Zaporizhzhya Kozaks glorious history for Independence Day

Recently Foreign languages documents department received Vyacheslav Sarychev’s book «Three centuries of the Kozak fleet» (2015). The author is a historian and journalist, he has authored numerous scientific articles on the history of Zaporizhzhya and Ukraine. He also was the scriptwriter and director for several popular and award winning movies about underwater archaeological research of the Zaporizhzhya Sich (16th-18th centuries) and the 18th-century Zaporizhzhya shipyard.

The edition is devoted to the history of Zaporizhzhya Kozaks which is inseparably connected with the sea campaigns and battles. That’s why it is considered to be the history of the Kozak fleet as well. From the late 15th to the late 18th centuries that fleet helped the Kozaks to challenge the confrontation and interaction of Western and Eastern civilizations and protect Ukrainian people from destruction. Taking this into account, the author believes the popular opinion about the historical period of the legendary “chaika’s” existence (from 16th to 17th century) to be arguable. While the Kozaks existed in the place of intersection of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Ottoman Empire and Russia Empire’s expansion directions, their fleet continued to be a significant factor of geopolitical transformations in the Northern Black Sea and the Sea of Azov regions.

Kherson “Window on America” Center is named after the legendary American captain John Paul Jones, so the book’s part of his activity as a head of Black Sea sailing fleet during military engagement in May 1788 and his teamwork with Zaporizhzhya Kozaks attracted our special attention.

The edition is published in English and in Ukrainian. The book is intended for everyone interested in the history of Ukraine and Zaporizhzhya Kozaks.

Some photos from Vyacheslav Sarychev’s book «Three centuries of the Kozak fleet».