Kochegarov K. A. The Russian government and the Chernigov Cossack regiment on eve of the Swedish invasion of Ukraine in 1708

Kochegarov, Kirill Aleksandrovich ― Institute of Slavic Studies, Russian Academy of Science, Moscow, Russia, Ph. D. in History, Senior Researcher, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The article reveals unknown aspects of the Russian policy in the Chernigov Regiment in 1708, on eve of the Swedish invasion of Ukraine. Relationships between the Chernigov community and the Russian city administration didn’t develop perfectly. After the experienced voevode Ivan Vel’jaminov-Zernov had been sent to Smolensk, the conflict broke out between the new Russian commander and Chernigov residents. Ukrainian Hetman Ivan Mazepa informed the Russian government about it. The special tsar’s order was sent to Kiev governor Dmitrij Golitsyn to investigate the case. To defend Ukraine against the Swedish army special measures were taken by the Russian authorities in the Chernigov Regiment. The large food depot was built in the middle part of the city, to provision the Russian army. The Chernigov archbishop yard and buildings of the Chernigov college were used as storage. To make it more safe, all buildings at 65 m distance from walls were decided to demolish. It was Mazepa who was ordered to implement the plan. The Ukrainian Hetman instructed John Maximovitch, the archbishop of Chernigov, and Paul Polubotok, the Chernigov colonel to arrange a place for the depot. The Chernigov fortress itself was completely reinforced by Russian soldiers and Chernigov Cossacks. The letter also served in Bykhov fortress (Belorussia) as part of the local garrison and defended Northern borders of Ukraine against the possible Swedish attack. All those tasks were hard, but Chernigov Cossacks didn’t show any widespread discontent towards the Russian policy, they didn’t support Mazepa’s anti-Russian rebellion, despite the Muscovite garrison in Chernigov wasn’t sufficiently numerous to successfully crackdown them.

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