Description

Published with the support of the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies and the Ucrainica Research Institute in Toronto, this booklet (24 pp., 56 colour illustrations) surveys the history of medieval and early modern Baturyn which was a capital of the Cossack Hetman state in 1669-1708. The city was the residence of the hetman as well as high-ranking state officials, church hierarchs, Cossack officers, and cultural elite. Baturyn reached the pinnacle of its development during the hetmancy of Ivan Mazepa (1687-1708), but its fortunes were dashed during Mazepa’s anti-Moscow insurrection in 1708. After Mazepa and his Cossack troops sided with the Swedish king Charles XII, the Russian army under Aleksandr Menshikov devastated Baturyn and massacred its entire population.

The booklet discusses the results of Canadian-Ukrainian excavations in 2012-13 of the site of Mazepa’s burned palace in Baturyn and features computer reconstructions of its architectural design and rich baroque decorations. Archaeological data provides valuable insights into the lifestyle, education, intellectual pursuits, and cultural interests of the Cossack officers or officials at Mazepa’s court. Archaeological findings also attest to the high level of development of arts and crafts in the capital of the Hetman state and the city’s dynamic trade relations with Western Europe, Muscovy (Russia), and the Ottoman Empire.