Oleshky Sich [Олешківська Січ; Oleshkivska Sich]. The second-last Zaporozhian Sich that functioned from 1711 to 1728. It was located above the Dnipro Estuary near what later became the town of Oleshky, now in Kherson oblast.
History. After Muscovite forces razed the Chortomlyk Sich in May 1709, the Zaporozhian Cossacks, led by Kost Hordiienko, who had sided with Hetman Ivan Mazepa against Tsar Peter I, resettled along the Kamianka River (right tributary of the Dnipro River) to establish the Kamianka Sich (1709–11). In 1711, while most were away on campaign with Hetman Pylyp Orlyk, a Muscovite offensive forced the remaining few to abandon the Kamianka site. With the permission of the Crimean khan and led by their otaman, Yakym Bohush, the Zaporozhians established their refuge on the territory belonging to the Crimean Khanate at a site already used by Cossacks for fishing. Following the Prut Treaty of 1711, other Zaporozhian Cossacks from the battle against Muscovite forces at Prut River, led by their kish otaman Kost Hordiienko, joined them to build the Oleshky Sich. The Crimean khan, however, did not allow them to build a fortified wall or to have cannons.
Located on the left bank of the Konka River, the Oleshky Sich formed an enclosed square (area 2 ha) protected by a trench and earthen wall with a stockade (1 km perimeter, 1.5 m high) and redoubts on each corner; the gate was on the north (river) side; inside were 38 semi-earthen barracks (kurins) that accommodated 100 to 200 Cossacks each; the central element, east of the barracks, was the Protectress Mother of God Church made of reeds, a well and a cemetery. East of the Sich was its harbor, on Laznia River (a left-bank inlet of the Konka River).
The kish otamans of the Oleshky Sich (elected by the Oleshky Cossacks) were Kost Hordiienko (1711–14, 1715–16, 1718–28) who sought Tatar support against Muscovites and Ivan Malashevych (1714, 1716–18), who represented the pro-Muscovite faction.
The successor to Hetman Ivan Mazepa, hetman in exile Pylyp Orlyk, who authored the Constitution of Bendery (1710), perceived the Oleshky Sich as an instrument in his quest for political and ecclesiastical separation of Ukraine from Muscovy. Initially, the Crimean khan permitted the Cossacks to trade salt from the Crimea to the Hetman state to encourage the Hetman state’s sovereignty.
That was precisely what Peter I wanted to prevent. Under the provisions of the Muscovite-Turkish Treaty of 1713 the rights of the Zaporozhian Cossacks and their commercial contacts with the Hetman state were restricted. Ukrainian peasants and other fugitives were prevented from fleeing to the Oleshky Sich not only by the Muscovites but also by the Nogay Tatars and the Crimean Tatars. The Cossacks themselves were frequently raided by the Nogays, and were forced to perform arduous construction labor for the Crimean Khanate and to fight its enemies in the Kuban and Circassia. This alienated many Cossacks and grew the pro-Muscovite faction; of those, who wanted to come back home, some were allowed to return to the Hetman state under strict Muscovite observation; others left to establish settlements near Muscovite-controlled territory along the Samara River.
The pro-Muscovite Cossacks rebelled in 1728. While the Cossacks from Oleshky Sich were away, those from the Samara River, led by Ivan Husak, who detested the Muslims, arrived in 40 boats, shackled Kost Hordiienko, sacked the shops of Armenians and Greeks at Oleshky Sich, rustled the horses from Cossack ranches, removed Zaporozhian regalia from the church, set fire to the barracks and escaped with the booty towards the former Chortomlyk Sich. When the Oleshky Sich Cossacks returned, they pursued and punished the perpetrators, retrieved the regalia and booty, but rather than rebuild Oleshky Sich, revived Kamianka Sich (1730–34). There Kost Hordiienko, kish otaman until 1731, died (1733) and Ivan Malashevych was elected kish otaman (1731–34).
