Dykra

Dykra (meaning "Wasteland" in Lithuanian) was the southern territory of the medieval Grand Duchy of Lithuania near the Black Sea, presently shared between Ukraine and Moldova.

Dykra was ruled by Golden Horde during 1240-1362 but was conquered by Algirdas, Grand Duke of Lithuania, after Battle of Blue Waters. In 1399, after the Battle of the Vorskla River, the territory was taken back by Temur Qutlugh, the khan of Golden Horde. In 1441 Dykra became part of the Crimean Khanate.

During the reign of Khan Haci I Giray in the AD 15th century, the Khanate of Crimea was endangered by the Golden Horde and the Ottoman Empire. In search of allies, the khan agreed to cede parts of his state to Duke Vytautas, who incorporated it into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. There were two notable fortress towns located in the area: Kara Kerman (Ochakiv) and Khadjibey (Odessa). However, the area was only sparsely populated with Turkic nomads and consisted mostly of unpopulated steppes.

The Lipka Tatars, as they came to be known, were often hired for service in Lithuanian army and were later settled in other parts of Lithuania. After formation of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, many Tatars also entered Polish service and together, the Tatar communities in present-day Belarus, Lithuania, and Poland draw their ancestry. With time the Tatars dropped their language and mixed with the nobility of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. However, they retained many of their traditions and the Islamic faith.

In 16th century Dykra became part of the expanding Ottoman Empire. Subsequently, the region was known as Yedisan and was populated primarily by nomadic Nogais. In the late 18th century with the Ottoman decline, the area became a part of the Russian Empire and the Nogais were deported to other parts of the Empire. Currently the area is a part of Ukraine.

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