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| ==History== | ==History== | ||
| ] ] | ] ] | ||
| Khotyn was founded as an ancient fortified settlement located on cliffs above the ], and is said to have been named after Kotizon, a 3rd-century ]n ]. By the 10th century, it had become a minor settlement of the ]. It later became part of the ] and its successor, ]. The town became an important trading center due to its position as a river crossing and by the 13th century became the site of a ] trading colony. | |||
| ⚫ | The present-day fortress was built after 1400 by the Moldavian ruler ], with the help of Lithuanian Grand Duke ]. From 1432, it was occupied for 30 years by Poland, due to the weakness of Alexander's successors. The fortress, strenghtened by ] in the 15'th century, became the strongest one of mediaeval Moldavia.{{fact}} But, as rival empires sought to gain control of the strategic river crossing, its history was dominated by the wars between the Christian powers and the expanding ]. The Turks suffered two decisive defeats at Khotyn in the 17th century, at the hands of the army of the ]: in 1621 by ] ], and again in 1673 by ]. | ||
| Khotyn was first mentioned in 1310, as a residence of a catholic bishop, being held in the first half of the 14'th century by the ], which intended to impose Catholicism to the local ] comunities, mentioned there in the 10-13'th centuries; the first fortifications date back from this period. In 1351, the ] conquers the area, only to give it three years later to the vlachs, which formed their own independent principality after 1365, named ]. | |||
| ⚫ | The present-day fortress was built after 1400 by the Moldavian ruler ], with the help of Lithuanian Grand Duke ]. From 1432, it was occupied for 30 years by Poland, due to the weakness of Alexander's successors. The fortress, strenghtened by ] in the 15'th century, became the strongest one of mediaeval Moldavia. But, as rival empires sought to gain control of the strategic river crossing, its history was dominated by the wars between the Christian powers and the expanding ]. The Turks suffered two decisive defeats at Khotyn in the 17th century, at the hands of the army of the ]: in 1621 by ] ], and again in 1673 by ]. | ||
| ⚫ | The Ottoman Empire finally seized it in 1713 during the ] and transformed its whole region in an Ottoman province for the next 100 years. The Turks amplified and enlarged the citadel, |
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| ⚫ | The Ottoman Empire finally seized it in 1713 during the ] and transformed its whole region in an Ottoman province for the next 100 years. The Turks amplified and enlarged the citadel, which was taken by the Russians on three occasions: in 1739 by ], in 1769 by Prince ], in 1788 by ] and Ivan Saltykov, in 1807 by ]. Along with ], it passed to Russia in 1812, as a result of the ] (1806-1812). | ||
| The collapse of the Russian Empire in 1917 prompted the newly formed ] to unite with the ] on April 9, 1918. Romanian administration entered Khotyn in January 1919. However, Ukrainian ] troops dressed as civilians entered Khotyn and encouraged the ] to revolt.<ref>, Electronic Text Archive</ref> The uprising was defeated by the ] within a month. The city remained under Romanian rule until June 1940, when the town was occupied by the ] with the rest of Bessarabia under the terms of the ]. The Soviets tooked Khotyn district from the rest of Bessarabia and included it in the ] in August 1940. Romanian troops liberated it in 1941, but in 1944 the Russians returned, as ] was defeated on the Eastern front. | |||
| The collapse of the Russian Empire in the ] of ]-] prompted ] to annex territories along its border, including Khotyn. Shortly after the town became part of ], in January ], Ukrainian ] troops dressed as civilians entered Khotyn and encouraged the ethnic Ukrainians to revolt {{fact}}. Ukrainian population rebelled against the Romanian oppression (see '']'') but the the uprizing was brutally suppressed by the ]. The city remained under Romanian rule until June ], when the town passed to the Soviet Union with the rest of the Chernivtsi region under the terms of the ]. Khotyn thus became part of the ]. It was under ] occupation from ] to ], and in ] became part of the newly independent country of Ukraine. | |||
| After a 47 years communist dictatorship, in 1991 the town became part of a new independent state appeared in the region - ] - which inherited this land from the deceased ]. | |||
| ==Battles== | ==Battles== | ||
Revision as of 19:57, 13 December 2006
Khotyn (Template:Lang-ua, Template:Lang-pl, Template:Lang-ro, Turkish: Khotin, Template:Lang-ru, translit. Khotin) is a city in the Chernivtsi Oblast of western Ukraine, and is the administrative center of the Khotynsky Raion (district) within that oblast. According to the 2001 census, it has a population of 11,124. In earlier times, the town was part of the Bessarabia region. Due to the fluctuations in control, the official name also changed, and there is a multitude of spellings for the town's name, including Khotyn, Chocim, Chotyn, Hotin, Choczim, or Khotin.
