31:
137:
260:
610:
55:
175:, foraging supplies from lands they moved through. The Lisowczycy were feared and despised by civilians wherever they passed and they gained dubious fame for the scores of atrocities they carried out (pillage, rape, murder and other outrages). However, they were also grudgingly respected by their opponents for their military skills. They did not hesitate to plunder even their homeland, where they sacked the
666:
577:. Solvychegodsk was captured and looted on January 22, 1613. The brigands stayed in the town for three days, and then headed towards Yemetsk, which is located 150 kilometers from Arkhangelsk. Its residents, aware of the danger, managed to fortify the town and arm themselves. The "Lithuanians", as they were commonly called, tried to attack the town from the
713:
in
November of that year. After the victory, they engaged in their traditional pastime (as they were not paid and they were obliged to gain everything by their own), plundering nearby lands, 'killing even children and dogs', as contemporary chroniclers recorded. It was around that time that they
584:
The brigands, numbering some 1200 and commanded by
Stanislaw Jasinski, appeared at Kholmogory on December 6, 1613. Again, they failed to capture the town, and decided to head to Arkhangelsk, which they unsuccessfully besieged between December 14–19, 1613. Jasinski and his soldiers then marched
133:. The Lisowczycy took part in many battles across Europe and the historical accounts of the period characterized them as extremely agile, warlike, and bloodthirsty. Their numbers varied with time, from a few hundred to several thousand.
834:
Even after the formation was disbanded, its members were respected (or at least, feared) even beyond the
Commonwealth. Soon, their atrocities were forgotten and their exploits as the defenders of the Commonwealth and faith against the
539:. Lisowski's men reached the monastery on August 20, but its siege did not begin until December 1612. Since Polish brigands, numbered at some 3000 men, did not have any artillery, they failed to capture the abbey with its stone walls.
489:, returned to Commonwealth without any further contact with Muscovy forces. Until the autumn of 1616, Lisowski and his forces remained on the Commonwealth-Muscovy border, when Lisowski suddenly fell ill and died on October 11.
295:– a section of the army that mutinied and decided to gather its outstanding wages by pillaging local civilians, not caring whether these owed their allegiance to the Commonwealth or to Sweden. Although this annoyed
814:
The last time that companies using the
Lisowczycy name took part in a major war was during the late 1620s, when they were temporarily reformed to fight in Poland's continuing conflict against the Swedes in Polish
930:
520:. On September 22, 1612, the town was captured, looted and burned by the invaders commanded by Colonel Andrzej Nalewajko, who returned in December 13 of the same year. On December 16, Poles burned the
743:. On May 7, 1621, the Emperor paid them their outstanding wages and released them from service, due to numerous complaints about their behaviour. Some of them returned to Poland, others served under
171:. The Lisowczycy unit of the Polish cavalry received no formal wages; instead, they were allowed to loot and plunder as they pleased. They relied on their speed and fought without
302:, and resulted in Lisowski being banished from the Commonwealth, little was done to stop the mutineers. Soon after, Lisowski with his followers joined the Sandomierz rebellion or
50:, made in c.1655. It has little to do with the Lisowczycy, though much of the clothing and war gear would have been similar that worn by the real Lisowczyks of 30 years earlier.
920:
513:. Exact whereabouts of Aleksander Jozef Lisowski at that time are unknown: the legendary leader most likely roamed across northern Russia, together with his men.
438:), mutined and joined the Rohatyn Confederation. For the next three years Lisowski's forces were of importance in the guarding of the Commonwealth border against
220:
43:. A Lisowczyk may be the subject of one of the Dutch master's greatest works. Though the rider's identity is not known, one theory is that it is a portrait of
581:, but were repelled. A battle ensued, in which two Russian traitors were captured, and sent to Kholmogory, where they warned residents of a planned attack.
823:– the same conflict that set Aleksander Lisowski on the path to forming the unit that was to bear his name. These Lisowczycy were finally disbanded by an
859:
871:
Władysław
Magnuszewski, Z dziejów elearów polskich. Stanisław Stroynowski, lisowski zagończyk, przywódca i legislator, PWN, Warszawa – Poznań 1978.
