Ivan Sirko - Great Ukrainian military commander!

Date and place of birth of Ivan Sirko is unknown. According to some reports, he was born in the Cossack settlement Merefa in Sloboda Ukraine (Kharkiv region now). According to the legend, the birth of Ivan Sirko was unusual - a boy was born with teeth than scared everyone present. Father tried to rectify the situation, saying that Ivan will "will gnaw an enemies." But it did not help. People have treated with apprehensively to the guy and it was justified because he has showed an extraordinary abilities, who later became a really supernatural.

Ivan Sirko was an extraordinarily talented warrior and an outstanding political figure of his time, he initiated many military campaigns, and has won all of them. Let's remember Sirko`s role in the Franco-Spanish Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) on the French side. In 1646, according to the agreement with the French, signed by the Hetman Bogdan Khmelnitsky, 2500 Cossacks through Gdansk by sea reached the French port of Calais, leaded by cossack colonels Sirko and Zoltenko. An unassailable Spanish fortress of Dunkirk was captured because of military mastery of Ukrainian cossacks. 

The fortress had an important strategic significance - it was called the "key of the English Channel." French forces repeatedly tried to take Dunkirk, but in vain. And the Cossacks have took the fortress in a few days and, in fact, handed the coveted "key" to the French. Sirko has also fought against the Turkish Sultan, gaining a many of  glorious victories. Turks and Tatars called him "Urus-Shaitan" and "seven-headed dragon". Ivan Sirko also took part and put his signature in the famous "Letter to the Turkish Sultan Mohammed IV" and was immortalized by Russian artist Illya Repin in his famous picture. Sirko was one of the most reputable Cossack colonels. It is not surprising that the Cossacks 12 times elected him an Otaman (military leader) - from 1660 to August of 1680, ie, until his death.