Maksym Kryvonis

Maksym Kryvonis
Statue of Kryvonis in the monument “Heroes of the Liberation War of the Ukrainian People 1648–1654” in Zhovti Vody
Nickname(s)	Perebyinis
Born	Around 1600
Died	November 1648 Zamość, Belz Voivodeship, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
Allegiance	Zaporozhian Host
Years of service	1648
Rank	Colonel
Commands	Lysianka Regiment Cherkasy Regiment Korsun Regiment Bila Tserkva Regiment Uman Regiment
Battles / wars	Khmelnytskyi Uprising Battle of Zhovti Vody Battle of Korsun Battle of Makhnivka Battle of Kostiantyniv Battle of Pyliavtsi Siege of Lwów (1648) Siege of Vysokyi Zamok Siege of Bar (1648) Siege of Kremenets Siege of Zamość (1648) †
Children	Oleksandr Kryvonosenko [uk]

Maksym Kryvonis (Ukrainian: Максим Кривоніс, Polish: Maksym Krzywonos; literally means "crooked-nose") was one of the Cossack leaders and a commander of the Ukrainian peasants against the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. For the first time in the history of Lviv, during the siege of the city his regiment captured the Vysokyi Zamok Castle, which was defended by the strong Polish–Lithuanian garrison. Kryvonis was one of the most important figures during the Khmelnytskyi Uprising in 1648.

Origins

Contemporary woodcut of Kryvonis's likeness (probably a Polish caricature)[1]

The question about his origins remains unresolved. A Polish pamphlet published in 1648 claimed that he was a serf of the Nemyrych family[2] (a hypothesis favoured by Soviet historiography). However, a German source about a meeting with Kryvonis in 1648 says that he is of Scottish origin ("ein gebohrenen Schott").[3] In this case his real name may well have been not a nickname based on his crooked or broken nose, but a translation of his Scottish family name Cameron.

Khmelnytsky Uprising

Kryvonis was one of the most effective generals of the uprising. He was awarded the rank of colonel of Cherkasy Regiment. His actions in Korsun and Pylyavtsi battles in 1648 led to crushing Cossack victories over the Polish armies. His actions against prince Jeremi Wiśniowiecki at Makhnivka and Starokostiantyniv were less successful.

Also, there are different accounts of Kryvonis's demise: killed (shot) during the siege of Lviv, assassinated (poisoned) by Jesuits, killed by orders of Bohdan Khmelnytsky who loathed him, or perished of plague during the siege of Zamość in 1648.

Atrocities

Main article: Khmelnytsky Uprising § Massacres

Cossacks took part in massacres and devastation of Jewish communities during the Uprising. Kryvonis led the capture of Tulchyn, killing 1,500 Jews in process, but sparing Poles in exchange for handing over Jews and their property.[4] Jewish chronicles of that time portray Kryvonis as being responsible for the most brutal attacks on Jews and Poles in 1648.[5] Leonid Plyushch states that Kryvonis's pogroms are often attributed to Bohdan Khmelnytsky.[6]

Literature

Kryvonis (Polish: Maksym Krzywonos) was also a character in With Fire and Sword, a novel by Nobel-winning 19th-century Polish author Henryk Sienkiewicz. In the 1999 movie based on the novel he was played by Maciej Kozłowski.

References

1. "ПОВСТАННЯ БОГДАНА ХМЕЛЬНИЦЬКОГО" [BOHDAN KHMELNYTSKY REBELLION] (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 2 June 2022.
2. Документы об освободительной войне украинского народа 1648-1654 г.г., Киев, Наукова Думка, 1965, p.70: "Nie gniewajac na siebie wlasnego dziedzica... cnego Niemierzyca" "Do not make your master, honorable Nemyrych, angry".
3. Дмитро НАЛИВАЙКО "ОЧИМА ЗАХОДУ: Рецепція України в Західній Європі XI-XVIII ст.", КИЇВ — «Основи» — 1998, http://litopys.org.ua/ochyma/ochrus4.htm. German anonymous pamphlet "On the new rebellion of Cossacks against Poland", 1649, possibly by polish general of German origin Christopher Houvaldt. D.Nalyvayko, however, is skeptical on the matter of Scottish origins of Kryvonis.
4. Amelia M. Glaser (2015). Stories of Khmelnytsky. Stanford University Press. p. 128. ISBN 978-0804793827.
5. Amelia M. Glaser (2015). Stories of Khmelnytsky. Stanford University Press. p. 12. ISBN 978-0804793827.
6. Leonid Plyushch (1980). History's carnival. Stanford University Press. p. 291. ISBN 0002621169.

• Крипякевич, Іван (1936). Ukrainian: ІСТОРІЯ УКРАЇНСЬКОГО ВІЙСЬКА, romanized: Istoriya Ukrainskoho Viyska. Kviv: Видання Івана Тиктора.

External links

• Article on the Ukrainian Government Portal