Ivan Mazepa is a renowned Ukrainian leader who made significant contributions to the flourishing of Ukrainian culture and the Cossack state in the late 17th century. Because of his desire for Ukraine's freedom from Muscovy, Mazepa aligned himself with the Swedish king Charles XII in a war against the Russian tsar Peter I, ultimately losing the decisive battle near Poltava in 1709.
However, in the 19th century, Mazepa became a prominent cultural figure. George Gordon Byron, Victor Hugo, Juliusz Słowacki, Franz Liszt, and Eugène Delacroix created poems, musical compositions, and paintings depicting him as a young man, a political and sexual rebel. This portrayal of Mazepa gained popularity globally, reaching as far as South Africa and the United States.
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Mazepa was a prominent Ukrainian leader (Hetman) in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. He sought to free Ukraine from Muscovy’s control and allied with Swedish King Charles XII against Russia. However, the decisive Battle of Poltava (1709) resulted in his defeat, solidifying Russia’s imperial expansion.
In the 19th century, Mazepa became a romantic literary and artistic figure, inspiring works by Byron, Victor Hugo, Liszt, Delacroix, and others. Byron’s 1819 poem "Mazepa" made the story popular, portraying Mazepa as both a romantic hero and a symbol of national resistance.
"Byron’s poem, which is the launching pad for the romantic Mazepa in the European imagination, actually understands the historical Mazepa… He knows that the anxiety of Mazepa’s nation is at stake, that empires are taking over, that individual nations are at risk."
— Tony Voss.
In contrast to Byron, Pushkin’s poem "Poltava" (1828) depicted Mazepa as a villain and traitor, aligning with Russian imperial narratives.
"Pushkin’s version is the imperial response… He portrays Mazepa not as a political freedom fighter, but as a political traitor and an old man seducing a young woman." — Volodymyr Yermolenko.
Pushkin’s version removed the heroic and libertarian elements, instead painting Mazepa as an immoral and power-hungry figure.
"Pushkin shows the Ukrainian Cossacks as something of the past — bloody, cruel, and murderous — while in reality, it was the Russian Empire that was cruel and oppressive." — Volodymyr Yermolenko.
The story reached America and South Africa, influencing literature and art beyond Europe. In South Africa, poet Thomas Pringle incorporated Mazepa-like themes in his works, connecting them to colonial experiences.
"Mazepa Bay in South Africa was named after a ship, which was itself named after the legendary Mazepa… At one time, Lloyd’s Register showed six or eight ships named Mazepa sailing the world." — Tony Voss.
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This episode was produced in partnership with the Ukrainian Institute, Ukraine's major cultural and public diplomacy institution, and NGO Cultural Diplomacy Foundation.
