Hamaliia

Hamaliia [Гамалія]. Name of several family lines, probably of different origin, extending back to the Cossack period. Mykhailo was the founder of one such line. In 1649 he was registered as a Cossack of Cherkasy company and in 1662 was appointed colonel of Cherkasy regiment by Hetman Yakym Somko. His sons, Hryhorii and Andrii, were prominent Cossack officers. The latter served, at first, as captain of Lokhvytsia company and then, under Hetman Ivan Mazepa, as general osaul (1689–94). Andrii's son Mykhailo (d ca 1724) served as captain of Lokhvytsia company (1690–3), general standard-bearer (1701–4), acting colonel of the Poltava regiment (1705), and general osaul (1707–9). Because of his close ties with Mazepa, after the hetman's defeat he was forced to reside in Moscow until 1715. His brother, Antin (d 1728), was Mazepa's general osaul. In 1712 Antin was exiled to Siberia and then forced to live in Moscow until his death. Ivan (b 17 December 1699, d 21 March 1766), nephew of Mykhailo and Antin, served in various capacities under Hetman Danylo Apostol, and took part in campaigns against Poland and Turkey. In 1750 he became acting colonel of the Myrhorod regiment, and in 1762 general judge. Platon Hamaliia (b 28 November 1766, d 21 July 1817), the son of Yakiv, was a seaman and a scholar. A graduate of the Kyivan Mohyla Academy and the Naval Academy, he served in the imperial navy and saw action against the Swedes. He began to lecture on naval theory and practice in 1793 and wrote several books on the subject. In 1808 he was elected full member of the Imperial Academy of Sciences.

Oleksander Ohloblyn

[This article originally appeared in the Encyclopedia of Ukraine, vol. 2 (1988).]