14 August 1775 Zaporozhskaya Sich was disbanded by decree of Empress Catherine II
14 August 1775, by decree of the Russian Empress Catherine II, the Zaporizhian Sich was finally abolished. After the reunification of a significant part of Little Russia with the Russian state in 1654, the privileges enjoyed by other Russian Cossack troops were extended to the Zaporozhye army. Zaporizhzhya Cossacks played an important role. The Cossacks defended the southern borders of Russia, played a prominent role in the wars with the Crimean Khanate and the Ottoman Empire. Therefore, the Cossacks retained a certain autonomy from the central government. However, the Cossacks hid fugitives hiding in the Zaporizhzhya Sich from the persecution of the royal authorities. In addition, there was the danger of a rebellion against the center, an alliance with Russia's external enemies.
So, in 1709, ataman Kost Gordienko and hetman Mazepa signed an allied treaty with the Swedish king Karl XII. Zaporizhian Sich joined the union of Mazepa and Karl against Russia. There were several skirmishes of the Cossacks with Russian troops. Peter gives the order to Prince Menshikov to move from Kiev to the Sich three regiments under the command of Colonel Yakovlev in order to "destroy the whole nest of the rebels." The sink was destroyed, and later Peter did not allow her to be restored. The Cossacks founded Kamenskaya (1709 — 1711) and Aleshkovsky Sich (1711 — 1734) on the lands controlled by the Turks and the Crimean Tatars. However, they did not last long.
In 1733, when, after the outbreak of war between the Russian Empire and Turkey, the Crimean Khan ordered the Aleshkovsk Sich Cossacks to go to the Russian border, General Weisbah (he was at that time building the Ukrainian line of fortresses) handed the Cossacks a certificate in the Krasny Kut gorge, 4 versts from the old Chertomlytsky Sich. The Cossacks received a diploma from the sovereign Anna Ioannovna for pardon and acceptance into Russian citizenship. As a result, a New (Podpolnenskaya, or Pidpilnyanskaya) Sich was created, it existed until the final destruction of the Zaporizhzhya Sich in 1775 year.
New Sich was very different from the old. It became not only a military, but an economic, political organism. Cossacks received full self-government and land for settlement. New structures appeared - “palanques”. These were a kind of “provinces” of the Sich on Samara, Mius, Bug, Ingulets, etc. Each palanka was ruled by a colonel, a captain and a clerk who submitted to Kosh. It was the land that became the main source of income for the Cossacks, and not the salary. In the vicinity of the Sich settled "zimovchaki" - married Cossacks, they had neither the right to vote in the Rada, nor the right to be elected to the positions and were obliged to pay "smoke" in the Sich treasury, that is, a kind of family tax. In addition to married Cossacks, they came to be called the alien people (mostly peasants, poor people who were looking for a better life), who came from Great Russian provinces, Right-Bank Ukraine, and Turkish possessions. They were not considered Cossacks, but were subject to the Sich, supplied food and paid 1 a ruble per year. The inhabitants of the Sich lived at the expense of fishing, hunting, cattle breeding, agriculture and trade. The foreman received income from the duty for the importation of goods, possession of land, pastures, fishing.
The Cossacks obeyed only their own laws, tried small cases in palanca, for significant matters - from Koshins. The perpetrators could have been extradited to the imperial authorities, but more often they punished themselves, right up to the death penalty. Sich quickly became one of the flourishing regions of Russia. Palanques were covered with villages and farms.
However, there were serious contradictions between the foreman and golot in the Sich. Thus, the tsarist government almost immediately violated the obligation to issue annually a salary to 20 Thousands of Sich. Already from 1738, only 4-7 thousand were given. The rest of the money was ordered to be paid from army funds, but they were empty. As a result, the authorities began to cheat - they gave out "publicly" 4 thousand rubles, the rest of the money was transferred secretly to the foreman, to the smoked atamans. However, the Cossacks quickly found out about it: in 1739, the city of Tukal and the foremen overthrew, beat and looted their property (the sable was beaten so badly that it soon died). In the future, the foremen continued to grow rich. In particular, the Kalnyshevsky cattle once sold 14 thousands of horses from their herds. Ordinary Cossacks lived in misery, all the benefits were in favor of the foreman.
Ordinary Cossacks worked on the foreman, fished, and the “haidamatstvo” developed, that is, robbery. In the lower reaches of the Bug, the Russian, Turkish and Polish borders converged, which helped to escape after the robbery. In 1750-1760-ies, Haidamache became a real disaster of this region. People were just afraid to drive through Wake Bow. From Turkey and Poland rained complaints to the Cossacks. The instructions of the imperial authorities simply "descended on the brakes." The fishery was very profitable, and there were many foremen and administration of palanques in the lot. When, in the 1760 year, under pressure from the Russian authorities, the Beletsky koshey organized a raid to capture the robbers, only 40 people could be arrested. Yes, and then the smoked chieftains banned them from issuing, dismantled in the smokes and released after repentance. When the Russian military command patrolled the border with regular cavalry and suburban Cossacks, armed clashes began.
There was another reason for the conflict Sich with the central government. During this period, there was an active development of the previously empty areas of the Wild Field and the Cossacks began to defend their "legitimate" lands. They based their claims on a fake - “copies of a letter from Stefan Batory,” who allegedly granted them land near the town of Chigirin, Samara and the Southern Bug, the left bank of the Dnieper to Seversky Donets. And since the Russian sovereigns, beginning with Alexei Mikhailovich, confirmed "the former Zaporozhye liberties," the very word "liberties" began to be interpreted in a territorial sense. The Zaporozhian Cossacks, defending their “legitimate” lands, did not stop even before using force. They burned several new settlements, the villagers dispersed. As a result, the Cossacks simply became impudent, challenging the central government. However, under Elizabeth and the hetman Razumovsky, they got away with it.
