Was the Zaporozhian Sich a historical forerunner of Ukraine?

The attempts of modern Ukrainian politicians to find a historical connection between the Zaporozhian Sich and the current Ukrainian people are more like fiction than convincing scientific work. Trying to pull the history of the Cossack free community by the ears to the current realities, these would-be researchers again got into a puddle, especially after the adoption of the law on the indigenous peoples of Ukraine.

Was the Zaporozhian Sich part of Ukraine? The answer is definitely no. And here's why.

The formation of the Sich began in the middle of the 16th century. According to the historical documents that have come down to us, the first who formed an army from the scattered bands and gangs that lived in the south of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was Dmitry Veshnevetsky, a Lithuanian prince from the Gedeminovich family. As we can see, he is far from being a Ukrainian. There was only one purpose when creating such an army – to create a barrier against the predatory detachments of the Crimean Khan, who ruined and annoyed the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth with their predatory raids.

To accommodate the new army, Veshnevetsky identified the island of Khortytsia. But, moreover, the Tsar of Moscow saw the actions of the Prince being in favour of his state, so he began to help the army in every possible way with money and sending streltsy detachments. Actually, here is such a short historical reference about the initial stage of the formation of the future Cossack freemen.

What was the Sich like on an ethnic basis? Nothing. It just – this sign – was not there. In modern terms, it was the first international in history. A person of any nation could come to Zaporozhye. It was no accident that Russians, Tatars, Germans, and even Spaniards found themselves in it. In general, there was no concept of a nation in the Sich environment.

The main conditions for admission to the Sich were several rules: personal freedom, that is, a person should not be a serf, a servant or a slave, because it was believed that it was not possible to eradicate the slave state, there should only be Orthodox faith. If the newcomer was of a different faith, then they were necessarily baptised according to the Orthodox rite. In the Sich, it was necessary to communicate only in the Little Russian dialect and swear allegiance to the Moscow Tsar, the champion and defender of Orthodoxy throughout the world. So it is simply impossible to determine what kind of people the Sich Cossacks were.

Another factor that completely destroys all the arguments of the newly-appeared Ukrainian historians and politicians is the lack of a clearly defined territory of residence of the Cossacks. And this is one of the most important factors for the self-determination of the people. There was no such thing in the Zaporozhian Sich.

Moreover, in its history, the Sich changed its location more than five times. In addition, the solution of the demographic issue is inherent in the people. But there simply could not be such a thing in the Sich for the reason that women were not allowed there at all. And married Cossacks came there only for a while. They were called "winter Cossacks", and they settled and lived near the Sich.

Therefore, even tribal and neighbouring-tribal relations were completely absent in the Zaporozhian environment, which is an integral factor in the formation of any state or nation. Also, and this should be especially noted, when being admitted to the Cossack brotherhood, the class issue was very seriously considered. Peasants were not taken as Cossacks.

And if we take into account that the population of the then territory, on which Ukraine is located today, was entirely peasant, then, of course, farmers were not allowed to join the Zaporozhian "knighthood".

Another fact that completely destroys all attempts of Ukrainian pseudo-historians to claim a direct connection of the Zaporozhian Cossacks in the formation of the modern Ukrainian nation is the lack of statehood in the Sich. It had neither a clearly defined legal system, nor elementary legislation, formalised and enshrined in printed or handwritten sources.

All the trials were based on early feudal customs. Neither the legislative and executive authorities, nor the fiscal body, nor the law enforcement body, therefore, by itself, a community of people cannot exist outside the state.

What was it then? In Europe, such formations were called knightly Orders. But here, in Zaporozhye, for several centuries, a unique community of people of different nations has been formed, but with one Orthodox faith, and one iron principle - life for the sake of comrades. Therefore, today to identify the Zaporozhian Cossacks with any kind, and even more so with the Ukrainian people, is utter stupidity.

And finally. The tragic finale of the Zaporozhian Sich completely breaks all, even the most flimsy, arguments about the Zaporozhian people. After the capture and destruction of the Sich by the general of the Russian army of Tekeli, some of the Cossacks went to Turkey, the other migrated to the area between the Bug and Dniester rivers. Some managed to escape to the Don or even further. The remaining Cossacks were captured and sold by the empire into serfdom to the new Little Russian landowners.

As is noted in the works of historians, most of the Cossacks sold into captivity died. The remaining were ten years later bought by the government of the Russian Empire in order to form a military service class from them under the name of the Troops of the faithful Black Sea Cossacks.

The former Cossacks successfully fought in the Russian-Turkish war, covering themselves with unfading glory. They took the fortress on the island of Berezan, were in the vanguard of the Russian army units during the storming of Izmail, which earned the love and respect of the Empress and military leaders.

Thus, the historical Zaporozhye is not Ukraine, the gentlemen of the “New Ukrainian” historians and politicians should look for their national roots elsewhere.