The National Liberation War of the Ukrainian people (1648–1658) was a turning point in Ukraine’s history. After a long period without statehood, Ukrainians managed through armed struggle to establish an independent state — the Hetmanate. This event shaped the nation’s aspirations for centuries to come, laying the cultural, philosophical, and ideological foundations of the idea of Ukrainian statehood. Despite repeated foreign domination, this idea could not be eradicated and helped Ukrainians preserve their identity and avoid the fate of many assimilated peoples.

The undisputed leader of the liberation struggle was Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytskyi. Yet such profound geopolitical and state-building achievements would not have been possible without the support of his closest associates from the Cossack elite. Coming from various social backgrounds, they played different but crucial roles in the dramatic formation of the Hetmanate — some as military commanders, others as diplomats, legal experts, or administrators. While some appeared briefly on the historical stage, leaving only scattered traces in chronicles, others remained in national memory for centuries. Unfortunately, little has been done so far to reconstruct the biographies of all key figures of this period.

Renowned historian Yurii Mytsyk, drawing on a wide range of archival sources, reconstructs the compelling life stories of Bohdan Khmelnytskyi’s closest companions, brought together in this volume.

Length: 248 pages. Hardcover.