Period of Lithunian and Polsih rule (1360-1599), Детальна інформація

most of eastern Ukraine. After Kosynskyi, Hryhoriy Loboda became

Cossack Hetman in 1593.

Another section of Cossacks, numbering about 12000, under Semeryn

Nalyvayko, were recruited by Pope and German Kaiser for war against

Turks. They conquered Moldova and in 1595 returned to Ukraine to fight

against Polish rulers and to defend Orthodox population from Jesuits,

who were instigating amalgamation with Catholic Church. In 1596 at a

synod of Brest, the Kyivan metropolitan and the majority of bishops

signed an act of union with Rome. The Uniate church thus formed

recognized supremacy of the pope but retained the Eastern rites and the

Slavonic liturgical language.

Also in year 1596 Polish king, Sigismund III Vasa, ordered Field

Marshal Stanislav Zholkewski to subjugate Cossack forces. After several

months of fighting, Zholkewski surrounded Cossacks, led by Nalyvayko,

Loboda and Shaula, at river Solonytsya near Lubny. There were about

6000 Cossack fighters and just as many women and children facing much

more superior force. The prolonged siege, lack of food and fodder,

internal squabbles (Loboda was killed in one the fights between sections

of Cossacks) and intensive cannon fire destroyed defenders' capacity to

resist. In order to save their families, Cossacks agreed to

Zholkewski's terms to let them go free in exchange for handing over

their leaders. However, after surrender, Poles did not keep their word;

they attacked and started to massacre defenseless and disoriented

Cossacks. Only a section under leadership of Krempskyi broke through

and joined with troops of Pidvysotskyi, who were coming to the rescue of

besieged Cossacks.

Zholkewski, exhausted by prolonged fighting, decided to abandon the

idea to conquer Cossacks. He returned to Poland, where he tortured and

executed captured Cossack leaders; most severe punishment was handed to

Nalyvayko, who was tortured for about a year prior to a brutal