Pylyp Orlyk's March on Right-bank Ukraine () was the military campaign of the Cossack Hetman Pylyp Orlyk in Right-bank Ukraine in January–April 1711 (N.S.) in order to liberate its territory from Moscow's troops and to restore the hetman's power after the Battle of Poltava and the death of Ivan Mazepa in 1709.
Due to improper training, bad timing and the defection of Tatar allies, the campaign ended in the defeat of Orlyk's troops and led to the loss of support for the hetman among the Ukrainian population.
Preconditions The defeat of Swedish and Cossack troops near Poltava, the punitive expedition of Moscow's troops in Ukraine and the destruction of the Chortomlyk Sich, which took place in 1709, radically changed the balance of forces in Ukraine. After the military defeat, hetman Ivan Mazepa together with Cossack starshyna (senior Cossack officers) were forced to retreat to Bender, Moldova in the Ottoman Empire's territory, where Mazepa died in on 2 October 1709 (N.S.).
Six months after Mazepa's death, on 16 April 1710 (N.S.) in Bender, Pylyp Orlyk was elected as the new hetman in exile. The election took place in the presence of Zaporozhian Cossacks and general starshyna, as well as the Turkish sultan and the Swedish king.
Charles XII, even after his defeat near Poltava, did not intend to abandon his efforts in Eastern Europe, and planned a new operation aimed at consolidating Ukraine under Pylyp Orlyk, and Poland under Stanisław Leszczyński. Right-bank Ukraine, and in part Left-bank and Slobozhanshchyna, were to become the field of the action that, if successful, would have to be extended to Poland.
The Ottoman authorities, concerned about Russia's approach to their borders, also fully supported this operation. With the support of Charles XII, Pylyp Orlyk entered into an alliance with the Crimean Tatars and the Ottoman Empire, and on November 8, 1710, the latter, supporting hetman Orlyk, declared war on Russia.
The Turkish army started the march led by the grand vizier Numan Pasha. However, the troops moved very slowly, and reached the Danube river only in mid-June 1711.
The created union included Zaporozhian Cossacks, Swedes and Tatars. Prior to the campaign, the Cairo Treaty of defensive-offensive military alliance was signed between the exile government of Pylyp Orlyk and the Crimean Khanate.Кресін Олексій Веніамінович. Політико-правові аспекти відносин урядів Івана Мазепи та Пилипа Орлика з Кримським ханством Orlyk's significant diplomatic merit was that he managed to oblige the Tatars not to take yasir — prisoners, not to rob churches and not to commit violence when entering Ukrainian territory.Костомаровъ «Мазепа и Мазепинцы», С.-Петербургъ 1885, стор. 629Переписка Орлика й інших діячів походу в Чтен. Импер. Москов. Истор. Обід. 1847, No. 1, с. 47—49.
Crimean raid on Sloboda Ukraine (January–March 1711) As part of the general plan, in January 1711 the Crimean Tatar khan Devlet Giray went to Sloboda Ukraine with his main forces (approximately 50,000 members of the Crimean army) and several hundreds of Cossacks.Д. И. Эварницкій: «Исторія запорожскихъ казаковъ», С.-Петербургь 1897, т. III, стор. 494.
The Crimean army met almost no resistance in Sloboda Ukraine. Small garrisons in the fortified towns and cities of the Kharkiv Regiment could not hold out. General Shidlovsky, who was tasked with defending Sloboda Ukraine from the Tatars, had not even arrived in Kharkiv yet.Мышлаевскій: «Сборникъ военно-историческихъ матеріалов», С.-Петербургъ 1898, с. 54 The locals and the Cossacks were partly intimidated, partly just not hostile to the Tatars, especially when seeing Zaporozhian Cossacks among the Tatar ranks.Мышлаевскій: «Сборникъ военно-историческихъ матеріалов», С.-Петербургъ 1898, с. 13, 49
For example, the town of Vodolahy of the Kharkiv Regiment did not resist — on the contrary, people brought bread and salt to the Tatars; others, like Merefa and Taranivka, tried to defend themselves but were seized.Кореспонденція з Бендер (анонімна) з 6(16) травня 1711 — Preuss. Geh. St.-flr. Rep. XI. Russland 22a— додаток до реляції пруського резидента у Відні з 27 червня н. ст. 1711 р.
