The Cossacks attacked Ochakiv long before Suvorov: a historical document has been found in Poland

A 16th-century document was discovered in Warsaw that mentions an attack by Ukrainian Cossacks on the Ochakiv fortress. According to Taras Chukhlib, Ph.D. in History, the campaign was led by Ataman Vasko Chornyi, whose name was previously unknown to Ukrainian historians.

Taras Chukhlib reported on the historical discovery.

The document is dated 1572 and contains a letter from the Ottoman commanders of Ochakiv, Mustafa and Omar, to Polish King Sigismund II Augustus.

According to the historian, the Ottoman officials complained to the king about an attack by Ukrainian Cossacks led by Vasko Chornyi and asked that the attackers be punished.

The letter was found in the Crown Archives in Warsaw, Poland. The document is written in Ottoman Turkish and was translated by Dr. Dariusz Kolodziejczyk. Chukhlib posted the discovery on his Facebook page along with an antique engraving of Ochakiv.

<picture></picture>PHOTO: Taras Chukhlib on Facebook.

The historian drew attention to the document in light of statements by Russian dictator Vladimir Putin claiming that Russian Generalissimo Alexander Suvorov allegedly “conquered the Turkish Ochakiv for the Ukrainians.”

However, the discovery shows that Ukrainian Cossacks attacked the Ottoman fortress long before Suvorov’s time.

Russian propaganda attributes the capture of Ochakiv exclusively to Russian generals, while downplaying the role of Ukrainian Cossacks. At the same time, during the assault on the Turkish fortress, a Cossack flotilla of “chaikas” led by Atamans Sidor Bilyi and Antin Golovatyi played a crucial role.

Today, Ochakiv is suffering from Russian aggression. The city comes under daily shelling from the occupied Kinburn Spit. For its courage and resilience during a full-scale war, Ochakiv has earned the popular title of “Hero City.”

Ірина Глухова