1. Ivan Dmytrovych Sirko was a Zaporozhian Cossack military leader, Koshovyi Otaman of the Zaporozhian Host and putative co-author of the famous semi-legendary Cossack letter to the Ottoman sultan that inspired the major painting Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks by the 19th-century artist Ilya Repin.
The first biography of Ivan Sirko, written by Dmytro Yavornytsky in 1890, gave Sirko's place of birth as the sloboda of Merefa near the modern-day city of Kharkiv.
The author gives a reference to the letter of Ivan Samiylovych to kniaz G Romodanovsky in which the Hetman refers to Sirko as one born in Polish lands instead of in Sloboda Ukraine.
Mytsyik recalls that another historian, Volodymyr Borysenko, allowed for the possibility that Ivan Sirko was born in Murafa near the city of Sharhorod.
Further, Mytsyik in his book states that Ivan Sirko probably was not of Cossack heritage, but rather of the Ukrainian Orthodox szlachta.
Mytsyik points out that a local Podilian nobleman, Wojciech Ivan Sirko, married a certain Olena Kozynska sometime in 1592.
Also in official letters the Polish administration referred to Ivan Sirko as urodzonim, implying a native-born Polish subject.
Sobchenko states that Dmitry Ivan Sirko was a Ukrainian Cossack from Murafa, elected as ataman of Murafa sotnia of the Bratslav regiment.
Ivan Sirko was born in nobility before his family lost its right to gentry.
However, Paul Robert Magocsi states in his book that Ivan Sirko was a Ukrainian Cossack of Romanian origin.
Ivan Sirko's father is identified as a Ukrainian of either Ruthenian or Cossack Orthodox nobility.
Ivan Sirko's mother is identified as a native of Podolia, but information about her exact ethnic background is scarce, possibly having Romanian origin.
In 1620, Ivan Sirko held the rank of Sotnik, taking part in his first recorded campaign against the Ottomans.
Ivan Sirko led his detachment of Cossacks in a campaign against Varna, sacking it.
In 1629, Ivan Sirko took part in a raid on Istanbul organized by Bohdan Khmelnytsky, the future Ukrainian Cossack Hetman.
In 1637, Ivan Sirko took part in the capture of Azov fortress by the Zaporozhian and Don Cossacks.
Ivan Sirko later joined the Azov garrison which had 700 Zaporozhian Cossacks among them, which later grew to 1,000 Zaporozhians.
In 1644, Ivan Sirko appears in historical sources as Polkovnyk of Vinnytsia.
Ivan Sirko supported Bohdan Khmelnytsky during the uprising against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and took an active part in it.
Ivan Sirko distinguished himself at the Battles of Zhovti Vody, Korsun, Pyliavtsi, Zboriv, Batih and Zhvanets.
In 1655, Ivan Sirko launched a campaign into Crimea to thwart planned Tatar campaign into Ukraine.
Ivan Sirko took large number of captives during both campaigns.
Ivan Sirko defeated Tatars in a major battle on Igren Peninsula, freeing 15,000 Christian slaves.
Ivan Sirko is said to have been elected by the Cossacks as Kosh Otaman at least 12 times.
Ivan Sirko was the first Cossack Otaman to accept Kalmyks into his army.
Ivan Sirko freed 2,000 Christian slaves, while taking thousands of Tatars as captives.
Ivan Sirko played an important role in Cossack campaigns and raids against the Crimean Khanate, Nogai Horde and Ottoman Empire.
Ivan Sirko put emphasis on taking Turks, Tatars and other Muslim peoples as captives during Cossack campaigns and raids.
Ivan Sirko's absence eased the pressure of the Turkish-Tatar aggression to such an extent that they felt permissive.
Ivan Sirko captured the Arslan fortress, and for the second time captured Ochakiv.
However, Ivan Sirko later sent the impersonator to Moscow, where he was executed a year later.
Ivan Sirko wanted revenge for the attack, this inspired his Crimean Campaign in 1675.
Ivan Sirko freed 7,000 Christian slaves, while taking thousands of Tatars and Turks as captives.
However, Ivan Sirko discovered that 3,000 of the freed Christian slaves wanted to go back to Crimea, a lot of whom actually converted to Islam, so he ordered their execution.
Hetman Samoylovych complained to Otaman Ivan Sirko for allowing Tatar herds to graze on Cossack land.
Cossacks led by Ivan Sirko replied in an uncharacteristic manner: they wrote a letter, replete with insults and profanities, which later became the subject of a painting by Ilya Repin.
Ivan Sirko launched frequent attacks on Turkish-Tatar forces, which helped to halt Turkish-Tatar advance into Right-Bank Ukraine in 1678.
In 1680, Ivan Sirko repelled the second invasion of Sich of Turkish-Tatar army.
In 1709 the Moscow Army totally destroyed the Sich and the grave of the Otaman Ivan Sirko was not fixed until 1734.
Ivan Sirko's skull was sent to the Moscow laboratory of the sculptor Mikhail Gerasimov, who aimed to recreate the portrait of the legendary Otaman.
The journal Pamyatky Ukrainy responded to the calls in 1990 and after 23 years with the help of anthropologist Serhiy Seheda the remains of Ivan Sirko were returned to his native land.
Over his life, Ivan Sirko is said to have participated in over 65 battles, and he reportedly didn't lose a single one, making him one of the most successful Cossack leaders in history.
Ivan Sirko was terrible in the Horde, for he was experienced in military campaigns and a brave cavalier, surpassing Doroshenko in this.
Ivan Sirko was a handsome man, of a fighting character, he was not afraid of slush, frost, or heat.
Ivan Sirko was sensitive, cautious, patiently endured hunger, was decisive in military dangers and always sober.
Ivan Sirko did not like to waste time or court women, and was constantly fighting with the Tatars, against whom he had a natural and implacable hatred.
Ivan Sirko was an amazing man of rare qualities in the discussion of courage, enterprise and all military successes, and, with a sufficient number of troops, he could easily become Tamerlane or Genghis Khan, that is, a great conqueror.
Ivan Sirko's image is displayed on Ukrainian currency and his name is tied with Pokrovske city.
Cossacks and Tatars believed that Ivan Sirko knew in advance against who and where he was going to battle, allowing him to win.
Ivan Sirko is the Urus-Shaitan in Malyk's Ambassador of Urus-Shaitan.
Ivan Sirko's legacy was met with controversy and criticism among some Ukrainian historians.
However, Ivan Sirko remained an advocate of autonomous Cossack Ukraine, despite changing his political views many times.
Ivan Sirko is credited as the co-author of the mocking reply to Ottoman Sultan, which created a basis for the painting that was important in shaping both Ukrainian and Russian nationalism.
Stetsenko claimed that Ivan Sirko supported Khmelnytsky's policy on "reunion with Great Russian people".
Stetsenko mentioned Ivan Sirko's mocking reply to Ottoman Sultan which created a basis for the most popular painting in Ukrainian-Russian history, Ilya Repin's Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks.