Foundations of Kozatstvo

Ukraine, a nation of 52,000,000 people in Eastern Europe, has had a long and difficult journey towards independence throughout its history. A particularly austere time for the Ukrainian people is found during the 13th, 14th, and 15th centuries, when there was a decline in the central government and cultural achievements. While the countries of Western Europe were conquering new lands and colonizing them, the pieces of the once mighty Kiev-Rus state tried to maintain some semblance of order. During these hard times, the population did not lose hope, but rather rose to the occasion, with the foundation of new schools, churches, fraternities, and most importantly the Sich, a strong defensive fortification.

After the fall of Kiev in 1240 to the Mongols, life for the Ukrainian people was very harsh. Over 95% of the population were serfs, bound to the land, carrying on the daily tedious agricultural activities. There was little or no representation in the hierarchy and nobility, because of the country’s occupied state. Towns and villages fared well with trade, but only 3% of the population made up the town’s populace, consisting of merchants and craftsmen. In these severe times, the Ukrainians put themselves to work, in order to achieve a better destiny.

The founding of schools contributed to this better destiny, striving to educate more people to be aware of their surroundings. Prince Constantine of Ostroz was one of the pioneers in this area, establishing an Academy in 1580. Later the Metropolitain Petro Mohyla organized a collegium in Kiev, which was also to become an Academy.

Schools were closely related to fraternities (????????), organizations that were mainly involved with the Church. These fraternities maintained churches and religious sites, established orphanages and hospitals, and provided education for the young in schools. Many believe that they were able to uplift the spirits of the people by awakening love for the Church and state and strengthening the emotions of the public. The care and training provided by the fraternities is seen as beneficial in the great leaders of Ukraine, such as Bohdan Khmelnytsky.

The Tartars, a horde of Asiatic people, were constantly attacking the lands of Ukraine. Young men from the Ukrainian villages and towns would group together and go into the steppe, the black-earthed fertile land, on the banks of the Dnieper River, to Zaporizha. There, the young men trained, and protected themselves by putting up defensive barriers. They often retaliated the Tartar attacks; and sometimes they would attack the Tartars in Crimea. These courageous young men are known as the Kozaks, and they left a legacy with traditions, rituals, and spirit, that will never be forgotten by the Ukrainian nation. The government they established in the country of Ukraine in 1648, perhaps spared the nation from losing its identity.

Although Ukrainians have had few freedoms in their long history, they never gave up hope for a better life. Perhaps today, the Ukrainian republic may stand independent, stronger, and better because mistakes made in history are not repeated. If Ukrainian freedom continues on the path on which it is going, historians may see an altercation in the trend of Ukrainian history.

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