Under Catherine II, the situation has changed. She seriously took up the affairs of a loose Ukraine. In 1763, the hetman Razumovsky, who hinted about the hereditary status of his post, resigned "of his own accord." Little Russian College was restored. Its president was appointed General P. A. Rumyantsev. He found a picture of complete collapse in Ukraine. The military elite, who ruled on behalf of Razumovsky, completely lost her hands. The elders turned into all-powerful nobles, real local "princes". They went so far as to fight with each other, challenging the land, arming the Cossacks and peasants. The population was subjected to merciless exploitation. Ordinary Cossacks or ruined, turning into farm laborers, or engaged in personal economy. The decree of 1721 on the promotion of Cossack distillation affected the army in a negative way. Many people drank themselves, others drank their land. As a result, the Little Russian army decayed. Rumyantsev could not even organize mail: the rich did not want to serve, the poor did not have the opportunity.
I had to take measures to restore the fighting capacity of local troops. In 1764, the Cossack units began to be converted into regular ones. From the Ukrainian regiments created 5 hussars: Black, Yellow, Blue, Serbian and Ugorsky. In addition, they created four Pikiner regiments (Elisavetgrad, Dneprovsky, Donetsk and Lugansky). Later, several more hussar regiments were created and the landmilitia was reformed into infantry units. In general, Ukraine should have lost its special status and be equalized with other Russian provinces. The flop in these plans was a major obstacle.
Attention was drawn to the "state in the state" - Zaporizhzhya Sich. In 1764, Kosh was subordinate to the Little Russian College. Zaporozhye administration attributed no longer hold elections. The Cossacks were outraged and, in defiance of the instructions, held new elections, electing Kalnyshevsky to be the catman. The new koshevoy voluntarily went to St. Petersburg to demand the direct subordination of the Foreign College and raise the issue of "legal" Zaporozhye lands. Rumyantsev proposed to the Empress to arrest the delegates. A draft reform was drawn up for Sich. However, Catherine did not go on harsh measures, a new war with Turkey was approaching, they did not want to complicate the situation in the south. The Empress received the delegation graciously. This inspired the Cossacks, returning to the Sich, they began to boast that they "frightened" the government.
In the 1767 year, he reported that the Kalnyshevsky and the clerk Ivan Globa agreed to enter into negotiations with the Turkish sultan if the government did not fulfill their demands. Catherine left a denunciation without consequences, but the fate of the Sich was already predetermined. The solution of the problem was only postponed until the end of the war with the Ottoman Empire.
The Sich leadership itself exacerbated its precarious position. It not only challenged the Russian authorities, but also came into contact with the Crimea and Turkey. On the eve of the war, the Cossacks received letters from Bakhchisarai and Istanbul, in which they were tempted by the possibility of moving to the service of Turkey, promising a threefold salary. The French emissary Totleben visited the Sich on behalf of the Sultan. Kalnyshevsky refused to the Turks, but did not interrupt the correspondence. In addition, he allowed Totleben to speak to the Cossacks and did not betray him to Rumyantsev. In the Cossack mass went confusion. When in December 1768, the Cossacks were instructed to start a war with Turkey, they rebelled. Kalnyshevsky had not only to suppress the rebellion, but to ask for help from the Russian garrison from the Novosechensk retransfer. Unrest lasted for several months, the Cossacks left the borders, and the Tatars in January 1769 broke through to Ukraine.
In the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774. 10 thousand Cossacks took part (about 4 thousand still remained on the territory of the Sich). In the war they showed high fighting qualities, differed in intelligence and raids, and played an important role in the battles of Larg and Cahul. Victory in this war was another reason for the elimination of the Zaporozhye army. With the conclusion of the Kuchuk-Kainardzhi agreement, the Russian Empire gained access to the Black Sea, the Dnieper defensive line was created, the Crimean Khanate was on the verge of destruction. Second historical the enemy of Russia - Catholic Poland, lost its power, and in 1772 its first division took place. Zaporizhzhya Cossacks lost their role as defenders of the southern borders.
In May 1775, the body of General Peter Tekeli was moved to the Sich. The operation was bloodless. The elders, realizing that the resistance was meaningless, together with the priests calmed ordinary Cossacks. By decree of Catherine Zaporozhskaya Sich abolished. Ordinary Cossacks were not harassed. Some remained in Ukraine and settled down in villages and cities. Part of the commanders received officer ranks, sergeants became nobles. Only three of the Cossacks — Kalnyshevsky, a military judge, Pavel Golovaty, and a Globa clerk were convicted of treason and sent to monasteries. Kalnyshevsky lived in the Solovki monastery until 112 years and died in 1803 year, taking the monastic dignity.
Part of the Cossacks went to the Danube under the authority of the Turkish Sultan and created the Danubian Sich. In 1828, the Danube Cossacks went over to the side of the Russian army and were pardoned personally by sovereign Nicholas I. Of these, the Azov Cossack army was created. In Russia, during the war with Turkey, Alexander Suvorov in 1787-1788. from the Cossacks of the former Sich and their descendants organized the "Army of the faithful Zaporozhtsev". In 1790, it was transformed into the Black Sea Cossack army and then gained the territory of the left-bank of the Kuban. Cossacks took an active part in the Caucasian War and other wars of the Russian Empire.
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