informnapalm--2020-08-13--FlightRadar service shows a special flight of the Russian Aerospace Forces landing in Belarus

According to the FlightRadar , a special flight of the Russian Aerospace Forces landed in Belarus .
Tu-134AK with tail number RA-65690 took off from the Chkalovsky Military Airfield in Moscow Oblast on Wednesday , August 12 , at 9:44 .
Its transponder was then recorded near the Zamok settlement in Minsk Oblast of Belarus .
Tu-134AK is configured with a 24-seat comfort cabin and a 13-seat luxury cabin .
Aircraft of this type are usually equipped with special communications systems and are intended mainly for government transportation .
This VIP version is also distinguished by the second door with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is known that RA-65690 is an executive VIP-class aircraft of Russian Aerospace Forces .
It usually carries Russian military leaders at the level of Deputy Minister of Defense or higher , accompanied by their service staff .
Among other versions circulating on the internet are : • the aircraft brought Russian snipers or weapons that will be used against protestors in Belarus ; • the aircraft is supposed to pick up Wagner ’ s militants who had previously arrived in Belarus in groups , with one of the groups detained by the Belarusian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the aircraft is performing both of these tasks .
In addition to the aircraft with tail number RA-65690 , another Russian aircraft with number RA-65992 also flew to Minsk at 11:15 .
After 3 hours , the second aircraft took off to return to Russia .
* If you know the purpose of the Russian special aircraft flight to Belarus , please write to us in the comments or in a message on the InformNapalm page in the social network convenient for you Read and share more from InformNapalm • Proofs of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of evidence • Volunteers gathered evidence of 32 Russian military units taking part in the invasion of Crimea • 9 facts .
What did the Wagner group actually do in Belarus ?
• Andriy Derkach and his tapes .
About one special operation to interfere in the US presidential election • Intelligence data on 1st and 2nd Army Corps of Russian Federation in occupied Donbas • Who bombs civilians in Syria : profiles of 116 RuAF officers ( Infographics ) Translated by Andrii Gryganskyi .
Edited by Max Alginin .
Distribution and reprint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
( Creative Commons — Attribution 4.0 International — CC BY 4.0 ) InformNapalm social media pages : Facebook / Twitter

According to the FlightRadar, a special flight of the Russian Aerospace Forces landed in Belarus. Tu-134AK with tail number RA-65690 took off from the Chkalovsky Military Airfield in Moscow Oblast on Wednesday, August 12, at 9:44. Its transponder was then recorded near the Zamok settlement in Minsk Oblast of Belarus.
Tu-134AK is configured with a 24-seat comfort cabin and a 13-seat luxury cabin. Aircraft of this type are usually equipped with special communications systems and are intended mainly for government transportation. This VIP version is also distinguished by the second door with a built-in ladder for passengers.
It is known that RA-65690 is an executive VIP-class aircraft of Russian Aerospace Forces. It usually carries Russian military leaders at the level of Deputy Minister of Defense or higher, accompanied by their service staff.
Among other versions circulating on the internet are:
the aircraft brought Russian snipers or weapons that will be used against protestors in Belarus;
the aircraft is supposed to pick up Wagner’s militants who had previously arrived in Belarus in groups, with one of the groups detained by the Belarusian KGB a few days before;
the aircraft is performing both of these tasks. In addition to the aircraft with tail number RA-65690, another Russian aircraft with number RA-65992 also flew to Minsk at 11:15. After 3 hours, the second aircraft took off to return to Russia. * If you know the purpose of the Russian special aircraft flight to Belarus, please write to us in the comments or in a message on the InformNapalm page in the social network convenient for you Read and share more from InformNapalm
Translated by Andrii Gryganskyi. Edited by Max Alginin. Distribution and reprint with reference to the source is welcome! (Creative Commons — Attribution 4.0 International — CC BY 4.0) InformNapalm social media pages: Facebook / Twitter


informnapalm--2020-08-14--Belarusian IL-76MD military transport plane made several suspicious flights between Russia and Belar

Belarusian IL-76MD military transport plane made several suspicious flights between Russia and Belarus

Against the background of continuing mass protests in Belarus and the dramatic socio-political situation in the country , on August 14 , 2020 volunteers of InformNapalm international intelligence community tracked on FlightRadar the movement of the Belarusian Air Force , tail number EW-005DE .
The flight was recorded outbound from Minsk to the Russian Dyagilevo Air Base ( 3 km from Ryazan ) in the morning , returning to Minsk in the afternoon .
Interestingly , on August 12 , the same aircraft made 3 flights , Novosibirsk and Kubinka Military Airfield near Moscow being among the destinations .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the YouTube channel of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation showed a short video of the arrival of the Belarusian military transport aircraft IL-76MD with the tail number EW-005DE to Novosibirsk with a caption : “ Belarusian team arriving in Novosibirsk to participate in the international stage of the Excellence in Military Intelligence Army-2020 competition .
Upon arrival , the servicemen were escorted to the territory of the Novosibirsk Higher Military Command School , where the competitions will take place .
The opening ceremony will be held on August 23.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ this video may be a cover story made up by the Russian Federation to avert unwelcome attention of journalists to this flight .
Such an early arrival of the team , 10 days before the official start of the competition , is unusual .
At the same time , the flight of the same plane to the Kubinka Military Airfield near Moscow has not been commented on .
We will remind that the 45th Special Forces Brigade ( military unit 28337 ) is based in Kubinka .
This is the special ops unit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Armed Forces in the Western Military District .
The servicemen of this unit took an active part in the operation to capture Crimea and the war against Ukraine in the Donbas .
The flight on August 14 from Minsk to the Russian air base near Ryazan and back also leaves us with a lot of questions .
Ryazan is home to the Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School , the only military educational institution in the Russian Federation that specializes in training officers for airborne troops .
Ryazan is also called the “ capital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we can only guess what cargo was airlifted from Minsk to Russia or more importantly back to Minsk , or who were the passengers aboard this Belarusian military transport .
It should be noted that IL-76MD is designed for parachute and on-ground landing of personnel , military equipment , cargo , fuel and containers .
On August 12 , InformNapalm volunteers also recorded the arrival in Belarus of two charter flights of the Russian Air Force airplanes .
Videos of the redeployment of the Russian heavy military equipment and MLRS to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Internet .
It is possible that Vladimir Putin has reached some form of agreement with the regime of Alexander Lukashenko , and these flights indicate either the transfer of additional forces or assets to suppress civil protests in Belarus , or are part of preparations for the invasion under the guise of Russian “ peace keepers ” within the Collective Security Treaty Organization ( CSTO ) agreements .
Apart from the signs of military preparations for a Russian invasion operation , there are signs of information operations .
For example , on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Today , Margarita Simonyan , floated to the Russian public an idea of Russia ’ s invasion of Belarus .
Both on her Twitter and Facebook pages , she wrote that it was time for the “ polite men ” to “ restore order ” , hinting at the invasion of the Russian troops without insignia to the Ukrainian Crimea .
Obviously , such statements have been carefully timed and constitute a threat to the territorial integrity of Belarus .
Read more from InformNapalm and share • Proofs of the Russian Aggression : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Volunteers gathered evidence of 32 Russian military units taking part in the invasion of Crimea • 9 facts .
What did the Wagner group actually do in Belarus ?
• Preparation of Jumping-off Ground for Russian Air Forces in Belarus • Who bombs civilians in Syria : profiles of 116 RuAF officers ( Infographics ) Translated by Andrii Gryganskyi .
Edited by Artem Velichko .
Distribution and reprint with reference to the source are welcome !
( Creative Commons — Attribution 4.0 International — CC BY 4.0 ) InformNapalm social media pages : @ @ @ @ @

Against the background of continuing mass protests in Belarus and the dramatic socio-political situation in the country, on August 14, 2020 volunteers of InformNapalm international intelligence community tracked on FlightRadar the movement of the Belarusian Air Force , tail number EW-005DE. The flight was recorded outbound from Minsk to the Russian Dyagilevo Air Base (3 km from Ryazan) in the morning, returning to Minsk in the afternoon.
Interestingly, on August 12, the same aircraft made 3 flights, Novosibirsk and Kubinka Military Airfield near Moscow being among the destinations.
On the the next day, August 13, the YouTube channel of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation showed a short video of the arrival of the Belarusian military transport aircraft IL-76MD with the tail number EW-005DE to Novosibirsk with a caption:
“Belarusian team arriving in Novosibirsk to participate in the international stage of the Excellence in Military Intelligence Army-2020 competition. Upon arrival, the servicemen were escorted to the territory of the Novosibirsk Higher Military Command School, where the competitions will take place. The opening ceremony will be held on August 23.”
We have grounds to believe that this video may be a cover story made up by the Russian Federation to avert unwelcome attention of journalists to this flight. Such an early arrival of the team, 10 days before the official start of the competition, is unusual.
At the same time, the flight of the same plane to the Kubinka Military Airfield near Moscow has not been commented on. We will remind that the 45th Special Forces Brigade (military unit 28337) is based in Kubinka. This is the special ops unit of the Airborne Troops of the Russian Armed Forces in the Western Military District. The servicemen of this unit took an active part in the operation to capture Crimea and the war against Ukraine in the Donbas.
The flight on August 14 from Minsk to the Russian air base near Ryazan and back also leaves us with a lot of questions. Ryazan is home to the Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School, the only military educational institution in the Russian Federation that specializes in training officers for airborne troops. Ryazan is also called the “capital of Russian airborne troops.”
So far, we can only guess what cargo was airlifted from Minsk to Russia or more importantly back to Minsk, or who were the passengers aboard this Belarusian military transport. It should be noted that IL-76MD is designed for parachute and on-ground landing of personnel, military equipment, cargo, fuel and containers.
On August 12, InformNapalm volunteers also recorded the arrival in Belarus of two charter flights of the Russian Air Force airplanes.
Videos of the redeployment of the Russian heavy military equipment and MLRS to the borders of Belarus have also spread on the Internet.
It is possible that Vladimir Putin has reached some form of agreement with the regime of Alexander Lukashenko, and these flights indicate either the transfer of additional forces or assets to suppress civil protests in Belarus, or are part of preparations for the invasion under the guise of Russian “peace keepers” within the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) agreements.
Media preparation of aggression against Belarus
Apart from the signs of military preparations for a Russian invasion operation, there are signs of information operations.
For example, on August 14, the head of Russia Today, Margarita Simonyan, floated to the Russian public an idea of Russia’s invasion of Belarus. Both on her Twitter and Facebook pages, she wrote that it was time for the “polite men” to “restore order”, hinting at the invasion of the Russian troops without insignia to the Ukrainian Crimea. Obviously, such statements have been carefully timed and constitute a threat to the territorial integrity of Belarus.
#ЖывеБеларусь Керівник телеканалу «Russia Today» Марго Симоньян вже почала готувати суспільну думку серед росіян щодо… Posted by Roman Burko on Friday, August 14, 2020
Read more from InformNapalm and share
Translated by Andrii Gryganskyi. Edited by Artem Velichko. Distribution and reprint with reference to the source are welcome! (Creative Commons — Attribution 4.0 International — CC BY 4.0) InformNapalm social media pages: Facebook / Twitter / Telegram


