The Malorossian Foreman before and after the Northern War: Maximovichs Family Portrait against the Background of the Epoch

This article is devoted to the study of the Maximovichs family, one of the most influential clans of the Malorossian foremen (starshina), who took part in all major political events of the early XVIII century. The Maksimovichs history reflected the social processes characteristic of the entire Cossack foreman of the XVIII century. The maximum rise of the family in 1680-1708 was associated with the reign of I. Mazepa, the fall of Mazepa predetermined the crisis of the Maximovichs. A significant part of the family spent several years of their life in Moscow in different status - suspects, convicts, hostages, soldiers and officers of the Russian army. Repressive measures and forced inculturation of family members led to the change of political orientations, ensuring the further prosperity of the family as a whole and its consistent entry into the political elite of the Russian Empire. It is necessary to emphasize the distinct distance between the state criminal fate and the attitude of the imperial authorities towards his closest relatives. The proven betrayal of one or more representatives of the senior family did not cause the collapse of the entire clan. The novelty of the approach consists in considering the fate of representatives of one of the starshina families against a broad historical background. For the first time, the problem of forced inculturation of representatives of oppositional Cossack foremen in Moscow was raised.

Russian Empire, hetmanate, foremen, mazepintsy, I.Mazepa, inculturation