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Military career of Ivan Sirko

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Ivan Sirko by Ilya Repin

The military career of Ivan Sirko spanned for nearly 60 years. He led the Zaporozhian Cossack army first as Polkovnyk (Colonel) and later as Kosh Otaman, position to which he was re-elected at least 8 times. Sirko's exploits against the Ottoman Empire and Crimean Khanate gained attention of entire Europe.[1] He later became an inspiration and key figure of Ilya Repin's Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks.[2] Ivan Sirko was particularly memorized in poems and literature.[3] In Ukraine, Sirko is considered to be a national hero.[4]

Ivan Sirko's military career is legendary. According to historian Dmytro Yavornytsky, Sirko led 55 campaigns during his career and never lost a battle. Recent research allows to increase number of Sirko's battles and campaigns, but Sirko wasn't confirmed to have suffered a defeat in any of them.[1] Only Polish sources claim Sirko suffered 3 defeats in battle.[5] New sources put Sirko's military record at over 65 victories in battles.[6]

Military record

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Opponent flags
Ottoman Empire Ottoman Empire Crimean Khanate Nogai/Budjak Horde Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Poland-Lithuania Tsardom of Russia Wallachia Moldavia Spanish Empire Spanish Empire Rival Cossacks
Results

     Favorable result      Uncertain result      Unfavorable result

Summary (Incomplete) Overviews of clashes
№ Clash(es) Date(s) Location(s) Conflict(s) Type(s) Opponent(s) Result
1. Cossack raid on Istanbul (1620) Late 1620 Istanbul Cossack raids Raid Ottoman Empire Victory
2. Raid on Varna[7] 25 August 1620 Varna, Bulgaria Cossack raids Raid Ottoman Empire Victory
3. Raid on Perekop[7] Late 1620 Perekop Cossack raids Raid Victory
4. Battle of Khotyn (1621)[8] 2 September – 9 October 1621 Khotyn Polish–Ottoman War (1620–1621) Open Battle Ottoman Empire Victory
5. Cossack raid on Istanbul (1629) 1629 Istanbul Cossack raids Raid Ottoman Empire Victory
6. Siege of Azov (1637–1642)[8] 21 April 1637 – 30 April 1642 Azov Fortress Cossack raids Defensive Siege Ottoman Empire Military victory
7. Siege of Dunkirk (1646) (?) 7 September – 11 October 1646 Dunkirk Thirty Years' War, Eighty Years' War Siege Spanish Empire Victory
8. Battle of Zhovti Vody[9] 29 April – 16 May 1648 Zhovti Vody Khmelnytsky Uprising Open Battle Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Victory
9. Battle of Korsuń[10] 25–26 May 1648 Korsuń Khmelnytsky Uprising Open Battle Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Victory
10. Battle of Pyliavtsi[9] 21–23 September 1648 Pyliavtsi Khmelnytsky Uprising Open Battle Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Victory
11. Battle of Zboriv (1649)[10] 15–16 August 1649 Zboriv Khmelnytsky Uprising Open Battle Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Disputed
12. Battle of Batih[9] 1–2 June 1652 Batih Khmelnytsky Uprising Open Battle Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Victory
13. Siege of Zhvanets September – 16 December 1653 Zhvanets Khmelnytsky Uprising Siege Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Disputed
14. Podolia clashes[11][12] December 1653 Podolia Crimean–Nogai raids Open Battle Victory
15. Siege of Uman (1654)[13] 2–4 April 1654 Uman Khmelnytsky Uprising Defensive Siege Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Victory
16. Siege of Uman (1655) 14–19 January 1655 Uman Khmelnytsky Uprising, Russo-Polish War (1654–1667) Defensive Siege Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Victory
17. Raid on Azov[5] 1655 Azov Fortress Cossack raids, Sirko's campaigns Raid Ottoman Empire Victory
18. Raid on Ochakov[5] 1655 Ochakov Cossack raids, Sirko's campaigns Raid Ottoman Empire Victory
19. Blockade of Kerch[5] 6 July – 14 September 1655 Kerch Strait Cossack raids, Sirko's campaigns Blockade Ottoman Empire Victory
20. Anti–Vyhovsky campaign August 1659 Nogai uluses, Akkerman, Ukraine Cossack raids, Sirko's campaigns, Polish–Russian War (1654–1667) Campaign Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Ottoman Empire Victory
21. Ochakiv–Aslan campaign[5] April 1660 Ochakov, Aslan-Kermen Cossack raids, Sirko's campaigns Campaign Ottoman Empire Victory
22. Battle of Igren Summer 1660 Igren Peninsula, Samara River Crimean–Nogai raids Open Battle Victory
