The Lebedin Cherkasy in Slobozhanshchina: Their Relationship with Neighbors and the Authorities

Abstract

A colony of Ukrainian migrants (Cherkasy), including the town of Lebedin, was founded on the southern borderlands of the Russian state in the 1660s. Lebedin was one of many settlements in the region known as Slobozhanshchina — the southern lands of Russia colonized by Ukrainian migrants from the Cossack Hetmanate. These settlers established a semi-autonomous administration consisting of regiments and hundreds (sotni). Archival documents, previously almost unknown, provide extensive details on the relationships between the Lebedin Cherkasy community, local and central authorities, and neighboring landowners during the 1670s and early 1680s. The neighbors of the Cherkasy included Russian landlords from the Putivl district (uezd) and Mikhail Vasilyev, the colonel of Gadiach and nephew of the Ukrainian Hetman Ivan Samojlovich. Due to the Hetman’s patronage, the Russian government granted Mikhail Vasilyev unsettled lands near Lebedin. While developing these lands, Vasilyev did not seek the support of the local Cherkasy community and ignored their interests. Consequently, relations between the Lebedin Cherkasy, the Russian landlords, and Vasilyev were hostile due to disputes over territories that each side claimed as its own. The Lebedin Cherkasy community took a proactive stance, receiving support from the authorities of the Belgorod Military District (razriad) and Prince Grigory Romodanovsky, who headed it. The Russian government made significant efforts to resolve this conflict, which persisted for many years.

Received: 17.03.2025.
Revised: 19.06.2025.
Accepted: 17.03.2026.

Citation
Florya B. N. The Lebedin Cherkasy in Slobozhanshchina: Their Relationship with Neighbors and the Authorities // Slavic Almanac. 2026. No 1–2. P. 12–48 (in Russian). DOI: 10.31168/2073-5731.2026.1-2.01