On May 13, 2026, the “Center for Unity and National Resistance” platform in Donetsk Oblast, in collaboration with the Department of Family, Youth, and Mass Events for National-Patriotic Education of the Oblast State Administration, conducted an informative historical tour as part of a free preparatory course for the National Multidisciplinary Test (NMT) in Ukrainian history.
The event focused on the abolition of the Hetmanate and the destruction of the Zaporizhzhia Sich. Guest speaker Iryna Agapova, a history teacher from the Bakhmut community, provided a detailed analysis of the key stages of the Russian Empire’s assault on Ukrainian statehood. Participants analyzed the causes and consequences of the abolition of the Hetmanate, the activities of the Second Little Russian Collegium, and the role of the last Hetman, Kirill Razumovsky.
Special attention during the event was given to the events of 1775—the date of the final destruction of the New (Pidpilnia) Sich by Russian troops on the orders of Catherine II. Ms. Iryna highlighted the figure of the last koshovo ataman, Petro Kalnyshevsky, whose resilience during decades of exile became a symbol of the Ukrainian spirit.
The event once again confirmed the relevance of studying the Cossack era for understanding state-building processes in Ukraine. Combining academic knowledge with the cultivation of civic responsibility allows the youth of Donetsk Oblast not only to successfully prepare for future challenges but also to become conscious bearers of Ukrainian culture and history.