Petro Kalnyshevsky
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Kalnyshevsky Petro (1690 – 1803-10-31) – the last Koshovyi Otaman of the Zaporozhian Host in 1762 and in 1765–1775 years period. Kalnyshevsky took part in Russo-Turkish war of 1768-1774 and was honored with a gold medal with brilliants for courage.
Being a head of the Zaporozhian Host Petro Kalnyshevsky defended the rights of cossacks and their independence from increasing Imperial Russian Tsarist influence, encouraged agriculture development and trade in the Zaporizhian steppe.
After the destruction of Zaporizhian Sich by Russian troops, Petro Kalnyshevsky was arrested and deported to the Solovetsky Monastery, where he spent over 26 years in solitary confinement in a cold and dark cell (1 m wide, 2 m long). Three times a year he was allowed outside to breathe the open air.
He was pardoned by Emperor Alexander at the age of 110 years. Kalnyshevsky by that time had become blind and decided to remain in the monastery, where he died 2 years later in 1803.
