The accession of Ukraine to Russia (1654) took place against the backdrop of complex social and political events associated with the desire of Ukrainians to become more independent and not depend entirely on Poland. Since 1648, the confrontation turned into an armed phase, but no matter how many victories the Cossacks under the leadership of Bogdan Khmelnitsky won over the Polish troops, they failed to turn victories on the battlefield into tangible political dividends. It became clear that without the help of a powerful ally, it would not be possible to get out of the tutelage of the Commonwe alth, as a result, Ukraine was reunited with Russia. Let us briefly describe the reasons for the historical event.
Equality and autonomy
During the six years of the war, in numerous bloody battles, the Ukrainian people smashed the Polish troops many times with a huge effort of their forces. But, inflicting tangible blows to the Commonwe alth, Khmelnitsky at firstwas not going to tear Ukraine away from the Polish state. He stood on the position of Cossack autonomy, that is, he sought to ensure that the Cossacks and the gentry had equal rights, and the Ukrainian lands became equal within the Commonwe alth on a par with Poland and Lithuania. Then there was no talk about the reunification of Ukraine with Russia. 1654 changed the situation.
Maybe independence?
Meanwhile, few believed in the idea of equality within the framework of autonomy. Already in the first years of the war in Ukraine, and in Poland, there were rumors that:
- Khmelnitsky wants to restore some "Old Russian" or create a new principality.
- He titles himself "Prince of Russia".
- Cossacks want to establish an independent state.
But then the necessary prerequisites for the independence of Ukraine had not yet been formed. The main participants in the war - and these are the illiterate Cossacks and the same illiterate peasantry - could not create their own state ideology, the leading layer - the Cossack foremen and the gentry - did not have the proper political weight to realize the separatist plans. Moreover, even Hetman Khmelnytsky did not yet have popular confidence at that time. Only during the war, in the process of formation of the Ukrainian Cossack state, the idea of independence spread and became more and more established.
Union with Turkey
The longer the hostilities went on, the more Khmelnytsky, foremen and the masses became convinced that Ukraine would not be able tofree themselves from the power of the gentry of Poland. There were only two powerful neighbors ready to resist the Commonwe alth: the Russian state in the east and the Ottoman Empire in the south. Khmelnytsky had little choice: either Ukraine joining Russia, or recognizing vassalage from Turkey.
Initially, the contender for the role of the patron of Ukraine was the Turkish Sultan, who had enough strength to resist the encroachments of Poland in Ukraine. Corresponding negotiations were held between Khmelnytsky and the Sultan's government. In 1651, the Ottoman Porte declared that it accepted the Zaporizhian Host as vassals. In fact, the real help of the Turkish sultan was limited only by the fact that the Crimean Tatars, who had been at enmity with the Cossacks for centuries, took part in the battles. They remained very unreliable allies and with their treacherous behavior, robberies and captivity of the population brought more trouble than good to the Ukrainians.
Appeal to Russia for help
Union with the Ottoman Empire actually did not take place. It was not even a matter of the weak military and financial assistance of the Sultan, but of mental incompatibility. The differences between the Orthodox and Muslims, whom the people called "infidels", turned out to be insurmountable. In this situation, the eyes of Bogdan Khmelnytsky and the population of Ukraine turned to fellow believers - the Russians.
June 8, 1648, six years before the annexation of Ukraine to Russia (1654), Bogdan Khmelnitsky wrote the first letter of help to the Russian autocrat AlexeiMikhailovich. Initially, Russia was in no hurry to get involved in a full-scale war with the strong Polish-Lithuanian kingdom. But the leader of the Ukrainians for all six years urged the tsar to provide assistance, seeking the inclusion of the Russian state in the war with gentry Poland. Khmelnytsky before the Moscow ambassadors emphasized the importance of joint defense of the Orthodox faith common to the fraternal peoples, with his victories debunked exaggerated ideas about the strength of the Commonwe alth, noted the great advantages that the reunification of Ukraine with Russia would have. The year 1654 showed the foresight and correctness of Khmelnytsky.
Russia's waiting attitude
Moscow understood the importance of an alliance with Ukraine:
- The strategic alliance, first of all, opened the way to the south up to the Black Sea and to the west.
- He weakened Poland.
- Destroyed a possible union of the Zaporizhian Sich with Turkey.
- Strengthened the state by joining under the Russian banners of the three hundred thousandth Cossack army.
However, for a long time, due to difficult internal and external circumstances, as well as counting on the weakening of both warring parties - Poland and Ukraine - the tsarist government took a wait-and-see attitude. Aid was limited to sending bread and s alt to Ukraine, allowing Ukrainians to move to outlying lands, and exchanging embassies.
