Antin Holovaty
Encyclopedia
Antin Holovaty or Anton Golovaty ; between 1732 and 1744 – ) was a prominent Zaporozhian Cossack leader who after the Zaporozhian Sich's destruction was a key figure in the formation of the Black Sea Cossack Host
and their later resettlement to the Kuban
Region of Russia.
, Ukraine
) in a family of a cossack starshyna and studied at the Kiev-Mohyla Academy. At the age of 24, 1756 he left the academy and joined the Kushchivsky kuren of the Pidpelnensky Sich to complete his studies as an officer. By the 1760s was elected to be the Otaman of that Kuren, which helped raise his social standing.
By 1764, because of his higher education he received the rank of colonel and was given the position of military secretary. In that year, as part of the Zaporozhian delegation headed by kosh otaman Hrytsko Fedoriv, Holovaty was chosen as a delegate to the coronation of Catherine II of Russia
. The trip left a profound impression on him. He delighted the audiences with his musical prowess on the bandura
, entertaining the audiences with Cossack songs and duma
s. For this he received a silver medal and a noble title from the Empress.
During his trip, Holovaty became aware that the demise of the Zaporozhian Sich was being discussed and planned in Petersburg. Knowing that the end of the Crimean Khanate
would result in the eventual dissolution of the Zaporozhian Host, he was pro-active in putting forward a plan to re-organize the Sich and lands it owned in a manner similar to how the Don Cossack Host was organised. This project was given for consideration to Russian authorities, but was disgarded by Potemkin. The Zaporozhian Sich was dissolved in 1775 and Holovaty's plans and political maneuvering were exposed to other Zaporozhians who ceased to trust him. As a result Holovaty retired from the Zaporozhian Host to manage his properties.
who was one of those arrested together with the last Zaporozhian kosh otaman Petro Kalnyshevsky
. Both Kalnyshevsky and Pavlo Holovaty spent a year incarcerated in Moscow, and were given death sentences which were later commuted to incarceration for life. Kalnyshevsky was later pardoned at the age of 110. Most Cossacks escaped repressions by moving beyond the Danube into Turkish territory.
Holovaty escaped repercussions because he had retired from the Zaporozhian host. A factor which was also of influence was the fact that he was given the rank of Captain in the Russian Cavalry
by the Empress, and was granted an official nobility (dvoryanstvo) title with an estate.
After the dissolution of the Zaporozhian Host
, a new threat to the Russian Empire began to grow from the Ottoman Empire. The destruction of Sich, was followed when five thousand men, approximately 30% of the Zaporozhian Cossacks, left for the Ottoman
-controlled Danube
area in June 1775 and received protection from the Sultan forming the Danubian Sich
under his protectorate. By 1778 they were followed by another 7000 Cossacks to the Danubian Sich with 4000 settling on the Boh river
and forming the Boh Cossack Host. The former Zaporozhians gave their oaths to serve the Sultan on both land and sea against all enemies of the Silistrine Pasha, They were ordered to defend the borders against Russian intrusion.
It soon became apparent that the destruction of the Zaporozhian Sich was a grave mistake, and soon afterwards attempts were made to have the Danubian Cossacks return to Russia. Catherine II issued an amnesty inviting the former Zaporozhians back, but this gesture was largely ignored. The Empress then tried to force the return of the Cossacks back by pressuring Sultan Abdul Hamid I, who also refused to comply. Previously, the Ottaman Empire has given patronage to Cossacks emigrating from Russia, such as the Nekrasov Cossacks
, and the Sultan wanting to win back the Crimea, saw the Zaporozhians as a strong asset.
Potemkin understood that to have the former Zaporozhians against the Russian forces in a future conflict could prove disastrous. In 1784 Grigory Potemkin sent Sydir Bily
to the Danube to discuss the demands of the Cossacks. His mission was largely unsuccessful, as the Danubians wanted not only the return of all Cossack lands and titles, but also the previous autonomy that the Sich enjoyed. This was something that Potemkin was not prepared to do.
In 1787, on the eve of the Empress' trip to Ukraine, Potemkin summoned Holovaty and sent him to greet her in Kremenchuk
. It is here that Holovaty once again presented the idea of gathering up the remaining Cossacks and renewing the Zaporozhian Sich. After the previously unsuccessful attempts of organizing a Cossack army, Potemkin gave entrusted Holovaty to rally the men, a task he successfully accomplished.
When the war with Turkey finally broke out, the new Host played a crucial role in helping the Russian Army, particularly in capture of Berezan fortress, gaining the Potemkin's and the Empress's favour.
