Pokuttya

Pokuttya or Pokuttia (Ukrainian: Покуття, Romanian: Pocuția, Polish: Pokucie) is a historical area of East-Central Europe, between upper Prut and Cheremosh rivers, in modern Ukraine. Historically it was a culturally distinct area inhabited by Ukrainians and Romanians on the previously unpopulated borderlands between the lands of Lviv and Halych. Although the historical centre of the area was Kolomyia, the name itself is derived from the name of the town of Kuty and literally means by Kuty ("Kut" by itself means "corner"). Presently, the region is inhabited by Ukrainians.

History

Initially a part of Kievan Rus' and one of its successor states, Halych-Volhynia, the area was conqered by the Kingdom of Poland in 1325, and annexed in 1349 by Casimir III of Poland.

Władysław II Jagiełło, needing financial support in his battles against the Teutonic Knights, used the region as a guarantee in a loan which he obtained from Petru I of Moldavia, who thus gained control of the region in 1388. Petru I was eager at gaining influence in the internal politics of the Kingdom of Poland, supporting the cause of his long-time allies, Jagiellons of Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Pokuttia, therefore, became the feudal property of the princes of Moldavia, but remained within the Kingdom of Poland. As in other famous similar cases in middle age Europe (such as Foix, or Dauphiné), the local feudal had to swear oath of allegiance to the king for the specific territory, even when the former was himself an independent ruler of another state. Depending on the political and military strength of each person, the king could ask for allegiance, omitting the words for Pokuttia, or could refrain from asking an oath altogether. Consequently, the region became a matter for judicial and military dispute between the two countries, because the debt had never been paid in full by Poland, and because Pokuttia was a more valuable asset than the money.