Malashevych, Ivan

Malashevych, Ivan [Малашевич, Іван; Malaševyč], b ?, d ca 1737. Zaporozhian Cossack leader. He was elected kish otaman nine times in 1714–37, first of the Oleshky Sich and later of the New Sich. He was a leading advocate of returning the Zaporozhian Cossacks to their traditional strongholds (albeit under the suzerainty of the Russian tsar). In 1714, 1716, 1717, 1727, and 1728 he was the emissary of Hetmans Ivan Skoropadsky and Danylo Apostol to the tsarist government. In March 1734 they returned from the Oleshky Sich and established the New Sich. Malashevych died during the Zaporozhian campaign to Ochakiv.

[This article originally appeared in the Encyclopedia of Ukraine, vol. 3 (1993).]