The Activities of the Scotsman Patrick Gordon in Kyiv (Based on the Materials of the Diary of 1684–1685)

Patrick Gordon entered the history of Eastern Europe as a companion of Peter I, commander of the Chyhyryn campaign of 1678, one of many foreign officers who formed regiments of foreign troops in the Muscovite state. Patrick Gordon came from a wealthy family in Aberdeen County, Scotland. Patrick’s childhood took place during the Civil War in England 1642–1651, so at the age of 16, Gordon’s parents sent Patrick to study at the Jesuit college in Braunsberg (now the city of Braniewo, Poland). Later, Patrick Gordon began his military career in the Swedish and then in the Polish armies and distinguished himself in important battles of the Northern War of 1655–1660. After the end of the hostilities, he received an offer from the Moscow envoy Vasyl Leontiev to serve in the Moscow army. Patrick Gordon agreed and, starting in 1661, served in Muscovy. The period of the 70s – 80s of the 17th century. in the life of Patrick Gordon is closely connected with the Ukrainian lands and the city of Kyiv. Patrick Gordon’s Ukrainian period is poorly researched, and most of the records representing the Scotsman’s stay in Ukrainian lands in 1667–1677 and 1678–1684 have been lost. The main source in the study of the biography of Patrick Gordon and the history of Eastern Europe is the unique diaries written by him. Volume 1 (1635–1659), Volume 2 (1659–1667), Volume 3 (1677–1678), Volume 4 (1684–1689), Volume 5 (1690–1695) have been preserved and published, Volume 6 (1695–1698). The diaries cover his entire life, from childhood to the beginning of 1699, a few months before his death. Volume 4 (1684–1689) testifies to Patrick Gordon’s stay in Kyiv. This scientific article aims to investigate and reveal Patrick Gordon’s stay in Kyiv during 1678–1684, his role in the construction of new defensive fortifications in the city based on the materials of the preserved diaries. As an engineer, P. Gordon organized the construction of a system of ramparts around Pechersk, Upper Town and Podil. At the end of the long work, in 1695, Colonel Ivan Ushakov compiled a map of the renewed Kyiv fortifications, the main role in the construction of which was played by Patrick Gordon. The article highlights the main districts of Kyiv at that time, explores the social topography and stratification of the city, highlights important events in the life of Patrick Gordon, presents events from the history of the Kyiv Metropolis and its annexation by the Moscow Patriarchate. The article is based on the materials of diaries that were published by historians during the 19th – 21st centuries.