Haydamak

For other uses, see Haydamaky.

The haydamaks, also haidamakas or haidamaky or haidamaks (sg. haidamaka; pl. haidamaky, from Ukrainian: гайдамаки and Polish: hajdamacy) were Ukrainian Cossack paramilitaries, who were active in the eastern part of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. The haidamak movement emerged in Right-bank Ukraine after the ratification of the Treaty of Perpetual Peace with the Tsardom of Russia in 1710 as a result of growing ethnic, social and religious tensions, complicated by general anarchy and economic decline of the region. Haidamaks adopted guerrilla tactics and swiftly increased their numbers through the influx of commoners such as peasants and craftsmen, monks and petty noblemen, as well as simple criminals. Supported by the Orthodox clergy, the actions of haidamaks attained a strong religious component.

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