thumb|250px|Historical map of Cossack Hetmanate and territory of Zaporozhian Cossacks under rule of Russian Empire (1751).

A Hetman of Zaporizhian Cossacks is a historical term that has multiple meanings.

Officially the post was known as Hetman of the Zaporizhian Host (Old Ukrainian: Гетман Войска Єго Королевскои Милости Запорозкого, Hetman of His Royal Grace's Zaporozhian Host; ). Hetman of Zaporizhian Cossacks as a title was not officially recognized internationally until the creation of the Cossack Hetmanate. With the creation of Registered Cossacks units their leaders were officially referred to as Senior of His Royal Grace's Zaporozhian Host (, Starshyi Yoho Korolivskoi Mylosti Viiska Zaporozkoho; ). Before 1648 and the establishment of the Cossack Hetmanate there were numerous regional hetmans across the Dnieper-banks, who usually were starostas or voivodes.

Background

The first widely recognized hetman of Zaporizhia was Dmytro Vyshnevetsky, after that several Polish starostas were added to the Hetman registry such as Lanckoroński and Daszkiewicz who also led their own Cossack formations. According to Mykhailo Hrushevsky they were not really considered as hetmans, at least by their contemporaries. Among others such starostas were Karpo Maslo from Cherkasy, Yatsko Bilous (Pereiaslav), Andrushko (Bratslav), and many others. Even Princes Konstanty Ostrogski and Bohdan Hlinski were conducting Cossack raids on Tatar uluses (districts).

The commanders of Zaporozhian Host units (the Kish) often considered as hetmans in fact carried a title of Kish Otaman. As from 1572, hetman was the unofficial title of commanders of the Registered Cossack Army of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. From the 1648 Bohdan Khmelnytsky uprising, Hetman was the title of the head of the Cossack state, the Cossack Hetmanate. Cossack hetmans had very broad powers and acted as supreme military commanders and executive leaders (by issuing administrative decrees).

After the split of Ukrainian territory along the Dnieper River by the Polish-Russian Treaty of Andrusovo 1667, there was an introduction of dual leadership for each bank, or for each Ukraine of Dnieper (left and right). After the Treaty of Andrusovo there existed two different Cossack Hetmanates with two Hetmans: the one in Poland being called Nakazny Hetman of His Royal Mercy of Zaporizhian Host, and the Russian one titled Hetman of His Tsar's Mercy of Zaporizhian Host.

Eventually the official state powers of Cossack Hetmans were gradually diminished in the 18th century, and finally abolished by Catherine II of Russia in 1764.

Starosta

  • Przecław Lanckoroński (1506–1512), not an actual hetman, he was a starosta of Khmilnyk
  • Ostap Dashkevych (1506–1536), not an actual hetman, he was a starosta in charge of a defense force approved by the Sejm near Cherkasy. Dashkevych offered to create a defense force on the banks of the Lower Dnieper

Cossack leaders (until 1648)

  • Dmytro Vyshnevetsky (1550–1564), first who created a Cossack garrison at the Nyz Dnieprovski (Lower Dnieper) on the island of Small Khortytsia in 1552
  • Bohdan Ruzhynsky, member of Volhynia princedom, a leader who was sponsored by Moscow question legitimacy of Pavlo Teteria's October 1662 election, alleging that it involved corruption. Some sources claim Teteria's election took place a little later, in January 1663. The election of Teteria led to the Povoloch Regiment Uprising in 1663, followed by larger number of disturbances in the modern region of Kirovohrad Oblast as well as Polesia (all in Right-bank Ukraine). Coincidentally, on 10 January 1663, the Tsardom of Muscovy created the new Little Russian Office (Prikaz) within its Ambassadorial Office.

Vouched by Charles Marie François Olier, marquis de Nointel, Yuriy Khmelnytsky was freed from the Ottoman captivity, appointed and along with Pasha Ibragim was sent to Ukraine fight the Moscow forces of Samoilovych and Romadanovsky. In 1681 Mehmed IV appointed George Ducas the Hetman of Ukraine, replacing Khmelnytsky.

