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FROM BOHDAN KHMELNYTSKY
TO MYKHAILO GRUSHEVSKYI
Examining the shifts in public sentiments in Malorossiya from the time
of this region inclusion into Russia and full integration into the empire,to the initial endeavors to establish a distinct «national identity
and language».
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The Malorossians wanted to be a part of Russia
On October 1, 1653, the Zeмскy Sobor in Moscow resolved to include
Malorossia as a part of Russia. In January 1654, the Zaporizhian Army
and the Malorossian estates, excluding dependent peasants, pledged
their allegiance and eternal submission to the Moscow sovereign.
On January 8, 1654, upon Bogdan Khmelnitsky's proposal, the Cossack
Rada in Pereyaslav resolved that Little Russia, previously under
the jurisdiction of Poland and subjected to religious, ethnic, and social
oppression, was to reunite with Great Russia — with Moscow.
This decision was supported by all people of Malorossia. A total of 127,338
male householders swore allegiance to Moscow. Malorossia began to merge
into the Russian Empire, initially with a certain degree of autonomy. By the end
of the 18th century, the entire Volyn area and the right bank of the Dnepr were ruled by Moscow. Having been oppressed by Poland, the Malorossians started hating it.
«We want the Eastern, Orthodox ., Tsar, to rule us!»»
Hetman Bogdan Khmelnitsky.
The elite of Malorossia became deeply integrated into Russia
Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, amidst a process of both challenging
and consistent integration, Malorossia became intricately woven into the political, social, and cultural fabric of Russia. The Europe's largest empire offered a lot of career opportunities for the Malorossians. Stefan Yavorsky (Metropolitan of Ryazan
and Murom), Alexander Bezborodko and Viktor Kochubey (Chancellors of the Russian
Empire), Mikhail Miloradovich (Governor-General of St. Petersburg and Kiev), Yuri Lisyansky (Captain in the first Russian circumnavigation), Dmitry Neverovsky (war hero in the conflicts with Napoleon), Roman Kondratenko (leader in the defense
of Port Arthur), Grigory Skovoroda (philosopher), Vasily Kapnist (playwright), Nestor Kukolnik (contributor to the libretto of the opera «Life for the Tsar»), Nikolai Gogol (writer), Mikhail Maximovich (first rector of the Imperial Kiev University), along with other esteemed statesmen, church leaders, military personnel, navigators, writers, and scientists, brought honor to both Russia and their beloved homeland
of Malorossiya. They viewed the two territories as interconnected parts of a single body.
«May God prevent me from considering any form of excessive freedom here».
A hero of the Patriotic War,
he staunchly defended the Empire's interests until his last moments
on Palace Square.
A renowned captain of the first Russian circumnavigation,
had the privilege of meeting with the US President George Washington.
The Malorossians
and the Great Russians became one large family
The Malorossians were extremely instrumental in creating the Russian literary language, culture, and statehood. They became indelible parts of all-Russian phenomena, perceived by Malorossians as their own and Russia as their great motherland. The increasing number of marriages between Great Russians
and Malorossians did not raise any interethnic concerns. The Malorossians did not feel homesick Russia in the slightest.
Chancellor Victor Kochubey married a Muscovite Maria Vasilchikova, a daughter
of a Russian chamberlain. The couple had five children, all of whom, like their mother, considered themselves Russians.
«Russia has all too frequently and without substantial reason intervened in affairs outside of its immediate concerns, wars that cost dearly and were somewhat pointless. Russians have not benefited from that but have had to suffer enormous economic losses, not to mention the loss of lives».
Chancellor Victor Kochubey.