925:
502:
193:
645:
for the new commander. They accompanied Władysław's forces in 1617, and while he retreated, they are said to have moved inland as far as the
795:
Emperor, against his
Protestant enemies. Their brutality and barbarism became legendary, and they devastated the nearby German lands of the
621:
was carried by the troops ever since
Lisowski's passing. Despite his death, they remained a most significant threat: in 1616 they captured
344:
and noblemen already had, by meddling in
Russian affairs. He soon decided he could profit best by lending his support to the Muscovite
160:
127:
167:. They began to grow in strength and fame a few years later, when Lisowski's irregulars were incorporated into the forces fighting in
898:
884:
30:
744:
682:
723:
Then
Lisowczycy split: part of them, with Rogowski, decided to return to Poland, pillaging Slovakia on their way. Others, under
457:. Lisowski moved on to defeat the Muscovite advance guard of a force (several times larger than his) under the command of Kniaz
716:
461:, who decided to not to attack and fortified his forces inside a camp. Lisowski's men broke contact with other forces, burned
570:
307:
536:
288:
164:
727:, remained in the service of the Emperor for the next few years. After the death of Kleczkowski (March 4, 1620) at the
634:
379:
47:
594:
521:
442:
incursions. In 1615, Lisowski gathered many outlaws and invaded
Muscovy with 6 companies of cavalry. He besieged
296:
63:
239:
136:
760:
736:
387:
224:
907:
Radosław Sikora, Wojskowość polska w dobie wojny polsko-szwedzkiej 1626–1629. Kryzys mocarstwa, Poznań 2005.
772:
767:
356:
880:
Aleksander Lisowski, Szymon Starowolski, Wojownicy sarmaccy, Wyd. MON (wyd. I), Warszawa 1978, s. 270–273.
820:
784:
276:
732:
407:
303:
702:
340:
were brewing, and Lisowski did not pass over the opportunity of profiting from this, as many other local
724:
299:
145:
706:
694:
642:
450:
399:
788:
728:
710:
690:
470:
216:
860:
Lisowczycy nad oceanem Lodowatym.Opowieść o św. Hiobie Mazowskim, by Zbigniew Wierzbicki. 22.12.2012
259:
44:
890:
Bogusław Sujkowski, Lisowczycy. Powieść historyczna z XVII w., Wyd. Łódzkie (wyd. III), Łódź 1988.
411:
311:
186:
893:
Henryk Wisner, Lisowczycy, Dom Wyd. Bellona (wyd. II, poprawione i uzupełnione), Warszawa 2004,
609:
894:
796:
735:
became the new commander of the Lisowczycy. Under Rusinowski, the Lisowczycy took part in the
630:
557:
In search of food and booty, Lisowski's soldiers moved further northwards, reaching as far as
506:
505:), loose Polish forces, which had fought under Lisowski, scattered over vast territory of the
439:
403:
328:
172:
168:
156:
783:
After the conflict with the Ottomans was settled, many Lisowczycy, then under the command of
836:
510:
458:
375:
349:
337:
177:
104:
35:
807:. Lisowczycy proved to be a terror wherever they went, and soon most of its members formed
251:
54:
532:
323:
182:
82:
333:
264:
141:
649:, where they were are shown to have been impressed by a giant golden statue (possibly a
792:
756:
578:
498:
371:
59:
629:, in 1617 relieved Smolensk from a Muscovite siege – the invading troops retreated to
914:
566:
551:
542:
On December 12–15, 1612, a unit of Bobowski three times tried to capture the town of
516:
After Russian recapture of Moscow, most of the Polish brigands headed to the area of
482:
211:
130:
698:
590:
562:
292:
152:
91:
97:
840:
686:
574:
547:
427:
283:
of the Commonwealth failed to gather the money to pay its soldiers fighting in
904:
Tadeusz Nowak, Jan Wimmer, Dzieje oręża polskiego do roku 1793, Warszawa 1968.
654:
650:
419:
364:
633:
as soon as they received news that the Lisowczycy, then under the command of
332:
in most of the Commonwealth, and was forced to seek refuge with the powerful
804:
670:
586:
528:
360:
345:
40:
874:
Kazimierz Korkozowicz, Jeźdźcy Apokalipsy t. 1–3., Wyd. MON, Warszawa 1990.