, however, with the death of G. Potemkin this reward was not forthcoming. Potemkin had left no instructions in case of the eventuality of his death. This led to an escalation of dissatisfaction among the Cossacks.
To stop further dissent, Holovaty headed another delegation to St. Petersburg to petition the Empress for the promises Potemkin had guaranteed. The delegation left in March, 1792 arriving in St. Petersburg a month later. Dressed in Cossack attire and with characteristic Zaporozhian haircuts were treated by the Russian court like a group of barbarians, however, Holovaty was able to obtain an audience before the Empress. He stunned the court by speaking to the Empress in French and immediately gained her sympathies. The concerns of the Cossacks were stated and the terms and conditions for the famous tsarist edict granting the Zaporozhians the lands on the Taman Peninsula in perpetuity were negotiated. Holovaty became a popular figure in Petersburg, often entertaining the nobility at various functions with Cossacks songs accompanied by his bandura playing. He left Petersburg in July with the now famous edict and numerous gifts.
The Kuban
territory in the North Caucasus
was an uninhabited steppe region that was gained by the Russian Empire in 1784. It was nonetheless a crucial foothold for the Russian expansion into the Caucasus
.
On his return, Holovaty proclaimed the good news regarding their petition and demonstrated the many gifts given by the Empress. He organised the resettlement of 25,000 persons who made the migration in 1792-93, settling on the regions north of the Kuban River
, with Holovaty leading the last convoy that landed on Taman Peninsula on 15 August 1793.
Holovaty became the new head of the Host. He set his priorities in forming the new defense line against Circassian raids. (see Caucasus War). The first 40 kurens on the Kuban, (later stanitsa
s) and the host city of Yekaterinodar are built under his supervision. After the death of Ataman Zakhary Chepiha
, the Host elected Holovaty as the new Ataman
, however he was not aware of this title, as at that time he was participating in the ill-fated Persian Expedition of 1796
where he commanded two corps of Black Sea Cossacks. On 28 January 1797, two weeks after his election, Holovaty died on the Kamyshevan peninusla. His title of Ataman was passed onto General Feodor Bursak, also an ex-Zaporozhian.
Holovaty mas married to Ulyana Grigoryevna Golovataya (Prokhna) who met in Saint Petersburg in 1768. In total they had six sons.
collected them and included lines from them in his Kobzar
.
Shevchenko originally mentioned Holovaty in a number of his poems, however his name was edited out by P. Kulish in reflection of Holovaty's pro-Russian position.
The frequently quoted lines often ascribed to Taras Shevchenko:
were originally edited by P. Kulish from Shevchenko's original:
Shevchenko also drew a portrait of him.
Because of his noble education he was also well versed in music and was an accomplished bandura
player.
Holovaty is commemorated in a joint monument in honour of Cathrine II, that was erected in 1902 in Yekaterinodar to mark the century anniversary of the Black Sea Cossack landing. This monument was destroyed by the Bolsheviks, and has recently been restored. Another individual monument to Holovaty was erected in 1990 in Odessa
.
Black Sea Cossack Host
Black Sea Cossack Host , also known as Chernomoriya , was a Cossack host of the Russian Empire created in 1787 in the southern Ukraine from former Zaporozhian Cossacks. In the 1790s, the host was re-settled to the Kuban River...
and their later resettlement to the Kuban
Kuban
Kuban is a geographic region of Southern Russia surrounding the Kuban River, on the Black Sea between the Don Steppe, Volga Delta and the Caucasus...
Region of Russia.
Early years
Holovaty was born in the town of Novi Sanzhary (modern Poltava OblastPoltava Oblast
Poltava Oblast is an oblast of central Ukraine. The administrative center of the oblast is the city of Poltava.Other important cities within the oblast include: Komsomolsk, Kremenchuk, Lubny and Myrhorod.-Geography:...
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
) in a family of a cossack starshyna and studied at the Kiev-Mohyla Academy. At the age of 24, 1756 he left the academy and joined the Kushchivsky kuren of the Pidpelnensky Sich to complete his studies as an officer. By the 1760s was elected to be the Otaman of that Kuren, which helped raise his social standing.
By 1764, because of his higher education he received the rank of colonel and was given the position of military secretary. In that year, as part of the Zaporozhian delegation headed by kosh otaman Hrytsko Fedoriv, Holovaty was chosen as a delegate to the coronation of Catherine II of Russia
Catherine II of Russia
Catherine II, also known as Catherine the Great , Empress of Russia, was born in Stettin, Pomerania, Prussia on as Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg...
