Cossacks write a letter to the Turkish sultan

In 1667, an agreement was concluded with the Poles for a thirteen-year truce. Under this agreement, the Left-Bank Ukraine became part of Russia, and the Right-Bank Ukraine remained with the Commonwealth. Right-bank Ukraine made peace with Turkey. Most of the Cossacks did not want this.

In 1675 the Crimea and the Cossacks signed the peace. But Crimea, with the support of Turkey, violated it. The Cossacks managed to repel the attack. And after these events they send an angry letter to the Turkish Sultan. The letter is written in plain language. The Cossacks in him show all their wit. The letter, of course, did not reach the Sultan, since there were no daredevils to convey it. Yes, it was not intended for the Sultan personally. It was most likely an open letter. Some historians and philologists believe that the Cossacks, writing the letter, used some other source, altering it and adding their own words there. Such anti-Turkish messages were then very popular among the peoples oppressed by the Port.

Repin learned about the existence of the letter from his friend D.I. Yavornitsky, a professor at Moscow University who studied the history of the Cossacks. And even portrayed him as a clerk in a painting. The artist worked on the painting for 11 years and completed the canvas in the early 90s of the 19th century. Among the characters in the picture there are many acquaintances and friends of Repin who posed for him. The painting caused a positive public response among the public and art connoisseurs. She has successfully exhibited in Europe.

And now - what did the Cossacks write to the Turkish Sultan? Here is the content of this letter, according to an extract from the book of the Darwin collection of the history of the Zaporozhye Sich, kept in the Public Library of St. Petersburg, and the proposal of the Sultan, to which it was a response:
“The proposal of Mehmed IV.
I, the sultan and ruler of the Sublime Port, the son of Muhammad, the brother of the Sun and the Moon, the grandson and viceroy of God on earth, the ruler of the kingdoms of Macedon, Babylon, Jerusalem, Great and Lesser Egypt, the king over kings, the ruler over the rulers, the incomparable knight, unbeatable by anyone warrior, ruler of the tree of life, persistent guardian of the tomb of Jesus Christ, guardian of God himself, hope and comforter of Muslims, intimidator and great defender of Christians, I command you, Zaporozhye Cossacks, to surrender to me voluntarily and without any resistance, and not to make me worry with your attacks.
Sultan of Turkey Mohammed IV ".

“Zaporozhye Cossacks to the Turkish Sultan!
Ti, sultan, Turkish devil, i of the damned devil brother i comrade, secretary of Lyutseper himself. Yaky you are a knight into the devil, if you can't drive a hedgehog with a bare asshole. Devil shit, and devour yours. You will not, you son of a bitch, son of Christians with mats, we are not afraid of your victory, we will fight with you with earth and water, we will destroy your mother. You are a Babylonian cook, a Makidon chariot, a Jerusalem bravirnik, Aleksandr gozolup, a pig-man of the Great and Lesser Egypt, an Armenian villain, a Tatar sagaidak, a Kamenets cat, all the saints have a blazen, the Huspid's grandson and our grandson. Pig you muzzle, mare asshole, risnitska dog, nehreshcheny forehead, fucking fuck. From so tobi the Cossacks were told, pushover. You will not feed the Christian pigs. Now it’s over, for we don’t know the number i of the calendar is not May, the moon is at the sky, the year is at the bottom, and such a day is with us, yaki i you, for a kiss on our asshole!
They wrote: Koshevoy Ataman Ivan Sirko Zo with all the koshem Zaporozhskiy. "