informnapalm--2020-08-14--Journalist’s testimony about situation in one of Minsk detention centers: They heard that he was fro

Journalist’s testimony about situation in one of Minsk detention centers: They heard that he was from Ukraine; so, they started beating him.

Belarusian security forces brutally beat people in a detention center in Minsk on Okrestina Street , making no exceptions for women , journalists or citizens of other countries .
Journalist Volodymyr Lunev told about it on Belsat TV channel .
Lunev was detained the day before near the Pushkin subway station together with other people and taken to a remand prison located on Okrestsin Street .
“ I thought that they would not touch the press .
But they beat everyone – women , children and the press .
We were taken in paddy wagons , taken , as I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was horror .
People were methodically beaten so that they would not have any inspiration anymore to participate in the protests .
Every half hour , a new group of people was brought in , and we heard them being beaten in the corridor .
There was chaos , blood , people screaming in pain and begging them not to beat them , but no one listened to them .
“ , – informs the journalist .
According to Lunev , people are treated “ worse than cattle.
” A citizen of Ukraine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citizen of Ukraine was with me .
As soon as a policeman heard that he was a citizen of Ukraine , they took him and dragged him to the fence and started beating him methodically .
To remain unharmed , I did not say where I was from .
I didn ’ t say anything .
My jacket had the word “ PRESS ” on it , but I said I had taken it from someone .
I understood that if I talked , I would just be simply killed under this fence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as I understood .
All the detainees were kept on their feet , upright , from 12 o ’ clock at night until 12 o ’ clock at night – 24 hours .
The people stood next to each other , and there was no opportunity to sit down .
People started to fall down .
Some became sick , and folks shouted , “ Call an ambulance.
” Neither water nor food was given to people , “ Lunev added .
On August 9 , according to the official exit poll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country for 26 years , won the presidential election in Belarus .
However , the opposition ’ s exit polls indicate that Svitlana Tikhanovskaya won by a huge margin .
The latter ’ s husband , Serhiy , was barred from the election and thrown in jail .
Mass protests later broke out in Belarus in response to the election results .
On August 11 , it became known that Tikhanovskaya had left for Lithuania .
Her trusted spokesperson later said that Tikhanovska , allegedly , was thrown out of Belarus by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Belarus was a condition to release her chief of staff , Maria Moroz , who had been detained on the eve of the election .
In the video , Tikhanovskaya called on the protesters to stop .
In Lithuania , Svitlana Tikhanovskaya was granted a place to live and an annual visa .
The foreign ministers of the Nordic and Baltic states addressed the Belarusian authorities with a joined statement , stressing their concern about the physical injuries inflicted on the demonstrators .
Belarus has officially acknowledged that security forces fired on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Belarus has announced the opening of 17 criminal cases on the facts of attack on law enforcement officers .
Translated by George Pinchuk .
Distribution and reprint with reference to the source is welcome !
( Creative Commons — Attribution 4.0 International — CC BY 4.0 ) InformNapalm social media pages : Facebook / Twitter / Telegram

Belarusian security forces brutally beat people in a detention center in Minsk on Okrestina Street, making no exceptions for women, journalists or citizens of other countries.
Journalist Volodymyr Lunev told about it on Belsat TV channel.
Lunev was detained the day before near the Pushkin subway station together with other people and taken to a remand prison located on Okrestsin Street.
“I thought that they would not touch the press. But they beat everyone – women, children and the press. We were taken in paddy wagons, taken, as I understand it, to Okrestin. There was horror. People were methodically beaten so that they would not have any inspiration anymore to participate in the protests. Every half hour, a new group of people was brought in, and we heard them being beaten in the corridor. There was chaos, blood, people screaming in pain and begging them not to beat them, but no one listened to them. “, – informs the journalist.
According to Lunev, people are treated “worse than cattle.” A citizen of Ukraine was especially severely beaten.
“A citizen of Ukraine was with me. As soon as a policeman heard that he was a citizen of Ukraine, they took him and dragged him to the fence and started beating him methodically. To remain unharmed, I did not say where I was from. I didn’t say anything. My jacket had the word “PRESS” on it, but I said I had taken it from someone. I understood that if I talked, I would just be simply killed under this fence. There were no places to hide, as I understood. All the detainees were kept on their feet, upright, from 12 o’clock at night until 12 o’clock at night – 24 hours. The people stood next to each other, and there was no opportunity to sit down. People started to fall down. Some became sick, and folks shouted, “Call an ambulance.” Neither water nor food was given to people, “Lunev added.
On August 9, according to the official exit poll, Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled the country for 26 years, won the presidential election in Belarus. However, the opposition’s exit polls indicate that Svitlana Tikhanovskaya won by a huge margin. The latter’s husband, Serhiy, was barred from the election and thrown in jail. Mass protests later broke out in Belarus in response to the election results.
On August 11, it became known that Tikhanovskaya had left for Lithuania. Her trusted spokesperson later said that Tikhanovska, allegedly, was thrown out of Belarus by the Belarusian authorities and that her absence in Belarus was a condition to release her chief of staff, Maria Moroz, who had been detained on the eve of the election. In the video, Tikhanovskaya called on the protesters to stop. In Lithuania, Svitlana Tikhanovskaya was granted a place to live and an annual visa.
The foreign ministers of the Nordic and Baltic states addressed the Belarusian authorities with a joined statement, stressing their concern about the physical injuries inflicted on the demonstrators. Belarus has officially acknowledged that security forces fired on protesters. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus has announced the opening of 17 criminal cases on the facts of attack on law enforcement officers.
Original
Translated by George Pinchuk. Distribution and reprint with reference to the source is welcome! (Creative Commons — Attribution 4.0 International — CC BY 4.0) InformNapalm social media pages: Facebook / Twitter / Telegram


informnapalm--2020-08-16--Leaden Sky: Eyewitness recalls Russian bombardment in September 2014. Part 2

A follow-up to the post of Sveta Svetikova ( ) on the events she eye-witnessed near Luhansk , Eastern Ukraine , during the Russian invasion .
First part of Leaden Sky : Eyewitness recalls Russian bombardment in September 2014 is here .
Do you know what it is in the photo ?
You are lucky if you don ’ t .
The photo shows the murderous “ love ” from brotherly Russia .
The photo shows that most terrible of all days , the day when Russia ’ s cruelty was revealed at its worst , – September 2 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days later , but this was the first … The photo shows fragments of the shells fired by the Grad multiple launch rocket system .
Look at these pieces of metal marked into squares .
When a Grad shell approaches the target , it explodes and becomes scattered into a huge number of fragments that fly in all directions .
They are not supposed to hit any particular object – they just destroy everything that they find on their way .
And they don ’ t give a damn about you being for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an apocalypse that day .
The apocalypse flew to us from Russia .
Look closely at these pieces of metal and count these squares and just imagine them flying at an insane speed … Now you understand why the name of the rocket system is Grad ( meaning hail ) .
Because these metal squares , very sharp and lethal if they hit , are like hailstones that are falling from the sky … like real hail in nature but made of lead .
We keep them .
We collect them in our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in our Ukrainian Armed Forces , which will never betray us !
I know that for sure !
In the seventh year of the Russo-Ukrainian war , I have witnessed the 17 rotations of our troops next to me and I consider them all Heroes !
Translated by George Pinchuk .
Distribution and reprint with reference to the source is welcome !
( Creative Commons — Attribution 4.0 International — CC BY 4.0 ) InformNapalm social media pages : Facebook / Twitter / Telegram

