Decline of Ukrainian statehood and culture (1712-1783), Детальна інформація

whereupon the daughter of Peter I, Elizabeth was installed on Russian

throne.

Elizabeth was sympathetic to Ukrainian cause because, prior to

becoming tsarina, she befriended and fell in love with a handsome son of

a Cossack court choir singer, Oleksiy Rozumowskyi. She married him

after her coronation.

While visiting Kyiv in 1744, she agreed to promote Cossacks'

request to re install hetman's office and proposed Oleksiy's younger

brother Kyrylo Rozumowskyi for this position.

Twenty year old Kyrylo, who studied abroad, returned in 1746,

married into royal family and was bestowed with many orders and titles.

In 1747 Russian senate was requested to take steps toward re

establishment of Hetmanate.

In February 1750, ceremonious formality of election of new Cossack

hetman took place in Hlukhow, followed by celebrations and festivities.

In spring of 1751 hetman Kyrylo Rozumowskyi, again with great ceremony

and parade was installed as hetman.

Unfortunately, being brought up in St Petersburg, Rozumowskyi was a

stranger to Ukraine and ways of life there. His Russian advisor Teplow

was unsympathetic to Ukraine's newly won autonomy and did all he could

to hinder its development. Rozumowskyi himself was bored with life in

Ukraine and preferred to spend most of his time in St Petersburg.

It could be said that, during this period, Ukraine was divided into

several parts such as Left Bank consisting of Hetmanate and

Slobidshchyna, Zaporozhian Sich, Right Bank, Halychyna (Galicia),

Wolhynia, Bukovyna and Transcarpatia.

The Hetmanate included areas around Poltava, Lubny, Peryaslav,

Kyiv, Nizhyn, Chernihiv, Hlukhiv and also areas, which are at present

parts of Russian Federation, around Starodub, Pochep and Mhlyn.

The neighboring areas centered around Kharkiv were called