Period of lithuanian and polish rule (1360-1599)

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Period of lithuanian and polish rule (1360-1599) Report: Roman Balan Lutsk 2002 The Lithuanian princes were reasonable rulers; in some cases they assimilated adopted local customs, language and religion. People did not resist them and appreciated their protection from Poland, Moscow and Tatars. However, under Polish rule, western Ukraine was subjected to exploitation and colonization by influx of people from Poland and Germany, who were taking over property and offices from local boyars. There was a period of wars between Poland and Lithuania, but on 15th August 1385 they agreed to unite their kingdoms. In 1386 Polish queen Yadwiga was forced to marry Lithuanian prince Yahaylo, who thus became King of Poland and Lithuania. In 1400 Lithuania, together with its Ukrainian

principalities, separated under king Vitowt Yahaylo's cousin. This arrangement was opposed by Yahaylo's younger brother, Svytryhaylo. Ukrainian principalities under Vitowt were loosing their national character and independence to Polish influences. In 1413 a decision was made to allow only Catholics to occupy important government positions ("Horodlo Privilege"); wide spread discrimination against Orthodox population followed. Nearly all Ukrainians in those days were Orthodox, therefore Ukrainian princes and boyars were helping Svytryhaylo in his fight with Vitowt. After Vitowt died in 1430, Svytryhaylo defended himself from Poles, but by the year 1440 his sphere of influence was reduced to Volynj principality. There was a period of hostilities between Lithuania and

Moscow, when about 1480 several principalities in eastern Ukraine were annexed by Moscow. Also several popular uprising took place. The rebellion under Mukha in 1490, in western Ukraine, was seeking help from neighboring Moldova; uprising under prince Mykhaylo Hlynskiy in 1500 in eastern Ukraine expected help from Moscow and Tatars. However Poland and Lithuania, at that time, were very strong, therefore all uprisings were squashed. Meanwhile, in the South, marauding Tatar hordes converted large area of the country into wilderness, without any law or order. It was very rich part of Ukraine with productive soil, wild animals and rivers full of fish. It attracted many adventurous people, who although had to fight Tatars there, could be free from suppression by Polish and Lithuanian

overlords. They began to organize under hetmans, thus originating Cossack society. To defend themselves from Tatars, they were constructing forts called "sitch" and amalgamated into sort of union, with Zaporizhia, downstream of river Dnipro cascades, as a centre. In 1552, one of Ukrainian princes, Dmytro Wyshnevetskyi, being among Cossacks, built a castle on island Khortytsya. From there, Cossacks conducted raids on Crimean towns sometimes with help from Moscow. Dmytro wanted to develop Zaporizhia, with help from Lithuania and Moscow, into a powerful fortress against Tatars and Turks. Being unable to achieve this goal, he left Zaporizhia in 1561, became involved in a war in Moldova, was captured and executed by Turks in 1563. In 1569, by the Union of Lublin, the

dynastic link between Poland and Lithuania was transformed into a constitutional union of the two states as the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Most of Ukraine became part of Poland, settlement of Polish nationals followed, Polish laws and customs became dominant. Most of Ukrainian princes and boyars, except for few notably Ostrozkyis and Wyshnevetskyis -, were replaced by Polish nobles. Peasants lost land ownership and civil rights and gradually became serfs, exploited as manpower in agriculture and forestry, by landowners. Suppression of Orthodox Church retarded development of Ukrainian literature, arts and education; preferential treatment of Catholics inhibited economic and political advancement of Ukrainians. In spite of that there was a modest revival of Ukrainian culture