Zakharii Iskra

Iskra, Zakharii Iur’evich

 

Died circa 1730. A leader of the cossacks of the Right-bank Ukraine. Cossack colonel of the Kodak, and later, the Korsun’ regiment.

In 1702–04, along with the cossack colonels Palii, Samus’, and Abazin, Iskra led a revolt of peasants and cossacks in Podol’e, Volyn’, and the Bratslav area against the oppression of the Polish szlachta (gentry). When the revolt was suppressed, he fled to the Left-bank Ukraine. In 1708 he was arrested by I. S. Mazepa in connection with the V. L. Kochubei affair. Later, he occupied the post of starshina (an officer’s rank).