AUTHOR: Olena BACYNSKA
Danubius, XXXIV-Supliment, Galaţi, 2016, pp. 13-20.
Abstract
This publication offers a vision of the author on the causes of subsidence of the Zaporozhian Cossacks (Potkalı Kazakları) in the Ottoman Empire (Budjak and Dobruja) and how their status changed at the end XVIII century. Attempts to start thier own organization – Sich Zadunays’ka, while the Cossacks also perform military service. Based on archival documents, it was revealed that the Ottoman government welcomed the Cossacks to stay in the subordinate territory, but changed the potential place of establishment for their Sich. The Cossacks were dependent on the military-political situation in the Danube region. One of the factors were the Russian-Turkish wars and relations with Cossacks-nekrasivtsi (Ignat Kazakları).
It has been proven that one of the first organizations on the Danube, which had most of the attributes of the state building traditions of the Cossacks was a Sich in the village of Katyrlez (Sfântu Gheorghe). It was found that the Cossacks carried out various assignments and were local government officials, carrying protection with police service in the Danube fortresses. They also participated in the Russian-Turkish wars of the end XVIII – early XIX century, as part of the Turkish army.