Reception of Lithuanian Statute in Hetmanate’s Cossack Court in the late 1680-ies – early 1760-ies.: Modernization or Defending «Old Ways»?

Vasyl Kononenko
Candidate of Historical Sciences (Ph.D. in History), Researcher,
Institute of History of Ukraine of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (Ukraine, Kyiv),
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15407/ul2015.03.169 

Download PDF

 

Abstract

Until the Union of Lublin of 1569 the territory of Hetmanate belonged to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Lithuanian statutes (1529, 1566) were the law for the population of all regions of the Duchy. Although after the Union of 1569 Ukrainian lands became the part of the Polish Crown, but Lithuanian Statute continued to function in the former provinces of Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Moreover, the Third Lithuanian Statute (1588) was accepted in the Polish Crown. The result of the beginning of the Ukrainian revolution in 1648 was formation of Hetmanate – the first and the largest autonomous region, which have been separated from Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. During the first years of Ukrainian autonomy the Lithuanian Statute was not used in Cossack Court. However the reign of Ivan Samoilovich (1672–1687) and Ivan Mazepa (1687–1709) was the beginning of usage of the Lithuanian Statute in the Cossack court.

The aforementioned demonstrates that topic of this article is an actual scientific problem of the East-Central European Early Modern history. This investigation is dedicated to the reception of the Lithuanian Statute in Hetmanate’s Cossack court during the late 1680-ies to the early 1760-ies. The article verifies the existing hypothesis that the Ukrainian revolution of 1648 became the denial of the Rzeczpospolita «Ancien Régime» (including Lithuanian Statute), but after several years there was a gradual return to the old social system. It is stated that historical sources during Ivan Samoilovich’s and Ivan Mazepa’s reign can testify the tendency of usage of the Lithuanian Statute in regulation of relations in the Ukrainian society. It is shown that in historical sources the reign of Ivan Skoropads’ky, Pavlo Polubotok, Danylo Apostol and Kyrylo Rozumovs’ky was the evidence that «the Little Russian law» was not only a tradition, but a legal system, based on the Lithuanian Statute. Moreover, during successful reception of Lithuanian statute the traditional Cossack rights were transformed into «Little Russian law».

It is proved that although the Lithuanian Statute was an element of «old ways», but its reception brought about modern changes in the Hetmanate society. It is stated that appeal to the Statute by Cossack officers to shape the basis for realizing moderate modernization of court by Ukrainian administration; the acceptation of the Lithuanian Statute by imperial government in 1764 became a part of radical reforms in Hetmanate too.

 

Keywords

Lithuanian Statute, reception, Hetman, modernization, «staryzna».

 

