With the death of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, Ukraine faced one of the most tragic moments in its history, when hostilities were conducted throughout its territory, and the Cossack troops and political elite were divided into several groups. The ruin was born, both as a result of objective processes, and to a greater extent due to the short-sighted policy of most of the Cossack elders, unable to choose a leader worthy of the spirit of the deceased Bogdan Khmelnitsky. One of those who could become the new head of Ukraine was Ivan Vyhovsky, whose military talent manifested itself in one of the largest military clashes on the territory of Ukraine - the Konotop (Sosnovskaya) battle.
The sides of the battle of Konotop
The Battle of Konotop in 1659 took place in the summer, in the steppes between the villages of Shapovalovka and Sosnovka. Its sides were: an army of one hundred and fifty thousand, led by Prince Trubetskoy,enlisted the support of the regiment of Prince Romodovsky, on the one hand, and the Ukrainian Cossack army, led by hetman Ivan Vyhovsky. As a result of the fighting, the total losses of the two armies amounted to about 45,000 killed: 30,000 from Trubetskoy, and 15,000 from Vyhovsky.
Reflection of the battle in history
The battle of Konotop through the eyes of Russian historians is presented as the most catastrophic defeat of the Moscow troops. There is very little information about this battle, since its study was carried out at a minimal level. In most historical books and textbooks, this battle is not mentioned at all. Therefore, there is conflicting information about how the Konotop battle took place and how it ended. Myths and facts have mixed with each other, and it is almost impossible to find the truth regarding this or that moment or small event. In the Soviet Union, there were restrictions on public discussion of the division of the Ukrainian people of the seventeenth century into pro-Moscow and anti-Moscow currents.
Vyhovsky's election as hetman
Ivan Vyhovsky officially came to power in Ukraine in mid-August 1657. The clerk general Ivan Vyhovsky accepted the title of hetman at the foremen's Rada, in the city of Chigirin. Another candidate was Yuri Khmelnitsky, who was the youngest son of Bogdan Khmelnitsky. However, in addition to kinship with the great hetman, Yuri had no other supernatural qualities necessary to rule the country. Not in favor of his candidacy spoke andthe young age of Khmelnitsky Jr.
Vyhovsky's geopolitical views
The new hetman at first was not perceived by ordinary Cossacks. One of the reasons is the origin of Vyhovsky and his past. Ivan comes from a family of Volyn gentry. Initially, he was in the rank of clerk with the Polish commissar, who opposed the Cossacks in Ukraine. The Vyhovsky family also had the roots of the Polish gentry. Also, the Cossacks, who fought for an independent Ukrainian state, were worried about the desire of the new Hetman to give Little Russia under the protectorate of the Commonwe alth. According to one of the unverified versions, Vyhovsky announced his decision during the funeral of Bohdan Khmelnitsky. He shared the ideas of separating Little Russia from Moscow and annexing Ukrainian lands to Poland with the ambassador of the Commonwe alth, Kazimir Benevsky. This fact became known to the Moscow Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. However, the king questioned the authenticity of the fact of this conversation and ignored it. On the contrary, he sent a message addressed to Martin Pushkar, a Poltava colonel, and also to Yakov Barabash, the ataman of the Cossack army. In a dispatch, Alexei Mikhailovich ordered to fully obey the orders of the new hetman and avoid riots.
Pereyaslav Rada and Vyhovsky's army
Vyhovsky also did not show his intentions regarding the Polish vector. On the contrary, at the new Pereyaslav Rada, in the presence of the Russian ambassador Bogdan Khitrov, who arrived, Hetman Vygovsky swore allegiance to the Muscovite state and the tsar. It is believed that with this diplomatic gesture, hedeliberately reassured the king. With the easing of control from Moscow, Ivan established positive diplomatic relations with the Crimea and secured the loy alty of the khan's army. He also began to strengthen the army. Part of the Cossack treasury, inherited from Bohdan Khmelnitsky, he spent on the creation of a mercenary army. About a million rubles were spent on recruiting soldiers of German and Polish origin.
At the same time, internal protests began to grow in Ukraine. In the first year of Vyhovsky's hetmanate, as a result of the civil war, about 50,000 civilians were killed. The fighting took place in such cities as Gadyach, Lubny, Mirgorod and other settlements of the Left-Bank Ukraine.
