Scientists accidentally found the site of a large-scale battle involving Bohdan Khmelnytsky

History hides many more secrets. Recently, scientists have been shocked by a new discovery: during routine archaeological excavations in the Cherkasy region, they found the site of a grand battle of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, in which Bohdan Khmelnytsky took part.

The Battle of Kumeiky took place on 6 December 1637 between the Cossacks and the army of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Bohdan Khmelnytsky was a clerk at the time. The National Museum of History of Ukraine is displaying the first finds discovered by archaeologists at the battlefield. The details were reported by Fakty.

Unique find

The Battle of Kumeiky was a large-scale battle - the battlefield was the area between Kumeiky, Sofiivka, Yasnoziria, and the village of Moshny. According to Serhii Didenko, the head of the archaeological expedition, the researchers first noticed a large number of musket balls. Later, they came across the remains of cold steel and firearms. They also found fragments of Polish equipment, Cossack household items, and even handcuffs (probably for prisoners). Among the finds were coins minted no later than 1637.

An interesting exhibit is the tip of a Polish hussar's spear. Didenko noted that this is a rare exhibit of the early period, and there are very few of them in museums.

Archaeologists unearthed some items from a depth of 0.5 metres, while others were almost on the surface. The scientist stressed that it would take many years to fully explore the battlefield, as the battlefield covered hundreds or even thousands of hectares.

What is known about the Battle of Kumeiky

In 1637, a large uprising against the oppression of the nobility began under the leadership of Hetman of the non-registered Cossacks Pavlo But.

To suppress the uprising, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth sent its best army - more than 5,000 professional soldiers (a significant number at the time). According to scholar Didenko, on 5 December 1637, on the eve of St Nicholas Day, the crown army took up positions between villages in the territory of the modern Cherkasy region.

The next morning, the Cossacks launched an attack, but ran into a swamp in front of the Polish positions. The Cossacks were forced to take a detour to get to the rear - and it was during this manoeuvre that the Rzeczpospolita army attacked the Cossack flank. The Ukrainians quickly built a circular defence and opened fire. During the day, the Cossacks repelled three powerful attacks, and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth army lost almost all its ammunition.

As a result, on December 6, the crown army broke through the defence. The Cossacks retreated towards Cherkasy.

"The war continued with varying success in 1638. In the end, it ended in the defeat of the Cossacks. But these events became a kind of dress rehearsal for the victorious liberation war of 1648-1654," said Serhii Didenko.

Prominent personalities who took part in the Battle of Kumeiky

The Battle of was fought by many famous personalities whose names have gone down in history. These are, in particular:

• Bohdan Khmelnytsky - then a clerk of the Zaporozhian Army
• Pavlo But - Hetman of the Zaporozhian Army
• Dmytro Hunia - hetman, one of the leaders of the Cossack uprisings
• Mykola Potocki - military and statesman of the Commonwealth
• Stefan Czarnecki - future national hero of Poland, then a lieutenant
• Guillaume Levasseur de Beauplan - the future author of maps of Ukraine, then an artillery commander.

Earlier, OBOZREVATEL told about the main events in the life of Bohdan Khmelnytsky and his participation in the war against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

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