Zaporizhia Sich was the military-administrative center of the Zaporizhia Cossacks. Sich was a fortress surrounded by a rampart with a wooden palisade and a moat. Sich was built behind the Dnieper rapids. To complicate the advance of the enemy to the fortress, Sich was built in a difficult-to-reach place – on a cape near the source of rivers and surrounded by marshy areas, etc. To date, there are seven Cossack sichs: Tomakivska (60s of the 16th century – 1593); Bazavlutska (1593-1638); Mykytynska (1639-1652); Chortomlytska (1652-1709); Kamianska (1709-1711 and 1730-1734); Oleshkivska (1711-1728); Nova Sich (1734-1775). Before you is a model of Nova Sich or Pidpilnyanska Sich, which was located near the Pidpilna River. She is the last Zaporozhian Sich. Nova Sich was founded with the permission and under the supervision of the Russian government on March 31, 1734 by the chieftain-hetman Ivan Malashevich on the Right Bank of the Dnieper in Velika Plavna, occupying 26,000 acres. To supervise the actions of the Cossacks, the tsarist government built a fortification with two semi-bastions and a permanent garrison – the so-called Novosichensky retrenchment. In 1775, Sich was destroyed by Russian troops under the command of Lieutenant General Peter Tekeliy. He commanded part of the 1st Russian army – 31 regiments and 37 squadrons (45,000 men). In order to hide their true plans, the movement of Russian troops through the lands of the Zaporizhzhya Cossacks was presented as the advance of border troops to serve on these lands. The Zaporizhia did not expect an attack, so Tekelia’s troops easily managed to occupy the suburbs of Sichi, Outer Kosh and block the Cossacks in the center – Inner Kosh. Tekeliy sent Colonel Mysyurev to the Cossacks to announce the will of Catherine II – to abolish the Zaporizhzhya Army, and to force the Sich chieftain Petar Kalnyshevsky not to resist. After long arguments between the Cossacks, the foreman decided to go to Tekilius for negotiations. Kosh chieftain Kalnyshevsky, military clerk Ivan Globa, and military judge Holovaty went out to meet the Russians and were immediately arrested. Four infantry companies occupied all Kosh fortifications. Russian guards appeared near the Zaporozhye military, state and powder cellars. All Cossack trinkets, weapons, cannon arsenal and treasury, where there were 160,000 rubles. coins, later taken away.
