Dmitriy Gorlenko Prilutsky Colonel Date of Birth: 01.01.1660 Country: Operator

1. Early Life and Family
2. Military Career
3. Alliance with Mazepa and Defiance of Peter I
4. Candidacy for Hetmanship
5. Conflict with Orlyk and Return to Moscow
6. Legacy
7. Honour

Early Life and Family

Dmitry Gorlenko was born to a prominent Cossack family in the mid-17th century. His father, Lazar Gorlenko, held the prestigious position of Prilutsky Colonel multiple times between 1658 and 1687.

Military Career

Gorlenko inherited his father's military prowess and became Prilutsky Colonel himself in 1692. In 1705, he rose to the role of acting hetman of the Cossack troops. Throughout his career, he fought tirelessly against the Ottoman Empire and Crimean Khanate, particularly during the Buchak Tatar campaign in 1693.

Alliance with Mazepa and Defiance of Peter I

Gorlenko became a close confidant of Hetman Ivan Mazepa, who opposed Russian dominance. In 1708, he and Mazepa joined forces with the Swedish King Charles XII against Peter I. After their defeat at the Battle of Poltava, Gorlenko fled with Mazepa and the king to Bendery and later to Constantinople.

Candidacy for Hetmanship

Following the death of Mazepa, Gorlenko emerged as a candidate for hetmanship in Right-Bank Ukraine in 1710. He supported the efforts of General Clerk Philip Orlyk to break the Pruth Peace Treaty with Russia.

Conflict with Orlyk and Return to Moscow

In 1715, Gorlenko had a falling out with Orlyk and returned to Moscow, where he lived in exile until 1730. The Russian government granted him permission to return to Ukraine in 1731.

Legacy

Gorlenko was known as one of the wealthiest colonels of the Hetmanate, owning numerous villages in Ukraine. He generously contributed to the reinforcement of the Gushchynsky Monastery's walls. The exact date of his death is unknown, but he was buried in the Gorlenko family crypt in the Gushchynsky monastery.

Honour

In recognition of his legacy, a street in the city of Dnipro is named after Gorlenko.