Ukrainian Cossacks Day Date in the current year: October 1, 2024

The term “Cossacks” refers to members of self-governing military and later also territorial communities consisting of men, which originated in the steppes of Eastern Europe. Although the Cossacks were under formal suzerainty of various states, such as the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Russian Empire, they enjoyed a great deal of autonomy.

The Zaporozhian Cossacks, also known as simply Zaporozhians, were Cossacks living downstream from the Dnipro Rapids in what is now Central and Eastern Ukraine. There are mentions of Cossacks living in the region as early as the 12th century, but it wasn’t until the 16th century that different groups of Cossacks formed a strong military organization that quickly became a force to be reckoned with.

We’re talking about the Zaporozhian Sich, a semi-autonomous proto-state that existed for over two hundreds of years. It was established in 1556 by hetman (Cossack leader) Dmytro Vyshnevetsky, who organized a Cossack army against the Crimean Khanate and established a stronghold on the island of Mala Khortytsia (Small Khortytsia).

Vyshnevetsky originally established the Zaporozhian Sich to protect the Slavs against the devastating Tatar raids. Over the years, the Zaporozhian Cossacks began to struggle for independence from surrounding powers, which included the Crimean Khanate, the Ottoman Empire, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and the Tsardom of Russia and its successor state, the Russian Empire.

Although the Zaporozhian Sich eventually lost the struggle and was forcibly disbanded by Catherine the Great in 1775, it played a tremendously important role in the history of Ukraine, leaving a profound military, political and cultural legacy.

The independence struggle of the Zaporozhian Cossacks, which included the famous Khmelnytsky Uprising against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, inspired and helped shape modern Ukrainian nationalism in the late 19th century.

In addition, the Zaporozhian Cossacks had a very distinct culture which included traditional attire, music, song, and dance. For example, hopak, which is often referred to as the national dance of Ukraine, originated among the Zaporozhian Cossacks as a social dance that borrowed elements from Cossack martial arts. The culture of the Cossacks is considered an important part of the bigger Ukrainian culture.

Ukrainian Cossacks Day was established by President Leonid Kuchma in August 1999 to recognize the historical significance and contribution of the Ukrainian Cossacks to the establishment of Ukrainian statehood.

The holiday is celebrated on October 1 to coincide with the Intercession of the Theotokos, a Christian feast celebrated in Eastern Orthodoxy. It honors the Holy Lady of Protection, who was always considered the heavenly patroness of the Ukrainian Cossacks and the Zaporozhian Sich. Since 2015, it has also coincided with the Defenders of Ukraine Day, which is a public holiday. The three holidays were originally celebrated on October 14, but were moved to October 1 when the Orthodox Church of Ukraine switched to the Revised Julian calendar in 2014.