Ivan Mazepa and the Russian Empire

Ivan Mazepa, a controversial figure in Ukrainian history, is the subject of the first English-language biography in sixty years. The book, by Tatiana Tairova-Yakovleva, presents an updated perspective based on new sources and post-Soviet Russian and Ukrainian historiography. It offers a more nuanced and balanced account of Mazepa, exploring his role in economic reform, his impact on Peter I's rise to power, his cultural achievements, and the reasons for his switch in allegiance.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 440 pages
Publication date: 23 September 2020
Publisher: McGill-Queen's University Press

Ivan Mazepa, the hetman of the Zaporozhian Host in present-day Ukraine, is a contentious figure renowned for defecting from Tsar Peter I and joining Charles XII's Swedish army during the Battle of Poltava. Despite his widespread discussion in surveys and major historical works on Russian and Ukrainian history, Ivan Mazepa and the Russian Empire marks the first English-language biography of the hetman in sixty years. This book is a translation and revision of Tatiana Tairova-Yakovleva's 2007 Russian-language work, offering an updated perspective on Mazepa's life. Drawing from a wealth of new sources, including Mazepa's archive, which was long believed lost until its rediscovery by the author in 2004, and post-Soviet Russian and Ukrainian historiography, Tairova-Yakovleva presents a more nuanced and balanced portrayal of the polarizing figure. Chapters on economic reform, Mazepa's influence on Peter I's rise to power, his cultural achievements, and the factors that led him to switch allegiances from Peter to Charles delve into a broader range of issues and personalities than previously explored. Setting a precedent for future historians, Ivan Mazepa and the Russian Empire offers an original insight into the Hetmanate during a pivotal period in the Russian Empire and Ukraine's history.

Weight: 624g
Dimension: 152 x 228 x 30 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780228001744