23. Raid on Danube[14] 1663 Danube Cossack raids, Sirko's campaigns Raid Ottoman Empire Victory
24. Raid on Ochakov[14] 1663 Ochakov Cossack raids, Sirko's campaigns Raid Ottoman Empire Victory
25. Siege of Perekop (1663) 11 October – 16 December 1663 Perekop Cossack raids, Sirko's campaigns Defensive Siege Ottoman Empire Victory
26. Siege of Buzhin 7–13 April 1664 Buzhin [ru], Right-Bank Ukraine Polish–Russian War (1654–1667) Siege Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Victory
27. Battle of Pavoloch[15] April 1664 Pavoloch Polish–Russian War (1654–1667) Open Battle Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Inconclusive
28. Siege of Cherkasy[15] April 1664 Cherkasy Polish–Russian War (1654–1667) Defensive Siege Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Inconclusive
29. Battle of Kapustyana Dolyna[15] April 1664 Kapustyana Dolyna, Right-Bank Ukraine Polish–Russian War (1654–1667) Open Battle Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Victory
30. Raid on Budjak[16] June 1664 Budjak Cossack raids, Sirko's campaigns Raid Victory
31. Battle of Saradzhin (1664) July 1664 Saradzhinsky Forest, Right-Bank Ukraine Polish–Russian War (1654–1667) Open Battle Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Withdrew[16]
32. 1st Crimean Campaign (1664)[5] 1664 Crimea Cossack raids, Sirko's campaigns Campaign Victory
33. 2nd Crimean Campaign (1664)[5] 1664 Crimea Cossack raids, Sirko's campaigns Campaign Victory
34. Attack on Dnieper[14] 1665 Dnieper Cossack raids, Sirko's campaigns Raid Ottoman Empire Victory
35. Crimean Campaign (1667) October 1667 Crimea Cossack raids, Sirko's campaigns Campaign Victory
36. Sloboda–Dnieper campaign 4 March – May 1668 Sloboda, Dnieper Ukraine Left-bank Uprising Campaign Inconclusive
37. Siege of Kharkiv March 1668 Kharkiv Left-bank Uprising Siege Withdrew[17]
38. Battle of Okhtyrka[14][18] March 1668 Okhtyrka Left-bank Uprising Open Battle Victory
39. Battle of Poltava[14][18] March 1668 Poltava Left-bank Uprising Open Battle Victory
40. Raid on Borovoe[19][20] April 1668 Borovoe, Dnieper Ukraine Left-bank Uprising Raid Victory
41. Raid on Kolontaiv[19][20] May 1668 Kolontaiv, Dnieper Ukraine Left-bank Uprising Raid Victory
42. Raid on Martova[19][20] May 1668 Martova, Dnieper Ukraine Left-bank Uprising Raid Victory
43. 1st Crimean Campaign (1668)[20] October 1668 Crimea Cossack raids, Sirko's campaigns Campaign Victory
44. 2nd Crimean Campaign (1668)[20] October 1668 Crimea Cossack raids, Sirko's campaigns Campaign Victory
45. 3rd Crimean Campaign (1668)[20] October 1668 Crimea Cossack raids, Sirko's campaigns Campaign Victory
46. 4th Crimean Campaign (1668)[20] November 1668 Crimea Cossack raids, Sirko's campaigns Campaign Victory
47. Battle of Olkhovets December 1668 – January 1669 Olkhovets, near Chyhyryn The Ruin Open Battle Victory
48. Siege of Ochakov (1670) 20 June 1670 Ochakov Cossack raids, Sirko's campaigns Siege Ottoman Empire Victory
49. Raid on Budjak[21] September 1671 Budjak Cossack raids, Sirko's campaigns Raid Victory
50. Raid on Tighina[21] September 1671 Tighina Cossack raids, Sirko's campaigns Raid Ottoman Empire Victory
51. Battle of Kuialnyk Early 1672 Kuialnyk Cossack raids, Sirko's campaigns Open Battle Ottoman Empire Victory
52. Eastern campaign May 1673 Northern Ottoman lands, Crimea, Budjak Cossack raids, Sirko's campaigns Campaign Ottoman Empire Victory
53. Sack of Tighina[22] 9 October 1673 Tighina Cossack raids, Sirko's campaigns Raid Ottoman Empire Victory
54. Battle of Sich (1674) 19 December 1674 Zaporozhian Sich Sirko's campaigns, Russo-Turkish War (1672–1681) Campaign Ottoman Empire Victory
55. Crimean campaign (1675) 23 – 29 September 1675 Crimea Cossack raids, Sirko's campaigns, Russo-Turkish War (1672–1681) Campaign Ottoman Empire Victory
56. Chyhyryn campaign (1678) 8 July – 18 August 1678 Dnieper Cossack raids, Sirko's campaigns, Russo-Turkish War (1672–1681) Raid Ottoman Empire Ottoman retreat and deterrence[23][24]
57. Raid on Ochakov[24] 1679 Ochakov Cossack raids, Sirko's campaigns Raid Ottoman Empire Victory
58. Raid on Islam-Kermen[24] 1679 Islam-Kermen Cossack raids, Sirko's campaigns Raid Ottoman Empire Victory
59. Raid on Kyzy-Kermen[24] 1679 Kyzy-Kermen Cossack raids, Sirko's campaigns Raid Ottoman Empire Victory
60. Stand on Sich August 1679 Zaporozhian Sich Cossack raids, Sirko's campaigns Standoff Ottoman Empire Victory

