is a historic region in Eastern Europe, located in the west-centra ...

. During the Russo-Turkish War (1676–1681) he aided the Turks against Russia. This involvement with non-Christians cost him his remaining support. On 19 September 1676, he gave up authority to

Ivan Samoylovych Ivan Samoylovych (, , ; died 1690) was the Hetman of Left-bank Ukraine from 1672 to 1687. His term in office was marked by further incorporation of the Cossack Hetmanate into the Tsardom of Russia and by attempts to win Right-bank Ukraine from ...

of the left bank and went into exile in Russia. ''1678-81: Yurii Khmelnitsky and the Turks:'' In 1678 the Turks, who had a large army in the area, appointed their prisoner

Yurii Khmelnytsky Yurii Khmelnytsky ( uk, Юрій Хмельницький, pl, Jerzy Chmielnicki, russian: Юрий Хмельницкий) (1641 – 1685(?)), younger son of the famous Ukrainian Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky and brother of Tymofiy Khmelnytsky, was ...

as hetman. He participated in the second campaign of Chyhyryn and was deposed by the Turks in 1681. At this point, English sources become thin. The Right Bank was severely depopulated, many of those who were not killed or enslaved by the Tatars having fled to the Left Bank or

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 ...

. Polish rule was gradually restored and the country began to fill up again.

Russian Left Bank 1661–1687

''1661-63: Somko and the Starshina:'' In 1660 the left-bank Cossacks deposed Yurii Khmelnitsky because of the Polish alliance and made

Yakym Somko Yakym Somko ( uk, Яким Сомко, pl, Jakim Somko) (? in Pereiaslav – September 28, 1664), was a Ukrainian Cossack military leader of the Pereyaslav regiment and was the Acting Hetman of Left-bank Ukraine in 1660-1663, during The Rui ...

the Acting Hetman. Yurii held on to the right bank, effectively partitioning the country. Somko favored the upper class, provoking the opposition of the Zaporozhians under Briukhovetsky. He also lost the support of Moscow. At the Chorna rada of 1663, he was replaced by Briukhovetsky and executed. Hetman Ivan Samoylovych

''1663-68: Briukhovetsky and the Russians 1663–1668:''

Ivan Briukhovetsky Ivan Briukhovetsky ( uk, Іван Брюховецький, links=no, pl, Iwan Brzuchowiecki, links=no, russian: Иван Брюховецкий, links=no) (died 18 June 1668) was a hetman of Left-bank Ukraine from 1663 to 1668. In the early year ...

was almost completely dependent on Russia. In 1665 he went to Moscow and signed the

Moscow Articles of 1665 {{Use dmy dates, date=May 2022 The Moscow Articles of 1665 was an agreement signed on 11 October 1665 between the Cossack Hetmanate Hetman Ivan Briukhovetsky and the Tsardom of Russia. The treaty put Left-Bank Ukraine under the control of the Russi ...

. Russian tax collectors and soldiers were allowed in, a Russian was to be head of the church, a Russian representative would be present at hetman elections and the Hetman would go to Moscow for confirmation. Soldiers and tax collectors provoked resistance and the church resisted Moscow influence. The Truce of Andrusovo (1667) seemed a Russian betrayal of Cossack interests. A series of revolts broke out. Briukhovetsky back-pedaled. In the spring of 1668, as Doroshenko's forces crossed the Dnieper, Briukhovetsky was beaten to death by a mob. ''1668-72: Mnohohrishny and Left Bank Autonomy:'' On 9 June 1668 Doroshenko proclaimed himself hetman of a united Ukraine. In 1669 the Poles set up a rival hetman,

Mykhailo Khanenko Mykhailo Stepanovych Khanenko ( pl, Michał Chanenko, uk, Михайло Степанович Ханенко) (ca. 1620 – 1680) was a Ukrainian Cossack military leader, and nominal hetman of Right-bank Ukraine from 1669-74 in rivalry with Pet ...

, and invaded the right bank. Turning to meet the invasion, Doroshenko placed

Demian Mnohohrishny Demian Ignatovych (Mnohohrishny) ( uk, Дем'ян Многогрішний) (1621, Korop – 1703) was the Hetman of Left-bank Ukraine from 1669 to 1672. See The Ruin (Ukrainian history) His surname literally means "of many sins". In 1689 he pa ...

as acting hetman of the left bank. As Doroshenko weakened, under Russian pressure, he accepted Russian supremacy. A stable relationship developed as Moscow moderated its demands and Mnohohrisny protected local interests. He made some progress in restoring law and order but could not control the starshina. Some of these denounced him to the Czar, who had him arrested, tortured and exiled to Siberia. ''1672-87: Samoylovych and Russia:'' When

Ivan Samoylovych Ivan Samoylovych (, , ; died 1690) was the Hetman of Left-bank Ukraine from 1672 to 1687. His term in office was marked by further incorporation of the Cossack Hetmanate into the Tsardom of Russia and by attempts to win Right-bank Ukraine from ...

