Ivan Samoylovych first rose to prominence during
Ivan Briukhovetsky's revolt against
Tsardom of Russia. After Briukhovetsky's execution he supported
Demian Mnohohrishny as a new hetman and swore allegiance to the Russian Tsar. Securing Mnohohrishny's deposition, he was elected the
Hetman of the
Left-Bank Ukraine in
Konotop on 17 June 1672. In public affairs, the ruler paid great attention to stabilization of internal situation in
Ukraine. He took care of the expansion of the Ukrainian
Mercenary army – serdiuk (
Infantry) and companiskyi (
Cavalry) regiments. He also contributed to the strengthening of the state elite. During the years of Samoilovich
hetmanship, the privileged group of the state elite known as Bunchuk tovaryshi was introduced. Under subsequent hetmans, they became a source of personnel for public administration. Hetman's residence of Ivan Samoilovych was located in
Baturyn (modern
Chernihiv region). And so at that time Baturyn received the status of the only
Administrative centre of the Ukrainian
Cossack state. During Samoilovych's rule, Ukrainian lands were officially divided between the
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and the
Moscow State along the
Dnieper River into the
Left-bank Ukraine and
Right-bank Ukraine (see
Truce of Andrusovo of 1667). This division did not contribute to development of the country and Right Bank Ukraine remained to be a scene of constant wars of neighboring states. Therefore, the Hetman decided to unite the Ukrainian lands. In 1674 he began a military campaign on the Right-bank Ukraine. The population there suffered from constant struggle and wanted to regain the right to live freely in their homeland. So a significant part of them met the hetman's army without resistance. Moreover, thanks to them the supporters of the
Polish king were unable to defeat Ivan Samoilovich.
Petro Doroshenko, the hetman of the Right-bank Ukraine, played a decisive role in this campaign. He voluntarily agreed in 1676 to give up his power in favor of Samoilovych. Then it was possible to overcome the split in public administration. This reunion also needed international recognition. Therefore, in 1681 Hetman Samoilovych became one of the initiators of the
Treaty of Bakhchisarai between the
Turkish sultan and the
Crimean Khanate on the one hand and the Moscow State on the other. According to the treaty the fate of a part of Ukrainian lands was determined. , featuring Samoylovych In domestic policies, the hetman paid great attention to the
Metropolitanate of Kyiv, which was the center of fostering of the national idea of the Ukrainian state, and the center of unity for the
Ukrainian people. Ivan Samoilovych maintained close relations with the leaders of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, received assistance from them in resolving various state issues. The hetman also sought support for the Ukrainian state among the centers of world Orthodoxy. For example, Samoilovych was one of the first Ukrainian rulers who provided charitable assistance for the construction of the monastery of
Zograf (Bulgarian monastery) on
Mount Athos. Furthermore, Samoilovych initiated active church building in the Ukrainian lands. With his support, the construction of the Trinity Cathedral, the main church of the Hetman's capital, was completed in Baturyn. Grandiose church construction at this time was also carried out in other cities of Ukraine, such as
Hlukhiv,
Poltava,
Lubny and
Chernihiv. In general, Samoilovych's contemporaries described him as a wise and intelligent ruler, who had a knack of military command and diplomacy. == Conflict with Golitsyn ==