The Cossack Period

The Cossack period in Ukraine lasted roughly from 1648 to 1775. During this time, the Cossacks fought hard to free themselves from invasion and pressure from Poland while at the same time, maintaining the freedom they had from the Russian tsar.

In 1654, the Cossacks recognized the authority of the Russian Tsar, but at the same time, wished to remain autonomous. There was a struggle on the part of the Cossack Hetmans to free themselves from the control of the tsar, but it ultimately failed. Later Cossack leaders, learning from the mistakes of their predecessors, did not try to create an all-out split from Russia, but rather held tenuously to their autonomy. During this time, roughly 40% of Left-Bank Ukraine was Cossacks.

Ultimately, the Cossacks experienced rifts within their own side. The richer Cossacks, known as the vyborni kozaky began to control more and more of the land and to exploit the poorer Cossacks, known as pidpomichniki.

Yemelyan Pugachev

Yemelyan Pugachev, the son of a Don Cossack landowner, was born around 1740. After having served in, and deserted from the Russian army, Pugachev wandered aimlessly throughout Russia for several years. Eventually, having been fed up with the government of Catherine II and her poor treatment of the Cossacks, Pugachev organized a rebellion by claiming to be the late husband of Catherine, Peter III. Pugachev promised liberty to the Cossacks and vowed to send Catherine off to a monastery.

While ultimately unsuccessful, Pugachev’s campaign was very thorough and well organized. Before eventually being turned in by his own Cossacks, Pugachev did achieve several important military victories over Catherine’s army. Employing a large force of Cossacks, peasants, factory workers, Tartars and many others, in addition to a network of spies and propagandists, Pugachev and his rebellion proved to be a very difficult situation for the Russian government.

In the end, after a crushing defeat, Pugachev attempted to escape to the Ural Mountains whereupon he was delivered by his own Cossacks into the hands of Catherine. He was placed in a metal cage and sent to Moscow for execution.

18th-century portrait of Emelyan Pugachov

Treaty of Pereyaslav

In 1654, the Treaty of Pereyavslav was established between the Cossacks of the Zaporizhian Host and Tsar Alexey I. Known in Ukrainian as the Pereyaslavska Rada, this treaty gave the Cossacks protection under the tsar.

This treaty moved the Cossacks away from the predominately Catholic Poland and realigned ties with Orthodox Russia, paving the way for the eventual Russian domination of the region.

The new Russian influence over the area resulted in a period of Russification. During this time, the Ukrainian language was banned and the Ukrainian Churches were suppressed.

This treaty benefited Russia, as it led to the eventual acquisition of Ukraine. For Ukrainians however, this time period is seen as a bad time in Ukrainian history as it was a lost shot at independence.

Mikhail Deregus. Pereyaslav Rada (1954).

Works Cited:

Cossacks. 2006 Encyclopedia of Ukraine®. 18 March 2006.  http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?AddButton=pages\C\O\Cossacks.htm

Yemelyan Pugachev. 2006 Wikipedia Encyclopedia ®. 18 March 2006.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pugachev_Uprising

Treaty of Pereyaslav. 2006 Wikipedia Encyclopedia ®. 18 March 2006.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Pereyaslav