Second Hand Ukrainian Cossacks from the late 16th century to the early 18th century

This book provides a detailed look at the evolution of the appearance of Ukrainian Cossacks. The author meticulously reconstructs the clothing, equipment, and weaponry of Ukrainian Cossacks from the late sixteenth to the early eighteenth century. A wide range of historical sources have been used, including official documents and descriptions left by eyewitnesses, visual sources depicting Cossacks. Archaeological findings from battle sites associated with Cossacks have also been used.

The author examines both the clothing and equipment of ordinary Cossacks and, separately, the clothing and military gear of the officer corps – the Cossack starshyna and hetmans. Special attention is given to banners and various types of equipment.

The reader will learn about the differences among Cossacks, the distinctions between registered and Sich Cossacks, how they fought, and the tactical methods they used on the battlefield. The book also explores separate formations of Ukrainian hetmans modelled after Western European armies, as well as mercenary units from the last quarter of the seventeenth to the early eighteenth century, such as the serdyuky and kompaniytsi.

The book contains approximately 180 illustrations, including iconographic sources, depictions of battles, archaeological artefacts, and various types of clothing and equipment. The visual content is enhanced by colour plates featuring the author's reconstructions of banners, as well as images of banners from the collection of the Swedish Army Museum.

Twenty original colour reconstructions of Cossacks and representatives of the Cossack officer corps, along with 15 black and white plates in the author's familiar style from the well-known Helion series, provide a detailed portrayal of the appearance of Ukrainian Cossacks from the late sixteenth to the early eighteenth century.