422:, and some other cities (those battles took place around 1608–09). He took
665:
17:
646:
543:
478:
454:
446:
and defeated the Muscovite relief force of a few thousand soldiers under
431:
415:
395:
235:
824:
816:
626:
598:
558:
517:
486:
466:
443:
391:
383:
341:
284:
228:
197:
189:
tried to keep them away from the Commonwealth for as long as possible.
109:
245:
Przewagi Elearów polskich co ich niegdy Lisowczykami zwano (1619–1623)
196:(where their actions help explain the text of the infamous placard in
844:
808:
678:
638:
550:. On January 25, 1613, Poles led by Jakub Jacki attacked the town of
203:
402:, losing most of his loot. He reorganized the army and joined with
877:
Bohdan Królikowski, Szable nie rdzewiały, Wyd. MON, Warszawa 1983.
800:
664:
622:
608:
474:
462:
447:
423:
258:
207:
135:
53:
29:
27:
17th-century irregular unit of the Polish–Lithuanian light cavalry
828:
740:
597:, after which they ransacked local villages, reaching as far as
426:
in 1610 and clashed with Swedes operating in Muscovy during the
368:
280:
883:
Ferdynand Antoni Ossendowski, Lisowczycy. Powieść historyczna,
799:. The local population often believed it was being attacked by
755:
The Lisowczycy fought in the wars between Commonwealth and the
155:(a form of semi-legal mutiny of royal forces, practiced in the
126:) was the name of an early 17th-century irregular unit of the
531:
without fight. The town was looted, and its governor fled to
185:. Such actions were among the reasons the Commonwealth ruler
887:, Poznań 1929; Wyd. Libra (wyd. I powojenne), Warszawa 1990.
434:
in 1612, when most of the Commonwealth regular army, the (
192:
The Lisowczycy took part in many conflicts, including the
326:, Lisowski's fortunes turned for the worse and he became
234:
An account of Lisowczycy's exploits was written by their
322:
Eventually, after the rebel forces were defeated at the
931:
Military history of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
847:
turned them into a legend which lives on to this day.
637:, were in the neighbourhood. When Czapliński died at
492:
430:. The Lisowczycy proved essential in the defence of
359:, leading his forces – a band of few hundred ragtag
231:'s defeat). They were eventually disbanded in 1635.
673:'s famous picture. Painting by Dariusz T. Wielec.
493:Lisowski's soldiers in Northern Russia (1612–13)
677:From 1619, the Lisowczycy, then stationed near
398:Moscow. However, he was soon to be defeated at
681:(Kowno) were sent by Zygmund III Vasa to aid
473:, turned north, defeated a Muscovite army at
223:army from laying siege to Vienna) and in the
8:
669:Lisowczyk. Another modern impression, after
410:fortress and were forced to retreat to near
243:
120:
95:
585:towards the Northern Dvina estuary and the
497:In 1612, when the Polish occupation of the
291:became one of the leaders of the resulting
811:groups, pillaging the German countryside.
605:Death of Lisowski, birth of the Lisowczycy
787:, were deployed during the mayhem of the
363:, mainly Poles but also Lithuanians, and
151:The origin of the group can be traced to
739:(November 8) where they captured twenty
275:In 1604, during the early stages of the
921:Cavalry units and formations of Poland
759:, not least in the last phase of the
81:
7:
509:, taking advantage of the so-called
263:Lisowczycy at the inn – painting by
254:once known as Lisowczycy (1619–1623)
414:. Then came successful pillages at
336:family. In the meantime, Muscovy's
140:Lisowczycy (Archery) – painting by
546:, located on the left bank of the
62:, circa 1860-65, after Rembrandt.
