Prerequisites
From the time of Peter I, the Moscovite government began to interfere more and more in the internal life of the Sloboda regiments and limit their autonomy. In 1700, Peter I deprived the regiments of the right to elect their own colonels, ruling that they were elected until death. By the same order, Peter I significantly reduced the number of elected Cossacks to about 3,500, including 1,200 in the Sumy Regiment, 820 in the Okhtyrka Regiment, 850 in the Kharkiv Regiment, 250 in the Izium Regiment, and 350 in the Ostroh Regiment. All other Sloboda Cossacks were transferred to assistants, who were obliged to plow the land, supply equipment, horses and weapons for the elected Cossacks. The Russian leadership began to appoint the right people to the positions of colonels, including foreigners.Українське козацтво. Мала енціклопедія: Київ. «Генеза», 2002, с 454—456 During the reign of Catherine I, the Sloboda regiments were transferred to the department of the Military Collegium, as a result of which a regular company was created in each regiment. In 1732, during the reign ofShcherbinin Commission
Shcherbinin's commission was aimed at streamlining the fiscal system, investigating land cases, finding out the causes of the plight of the people. Most importantly, the guards of Second Major Yevdokim Shcherbinin were allowed at their discretion to accept complaints and investigate cases of abuse of officers in all Sloboda regiments "and as soon as Sloboda regiments commanders and sergeants those who, in seniority, follow from the real employees." Thus, the Shcherbinin Commission was given practical rights to manage the region, eliminate and appoint officers. The Commission arrived in Kharkiv on the highest orders from the capital. In particular, it investigated numerous complaints from the population about the abuse of the regimental officers of the Sloboda regiments (because the territory was "semi-free", colonels and centurions really allowed themselves a lot). The facts of seizure of public and regimental lands, significant embezzlement (public money), misappropriation of public money, sale of military and elected positions for money, misconduct, extortion, physical violence and other facts were revealed. According to the report of the commission, Catherine II was convinced that there was no civil authority in Slobozhanshchina, and decided to introduce civil administration by creating aReform of military regiments
During 1763–1764, instead of the abolished Cossack regiments, imperial regular hussar regiments were formed: the Kharkiv, Sumy, Okhtyrka, Izyum, and Ostrogozhsky hussar regiments. Sloboda Cossacks and assistants were transformed into so-called military citizens (social status they were similar to state peasants), Cossack officers were compared to the Russian nobility (depending on the rank was given hereditary or personal nobility). Those who wished to continue their service in the imperial regiments were given military ranks in accordance with the government they held in the Cossack regiments. Officers who refused to continue their service also received appropriate ranks, military or civilian, according to theAbolition of the Cossack system
The Manifesto of 1765 abolished the Cossack system and the Sloboda regiments and introduced Russian institutions. Prior to the reform, the regiments were kept "on the ground" by the population. Those who served in the regiments until 1765 often used their money to buy horses and uniforms (except weapons). From 1765 the regiment was held by the government, not the local population. Also, instead of the constant extortion of sergeants from local residents – horses, ammunition, weapons, fodder, provisions, salaries for Cossacks and sergeants, seizure of local horses and oxen for transportation, etc. – a single tax "from the soul" living in Slobozhanshchina was introduced. 4 graduations and entered the treasury. The largest tax was on privileged state military citizens (so changed the Cossacks and their assistants), who had the right to drive and sell in the permitted settlements "wine" – 90-95 kopecks a year. Of the unprivileged military, who had no right to drive wine – 80-85 kopecks a year from the heart. From gypsies and foreigners – 70 kopecks. From "proprietary subjects of Cherkasy" – 60 kopecks. Nobles, clergy, and women did not pay taxes. Privileges (not all) given to Peter I by the people of Slobozian were preserved. The most important thing was that distilling was allowed in military settlements, settlements, towns, and cities (except for a few). Also, about two-thirds of the province's population was allowed to extract the salt they used to go to Thor. The "unprivileged" were forced to buy government wine from the "privileged", as well as government salt, which had a state monopoly. Also privileged were allowed other trades (manufacture for sale of various things, sale of products, etc.) without paying taxes. Зберігалися пільги (не всі), даровані слобожанам Петром І. Найголовніше — у військових поселеннях, слободах, містечках, містах (крім кількох) дозволялося винокуріння. Також приблизно двом третинам населення губернії був дозволений видобуток солі, за якою їздили на Тор. «Непривілейовані» змушені були купляти казенне вино у «привілейованих», а також казенну сіль, на яку була державна монополія. Також привілейованим дозволялися інші промисли (виготовлення на продаж різних речей, продаж продуктів і пр.) без сплати податків. Regimental and hundreds of forms of civil government were formally abolished. But in fact the colonels and centurions had power in their territories not only military, it was finally abolished in 1780 with the reorganization of the provinces and commissions in the county. The territories of the regimental hundreds were united in commissariats, while preserving the hundreds themselves. In the centers of the commissariat were organized: commissioner's office, commissioner's office, local court. The commissariats were united in the provinces, which territorially corresponded to the regiments. All provinces constituted the province. In 1766 the existing administrative division was abolished and the entire territory of the Sloboda Cossacks was transformed into a new Kharkov Governorate with its center in Kharkiv. Five settlements: Okhtyrka, Kharkiv, Izium, etc. received the status of cities. Particular attention was paid to Kharkiv, which in 1780 became the capital of the newly created Kharkov Governorate.Cossack protests
Upon learning of this, Colonel of the Izium Regiment Fedor Krasnokutsky in 1764 tried to raise the Sloboda sergeant to a mass protest against the intentions of the Russian authorities. The Izyum Regiment and some officers of the Kharkiv Regiment were clearly opposed to the reform. But another Cossack officer did not respond to his proposal – to submit a collective petition to the Empress. Each of the officers was afraid of losing the acquired wealth, positions and hoped to find a warm place in the new structures. The Russian government has made arrests in search of a wider conspiracy. Krasnokutsky was deprived of his ranks and estate and exiled to Kazan. Some of the ordinary officers were beaten with whips. Expressions of discontent and protest also took place during the elections to the Commission for the Drafting of the New Code of 1767: some orders (particularly in the Sumy region) called for the restoration of the Cossacks. But Russian government repression has eliminated this resistance movement. According to General Shcherbinin, the inhabitants of Slobozhanshchyna were hostile to the reform of the regiments. The Cossacks who converted to the Hussars were persecuted not only by local officials, but also by their own parents. In this regard, these Cossacks began to run away from service, they were caught, beaten with whips and returned to the regiments.Багалей Д. И. История Слободской Украины.// Скасування автономії при царицях Анні та Катерині ІІ. Издательство «Союз» Харьковского кредитного союза кооперативов. — 1918 г. — с. 87Aftermath
Cossack autonomy and the regimental system were finally abolished. Sloboda Ukraine became an ordinary province of the Russian Empire, Sloboda Ukraine Governorate, with its center in Kharkiv.See also
*Sources
{{Reflist 1763 in Ukraine Russian–Ukrainian wars Russia–Ukraine military relations Russia–Ukraine relations Wars of independence