. The trip left a profound impression on him. He delighted the audiences with his musical prowess on the bandura
Bandura
Bandura refers to a Ukrainian plucked string folk instrument. It combines elements of a box zither and lute, as well as its lute-like predecessor, the kobza...
, entertaining the audiences with Cossack songs and duma
Duma
A Duma is any of various representative assemblies in modern Russia and Russian history. The State Duma in the Russian Empire and Russian Federation corresponds to the lower house of the parliament. Simply it is a form of Russian governmental institution, that was formed during the reign of the...
s. For this he received a silver medal and a noble title from the Empress.
During his trip, Holovaty became aware that the demise of the Zaporozhian Sich was being discussed and planned in Petersburg. Knowing that the end of the Crimean Khanate
Crimean Khanate
Crimean Khanate, or Khanate of Crimea , was a state ruled by Crimean Tatars from 1441 to 1783. Its native name was . Its khans were the patrilineal descendants of Toqa Temür, the thirteenth son of Jochi and grandson of Genghis Khan...
would result in the eventual dissolution of the Zaporozhian Host, he was pro-active in putting forward a plan to re-organize the Sich and lands it owned in a manner similar to how the Don Cossack Host was organised. This project was given for consideration to Russian authorities, but was disgarded by Potemkin. The Zaporozhian Sich was dissolved in 1775 and Holovaty's plans and political maneuvering were exposed to other Zaporozhians who ceased to trust him. As a result Holovaty retired from the Zaporozhian Host to manage his properties.
After the end of Zaporozhia
With the destruction of the Zaporozhian Sich in 1775, the most senior Cossacks were repressed. Among them was Holovaty's older brother PavloPavlo Holovaty
Pavlo Andriyovych Holovaty was a Ukrainian military figure, a Kosh Otoman of the Zaporozhian Sich and last military judge of the Zaporozhian Cossack Host...
who was one of those arrested together with the last Zaporozhian kosh otaman Petro Kalnyshevsky
Petro Kalnyshevsky
Kalnyshevsky Petro was the last Koshovyi Otaman of the Zaporozhian Host, serving in 1762 and from 1765 to 1775. Kalnyshevsky was the Hero in the Russo-Turkish war of 1768-1774 and was honoured with a gold medal with brilliants for courage.Being the leader of the Zaporozhian Host, Kalnyshevsky...
. Both Kalnyshevsky and Pavlo Holovaty spent a year incarcerated in Moscow, and were given death sentences which were later commuted to incarceration for life. Kalnyshevsky was later pardoned at the age of 110. Most Cossacks escaped repressions by moving beyond the Danube into Turkish territory.
Holovaty escaped repercussions because he had retired from the Zaporozhian host. A factor which was also of influence was the fact that he was given the rank of Captain in the Russian Cavalry
Military history of Imperial Russia
The Military history of the Russian Empire encompasses the history of armed conflict in which the Empire participated. This history stretches from its creation in 1721 by Peter the Great, until the Russian Revolution , which led to the establishment of the Soviet Union...
by the Empress, and was granted an official nobility (dvoryanstvo) title with an estate.
After the dissolution of the Zaporozhian Host
Zaporozhian Host
The Zaporozhian Cossacks or simply Zaporozhians were Ukrainian Cossacks who lived beyond the rapids of the Dnieper river, the land also known as the Great Meadow in Central Ukraine...
, a new threat to the Russian Empire began to grow from the Ottoman Empire. The destruction of Sich, was followed when five thousand men, approximately 30% of the Zaporozhian Cossacks, left for the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
-controlled Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
area in June 1775 and received protection from the Sultan forming the Danubian Sich
Danubian Sich
The Danubian Sich was a fortified settlement of Zaporozhian Cossacks who settled in the territory of the Ottoman Empire after their previous host was disbanded and the Zaporizhian Sich was destroyed....
under his protectorate. By 1778 they were followed by another 7000 Cossacks to the Danubian Sich with 4000 settling on the Boh river
Southern Bug
The Southern Bug, also called Southern Buh), is a river located in Ukraine. The source of the river is in the west of Ukraine, in the Volyn-Podillia Upland, about 145 km from the Polish border, and flows southeasterly into the Bug Estuary through the southern steppes...
and forming the Boh Cossack Host. The former Zaporozhians gave their oaths to serve the Sultan on both land and sea against all enemies of the Silistrine Pasha, They were ordered to defend the borders against Russian intrusion.
