Ivan Mazepa

Ivan Stepanovych Mazepa was the Cossack Hetman of the Hetmanate in Leftbank Ukraine, from 16871708, and Prince of the Holy Roman Empire ad personam 17071709. He was famous as a patron of the arts, and also played an important role in the Battle of Poltava where after learning of Peter Is intent to relieve him as acting Hetman of Ukraine and replace him with Alexander Menshikov, he deserted his army and sided with Charles of Sweden. The politicization of this desertion has held a lasting legacy in both Russian and Ukrainian national history.

Mazepa was probably born on March 30, 1639, in Mazepyntsi, near Bila Tserkva, then part of the Kiev Voivodeship in the PolishLithuanian Commonwealth , into a noble RuthenianLithuanian family. His mother was Maryna Mokievska , and his father was Stefan Adam Mazepa . Maryna Mokievska came from the family of a Cossack officer who fought alongside Bohdan Khmelnytsky. She gave birth to two children Ivan and Oleksandra. Stefan Mazepa served as an Otaman of Bila Tserkva , a Cossack representative of the King of the PolishLithuanian Rzecz Pospolita, and a Czernihw podczaszy .

Source: Wikipedia