The Cossacks are a predominantly East Slavic Orthodox Christian people originating in the Pontic–Caspian steppe of Ukraine and southern Russia. Historically, they were a semi-nomadic and semi-militarized people, who, while under the nominal suzerainty of various Eastern European states at the time, were allowed a great degree of self-governance in exchange for military service. Although numerous linguistic and religious groups came together to form the Cossacks, most of them coalesced and became East Slavic-speaking Orthodox Christians. The Cossacks were particularly noted for holding democratic traditions. The rulers of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and Russian Empire endowed Cossacks with certain special privileges in return for the military duty to serve in the irregular troops. The various Cossack groups were organized along military lines, with large autonomous groups called hosts. Each host had a territory consisting of affiliated villages called stanitsas.
The Zaporozhian Cossacks, Zaporozhian Cossack Army, Zaporozhian Host, or simply Zaporozhians were Cossacks who lived beyond the Dnieper Rapids.
Fastiv is a city in the Kyiv Oblast (province) in central Ukraine. On older maps it is depicted as Chvastiv. Administratively, it is incorporated as a city of oblast significance. It also serves as the administrative center of the Fastiv Raion (district), to which it does not administratively belong. Fastiv hosts the administration of Fastiv urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. Its population is approximately 44,014 .
Ivan Stepanovych Mazepa was a Ruthenian military, political, and civic leader who served as the Hetman of Zaporizhian Host and the Left-bank Ukraine in 1687–1708. The historical events of Mazepa's life have inspired many literary, artistic and musical works. He was famous as a patron of the arts.
Bila Tserkva is a city in the center of Ukraine, the largest city in Kyiv Oblast, and part of the Right Bank. It serves as the administrative center of Bila Tserkva Raion and hosts the administration of Bila Tserkva urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. Bila Tserkva is located on the Ros River approximately 80 km (50 mi) south of Kyiv. The city has an area of 67.8 square kilometres (26.2 sq mi). Its population is approximately 207,273
Hetman of Zaporizhian Cossacks is a historical term that has multiple meanings.
Registered Cossacks comprised special Cossack units of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth army in the 16th and 17th centuries.
The Cossack Hetmanate, officially the Zaporizhian Host or Army of Zaporizhia, was a Cossack state located in central Ukraine. It existed between 1648 and 1764, although its administrative-judicial system persisted until 1782.
Pylyp Stepanovych Orlyk was a Zaporozhian Cossack starshyna, Hetman in exile, diplomat, secretary and close associate of Hetman Ivan Mazepa. He is the author of the Constitution of Pylyp Orlyk.
Danylo Apostol (1654–1734), was a Hetman of Zaporizhian Host from 1727 to 1734.
Yurii Khmelnytsky, younger son of the famous Ukrainian Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky and brother of Tymofiy Khmelnytsky, was a Zaporozhian Cossack political and military leader. Although he spent half of his adult life as a monk, he also was Hetman of Ukraine on several occasions — in 1659-1660 and 1678–1681 and starost of Hadiach, becoming one of the most well-known Ukrainian politicians of the "Ruin" period for the Cossack Hetmanate.
The Ruin is a historical term introduced by the Cossack chronicle writer Samiilo Velychko (1670–1728) for the political situation in Ukrainian history during the second half of the 17th century.
Mykhailo Stepanovych Khanenko was a Ukrainian Cossack military leader, and nominal hetman of Right-bank Ukraine from 1669-74 in rivalry with Petro Doroshenko during The Ruin.
Grégoire Orlyk, also Hryhor Orlyk, was a French military commander, special envoy and member of Louis XV's secret intelligence service. Grégoire Orlyk was born in Ukraine, the son of Ukrainian hetman in exile Pylyp Orlyk and Hanna Hertsyk. He received a good education in Sweden, served in Poland and Saxony, and participated in the secret efforts of France to restore Stanisław Leszczyński to the Polish throne. He later commanded the king's regiment of Royal suedois. For his intelligence work and military exploits he was given the title of comte and promoted to the general's rank of Maréchal de camp. Grégoire Orlyk was an acquaintance of the French philosopher Voltaire, and championed the Ukrainian cause in France and other countries.
The Treaty of Narva was concluded on 19 August (O.S.) / 30 August 1704 during the Great Northern War. The faction of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth loyal to Augustus the Strong joined the anti-Swedish alliance between the Saxon electorate and the Tsardom of Russia.
The Bila Tserkva Regiment was one of the seventeen territorial-administrative subdivisions of the Hetman State. The regiment's capital was the city of Bila Tserkva, now in the Kyiv Oblast of central Ukraine. Other major cities of the regiment were Hermanivka, Fastiv, Bohuslav, and Skvyra.
Bohuslav is a city on the Ros River in Obukhiv Raion, Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine. It hosts the administration of Bohuslav urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. Population: 15,789 ; 17,135 (2001).
Paliy uprising was a Cossack uprising, led by colonel Semen Paliy against the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1702-1704.
Pylyp Orlyk's March on the Right-bank Ukraine — hetman Pylyp Orlyk's military campaign on the Right-bank Ukraine in January–March 1711 in order to liberate its territory from Moscow's troops and to restore hetman's power.
The Great Northern War in Ukraine (1708–1713) — war between the Tsardom of Russia on one hand and the Swedish Empire and the Ottoman Empire on the other.
