Maksym Zalizniak
Encyclopedia
Maksym Zaliznyak (born early 1740s in Medvedivka near Chyhyryn
- date and place of death unknown, after 1768) - Zaporizhian Cossack
, leader of the Koliivshchyna rebellion.
as a mercenary.
By 1767 he had retired from Sich
and became a lay brother at Motronynsky Monastery near Chyhyryn
. In March he was visited by Joseph Shelest who had a letter from the Zaporozhian Kosh otaman which called all the cossacks to fight against Poland. Witnessing Polish oppression of Ukrainian peasants in right-bank Ukraine Zaliznyak left the monastery and led an uprising of over 1,000 cossacks.
He called himself a colonel of Zaporozhian Sich although the people often called him an Otaman.
The main reasons for the uprising were the brutal enforcement of new religious and social-economic laws implemented by the Polish nobility (szlachta) which was very negative regarding Orthodox Christianity.
There was a report of a "Golden document" issued by the Russian Empress Catherine II in support of armed insurrection against non-believers, which included Roman Catholic Poles, Jews and Ukrainians who had become Uniates. The call to armed insurrection was also echoed by father Melkhysedek Zacko-Yavorsky the igumen of the Motrynsky Monastery where Zaliznyak had become a dutiful novice.
Hundreds of people responded to Zaliznyak’s call. In April 1768 Zaliznyak emerged out of Motroninsky Forest and started to advance toward Uman
.
Uman
and Lysianka became the places of the most violent conflict during Koliivshchyna. At Uman Zaliznyak joined forces with Ivan Gonta
, who was initially ordered to attack Zaliznyak. After Uman fell (see Massacre of Uman
), Zaliznyak declared the reinstatement of Hetman State and himself the new Hetman
. The Koliivshchyna movement overwhelmed the Poles, and they appealed to Russia for help. Fearing that the rebellion would set a spark off in left-bank Ukraine, Catherine crushed the rebels (known as "haydamaky" – see Haidamaka
). Zaliznyak and Gonta were captured by Russian colonel Guriev.
As a subject of Russian Empire, Zaliznyak was kept under arrest by the Russians, unlike Ivan Gonta
, who was turned over to the Poles for execution. On July 8, 1768 Zaliznyak and 73 rebels were imprisoned in Kyiv-Pechersk Fortress. At the end of the month the case was ordered to trial by Kyiv Provincial Court. The exact verdict of this trial is unknown, but in view of the fact that Zaliznyak operated outside Russian borders he and his cohorts were spared the death sentence (unlike Pugachev, for example). It is believed that the captives were sentenced to exile to Far East or Siberia. Zaliznyak was punished by severe whipping and was branded. By November 1, 1768 Zaliznyak was deported to Bilhorod
. In the vicinity Ohtyrka he and 51 comrades were able to escape by disarming the guards. Most of the fugitives however, including Zaliznyak, were quickly captured. His further whereabouts are unknown.
Chyhyryn
Chyhyryn is a city located in Cherkasy Oblast of central Ukraine. In 1648 to 1669 the city was the capital of Ukraine .- Location :...
- date and place of death unknown, after 1768) - Zaporizhian Cossack
Cossack
Cossacks are a group of predominantly East Slavic people who originally were members of democratic, semi-military communities in what is today Ukraine and Southern Russia inhabiting sparsely populated areas and islands in the lower Dnieper and Don basins and who played an important role in the...
, leader of the Koliivshchyna rebellion.
History
Zaliznyak was born in a poor peasant family. At a very young age he joined Zaporozhian HostZaporozhian 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...
as a mercenary.
By 1767 he had retired from Sich
Sich
A sich is the administrative and military centre for Cossacks and especially the Zaporizhian Cossacks. It is derived from the Ukrainian word siktý, "to chop", meaning to clear a forest for an encampment, or to build a fortification with the trees that have been chopped down.The Zaporizhian Sich...
and became a lay brother at Motronynsky Monastery near Chyhyryn
Chyhyryn
Chyhyryn is a city located in Cherkasy Oblast of central Ukraine. In 1648 to 1669 the city was the capital of Ukraine .- Location :...
