Rise of the Cossacks - Origins of the Ukrainians DOCUMENTARY

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Poland-Lithuania: "So, are you Cossacks fighting for us, or against us?" Cossacks: "Yes"

Regarding the origin of the Cossacs, it is also worth mentioning that in 1528 there was a nation-wide nobility census in the Grand duchy of Lithuania (Popys Zemskyi). As a result, some nobility, who could not prove their origin, or (more commonly) made wrong enemies at the court, were stripped of their rank and land. Those guys also joined the cossacks and they certainly held no love for the government of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

As you noticed, the biggest problem for Ukraine as democratic state was, that it was always surrounded by empires…

Nice to quote "Hey Sokoli" in the beginning! It is one of the most beautiful folk songs as well in Ukrainian as in Polish.

Hey, hey, hey, Falcons. Fly past the mountains, forests and valleys...

My hometown, Kremenchuk, actually was founded as one of those forts against tatars in 1571

Cossack history is so extraordinary.

I had long known about the Cossacks even though I was raised in America. I was named after a fictional Cossack, and my parents knew one who settled in St. Louis where they were living. They have always fascinated me, and it pleases me Ukrainians today still celebrate Cossack traditions, customers and culture.

Маючи історичну освіту мушу сказати що дяка вам ща переклад нашої історії на англійську, відео чудове

There is a big oversimplification in calling the magnates of Ukraine 'polish aristocrats', yes they were the rulling class in a state entity that today is quite misleadingly called 'Poland' but they were predominantly of ruthenian origin. Most of them adopted polish language and catholic faith in the seventeenth century. What made them polish by those days standards was being the citizens of the Commonwealth but even after they 'fully' polonised they still described themselves as 'gente ruthenus natione polonus' that can be translated to 'of ruthenian origin nationality polish', the main thing is that your ethnicity was far less important for the people of this region than your class. For example in the XVI century a calvin noble from western Poland would feel much more fraternity with his ruthenian speaking orthodox counterpart from today Ukraine than with a peasant or a burgher from his surroundings. Fast forwarding to the XIX century we can see that when your ethinicty becomes much larger factor in your national identification there are examples of many families in which brothers and sisters are choosing different nationalities (polish and ukraninian, polish and belarussian or polish and lithuanian). It is also worth mentioning that polonisation of the eastern nobility wasn't aggresive at all and it would be best to describe the process as: 'ruthenian nobility polonised itself' rather than 'ruthenian nobility was polonised'. I know this comment is also a big oversimplification but any has to be as there have been tens of books written about the topic.

Someone should've told Russia that these Ukrainians are unruly people, and therefore cannot be ruled. Their lands can be invaded but not their hearts. Great video!

Ukrainian Culture, origin and personalities are sooooo cool❤❤❤

I’m Polish but I think Ruthenia should’ve been granted more power during our commonwealth. Something akin to a Polish-Lithuanian-Ruthenian commonwealth

Otaman and Hetman were two different things. Otaman(Ataman) was the elected ruler of Zaporozhian Sich. Sich itself was a military camp where Cossacks gathered e.g. before planned military campaigns. Sich was located in different places throughout the history. Hetman title meant simply the leader of the army - there were hetmans in Polish and Lithuanian armies as well. Khmelnytskyi never was an Otaman. He fled to the Sich and was proclaimed as a Hetman - the military leader for the upcoming new military campaign. The state formed by Khmelnyskyi - the Hetmanate (the real name of the state was Zaporozhian Host). But there was still another state - the original Zaporozhian Host (led by Otaman). And the relation between Hetmanate and original Zaporozhian Host were not always good.

That reference to hej Sokoly at the beginning makes my cossack blood happy

Ukrainian Heroes! 💙 -Victory in 2023! #PutinWarCriminal

Those catholic lords, magnates from Ukraine were actually Ukrainians/Ruthenians too. They just converted to Catholicism and polonized. Many of them were far descendants of Rurik. Most of them used old Rus title knaz (prince).

The history of the people who always fight against overwhelming odds and emerge victorious.

So you're telling me Mandalorians were straight up just space cossacks?