Jan Skrzetuski is a fictional character created by

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Polish people, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken * Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin ...

author

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 ''By Fire and Sword'' () is a historical novel by the Polish author Henryk Sienkiewicz, published in 1884. It is the first volume of a series known to Poles as The Trilogy, followed by '' The Deluge'' (''Potop'', 1886) and '' Fire in the Step ...

''. He is a man of honour, always faithful to his master, duke

Jeremi Wiśniowiecki Prince Jeremi Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki, nicknamed ''Hammer on the Cossacks'' (), was a notable member of the aristocracy of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Prince of Vyshnivets, Lubny and Khorol in the Crown of the Kingdom of Pola ...

. He loves

Helena Kurcewiczówna Helena Kurcewicz (full name: Helena Kurcewiczówna-Bułyha, later Skrzetuska) is a fictional character appearing in the novel ''With Fire and Sword'' by Henryk Sienkiewicz as the main female protagonist. She is also mentioned in ''The Deluge (nove ...

, who was kidnapped by the

Ukrainian Cossack The Cossacks are a predominantly East Slavic Eastern Christian people originating in the Pontic–Caspian steppe of eastern Ukraine and southern Russia. Cossacks played an important role in defending the southern borders of Ukraine and Russ ...

Yuri Bohun Jur Bohun (also Yuri Bogun) is the main antagonist in the novel ''With Fire and Sword'' by Henryk Sienkiewicz. He is a famous Cossack colonel of unknown origin, and originally a friend (more like an adopted son) of the Kurcewicz family. He falls ...

, who is also in love with her. Skrzetuski is the best friend of

Michał Wołodyjowski Jerzy Michał Wołodyjowski () is a fictional Polish hero in Henryk Sienkiewicz's Trilogy: ''With Fire and Sword'', '' The Deluge'' and ''Pan Wołodyjowski''. Michał Wołodyjowski is partly based on the historic figure, Colonel , a Polish noble ...

. Jan Skrzetuski is partly based on a historical character,

Mikołaj Skrzetuski Mikołaj Skrzetuski of the Jastrzębiec coat of arms (born around 1610, died 1673) was a nobleman from Greater Poland, a colonel, and the prototype of Jan Skrzetuski, a character in Henryk Sienkiewicz's novel ''With Fire and Sword''. He was a ca ...

, the Polish hero of the

Siege of Zbarazh The siege of Zbarazh ( Ukrainian: ''Облога Збаража, Битва під Збаражем,'' Polish: ''Oblężenie Zbaraża, Bitwa pod Zbarażem;'' 10 July — 22 August, 1649) was fought near the site of the present-day city of Zbar ...

. In the 1999 film ''

'' he is portrayed by

Michał Żebrowski Michał Jan Żebrowski (born 17 June 1972) is a Polish actor and singer. He was the first actor to portray Geralt of Rivia, in the movie '' The Hexer''. Filmography Film Television Video games Discography Studio albums Other Music vi ...

Story

Jan Skrzetuski (modeled on the historic form of

, a

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 ...

from

Greater Poland Greater Poland, often known by its Polish name Wielkopolska (; ), is a Polish Polish historical regions, historical region of west-central Poland. Its chief and largest city is Poznań followed by Kalisz, the oldest city in Poland. The bound ...

of the Jastrzębiec clan) was a young

nobleman (

szlachcic The ''szlachta'' (; ; ) were the noble estate of the realm in the Kingdom of Poland, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Depending on the definition, they were either a warrior "caste" or a social class, a ...

) of Jastrzebiec Coat of Arms serving Prince

as lieutenant of the

hussar A hussar, ; ; ; ; . was a member of a class of light cavalry, originally from the Kingdom of Hungary during the 15th and 16th centuries. The title and distinctive dress of these horsemen were subsequently widely adopted by light cavalry ...

regiment. In 1647 he was coming back from

Crimea Crimea ( ) is a peninsula in Eastern Europe, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, almost entirely surrounded by the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. The Isthmus of Perekop connects the peninsula to Kherson Oblast in mainland Ukrain ...

where he had been sent as an envoy. On his way he saved

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 ...

who was attacked by Daniel Czapliński's servants. He let Khmelnytsky go and went to

Chyhyryn Chyhyryn ( ; ) is a city in Cherkasy Raion, Cherkasy Oblast, central Ukraine. It is located on Tiasmyn river not far where it enters Dnieper. From 1648 to 1669, the city served as the residence of the hetman of the Zaporizhian Host. After a f ...

