An acting hetman or appointed hetman () was a title used in the
Cossack Hetmanate
The Cossack Hetmanate (; Cossack Hetmanate#Name, see other names), officially the Zaporozhian Host (; ), was a Ukrainian Cossacks, Cossack state. Its territory was located mostly in central Ukraine, as well as in parts of Belarus and southwest ...
during the 17th and 18th centuries. The acting hetman served as the temporary governing authority, assuming leadership responsibilities in place of the official
Hetman.
Appointment
The acting hetman was appointed by the hetman himself or elected by the Council of Officers (starshyna).
Acting Hetman
at the Encyclopedia of Ukraine
The ''Encyclopedia of Ukraine'' (), published from 1984 to 2001, is a fundamental work of Ukrainian Studies.
Development
The work was created under the auspices of the Shevchenko Scientific Society in Europe (Sarcelles, near Paris). As the ...
More than often the office was appointed by the Hetman as his deputy rather than elected by the Cossack Rada. His appointment could have been temporary and quickly abrupt and was caused by a necessity to command a group of forces at other portions of military front or tactical direction, similarly to the "field hetman" of Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, also referred to as Poland–Lithuania or the First Polish Republic (), was a federation, federative real union between the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...
.
Usually acting hetman was chosen out of the General Officer Staff and more than often it was a Quartermaster general, a leader of the staff. There were incidents when acting hetman was chosen among colonels (a regional leaders) such as Yakym Somko.
Duties
Acting hetman performed duties of the hetman when the later was absent during military campaigns, foreign travels, or his incapacitation. As well as a temporary replacement if the hetman's office became vacant, because of death, abdication, or deposition. Sometimes the appointed hetman acted as a full-pledged hetman, as Filon Dzhalaliy when he was elected in 1651 and 1655 as well as Ivan Bohun
Ivan Bohun () (died 1664) was a Zaporozhian Cossack colonel. A close associate and friend of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, he opposed both the pacts with the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (Treaty of Hadiach of 1658) and with the Tsardom of Russia (Pere ...
when he was elected after the Battle of Berestechko (Bohdan Khmelnytsky
Zynoviy Bohdan Mykhailovych Khmelnytsky of the Abdank coat of arms (Ruthenian language, Ruthenian: Ѕѣнові Богданъ Хмелнiцкiи; modern , Polish language, Polish: ; 15956 August 1657) was a Ruthenian nobility, Ruthenian noble ...
was taken as a prisoner) or as in case of Pavlo Polubotok when he acted as hetman due to the death of such.
On a territory of the left-bank Ukraine
The Left-bank Ukraine is a historic name of the part of Ukraine on the left (east) bank of the Dnieper River, comprising the modern-day oblasts of Chernihiv, Poltava and Sumy as well as the eastern parts of Kyiv and Cherkasy.
Left-bank Ukrain ...
the office often was a counteractive to the righteously elected hetman. Sometimes acting hetmans were appointed by foreign leaders such as Ivan Bezpaly was appointed acting hetman by the Muscovite voivode of Belgorod. Among such hetmans were Yakym Somko, Ivan Bezpaly and others.
Notable appointments
At times of Bohdan Khmelnytsky
Zynoviy Bohdan Mykhailovych Khmelnytsky of the Abdank coat of arms (Ruthenian language, Ruthenian: Ѕѣнові Богданъ Хмелнiцкiи; modern , Polish language, Polish: ; 15956 August 1657) was a Ruthenian nobility, Ruthenian noble ...
such hetmans were Stanislav Krychevsky (1649) and Ivan Zolotarenko (1654–1655). Some notable acting hetmans who held this form of the office were Yakym Somko who was appointed by Yurii Khmelnytsky in 1660 until his execution in 1663, Demian Mnohohrishny was appointed by Petro Doroshenko from 1668-1669 until becoming full-time hetman, and Pavlo Polubotok who served as acting hetman in 1722, till 1724. Among other appointed hetmans were such prominent colonels as S. Podobai (1652), Y. Voronchenko (1654), D. Yermolaienko (1665), H. Vytiazenko (1665), Yakiv Lyzohub (1696), Ivan Obydovsky (1700–1701), I. Myrovych (1704), M. Myklashevsky (1706) and others.
See also
* General Officer Staff (Hetmanate)
* Hetman of Zaporizhian Host
References
External links
Appointed Hetman
at website of the Institute of History of Ukraine.
{{Hetmans of Ukraine
Titles of national or ethnic leadership
Cossack Hetmanate
Military ranks of Ukraine
Military organization of Cossacks