Ivan Gonta is one of the prominent figures in the history of Ukraine. His name has become a symbol of the struggle for the independence of his native country. The image of the national hero is most fully described in the poem by T. G. Shevchenko “Gaydamaki”. The poet sought information about the popular uprising in folk tales and legends, in which Ivan Gonta was one of the acting characters.
Biography
Information about the birth of Ivan is extremely stingy. It is known that he was born in the village of Rossoshki, which is currently located in the Cherkasy region. His parents were serfs. The exact date of his birth is still not known, but researchers are repelled from 1740. At a young age, Ivan Gont, thanks to his own zeal, became a Cossack of the outgoing army of the tycoon Pototsky, who at that time was the sovereign master of Uman. Despite his low origin, Ivan was well educated. Excellent command of the Polish language, popularity and good organizational skills became the basis for a quick career advancement.
In 1757, the peasant son was elected the centurion of the Pototsky’s outpatient army.
Confidant
An educated and gifted young Cossack attracted the attention of tycoon Pototsky. And soon the army started talking about the new confidant of the count, which was Ivan Gaunt. The outward Cossacks may have been outraged by such a promotion of a native of the lower classes. The count brought his close one out of submission to the gentry and placed him under the command of the Uman governor. For his ministry, Ivan Gonta in 1755 took possession of his native village of Rossoshki and the neighboring village of Odarovka. At that time, all his relatives lived in Rossoshki: mother, wife, children. The family grew four daughters and a son. Owning villages gave him a profit of 20 thousand zlotys per year - very substantial money at that time.
Gaunt and Faith
Big profits from loyal service to Pototsky could not deprive the centurion of their own beliefs and did not make him a tool in the wrong hands. Ivan Gonta did not share the desire of the Poles to impose the Catholic faith on the Orthodox population of Ukraine. With his donations, a magnificent Orthodox church is being built in his native village, and the centurion’s family was called worshipers - it was with their funds that the Church of the Exaltation of Volodarka was built and painted. It was in this temple that wall painting was preserved, on which Ivan Gont is depicted. The photo of the centurion, which can be seen in modern textbooks, was taken from this portrait.
Very soon, I. Gont became known as a man who defends the Orthodox faith. Representatives of Orthodox churches from all over Ukraine addressed him. Such universal support made him a widely known person who had a huge influence on the aspirations and opinions of representatives of all Ukrainian estates.
Haidamaki
By the end of May 1768, rumors reached Uman about a mass rebellion of the Haidamaks led by Maxim Zheleznyak. They took one settlement after another, slowly approaching Uman. Rafal Mladanovich, Governor of Uman, was forced to take enhanced measures to strengthen the city. He closed the main gate, strengthened the guard, carefully checked everyone who wanted to enter the city. There were many Cossacks in the outpatient army, whose homeland was in the Umanshchina. To reduce the likelihood of treason, Mladanovich forced the Cossacks to swear allegiance to Pototsky.
Gont and Zheleznyak
By order of the governor, the outgoing army came forward to meet the rebels. But the Polish governor failed to use his own army as punishers. Near the town of Sokolovka, Ivan Gonta met with Maxim Zheleznyak. After negotiations, the Cossacks drove out their centurions and joined the rebels. The final unification of the two armies on June 18, 1768 occurred under the walls of Uman. The rebels decided to storm the city.
Uman tragedy
The capture of Uman lasted about a day and a half. The defense of the city was assigned to the militia, who had little possession of small arms. A single salvo of all the guns surrounded the walls of the fortress with puffs of smoke, creating a dense curtain. Taking advantage of this, the rebels successfully stormed the walls of the fortress and broke into the city. The massacre that followed was terrible.
Gaydamak slaughtered Poles, Jews, Rus, not sparing either the elderly or women. According to surviving eyewitnesses, the blood of those killed poured over the threshold of their houses and temples and flowed through the streets. According to various estimates, from two to twenty thousand people died that day.
Colonel Gaunt
After the capture of Uman, many were frightened of retaliation and immediately left the ranks of the rebels. Gonta Ivan and Zheleznyak Maxim held a general council. By a majority decision, command of the rebel army was appointed. Maxim Zheleznyak is the hetman of the new army, and Ivan Gont is a colonel. In the territories under the control of the rebels, corvée was liquidated, Cossack orders and customs were established. The leaders of the rebel movement took measures to spread their ideas throughout Ukraine.
Betrayal and doom
The scale of the uprising greatly worried the government of the Russian Empire. On the instructions of Catherine II, the troops of Colonel Guryev advanced towards the rebels. Rubbing confidence in the rebels, he surrounded the Cossack army and captured its commanders. Ivan Gont was given to the Poles, and Maxim Zheleznyak was sentenced to death by wheeling. True, the empress later changed the sentence and sent him to serve hard labor.
Ivan Gont was given to the Polish authorities. After torture lasting ten days, Gaunt was convicted of a special tribunal, consisting of a priest and three monks. He was sentenced to death, which was to be accompanied by terrible torture - a quartering, skinning and more. On the third day, appreciating the Cossack’s courage, the crown hetman Xavier Branicki ordered Gonte’s head to be cut off in recognition of the man’s courage and perseverance. The sentenced died July 13, 1768. The remains of a national hero were nailed on gallows in 14 cities of Ukraine.
The Ukrainian lands will once again become stained with the blood of popular uprisings, but the memory of Ivan Gont and Maxim Zheleznyak has still remained in the legends and thoughts of the Ukrainian people.