According to Bronislav Gryschuk

Translation from Ukrainian into English by Nadya Dmitriyeva:

The end of the XVIII – beginning of the XIX century was quite a difficult period. Serfdom. Exploitation. And in these typical circumstances of utter suppression, lack of any restraint unexpectedly appears an exception. At first, you do not believe in his true existence, you consider him as a figment of someone’s extremely rich and exaggeratory inclined imagination. Ihnatsiy Scibor-Marchocki is this exception. The only one of its kind, the true exception.

“Going down grate Ushyts’ky road, few miles to Kamianets, in Ushyts’ky district, on a lovely plain spreads Myn’kivtsi - quite big and very beautiful town, exactly the place where the feast of Ceres came about. If to consider the reasonable comments of some travelers over Podillya, stating that its part, located along Dnister stream, without any exaggeration can be called “Podillya Switzerland”, the location of town Myn’kivtsi and its suburbs is in the best place of mentioned “Podillya Switzerland”. (Podol’sk Eparchial Bulletin. 1889 #33).

«Ushyts’ky district had 4 subdistricts. Myn’kivtsi belonged to a second one. The town is situated in a wide and deep valley... That estate was purchased by... Voitsekh Marchocki, and after his death in 1788 Myn’kivtsi together with the suburbs passed into the ownership of his nephew, Ihnatsiy Scibor-Marchocki, an odd person, famous in the first quarter of 19 century. Ihnatsiy Marchocki… proclaimed his estates an independent state and installed on its borders pillars with the name plates, identifying that this is “The border of Myn’kivsk state”... He was a benefactor for his peasants; he liberated them from serfdom and was concerned about their household improvement. For his eccentricity, especially for introduction of pagan feasts, Marchocki was convicted and even imprisoned.

(Proceedings of Podol’sk Eparchial Historical and Statistic Committee, Kamianets’-Podol’skyy, 1900. Red. 9)

However the most important action - peasants’ liberation from serfdom was performed on 1 of January 1795, when on a universal meeting there was signed a declaration, beginning with the following words: "We, residents of hereditary possessions: Myslyborzh, Horodysche, Katerynivka, Antonivka, Kruzhkivtsi, Otrokiv, Khananivka, Prytulia, Staryk, Tymkiv, Pobuyna, Pobuyanka, Syvorohy, that form up Myn’kivtsi state, located in Ushyts’ky sub-district of Podillya district, gathered together to develop and establish definite laws…came to the conclusion that…the highest value…is freedom…” This declaration was duplicated in printing house and sent to the neighboring estates. However, the neighboring landlords took care to destroy that document and forget about it.

The strict division of power to legislative, executive and judicial was introduced in Myn’kivtsi state. Ihnatsiy was the head of this state, or the elder or patriarch, as he ordered to call him. Considering himself as a father of Myn’kivtsi state “nations”, he also was a head of everyone who “by his occupation and work benefited” the state. Two doctors, an architect, a lawyer, a land manager, medical assistants, obstetricians and a secretary were among those, who didn’t participate in state governing. Each village had its own collegiate court that tried different cases as the first instance. Court of the second instance was established on Belmont. Ihnatsiy had passed a law that forbade calling peasants serfs, louts or boors.

At first the bishop was very much surprised and confused, but when he saw that everyone reacted to that masquerade with rapturousness, he triumphally entered Myn’kivtsi.

The next day the bishop performed the marriage ceremony, however not in the church, but in an original theatre, built in the middle of a field. Marchocki met the guest with a very long and pathetical greeting, ending with:”High priest, leave your throne, come to the altar of God and lay the blessing on this young couple.”

At first, the bishop indulgently reacted to all eccentric actions of the count, but later their relations aggravated. The wife of Ihnatsiy died, and in his old age, the count passionately fall in love with a daughter of a nobleman – a person, that almost all time was spending in Myn’kivtsi estate. However, the eldest son of the count also liked the same girl - and they even got married secretly in the local church. And once again the old count had shown his stubborn nature. How did they dare to get married? Without his knowledge?? In his church??? But only Ihnatsiy was the first and the only benefactor of local clergy, owner of all church utensils that were given to the priest only before the ceremony. Seriously offended by the priest, Ihnatsiy took all his staff from the church. The priest sent a complaint to the bishop. The latter sent the message to the count, indignantly asking to clarify the reason of Ihnatsiy’s interference into the church activities; the bishop also reminded him about the Ceres feast and his illegal sermons. He suggested once and for ever to stop pagan ceremonies, unacceptable by Christians.

The count sent a reply, where he, by referring to the grate philosophers of XVIII century, proved that each true Christian can sermon in the churches of Podillia district, and he, Marchocki, even obliged to do this, since the local clergy was poorly educated. As for the Ceres feast, the count tried to prove, that that was no more than a common to all Christians harvest feast. The flat and sharp reply offended the bishop. He complained to the governor and obtained the order, by means of which the local police officer was entrusted to engage the count by a written document not to sermon and celebrate the Ceres feast. It is not difficult to guess, that the count even didn’t think about submitting: as soon as the harvest time had ended, he organized the feast with all solemnities and ceremonies. And even though the local Roman Catholic priest refused from participation in pagan rites that changed nothing: two Capuchins were invited from Dunayevtsi, and the feast came about with an influx of people.