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Sidor WhiteEsaul of the Zaporizhian Cossack Army
Date of Birth: 01.01.1716
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Content:
- Birth and Early Life
- Career in the Zaporozhian Host
- Liquidation of the Zaporozhian Host
- Imperial Service
- Formation of the Black Sea Cossack Host
- Catherine's Journey to Crimea and the Establishment of the Host
- Military Operations and the Liman Battle
- Legacy
Birth and Early Life
The exact details of Siddor Belyy's birth, childhood, and early life remain largely unknown. Even his surname's pronunciation is uncertain, as he signed documents as "Siddor Beloy." Archivist P.P. Korolenko theorized that Belyy descended from the nobility of the Kherson district in the Novorossiya Governorate.
Career in the Zaporozhian Host
Belyy first appeared in Zaporozhian Host documents in 1768 as "voyskovoy asaul," the fourth-highest rank in the Host hierarchy. During the Russo-Turkish War (1768-1774), he distinguished himself, earning recognition from Catherine the Great in 1770.
Liquidation of the Zaporozhian Host
After the war, the Cossacks hoped to acquire land between the Bug and Dnieper rivers, which the Russian government had given to European colonists and landlords. Belyy led a delegation to St. Petersburg in 1774 to petition for the return of their lands. However, the delegation's efforts failed, and the Host was liquidated in June 1775. Belyy's absence from the Host at the time saved him from punishment.
Imperial Service
To gain the loyalty of the Cossack leaders, the Russian government granted them lands, military ranks, and official positions. Belyy's loyalty earned him an estate of 9,000 desyatins in Novorossiya and 60 desyatins on the Ingulets River. In 1783, he was elected Marshal of the Nobility of the Kherson district.
Formation of the Black Sea Cossack Host
In 1784, Belyy appealed to Catherine the Great to establish a Cossack host from the remaining Cossacks in the Novorossiya region. The petition was approved, but the formation of the host was initially unsuccessful.
Catherine's Journey to Crimea and the Establishment of the Host
During Catherine the Great's journey to Crimea, Cossack leaders, including Belyy, joined her escort. In Kremenchug, they presented her with a request to organize the "Host of Loyal Cossacks" from former Zaporozhye Cossacks. The request was granted as a new war with Turkey loomed.
Belyy was appointed commander of both the cavalry and infantry detachments of the newly formed host. He also served as the Cossacks' "koshevoy ataman," although the position was largely ceremonial as the atamans were now appointed by the Russian government.
Military Operations and the Liman Battle
Belyy established his headquarters at Vasilkovo on the Bug River. He commanded a cavalry detachment under Zakhariy Chepega and a flotilla of Cossack boats. In June 1788, the Turkish fleet under Hasan Pasha attempted to break through to Kherson. The Russian fleets under Paul Jones and Prince Nassau intercepted the Turkish ships, and the Cossack flotilla joined Nassau's forces.
On June 7, the Liman Battle began in the Dnieper-Bug estuary. Belyy was awarded the rank of Lieutenant Colonel for his actions during the first day of the battle, and his Cossacks received a reward of one ruble each. On June 16, the Turkish flagship ran aground, prompting a Russian attack. Despite the Turkish numerical advantage, the Russian maneuverability and initiative led to a decisive victory.
The Cossack boats engaged in daring boarding actions against the Turkish ships, but not all attacks were successful. Belyy was among the wounded, along with 235 captured and eight seriously injured Cossacks. Belyy succumbed to his injuries on June 19, 1788.
Legacy
Siddor Ignatyevich Belyy was buried with full military honors in the Alexander Church in Kinburn. The attention paid to his injury and death by senior military leaders (including Alexander Suvorov and Grigory Potemkin) attests to his importance as a respected commander and not merely as the ataman of a unique Cossack force.
Belyy's first son, Nikolai, later commanded the 1st Poltava Regiment of the Kuban Cossack Host, which was granted the honorary title of "Eternal Shefstvo of Koshevoy Ataman Siddor Belyy."
A bronze statue of Belyy was included in the monumental equestrian monument to Catherine the Great in Yekaterinodar, designed by sculptor Mikhail Mikeshin and unveiled in 1907. The monument was destroyed by the Bolsheviks in 1920 but was later restored by sculptor Alexander Apollonov and officially reopened in 2006.
