Petro Konashevych-Sahaidachny

Cossacks capturing Caffa (Feodosia). Woodcut from 1622 book

By the end of the 16th century, Sahaidachny traveled to Zaporizhia, where in 1605, he was elected as a kosh otaman of the Zaporozhian Host cossacks. Under his control, the Host participated in campaigns against the Crimean Tatars and the Turks. The Сossacks fleet captured the Turkish fortress Varna, burned and destroyed a strong Turkish navy (10,000 ships). He is famous for his sea sorties on Crimea and Turkey and in 1616 captured Caffa (Feodosia) on the Crimean peninsula, the largest center of the slave trade. He released from slavery many Christian men, women and children.[7][8]

In 1618, Sahaidachny joined the anti-Turkish Holy League.[6] While he was battling the Turks, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth requested his assistance for war with Muscovy (Russian Tsardom); they wanted him to provide Władysław IV Vasa, the King of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, with 20,000 Cossacks near Moscow. Sahaidachny did, and seized the forts in the cities of Putivl, Kursk, Livny, Yelets and many others. Near Serpukhov Sahaidachny forced the Muscovite army to flee. The Muscovite troops under command of the voivode G. Volkonsky forced the Cossacks to take a detour, but were unable to stop the advance of the Cossacks regiments to Moscow. In September 1618 he forced to flee the army of another Muscovite nobleman, Vasilii Buturlin. Later, the united army of Jan Karol Chodkiewicz and Sahaidachny sieged Moscow and on 11 October tried to take the Arbat Gates but then get the order to stop the storm.

In late October, the army of Sahaidachny moved in a raid towards the south from Moscow. During this raid the army captured the city of Serpukhov, and in early December it captured Kaluga. John III Sobieski wrote that this successful raid caused panic among the Russians and forced them to conclude negotiations as soon as possible. The whole campaign finally culminated in December 1618 by signing the Truce of Deulino, resulting in the greatest territorial expansion of the Commonwealth.

The Cossacks' invasion of Muscovy has been described by Ukrainian historian Valery Smolyi as "not the best page of Sahaidachny's biography".[9] Sahaidachy and his cossacks had been positioning themselves as supporters of the Orthodox Christianity and potential allies of Muscovy.[10] However, they left the "bloody trace" which extended from Livny to Moscow and back to Kaluga and Kyiv.[11] In research of Russian, Ukrainian and American historians Cossacks have been blamed for destroying and robbing Orthodox churches, cities and villages, killing children and women, who belonged to Orthodox (Greek) Christianity.[12][13][14] Later, Sahaidachny asked Patriarch Teophanes III of Jerusalem to forgive him for such behavior.[10]

Sahaidachny returned to Zaporizhia, and did not only become a kosh otaman, but was also the Hetman of Ukraine. (Another source claims that in 1621 he was a colonel of the Commonwealth Registered Cossacks regiment.)[10] In order to avoid conflict with the Poles, Sahaidachny agreed to limit the Cossack register to 3,000 men; the remainder were regarded as peasants ("kholopy"). He also banned unauthorized Cossack sea raids to Turkey and the king gave Sahaidachny the right to be called an elder of the Cossacks ("starshina").[15]

A sword gifted to Sahaidachny by king Vladislaus Vasa as a sign of gratitude for his services at the Battle of Khotyn

Not only did Sahaidachny fight for control, he also fought for the religious and cultural rights of the Ukrainian people. In 1620, he registered himself and his entire Zaporozhian Host as students into the Kyiv Epiphany Brotherhood School, that preceded the current Kyiv Mohyla Academy. It was done in order to protect the school from conversion from an Orthodox school into a Roman Catholic Jesuit Collegium. He also contributed to the establishment of a cultural center in Kyiv and sought to unite the Cossack military with the Ukrainian clergy and nobility.

In early 1620 Sahaidachny sent an envoy to the Russian tsar. At this time there was the Patriarch Teophanes III of Jerusalem and this envoy held talks with him about the possibility of his arrival in Ukraine.

In 1620, Sahaidachny convinced Patriarch Teophanes III, who recently returned from Moscow, to reconstruct the Orthodox hierarchy, that was almost destroyed by the creation of the Greek-Catholic Church. As a result, the Metropolis of Kiev, Galicia and all Ruthenia was erected mainly on the territory of the Commonwealth.

Patriarch Teophanes III of Jerusalem blamed Cossacks for the participation in the Muscovy campaign saying that damnation have been put on them for this, because Muscovites are Orthodox Christians and in a future they never would fight again against them.[16][17]

The patriarch appointed Iov Boretsky as a Kyivan Metropolitan bishop and five other bishops at the same time.[6] Because the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth had threatened to arrest Teophanes III as a spy, Sahaidachny was guaranteed his protection by the patriarch. After the new metropoliten and bishops were installed, Sahaidachny escorted the patriarch to the Ottoman border with a 3,000 men Cossack army.[15]

The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth accepted the appointment, because it wanted to keep close contacts with Sahaidachny after the Turks defeated the Polish army at the Battle of Ţuţora (1620).

Because of Sahaidachny's moderate policies towards Commonwealth, he provoked dissatisfaction among the Cossacks, and in 1620, they briefly elected Yatsko Borodavka as hetman.[6]

Defending the Polish banner at Khotyn, painting of the Battle at Khotyn in 1621 by Juliusz Kossak, 1892.

In 1621, the famous Battle of Khotyn had occurred, where close to 80,000 Cossacks and Polish troops fought against 160,000 Turkish army. The battle held at bay for a whole month, until the first snow compelled Osman II to withdraw his weakened forces.[18] Sahaidachny and his army played a significant role in the battle, forcing the Turks to sign an unfavorable peace treaty. During the battle, Sahaidachny was seriously wounded. After the battle, the Polish king sent Sahaidachny a sword in recognition of his services.