Cossacks, Empire, and the Enlightenment: From Orientilization to Republican Reappropriation

This article seeks to explore how Enlightenment narratives and categories framed the perception image of Zaporozhian Cossacks both in imperial center south-western periphery Russian Empire late eighteenth century. It demonstrates that Catherine II deployed discourse civilizational mission justify disbandment Cossack Host liquidation Sich. The historical works Voltaire became an important source inspiration for Catherine's orientalist Ukrainian Cossacks, which gained wide currency was accepted by some representatives elite. On other hand, allowed Ukrainians challenge hegemony going beyond traditional estate regional particularism rethinking tradition as a democratic republican one setting it against supposed despotism Imperial Russia.