Description of the Sulymy Estates of 1787 (introductory article and publication by I. Kondratiev, S. Shumilo)

Abstract

The purpose of the publication is to introduce into scientific circulation the unpublished description of the Sulymy estates of 1787.

Methodology. The text of the source was analysed using the scientific-critical method, as well as historiographical, source and linguistic analysis.

Scientific novelty. For the first time, a document is published that contains many new details that significantly complement the historical context of the life and everyday life of Cossack officers of Hetmanshchyna during the liquidation period.

Conclusions. The Sulymy family can be considered one of the most researched in Ukrainian history. But despite the existence of two collections of documents, the so-called Sulymy and Motyzhyn archives, published by O. Lazarevskyi, it is still possible to find texts of documents that are unique in many respects. Such a discovery was the inventory of the property of deceased bunchuk comrade Matvii Sulyma, made by members of the noble guardianship in 1787. The document mentions all movable and immovable property located in the town of Voronkiv and its district of the former Kyiv district. The inventory gives an idea of various spheres of life of Cossack officers of the second half of the 18th c. and contains unique details of the history of everyday life, architecture, crafts, and economy, revealing, in many cases, even older traditions. The list of documents in the Sulymy family archive, most of which have been overlooked by researchers, is unique. The inventory itself is an interesting example of late 18th c. record keeping and characterises the process of the Hetmanshchyna transition to the Russian empire.