Pavlo Semenovych Hertsyk

Pavlo Semenovych Hertsyk (? - ca. 1700), a Ukrainian Cossack officer of Jewish origin, the colonel of the Poltava regiment (1675-1677, 1683-1687, 1691-1695) of the Cossack Hetmanate. He and his sons were important allies of Hetman Ivan Mazepa.

Pavlo is said to have been a Jewish merchant from Uman that had moved to Poltava where he later became a colonel of the Poltava regiment. He also converted to Orthodox faith and sponsored the construction of Church of the Elevation (Воздвиженськa церквa) at the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, where he also was buried. [Alfred Jensen: "Mazepa", p.190–192. Lund 1909.]

His three sons, Hryhory, Ivan and Opanas went into exile with Mazepa. His daughter Hanna was the wife of Hetman Pylyp Orlyk, Maria was the wife of the Host secretary Volodymyr Maksymovych, and Chrystyna was the wife of the colonel Hryhory Novytsky, who was eventually exiled to Siberia.

Hryhory Hertsyk was responsible for moving Ivan Mazepa's body from Bender to Galatz. He and his brothers followed Hetman Pylyp Orlyk to Sweden in 1716, where they stayed until 1720. Hryhory was appointed General Osaul by Hetman Pylyp Orlyk and as such sent from Stockholm to Poland in 1720, although in Warsaw he was arrested and handed over to the Russians. He was then imprisoned in Saint Petersburg until 1728, when he was allowed to move to Moscow where his wife and children lived. [Alfred Jensen: "Mazepa", p.190–192. Lund 1909.]

ee also

Jewish Cossacks

References