In 1734, the new Empress Anna Ivanovna, in a challenging Russo-Turkish War, sought Zaporozhian Cossack support; Ivan Malashevych complied, swore allegiance and with her permission established the New Sich 3 to 5 km from where the Chortomlyk Sich was.
The site of Oleshky Sich, built on sandy left bank of the Konka River did not lend itself to preservation. In early 19th century, there were outlines of the trench, earthen wall and buildings still visible, and some objects, like boat-shaped caskets, skulls, early 18th-century coins, or metal spear tips, were found in the area. Following the 1845 storm, the resultant wind erosion and sand dunes damaged or obscured the remains. The dunes were levelled and planted with osier and bushy willows. Later, the Kherson cellulose-paper combine (1958–62) partially covered the site with buildings.
Archeological studies. First archeological studies of the Oleshky Sich were conducted at the beginning of the 20th century by the archeologist and museum curator from Kherson, V. Hoshkevych. The objects he found (fragments of ceramics, tiles and domestic wares) were taken to display at the Kherson Regional Studies Museum. At the beginning of the 1970s the historian of architecture, V. Lenchenko, discovered remains of several structures of the Cossack period, but his findings were not published.
A new period of research on the site of Oleshky Sich began in 1990. During a conference in Kherson a research crew of the Ukrainian society for the preservation of historic and cultural artefacts headed by Dmytro Telehin examined a 300 sq m area free of buildings in the industrial zone of the Kherson cellulose-paper combine; they found fragments of ceramics, metal objects and coins (1st half of 18th century), thus confirming the location of the Oleshky Sich. On the basis of these finds, the history teacher of Tsiurupynsk School, V. Boiko, together with local regional studies historians, commissioned the sculptor, N. Hepard, who erected (1991) a wooden commemorative arch with a Cossack bell at the site.
Archeological digs by Dmytro Telehin and V. Boiko (1991, 1992), O. Titova and V. Boiko (1994), O. Titova and I. Symonenko (2000, 2003) established the presence of a horizon with objects from the first half of the 18th century. They identified and studied 2 semi-earthen barracks (kurins) and the objects within them. One fully studied barrack was 51 sq m in area with bottoms of supporting charred poles; sitting 0.6 m below surface, it consisted of 2 parts, an entry hallway and the main inner part with a fireplace decorated with tiles. A similar structure was located 5.5 m north of the first, suggesting a second row of barracks, laid out parallel to the river. A workshop with implements was discovered.
Over 1,000 objects were found: fragments of pottery and glassware, fireplace tiles, pipes, metal objects, Muscovite and Polish coins. The ceramics were typical of first half of 18th century middle-Dnipro and Left-Bank Ukraine. These were added to the collection in the Kherson Regional Studies Museum.
On the 300th anniversary of the Oleshky Sich, the National Association of Regional Studies Historians of Ukraine convened in Tsiurupynsk (now Oleshky) (15–16 June 2011) to recommend the inclusion of Oleshky Sich in the system of Cossack fortifications, foremost of which was the Khortytsia Island preserve, for preservation, education and tourist attraction. Subsequently, little was done to make the site conducive to visitors.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Hurzhii, O. ‘Oleshkivs'ka Sich (1711–1728 rr.) v Rosiis'ko-Turets'ko-Pol's'komu trykutnyku,’ Kraieznavstvo No 2 (Kyiv 2011)
Natsional'na spilka kraieznavtsiv Ukraïny. ‘300 rokiv Oleshkivs'koï Sichi’ (Kyiv 2011)
Titova, O. ‘Arkheolohichne vyvchennia Oleshkivs'koī Sichi Nyzovoho Dnipra’, Kraieznavstvo No 2 (Kyiv 2011)
Karpovych, B. ‘Oleshkivs'ka Sich: Istoriia, znachennia ta nevidomi detali kozats'koho oplotu’ Karpaty.net.ua (2025)
Ihor Stebelsky
[This article was updated in 2026.]