Did you know that Zakhar Lytvynenko, the redial serf of Kyiv-Pechersk Monastery, was tried for theft in 1766 tried?

Zakhar Lytvynenko (nickname – Slyunka), the resident of Kozyn farmstead that was within the Lavra’s landholdings, gathered a gang of five people and robbed Ivan Hanetsky, Archpriest of Gostomel. They took his money and household items. The robber was caught, and his case was filed in the Kyiv provincial office, where he was detained. Lytvynenko’s property was searched and, as a result, the belongings of Archpriest were found. By the way, the person, who was hiding the stolen property, was the robber’s wife. Gubernial chancery sent proposal to Lavra to take away all belongings of the robber, evaluate them and sell in favor of Archpriest Hanetsky to compensate the losses of the thieved. For this purpose, the Economic department of the Monastery sent two commissioners to Lytvynenko’s house. The confiscation and description of the property having been done, Lytvynenko was left to wait for punishment. But how exactly it was imposed nobody knows as documents have left no information about this fact.

Caption to the illustration:

1. F.T. Hildenbrandt. Robber. 1829

Hanna Filipova