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OUR LIFE Monthly, published by Ukrainian National Women’s League of America O C T O B E R 1 9 9 5 E d ito r: T A M A R A S T A D N Y C H E N K O ROXOLANA: WIFE OF SULEIMAN THE MAGNIFICENT B Y T H O M A S M . P R Y M A K O n e o f th e s tra n g e s t a n d m o s t in trig u in g s to rie s in all o f E a s te rn E u ro p e a n h is to ry is th a t o f th e y o u n g U k ra in ia n s la v e -g irl w h o b e c a m e th e w ife o f S u le im a n th e M a g n ific e n t (1 5 2 0 -1 5 6 6 ), th e g re a te s t o f T u rk is h s u l ta n s w h o ru le d th e O tto m a n E m p ire a t th e h e ig h t o f its p o w e r a n d p re s tig e . A s S u le im a n ’s w ife , th is s la v e -g irl, w h o c a m e to b e k n o w n b y th e n a m e “ R o x o la n a ” to th e o u ts id e w o rld , w a s o n e o f th e m o s t in flu e n tia l w o m e n o f 16 th c e n tu ry E u ro p e . D u rin g h e r life tim e , s h e w a s th e s u b je c t o f m u c h ta lk in d ip lo m a tic c irc le s an d a fte r h e r d e a th , s h e b e c a m e a n e a rly le g e n d a ry fig u re . In s h o rt, R o x o la n a is o n e o f th e m o s t fa m o u s U k ra in ia n w o m e n o f all tim e . V e ry little is k n o w n a b o u t R o x o la n a ’s o rig in s . It is b e lie v e d , h o w e v e r, th a t s h e w a s b o rn s h o rtly a fte r 1 5 0 0 as A le x a n d ra L iso v ska, o r p e rh a p s N a ta s h a L is o v s k a , th e d a u g h te r o f a p rie s t fro m th e to w n o f R o h a ty n in G a lic ia , w e s te rn U k ra in e . A t th a t tim e , G a lic ia w a s a p ro v in c e w ith in th e K in g d o m o f P o la n d w h ile E a s te rn U k r a in e w a s la rg e ly a p a rt o f th e G r a n d D u c h y o f L ith u a n ia w h ic h w a s a ls o lin k e d to P o la n d . A le x a n d ra , h o w e v e r, as a p rie s t’s d a u g h te r, w a s O r th o d o x an d th u s u n d o u b te d ly o f ’’R u th e n ia n ” o r U k ra in ia n o rig in . T h is is re fle c te d in h e r v e ry n a m e in T u rk e y , ’’R o x o la n a ” o r “ R o s s a ”, w h ic h w a s e ith e r d e riv e d o n th e o n e h a n d fro m R u s ’ o r R u th e n ia , o r o n th e o th e r h a n d fro m th e R o x e - lan s, a le g e n d a ry Ira n ia n p e o p le w h o o n c e in h a b ite d th e a n c ie n t U k ra in ia n s te p p e . In s o m e p o p u la r h is to rie s s h e is m is ta k e n ly id e n tifie d as “R u s s ia n ”, a m is ta k e w h ic h re fle c ts th e tra d itio n a l c o n fu s io n b e tw e e n “R u th e n ia n ” a n d “ R u s s ia n ” , b o th o f w h ic h a re d e riv e d fro m th e c o m m o n ro o t “R u s ”. T h e 17 th c e n tu ry P o lis h p o e t, S a m u e l T w a rd o w s k i, w h o v is ite d T u rk e y a n d in v e s ti g a te d th e m a tte r, u n m is ta k e n ly ca lls h e r a Rusynka w h ic h in m o d e rn p a rla n c e w o u ld c le a rly m a k e h e r a U k ra in ia n . In th e 1 6 th c e n tu ry , th e U k ra in ia n la n d s u n d e r P o la n d a n d L ith u a n ia w e re g re a tly tro u b le d b y th e ra id s o f T a ta r m a ra u d e rs w h o o p e ra te d o u t o f th e ir h o m e b a s e in th e C rim e a n P e n in s u la . T h e C rim e a n K h a n a te , as th e ir s ta te w a s c a lle d , d e riv e d g re a t b e n e fit fro m th e s e ra id s , fo r d u rin g th e c o u rs e o f th e m , th o u s a n d s of m e n , w o m e n , a n d c h ild re n w o u ld b e d riv e n o ff as c a p tiv e s o r p ris o n e rs o f w a r to b e so ld in th e s la v e m a rk e ts o f th e C rim e a n to w n o f K a ffa a n d th e O tto m a n c a p ita l, Is ta n b u l. T h is h u m a n b o o ty w a s c a lle d yasir in th e T a ta r la n g u a g e , d e riv e d fro m an A ra b ic w o rd m e a n in g “p ri s o n e r” . It w a s , in fa c t, a v e ry big b u s in e s s a n d o v e r th e y e a rs , te n s o f th o u s a n d s o f p e o p le w o u ld b e th u s c a r ried o ff in to T u rk is h c a p tiv ity . O n c e in T u rk e y , th e m en g e n e ra lly e n d e d u p as g a lle y sla ves w h ile th e w o m e n w o u ld e n te r th e h a re m s o f th e ir T u rk is h o w n e rs to b e c o m e h o u s e h o ld s e rv a n ts o r c o n c u b in e s . O n o n e s u c h raid e a rly in th e 16 th c e n tu ry , y o u n g A le x a n d ra w a s c a rrie d o ff b y th e T a ta rs a n d p ro b a b ly s o ld a t th e s la v e m a rk e t in K a ffa . F ro m th e C rim e a s h e w o u ld h a v e b e e n tra n s p o rte d a c ro s s th e B la c k S e a by s h ip a n d th e n reso ld in Is ta n b u l. T h e p ric e fo r h e r w o u ld h a v e b e e n h ig h fo r s h e w a s a y o u n g a n d a ttra c tiv e g irl, a n d th e p ric e p a id fo r P o lis h s u b je c ts , Lakhistanis o r “ p o la n d e rs ” as th e y w e re u s u a lly c a lle d , w a s s u b s ta n tia l. T h e r e a re m a n y d e s c rip tio n s o f th e s la v e m a rk e t in Is ta n b u l w ith a s s e s s m e n ts o f th e q u a lity o f th e slaves fro m v a rio u s lan d s , b u t o n e o f th e m o s t in te re s tin g fro m o u r p o in t o f v ie w is th a t o f D e m e triu s C a n te m ir, th e fo rm e r p rin c e o f M o ld a v ia , w h o h ad b e e n a lo n g tim e re s id e n t o f Is ta n b u l a n d w a s v e ry w e ll in fo rm e d o n ea s t E u ro p e a n a ffa irs . H e ra te s th e ’’P o la n d e rs ” s e c o n d o n ly to th e C irc a s s ia n s fo r th e ir m a rk e t value: But of what esteem the C hercassians are with the Turks, may be guessed from the Price which the Sellers put upon their Captives. They value them in the first place, because their Virgins are more beautiful than all others, better proportioned in their Bodies, capable of Instruc tion and of great modesty, and their young Men, as they think, more sharp in their Wit, and capable of making the best Artificers. The next in their esteem are the Po land ers, then the A b aze (a Caucasian people), then the Rus НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, ЖОВТЕНЬ 1995 15
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