Biography and facts from the life of Maxim Krivonos

About the Ukrainian military leader and Cossack colonel named Maxim Krivonos (years of life: 1600 - 1648), there are many legends and legends. At the same time, his life is like a bright star that broke out in the horizon of history and quickly died out. After all, the activity of Krivonos lasted only a few months. But first things first.

Was Krivonos a Scotsman?

What is the origin of Maxim Krivonos? Biographical information about this commander is too meager. By and large, there is information only about the last year of his life. But let's try to find out: what did he do before 1648, who were his parents?

So, according to one of the versions, Krivonos was born in 1600 in a poor peasant family. His father was a blacksmith. Maxim had a brother who died in the Battle of Pilyavets. We will return to these events a little later.

M. Krivonos had at least one son. It is known that during the period of the liberation war he rose to the rank of a Cossack colonel.

As for the real name of this national hero, the researchers did not come to a common opinion. Some argue - at one time Maxim killed his nose. Hence the nickname of the legendary Colonel - Krivonos or Perebynos. Others believe that there was a famous noble family of Krivonos on Mstislavshchina. Still others are convinced that the commander was a Scotsman. In any case, if you translate the Scottish surname "Cameron", you will get a "crooked nose".

The first official mention of Krivonos

All the famous activities of Maxim Krivonos, in fact, lasted only a few months. It was 1648th year. In the spring Bogdan Khmelnitsky negotiated with the official representatives of the crown hetman N. Potocki. Cossacks nominated a series of conditions for the szlachta: they demanded the withdrawal of government troops, the conclusion of free contracts with foreign rulers, and also thirsted for war with the Ottoman Empire. The negotiators of the Commonwealth refused the conditions of the Cossacks and began to gather an army against the rebels in order to deal with them.

However, Khmelnytsky also decided to collect his army. In its ranks joined and the fighting group of the Cossack Maxim Krivonos, who soon became a colonel of the Army of Zaporozhye.

From the first days of this confrontation, he was next to Khmelnitsky, who appreciated the military qualities of Krivonos, considered him a loyal and brave ally.

The First Battle

The first serious battle between the Cossacks and the Poles occurred in the same spring of 1648, under the Yellow Waters. The Perekop Tatars joined the Zaporozhians. As a result, the military units of the hetman were practically destroyed. The generalship gift of Colonel Krivonos loudly stated at that time about himself.

Another brilliant victory - the Battle of Korsun in May 1648 - is considered one of the decisive in this war of liberation.

The 25,000-strong army, led by the crown hetman Pototsky, was in a fortified camp near Korsun. Khmelnytsky managed to successfully misinform the enemy that he had huge forces. Pototsky left the camp in order to unite with the reinforcements that came along. At the same time Cossack units of Colonel Krivonos went to the rear of the Polish army. This, in fact, decided the fate of the whole battle.

Krivonos and the detachments pursued the rear parts of Potocki. The colonel managed to personally capture the crown hetman, as well as a number of influential officers.

The battle of Maxim Krivonos with Jeremiah Vishnevetsky

By this time the regiment of Krivonos had turned into a real rebel army. However, new troops of Prince Jeremiah Vishnevetsky went to the rebels. The prince's goal was punitive actions against the rebels. He even managed to capture several settlements. But after that the strategic initiative passed to the Cossacks, to Krivonos. So, in the summer of 1648, Lisyansky colonel Maxim Krivonos took possession of Makhnovka. In the middle of July - Polonnym. By the way, this fortress was considered one of the most fortified. Nevertheless, the enemy fled, leaving the Cossacks about eighty guns.

Krivonos carefully prepared for any battle, almost always had in stock some military trickery or some fiction. For example, during the storming of Nemiroff, the colonel sent his scouts there. They changed into military uniforms of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and found themselves in a fortress. Thus, the Cossacks became masters of the town. But most importantly, they did not incur significant damage.