A follow-up to the post of Sveta Svetikova (#lead_sky) on the events she eye-witnessed near Luhansk, Eastern Ukraine, during the Russian invasion. First part of Leaden Sky: Eyewitness recalls Russian bombardment in September 2014 is here .
Do you know what it is in the photo?
You are lucky if you don’t.
The photo shows the murderous “love” from brotherly Russia.
The photo shows that most terrible of all days, the day when Russia’s cruelty was revealed at its worst, – September 2, 2014. There were many of similar days later, but this was the first …
The photo shows fragments of the shells fired by the Grad multiple launch rocket system.
Look at these pieces of metal marked into squares. When a Grad shell approaches the target, it explodes and becomes scattered into a huge number of fragments that fly in all directions. They are not supposed to hit any particular object – they just destroy everything that they find on their way. And they don’t give a damn about you being for Russia or for Ukraine.
There was an apocalypse that day. The apocalypse flew to us from Russia.
Look closely at these pieces of metal and count these squares and just imagine them flying at an insane speed …
Now you understand why the name of the rocket system is Grad (meaning hail). Because these metal squares, very sharp and lethal if they hit, are like hailstones that are falling from the sky … like real hail in nature but made of lead.
We keep them. We collect them in our gardens.
That is why I believe in our Ukrainian Armed Forces, which will never betray us!
I know that for sure!
In the seventh year of the Russo-Ukrainian war, I have witnessed the 17 rotations of our troops next to me and I consider them all Heroes!
Never make excuses – we’re right!
Russia is the aggressor country!
By Sveta Svetikova
Translated by George Pinchuk. Distribution and reprint with reference to the source is welcome! (Creative Commons — Attribution 4.0 International — CC BY 4.0) InformNapalm social media pages: Facebook / Twitter / Telegram


informnapalm--2020-08-16--Belarus’ 103rd Vitebsk Separate Airborne Brigade moves to Grodno

On August 16 , journalist & investigator of InformNapalm international intelligence community has wrote on his Facebook page : The head of the regime of the internal occupation announced plans to relocate units of the Belarus ’ 103rd Vitebsk Separate Airborne Brigade ( 103rd Brigade ) to Grodno .
The reason for the decision was ′′a challenging situation at the Western borders ” .
Obviously , this is a cover up reason , and the real goal is a possible preparation to crash mass protests in Grodno which are getting out of control .
Explain why .
Washington and Warsaw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , August 15 .
It includes increasing the US military personnel by 1,000 additional troops , to include the forward elements of the US Army ’ s V Corps headquarters and a Division headquarters in Poland .
Presently , approximately 4,500 American military personnel are on rotation in Poland .
The additional arrival of US soldiers is only planned .
However , according to the information from open sources , the units of the 103rd Brigade have already been sent to Grodno .
The US V Corps consists of tanks and mechanized units @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Bradly Fighting Vehicles , tactical missiles , 203-mm 155-mm howitzers , helicopters , anti-aircraft artillery , and more .
For comparison , the Special Operations Forces ( SOF ) , which include the 103rd Vitebsk Brigade , deploy Soviet modernized BTR-70 and BTR-80 , the D-30 22-mm artillery guns , the Fagot , Konkurs and Metis anti-tank systems .
They don ’ t deploy the main combat tanks .
The key tasks of the SOF of Belarus are : counter-diversion activities , reconnaissance , and fight against illegal armed formations ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 103rd Vitebsk Brigade can not fight successfully against the American military units based in Poland.The 103rd Brigade ’ s goals are completely different .
This task can be accomplished by the 6th Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Republic of Belarus which is based in Grodno and has the T-72 main combat tanks in service .
To respond to the extension of the NATO armored units in Poland , it would be logical to relocate the mechanized units based in Grodno , but not the Special Operation Forces .
It is noteworthy that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Forced was seen in Grodno on August 10 , on the second day of protests ( bit.ly/2Fkze3F ) .
At that time , Grodno was a site of the largest wave of protests in Belarus in which employees of a number of large enterprises participated .
The white-red-white flag has flown over tall buildings in the center of the city .
Protests mood seized the whole city .
On this background , the relocation of army units from Vitebsk is a manifestation of complete distrust of local authorities .
In this context , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ illegal armed formations ” .
The city is gradually getting out of control of Lukashenka ’ s regime .
Therefore , the most likely main task of the units of the 103rd Vitebsk Airborne Brigade in Grodno is to engage its force in the potential suppression of mass protests .
Distribution and reprint with reference to the source are welcome !
( Creative Commons — Attribution 4.0 International — CC BY 4.0 ) InformNapalm social media pages : Facebook / Twitter / Telegram

On August 16, Дзяніс Івашын the Belarusian journalist & investigator of InformNapalm international intelligence community has wrote on his Facebook page:
The head of the regime of the internal occupation announced plans to relocate units of the Belarus’ 103rd Vitebsk Separate Airborne Brigade (103rd Brigade) to Grodno.
The reason for the decision was ′′a challenging situation at the Western borders”. Obviously, this is a cover up reason, and the real goal is a possible preparation to crash mass protests in Grodno which are getting out of control.
Explain why.
Washington and Warsaw approved a military cooperation agreement just yesterday, August 15. It includes increasing the US military personnel by 1,000 additional troops, to include the forward elements of the US Army’s V Corps headquarters and a Division headquarters in Poland. Presently, approximately 4,500 American military personnel are on rotation in Poland. The additional arrival of US soldiers is only planned.
However, according to the information from open sources, the units of the 103rd Brigade have already been sent to Grodno.
The US V Corps consists of tanks and mechanized units armed with the Abrams main combat tanks, the Bradly Fighting Vehicles, tactical missiles, 203-mm 155-mm howitzers, helicopters, anti-aircraft artillery, and more. For comparison, the Special Operations Forces (SOF), which include the 103rd Vitebsk Brigade, deploy Soviet modernized BTR-70 and BTR-80, the D-30 22-mm artillery guns, the Fagot, Konkurs and Metis anti-tank systems. They don’t deploy the main combat tanks. The key tasks of the SOF of Belarus are: counter-diversion activities, reconnaissance, and fight against illegal armed formations (IAF). It is obvious that the 103rd Vitebsk Brigade cannot fight successfully against the American military units based in Poland.The 103rd Brigade’s goals are completely different.
This task can be accomplished by the 6th Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Republic of Belarus which is based in Grodno and has the T-72 main combat tanks in service. To respond to the extension of the NATO armored units in Poland, it would be logical to relocate the mechanized units based in Grodno, but not the Special Operation Forces.
It is noteworthy that the military equipment of the Special Operation Forced was seen in Grodno on August 10, on the second day of protests (bit.ly/2Fkze3F). At that time, Grodno was a site of the largest wave of protests in Belarus in which employees of a number of large enterprises participated. The white-red-white flag has flown over tall buildings in the center of the city. Protests mood seized the whole city. On this background, the relocation of army units from Vitebsk is a manifestation of complete distrust of local authorities. In this context, the residents of Grodno are seen as “illegal armed formations”. The city is gradually getting out of control of Lukashenka’s regime.
Therefore, the most likely main task of the units of the 103rd Vitebsk Airborne Brigade in Grodno is to engage its force in the potential suppression of mass protests.
(Photo:Personnel of the 103rd Guards Separate Mobile Brigade during a demonstration. Wikipedia.org)
Original
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informnapalm--2020-08-17--Russian military intelligence officer from 19th Motorized Rifle Brigade spotted in the Ukrainian Don

Russian military intelligence officer from 19th Motorized Rifle Brigade spotted in the Ukrainian Donbas

Russian Federation continues to deploy its professional military personnel in the occupied territories of the Ukrainian Donbas who carry out special missions disguising themselves as militants of the illegal armed formations of the Donetsk People ’ s Republic ( DPR ) or Luhansk People ’ s Republic ( LPR ) .
New facts relate to the participation in the war against Ukraine of a professional Russian serviceman Andrey Zorkin , who is serving in the 19th Motorized Rifle Brigade ( MRB ) , the 58th Russian Army .
Servicemen of the 19th MRB have repeatedly come to the attention of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ OSINT investigations database .
Read more : On July 25 , Twitter user @ GirkinGirkin posted a photo of a Russian citizen Andrey Zorkin , who was spotted in the occupied part of the Ukrainian Donbas in the fall 2019 and summer 2020 .
InformNapalm volunteers studied social media pages of this man in more detail and found that Zorkin had been serving under contract in the 19th MRB ( military unit 20634 ) since 2015 .
Here is a photo posted in the account of Andrey Zorkin on October 6 , 2019 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) .
Behind him , there is a characteristic street sign .
The inscription reads “ Stratonavtiv Str.
” in Ukrainian and English .
This starting point indicated that the the photo had been taken in Ukraine .
InformNapalm volunteers also carried out precise geolocation of this image in the vicinity of occupied Ukrainian Donetsk .
There was another photo in his account , dated July 11 , 2020 , testifying the presence of this Russian military man in the Donbas .
There is a militant with the DPR shoulder patch behind Zorkin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against the background of the “ Donetsk People ’ s Republic ” banner .
It was posted by the account in June 2020 , and Zorkin reposted it on his wall on the VK social network in July 2020 .
In his profile there is also a pinned post with a snapshot dated December 19 , 2019 , featuring a handgun and a duffel bag with a DPR shoulder patch .
Zorkin ’ s social media accounts contained materials indicating that he has been serving under a contract in the Russian army since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
His last military rank confirmed by photographs is that of a Sergeant .
As of 2020 , there is no information that would indicate his promotion to a higher military rank .
It has been established that Andrey Sergeevich Zorkin was born on April 27 , 1994 in the city of Volgodonsk , Rostov Oblast .
Judging by many signs ( a photo with a military intelligence flag , a tattoo on his neck with a scout symbol – the bat , a photo with a Vintorez VSS sniper rifle for silent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian special forces ) , Zorkin was serving in the reconnaissance battalion or in the special-purpose battalion of the 19th MRB , which is part of the 58th Russian Army .
Photo near a graffiti with the words “ 58th Army ” Photo with the flag of the military intelligence of the Russian Army .
Also congratulations on the Day of Intelligence periodically appear on the wall in Zorkin ’ s account Specific tattoo on the neck : a bat , the symbol of military intelligence Photo in the Russian Army uniform in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patch of the 19th MRB on the right sleeve Photo in the Russian Army winter uniform with sergeant shoulder straps , a name patch and a patch of the 19th MRB of the Russian Army · Other photos , archives and social media pages of Andrey Zorkin In addition to contract military service in the Russian Army , from 2016 to 2018 Zorkin also participated in mini-football competitions playing for the team of the Martynovsky Raion of the Rostov Oblast ( archive ) .
He even uploaded a snapshot of a newspaper page @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corner ) to his account .
It gave us Zorkin ’ s verified data in the list of members of the mini-football team for 2018 , confirming his full name .
and the exact date of birth .
Zorkin is rather vain .
He makes photocopies of regional newspaper clippings of his photographs and posts them on his page .
Perhaps vanity was the reason why this Russian military intelligence serviceman of the 19th MRB posted his photo in front of a road sign with the name of a street in Ukrainian Donetsk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mission .
This OSINT investigation is bound make Zorkin even more ( in ) famous .
As of July 2020 , the InformNapalm database contains evidence of the active participation of more than 2,600 professional Russian military personnel from 99 units of the Russian Army and law enforcement agencies of this country in the war against Ukraine .
All this information was found through OSINT investigations , despite the strict secrecy orders of the Russian Ministry of Defense .
From year to year , the Russian Ministry of Defense is constantly enforcing this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information which refutes the Kremlin ’ s rhetoric about the “ internal Ukrainian conflict.
” But very often , soldiers from the Russian hinterland , who for the first time see Ukrainian hryvnia , Ukrainian road signs or other objects that , in their opinion , can be shown to friends , promptly take pictures of them ( and themselves ) and post these pictures on social media .
In addition to the case of Sergeant Andrey Zorkin described in this material , InformNapalm volunteers have discovered in the course of this war @ @ @ @ @ @ @ servicemen from the 19th MRB of the Russian Army on the Ukrainian territory .
All these data are available on our in the investigations published on InformNapalm web site .
Our volunteers identified both individual servicemen as well as entire groups , for example , from the sniper company and from the UAV company of the 19th MRB in the Ukrainian Donbas .
This is yet another case confirming that Russia continues to use its regular military personnel to reinforce and control units of the 1st and 2nd Army Corps in the Donbas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the source is welcome !
( Creative Commons — Attribution 4.0 International — CC BY 4.0 ) InformNapalm social media pages : Facebook / Twitter / Telegram InformNapalm is a fully independent community whose information resources are financed exclusively by volunteers ’ own funds .
We do not receive any financial support from any country ’ s government or large donors .
You too can assist InformNapalm in a variety of ways .

