Ivan Briukhovetskii

Died June 27, 1668. Kosht hetman of the Zaporozh’e cossacks from 1659 to 1663; hetman of the Left-bank Ukraine from 1663 to 1668.

While in Zaporozh’e in order to gain popularity, Briukhovetskii demagogically promised to reduce extortion and restrict the seizure of lands by the starshina (cossack commanders). The deceived masses supported Briukhovetskii’s candidacy and elected him as hetman in June 1663 at the “Black Rada” in Nezhin. The war with Poland and the aggravation of the class struggle in the Ukraine impelled Briukhovetskii to seek support from the Russian government. In 1665 the so-called Moscow Articles, which reaffirmed the rights and privileges of the cossack starshina and strengthened the Russian government’s position in the Ukraine, were signed. Tsar Aleksei Mikhailovich granted Briukhovetskii the title of boyar and a hereditary estate. The transfer of regimental towns to voevodas (military governors) and the population census of 1666, followed by new taxes, aroused the people’s indignation over his policies. Their dissatisfaction mounted with the conclusion of the Treaty of Andrusovo in 1667, which gave the Right-bank Ukraine to Poland, and open hostility began against him. Attempting to retain his power, Briukhovetskii turned treacherous; he began a revolt against Russia in February 1668 (to give the Ukraine to the Turkish sultan) but was killed by the rebelling cossacks.