. In March he was visited by Joseph Shelest who had a letter from the Zaporozhian Kosh otaman which called all the cossacks to fight against Poland. Witnessing Polish oppression of Ukrainian peasants in right-bank Ukraine Zaliznyak left the monastery and led an uprising of over 1,000 cossacks.
He called himself a colonel of Zaporozhian Sich although the people often called him an Otaman.
The main reasons for the uprising were the brutal enforcement of new religious and social-economic laws implemented by the Polish nobility (szlachta) which was very negative regarding Orthodox Christianity.
There was a report of a "Golden document" issued by the Russian Empress Catherine II in support of armed insurrection against non-believers, which included Roman Catholic Poles, Jews and Ukrainians who had become Uniates. The call to armed insurrection was also echoed by father Melkhysedek Zacko-Yavorsky the igumen of the Motrynsky Monastery where Zaliznyak had become a dutiful novice.
Hundreds of people responded to Zaliznyak’s call. In April 1768 Zaliznyak emerged out of Motroninsky Forest and started to advance toward Uman
Uman
Uman is a city located in the Cherkasy Oblast in central Ukraine, to the east of Vinnytsia. The city rests on the banks of the Umanka River at around , and serves as the self-governing administrative center of the Umanskyi Raion ....
.
Uman
Uman
Uman is a city located in the Cherkasy Oblast in central Ukraine, to the east of Vinnytsia. The city rests on the banks of the Umanka River at around , and serves as the self-governing administrative center of the Umanskyi Raion ....
and Lysianka became the places of the most violent conflict during Koliivshchyna. At Uman Zaliznyak joined forces with Ivan Gonta
Ivan Gonta
Ivan Gonta was one of the leaders of the Koliyivschyna, an armed rebellion of Cossacks against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth....
, who was initially ordered to attack Zaliznyak. After Uman fell (see Massacre of Uman
Massacre of Uman
The Massacre of Uman was the 1768 massacre of the Jews, Poles and Ukrainian Uniates at Uman in Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth by the Ukrainian rebel Haidamak army....
), Zaliznyak declared the reinstatement of Hetman State and himself the new Hetman
Hetman
Hetman was the title of the second-highest military commander in 15th- to 18th-century Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which together, from 1569 to 1795, comprised the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, or Rzeczpospolita....
. The Koliivshchyna movement overwhelmed the Poles, and they appealed to Russia for help. Fearing that the rebellion would set a spark off in left-bank Ukraine, Catherine crushed the rebels (known as "haydamaky" – see Haidamaka
Haidamaka
The haidamakas, also haidamaky or haidamaks , were paramilitary bands in 18th-century Ukraine. The haidamak movement was formed mostly of local Cossacks and peasantry , against the Polish nobility in right-bank Ukraine...
). Zaliznyak and Gonta were captured by Russian colonel Guriev.
As a subject of Russian Empire, Zaliznyak was kept under arrest by the Russians, unlike Ivan Gonta
Ivan Gonta
Ivan Gonta was one of the leaders of the Koliyivschyna, an armed rebellion of Cossacks against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth....
, who was turned over to the Poles for execution. On July 8, 1768 Zaliznyak and 73 rebels were imprisoned in Kyiv-Pechersk Fortress. At the end of the month the case was ordered to trial by Kyiv Provincial Court. The exact verdict of this trial is unknown, but in view of the fact that Zaliznyak operated outside Russian borders he and his cohorts were spared the death sentence (unlike Pugachev, for example). It is believed that the captives were sentenced to exile to Far East or Siberia. Zaliznyak was punished by severe whipping and was branded. By November 1, 1768 Zaliznyak was deported to Bilhorod
Belgorod
-Twin towns/sister cities:Belgorod is twinned with: Wakefield, England, United Kingdom Herne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany Palembang, South Sumatra, Indonesia Opole, Poland Vyshhorod, Ukraine Kharkiv, Ukraine-External links:...
. In the vicinity Ohtyrka he and 51 comrades were able to escape by disarming the guards. Most of the fugitives however, including Zaliznyak, were quickly captured. His further whereabouts are unknown.