Russian Federation continues to deploy its professional military personnel in the occupied territories of the Ukrainian Donbas who carry out special missions disguising themselves as militants of the illegal armed formations of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) or Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR). New facts relate to the participation in the war against Ukraine of a professional Russian serviceman Andrey Zorkin, who is serving in the 19th Motorized Rifle Brigade (MRB), the 58th Russian Army. Servicemen of the 19th MRB have repeatedly come to the attention of InformNapalm volunteers and are listed in our OSINT investigations database. Read more:
On July 25, Twitter user @GirkinGirkin posted a photo of a Russian citizen Andrey Zorkin, who was spotted in the occupied part of the Ukrainian Donbas in the fall 2019 and summer 2020. InformNapalm volunteers studied social media pages of this man in more detail and found that Zorkin had been serving under contract in the 19th MRB (military unit 20634) since 2015.
Here is a photo posted in the account of Andrey Zorkin on October 6, 2019 (archived account, archived photo album). Behind him, there is a characteristic street sign. The inscription reads “Stratonavtiv Str.” in Ukrainian and English.
This starting point indicated that the the photo had been taken in Ukraine.
InformNapalm volunteers also carried out precise geolocation of this image in the vicinity of occupied Ukrainian Donetsk.
There was another photo in his account, dated July 11, 2020, testifying the presence of this Russian military man in the Donbas. There is a militant with the DPR shoulder patch behind Zorkin.
Here is another photo of him against the background of the “Donetsk People’s Republic” banner. It was posted by the Viktor Donetskiy account in June 2020, and Zorkin reposted it on his wall on the VK social network in July 2020.
In his profile there is also a pinned post with a snapshot dated December 19, 2019, featuring a handgun and a duffel bag with a DPR shoulder patch.
Identification of Andrey Zorkin
Zorkin’s social media accounts contained materials indicating that he has been serving under a contract in the Russian army since 2015, namely in the 19th MRB. His last military rank confirmed by photographs is that of a Sergeant. As of 2020, there is no information that would indicate his promotion to a higher military rank.
It has been established that Andrey Sergeevich Zorkin was born on April 27, 1994 in the city of Volgodonsk, Rostov Oblast. Judging by many signs (a photo with a military intelligence flag, a tattoo on his neck with a scout symbol – the bat, a photo with a Vintorez VSS sniper rifle for silent shooting, which is in service with Russian special forces), Zorkin was serving in the reconnaissance battalion or in the special-purpose battalion of the 19th MRB, which is part of the 58th Russian Army.
Photo near a graffiti with the words “58th Army”
Photo with the flag of the military intelligence of the Russian Army. Also congratulations on the Day of Intelligence periodically appear on the wall in Zorkin’s account
Specific tattoo on the neck: a bat, the symbol of military intelligence
Photo with Vintorez VSS rifle
Photo in the Russian Army uniform in a striped vest and with a shoulder patch of the 19th MRB on the right sleeve
Photo in the Russian Army winter uniform with sergeant shoulder straps, a name patch and a patch of the 19th MRB of the Russian Army
· Other photos, archives and social media pages of Andrey Zorkin
In addition to contract military service in the Russian Army, from 2016 to 2018 Zorkin also participated in mini-football competitions playing for the team of the Martynovsky Raion of the Rostov Oblast (archive). He even uploaded a snapshot of a newspaper page with his photograph (in the right corner) to his account. It gave us Zorkin’s verified data in the list of members of the mini-football team for 2018, confirming his full name. and the exact date of birth.
P.S.:
Zorkin is rather vain. He makes photocopies of regional newspaper clippings of his photographs and posts them on his page. Perhaps vanity was the reason why this Russian military intelligence serviceman of the 19th MRB posted his photo in front of a road sign with the name of a street in Ukrainian Donetsk where he was deployed on a combat mission. This OSINT investigation is bound make Zorkin even more (in)famous.
Conclusions
As of July 2020, the InformNapalm database contains evidence of the active participation of more than 2,600 professional Russian military personnel from 99 units of the Russian Army and law enforcement agencies of this country in the war against Ukraine. All this information was found through OSINT investigations, despite the strict secrecy orders of the Russian Ministry of Defense. From year to year, the Russian Ministry of Defense is constantly enforcing this regime trying to prevent the leakage of information which refutes the Kremlin’s rhetoric about the “internal Ukrainian conflict.” But very often, soldiers from the Russian hinterland, who for the first time see Ukrainian hryvnia, Ukrainian road signs or other objects that, in their opinion, can be shown to friends, promptly take pictures of them (and themselves) and post these pictures on social media.
In addition to the case of Sergeant Andrey Zorkin described in this material, InformNapalm volunteers have discovered in the course of this war evidence of the presence of 21 regular servicemen from the 19th MRB of the Russian Army on the Ukrainian territory. All these data are available on our in the investigations published on InformNapalm web site. Our volunteers identified both individual servicemen as well as entire groups, for example, from the sniper company and from the UAV company of the 19th MRB in the Ukrainian Donbas.
This is yet another case confirming that Russia continues to use its regular military personnel to reinforce and control units of the 1st and 2nd Army Corps in the Donbas.
Distribution and reprint with reference to the source is welcome! (Creative Commons — Attribution 4.0 International — CC BY 4.0) InformNapalm social media pages: Facebook / Twitter / Telegram
InformNapalm is a fully independent community whose information resources are financed exclusively by volunteers’ own funds. We do not receive any financial support from any country’s government or large donors.
You too can assist InformNapalm in a variety of ways.


informnapalm--2020-08-17--Russian military intelligence sergeant from 19th Motorized Rifle Brigade spotted in the Ukrainian Do

Russian military intelligence sergeant from 19th Motorized Rifle Brigade spotted in the Ukrainian Donbas