It soon became apparent that the destruction of the Zaporozhian Sich was a grave mistake, and soon afterwards attempts were made to have the Danubian Cossacks return to Russia. Catherine II issued an amnesty inviting the former Zaporozhians back, but this gesture was largely ignored. The Empress then tried to force the return of the Cossacks back by pressuring Sultan Abdul Hamid I, who also refused to comply. Previously, the Ottaman Empire has given patronage to Cossacks emigrating from Russia, such as the Nekrasov Cossacks
Nekrasov Cossacks
Nekrasov Cossacks, Nekrasovite Cossacks, Nekrasovites, Nekrasovtsy are descendants of Don Cossacks which, after the defeat of the Bulavin Rebellion fled to the Kuban , headed by Ignat Nekrasov, hence the name. The Kuban was then under the rule of the Crimean Khanate...
, and the Sultan wanting to win back the Crimea, saw the Zaporozhians as a strong asset.
Potemkin understood that to have the former Zaporozhians against the Russian forces in a future conflict could prove disastrous. In 1784 Grigory Potemkin sent Sydir Bily
Sydir Bily
-Biography:Bily was born in 1716 to a Cossack family near Kherson. He studied in the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy after which he joined the Sich as a young man where he continued his studies in the Sich officer school.Due to his talents he was chosen to be an osaul...
to the Danube to discuss the demands of the Cossacks. His mission was largely unsuccessful, as the Danubians wanted not only the return of all Cossack lands and titles, but also the previous autonomy that the Sich enjoyed. This was something that Potemkin was not prepared to do.
In 1787, on the eve of the Empress' trip to Ukraine, Potemkin summoned Holovaty and sent him to greet her in Kremenchuk
Kremenchuk
Kremenchuk is an important industrial city in the Poltava Oblast of central Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of the Kremenchutskyi Raion , the city itself is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast, and is located on the banks of Dnieper River.-History:Kremenchuk was...
. It is here that Holovaty once again presented the idea of gathering up the remaining Cossacks and renewing the Zaporozhian Sich. After the previously unsuccessful attempts of organizing a Cossack army, Potemkin gave entrusted Holovaty to rally the men, a task he successfully accomplished.
Russo-Turkish War (1787–1792)
In 1787, Holovaty returned to active duty and became the chancellor and judge of the new Host of Loyal Zaporozhians, with Sydor Bily as the Otaman. The new host was made up of former Zaporozhian Cossack volunteersWhen the war with Turkey finally broke out, the new Host played a crucial role in helping the Russian Army, particularly in capture of Berezan fortress, gaining the Potemkin's and the Empress's favour.
Settlement in the Kuban (1792)
Following the Russian victory, the Cossacks awaited their promised territories on the Taman PeninsulaTaman peninsula
The Taman Peninsula is a peninsula in the present-day Krasnodar Krai of Russia. It is bounded on the north by the Sea of Azov, on the west by the Strait of Kerch and on the south by the Black Sea. The peninsula has evolved over the past two millennia from a chain of islands into the peninsula it is...
, however, with the death of G. Potemkin this reward was not forthcoming. Potemkin had left no instructions in case of the eventuality of his death. This led to an escalation of dissatisfaction among the Cossacks.
To stop further dissent, Holovaty headed another delegation to St. Petersburg to petition the Empress for the promises Potemkin had guaranteed. The delegation left in March, 1792 arriving in St. Petersburg a month later. Dressed in Cossack attire and with characteristic Zaporozhian haircuts were treated by the Russian court like a group of barbarians, however, Holovaty was able to obtain an audience before the Empress. He stunned the court by speaking to the Empress in French and immediately gained her sympathies. The concerns of the Cossacks were stated and the terms and conditions for the famous tsarist edict granting the Zaporozhians the lands on the Taman Peninsula in perpetuity were negotiated. Holovaty became a popular figure in Petersburg, often entertaining the nobility at various functions with Cossacks songs accompanied by his bandura playing. He left Petersburg in July with the now famous edict and numerous gifts.
The Kuban
Kuban
Kuban is a geographic region of Southern Russia surrounding the Kuban River, on the Black Sea between the Don Steppe, Volga Delta and the Caucasus...
territory in the North Caucasus
North Caucasus
The North Caucasus is the northern part of the Caucasus region between the Black and Caspian Seas and within European Russia. The term is also used as a synonym for the North Caucasus economic region of Russia....
was an uninhabited steppe region that was gained by the Russian Empire in 1784. It was nonetheless a crucial foothold for the Russian expansion into the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
.
