Bohdan Khmelnytsky

The Hetman who led the Cossack uprising and founded the Cossack Hetmanate.

Life

Petty noble

Khmelnytsky came from the Ukrainian petty nobility, was educated at a Jesuit school, and held posts among the Cossacks. In 1647 his estate was seized by a Polish noble and his son was beaten to death, and he fled to Zaporizhzhia.

Rose in revolt

In 1648 he was elected Hetman and, allied with the Crimean Tatars, rose in revolt against the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, winning victory after victory and founding the Cossack Hetmanate. The uprising also saw large-scale massacres of Jews and Poles.

Pereiaslav

To counter Poland, in 1654 he concluded an alliance with Russia at Pereiaslav, accepting the Tsar's protection. He died in 1657.

Legacy

Khmelnytsky is regarded as a national hero in Ukraine, but his alliance with Russia is interpreted very differently in Ukraine and Russia; the massacres of Jews during the uprising also make his a painful name in Jewish history.

Did you know? An equestrian statue of him stands on Sophia Square in Kyiv.

Key dates

• 1647Estate seized; flees to Zaporizhzhia
• 1648Rises in revolt and is elected Hetman
• 1651Defeated at the Battle of Berestechko
• 1654Pereiaslav Agreement
• 1657Died