History
Khotyn was founded as an ancient fortified settlement located on cliffs above the Dniester, and is said to have been named after Kotizon, a 3rd-century Dacian chieftain. By the 10th century, it had become a minor settlement of the Kievan Rus. It later became part of the Principality of Halych and its successor, Halych-Volhynia. The town became an important trading center due to its position as a river crossing and by the 13th century became the site of a Genoese trading colony.
The present-day fortress was built after 1400 by the Moldavian ruler Alexander the Kind, with the help of Lithuanian Grand Duke Vytautas the Great. From 1432, it was occupied for 30 years by Poland, due to the weakness of Alexander's successors. The fortress, strenghtened by Stephen the Great in the 15'th century, became the strongest one of mediaeval Moldavia. But, as rival empires sought to gain control of the strategic river crossing, its history was dominated by the wars between the Christian powers and the expanding Ottoman Empire. The Turks suffered two decisive defeats at Khotyn in the 17th century, at the hands of the army of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth: in 1621 by hetman Jan Chodkiewicz, and again in 1673 by Jan III Sobieski.
The Ottoman Empire finally seized it in 1713 during the Great Northern War and transformed its whole region in an Ottoman province for the next 100 years. The Turks amplified and enlarged the citadel, which was taken by the Russians on three occasions: in 1739 by Burkhard Christoph von Munnich, in 1769 by Prince Alexander Galitzine, in 1788 by Prince Josias of Coburg and Ivan Saltykov, in 1807 by Ivan Michelson. Along with Eastern Moldavia, it passed to Russia in 1812, as a result of the Russo-Turkish War (1806-1812).
The collapse of the Russian Empire in the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922 prompted Romania to annex territories along its border, including Khotyn. Shortly after the town became part of Romania, in January 1919, Ukrainian Bolshevik troops dressed as civilians entered Khotyn and encouraged the ethnic Ukrainians to revolt . Ukrainian population rebelled against the Romanian oppression (see Khotyn uprising) but the the uprizing was brutally suppressed by the Romanian Army. The city remained under Romanian rule until June 1940, when the town passed to the Soviet Union with the rest of the Chernivtsi region under the terms of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. Khotyn thus became part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. It was under German occupation from 1941 to 1944, and in 1991 became part of the newly independent country of Ukraine.
Battles
In the Battle of Khotyn in 1621, an army of 160,000 Turkish veterans, led by Osman II, advanced from Adrianople towards the Polish frontier. The Turks, following their victory in the Battle of Cecora, had high hopes of conquering Poland. The Polish commander Jan Karol Chodkiewicz crossed the Dniester in September 1621 with approximately 35,000 soldiers and entrenched the Khotyn Fortress, blocking the path of the Ottoman march. The arrival of 40,000 Ukrainian cossack forces under their hetman Petro Konashevych was instrumental in that victory. The Commonwealth hetman held the sultan at bay for a whole month, until the first snow of autumn compelled Osman to withdraw his diminished forces. But the victory was dearly purchased by Poland. A few days before the siege was raised, the aged grand hetman died of exhaustion in the fortress on September 24, 1621. The Commonwealth forces held under the command of Stanisław Lubomirski. The battle, described by Wacław Potocki in his most famous work Transakcja wojny chocimskiej, marked the end of the long period of Moldavian Magnate Wars.
In 1673, the Polish hussars again fought a major battle on this site. This time Polish forces under the command of soon-to-be-king Jan Sobieski defeated the Ottomans on 11 November 1673.
In the Russo-Turkish War, the fortress was taken by Russian field marshal Burkhard Christoph von Munnich on August 19, 1739. This victory is remembered primarily through the Ode on the Taking of Khotin from the Turks, composed by the young Mikhail Lomonosov. This ode produced a revolution, often taken as a starting point of the modern Russian poetry.
Famous people
- The Romanian philologist, historian and writer Bogdan Petriceicu-Hasdeu was born near Khotyn on February 16, 1836.
- Azriel Yanover (1875-1938) - Yiddish poet, playwright, and educator; lived in Khotyn since 1895.
Notes
External links
- History and photos
- Flags of the world
- Lomonosov's ode on the capture of Khotin
- Khotyn photo gallery - by Colin Guard, May 2006
48°29′N 26°30′E / 48.483°N 26.500°E / 48.483; 26.500
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