Ivan Zolotarenko

Ivan Nikiforovich Zolotarenko (; ; ; ; ; died 1655) was a Zaporozhian Cossack acting hetman of Belarus and polkovnyk (colonel) of the Nizhyn Regiment. A close associate and brother-in-law of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, he fought against the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and supported alliance with Tsardom of Russia during the Pereiaslav Rada in 1654.

Origin

Zolotarenko's date of birth is unknown, but he is believed to have come from an Orthodox Ruthenian Cossack noble family with origins in Korsun-Shevchenkivskyi (present-day Cherkasy Oblast, Ukraine) and was a close associate of Bohdan Khmelnytsky. He was a brother-in-law to Bohdan Khmelnytsky due to Khmelnytsky's marriage to Hanna Zolotarenko.

Career

In 1646, Zolotarenko potentially took part in the Siege of Dunkirk alongside Ivan Sirko during the Thirty Years' War. In August–November 1651, he was entrusted by Bohdan Khmelnytsky to go on diplomatic missions to the Tsardom of Russia. In 1652, he was appointed as the new polkovnyk (colonel) of Nizhyn Regiment and took part in the Battle of Batih. He also assisted the Russian army in recapture of Smolensk during the Tsar Alexei's campaign. Zolotarenko's Cossacks and his Russian allies captured Minsk and Vilnius during the campaign.

Zolotarenko and his Cossacks established their administration in the occupied southern parts of Belarus, which also led to dispute with Russian authorities over control of these lands. Zolotarenko promoted cossackization of the Belarusian lands he governed and managed to assert his authority in disputes with the Russian officials. Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich granted Zolotarenko the right to own Baturyn and Hlukhiv for his exploits in the Belarusian campaign.

Atrocities

Ivan Zolotarenko was nicknamed a werewolf for his brutality during the conquest.

On September 1654, Zolotarenko’s Cossacks massacred thousands of Polish civilians in the Pripet Marshes. The most infamous example of his atrocities was the plunder of Vilnius in 1655, after its fall to the Russo–Cossack troops and of up to 25,000 civilians. Zolotarenko's Cossacks burnt the Jewish quarter and massacred many Jews in process. Russian officer M.P. Voeikov in his letter to Moscow stated "I cannot serve alongside Zolotarenko here, I fear him more than the Poles".

Legends

Ivan Zolotarenko was believed to have possessed magical powers associated with Kharakternyks (Cossack Sorcerers) during his life. According to a legend, Zolotarenko died after being pierced by a silver bullet, as a regular bullet couldn't kill a Sorcerer. The legend also holds that during his funeral a church was caught on fire. This was later used by the Catholic propaganda as evidence of "God's punishment" for Zolotarenko's crimes against Poles, Lithuanians and Jews.

Commemoration

In present-day Ukrainian cities of Korsun-Shevchenkivskyi, Chernihiv and Chyhyryn streets were named after Ivan Zolotarenko. On 23 November, 2018, in the Ukrainian city of Nizhyn on the a memorial plaque was erected in honor of Ivan Zolotarenko.