Pylyp Orlyk returning to Ukraine

Pylyp Orlyk and Mazepians. Sources has become yet another unique publication issued by Clio, a Kyiv publishing house specializing in history books. It has recently been presented to public at the Hetmanate Museum in the Ukrainian capital. Mrs. Vira Solovyova, the publishing house director, has told the audience that the book is based on historical archives documents held for quite a while at St. Petersburg archives (Russia) to which no Ukrainian scholar has ever had access (it is doubtful that this may happen today). The book was prepared for publication by Dr. Tatyana Tairova-Yakovleva, a Russian historian, Director of Ukrainian Studies at the St. Petersburg State University.

It was snowing on that evening in Kyiv, and electricity was switched off in many Kyiv districts because of energy infrastructure bombings by Russian aggressors; however, it could not prevent history lovers from coming, so presenters had to use lanterns. The organizers managed to connect via Skype with Dr. T.Tairova who was warmly greeted by historians, archeographers, librarians, publishers, and journalists who were, among other things, very much impressed by great command of the Ukrainian language by this renowned Russian scholar.

This fall marks the 350th birthday of hetman Pylyp Orlyk, a great Ukrainian and Mazepa’s comrade-in-arms, indefatigable continuator of his fight for the independence of Ukraine and its recognition by Europeans. Therefore, the historians and other readers could construct a better image of this prominent politician, diplomat and author of Ukraine’s first Constitution. His deeds are described in various documents and testimonies published for the first time, in particular, Treaties and Regulations of Rights and Freedoms of Zaporizhzhya Armed Forces dated 1710.

At first, the publishers were planning to arrange this presentation at Baturyn, ancient hetman capital; however, the Russian invasion has radically changed the plans which had to be canceled because of ruined roads, buildings, and communication facilities, as well as frequent air sirens across entire Ukraine that could mean another shelling of peaceful Ukrainian cities and villages.

The book contains letters of Ivan Mazepa and Pylyp Orlyk written in Latin, French and Polish to prominent public officials and political figures of Europe of the time in order to form an anti-Muscovy coalition. The readers can also learn more about the political situation in Hetmanate and everyday life in times of Mazepa, as well as about the fate of Hryhory Hertsyk, a Mazepa follower, and his other associates. For the 300-year-old texts to be better understood by contemporary readers, the author adds some valuable comments in the Ukrainian language.

This is yet another book that Ukrainian historiography has received from the study resulting from fruitful cooperative efforts of Ukrainian historians, a Russian scholar and a Ukrainian publishing house. In 2021, Clio published the complete academic edition Samiylo Velychko. A Chronicle (1620-1700). Mr. Velychko was a Zaporizhzhya Armed Forces’ clerk in Baturyn in the office of Ivan Mazepa where he served for 18 years.

True, we don’t know for sure how many historical treasures of Ukraine, taken out of our country at different times, are kept in Russian archives, as these have not been digitalized. Also, we don’t know whether these materials will be further kept or perhaps destroyed in order to eliminate any trace of centuries-long struggle of Ukrainian leaders for independence, as they can reveal the fake ‘grandeur’ of the Russian Empire. With this in mind, it is assumed that the field for studies can be virtually boundless, as our researcher was actually the first scholar who started to look at those archives.

By the way, this work by Dr. T.Tairova-Yakovleva has proved to be not only her great scientific endeavor but her personal feat as well, as she became practically the only teacher of St. Petersburg University who condemned the Russian aggression of Ukraine. As a result, she had to leave Russia who would never forgive this stance and has deprived this brave woman of the future in her native country, both in scientific and human senses.

The publication has become possible due to generous donations by over 30 patrons from Kyiv and Kyiv Region, Poltava, Poltava Region, and Zhytomyr supported by Gerda Henkel Foundation and the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute.Thus, real history of Ukraine is being born in excruciating pains; the history free from falsifications but based on actual historical sources; not distorted in different ways but the genuine one. Ukrainians are looking forward to get their true history back.

Ariadna Voitko, British-Ukrainian journalist