25:
761:Polish magnates' wars in Moldavia
527:On July 10, 1612, Poles captured
406:, but they failed to capture the
146:Kościuszko Foundation in New York
745:Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria
683:Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
625:and defeated Russian forces at
926:Irregular units and formations
885:Wydawnictwo Polskie R. Wegnera
503:Polish–Muscovite War (1605–18)
1:
653:, but also attachable to the
613:Lisowczycy on the Rhein River
318:Trial of Blood: the Dymitriad
45:Grand Chancellor of Lithuania
589:shore. There, they captured
537:Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery
367:– he defeated the armies of
242:(or Wojciech Debolecki), in
227:(where they participated in
163:), organized around 1604 by
819:, yet another stage of the
791:, mostly in support of the
714:gained their new nickname:
947:
751:Cecora and Chocim (Khotyn)
535:, hiding in the fortified
271:Prologue: the konfederacja
48:Marcjan Aleksander Oginski
661:Devils in the Holy Empire
595:Nikolo-Korelsky Monastery
522:Spaso-Prilutsky Monastery
297:Great Hetman of Lithuania
289:Aleksander Józef Lisowski
165:Aleksander Józef Lisowski
64:National Museum in Warsaw
737:Battle of White Mountain
717:Riders of the Apocalypse
524:, located near Vologda.
225:Battle of White Mountain
219:(where they prevented a
114:); or in singular form:
83:[lisɔfˈt͡ʂɨt͡sɨ]
58:Lisowczyk – painting by
803:hordes or non-European
693:. Under the command of
554:, but without success.
355:In 1608, together with
310:tendencies of the King
306:, a revolt against the
674:
614:
408:Troitse-Sergieva Lavra
357:Aleksander Kleczkowski
304:rokosz of Zebrzydowski
267:
244:
148:
121:
96:
67:
51:
785:Stanisław Stroynowski
668:
641:, Lisowczycy elected
612:
477:, turned towards the
300:Jan Karol Chodkiewicz
262:
139:
79:Polish pronunciation:
57:
33:
733:Stanisław Rusinowski
635:Stanisław Czapliński
287:against the Swedes.
361:soldiers of fortune
240:Wojciech Dembołęcki
821:Polish–Swedish War
725:Jarosz Kleczkowski
675:
615:
312:Sigismund III Vasa
277:Polish–Swedish War
268:
187:Sigismund III Vasa
181:university of the
149:
68:
52:
797:Holy Roman Empire
789:Thirty Years' War
711:Battle of Humenné
691:Thirty Years' War
507:Tsardom of Russia
404:Jan Piotr Sapieha
329:persona non grata
217:Battle of Humenné
157:Kingdom of Poland
128:Polish–Lithuanian
16:(Redirected from
938:
858:
773:Battle of Chocim
768:Battle of Cecora
707:Battle of Zavada
703:George I Rákóczi
697:, they defeated
695:Walenty Rogowski
643:Walenty Rogowski
511:Time of Troubles
459:Dmitry Pozharsky
451:Yuri Shakhovskoy
436:wojsko kwarciane
400:Miedźwiedzi Bród
376:Zakhary Lyapunov
350:False Dmitriy II
338:Time of Troubles
250:Deeds of Polish
247:
178:Racovian Academy
159:and then in the
124:
113:
102:
90:('lost men' or '
86:; also known as
85:
80:
36:The Polish Rider
21:
946:
945:
941:
940:
939:
937:
936:
935:
911:
910:
868:
866:Further reading
856:
853:
781:
753:
729:Battle of Krems
663:
607:
501:had ended (see
495:
481:coast, then to
394:, moving on to
324:Battle of Guzow
320:
273:
202:three plagues:
183:Polish brethren
107:
78:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
944:
942:
934:
933:
928:
923:
913:
912:
909:
908:
905:
902:
891:
888:
881:
878:
875:
872:
867:
864:
863:
862:
852:
849:
793:Roman Catholic
780:
777:
776:
775:
770:
757:Ottoman Empire
752:
749:
662:
659:
606:
603:
579:Northern Dvina
499:Moscow Kremlin
494:
491:
