The Cossacks of Ukraine

The name “Cossack” is derived from the Turkish “kazak” meaning free man. By the end of the 15th century this name was applied to those Ukrainians who went into the steppes to practice various trades and engage in hunting, fishing, and beekeeping.

The Cossacks tried to establish a way of life that was distinct from the great powers of their day. They held prominence for more than four centuries and – being descended from the indigenous people and those who passed through the steppe – they symbolise the multiethnic mix of modern Ukraine. They were free-spirited, self-reliant, and not prone to domination. They weren’t displaced people forced to live on the steppe, like some suggest – they chose to live here because of its beauty and abundance. Nowadays people relate to their values of freedom, equality, and fraternity.

Khotyn Cossack Fortress

With walls up to 40m high and 6m thick, this massive stone fortress was built in the 15th-century, replacing an earlier wooden building. Its location safeguarded trade routes on the Dnister River- which it overlooks – making it a sought-after prize. The defining moment in its history came in 1621, with a threatened invasion by the Ottoman Turks. The incumbent Poles enlisted the help of 40,000 Cossacks and against all odds managed to defeat a 250,000-strong Turkish army.

This improbable victory made a hero of Cossack leader Petro Sahaydachny, whose huge statue stands near the fortress’ entrance. However, any notion of the fortress’ impregnability was dispelled in 1711 when the Turks finally conquered it. The Russians took over in the 19th century.

Eastern European filmmakers often choose the fort as a location – in recent years it has starred in “Three Musketeers”, “Arrows of Robin Hood”, “Ivanhoe” and Russian-language blockbuster movie Taras Bulba.

Khortytsya Island (E. Ukraine)

Cossack history & horse shows

The Zaporizhska Sich on Khortytsya Island in Eastern Ukraine was the centre of Ukrainian Cossackdom, where Hetman (leader) Dmytro Baida united disparate groups of Cossacks in the construction of a fort in 1553-54. It was located on an island in the middle of the Dnieper River in what is now the Zaporizhia region of Ukraine.

The remoteness of the location and rapids on the river provided effective protection from attack. At the height of its power the community numbered some 20,000 fighters, under the authority of one hetman. On the battlefield they were formidable opponents – off it formidable vodka drinkers.

The Cossacks also developed a large fleet of fast light vessels. Their campaigns were targeted at were rich settlements on the Black Sea shores of the Ottoman Empire and several times took them as far as Constantinople.

There’s an amphitheatre on the southern portion of the island where highly entertaining horse showsand mock fights are put on periodically by Cossack descendants.

Destination: Ukraine