On his return, Holovaty proclaimed the good news regarding their petition and demonstrated the many gifts given by the Empress. He organised the resettlement of 25,000 persons who made the migration in 1792-93, settling on the regions north of the Kuban River
Kuban River
The Kuban River is a river in Russia, in the North Caucasus region. It flows mostly through Krasnodar Krai but also in the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, Stavropol Krai and the Republic of Adygea....
, with Holovaty leading the last convoy that landed on Taman Peninsula on 15 August 1793.
Holovaty became the new head of the Host. He set his priorities in forming the new defense line against Circassian raids. (see Caucasus War). The first 40 kurens on the Kuban, (later stanitsa
Stanitsa
Stanitsa is a village inside a Cossack host . Stanitsas were the primary unit of Cossack hosts.Historically, the stanitsa was a unit of economic and political organisation of the Cossack peoples primarily in the southern regions of the Russian Empire.Much of the land was held in common by the...
s) and the host city of Yekaterinodar are built under his supervision. After the death of Ataman Zakhary Chepiha
Zakhary Chepiha
Zakhary Chepiha , also known as Kharyton Chepiga was, after Sydir Bily, the second Kosh ataman of the Black Sea Cossack Host. His real surname was Kulish....
, the Host elected Holovaty as the new Ataman
Ataman
Ataman was a commander title of the Ukrainian People's Army, Cossack, and haidamak leaders, who were in essence the Cossacks...
, however he was not aware of this title, as at that time he was participating in the ill-fated Persian Expedition of 1796
Persian Expedition of 1796
The Persian Expedition of Catherine the Great, alongside the Persian Expedition of Peter the Great, was one of the Russo-Persian Wars of the 18th century which did not entail any lasting consequences for either belligerent....
where he commanded two corps of Black Sea Cossacks. On 28 January 1797, two weeks after his election, Holovaty died on the Kamyshevan peninusla. His title of Ataman was passed onto General Feodor Bursak, also an ex-Zaporozhian.
Holovaty mas married to Ulyana Grigoryevna Golovataya (Prokhna) who met in Saint Petersburg in 1768. In total they had six sons.
Cultural figure
Holovaty was a renowned poet in his day. To his pen are dedicated a number of poems some of which became songs in the Ukrainian language. It is known that Taras ShevchenkoTaras Shevchenko
Taras Hryhorovych Shevchenko -Life:Born into a serf family of Hryhoriy Ivanovych Shevchenko and Kateryna Yakymivna Shevchenko in the village of Moryntsi, of Kiev Governorate of the Russian Empire Shevchenko was orphaned at the age of eleven...
collected them and included lines from them in his Kobzar
Kobzar
A Kobzar was an itinerant Ukrainian bard who sang to his own accompaniment.-Tradition:Kobzars were often blind, and became predominantly so by the 1800s...
.
Shevchenko originally mentioned Holovaty in a number of his poems, however his name was edited out by P. Kulish in reflection of Holovaty's pro-Russian position.
- Nasha duma, nasha pisnia, (Our dumas, our songs)
- Ne vmre ne zahyne, (Will not die nor perish)
- Ot de liudy nasha slava, (Here is where our glory lies)
- Slava Ukrainy! (The glory of Ukraine)
were originally edited by P. Kulish from Shevchenko's original:
- Nash chubaty Holovaty, (Our hairy-headed Holovaty)
- Ne vmre, ne zahyne, (Will not die nor perish)
- Ot de liudy nasha slava, (Here is where our glory lies)
- Slava Ukrainy. (The glory of Ukraine)
Shevchenko also drew a portrait of him.
Because of his noble education he was also well versed in music and was an accomplished bandura
Bandura
Bandura refers to a Ukrainian plucked string folk instrument. It combines elements of a box zither and lute, as well as its lute-like predecessor, the kobza...
player.
Holovaty is commemorated in a joint monument in honour of Cathrine II, that was erected in 1902 in Yekaterinodar to mark the century anniversary of the Black Sea Cossack landing. This monument was destroyed by the Bolsheviks, and has recently been restored. Another individual monument to Holovaty was erected in 1990 in Odessa
Odessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
.
Further reading
- H. Kvitka-Osnovianenko - Holovatyi in: Zaporozhtsi. Istoriyi Kozatskoyi kultury Kyiv, 1993. p.`130-140
- A. Kaschenko - Opovidannia pro Slavne vijsko zaporoz'ke nyzove - Kyiv, 1992. (The story about the Glory of the army of lower Zaporizhzhia)
- Encyclopedia of the Ukrainian Cossacks - Published by the Zaporozhian State University