informnapalm--2020-08-18--History of Ukraine: The Beginnings

History of Ukraine: The Beginnings

The name “ Ukraine ” can be found already in some chronicles dated by the 12th century .
Most likely , it is related to the word “ krai ” ( край ) , meaning “ country.
” In the early Middle Ages , people who lived in what is now Ukraine called their country “ Rus , ” and themselves “ Rusy , ” “ Rusychy , ” or “ Rusyny.
” Kyiv , the biggest city and the capital of Ukraine , was founded , most likely , between the 600s and the 700s A.D. as a fishermen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the right bank of the Dnipro river , where now is the Podil section of the city .
The first wooden fortification and the Kyiv chieftain ’ s castle were built uphill from the original settlement , likely in the 8th or early 9th century .
During the 9th century , “ Varangians ” ( Vikings ) began to serve as a kind of Praetorian Guard to the East Roman emperors .
To reach the city of Constantinople , hey sailed from what today is called the Gulf of Finland up the Neva @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and then to the Western Dvina and the Dnipro , going all the way down to the Black Sea .
By the mid-9th century , they settled around and in Kyiv and founded their own dynasty of the descendants of Rurik .
A grandson of Rurik , Svyatoslav ( Sfendosleif ) greatly expanded his realm to the east and south , while his mother Olga ( Helga ) traveled to Constantinople and was baptized Christian .
Svyatoslav ’ s son , Volodymyr ( Waldemar ) married a daughter of the Eastern Roman emperor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his subjects in the year 988 .
( Back then , the city of Moscow , or the country now known as Russia – Россия – did not even exist . )
Over the next centuries , the “ Rurikids ” gradually lost their Scandinavian identity , marrying women of the Slavic , Hungarian , Greek , and Turkic ethnicities .
By the 11th century , Kyivan Rus was a huge European power .
Kyiv was bigger than London or Paris .
The city had numerous buildings made of brick , including churches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public bathhouses , like Constantinople ( and unlike Western European cities of the time ) .
The realm , stretching from the White Sea to the north to the Black Sea to the south and from the steppes of the Don to the east to what is now eastern Poland to the west , was divided into many feudal fiefs , but the authority of the monarch in Kyiv was nonetheless absolute .
On Easter Sunday of the year 1168 , a savage warlord from the Volga region , called Andrei ( cynically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” ) and his horde of Finno-Ugric tribesmen sacked and burned Kyiv to the ground .
Most Kyivites were massacred .
The barbarians robbed churches , even ripping off slices of gold from their domes ( something that Genghiside Mongolians later never did ) .
They stole , among others , one most precious and revered icon of the Most Holy Mother of God from a church in the Berestovo village just south of Kyiv , taking it to their land and pretending , for centuries to follow , that it was theirs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ known as Матерь Божья Владимирская , “ the Mother of God of Vladimir-on-Klyazyma , ” as if it was painted in that savage place .
The 1168 massacre marked the beginning of the “ brotherly ” relationship between the Ukrainian people and what is now known as “ Russians ” ( русские , not to be confused with Rusyns-Rusychi-Ukrainians ) .
Kyiv was hit so hard that it did not fully recover for the next ~200 years .
When the Mongols under Khan Batu came in 1240 , Kyiv was still not fully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relatively easy prey to the Asian conquerors .
In the late 12th and the 13th century , the center of Rus-Ukraine moved from Kyiv to what is now northwest and west of the country , the regions of Volyn and Halychyna ( Galitzia ) .
A mighty ruler called Prince ( or Duke ) Danylo Romanovych , even though an Eastern Orthodox by faith , was crowned King Danylo of Rus by a Pope ’ s Legate .
King Danylo ’ s capital was the city of Kholm ( now Chełm , Poland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Lviv ( “ The Lion ’ s ” ) for his son , Lev ( Leo ) .
In the first half of the 14th century , most of what is now Ukraine was cleared of the Mongols by the troops of a powerful ruler of Lithuania , Gedimin , and Ukraine became a part of the Great Duchy of Lithuania .
The latter was a peculiar country .
The bulk of its territory and population was what now is the Slavic country of Belarus .
Only a small minority of its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tribes , while the majority were Slavs .
Gedimin ’ s name in modern Lithuanian is Gyadiminas , but in the chronicles he is named Kgindimin or Kindimin , which might have a Slavic root .
The language of Gedimin ’ s court , and the court of his sons and grandsons was very Slavic , much like a mixture of somewhat archaic Ukrainian and Belarusian .
The laws of the entire Duchy , the so-called Lithuanian Statutes , were written in the Cyrillic alphabet and read very much like the Belarusian ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case , Ukraine ( unlike Muscovy ) remained in Europe .
In the 15th century , the Great Duke of Lithuania , Yahailo , married a Polish queen Yadviga .
Thus , the Great Duchy of Lithuania ( which included Ukraine ) and the Kingdom of Poland became one state .
In the 16th century , it became known as Rzeczpospolita , from Latin Res Publica – literally , “ the common affair , ” or Republic .
It was a monarchy , but the monarchs were elected by a parliament , called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Western Europe , and , unlike Muscovy , was completely independent of the Mongol autocracies like the Golden Horde .

The name “Ukraine” can be found already in some chronicles dated by the 12th century. Most likely, it is related to the word “krai” (край), meaning “country.” In the early Middle Ages, people who lived in what is now Ukraine called their country “Rus,” and themselves “Rusy,” “Rusychy,” or “Rusyny.”
Kyiv, the biggest city and the capital of Ukraine, was founded, most likely, between the 600s and the 700s A.D. as a fishermen village. The first settlements were on the right bank of the Dnipro river, where now is the Podil section of the city. The first wooden fortification and the Kyiv chieftain’s castle were built uphill from the original settlement, likely in the 8th or early 9th century.
During the 9th century, “Varangians” (Vikings) began to serve as a kind of Praetorian Guard to the East Roman emperors. To reach the city of Constantinople, hey sailed from what today is called the Gulf of Finland up the Neva river to the lakes Ladoga and Ilmen and then to the Western Dvina and the Dnipro, going all the way down to the Black Sea. By the mid-9th century, they settled around and in Kyiv and founded their own dynasty of the descendants of Rurik. A grandson of Rurik, Svyatoslav (Sfendosleif) greatly expanded his realm to the east and south, while his mother Olga (Helga) traveled to Constantinople and was baptized Christian. Svyatoslav’s son, Volodymyr (Waldemar) married a daughter of the Eastern Roman emperor, was baptized, and baptized all his subjects in the year 988. (Back then, the city of Moscow, or the country now known as Russia – Россия – did not even exist.) Over the next centuries, the “Rurikids” gradually lost their Scandinavian identity, marrying women of the Slavic, Hungarian, Greek, and Turkic ethnicities.
By the 11th century, Kyivan Rus was a huge European power. Kyiv was bigger than London or Paris. The city had numerous buildings made of brick, including churches. It also had many private and public bathhouses, like Constantinople (and unlike Western European cities of the time). The realm, stretching from the White Sea to the north to the Black Sea to the south and from the steppes of the Don to the east to what is now eastern Poland to the west, was divided into many feudal fiefs, but the authority of the monarch in Kyiv was nonetheless absolute.
On Easter Sunday of the year 1168, a savage warlord from the Volga region, called Andrei (cynically nicknamed Bogolubsky, i.e. “God-lover”) and his horde of Finno-Ugric tribesmen sacked and burned Kyiv to the ground. Most Kyivites were massacred. The barbarians robbed churches, even ripping off slices of gold from their domes (something that Genghiside Mongolians later never did). They stole, among others, one most precious and revered icon of the Most Holy Mother of God from a church in the Berestovo village just south of Kyiv, taking it to their land and pretending, for centuries to follow, that it was theirs. This icon to this day is known as Матерь Божья Владимирская, “the Mother of God of Vladimir-on-Klyazyma,” as if it was painted in that savage place. The 1168 massacre marked the beginning of the “brotherly” relationship between the Ukrainian people and what is now known as “Russians” (русские, not to be confused with Rusyns-Rusychi-Ukrainians). Kyiv was hit so hard that it did not fully recover for the next ~200 years. When the Mongols under Khan Batu came in 1240, Kyiv was still not fully repopulated or rebuilt, and fell a relatively easy prey to the Asian conquerors.
In the late 12th and the 13th century, the center of Rus-Ukraine moved from Kyiv to what is now northwest and west of the country, the regions of Volyn and Halychyna (Galitzia). A mighty ruler called Prince (or Duke) Danylo Romanovych, even though an Eastern Orthodox by faith, was crowned King Danylo of Rus by a Pope’s Legate. King Danylo’s capital was the city of Kholm (now Chełm, Poland). He built a magnificent city of Lviv (“The Lion’s”) for his son, Lev (Leo).
In the first half of the 14th century, most of what is now Ukraine was cleared of the Mongols by the troops of a powerful ruler of Lithuania, Gedimin, and Ukraine became a part of the Great Duchy of Lithuania. The latter was a peculiar country. The bulk of its territory and population was what now is the Slavic country of Belarus. Only a small minority of its people traced their origin from the Baltic tribes, while the majority were Slavs. Gedimin’s name in modern Lithuanian is Gyadiminas, but in the chronicles he is named Kgindimin or Kindimin, which might have a Slavic root. The language of Gedimin’s court, and the court of his sons and grandsons was very Slavic, much like a mixture of somewhat archaic Ukrainian and Belarusian. The laws of the entire Duchy, the so-called Lithuanian Statutes, were written in the Cyrillic alphabet and read very much like the Belarusian (definitely Slavic) language.
In any case, Ukraine (unlike Muscovy) remained in Europe. In the 15th century, the Great Duke of Lithuania, Yahailo, married a Polish queen Yadviga. Thus, the Great Duchy of Lithuania (which included Ukraine) and the Kingdom of Poland became one state. In the 16th century, it became known as Rzeczpospolita, from Latin Res Publica – literally, “the common affair,” or Republic. It was a monarchy, but the monarchs were elected by a parliament, called Sejm. The country maintained close ties with Western Europe, and, unlike Muscovy, was completely independent of the Mongol autocracies like the Golden Horde.
By George V. Pinchuk
(for illustration used a reproduction of Yaroslav The Wise, oil painting by A.Kivshenko, 1880)


