Локалізація військ Речі Посполитої на полі Хотинської битви 1621 року

Abstract

The Battle of Khotyn in 1621 became an important event in the history of Europe. The study of the battlefield is an integral component for understanding its content and course, in particular, the localization of the troops of the opposing sides in the area. During the 19th and early 21st centuries researchers proposed about a dozen options for reconstruction of the battlefield, including placement of troops of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Most of the reconstructions are schematic, which makes it impossible to make a clear reference to the environment and to fully reveal the course of the confrontation. By studying written, iconographic, archaeological sources, comparing topography and toponymy data, a new version of the reconstruction of the key part of the battlefield, occupied for the purpose of defense by Polish-Lithuanian troops and Zaporizhzhya Cossacks, is proposed. The location of the troops is plotted on a detailed topographical basis. The positions of the troops of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth are located on an area of about 4.5 km 2 within the boundaries of the modern Khotyn and on its southern outskirts. They consisted of the following parts: a camp of Polish-Lithuanian troops, separate advanced fortifications (a stone castle, a crossing bridge over the Dniester and a near bridge fortification, a brick church, the chances of Weyher, Lubomirski, Zyczewski, Denhoff and Lermont, the camp of lisowczyki), the military camp of Zaporozhian Host and the sections of the front occupied by the Cossacks. The informativeness of the sources is naturally more regarding the Polish-Lithuanian positions compared to the Cossack ones. The archaeological research should be a new step in the study of the field of the Khotyn Battle of 1621.