Before reaching Kharkiv, the khan suddenly turned back to the Samara River, where he laid siege to two fortified fortresses: Novoserhiivska and Novobohorodytska. The Novoserhiiv Cossacks and their officers surrendered to the Tatars voluntarily, handing over the Moscow garrison of the city: one captain and 80 soldiers. The garrison of the Novobohorodytska fortress stubbornly defended itself, so that the khan had to lift the siege.Д. И. Эварницкій: «Исторія запорожскихъ казаковъ», С.-Петербургь 1897, т. III, с. 496
Initially gaining a foothold near Samara, the khan moved back: according to the correspondence from Bender, on 13 March O.S. (24 March N.S.) he was already in Crimea.генерал Шидловський у своїм донесенню до адмірала Aпраксіна з 12 березня каже, що татарський хан пішов від Самари до Криму 5 березня (Сбор. воєнно.-истор. мат., стор. 54) On his way back, Devlet Giray left about 1,000 Cossack-Tatar guards near Samara and a small garrison in the Novoserhiivska Fortress, promising to return to Ukraine in spring.
Immediately after the retreat of the Tatars, hetman of the Left-bank Ukraine Ivan Skoropadsky occupied this important outpost in the South East, and the Cossacks who voluntarily joined the Crimean khan were executed.
The Tatar raid had a detrimental effect on Orlyk's reputation — after the Tatar invasion, the hetman could not count on any support from the residents of the Left-bank Ukraine and Slobozhanshchyna.
Main campaign The Swedish king undertook to wage war until Ukraine was liberated from Moscow rule, and the Turks and Tatars pledged their help in this effort. Pylyp Orlyk was well prepared for the campaign. He sent letters-universals with calls for revolt against the power of the Moscow tsar. The people supported Orlyk, and one by one the cities of Right-bank Ukraine came under the rule of the hetman. Pylyp Orlyk also sent a letter with calls for fight to the hetman of the Left-bank Ukraine Ivan Skoropadsky, which greatly frightened the Moscow government and Peter I.
Launch of the campaign On 11 or 12 February 1711 (O.S.),Gierowski Józef A. Orlik Filip h. Nowina (1672—1742) // Polski Słownik Biograficzny.— Wrocław — Warszawa — Kraków — Gdańsk: Zakład Narodowy Imienia Ossolińskich, Wydawnictwo Polskiej Akademii Nauk, 1979. — Tom XXIV/1, zeszyt 100. — S. 198. Pylyp Orlyk started the main part of the campaign, and the army left Bender. The Tatar part of the army consisted of the Budjak and Bilhorod hordes (20,000-30,000 people), led by the Crimean khan's son, Sultan Galga (Kalga Sultan). The Poles (supporters of Stanisław I Leszczyński) acted under the command of Kyiv voivode Józef Potocki and headman Galecki. The Cossacks were under the command of Kost Hordiienko. The Poles and Cossacks together had 6,000~7,000 soldiers.Пилип Орлик на Правобережній Україні в 1711 р. — Д-р. Б. Крупницький (За державність No. 4, 1934) There was also a small number of Swedes in the army (around 30 officers). Pylyp Orlyk was the commander-in-chief and Charles XII accompanied the army for some time before returning to Bender.