was elected hetman he agreed to limited powers. He could not judge the starshina or carry on foreign relations without the consent of the starshina council. He disbanded the hired troops under the hetman's direct control. In 1674 and 1676 he and his Russian ally besieged Doroshenko at Chyhyryn. On September 19, 1676, Doroshenko surrendered to Samylovych, who declared himself hetman of a united Ukraine. But within two years the Turks drove him back across the Dnieper. Poland and Russia signed the Eternal Peace Treaty of 1686, which again recognized Polish rule of the right bank and removed the Poles from Zaporozhia, a major disappointment for Samoylovych. In 1687, 100,000 Russians and 50,000 Cossacks launched an attack on the Crimea ( Crimean campaigns), which failed. Samoylovych was blamed, removed, and exiled to Siberia. ''1687–1709: Mazepa and Stability:'' With the election of

Ivan Mazepa Ivan Stepanovych Mazepa (also spelled Mazeppa; uk, Іван Степанович Мазепа, pl, Jan Mazepa Kołodyński; ) was a Ukrainian military, political, and civic leader who served as the Hetman of Zaporizhian Host in 1687–1708. ...

as hetman, the Ruin effectively came to an end, and the history of the left bank merged with the Hetmanate as part of Russia. With the start of 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-Swe ...

in 1700, Russian demands began to seem excessive. In 1708 Mazepa allied himself with

Charles XII of Sweden Charles XII, sometimes Carl XII ( sv, Karl XII) or Carolus Rex (17 June 1682 – 30 November 1718 O.S.), was King of Sweden (including current Finland) from 1697 to 1718. He belonged to the House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken, a branch line of ...

. At the

Battle of Poltava The Battle of Poltava; russian: Полта́вская би́тва; uk, Полта́вська би́тва (8 July 1709) was the decisive and largest battle of the Great Northern War. A Russian army under the command of Tsar Peter I defeat ...

, Charles, Mazepa and those cossacks that followed him were defeated and exiled to Turkey.

Results

# The attempt to create a Ruthenian Cossack state failed. # Ukraine was partitioned between Russia and Poland along the Dnieper. # Poland lost the left bank, became weakened, and declined. # Russia expanded to the south and somewhat to the southwest. # There was a major shift of Ruthenian population from the devastated right bank to the left bank and

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 ...

, thereby increasing the area under peasant agriculture. # Turkey briefly expanded its power into Ukraine (Doroshenko to about 1699).

List of Treaties

For reference, this is a list of treaties and agreements during the period. *1648: Cossacks ally with Crimea. *1648: Truce of Zamość: short-lived compromise *1649: Treaty of Zboriv: 40000

Registered Cossacks Registered Cossacks (, , pl, Kozacy rejestrowi) comprised special Cossack units of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth army in the 16th and 17th centuries. Registered Cossacks became a military formation of the Commonwealth army beginnin ...

; no Polish soldiers or Jews in central Ukraine; not implemented *1651:

Treaty of Bila Tserkva The Treaty of Bila Tserkva was a peace treaty signed on 28 September 1651, between the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Ukrainian Cossacks in the aftermath of the Battle of Bila Tserkva. It was signed for the Poles by Mikołaj Potocki, M ...

: 20000 Registered Cossacks; Jews and nobles to return; partly implemented *1654:

Treaty of Pereyaslav The Pereiaslav AgreementPereyaslav Agreement

: Cossack alliance with Russia; provokes

Russo-Polish War (1654–1667) The Russo-Polish War of 1654–1667, also called the Thirteen Years' War and the First Northern War, was a major conflict between the Tsardom of Russia and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Between 1655 and 1660, the Swedish invasion was ...

. *1658: Treaty of Hadiach: Rejects 1654; Ukraine a third member of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth; 30000 registered Cossacks; never implemented. *1659: Pereyaslav Articles: re-alliance with Russia *1660: Treaty of Chudnov: re-alliance with Poland *1667: Truce of Andrusovo: Ukraine divided along Dnieper; but Kiev to Russia, Zaporozhia a condominium; Cossacks not consulted; ends Russo-Polish War; to expire in 13 years *1672: Treaty of Buchach: During

Polish–Ottoman War (1672–1676) Polish–Ottoman War (1672–1676) was a conflict between the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Ottoman Empire, as a precursor of the Great Turkish War. It ended in 1676 with the Treaty of Żurawno and the Commonwealth ceding control of ...

;Podolia to Turkey; right bank to Doroshenko as Turkish vassal; not implemented; *1676:

Treaty of Żurawno The Treaty of Żurawno ( tr, İzvança Antlaşması; pl, rozejm w Żurawnie) was signed on 17 October 1676 in the town of Żurawno (or ''İzvança'', as it was called during the Ottoman occupation of Podolia), in the aftermath of the Battle of � ...

: confirms 1672 but more favorable to Poland;ends Turkish war *1686: Treaty of Perpetual Peace (1686) confirms 1667; Zaporozhia to Russia *1699:

Treaty of Karlowitz The Treaty of Karlowitz was signed in Karlowitz, Military Frontier of Archduchy of Austria (present-day Sremski Karlovci, Serbia), on 26 January 1699, concluding the Great Turkish War of 1683–1697 in which the Ottoman Empire was defeated by ...

: Poland regains Podolia

Sources

*Orest Subtelny, 'Ukraine, A History',2000: This article is largely a summary of Chapter 9.
The Ruin (from Ukraine), Encyclopædia Britannica

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ruin Military history of Ukraine 17th-century conflicts 17th century in the Zaporozhian Host Civil wars involving the states and peoples of Europe