Ivan Gont: Biography

Ivan Gonta is one of the outstanding figures in the history of Ukraine. His name became a symbol of the struggle for independence of his native country. The image of the national hero is most fully described in the poem T. Shevchenko "Gaydamaky." The poet searched for information about the popular uprising in folk legends and legends, in which Ivan Gaunt was one of the active characters.

Biography

Information about the birth of Ivan is extremely sparse. It is known that he was born in the village of Rossoshki, which is currently located in the Cherkassy region. His parents were serfs. The exact date of his birth is still not known, but the researchers are starting from 1740. At a young age Ivan Gonta, thanks to his own zeal, became a Cossack outpost of the tycoon Pototsky, who at that time was the absolute master of Uman. Despite his low background, Ivan was well educated. Excellent Polish language proficiency, popularity and good organizational skills became the basis for rapid promotion. In 1757, the peasant son was elected a hundred-man outpost Pototsky.

Confidant

An educated and gifted young Cossack attracted the attention of the tycoon Pototsky. And soon the army began talking about the new confidant of the count, which became Ivan Gonta. Outward Cossacks may have been outraged by such advancement of a native of the lower classes. The Count brought his entourage out of submission to the gentry and placed him under the head of the Uman governor. In 1755, Ivan Gonta received his native village of Rossoshka and neighboring village Odaravka for his service. At that time in Rossoshki lived all his relatives: mother, wife, children. In the family four daughters and a son grew up. Ownership of the villages gave him a profit of 20 thousand zlotys a year - very solid at the time money.

Gaunt and Faith

The big profits from Potocki's faithful service could not deprive the centurion of his own convictions and did not make him an instrument in the hands of others. Ivan Gonta did not share the desire of the Poles to impose Catholic faith on the Orthodox population of Ukraine. On his donations a magnificent Orthodox church is being built in his native village, and the family of the centurion was called the Quetorors - it was for their funds that the Vozdvizhenskaya Church of the town of Volodarka was erected and painted. It is in this temple that the wall painting on which Ivan the Gaunt is depicted is preserved. Photo of the centurion, which can be seen in modern textbooks, is taken from this portrait.

Very soon I. Gonta became known as a man defending the Orthodox faith. Representatives of Orthodox churches from all over Ukraine addressed him. Such universal support made him a well-known personality, which had a huge impact on the aspirations and opinions of representatives of all Ukrainian classes.

Gaydamaky

By the end of May, 1768, Uman had heard rumors of a mass uprising of the Haidamaks, led by Maxim Zheleznyak. They took one settlement after another, slowly approaching Uman. Rafal Mladanovich, governor of Uman, was forced to take strengthened measures to strengthen the city. He closed the main gate, strengthened the guards, carefully checked all those who wanted to enter the city. In the outhouse there were many Cossacks, whose homeland was in the Uman region. To reduce the likelihood of treason, Mladanovic made the Cossacks swear allegiance to Potocki.

Gaunt and Zheleznyak

By the order of the governor, the outpost army came forward to meet the insurgents. But the Polish governor failed to use his own army as punitive forces. Near the town of Sokolovka Ivan Gonta met with Maxim Zheleznyak. After the negotiations, the Cossacks drove their centurions out and joined the insurgents. The final unification of the two armies on June 18, 1768 took place under the walls of Uman. The rebels decided to storm the city.

Uman tragedy

The capture of Uman lasted about a day and a half. The defense of the city was entrusted to militiamen who had little possession of small arms. A one-time volley from all the guns surrounded the walls of the fortress with smoke, creating a dense veil. Taking advantage of this, the rebels successfully stormed the fortress walls and stormed into the city. The ensuing massacre was terrible.

Gaydamaky cut Poles, Jews, Rusichs, sparing neither old men nor women. According to the surviving eyewitnesses, the blood of the dead poured out beyond the threshold of their houses and temples and flowed through the streets. According to various estimates, that day, from two to twenty thousand people died.

Colonel Gaunt

After the capture of Uman, many were scared of retribution and immediately left the ranks of the rebels. Gonta Ivan and Zheleznyak Maxim held a general council. The majority decision was assigned to the command of the rebel army. Maxim Zheleznyak is the hetman of the new army, and Ivan Gaunt is a colonel. In the territories under the power of the insurgents, corvee was eliminated, Cossack orders and customs were established. The leaders of the rebel movement took measures to spread their ideas throughout Ukraine.

Betrayal and destruction

The scale of the uprising was greatly disturbed by the government of the Russian Empire. On the instructions of Catherine II, the troops of Colonel Guriev advanced to meet the insurgents. Confronted by the rebels, he surrounded the Cossack army and captured its commanders-in-chief. Ivan Gont was given to the Poles, and Maxim Zheleznyak was sentenced to death by wheel. However, later the empress changed the measure of punishment and sent him to serve hard labor.

Ivan Gont was given to the Polish authorities. After the torture, which lasted ten days, Gaunt was convicted by a special tribunal consisting of a priest and three monks. He was sentenced to a death sentence, which was accompanied by terrible torture - quartering, ripping off the skin and the rest. On the third day, appreciating the courage of the Cossack, Crown Hetman Xavier Branitsky ordered to cut off the head of Gonte in recognition of the courage and fortitude of the condemned. The sentenced died on July 13, 1768. The remains of the national hero were nailed to the gallows in 14 cities of Ukraine.

The Ukrainian lands are more than once ravaged by the blood of popular uprisings, but the memory of Ivan Gont and Maxim Zheleznyak is still in the legends and thoughts of the Ukrainian people.