380:Ivan Khovansky
372:Vasili Shuisky
319:
316:
272:
269:
60:Juliusz Kossak
26:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
943:
932:
929:
927:
924:
922:
919:
918:
916:
906:
903:
900:
899:83-11-09927-8
896:
892:
889:
886:
882:
879:
876:
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870:
869:
865:
861:
855:
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826:
822:
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812:
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786:
778:
774:
771:
769:
766:
765:
764:
762:
758:
750:
748:
746:
742:
738:
734:
730:
726:
721:
719:
718:
712:
708:
704:
701:forces under
700:
699:Transylvanian
696:
692:
688:
684:
680:
672:
667:
660:
658:
656:
652:
648:
644:
640:
636:
632:
628:
624:
620:
611:
604:
602:
600:
596:
592:
588:
582:
580:
576:
572:
568:
567:Solvychegodsk
564:
560:
555:
553:
552:Veliky Ustyug
549:
545:
540:
538:
534:
530:
525:
523:
519:
514:
512:
508:
504:
500:
490:
488:
484:
480:
476:
472:
468:
464:
460:
456:
452:
449:
445:
441:
437:
433:
429:
425:
421:
417:
413:
409:
405:
401:
397:
393:
389:
386:and captured
385:
381:
377:
373:
370:
366:
362:
358:
353:
351:
347:
343:
339:
335:
331:
330:
325:
317:
315:
313:
309:
305:
301:
298:
294:
290:
286:
282:
278:
270:
266:
261:
257:
255:
253:
246:
241:
237:
232:
230:
226:
222:
221:Transylvanian
218:
214:
213:
209:
205:
199:
195:
190:
188:
184:
180:
179:
174:
170:
166:
162:
158:
154:
147:
143:
138:
134:
132:
131:light cavalry
129:
125:
123:
117:
111:
106:
101:
99:
93:
89:
84:
76:
72:
65:
61:
56:
49:
46:
42:
38:
37:
32:
19:
833:
813:
782:
754:
722:
715:
685:against the
676:
618:
617:The name of
616:
591:Severodvinsk
583:
563:Yemtsa River
556:
541:
526:
515:
496:
435:
412:Rakhmantsevo
354:
327:
321:
293:konfederacja
274:
265:Józef Brandt
249:
233:
201:
191:
176:
161:Commonwealth
153:konfederacja
150:
142:Józef Brandt
119:
115:
103:(company of
92:forlorn hope
87:
74:
70:
69:
34:
857:(in Polish)
841:Protestants
831:, in 1636.
687:Protestants
593:and burned
575:Arkhangelsk
548:Onega River
428:Ingrian War
108: [
915:Categories
805:barbarians
655:Zlota Baba
619:Lisowczycy
571:Kholmogory
420:Soligalich
365:Ruthenians
308:absolutist
215:), at the
194:Dymitriads
75:Lisowczycy
71:Lisowczyks
18:Lisowczycy
741:standards
671:Rembrandt
587:White Sea
529:Belozersk
485:, burned
471:Peremyshl
388:Mikhailov
374:, led by
346:pretender
334:Radziwiłł
116:Lisowczyk
98:chorągiew
88:Straceńcy
41:Rembrandt
837:Orthodox
779:Epilogue
657:myth).
647:Ob River
544:Kargopol
533:Kirillov
479:Kara Sea
455:Karachev
432:Smolensk
416:Kostroma
396:blockade
342:magnates
236:chaplain
144:, 1885,
100:elearska
851:Sources
845:Muslims
827:of the
817:Prussia
709:and/or
705:at the
689:in the
627:Bolkhov
599:Karelia
561:on the
559:Yemetsk
518:Vologda
487:Torzhok
469:, took
467:Likhvin
444:Bryansk
440:Muscovy
392:Kolomna
384:Zaraysk
382:, near
285:Livonia
229:Bohemia
198:Zagorsk
169:Muscovy
897:
809:bandit
679:Kaunas
651:Buddha
639:Kaluga
573:, and
483:Kashin
463:Belyov
279:, the
252:Elears
210:, and
208:Tatars
204:typhus
173:tabors
105:elears
94:') or
801:Tatar
623:Kursk
475:Rzhev
453:near
448:Kniaz
424:Pskov
212:Poles
122:elear
112:]
895:ISBN
843:and
829:Sejm
631:Bely
465:and
390:and
378:and
369:tsar
281:Sejm
825:act
256:).
118:or
73:or
39:by
917::
839:,
763:.
747:.
731:,
720:.
601:.
569:,
565:,
418:,
352:.
348:,
314:.
238:,
206:,
200::
110:pl
901:.
248:(
77:(
66:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