informnapalm--2020-08-19--History of Ukraine: The Princes and the Kozaks

Some trivia about Ukraine on the 29th anniversary of country ’ s Independence by George V.Pinchuk .
The Princes and the Kozaks , Part 2 .
In this feature , we are using the term “ Kozak ” , the transliteration of the original Ukrainian word , to distinguish the Zaporizhian , Sloboda and other Ukrainian hosts .
Russian hosts from Don , Terek etc are called “ Cossacks ” .
In the 15th-16th centuries , most of what is now Ukraine belonged to the Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth ( “ The Republic ” ) , but the life of the people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their local feudal lords , the Knyazi ( “ Princes ” ) .
Most of these lords were related to the house of Gedimin , spoke a language close to modern Belarusian and Ukrainian , and were Eastern Orthodox Christians .
Yet , beginning from ~1569 ( the year of the so-called Lublin Unia ) , these princes also swore allegiance to the Polish king , and were his vassals and courtiers .
They corresponded in Latin , Polish , or their native “ Old Ukrainian / Old Belarusian ” Slavic language .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was Prince Konstayntyn Vasyl Ostrozky .
He was nicknamed “ the un-crowned King of Rus , ” and was , actually , offered the Polish crown several times , but refused because the kings of Poland were , traditionally , Catholics – and Prince Ostrozky wanted to remain Orthodox .
He is famous for printing the first Gospels in his native language , and founding the Academy of Ostroh , a university that functions to this day .
In 1596 , the so-called Brest Unia was signed , officially starting the Eastern Rite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Greek Catholic Church ) .
It was meant to reconcile the Orthodox Ukrainians with Rome , which was , of course , a step in the direction of more peace and prosperity .
Unfortunately , at the beginning of the next , 17th , century , the secular powers began to close the traditional Orthodox parishes by force , which , of course , caused huge tensions and sparks of violence .
Also , during the 16th century , many thousands of men , mostly young , robust , and adventure-seeking guys @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lower Dnipro river , where the enormous rapids prevented the movement of battleships up from the Black Sea .
These Kozaks warriors wanted to defend the Orthodox Christian Ukrainian lands from the attacks of the Ottoman Turks .
They founded their own city and fortress , called Sich , on the island of Khortytsya in the middle of the Dnipro river .
There , they gathered in summertime , trained , and raided the steppes , fighting the Turkish and the Tatar troops from the Crimea .
They also built ships and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Crimean seaports , freeing Christian captives whom the Turks and the Tatars enslaved .
In winter , the Kozaks dispersed and lived close to the Dnipro banks as independent owners of their hamlets .
At the beginning of the 17th century , the Kozaks became a formidable military force and a kind of a self-governing state with their own elected leaders and laws .
In the 16th and the early 17th century the Kozak ’ s leaders ( Hetmans ) were loyal to the Polish crown and participated in the wars of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Poland against Muscovy .
Hetman Petro Konashevych Sahaydachny ( 1582-1622 ) nearly took Moscow in 1618 .
He also was an outstanding mecenate who donated to Orthodox monasteries and schools , of which the so-called Bratska Shkola ( “ Brotherhood School ” ) later grew into a huge and famous institution of higher learning , the Kyiv Mohyla Academy , which now functions as a top-ranking Ukrainian liberal arts university .
In 1648 , a Kozak leader called Zinoviy Bohdan Khmelnytsky ( Polish transliteration , Chmielnicki ) started a war on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his own personal vendetta on a Polish landlord who stole his land , but very soon it grew into a colossal uprising of the Kozaks and Ukrainian peasants against their Polish landlords .
The people fought ( the way they knew how ) against the feudal oppression , as well as against forced Catholicization and Polonization of Ukraine .
Unfortunately , it turned into a fratricide .
The main adversary of Khmelnytsky was Prince Yarema ( Jeremiah ) Korybut-Vyshnevetsky , a Rusyn-Ukrainian , a noble valiant knight and a great statesman who , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Polish king ( whom he personally hated , but could not break his knight ’ s oath of loyalty ) .
Both sides resorted to unspeakable cruelties .
Most tragically , Khmelnysky , a brave warrior as he was , turned out to be a horribly short-sighted politician .
In January 1654 , he essentially surrendered Ukraine to Muscovy , approving what he thought was a temporary military union against the Republic but turned out to be the beginning of the “ Russian ” ( actually Muscovite ) occupation of Ukraine .
By @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ukraine , a Kozak general Ivan Vyhovsky and an eccentric scholar-nobleman Yuriy Nemyrych conceived what became known as the Unia of Hadyach .
It was a unique document , which , essentially , argued in favor of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth transforming into the commonwealth of Poland , Lithuania , and Ukraine .
Vyhovsky and Nemyrych proposed to establish a Great Principality of Ukraine on par with the Kingdom of Poland and the Great Duchy of Lithuania .
And it was a unique historical moment , because in July 1659 the Ukrainian troops won @ @ @ @ @ @ @ near the city of Konotop , totally crushing the Muscovites and proving that Ukraine did not need the “ friendship ” of the tyrannic Tzars .
If the Hadyach Unia were approved by the Sejm of the Republic , Ukraine would perhaps remain a European country and would progressively move toward full independence .
Again , tragically , it did not happen .
Nemyrych was killed at a duel , and Vyhovsky forced to resign by populists who hated him because of his aristocratic blood and his alleged ( rather than actual ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two luminaries , the Sejm did not even bother to convene for discussions on the Hadyach Unia , making it into a useless piece of paper .
It was later “ adopted , ” but in such a distorted version that it excluded its main point , the creation of the Ukrainian state .
By the end of the 17th century , the newly forming Russian Empire under Tzar Peter I established its reign over the Ukrainian lands to the east of the Dnipro river , ceding the western part of Ukraine to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , evolved more and more into the Polish monarchy rather than the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth of the old days ) .
In 1702 , a great son of Ukraine , a giant of military strategy , diplomacy , and statesmanship , Ivan Mazepa , being the Kozak leader of the eastern part of Ukraine , suppressed the uprising of Paliy on the other ( Western ) side of the Dnipro and added huge parts of the country to his control .
It was a big step toward the unification and freedom of Ukraine .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ forces with the Swedish king Charles XII against Tzar Peter , hoping to rid his dear mother Ukraine from slavery in the captivity of the Tzars .
And again… tragically , Mazepa managed to gather less manpower than he hoped to gather , because the populist agitators slandered him in their massive propaganda campaign ( no doubt , directed from Muscovy ) , portraying him in the eyes of the Ukrainian Kozaks as a rich aristocrat who cares nothing about the “ simple people , ” a clandestine Catholic ( or Protestant ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” ( This tragedy will repeat itself in 1918 and in 2019 . )
Mazepa ’ s loyalists were defeated together with the Swedes , and Ukraine lost her historical chance for yet another time .
Distribution and reprint with reference to the source is welcome !
( Creative Commons — Attribution 4.0 International — CC BY 4.0 ) InformNapalm social media pages : Facebook / Twitter / Telegram

Some trivia about Ukraine on the 29th anniversary of country’s Independence by George V.Pinchuk. The Princes and the Kozaks, Part 2. In this feature, we are using the term “Kozak”, the transliteration of the original Ukrainian word, to distinguish the Zaporizhian, Sloboda and other Ukrainian hosts. Russian hosts from Don, Terek etc are called “Cossacks”.
In the 15th-16th centuries, most of what is now Ukraine belonged to the Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth (“The Republic”), but the life of the people depended to a very large extent on their local feudal lords, the Knyazi (“Princes”). Most of these lords were related to the house of Gedimin, spoke a language close to modern Belarusian and Ukrainian, and were Eastern Orthodox Christians. Yet, beginning from ~1569 (the year of the so-called Lublin Unia), these princes also swore allegiance to the Polish king, and were his vassals and courtiers. They corresponded in Latin, Polish, or their native “Old Ukrainian / Old Belarusian” Slavic language. Among them, perhaps the mightiest ruler was Prince Konstayntyn Vasyl Ostrozky. He was nicknamed “the un-crowned King of Rus,” and was, actually, offered the Polish crown several times, but refused because the kings of Poland were, traditionally, Catholics – and Prince Ostrozky wanted to remain Orthodox. He is famous for printing the first Gospels in his native language, and founding the Academy of Ostroh, a university that functions to this day.
In 1596, the so-called Brest Unia was signed, officially starting the Eastern Rite Catholic Church in Ukraine (a.k.a. the Greek Catholic Church). It was meant to reconcile the Orthodox Ukrainians with Rome, which was, of course, a step in the direction of more peace and prosperity. Unfortunately, at the beginning of the next, 17th, century, the secular powers began to close the traditional Orthodox parishes by force, which, of course, caused huge tensions and sparks of violence.
Also, during the 16th century, many thousands of men, mostly young, robust, and adventure-seeking guys from all over Ukraine, traveled to the lower Dnipro river, where the enormous rapids prevented the movement of battleships up from the Black Sea. These Kozaks warriors wanted to defend the Orthodox Christian Ukrainian lands from the attacks of the Ottoman Turks. They founded their own city and fortress, called Sich, on the island of Khortytsya in the middle of the Dnipro river. There, they gathered in summertime, trained, and raided the steppes, fighting the Turkish and the Tatar troops from the Crimea. They also built ships and made sea raids on Istanbul and on Crimean seaports, freeing Christian captives whom the Turks and the Tatars enslaved. In winter, the Kozaks dispersed and lived close to the Dnipro banks as independent owners of their hamlets. At the beginning of the 17th century, the Kozaks became a formidable military force and a kind of a self-governing state with their own elected leaders and laws.
In the 16th and the early 17th century the Kozak’s leaders (Hetmans) were loyal to the Polish crown and participated in the wars of the Great Duchy of Lithuania and the kingdom of Poland against Muscovy. Hetman Petro Konashevych Sahaydachny (1582-1622) nearly took Moscow in 1618. He also was an outstanding mecenate who donated to Orthodox monasteries and schools, of which the so-called Bratska Shkola (“Brotherhood School”) later grew into a huge and famous institution of higher learning, the Kyiv Mohyla Academy, which now functions as a top-ranking Ukrainian liberal arts university.
In 1648, a Kozak leader called Zinoviy Bohdan Khmelnytsky (Polish transliteration, Chmielnicki) started a war on the Polish crown. Initially, it was his own personal vendetta on a Polish landlord who stole his land, but very soon it grew into a colossal uprising of the Kozaks and Ukrainian peasants against their Polish landlords. The people fought (the way they knew how) against the feudal oppression, as well as against forced Catholicization and Polonization of Ukraine. Unfortunately, it turned into a fratricide. The main adversary of Khmelnytsky was Prince Yarema (Jeremiah) Korybut-Vyshnevetsky, a Rusyn-Ukrainian, a noble valiant knight and a great statesman who, nonetheless, kept his allegiance to the Polish king (whom he personally hated, but could not break his knight’s oath of loyalty). Both sides resorted to unspeakable cruelties. Most tragically, Khmelnysky, a brave warrior as he was, turned out to be a horribly short-sighted politician. In January 1654, he essentially surrendered Ukraine to Muscovy, approving what he thought was a temporary military union against the Republic but turned out to be the beginning of the “Russian” (actually Muscovite) occupation of Ukraine.
By 1659, the two outstanding sons of Ukraine, a Kozak general Ivan Vyhovsky and an eccentric scholar-nobleman Yuriy Nemyrych conceived what became known as the Unia of Hadyach. It was a unique document, which, essentially, argued in favor of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth transforming into the commonwealth of Poland, Lithuania, and Ukraine. Vyhovsky and Nemyrych proposed to establish a Great Principality of Ukraine on par with the Kingdom of Poland and the Great Duchy of Lithuania. And it was a unique historical moment, because in July 1659 the Ukrainian troops won a huge battle against the Muscovite army near the city of Konotop, totally crushing the Muscovites and proving that Ukraine did not need the “friendship” of the tyrannic Tzars. If the Hadyach Unia were approved by the Sejm of the Republic, Ukraine would perhaps remain a European country and would progressively move toward full independence. Again, tragically, it did not happen. Nemyrych was killed at a duel, and Vyhovsky forced to resign by populists who hated him because of his aristocratic blood and his alleged (rather than actual) love of things Polish. Without these two luminaries, the Sejm did not even bother to convene for discussions on the Hadyach Unia, making it into a useless piece of paper. It was later “adopted,” but in such a distorted version that it excluded its main point, the creation of the Ukrainian state.
By the end of the 17th century, the newly forming Russian Empire under Tzar Peter I established its reign over the Ukrainian lands to the east of the Dnipro river, ceding the western part of Ukraine to the Republic (which, in turn, evolved more and more into the Polish monarchy rather than the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth of the old days). In 1702, a great son of Ukraine, a giant of military strategy, diplomacy, and statesmanship, Ivan Mazepa, being the Kozak leader of the eastern part of Ukraine, suppressed the uprising of Paliy on the other (Western) side of the Dnipro and added huge parts of the country to his control. It was a big step toward the unification and freedom of Ukraine. Moreover, in 1709 Mazepa joined his forces with the Swedish king Charles XII against Tzar Peter, hoping to rid his dear mother Ukraine from slavery in the captivity of the Tzars. And again… tragically, Mazepa managed to gather less manpower than he hoped to gather, because the populist agitators slandered him in their massive propaganda campaign (no doubt, directed from Muscovy), portraying him in the eyes of the Ukrainian Kozaks as a rich aristocrat who cares nothing about the “simple people,” a clandestine Catholic (or Protestant), and overall “not really Ukrainian.” (This tragedy will repeat itself in 1918 and in 2019.) Mazepa’s loyalists were defeated together with the Swedes, and Ukraine lost her historical chance for yet another time.
Read also:
History of Ukraine: The Beginnings
By George V. Pinchuk
(for illustration used a reproduction of “Powitanie stepu”, oil painting by Jzef Brandt, 1878-79)
Distribution and reprint with reference to the source is welcome! (Creative Commons — Attribution 4.0 International — CC BY 4.0) InformNapalm social media pages: Facebook / Twitter / Telegram


