Chigirin campaign of 1676 by G. Romodanovskiy: The dethronement of Hetman P. D. Doroshenko and the establishment of the formal control on the Right-bank Ukraine

Abstract

By the beginning of 1676, Hetman P.D. Doroshenko’s relations with the Ottoman Empire, whose headship he recognized, were complicated, and he also had lost the support of most of his own Cossacks. But in spite of his weakness, the Russian government for some time delayed the military campaign to establish its own power in the Right-bank Ukraine. Only on making certain that in summer 1676 the main Turkish and Tatar forces are tied up by battles along Dniestr, the Belgorod voivode Prince G. G. Romodanovsky was given the order to marsh to Chigirin and whenever possible, to force P. D. Doroshenko to surrender without casualties. Doroshenko’s forces were outnumbered by the joint troops of G. G. Romodanovsky and the Left-bank Hetman Ivan Samoylovich, and he was forced to took oath to the Tsar and then to resign on September of 1676. Tsar’s garrison was quartered in Chigirin, Samoylovich’s capital, and the latter was sent into honorable exile to Russia. His dethronement and the takeover of Chigirin led to the open hostilities between Russia and the Ottoman Empire in 1677-1678.