Shamenkov, S. I. Ukrainian Cossacks from the late 16th century to the early 18th century

Organisation, clothing, equipment, armament

Volume 129 of the series Century of the Soldier 1618-1721. This book offers a detailed insight into the development of the appearance of the Ukrainian Cossacks. The author meticulously reconstructs the clothing, equipment and armament of Ukrainian Cossacks from the late 16th to the early 18th century. He draws on a wide range of historical sources, including official documents and eyewitness accounts, as well as pictorial sources depicting Cossacks. Archaeological finds from battlefields associated with Cossacks were also consulted. The author examines both the clothing and equipment of ordinary Cossacks and the clothing and military equipment of the officer corps the Cossack Starshyna and the Hetmans. Special attention is paid to the flags and various items of equipment. The reader learns about the differences between the Cossacks, the distinction between registered and Sich Cossacks, their fighting style and the tactical methods they used on the battlefield. The book also deals with separate formations of Ukrainian hetmans based on Western models, as well as mercenary troops from the last quarter of the 17th to the early 18th century, such as the Serdyuky and Kompaniytsi. The book contains about 180 illustrations, including iconographic sources, depictions of battles, archaeological artefacts and various types of clothing and equipment. The visual content is supplemented by colour plates with reconstructions of flags by the author and illustrations of flags from the collection of the Swedish Army Museum. Twenty original colour reconstructions of Cossacks and representatives of the Cossack officer corps, as well as 15 black-and-white plates in the author's well-known style from the famous Helion series, provide a detailed picture of the appearance of Ukrainian Cossacks from the late 16th to the early 18th century.