Evaluations of Khmelnytskyi

Polish historians usually give negative assessments of Khmelnytskyi’s activity. Bukowietska, for example, blamed the hetman for initiating a bloody civil war, in which a “brother fought against a brother” (since Ukrainian Cossacks fought against Polonized Ukrainian szlahta). She called the hetman a “primitive drunkard” (because of his habit of excessive drinking), who “destroyed the liberties his people enjoyed.” Another Polish historian J. Friedberg said that Ukrainian Cossacks were ruled by greed in the war and that they used the slogan of protecting the Orthodox religion only to cover their real egoistic intentions. In his opinion, the Cossack leaders wanted “heaven on earth for themselves,” where peasants would be their serfs. Many Polish historians consider Khmelnytskyi as traitor, who by starting a civil war and by concluding unions with Poland’s enemies betrayed his motherland – the Rzeczpospolita.

Jewish historians blame Khmelnytskyi for initiation of pogroms and massacres of the Jewish people. They call him the instigator of the first genocidal catastrophe or first ‘holocaust’ in the history of the Jews. They generally give a very negative assessment of the Cossacks as rude and cruel people.

Contemporary Russian historians (as did their tsarist and Soviet colleagues) praise Khmelnytskyi for the Pereiaslav Agreement which initiated the unification of Ukraine and Russia. Russian historians have tried to prove that the only aim of the Khmelnytskyi uprising was the overwhelming desire of the Ukrainians to be “reunited” with their “older brothers” – the Russians. Most Russian politicians support this theory as it suits Russia’s political aims well. In general, Russian historians say that the Ancient Rus People or Древнерусский народ (Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarusians) was artificially separated by the Tatar-Mongols in the 13^th century; then later in the 17^th century hetman Khmelnytskyi “fulfilled the desire of the Ukrainians to be reunited” with their powerful brothers. Thus, Ukrainians and Russians should live together as they in fact have common roots and can be considered two branches of the same people. Present-day Ukrainian historians severely criticize this theory as it undermines Ukraine’s historical foundation for independence. Many Ukrainian historians think that it would have been better if the hetman had refrained from the union with Moscow. The famous Ukrainian poet T. Shevchenko was especially critical of the hetman for brining Ukraine under Russian control. Some Ukrainian historians, however, praise Khmelnytskyi. They say that he raised national consciousness and dignity among Ukrainians and managed to get autonomy which lasted over 100 years within Russia’s borders.

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