References

  1. Almazov, A. (2012). Polytycheskyi portret ukraynskoho hetmana Yvana Samoilovycha v kontekste russko-ukraynskykh otnoshenyi. Moskva. [in Russian].
  2. Anonimna zapyska pro potrebu obmezhyty vladu hetmana. (1927). Pratsi komisii dlia vyuchuvannia istorii zakhidnoruskoho ta ukrainskoho prava, (3), 361–362. [in Ukrainian].
  3. Blanutsa, A., Vashchuk, D. (2009). «Old ways» versus «novelties» in the legal and economic sources of the Grand duchy of Lithuania ca. 1450−1700. Lithuanian historical studies, (12), 19−40. [in English]. https://doi.org/10.30965/25386565-01201002
  4. Bovhyria, A. (2008). Slidstvo nad Pavlom Polubotkom 1723 Ukraina v Tsentralno-Skhidnii Yevropi (z naidavnishykh chasiv do kintsia XVIII st.), (8), 105–115. [in Ukrainian].
  5. Havrov, S. (2009). Sotsyokulturnye protsessy modernyzatsyy. Voprosy sotsyalnoi teoryy, (III, 1), 359–368. [in Russian].
  6. Holovko, V. (2010). Modernizatsii teorii. Entsyklopediia istorii Ukrainy. T. 7: Ml-O. Kyiv, 18–20. [in Ukrainian].
  7. Horobets, V. (2007). «Volymo tsaria skhidnoho…». Ukrainskyi Hetmanat ta rosiiska dynastiia do i pislia Pereiaslava. Kyiv. [in Ukrainian].
  8. Hrushevskyi, M. (1992). Iliustrovana istoriia Ukrainy. Kyiv. [in Ukrainian].
  9. Hurzhii, O. (1998). Hetman Ivan Skoropadskyi. Kyiv. [in Ukrainian].
  10. Dzhydzhora, I. (1930). Ekonomichna polityka rosiiskoho pravytelstva suproty Ukrainy v 1710–1730 Dzhydzhora I. Ukraina v pershii polovyni XVIII viku. Rozvidky i zamitky. Kyiv. [in Ukrainian].
  11. Kohut, Z. (1996). Rosiiskyi tsentralizm i ukrainska avtonomiia. likvidatsiia Hetmanshchyny 1760–1830. Kyiv. [in Ukrainian].
  12. Konstytutsiia Pylypa Orlyka: oryhinal ta yoho istoriia. (2010). Arkhivy Ukrainy, (3–4), 145–166. [in Ukrainian].
  13. Kostomarov, N. (1990). Pavel Polubotok. Pavlo Polubotok – ukrainskyi hetman. Kyiv, 5–25. [in Russia].
  14. Krom, M. (1994). «Staryna» kak katehoriia srednevekovoho mentalyteta (po materyalam Velykoho kniazhestva lytovskoho XIV – nachala XVII veka). Mediaevalia Ukrainica: mentalnist ta istoriia idei, (III), 68−85. [in Russia].
  15. Krupnytskyi, B. (2004). Hetman Danylo Apostol i yoho doba. Kyiv. [in Ukrainian].
  16. Lazarevskyi, A. (1908). Malorossyiskye pospolytыe krestiane (1648–1783). Kyiv. [in Russia].
  17. Lazarevskyi, A. (1888). Opysanye staroi Malorossyy, (1). [in Russia].
  18. Lazarevskyi, A. (1880). Pavel Polubotok. Russkyi arkhyv, (1), 137−209. [in Russia].
  19. Lazarevskyi, A. (1898). Sudy v staroi Malorossyy (Zamechanyia na monohrafyy D. Myllera – Sudy zemskye, hrodskye y podkomorskye v XVIII v.). Kyevskaia staryna, (7–8), 75–115. [in Russia].
  20. Materyaly dlia otechestvennoi ystoryy, (2). (1855). [in Russia].
  21. Mesiats, V. (1963). Ystoryia kodyfykatsyia prava na Ukrayne v pervoi polovyne XVIII Kyiv. [in Russia].
  22. Ohloblyn, O. (2001). Hetman Ivan Mazepa. Niu-York; Kyiv; Lviv; Paryzh; Toronto. [in Ukrainian].
  23. «Pakty i konstytutsii» ukrainskoi kozatskoi derzhavy (do 300-richchia ukladennia). (2011). Lviv: Svit. [in Ukrainian].
  24. Pryshliak, V. (2010). «Korotka peredyshka chasiv Apostola»: Hetmanshchyna u 1727−1734 rokakh. Ukraina kriz viky. Zbirnyk naukovykh prats na poshanu akademika NAN Ukrainy profesora Valeriia Smoliia. Kyiv: Instytut istorii Ukrainy NAN Ukrainy, 568–591. [in Ukrainian].
  25. Proshenye malorossyiskoho shliakhetstva y starshyn vmeste s hetmanom o vosstanovlenyy raznykh starynnykh prav malorosyy. (1993). Ukrainskyi istorychnyi zhurnal, (7−8), 88−98. [in Ukrainian].
  26. Proshenye malorossyiskoho shliakhetstva y starshyn vmeste s hetmanom o vosstanovlenyy raznykh starynnykh prav malorosyy. (1993). Ukrainskyi istorychnyi zhurnal, (9), 87−95. [in Ukrainian].
  27. Putro, O. (2008). Hetman Kyrylo Rozumovskyi ta yoho doba (z istorii ukrainskoho derzhavotvorennia), (2). Kyiv. [in Ukrainian].
  28. Slabchenko, M. (1994). Yak sudyvsia malorosiiskyi narod. Kyivska starovyna, (1), 49–52. [in Ukrainian].
  29. Strukevych, K. (2002). Polityko-kulturni oriientatsii elity Ukrainy-Hetmanshchyny (intehralnyi pohliad na pytannia). Kyiv. [in Ukrainian].
  30. Teplov, H. (1997). Zapyska o Maloi Rossyy. Politychna istoriia Hetmanshchyny XVIIIst. u dokumentakh i materialakh. Kyiv, 92–108. [in Ukrainian].
  31. Universaly Pavla Polubotka (1722−1723). (2008). [in Ukrainian].
  32. Ynstruktsyia hetmana Danyla Apostola malorossyiskym sudam. (1887). Kyevskaia staryna, (1), 139–154. [in Russian].
  33. Z epistoliarnoi spadshchyny hetmana Ivana Mazepy. (1996). Kyiv. [in Ukrainian].
  34. Zvidomlennia I. Cherkaskoho pro vidriadzhennia do Kharkova r. 1927. (1929). Pratsi komisii dlia vyuchuvannia istorii zakhidnoruskoho ta ukrainskoho prava, (6), 427–457. [in Ukrainian].
  35. Zvidomlennia I. Cherkaskoho pro komandyruvannia do Chernihova v serpni 1926. (1927). Pratsi komisii dlia vyuchuvannia istorii zakhidnoruskoho ta ukrainskoho prava, (3), 371–382. [in Ukrainian].
  36. Zvidomlennia L. Okynshevycha pro vidriadzhennia do Moskvy (traven – lypen roku 1926). (1927). Pratsi komisii dlia vyuchuvannia istorii zakhidnoruskoho ta ukrainskoho prava, (3), 341–370. [in Ukrainian].