References

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  1. ^ a b Mytsyk; Plokhiy; Storozhenko 1990, p. 176.
  2. ^ Władysław Andrzej Serczyk (2009). Historia Ukrainy (in Polish). Zakład Narodowy im. Ossolińskich - Wydawn. p. 125. ISBN 8304049384.
  3. ^ Mytsyk; Plokhiy; Storozhenko 1990, p. 177.
  4. ^ Mytsyk; Plokhiy; Storozhenko 1990, pp. 178–179.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Paly 2017, p. 376.
  6. ^ Юрій Мицик (1999). Отаман Іван Сірко (in Ukrainian). Zaporizhzhia: Tandem-U. Адже тільки Яворницький установив 55 вдалих походів Сірка проти ворогів, а джерела, що їх ми виявили, дають змогу збільшити кількість перемог принаймні на 10. [After all, Yavornytsky alone established 55 successful campaigns of Sirko against enemies, and the sources we discovered allow us to increase the number of victories by at least 10.]
  7. ^ a b Sobchenko 2020, p. 13.
  8. ^ a b Sobchenko 2020, p. 14.
  9. ^ a b c Марія Морозенко. "Іван Сірко – славетний кошовий (закінчення)". tales.org.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2025-06-20.
  10. ^ a b "Людина-легенда Іван Сірко". ukr.cool (in Ukrainian). 19 February 2024. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
  11. ^ Seheda, S. (2015). "The grave of cossack kish chieftain Ivan Sirko: history, legends, studies" (in Ukrainian). p. 786.
  12. ^ Коляда 2012, p. 23.
  13. ^ Sobchenko 2020, p. 94.
  14. ^ a b c d e Paly 2017, p. 377.
  15. ^ a b c Коляда 2012, p. 32.
  16. ^ a b Yavornytskyi 2004, p. 346.
  17. ^ Kolovrat-Butenko, Yuri (2017). Ivan Sirko in the history of Zmiev (in Ukrainian). p. 13.
  18. ^ a b Б. І. Сушинський (2004). Козацькі вожді України. Історія України в образах її вождів та полководців XV-XIX. Vol. 1. Одеса: ВМВ. p. 390. ISBN 966-8286-22-7.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
  19. ^ a b c Yavornytskyi 2004, p. 350.
  20. ^ a b c d e f g Коляда 2012, p. 41.
  21. ^ a b Коляда 2012, p. 47.
  22. ^ Sobchenko 2020, p. 317.
  23. ^ Smoliy 1994, p. 369.
  24. ^ a b c d Paly 2017, p. 378.

Bibliography

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