Course towards rapprochement
Ties between Bogdan Khmelnytsky and the Russian government revived in 1652-1653, during the last years of the war of liberation. almost continuouslythere were embassies from Ukraine to Moscow and from Moscow to Ukraine. In January 1652, Khmelnitsky sent his envoy Ivan Iskra to the Russian capital. Iskra, in an embassy order, stated that the hetman and the entire Zaporizhian army wished that “the royal majesty would take them to its side.”
In December 1652 and January 1653, Samoilo Zarudny negotiated with his comrades in Moscow. Zarudny said that the tsar "ordered them to be taken under his sovereign's High Hand." On January 6, 1653, Khmelnytsky convened a council of foremen in Chyhyryn, who decided not to put up with Poland, but to continue to fight until Ukraine became part of Russia.
In April-May 1653, negotiations in Moscow were conducted by ambassadors Kondraty Burlyai and Siluan Muzhilovsky. The tsarist government also sent ambassadors to Bohdan Khmelnitsky, in particular, at the end of May 1653, A. Matveev and I. Fomin left for Chigirin.
1654: Ukraine-Russia - together for centuries
The complication of the situation in Ukraine forced the tsarist government to speed up the decision. On June 22, 1653, the stolnik Fyodor Ladyzhensky set off for Ukraine from Moscow with a letter from Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, in which consent was given to transfer the lands of Ukraine under the “high royal hand.”
On October 1, 1653, the Zemsky Sobor met in Moscow, designed to finally resolve the issue of relations between Russia and Ukraine and declare war on the Commonwe alth. In the Faceted Chamber of the Kremlin, it was decided “to take the Zaporizhzhya Army and Hetman Bogdan Khmelnitsky with the lands and their cities hand in handsovereign. This is how history was made. The reunification of Ukraine with Russia was approved not only by the tsar, but also by all segments of the population (except for the serfs, who did not have the right to vote), whose representatives gathered at the council. At the same time, the Zemsky Sobor decided to start a war with Poland.
However, this is not the final accession of Ukraine to Russia. The year 1654 required several more meetings before the final conditions for entry were worked out. The recognition by Russia of Ukraine as a free, independent country was important. This was stated in the decision of the Zemsky Sobor as follows: “So that they would not be released into citizenship of the Turkish Sultan or the Crimean Khan, because they became the oath of the royal free people.”
Signing the contract
On January 31, 1653, the Russian embassy arrives at the headquarters of Khmelnitsky - the city of Pereyaslav - with a letter of decision of the Zemsky Sobor and the "highest order". The embassy, headed by V. Buturlin, was solemnly welcomed by foremen and ordinary people.
January 6, 1654, Bogdan Khmelnitsky arrived in Pereyaslav and the next day met with the ambassadors in order to discuss the terms of the union. On January 8, after secret negotiations with the foremen about the terms of joining, Bohdan Khmelnytsky went out to the people and confirmed the joining of Ukraine to Russia. 1654 was a turning point in the fate of the two peoples.
Ukrainian embassies visited Moscow several more times to discuss the details of the voluntary entry of Left-Bank Ukraine under the protectorate of the Russian Empire.
History of Ukraine in dates: reunification with Russia
- 1591-1593 - the uprising of registered Cossacks against the Polish gentry and the first appeal of Hetman Kryshtof Kosinsky for help to the Russian Tsar.
- 1622, 1624 - the appeal of Bishop Isaiy Kopinskiy, and then Metropolitan Job Boretskiy to the Tsar to accept the Orthodox of Little Russia into Russian citizenship.
- 1648 - Bogdan Khmelnitsky raises an all-Ukrainian uprising against the gentry and on June 8 writes the first letter to Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich about help and alliance. The first victories of the Cossack army and the signing of the Zborovsky peace treaty, which granted autonomy to the Zaporizhian Host.
- 1651 - resumption of hostilities, heavy defeat of the Cossacks near Berestechko.
- 1653 - a new appeal by Bohdan Khmelnitsky to the Russians with a request to help the Cossacks and a petition for the adoption of Left-Bank Ukraine into citizenship. The Zemsky Sobor met on October 1.
- 1654 - On January 8, the Pereyaslav Rada met, publicly deciding to unite with Russia. On March 27, the Zemsky Sobor and the tsar granted most of the requests put forward by the foremen and the hetman, which provided for broad autonomy. This document finally secured the reunification of Left-Bank Ukraine with Russia.
