Cossack starshyna

{{for|a military rank|Starshina}}

{{Cossacks}}

Among Zaporozhian Cossacks, starshyna was a collective noun for admitistrative categories of military officers and state officials. In common parlance the term referred to the privileged social stratum of the Cossack society.[https://web.archive.org/web/20160817190829/http://www.history.org.ua/?encyclop&termin=Kozacka_starshyna КОЗАЦЬКА СТАРШИНА]

Starshyna was subdivided into:

• General Starshyna ({{lang|uk|Генеральна старшина}}), headed by Hetman (or Quartermaster General as acting Hetman)
• Quartermaster General (Генеральний обозний)
• Judge General (Генеральний суддя)
• Secretary General (Генеральний писар)
• Adjutant General (Генеральний осавул)
• Treasurer General (Генеральний підскарбій)
• Ensign General (Генеральний хорунжий)
• Bunchuk General (Генеральний бунчужний)
• Regimental (Polkova) Starshyna, headed by Polkovnyk (Colonel)
• Regimental Obozni (Quartermaster) ({{langx|uk|Полковий обозний}}) – first Deputy Colonel. He was in charge of artillery and fortress fortifications. In the absence of a colonel he replaced him, but he was not authorized to issue universal orders (as opposed to the commanding colonel).
• Regimental Judge ({{langx|uk|Полковий суддя}}) – was in charge of a civil court in the ratusha
• Regimental Osavul ({{langx|uk|Полковий осавул}}) – assistant Colonel in Military Affairs
• Regimental Khorunzhyi ({{langx|uk|Полковий хорунжий}}) – commander of the "Khorunzhy Cossacks", guarding the colonel and the starshyna. He was in charge of regimental music and was responsible for keeping the khorugv (regiment flag).
• {{ill|Regimental scribe|uk|Військовий писар}} ({{langx|uk|Полковий писар|Polkovyi pysar}}) – secretaries at the ratusha. One was in charge of military affairs, and the other of civilian affairs.

04. Polkovnik ukr polku.jpg|border|Polkovnyk

09. Sotnyk.jpg|border|Sotnyk

05. Pysar.jpg|border|{{ill|Regimental scribe|lt=Scribe|uk|Військовий писар}}

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• Starshyna of Hundred (Sotenna) – headed by Sotnyk
• Sotenny otaman ({{langx|uk|Сотенний отаман}}) – the deputy Sotnyk, implemented the duties of an obozni and a judge on a sotnia level
• Sotenny Osavul ({{langx|uk|Сотенний осавул}}) – assistant sotnik in military affairs
• Sotenny Khorunzhy ({{langx|uk|Сотенний хорунжий}}) – headed the sotnia's flags
• Sotenny Scribe ({{langx|uk|Сотенний писар}}) – a secretary
• Junior Starshyna ({{lang|uk|Молодша старшина}}) – headed by Otaman
• Chancellery: {{ill|Regimental scribe|uk|Військовий писар}}, {{ill|General scribe|uk|Генеральний писар}}

Later, sometime after the Khmelnytsky's Uprising, it was also associated with the Ukrainian nobility which derived out of the officership and the Hetman.