Despite a serene sunset on the Dnipro river, the mood is tense for the Zaporozhian Cossacks. The year is 1676, and the Treaty of Żurawno has officially ended hostilities between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Ottoman Empire. But as Stepan and his men ride towards their stronghold, peace is far from their minds.
Meskipun senjanya sunyi di sungai Dnieper, suasanya tegang bagi Cossack Zaphorizhia. Tahunnya adalah 1676, dan Perjanjian Żurawno telah mengakhiri permusuhan antara Persemakmuran Polandia-Lituania dan Kesultanan Utsmaniyah. Tetapi saat Stepan dan anak buahnya menuju benteng pertahanannya, mereka tidak memikirkan kedamaian.
Having made their home in the Wild Fields north of the Black Sea, these cossacks— derived from a Turkic word for "free man"— are renowned as one of Europe’s most formidable military forces. Composed of hunters, fishermen, nomads and outlaws, the Cossacks found freedom in these fertile unclaimed lands. Yet this freedom has proven increasingly difficult to maintain. Their decades-long strategy of shifting alliances between Poland and Moscow has led to the partitioning of their lands. In a desperate bid to reclaim independence and reunite the fractured Cossack state, their most recent leader, hetman Petro Doroshenko allied with the Ottoman Empire. This alliance successfully freed the Zaporozhian Cossacks in the west from Polish dominion, but their victory was a bitter one. Doroshenko’s Ottoman allies ravaged the countryside, carrying off peasants into slavery. And outrage at allying with Muslims against fellow Christians cost him any remaining local support. Now, with Doroshenko deposed and exiled, the Cossacks are at odds, disagreeing on what their next move should be.
Berwisma di Dzike Polie, di utara Laut Hitam, para Cossack— dari kata dalam bahasa Turki yang berarti "bebas"— terkenal sebagai kekuatan militer yang paling tangguh di Eropa. Para Cossack terdiri dari pemburu, nelayan, nomad, dan penjahat. Mereka menemukan kebebasan di tanah yang subur dan belum dimiliki. Namun kebebasan ini semakin lama semakin susah untuk dipertahankan. Strategi mereka yang berpindah persekutuan antara Polandia dan Moskow mengakibatkan pemisahan wilayah mereka. Dalam percobaan mengembalikan kemerdekaan dan menyatukan wilayah Cossack kembali, pemimpin Cossack terbaru, hetman Petro Doroshenko bersekutu bersama Kesultanan Utsmaniyah. Persekutuan ini membebaskan Cossack Cossack Zaphorizhia di barat dari kekuasaan Polandia, namun kemenangannya tidak tanpa kerugian. Sekutu Utsmaniyah Doroshenko merusak wilayah pedesaan, membawa rakyat jelata menjadi budak. Dan kemarahan akibat bersekutu bersama para Muslim melawan sesama Kristen menghilangkan dukungan yang tersisa. Sekarang, Doroshenko dimakzul dan diasingkan, para Cossack bingung, tidak setuju tentang langkah berikut mereka.
Until then, Stepan must keep order. With his musket and curved saber, he cuts an imposing figure. He surveys his battalion of 180 men. Most are Orthodox Christians and speak a Slavic language that will become modern Ukrainian. But there are also Greeks, Tatars, and even some Mongolian Kalmyks, many with different opinions on recent events. Officially, all of Stepan’s men have sworn to uphold the Cossack code by undergoing seven years of military training and remaining unmarried. In practice, some are part-timers, holding more closely to their own traditions, and maintaining families in nearby villages, outside Cossack lands.
Hingga saat itu, Stepan harus menjaga ketertiban. Dengan senapan lontak dan sabelnya, ia tampak gagah. Stepan memeriksa batalyonnya, yang terdiri dari 180 prajurit. Mayoritas adalah Kristen Ortodoks, dan menggunakan bahasa Slavik yang akan menjadi bahasa Ukrania modern. Namun ada juga orang Yunani, Tatar, dan beberapa Kalmuk dari Mongolia, yang berpendapat beda-beda akan kejadian yang barusan berlalu. Secara resmi, semua prajurit Stepan telah bersumpah untuk menjujung kode Cossack dengan melalui tujuh tahun pelatihan militer dan tidak menikah. Namun dalam praktiknya, ada beberapa yang lebih memilih tradisinya sendiri dan berkeluarga di dusun di luar wilayah Cossack.