informnapalm--2020-08-20--History of Ukraine: The Russian Captivity.

Some trivia about Ukraine on the 29th anniversary of country ’ s Independence by George V.Pinchuk .
The Russian Captivity .
Part 3 .
After Mazepa ’ s defeat of 1709 , Tzar Peter I of Russia hit very hard on the remnant of Ukrainian freedoms .
The power of Cossack leaders was suspended .
The tyrant subjected the eastern half of Ukraine to the so-called Small Russia Collegium , which was presided by general Veliaminov and did not even include ethnic Ukrainians .
With the help of this puppet “ government ” and his so-called Synod ( an assembly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ introduced some truly draconian laws .
They were aimed , first of all , at the education and spiritual life of the Ukrainian people .
All parishes and monasteries were thoroughly searched , and any manuscript or printed volume from their libraries that contained discrepancies in the language compared to the books published in Muscovy was burned .
Thus , the language of the Church very formally remained the same Old Church Slavonic , but now it was completely rid of any trace of the local influence on the vocabulary and pronunciation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a gobbledygook .
Many Ukrainian bishops were transferred to remote parts of Russia ( Siberia , the Ural Mountains ) or to the city of Moscow , and the Ukrainian bishoprics and parishes were manned by the clergy from Russia-Muscovy .
This meant that the entire education in Ukraine , both clerical and secular , was rid of the modern vernacular Ukrainian and profoundly Russified ( “ Muscovized ” ) – something that Ukraine feels even to this day .
In parallel , Cossack regiments were put under the command of Muscovite military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were driven to Russia to build roads and fortifications .
At least 100,000 Ukrainian Kozaks and peasants died of overwork and malaria building the new capital of the Russian Empire , Saint Petersburg .
After the death of the monstrous Peter I ( 1725 ) and his widow and heiress , empress Catherine I ( 1727 ) , things became , paradoxically , somewhat better for Ukrainians .
In the 1730s – 1760s the Ukrainian lands to the east of the Dnipro river became , again , self-governed , even though they were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top administrator , the Hetman of the Kozaks , reported only directly to the Russian monarch ( in fact , doing whatever he pleased most of the time ) .
The land was divided into parts according to the dislocation of the Kozaks regiments , where the local administrators were Hetman ’ s appointees in the rank of Colonels ( полковники ) .
This arrangement , called Hetmanshchyna ( or Hetmanate ) , included also the city of Kyiv and a few small towns adjacent to its territory , even though they were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ western ) bank of the Dnipro .
The Hetmanate era was marked by a huge revival of the Ukrainian culture , arts , literature , and scholarship .
The Baroque architecture flourished .
The Ukrainian baroque music was dominated by the three giants , Maxym Berezovsky , Dmytro Bortnyansky ( Skurat ) , and Artemiy Vedel .
The humanities received a big impact by a vagabond philosopher , theologian , and poet Hryhoriy Skovoroda .
Things became tough again during the reign of Catherine II ( 1762-1796 ) .
Naturally gifted , extremely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( corresponded with Voltaire ! )
, this woman in her heart of hearts was a typical absolutist monarch .
She feared and hated any dissent , any actual or even potential autonomy within her realm .
Catherine finalized the process of “ serfization ” of the peasantry , making rural dwellers little more than slaves of their landlords .
The serfs had no right to move to other places , could be bought and sold , and were forced to work for their landlords up to 6 days a week , excluding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with their ages-old liberties infuriated Catherine .
In 1764 , she made her first devilish move .
The Hetman of Ukraine at the time was Cyril ( Kyrylo ) Razumovsky , a younger brother of Alexei ( Oleksiy ) Razumovsky , the morganatic husband of the late Empress Elizabeth I ( Elisaveta Petrovna , a daughter of Peter I ) .
Catherine offered Cyril a deal : he had to abdicate as the Hetman , instead acquiring the title of a Count of the Russian Empire and remaining the ( nominal ) President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bwahaha ) .
Razumovsky understood that it was an offer he could not refuse .
When he stepped down , Catherine simply abolished the Hetmanate and divided Ukraine into governorates ( губернії ) , not any different from the governorates of Russia-Muscovy .
That same year ( 1764 ) the Polish throne went to Stanisław August Poniatowsky , who used to be Catherine ’ s lover and the father of two of her illegitimate children .
Apparently , Poniatowsky still worshiped her and remained under her thumb .
He allowed Catherine to become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Commonwealth and to establish the so-called Permanent Council , which made the king almost a figurehead .
Thus , the infamous partitions of Poland began .
By the end of Catherine ’ s reign , in 1795 , the Commonwealth , the Rzeczpospolita , the Republic , was no more .
A huge part of it , including the capital , Warsaw , became merely a territory of the Russian Empire .
Smaller ( southern and western ) parts of it went to Prussia ( Silesia , Pomerania ) , and to Austria @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Transcarpathia ) .
To Ukrainians who lived west of the Dnipro river , the partitions of Poland did not bring any freedom or national revival .
If anything , the situation for them became even worse .
In the words of the great Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko , “ Poland fell , and squashed us.
” Yet , in 1848 , serfdom in the Austrian Empire was abolished .
The Ukrainian peasants were still poor and oppressed as a national minority , but at least they could now move freely and have some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ Russian ” part of Ukraine , serfdom was abolished only in 1861 , and in Prussia it remained legal till even later .
In 1775 , Catherine ordered the Sich ( the main fortress of the Zaporizhzhya Kozaks ) to be destroyed .
The last independent Kozaks leader , Petro Kalnyshevsky , was imprisoned , and the fortress was demolished .
The first half of the 19th century in the “ Russian ” part of Ukraine was a rather grim time of massive de-Ukrainization .
Kozaks regiments were made into regular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was entirely Russified .
There were no Ukrainian schools .
The Ukrainian nobility spoke mostly French , as it was the custom among the Russian nobility whom they parroted .
It is a wonder , a miracle that the Ukrainian language and the Ukrainian historical memory survived at all .
The Ukrainian village became the center and the savior of pretty much everything Ukrainian .
Peasantry continued to speak Ukrainian , and regard the Russians , or the Moskali , as foreigners .
Here are the opening lines of the poem , titled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : But not with the Moskali .
Because the Moskali are alien people , They cause you grief .
And he will abandon you with yet another joke .
He will go to his Muscovy , And the [ Ukrainian ] girl is finished.
” And it is really a miracle that in 1798 , Ivan Kotlyarevsky , a nobleman from the Ukrainian city of Poltava , working as a tutor for the rural Ukrainian gentry , wrote a comical ( “ mock-heroic ” ) poem , titled “ The Eneida ” ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a translation of Virgil but , rather , a very funny , very comical re-telling of the ancient Latin story , where the heroes retain the Latin names of the original “ Aeneid ” ( Aeneas , Dido , Venus , Hebe etc . )
, but the story is entirely IN MODERN UKRAINIAN !
It is THE Ukrainian language we learned at schools , THE language of the mainstream Ukrainian literature , theater , radio and television .
Essentially , it is THE Ukrainian language spoken even today .
Moreover , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” have distinctively Ukrainian features .
Aeneas is pictured as a “ quick-witted lad and a Kozak through and through.
” His fellow Trojans are dressed in Kozak clothes , cut their hair Kozak-style , and smoke pipes .
Dido , Venus , and Hebe are typical quarrelsome rural Ukrainian wives .
Jupiter drinks homemade moonshine and eats herrings… And then , under a bit more careful consideration : the Kotlyarevsky story is , actually , the story of the ruined Sich and the fate of the Ukrainian Kozaks , who had to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ re-inventing themselves , ” just like the Trojans in the original poem by Virgil .
2.History of Ukraine : The Princes and the Kozaks Distribution and reprint with reference to the source is welcome !
( Creative Commons — Attribution 4.0 International — CC BY 4.0 ) InformNapalm social media pages : Facebook / Twitter / Telegram

