# Ivan Pidkova

_Hetman of Ukraine_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/ivan-pidkova
Last updated: 2026-11-03

> Ivan Pidkova or Ioan Potcoavă, also known as Ioan Crețul, and Nicoară Potcoavă among Romanians, was a prominent Registered Cossack campaign otaman, and short-time ruler of Moldavia. 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.

## Quick facts

- **Died:** 16 June 1578 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1060753#P570))
- **Place of death:** Lviv ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1060753#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Principality of Moldavia ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1060753#P27))
- **Occupation:** pretender ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1060753#P106))
- **Positions held:** lord of Moldavia (18 November 1577 – 31 December 1577); Hetman of Zaporizhian Host ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1060753#P39))

## Questions

**What positions has Ivan Pidkova held?**  
Positions held by Ivan Pidkova include: lord of Moldavia (1577–1577); Hetman of Zaporizhian Host.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Ivan Pidkova](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Pidkova) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q1060753](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1060753) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Ivan Podkova.png by Ян - Збигнев Пудловский? (CC BY-SA 4.0)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ivan_Podkova.png)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Ivan Pidkova, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Ivan Podkova.png — Ян - Збигнев Пудловский?, CC BY-SA 4.0.

## Cite this page

"Ivan Pidkova". DigiNepal. Last updated 3 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/ivan-pidkova. Retrieved 7 November 2026.