Ivan Pidkova
Hetman of Ukraine · Died 1578
Ivan Pidkova or Ioan Potcoavă, also known as Ioan Crețul, and Nicoară Potcoavă among Romanians, was a prominent Cossack ataman, and short-time ruler of Moldavia.
Ivan Pidkova is read about 27 times a day, in 11 languages.
A typical day, 30 days to 18 August 2026
The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 60 days, one point a day.
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About this person
His moniker is said to originate in the fact that he used to ride his stallions to the point of breaking off their horseshoes; another version says that he could break and unbend both horseshoes and coins with his fists. He is perhaps best known as the protagonist of Taras Shevchenko's poem Ivan Pidkova (1840). Celebrated as a Ukrainian hero he led the Moldavian and Ukrainian struggle against Turkish domination. During his Moldavian campaign in November 1577, Pidkova temporarily took power in Moldavia.