. He met there

Jan Onufry Zagłoba Jan, JaN or JAN may refer to: Acronyms * Jackson, Mississippi (Amtrak station), US, Amtrak station code JAN * Jackson-Evers International Airport, Mississippi, US, IATA code * Jabhat al-Nusra (JaN), a Syrian militant group * Japanese Article Num ...

and

Longinus Podbipięta ''By Fire and Sword'' () is a historical novel by the Polish author Henryk Sienkiewicz, published in 1884. It is the first volume of a series known to Poles as The Trilogy, followed by '' The Deluge'' (''Potop'', 1886) and '' Fire in the Steppe ...

who became his friends. A few days later he set off to

Lubny Lubny (, ) is a city in Poltava Oblast, central Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Lubny Raion. It also hosts the administration of , one of the hromadas of Ukraine. Population: History Lubny is reputed to be one of the oldes ...

with Podbipięta. They met on their way princess Helena Kurcewicz and her aunt. Skrzetuski and Helena fell in love with each other. The old princess invited soldiers to their house, Rozłogi. During the feast, Skrzetuski learned that Helena had been promised to the

Cossack The Cossacks are a predominantly East Slavic Eastern Christian people originating in the Pontic–Caspian steppe of eastern Ukraine and southern Russia. Cossacks played an important role in defending the southern borders of Ukraine and Rus ...

colonel Bohun. Skrzetuski threatened the old princess Kurcewicz and persuaded her to give Helena's hand to him. left, 150px Soon Skrzetuski was sent by Prince Jeremi Wiśniowiecki to

Zaporizhian Sich The Zaporozhian Sich (, , ; also ) was a semi-autonomous polity and proto-state of Zaporozhian Cossacks that existed between the 16th to 18th centuries, for the latter part of that period as an autonomous stratocratic state within the Cossa ...

as an envoy. During the mission he was wounded and taken captive. He was saved by Khmelnytsky, who was grateful for Skrzetuski's help. Khmelnytsky, however, didn't agree to set him free at once. Skrzetuski as a captive witnessed Polish defeat in

Battle of Zhovti Vody The Battle of Zhovti Vody (; ; 29 April — 16 May, 1648) was the first significant battle of the Khmelnytsky Uprising. Near the site of the present-day city of Zhovti Vody on the Zhovta River in Ukraine, the forces of the Zaporozhian Host and ...

. In the meantime Bohun discovered the old princess' betrayal and attacked Rozłogi, intending to kidnap Helena. She managed to escape, but the rest of family was killed and the dwór was burnt by peasants. When Skrzetuski regained his freedom, he headed to Rozłogi but found there only ruins. He grieved, thinking that Helena was dead. He was found in Rozłogi by his friends. Skrzetuski returned to the service of Wiśniowiecki and soon met Zagłoba, who told him that Helena was alive and safe in

Bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar ** Chocolate bar * Protein bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a laye ...

. Skrzetuski planned to go there, but he received the news that the city had been captured by Bohun. Skrzetuski set off to search for Helena but failed to find any trace of her. He only received information that his beloved was murdered in the monastery in Kiev (which was not true). After these news Skrzetuski became ill. He didn't know that Helena was found by Rzędzian, Wołodyjowski and Zagłoba. After recovering, Skrzetuski went to

Zbarazh Zbarazh (, ; ; ) is a small city in Ternopil Raion, Ternopil Oblast, western Ukraine. It is located in the historic region of Galicia (Central Europe), Galicia. Zbarazh hosts the administration of Zbarazh urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukr ...

, where he bravely fought during the

siege A siege () . is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or by well-prepared assault. Siege warfare (also called siegecrafts or poliorcetics) is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict charact ...

. After Podbipięta's death he decided to sneak through the Cossacks' camp and go to John Casimir to let him know that soldiers in Zbarazh needed reinforcements. He managed to fill his mission - the king went with his army to Zbarazh and soon the

treaty A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between sovereign states and/or international organizations that is governed by international law. A treaty may also be known as an international agreement, protocol, covenant, convention ...

was signed. During recovery Skrzetuski was treated by Rzędzian who told him that Helena was alive. The girl soon arrived and they went to Lviv to get married. After 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 ...

Skrzetuski lived with Helena and their children in Burzec. They had 12 sons and at least one daughter. Skrzetuski appeared in '' The Deluge'' and was mentioned in ''

Fire in the Steppe ''Pan Wołodyjowski'' (titled in English as ''Pan Michael'', 1893, and ''Fire in the Steppe'', 1992; other titles used in English discourse include ''Colonel Wołodyjowski'', ''Sir Michael'' and ''Sir Wołodyjowski'') is a historical novel by t ...

''. In 1673 he took part in the Battle of Khotyn.

Description

Skrzetuski is described as an attractive, dark-haired young man.

''He was a very young man, of spare habit of body, dark complexion, very elegant in manner, with a delicately cut countenance and a prominent aquiline nose. In his eyes were visible desperate daring and endurance, but his face had an honest look. His rather thick mustache and a beard, evidently unshaven for a long time, gave him a seriousness beyond his years.''Sienkiewicz, H. & Curtin J.
With Fire and Sword
Chapter 1

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Skrzetuski, Jan Literary characters introduced in 1884 Characters in novels of the 19th century Sienkiewicz's Trilogy Fictional Polish people Fictional characters from the 17th century