Bohdan Khmelnytsky

Bohdan Khmelnytsky was the Hetman of the Zaporozhian Host who in 1648 led the Cossacks and Ruthenian peasantry in a revolt that broke the eastern provinces of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Founder of the Cossack Hetmanate, he sought foreign protection in the 1654 Treaty of Pereyaslav with Muscovy — a decision that drew Russia into the region and shaped the future of Ukraine for centuries.

• Lived: 1595 CE – 1657 CE
• Nationality: ukrainian
• Roles: hetman, military commander, statesman