# Ukrainian line

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Ukrainian Line Ukraine Ukrainian Line in 1737 Site information Type Defensive line Controlled by Novorossiysk Governorate of the Russian Empire Location Site history Built 1731–1764 In use 1731–1770th Materials Natural features, moats, earthworks

**Ukrainian defensive line** was a Russian heavily fortified defensive line on the territory of modern Ukraine built between 1731–1764 on the lands of the [Zaporozhian Sich](/source/Zaporozhian_Sich) and the [Cossack Hetmanate](/source/Cossack_Hetmanate). Built by imperial Russia, it strengthened the defense of the southern borders from [Tatar](/source/Crimean_Tatars) incursions[1] and established military bases in approximation to the [Crimea](/source/Crimea). 285 kilometers in length, it comprised 16 newly-constructed forts and 4 old forts repaired. The first stage was built from 1731–40 and subsequent construction began in the 1740s.

## History of construction

Since the late 1720s, the [Russian Empire](/source/Russian_Empire) began to actively prepare for war with the [Ottoman Empire](/source/Ottoman_Empire) for the return of [Azov](/source/Azov) and Northern Azov Sea Region. The Ukrainian line was built to prevent the [Tatar](/source/Crimean_Tatars) incursion into the Poltava territory of the Hetmanate and the Kharkov territory of Sloboda Ukraine.[2] The line proved to be of limited success given the distance between the fortresses and that the Crimean Tatars excelled in asymmetrical warfare, by raiding through gaps in the Russian defense lines.[3] The bulk of the work on the construction was done by [Ukrainian Cossacks](/source/Ukrainian_Cossacks) and [peasants](/source/Peasants) in 1731–1732. Every year 20 thousand Cossacks and 10 thousand peasants of [Hetmanate](/source/Cossack_Hetmanate) worked on the line, who were obliged to work with their inventory and supplies, every 10th with an ox and the Cossacks with their weapons. Thousands of [Ukrainians](/source/Ukrainians) lost their lives in the construction of the line[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]. After signing the [Treaty of Belgrade](/source/Treaty_of_Belgrade) in 1739 and the transfer of the Russian-Turkish border from the territory between the [Samara](/source/Samara_River_(Dnieper)) and [Oril](/source/Oril) rivers on the [Azov Sea](/source/Azov_Sea), work on the line was terminated, and with the construction of the [Dnieper line](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dnieper_line&action=edit&redlink=1) in 1770–1783, the Ukrainian line lost its military defensive value.

## Structure of the Line

The line ran from the [Oril](/source/Oril) river to the [Siverskyi Donets River](/source/Siverskyi_Donets_River). The Ukrainian line consisted of 16 [forts](/source/Fort) and 49 [redoubts](/source/Redoubt).

### Locations

Fortress Name Other Name Nearest settlement Years Coordinates Borisoglebskaya fortress Parhomiv Buyrak, after 1738 called Tenth Fortress Rudka 1731–1742 48.803148, 34.330804 Bilevska fortress Berestyn 49.369017, 35.452845 Efrem fortress Yefremivka 1731–1742 49.441978, 36.064019 Kozlivska fortress Krutoyarska Fortress Skalonivka 1731 49.189962, 35.169081 Livenskaya fortress Livenske 49.109136, 34.519317 Orel fortress after 1738 called Ninth Fortress Diachkivka 1731–1742 49.472411, 35.722404 Ryazhskaya fortress Riaske 49.173816, 34.916266 St. Alexis fortress Oleksiivka 1731–1742 49.392243, 36.264049 St. John (Ioanivska) Fortress Ivanivske 1731–1742 49.440044, 35.585453 St. Michael fortress Michael fortress, after 1738 called Kyselna Fortress (Kisel, Kizel) Mykhailivka 1731–1742 49.321668, 36.446030 St. Paraskeva fortress Paraskivska Fortress Paraskoviia 1731–1742 49.517610, 35.868816 St. Peter fortress Peter's fortress to 1738, after called Donetsk fortress Petrivske 1731 49.163730, 36.890191 St. Theodore fortress Theodore fortress after 1738 called Driyetska fortress or New Castle) Zaliniine 1731 49.168657, 35.093911 Slobodskaya fortress after 1738 called Lozovaya Fortress Pavlivka 1731 49.215590, 36.578546 Tambov fortress after 1738 called Buzova castle or fortress Busov Marivka 1731 49.136049, 36.741880 Vasylivska fortress Nekhvoroshcha 1731–1736 49.164035, 34.752155

For defense there were 20 regiments of [land militia](/source/Imperial_Russian_Army), (14 [cavalry](/source/Cavalry) [regiments](/source/Regiment), and six [infantry](/source/Infantry) regiments) with about 22 000; it had 180 [artillery guns](/source/Cannon) and 39 [mortars](/source/Mortar_(weapon)). In 1740 there were 18 forts and 140 redoubts. [Bilevska](/source/Bilevska_fortress) castle was the center of the line. Until 1764, a land militia office was located there.

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Serhii Plokhy. "Ukraine and Russia: Representations of the Past", 2008, p. 60

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Brian Davies. "Empire and Military Revolution in Eastern Europe: Russia's Turkish Wars in the Eighteenth Century. Continuum International Publishing Group", 2011., p. 172

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Brian Davies. "Empire and Military Revolution in Eastern Europe: Russia's Turkish Wars in the Eighteenth Century. Continuum International Publishing Group", 2011., p. 205

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ukrainian line](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukrainian_line) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukrainian_line?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.