On the Right Bank Near Rashkiv, the army moved to the territory of the Right Bank of Ukraine and quickly began to move forward. Józef Potocki insisted on advancing towards Lithuania. In the first half of February the army was located in a wide area between Nemyriv, Bratslav and Vinnytsia: Kalga Sultan settled in Vinnytsia; Cossacks and Poles were concentrated near Nemyriv.Фельдмаршалъ графъ Б. П. Шереметевъ: «Военно-походный журналъ 1711 и 1712 г. г.», С.-Петербургъ, 1898. — С. 12. There was no resistance from the Moscow-Cossack forces: general Volkonsky and his subordinate general Vidman, who stood on the borders of Moldavia, were falling back without a fight, first guarding Kamianets and later retreating through Berdychiv to Kyiv. In the second half of February, the alliance army was resting after the quick move.
In this phase of the campaign the situation was very good for Orlyk. Society and almost all Right-bank regiments, with the exception of a few hundreds of the Bila Tserkva Regiment, joined his army. The Moscow authorities were very concerned about the course of events.Костомаровъ. «Мазепа и Мазепинцы». — С.-Петербургъ, 1885. — С. 631.
The important prerequisite of the positive reaction from the people was not only dissatisfaction with the Moscow authorities and their colonels, but also the fact that a large and diverse army did not allow for bullying and looting.Арх. Юг.-Зап. Рос, III—2, с. 188 This was a great achievement of Pylyp Orlyk, who understood that the success of the whole campaign depended on it.Мышлаевскій. «Сборникъ военно-историческихъ матеріалові». — С.-Петербургъ 1898. — С. 49.
At this stage of the campaign, supplies for the army were sufficient: people voluntarily supplied soldiers with fodder and provisions, the sultan also brought some supplies with him.
Fight near Lysianka
In late February or early March, the alliance army continued the move. It was headed to the only still respected Moscow outpost on the Right Bank of Ukraine — Bila Tserkva. The route ran first to the east, to Zvenyhorodka, and from there — to the northwest, to the river Ros.Переписка Орлика й інших діячів походу в Чтен. Импер. Москов. Истор. Обід. 1847, No. 1, с. 66 The goal was, obviously, to seize the whole Right-bank Ukraine all the way to the Dnieper river: for that the capture of the Bila Tserkva was essential.
An army under the command of general osavul Stepan Butovych opposed Pylyp Orlyk's troops and was defeated in the battle near Lysianka, the osavul himself was taken prisoner. The hetman was supported by the revolted Ukrainian people.
The victory near Lysyanka had a significant resonance. Ukrainian cities, including the regimental Bohuslav and Korsun, surrendered without a fight. Mazepa's successor was supported in his quest to extend his power to the Right Bank by colonel Samiilo Samus of the Bohuslav Regiment, colonel Andrii Kandyba of the Korsun Regiment, colonel Ivan Popovych of the Uman Regiment, and colonel Danylo Sytynskyi of the Kaniv Regiment. This was facilitated by Pylyp Orlyk's letters-universals "to the militant maloros people" with a call to oppose the Moscow tsar. One of them was issued by the hetman on March 9, 1711, in Lysianka.
Pylyp Orlyk's universals were known throughout Right-Bank Ukraine and were distributed up to and including the Pereiaslav Regiment lands. Impressed by the successful combat maneuvers and the transition of the Cossack rulers to his side, the hetman informed King Charles XII of Sweden that his army had grown more than fivefold.
The Siege of Bila Tserkva
After the victory near Lysianka, the road to Bila Tserkva was cleared. This time the army moved slowly so that it reached Bila Tserkva region around March 18.
While advancing in the Syniava — Rokytne area, the army started to experience problems with provisions — hence the requisitions of the population intensified. As a result, the discipline was shaken — not only Tatars but also Poles allowed themselves violence against the civilian population.Переписка Орлика й інших діячів походу в Чтен. Импер. Москов. Истор. Обід. 1847, No. 1, с. 58
In such difficult conditions, the army spent another week crossing the Ros — the dam and the bridge near Syniava were destroyed, and the help of the locals was needed.Переписка Орлика й інших діячів походу в Чтен. Импер. Москов. Истор. Обід. 1847, No. 1, с. 68