Bohdan Khmelnytsky

Bohdan Zynovii Mykhailovych Khmelnytskyi (1595 - 6 August 1657) was a Ukrainian military commander and Hetman of the Zaporozhian Host, which was then under the suzerainty of He led an uprising against the Commonwealth and its magnates that resulted in the establishment of an independent Ukrainian Cossack state (1648-1654) In 1654, he signed the Treaty of Pereyaslav with the Russian Tsar and allied the Cossack Hetmanate with the Tsardom of Russia, bringing central Ukraine under Russian control.

Khmelnytsky had a significant impact on Ukrainian history. He not only influenced Ukraine's future, but also the balance of power in Europe, as the weakness of Poland-Lithuania was exploited by Austria, Saxony, Prussia, and Russia. His actions and role in events were viewed differently by different contemporaries, and his legacy is still viewed differently today.

In Ukraine, Khmelnytsky is widely regarded as a national hero. A city and a region are named after him. His image appears prominently on Ukrainian banknotes, and his monument in Kiev's center is a focal point of the Ukrainian capital. There have also been several issues of the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, one of Ukraine's and the former Soviet Union's highest decorations.

Despite all of this positive regard for his legacy, it is far from universal, even in Ukraine. He is chastised for his union with Russia, which some believe has been disastrous for the country's future. According to a 2018 poll conducted by Ukraine's Rating Sociological Group, 73% of Ukrainian respondents favored Khmelnytsky.