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Vyshnevetsky (Вишневецький) Dmytro Ivanovych
(1516—1563)

Dmytro Ivanovych Vyshnevetsky was a Hetman of the Ukrainian Cossacks. Dmytro Vyshnevetsky was born into the powerful Ruthenian magnate Vyshnevetsky family (part of Gediminovichi bloodline), and lived in the town of Vyshnivets of the Kremenets Powiat (county). In 1550-1553, Vyshnevetsky became a starosta of the Cherkasy and the Kaniv Powiats. He was the first true Cossack hetman in history.

Dmytro Baida Vyshnevetsky was a remarkable leader, although somewhat of a reckless adventurer. Ha started organizing a Cossack army in 1550 against the Tatars. displeased with Lithuanian prince Sigismund August II, was ready to go over to the Turks. However, he was appointed to fortify the island of Khortytsia on the Dnipro beyond the rapids, a task he did so throughly that khan Devlet I Giray could not take it.

In 1556, Vyshnevetsky in service to Moscow took part in the campaign against Tatars. In 1561, at the request of the Lithuanian prince he went back to fortifying Khortytsia.

In 1563 he was involved in the Moldavian affairs, perhaps hoping to obtain the throne of Moldavia, but was defeated by the Turks, taken prisoner, and tortured to death in Constantinople. Vyshnevetsky's fortifications on Khortytsia, called sich, served as a prototype for later fortifications of the Zaporizhian Sich.

Ukraine, 1992, Vishnevetsky with two cozaks

Ukraine, 1997, Dmytro Vyshnevetsky

Ukraine, 2002, Vishnevetsky with two cozaks

Ukraine, 2007, Dmytro Vyshnevetsky