Ivan Bohun () (died 1664) was a Zaporozhian Cossack

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

. A close associate and friend 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 ...

, he opposed both the pacts with the

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 ...

(

Treaty of Hadiach The Treaty of Hadiach (; ) was a treaty signed on 16 September 1658 in Hadiach (present-day Ukraine) between representatives of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth ( representing Poland and representing Lithuania) and Zaporozhian Cossacks (repr ...

of 1658) and with the

Tsardom of Russia The Tsardom of Russia, also known as the Tsardom of Moscow, was the centralized Russian state from the assumption of the title of tsar by Ivan the Terrible, Ivan IV in 1547 until the foundation of the Russian Empire by Peter the Great in 1721. ...

(

Pereiaslav Agreement The Pereiaslav Agreement or Pereyaslav AgreementPereyaslav Agreement
Bri ...

of 1654).

Biography

Bohun was born into a Cossack-

Ruthenian nobility The Ruthenian nobility (; ; ) originated in the territories of Kievan Rus' and Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia, Galicia–Volhynia, which were incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and later the Russian Emp ...

family. In 1637, he captured the Azov Fortress in a joint campaign with

Don Cossacks Don Cossacks (, ) or Donians (, ), are Cossacks who settled along the middle and lower Don River (Russia), Don. Historically, they lived within the former Don Cossack Host (, ), which was either an independent or an autonomous democratic rep ...

and took part in subsequent Azov sitting. He took part in the

Khmelnytsky Uprising The Khmelnytsky Uprising, also known as the Cossack–Polish War, Khmelnytsky insurrection, or the National Liberation War, was a Cossack uprisings, Cossack rebellion that took place between 1648 and 1657 in the eastern territories of the Poli ...

against Polish rule in

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

. In June 1651 he was elected colonel of troops of

Bracław Bratslav (, ; ) is a rural settlement in Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east a ...

and took part in the Battle of Berestechko against Polish troops led by King John II Casimir Vasa, which the Cossacks lost. Surviving the defeat he regathered his forces and in June 1652 took part in the battle of Batih. In this instance the Cossacks were successful; the Polish commander Marcin Kalinowski was killed and the future hetman

Stefan Czarniecki Stefan Czarniecki (Polish: of the Łodzia coat of arms, 1599 – 16 February 1665) was a Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Polish szlachta, nobleman, general and military commander. In his career, he rose from a petty nobleman to a magnate hol ...

barely escaped with his life. The Polish defeat was complete and allowed the Cossack forces to start a successful offensive and effectively gain control over large parts of the Ukrainian lands. Until 1657 Ivan Bohun also led his forces in minor skirmishes against Polish forces, notably at

Bratslav Bratslav (, ; ) is a rural settlement in Ukraine, located in Tulchyn Raion of Vinnytsia Oblast, by the Southern Bug river. It is a medieval European city and a regional center of the Eastern Podolia region (see Bracław Voivodeship) founded ...

and

Uman Uman (, , ) is a city in Cherkasy Oblast, central Ukraine. It is located to the east of Vinnytsia. Located in the east of the historical region of Podolia, the city rests on the banks of the Umanka River. Uman serves as the administrative c ...

. He also fought against the

Crimean Tatars Crimean Tatars (), or simply Crimeans (), are an Eastern European Turkic peoples, Turkic ethnic group and nation indigenous to Crimea. Their ethnogenesis lasted thousands of years in Crimea and the northern regions along the coast of the Blac ...

who had switched sides in the effect of the Treaty of Zboriv of 1649 (they were initially allied with the Cossacks but supported the Commonwealth in later year). Initially Bohun opposed the

Pereiaslav Agreement The Pereiaslav Agreement or Pereyaslav AgreementPereyaslav Agreement
Bri ...

of 1654. After the Battle of Konotop, Ivan Bohun led an armed uprising against his former ally Ivan Vyhovsky near Konotop and defeated his army in the autumn of 1659. After being captured by the Poles in 1663, Bohun was offered freedom in exchange for taking part in a new military campaign against the

. During the retreat after the disastrous Siege of Hlukhiv Bohun was executed by a firing squad for handing over important military information to the besieged Russian garrison.

Legacy

Ivan Bohun became a popular Ukrainian folk hero, immortalized by

Henryk Sienkiewicz Henryk Adam Aleksander Pius Sienkiewicz ( , ; 5 May 1846 – 15 November 1916), also known by the pseudonym Litwos (), was a Polish epic writer. He is remembered for his historical novels, such as The Trilogy, the Trilogy series and especially ...

in the novel '' With Fire and Sword'', where the character Jurko Bohun was loosely based on him. In the film based on the novel, directed by Jerzy Hoffman, Bohun was played by Aleksandr Domogarov. Ivan Bohun is also well described in ''Bohun'', a modern, historical novel about Polish-Cossack wars, written by Jacek Komuda. His death is still commemorated annually in

Lviv Lviv ( or ; ; ; see #Names and symbols, below for other names) is the largest city in western Ukraine, as well as the List of cities in Ukraine, fifth-largest city in Ukraine, with a population of It serves as the administrative centre of ...

.Events by themes: The anniversary of death of Ivan Bogun in Lviv

UNIAN The Ukrainian Independent Information Agency of News () is a Kyiv-based Ukraine, Ukrainian news agency. It produces and provides political, business and financial information, and a photo reporting service. As of October 2022, it was the most v ...

-photo service (February 17, 2009)

References

External links

Ivan Bohun at the Encyclopedia of Ukraine
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bohun, Ivan 1610s births 1664 deaths Military personnel from Vinnytsia Oblast People from Bracław Voivodeship Colonels of the Cossack Hetmanate Zaporozhian Cossacks Zaporozhian Cossack nobility Ruthenian nobility 17th-century Ukrainian people 17th-century military officers Ukrainian military leaders Cossack rebels Executed Ukrainian people Zaporozhian Cossack military personnel of the Khmelnytsky Uprising Ukrainian people of the Russo-Polish War (1654–1667) People executed for treason against Poland People executed by the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth People executed by Poland by firing squad

Biography

Legacy

See also

References

External links