Petro Muha ( fl. 1490) was a Ukrainian rebel, military leader and Ukrainian national hero, best known as the leader of the eponymous

Mukha Rebellion The Mukha Rebellion started in 1490 in Galicia, and was led by Petro Mukha. Its purpose was overthrowing Polish control of Galicia. Mukha started the revolt in Pokuttia in the late 15th century, in 1490. The revolt quickly spread to neighborin ...

against Polish magnates and noblemen in Galicia started with

Moldavia Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic alphabet, Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and for ...

n support. This uprising was one of the largest of the 15th and 16th century in the area, together with

Severyn Nalyvaiko Severyn (Semeriy) Nalyvaiko (, , in older historiography also ''Semen Nalewajko'', died 21 April 1597) was a leader of the Ukrainian Cossacks who became a hero of Ukrainian folklore. He led the failed Nalyvaiko Uprising for which he was tortured ...

's.

Biography

Between 1490 and 1492 he led an army of 10,000 people, both

Ukrainians Ukrainians ( uk, Українці, Ukraintsi, ) are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine. They are the seventh-largest nation in Europe. The native language of the Ukrainians is Ukrainian. The majority of Ukrainians are Eastern Ort ...

and Moldavians, as well as a number of other people and Orthodox petty nobles, in an attempt to overthrow the Polish in Galicia. Mukha had support from Stephen the Great, the Moldavian voivode of the time. The revolt erupted in

Pokuttia Pokuttia, also known as Pokuttya or Pokutia ( uk, Покуття, Pokuttya; pl, Pokucie; german: Pokutien; ro, Pocuția), is a historical area of East-Central Europe, situated between the Dniester and Cheremosh rivers and the Carpathian Moun ...

, quickly spreading to other parts of Galicia. The rebellious army proceeded through the territory, taking the cities of Halych, Sniatyn, and Kolomyia. Mukha and his army were blocked by a combined force of Polish Royal army, a '' levée en masse'' summoned by Galician noblemen, and Prussian mercenaries. Many of the rebellious army's warriors died in the Battle of Rohatyn, near

Rohatyn Rohatyn ( uk, Рогатин, pl, Rohatyn) is a city located on the Hnyla Lypa River in Ivano-Frankivsk Raion, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, in western Ukraine. It hosts the administration of Rohatyn urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. P ...

. Mukha and the survivors fled back to

. They returned to Galicia in 1492, in an attempt to stir up another rebellion. Mukha was captured near

Kolomyia Kolomyia, formerly known as Kolomea ( ua, Коломия, Kolomyja, ; pl, Kołomyja; german: Kolomea; ro, Colomeea; yi, ), is a city located on the Prut River in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast (province), in western Ukraine. It serves as the adm ...

, and died in the dungeons of a prison in

Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...

In popular culture

Volodymyr Hrabovetsky wrote a book about Mukha's rebellion, which was published in

Kyiv Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the seventh-most populous city in Europe. Kyi ...

in 1979.

References

Ukrainian rebels Ukrainian military leaders 15th-century military personnel {{authority control