The battle of battle

At the end of July, parts of Krivonos found themselves at Bar Fortress. This citadel was strengthened no worse than Polonnoe. In addition, she occupied the most important strategic position. It was covered by deep moats filled with water, and a river. Since the fortress walls seemed absolutely insurmountable, Colonel Krivonos set off on another trick. He ordered the Cossacks to erect a series of mobile towers. While some were engaged in construction, another part of people began to design rafts. When all was done, the Cossack "landing" on these floating facilities was in the ditches. Cossacks threw hay and straw there - and set them on fire. A thick smoke curtain hung over the fortress. Meanwhile, the mobile towers began to move to those parts of the wall where the Poles did not hold many soldiers, waiting for the enemy from the side of the gate or the river.

As a result, Krivonos burst into an impregnable city. The rebels captured the arsenal and food stores. And the fall of two Polish fortresses made a real sensation in the society.

The arrest of the colonel

Unfortunately, military actions were accompanied by victims from among innocent people. Contemporaries of the Cossack colonel recalled that he was very cruel. On the other hand, in this "paladic ingenuity," Prince Vishnevetsky himself was noted.

The possibility of establishing an armistice in this war of liberation depended on the actions of Krivonos and the prince. Actually, as a result, representatives of the authorities of Rzeczpospolita and Khmelnitsky accused them of disrupting the peace deal. The hetman confessed to the Poles that he ordered Krivonos not to take part either in battles or in storming cities. He literally disassociated himself from the actions of the former comrade-in-arms. True, some historians strongly doubt that Khmelnitsky actually made such loud statements ...

Be that as it may, in some sources the biography of Maxim Krivonos contains information that confirms the serious conflict between the hetman and the colonel. So, in one such "dispute" Khmelnitsky arrested Krivonos. He was chained to a cannon. True, after a day the rebel colonel was released.

Battle of Pilyavets

At the very end of the summer of 1648, when the truce was broken, both sides began to prepare for the decisive battle. Vishnevetsky was able to gather new forces. Khmelnitsky and Krivonos met in Podillia. To them the Tatars also came to their aid. All the opposing armies crossed near the village of Pilyavtsi, on the river of the same name, the shore of which was connected by a dam. To keep her, the hetman ordered Krivonos to go to the enemy's rear. As a result, the Cossacks not only managed to occupy the Polish camp, but also to capture trophies, among which there were about a hundred guns.

And when the Poles started to retreat, the colonel came up with another trap for them. The Polish units were on the bridge across the Sluch. And Krivonos made his way to the crossing and, using the disorder, created a clutter, which led to the collapse of the bridge. The enemy was in such panic that some troops fled to the very city of Lviv ...

Taking the High Castle

Victory under Pilyavtsi was opened the road for the subsequent offensive against Lviv. This battle had a colossal psychological significance, for the crown army of Poland fled from the battlefield. Prince Vishnevetsky himself arrived in Lvov, took the treasury and went to Zamosc. In a word, the city was not at all ready to siege. Although the Poles specifically managed to destroy the suburbs in order to deprive the Cossacks of advantageous positions for the shelling.

Khmelnitsky refused a direct assault. The fact is that above the city - on a hill - was located High Castle. The hetman sent Krivonos and his detachments to take this citadel. When it fell, the townspeople immediately set about the negotiation process. As a result, the residents of Lviv gave a huge contribution, and the Cossacks removed the siege of the city.

The last stronghold

In November Khmelnitsky and Krivonos went to Zamoć. Taking this fortress opened the way to Warsaw. But the Cossack army is already tired. In addition, the cold began. The plague epidemic was added to the plague. The colonel was among the infected. They tried to treat him. Something was helped by one of the monastic healers. However, Krivonos was even able to begin the siege of Zamosc.

In the castle there were seven thousand soldiers, they ran out of provisions. Prince Vishnevetsky, who headed the defense of the city, once again fled. In this situation, the Cossacks could force the Poles to surrender the city. Krivonos also spoke in favor of continuing the struggle.

But Khmelnytsky signed an agreement with the Polish side and ordered the Cossacks to cease hostilities. This decision, by a strange coincidence, coincided with the sudden death of Colonel Krivonos. He was buried in Kiev.

The cause of the death of Maxim Krivonos is unknown. They say he died from the plague after all. Others argue that it was liquidated under the secret order of Khmelnitsky, who sought to get rid of a dangerous rival. Still others believe that the rebellious colonel was mortally wounded during the assault on Zamosc ...