Some trivia about Ukraine on the 29th anniversary of country’s Independence by George V.Pinchuk. The Russian Captivity. Part 3.
After Mazepa’s defeat of 1709, Tzar Peter I of Russia hit very hard on the remnant of Ukrainian freedoms. The power of Cossack leaders was suspended. The tyrant subjected the eastern half of Ukraine to the so-called Small Russia Collegium, which was presided by general Veliaminov and did not even include ethnic Ukrainians. With the help of this puppet “government” and his so-called Synod (an assembly of ultra-loyal Orthodox bishops), Peter introduced some truly draconian laws. They were aimed, first of all, at the education and spiritual life of the Ukrainian people. All parishes and monasteries were thoroughly searched, and any manuscript or printed volume from their libraries that contained discrepancies in the language compared to the books published in Muscovy was burned. Thus, the language of the Church very formally remained the same Old Church Slavonic, but now it was completely rid of any trace of the local influence on the vocabulary and pronunciation. For the Ukrainian masses, it became a gobbledygook. Many Ukrainian bishops were transferred to remote parts of Russia (Siberia, the Ural Mountains) or to the city of Moscow, and the Ukrainian bishoprics and parishes were manned by the clergy from Russia-Muscovy. This meant that the entire education in Ukraine, both clerical and secular, was rid of the modern vernacular Ukrainian and profoundly Russified (“Muscovized”) – something that Ukraine feels even to this day. In parallel, Cossack regiments were put under the command of Muscovite military officers, and the people en masse were driven to Russia to build roads and fortifications. At least 100,000 Ukrainian Kozaks and peasants died of overwork and malaria building the new capital of the Russian Empire, Saint Petersburg.
After the death of the monstrous Peter I (1725) and his widow and heiress, empress Catherine I (1727), things became, paradoxically, somewhat better for Ukrainians. In the 1730s – 1760s the Ukrainian lands to the east of the Dnipro river became, again, self-governed, even though they were incorporated into the Russian Empire. Their top administrator, the Hetman of the Kozaks, reported only directly to the Russian monarch (in fact, doing whatever he pleased most of the time). The land was divided into parts according to the dislocation of the Kozaks regiments, where the local administrators were Hetman’s appointees in the rank of Colonels (полковники). This arrangement, called Hetmanshchyna (or Hetmanate), included also the city of Kyiv and a few small towns adjacent to its territory, even though they were, geographically, on the right (western) bank of the Dnipro. The Hetmanate era was marked by a huge revival of the Ukrainian culture, arts, literature, and scholarship. The Baroque architecture flourished. The Ukrainian baroque music was dominated by the three giants, Maxym Berezovsky, Dmytro Bortnyansky (Skurat), and Artemiy Vedel. The humanities received a big impact by a vagabond philosopher, theologian, and poet Hryhoriy Skovoroda.
Things became tough again during the reign of Catherine II (1762-1796). Naturally gifted, extremely intelligent, and playing “liberal” (corresponded with Voltaire!), this woman in her heart of hearts was a typical absolutist monarch. She feared and hated any dissent, any actual or even potential autonomy within her realm. Catherine finalized the process of “serfization” of the peasantry, making rural dwellers little more than slaves of their landlords. The serfs had no right to move to other places, could be bought and sold, and were forced to work for their landlords up to 6 days a week, excluding only church holidays. The Ukrainian Kozaks with their ages-old liberties infuriated Catherine. In 1764, she made her first devilish move. The Hetman of Ukraine at the time was Cyril (Kyrylo) Razumovsky, a younger brother of Alexei (Oleksiy) Razumovsky, the morganatic husband of the late Empress Elizabeth I (Elisaveta Petrovna, a daughter of Peter I). Catherine offered Cyril a deal: he had to abdicate as the Hetman, instead acquiring the title of a Count of the Russian Empire and remaining the (nominal) President of the Russian Academy of Sciences (bwahaha). Razumovsky understood that it was an offer he could not refuse. When he stepped down, Catherine simply abolished the Hetmanate and divided Ukraine into governorates (губернії), not any different from the governorates of Russia-Muscovy.
That same year (1764) the Polish throne went to Stanisław August Poniatowsky, who used to be Catherine’s lover and the father of two of her illegitimate children. Apparently, Poniatowsky still worshiped her and remained under her thumb. He allowed Catherine to become the “Protectoress” of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and to establish the so-called Permanent Council, which made the king almost a figurehead. Thus, the infamous partitions of Poland began. By the end of Catherine’s reign, in 1795, the Commonwealth, the Rzeczpospolita, the Republic, was no more. A huge part of it, including the capital, Warsaw, became merely a territory of the Russian Empire. Smaller (southern and western) parts of it went to Prussia (Silesia, Pomerania), and to Austria (Halychyna, the Carpathian Mountains and Transcarpathia).
To Ukrainians who lived west of the Dnipro river, the partitions of Poland did not bring any freedom or national revival. If anything, the situation for them became even worse. In the words of the great Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko, “Poland fell, and squashed us.” Yet, in 1848, serfdom in the Austrian Empire was abolished. The Ukrainian peasants were still poor and oppressed as a national minority, but at least they could now move freely and have some time and opportunity for themselves. In the “Russian” part of Ukraine, serfdom was abolished only in 1861, and in Prussia it remained legal till even later.
In 1775, Catherine ordered the Sich (the main fortress of the Zaporizhzhya Kozaks) to be destroyed. The last independent Kozaks leader, Petro Kalnyshevsky, was imprisoned, and the fortress was demolished.
The first half of the 19th century in the “Russian” part of Ukraine was a rather grim time of massive de-Ukrainization. Kozaks regiments were made into regular Russian imperial army troops. The Church was entirely Russified. There were no Ukrainian schools. The Ukrainian nobility spoke mostly French, as it was the custom among the Russian nobility whom they parroted. It is a wonder, a miracle that the Ukrainian language and the Ukrainian historical memory survived at all. The Ukrainian village became the center and the savior of pretty much everything Ukrainian. Peasantry continued to speak Ukrainian, and regard the Russians, or the Moskali, as foreigners. Here are the opening lines of the poem, titled “Kateryna,” by Taras Shevchenko:
“Make love, you dark-browed [Ukrainian] girls,
But not with the Moskali.
Because the Moskali are alien people,
They cause you grief.
A Moskal cannot love except jokingly,
And he will abandon you with yet another joke.
He will go to his Muscovy,
And the [Ukrainian] girl is finished.”
And it is really a miracle that in 1798, Ivan Kotlyarevsky, a nobleman from the Ukrainian city of Poltava, working as a tutor for the rural Ukrainian gentry, wrote a comical (“mock-heroic”) poem, titled “The Eneida” (Енеїда). The poem is not a translation of Virgil but, rather, a very funny, very comical re-telling of the ancient Latin story, where the heroes retain the Latin names of the original “Aeneid” (Aeneas, Dido, Venus, Hebe etc.), but the story is entirely IN MODERN UKRAINIAN! It is THE Ukrainian language we learned at schools, THE language of the mainstream Ukrainian literature, theater, radio and television. Essentially, it is THE Ukrainian language spoken even today.
Moreover, the heroes of Kotlyarevsky’s “Eneida” have distinctively Ukrainian features. Aeneas is pictured as a “quick-witted lad and a Kozak through and through.” His fellow Trojans are dressed in Kozak clothes, cut their hair Kozak-style, and smoke pipes. Dido, Venus, and Hebe are typical quarrelsome rural Ukrainian wives. Jupiter drinks homemade moonshine and eats herrings…
And then, under a bit more careful consideration: the Kotlyarevsky story is, actually, the story of the ruined Sich and the fate of the Ukrainian Kozaks, who had to go through many trials and tribulations before “re-inventing themselves,” just like the Trojans in the original poem by Virgil.
Read also:
1.History of Ukraine: The Beginnings
2.History of Ukraine: The Princes and the Kozaks
By George V. Pinchuk
(for illustration used a drawing to Kotlyarevsky’s “Eneide” , by Anatolii Bazylevych, 1968)
Distribution and reprint with reference to the source is welcome! (Creative Commons — Attribution 4.0 International — CC BY 4.0) InformNapalm social media pages: Facebook / Twitter / Telegram