Bogdan Khmelnitsky was a Ukrainian military and statesman. He was born in 1595. Talking about Khmelnytsky, historians always emphasize his hetman status, rarely mentioning that after the reunification of Ukraine with Russia, he received from the Russian emperor Alexei Mikhailovich, in addition to all other honors and awards, the rank of Moscow boyar.
Bohdan Khmelnytsky. Biography
His father, Mikhail, was a Ukrainian gentry. Bogdan received his education in Kiev, in Lviv and Yaroslavl-Galitsky, in the Jesuit colleges. Along with this, the future hetman of Ukraine retained the Orthodox faith.
Together with his father, Bogdan Khmelnitsky participated in the war of 1620-21 between the Poles and Turks. During the battle, the father died. Bogdan, after the defeat of the Poles, was captured for two years by the Turks. From captivity, the Cossacks bought it. After returning to his homeland, Bogdan Khmelnitsky became an army clerk.
In 1637-38, the future hetman took part in a popular uprising. In 1638, Khmelnitsky became the centurion of the Chigirinsky regiment. Having become famous in the court of the king of Poland, he goes to France to negotiate the participation of the Zaporozhye Cossacks in the battles against the Habsburgs, a large dynasty of rulers in Europe.
In 1646, during Khmelnitsky’s stay in Warsaw with King Władysław 4 Waza, Daniel Chaplinsky (Polish nobleman) forcefully added the Subbotov farm (Khmelnitsky family estate), beating his youngest son to death. This conflict subsequently escalated into a large-scale liberation struggle.
Khmelnitsky tried to achieve justice at the court of the king. But all his aspirations provoked a conflict with Konetspolsky (Polish magnate), who supported Chaplinsky. As a result, the search for truth brought Bogdan Khmelnitsky in 1647 under arrest.
Freed from prison, he arrived with several associates in the Zaporizhzhya Sich. Soon Bogdan Khmelnitsky won the support of the Cossacks, and in 1848, in January, began an uprising against the Poles.
After the expulsion of the Poles from Sich, the Cossacks entered into an alliance with the Crimean Khan. Soon, the uprising turned into a war of liberation. In history, it is called "Khmelnitsky". During the war Khmelnytsky proved himself to be an excellent diplomat, commander, organizer of statehood in Ukraine.
According to historians, it was thanks to the activities of the hetman that the Ukrainian state achieved the strengthening of its forces and many military successes. Under his leadership, the Cossack army won many victories. In fact, Ukraine has become an independent state.
However, the country arose and developed between large and very powerful powers: the Ottoman Empire, Russia and the Commonwealth. Despite all the diplomatic skills, Khmelnitsky failed to achieve recognition of Ukraine’s independence in these countries.
Meanwhile, the Poles, not abandoning the idea of owning the Ukrainian state, were preparing for the campaign. Khmelnitsky understood that he needed support in a protracted struggle. As the practice of military operations showed, the Crimean Tatars were an unreliable ally. As a result, Bogdan had no choice but to ask for help from Russia.
Alexey Mikhailovich was in no hurry to take Cossack Ukraine under his protection and took an observant position. In 1652, Khmelnitsky was defeated, as a result of which the Belotserkovsky Treaty was signed, according to which Ukrainian rights were infringed quite significantly.
During a stubborn and prolonged war, enemy forces were exhausted. At this moment, the Russian emperor decides to satisfy the request of the hetman. In 1653, Little Russia (Ukraine) was annexed to Russia. As a result, Khmelnitsky was given military assistance, and Russia itself entered into a long Russo-Polish war. The first stage of the battle ended in 1656 with a truce.
Meanwhile, the truce did not suit Khmelnitsky, and he secretly begins negotiations with Sweden over the continuation of the war with the Commonwealth. However, he is forced to withdraw his ambassadors - Muscovites learned about the negotiations.
Khmelnitsky died in 1657. After his death, a twenty-year period of civil strife began in Ukraine.
In 1943, on October 10, the Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky was established at the suggestion of the famous film director Dovzhenko.