“O sultan, Turkish devil and damned devil’s kith and kin, secretary to Lucifer himself. What the devil kind of knight are thou, that canst not slay a hedgehog with your naked arse? The devil shits, and your army eats. Thou shalt not, thou son of a whore, make subjects of Christian sons. We have no fear of your army; by land and on sea we will battle with thee. Fuck thy mother.” – Ivan Dmytrovych Sirko, with the whole Zaporozhian Host (Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks)
Historical Background of the Zaporozhian Cossacks
The Zaporozhian Cossacks were a semi-independent military and political community that emerged within the frontier regions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth during the 15th and 16th centuries. They lived primarily in the basin of the Dnieper River, in what is now south-eastern Ukraine. The name Zaporozhian comes from the Ukrainian phrase za porohamy, meaning “beyond the rapids,” referring to their settlements beyond the Dnieper’s rapids. The word Cossack derives from the Turkic term qazaq (or kazak), meaning “free man” or “adventurer.”
The Zaporozhian Cossacks were a diverse community composed of people from various ethnic and social backgrounds, though they became most closely associated with Ukrainian culture and identity. Many were escaped serfs, frontier settlers, adventurers, hunters, traders, and soldiers who sought freedom from feudal obligations and greater opportunities on the steppe frontier. Over time, they developed a distinctive military tradition and a self-governing society that played a major role in the history of Ukraine and Eastern Europe.
Zaporozhian Cossacks vs Ottoman Sultan in 1676
The Zaporozhian Cossacks inhabited the frontier region between the agricultural lands of Eastern Europe and the vast steppe territories controlled by the Crimean Tatars and the Ottoman Empire. As a result, the Zaporozhian Cossacks and the Crimean Tatars frequently came into conflict.
Crimean Tatar forces regularly raided the territories of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and Muscovy, capturing thousands of prisoners who were often sold into slavery in Ottoman markets. In retaliation, the Zaporozhian Cossacks launched their own raids against Crimean Tatar settlements and Ottoman coastal cities along the Black Sea. These cycles of raids and counter-raids made the region one of the most volatile frontiers in Eastern Europe for centuries.
After defeating Ottoman forces in battle, the Zaporozhian Cossacks received a letter from Sultan Mehmed IV of the Ottoman Empire demanding that they submit to Ottoman rule. Despite the losses his army had suffered against the Cossacks, the Sultan sought to assert his authority over them. In response, the Cossacks sent a notoriously vulgar and defiant reply filled with insults, mockery, and profanities, rejecting the Sultan’s demands and ridiculing his claim to power.
The Famous Letter: Full Text of the Reply to the Turkish Sultan
The Zaporozhian Cossacks were led by the renowned ataman Ivan Dmytrovych Sirko. According to legend, Sirko and his fellow Cossacks composed a famously vulgar and defiant reply to Sultan Mehmed IV, filled with insults, mockery, and profanities. This legendary correspondence became known as the Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks.
Historians continue to debate the authenticity of the letter, and it remains unclear whether the original text was written in Polish, Ukrainian, Ruthenian, or Russian, as multiple versions emerged and circulated over time. Here’s the full text below:
“O Sultan, Turkish devil and damned devil’s kith and kin, secretary to Lucifer himself. What kind of knight are you, that cannot slay a hedgehog with your naked backside? The devil shits, and your army eats. You shall not, you son of a whore, make subjects of Christian sons.
We have no fear of your army; by land and by sea we will battle with you. Fuck your mother.
You Babylonian scullion, Macedonian wheelwright, brewer of Jerusalem, goat-fucker of Alexandria, swineherd of Greater and Lesser Egypt, pig of Armenia, Podolian thief, hangman of Kamianets, fool of all the world and underworld, an idiot before God, grandson of the Serpent, and the crick in our dick.
Pig’s snout, mare’s arse, slaughterhouse cur, unchristened brow. Screw your own mother!
Thus declare the Zaporozhians, you lowlife. You won’t even be herding pigs for the Christians.
Now we’ll conclude, for we don’t know the date and don’t own a calendar; the moon is in the sky, the year with the Lord, the day the same as over here as it is over there; for this kiss our arse!”
Ilya Repin and the Creation of the Painting
Ilya Yefimovich Repin was a Ukrainian-born painter who worked within the Russian artistic tradition during the 19th century. During extensive travels along the Volga and Don rivers, as well as through Cossack regions, he gathered inspiration and visual material that would later inform his most famous masterpiece, Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks.
The painting depicts a lively group of Cossacks laughing as they compose a famously vulgar and defiant letter. The scene is crowded, chaotic, and boisterous, with expressive faces that emphasise humour, camaraderie, and rebellious spirit.
Repin used a wide range of models for the work, many of whom were faculty members and students of the Imperial Academy of Arts. These models represented diverse backgrounds, including Russians, Ukrainians, Poles, Greeks, and even a Cossack student.
Repin worked on the painting intermittently between approximately 1880 and 1891, refining its composition over more than a decade. The finished work became extremely popular, and its success led to the creation of additional studies and related versions based on the original composition.
Legacy and Modern Relevance
Repin’s Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks is widely regarded as one of the most iconic works of 19th-century art, celebrated for its vivid depiction of humour, defiance, and collective spirit. It is frequently included in lists of the “100 Great Paintings” due to its artistic impact and cultural significance.
The painting’s interpretation, however, has also been the subject of debate. Some view it as an important part of Ukrainian cultural heritage, while others place it within the broader tradition of Russian imperial-era art, reflecting the complex and overlapping identities of the region.
In modern times, the painting has continued to attract attention and reinterpretation. It has been referenced and reimagined in various artistic and political contexts, sometimes adapted to reflect contemporary perspectives and current geopolitical narratives. As a result, its meaning has evolved beyond its historical origins, remaining both influential and contested in today’s cultural discussions.
Where to See the Original Painting Today
The Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks is housed in the State Russian Museum in Saint Petersburg. The museum’s collection also includes other major masterpieces of 19th-century art, such as Ivan Aivazovsky’s The Ninth Wave, Vasily Surikov’s Taking a Snow Town, and Karl Bryullov’s The Last Day of Pompeii.
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