The sovereign, having familiarized himself with this course of affairs, sent governor Grigory Romadovsky to Ukraine, led by a significant Russian army. The Moscow presence in Kyiv was strengthened, as prescribed by the Pereyaslav agreements. A detachment of Vasily Shemetev was stationed in Kyiv.
Hadyatsky treaty with Poland and the beginning of the first clashes
Open confrontation against Moscow began in the early autumn of 1858, when a Peace Treaty was concluded with the Poles, in the city of Gadyach (the so-called Gadyach peace treaty). The agreement concluded assumed the transition of Little Russia to the power of the Commonwe alth, and Vyhovsky began to prepare for a war against Russia. The chronicler Samoilo Velichko speaks about the betrayal of Vyhovsky. He directly calls the hetman the culprit of the ruin and the long war in Ukraine.
The first thing that was decided to be done was"liberation" of Kyiv from the Sheremet garrison. However, Vygovsky's brother Danil, who was sent to carry out this task, failed the task. Ivan Vyhovsky, who came to the rescue, was himself captured. Under pressure, in captivity, he again assured everyone of loy alty to Moscow, while promising to disband the army of mercenaries and Tatars. Believing this statement, the tsar pardoned Vyhovsky and released him.
Very soon, Ivan launched an attack on Romodanovsky's army. Having learned about these plans, it was decided to send fifty thousand reinforcements to help Romodanovsky, led by Prince Trubetskoy. Trubetskoy's army marched towards the Konotop fortress, capturing Serebryanoye along the way.
Siege of Konotop
Trubetskoy united with the regiments of Romodanovsky and Bespaly in February 1659. In mid-April, the Moscow army approached Konotop, and on April 21, its shelling and siege began. The battle of Konotop in 1659 was described by contemporaries as a fratricidal battle. Moreover, the armies that fought on both sides consisted mainly of Ukrainians and Russians, in approximately equal proportions.
The old map of the Konotop battle gives an idea of the battlefield. Konotop itself at that time was a fortress with four entrance gates. It was surrounded by a moat on both sides. There was also another fortification nearby, surrounded on three sides by a rampart and a moat, and on the fourth side protected by the Konotop River. The fortress garrison consisted of four thousand Cossacks from several regiments.
Konotop battle
June 27, 1659, near the village of Shapovalovka, the first clashes began between the army of Vygovsky and the Moscow army. In these clashes, the Moscow forces suffered serious losses. However, this information is contradictory and refuted by other contemporaries. It is believed that after the battle, the Moscow army rushed after Vyhovsky's cavalry and on June 29 in the morning, near the villages of Sosnovka and Shepetovka, a battle began that went down in history as the Battle of Konotop in 1659.
Detachments led by Pozharsky were driven into a trap between two rivers. This area is characterized by a large number of swamps. Therefore, the patency of the troops was difficult. Fatal for Pozharsky was the blow of the troops of the Crimean Khan from the rear. As a result of this attack, according to various estimates, the Russian cavalry lost from five to thirty thousand people killed. Pozharsky's arrogance played a cruel joke on him. The start of the attack was not prepared. Pozharsky did not even bother to conduct reconnaissance of the area. As a result of illiterate leadership, he was captured by the Khan and was executed.
Withdrawal of the Moscow troops
The Moscow army under the leadership of Trubetskoy carried out an organized retreat to Putivl. The defeat near Konotop was unexpected for Moscow. It was expected that the troops of the Crimean Khan after such a victory would go to her. However, the Tatars quarreled with Vyhovsky and began to plunder the cities of Little Russia. Thus ended the Battle of Konotop. Who won this battle? The victory was won by the army of Hetman Vyhovsky, however, the consequences of this victory led to the plunder of the country by the Tatars.
It was believed that after such a defeat, Alexei Mikhailovich would not be able to assemble a strong army, but this turned out not to be the case. On July 28, 1659, the Crimean Khan was expelled from Ukraine by the efforts of the Don Cossacks Yakovlev, the troops of Ataman Sirk and former associates of Bohdan Khmelnitsky. It is worth noting that the consequences of the "management" of the Crimean Khan significantly weakened Ukraine. This is also the fault of Hetman Vyhovsky.
Konotop battle. The history of the Cossacks and the next hetman
Already in mid-October, a new hetman of Ukraine, Yuri Khmelnitsky, was elected instead of Ivan, who was brought by Alexei Trubetskoy. Vyhovsky, five years after the end of the battle, was accused by the Poles of treason and shot.
