«Word and deed». Political crimes and political investigation in the Hetman region of the 18th century

What do we know about the ideas of the average Ukrainian of the 18th century? What is known about his perception of contemporary political events, processes, and personalities? Most of the currently known sources are unable to shed light on these issues. However, there are texts that can be used to reconstruct the unique manifestations of the worldview of a "small" person of that era. We are talking about documents of the institutions of political investigation of the Muscovite Kingdom and the Russian Empire. They were entrusted with the function of supervision, prosecution and investigation of so-called political crimes - any attempts at dissent or manifestations of opposition to the existing system. Among the objects of such "special services" at the beginning of the 18th century there were "Mazepists", as well as all those who spoke disrespectfully about monarchical persons, the policy of the empire, aimed at the destruction of the Hetmanate. Most of the statements, the authors of which were subjected to repression, are a living testimony of the era, a vivid manifestation of national identity.

Hardcover, 256 pages