Thankfully, the tenuous peace is not broken before they reach the Sich— the center of Cossack military life. Currently located at Chortomlyk, the Sich’s location shifts with the tide of military action. The settlement is remarkably well- organized, with administrative buildings, officers’ quarters, and even schools, as Cossacks prize literacy. Stepan and his men make their way to the barracks where they live and train alongside several other battalions or kurins, all of which make up a several hundred man regiment.
Untungnya, kesunyiannya tidak hilang sebelum mereka sampai ke Sich— titik pusat dari kehidupan militer Cossack. Sekarang letaknya ada di Chortomlyk, namun letaknya berpindah dengan pusat kejadian militer. Huniannya sangat rapi, dengan gedung administratif, rumah petugas, bahkan sekolah, karena para Cossack menjunjung tinggi literasi. Stepan dan prajuritnya kembali ke perkemahan tempat tinggal serta latihan, bersama beberapa batalyon, atau kurin, lain. Semuanya merupakan anggota resimen yang terdiri dari beberapa ratus anggota.
Inside, the men dine on dried fish, sheep’s cheese, and salted pork fat— along with plenty of wine. Stepan instructs his friend Yuri to lighten the mood with his bandura. But before long, an argument has broken out. One of his men has raised a toast to Doroshenko. Stepan cuts him off. The room is silent until he raises his own toast to Ivan Sirko, the new hetman who favors an alliance with Moscow against the Turks. Stepan plans to support him, and he expects his men to do the same.
Di dalam, para prajurit menikmati ikan kering, keju kambing, dan lemak babi asin— tentu saja dengan anggur yang banyak. Stepan menyuruh temannya, Yuri, untuk mencairkan suasana dengan banduranya. Tidak lama setelah itu, mulailah sebuah pertengkaran. Salah satu prajuritnya bersulang untuk Doroshenko. Stepan memotong pembicaraannya. Ruangannya hening hingga Stepan bersulang untuk Ivan Sirko, hetman baru yang lebih memilih persekutuan dengan Moskow melawan Turki. Stepan berencana mendukungnya, dan ia mengharap prajuritnya juga mendukungnya.
Suddenly, one of Sirko’s men rushes in, calling an emergency Rada, or general council meeting. Stepan and the others make their way towards the church square— the center of Sich life. Ivan Sirko welcomes the confused crowd with exciting news— scouts have located a large Ottoman camp completely vulnerable on one side. Sirko vows that tomorrow, they will ride against their common enemy, defend the Cossacks’ autonomy, and bring unity to the Wild Fields. As the men cheer in unison, Stepan is relieved at their renewed sense of brotherhood.
Tiba-tiba, salah satu prajurit Sirko datang, memanggil Rada darurat, atau pertemuan dewan umum. Stepan dan yang lain berangkat ke halaman gereja— pusat dari kehidupan di Sich. Ivan Sirko menyambut gerombolan yang bingung dengan kabar baik— para pengintai telah menemukan perkemahan Utsmaniyah yang mudah diserang. Sirko berjanji bahwa besok, mereka akan bangkit melawan musuh bersamanya, mempertahankan kemerdekaan para Cossack, dan merdekakan Dzike Polie. Saat prajuritnya bersorak bersama, Stepan lega karena hubungan para prajurit membaik.
Over the next 200 years, these freedom fighters would take on many foes. And tragically, they would eventually become the oppressive hand of the Russian government they once opposed. But today, these 17th century Cossacks are remembered for their spirit of independence and defiance. As the Russian painter Ilya Repin once said: “No people in the world held freedom, equality, and fraternity so deeply.”
Pada 200 tahun berikutnya, para prajurit gagah ini akan melawan banyak musuh. Dan sedihnya, mereka akhirnya menjadi anak buah pemerintah Rusia yang dulunya mereka lawan. Namun hari ini, Cossack abad ke-17 ini dikenang karena semangat kemandirian dan pembangkangannya. Seperti yang dikatakan pelukis Rusia, Ilya Repin: "Tidak ada sekaum pun yang begitu mementingkan