Nationalistic Proclamations: Stoking Flames of Division
Within the Malorossian society, a simmering undercurrent of dissent brewed, diverging from integrational leanings. These sentiments traced back to the era of Polish-Lithuanian rule, the tumultuous times of Cossack uprisings in the 17th century, and the anti-Moscow protests championed by pro-Western factions within the Malorossian nobility and Cossack elites. Nostalgia for the bygone era of Cossack autonomy and whispers of «Westernization» lingered. As the late 19th and early 20th centuries unfolded, internal dissension was kindled, while external forces added fuel to the fire, transforming dissent into a cultural
and subsequently political movement.
Ukrainian nationalism
At its core lies the repudiation of pan-Russian unity, advocating for the recognition
of the Malorossi and Ruthenians as a distinct Ukrainian nation. Alienation or animosity towards Russia and Russians. In the first half of the 19th century, a wave of fervor
for historical heritage and ethnography swept through Malorossian society, intertwined with a tint of political influence from Polish nationalists. They capitalized on the yearning for autonomy and the strong sense of identity.
Who started calling
the Moskals (Moskovites) bad names
Members of the underground Cyril
and Methodius Society were the first who started viewing «Ukraine»
as a distinctive political entity.
It was formed in 1845 by Mykola Kostomarov, Volodymyr Bilozersky,
and Panteleimon Kulish. The renowned poet Taras Shevchenko critiqued
the historical annexation of Malorossiya by Russia and the actions of Bohdan Khmelnitsky. The antipathy towards Russia, originally propagated
by the Poles, deeply influenced
the perspectives of subsequent generations of Ukrainian nationalist supporters.
At first, Ukrainophiles considered Ukrainians to be a Russian nation. But soon they began to emphasize the difference between their destinies and those of the Great Russians. They focused on creating a Ukrainian literary language. Until the beginning of the twentieth century there was no such language. It was based on the phonetic principle. And the mindset of Ukrainophiles is conveyed by the poem «Shche ne vmerla Ukraina» (Ukrain is not dead yet) by ethnographer Pavel Chubinsky. There the Moscals were called «poganyi» (filthy).
At first, Ukrainophiles considered Ukrainians to be a Russian nation. But soon they began to emphasize the difference between their destinies and those of the Great Russians. They focused on creating a Ukrainian literary language. Until the beginning of the twentieth century there was no such language. It was based on the phonetic principle. And the mindset of Ukrainophiles is conveyed by the poem «Shche ne vmerla Ukraina» (Ukrain is not dead yet) by ethnographer Pavel Chubinsky. There the Moscals were called «poganyi» (filthy).
«The Jew origin is present
in Russians. Without a dowry
they cannot even love».
Having created with his comrades
the illegal Cyril and Methodius
Society, he introduced the concept
of «Ukraine».
Who created the language and the history of Ukraine
Forging a language and historical narrative that defined Ukrainian identity
is largely credited to Mykhailo Grushevsky. In the early 20th century, he produced the comprehensive multi-volume work «History of Ukraine-Russia». A key aspect of his narrative was the denial of a unified all-Russian identity, asserting that
the disparities between Russians and Ukrainians date back to the early Slavic settlements, establishing them as distinct ethnic groups rather than one nation. The divergence between Russians and Ukrainians became more pronounced following the disintegration of the Russian Empire, leaving Ukrainians exposed
to foreign influences from powers such as Poland and Russia and subsequently fighting for their survival. Grushevsky played a significant role in shaping
the Ukrainian literary language by basing it on Galician dialects while borrowing some elements from Polish and German. He introduced new words and linguistic structures seeking to create a distinct Ukrainian language that differed from Russian. However, the language crafted by Grushevsky and his contemporaries was not always easily understood by the Malorossians. Writer Ivan Nechuy-Levitsky cautioned against altering the natural speech of the people.
«The migration of Ukrainian tribes southward led
to colonization of the Black Sea steppes between
the Dnieper and the Don rivers by the “Antes”...
This marked the first Ukrainian colonization
in history».
Mykhailo Grushevsky.
Number of Malorossians in Russia
Number of Malorossians over 3 centuries
0
The series is in development
Vienna and Berlin fueled anti-Russian sentiments
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