The Battle of Bila Tserkva (Ukrainian: ÃÂøÃÂòð ÿÃÂô ÃÂÃÂûþàæõÃÂúòþÃÂ) was a significant battle fought during the Nalyvaiko Uprising between the Cossack insurgents led by Severyn Nalyvaiko and Matviy Shaula and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth army led by Kyryk Ruzhynsky.
à »Ã³à Âkiewski was gathering his forces at his quarters in the Bracà Âaw region, while he sent Kyryk RÃ³à ¼yà Âski, a recent commander of the Cossacks, into the Kyiv region against the rebels. First, RÃ³à ¼yà Âski went to his estate in ,Pavoloch where he dealt harshly with the peasants accused of participating in the unrest. After achieving a few local successes, he moved toward Bila Tserkva, where Shaula and Nalyvaiko were also heading.
On the night of April 2-3, seven thousand Cossacks armed with sabres and handguns appeared at the city walls. In Bila Cerkiew, RÃ³à ¼yà Âski had only five hundred soldiers from à »Ã³à Âkiewski's company and his own posts, but à »Ã³à Âkiewski rushed to help him, despite the terrible condition of the softened, muddy roads, covered with a fresh layer of snow. RÃ³à ¼yà Âski, having learned about the approaching Cossacks, attacked Shaula, who had not expected such a quick reaction from the Polish side and, after the destruction of the camp, saved himself by escaping. Supposedly thousands of Cossacks were killed in this attack. In the meantime, Nalewajko's troops entered Bila Tserkva, which had been abandoned by RÃ³à ¼yà Âski. When RÃ³à ¼yà Âski returned from the pursuit, he was unexpectedly attacked by them, so he locked himself in the fortress and sent a messenger to à »Ã³à Âkiewski asking for help. Stanisà Âaw à »Ã³à Âkiewski did not wait for news from RÃ³à ¼yà Âski, hearing the sounds of battle, he set off on a forced march towards the city. Events began to take an unfavourable turn for the Cossacks, so they began to retreat to Trypillia.
Having realized that the Cossacks had recently fled, à »Ã³à Âkiewski quickly went after them. He caught up with them a few kilometers outside the city, because the Cossacks, knowing the hetman's energy and his eagerness to fight, had managed to form a camp of their own. à »Ã³à Âkiewski attacked them at Ostry Kamieà Â.