Brother Kapranov refuted the Russian myth about the empty "Dyke Pole" in southern Ukraine

Vitaliy Kapranov, author and host of the Taras Shevchenko TV channel, has released a new video in which he tells the story of the South of Ukraine, which is often called the "Wild Field" in Russian historiography, positioning it as a region where few people lived before the Russian Empire.

In the new video, the historian proves that these territories have always been inhabited, had a developed infrastructure, and were key in shaping Ukrainian identity.

The scholar emphasized that the Russian narrative about the allegedly "deserted steppes" has always served as a justification for colonial expansion. However, the facts of archeology, chronicles, and European sources show a different picture - the south of Ukraine was a vibrant and full-fledged region long before the imperial invasions.

Vitaliy Kapranov insists that the river valleys of the Black Sea coast have been the center of life since ancient times.

"Even Herodotus mentioned the Scythian farmers, Goths and Tauri, who lived here long before Rus. All of them created a powerful tradition of settled farming, fishing and crafts. In the Middle Ages, the lower reaches of the Dniester, Danube, and Dnipro rivers were inhabited by the Ustichi, Tivertsi, and later by the Brodniks and Berladniks. The latter were often portrayed as "fugitives," but chronicles show that they were well-organized communities with ports, armies, and administrative centers. In the battle with Prince Yaroslav Osmomysl, 6,000 Berlachian warriors took part, a figure that refutes the myth of the "wild" fugitives," the researcher emphasized.

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The historian paid special attention to the Brodnyky river people, whom he considers to be the ancestors of the Ukrainian Cossacks. Their settlements were found near the Dnipro, Danube, and Kalmius rivers, exactly where the Cossack Sich later emerged.

In the fall of 2024, Vitalii Kapranov released a video in which he told the story of the southern part of Odesa Oblast, which is called Bessarabia.

Кирило Бойко