Following the anathema on Mazepa and the election of Ivan Skoropadsky, Cossack Hetmanate was included into the Russian Kiev Governorate (Guberniya) in December 1708. Upon the death of Skoropadsky, the Hetman elections were disrupted and were awarded as a gift and a type of princely titles, first to Moldavian nobleman and later to the Russian Empress favorite.

On 5 April 1710 the council of cossacks, veterans of the battle at Poltava, elected Pylyp Orlyk as the Hetman of Ukraine in exile. Orlyk waged a guerrilla warfare at the southern borders of the Russian Empire with the support from Ottoman and Swedish empires.

Hetmans appointed by the Tsardom of Russia

  • Ivan Bezpaly, elected by some cossacks in the town of Varva
  • Demian Mnohohrishny, "Siverian Hetman"

Hetmans appointed by the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth

The Appointed Hetman Mykhailo Khanenko was elected the Hetman of Ukraine by a council of Sukhoviy's Cossacks in Uman to depose Doroshenko. In 1675 John III Sobieski awarded the title to some Ostap Hohol (died in 1679). Same thing happened in 1683 when John III Sobieski awarded the title to Stefan Kunicki and in 1684 to Andriy Mohyla. Those awards were given during the Great Turkish War.

  • Pavlo Teteria
  • Mykhailo Khanenko, appointment confirmed by the King of Poland Michal Korybut Wisniowiecki
  • Ostap Hohol, appointment confirmed by the King of Poland John III Sobieski
  • Stefan Kunicki, appointment confirmed by the King of Poland John III Sobieski
  • Andriy Mohyla, appointment confirmed by the King of Poland John III Sobieski
  • Samiylo Samus, title surrendered to Ivan Mazepa

{| class="wikitable" width="100%" style="text-align:center;"

!

! colspan=3 | Hetman

! Elected (event)

! Took office

! Left office

!

|-bgcolor=tan

! style="background:"| (1)

| width="50px"| 100px

| Mykhailo Khanenko<br><small>(1620–1680)</small><br>Михайло Ханенко

| 1669 (Uman)

| 1669<br><small>(confirmed: 2 September 1670)</small>

| 1674

| pro-Polish faction

|-bgcolor=tan

! style="background:"| (2)

| width="50px"| 100px

| Stefan Kunicki<br><small>(?–1684)</small><br>Стефан Куницький

| 23 August 1683

| 23 August 1683<br><small>(confirmed: 24 August 1683)</small>

| January 1684

| pro-Polish faction

|-bgcolor=tan

! style="background:"| (3)

| width="50px"| 100px

| Andriy Mohyla<br><small>(?–1689)</small><br>Андрій Могила

| January 1684

| January 1684<br><small>(confirmed: 30 January 1684)</small>

| January 1689

| pro-Polish faction

|}

Sanjak-bey, Prince of Sarmatia (appointed by the Ottoman Empire)

In 1669 Petro Doroshenko received a title of Sanjak-bey from Mehmed IV. Title existed in 1669 to 1683.

  • Petro Doroshenko
  • Yuri Khmelnytsky
  • George Ducas

Hetmans-in-exile

The title existed in 1710–1760.

  • Pylyp Orlyk
  • Hryhor Orlyk

Buh Cossack Host (appointed by the Russian Empire)

  • Major General (1788), He served as an officer in the Siberian Carabinieri and Taganrog Dragoon Regiments. Commander of the Astrakhan Cossacks and the 1st Commander of Buh Cossacks Army.

See also

  • Bulawa
  • Hetmans of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
  • Kosh otaman
  • History of Cossacks
  • Zaporizhian Host
  • Zaporizhian Sich
  • List of leaders of Ukraine
  • Taras Bulba

Notes

References

  • Encyclopedia of Ukraine