he reached not through wealth or family but by military achievement and reputation. Despite being more than 70 years old, Żółkiewski continued in active service as a military commander until the very end. He died on 7 October 1620, during the Commonwealth's retreat after the battle of Cecora against the Turks, during the Polish–Ottoman War (1620–1621) which marked the end of the Moldavian campaigns. The battle comprised several engagements, in which Polish forces were routed. During the last rout Żólkiewski was killed; according to an anecdote he refused to retreat, preferring to stay with the rear guard till the very end. Before his death he received the blessing of his confessor, Father Szymon Wybierski (Wybierek) of the Society of Jesus, who stood fearlessly at his side (7 October). {see painting "Battle of Cecora (1620)" by Walery Eljasz Radzikowski} After the battle Żółkiewski's corpse was desecrated by the removal of its head and sent to Constantinople as a trophy of war. His widow bought his body from the Turks and ransomed their son, who had been captured during the battle. Żółkiewski was buried in St Lawrence Church in Żółkiew (now Zhovkva, Ukraine), the town he enlarged and where he built the Żółkiew Castle. Remembrance Żółkiewski's heroic death – portrayed in several works of art by contemporaries such as and Stanisław Witkowski – boosted his reputation and guaranteed him a place among the pantheon of the most famous of Polish military commanders. In the years following his death he was mentioned in the works of writers such as Stefan Żeromski, Józef Szujski, Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz and Maria Konopnicka. Up to the present day, the story of his death is the best remembered aspect of his life, with a number of sources discussing the "legend of Żółkiewski". A monument was built at the site of Żółkiewski's death (now in Berezovca in Ocnița District, Moldova) by his son Jan, in 1621. It is inscribed with a motto from Horace: "Quam dulce et decorum est pro patria mori" (How sweet and fitting it is to die for one's country). The monument was destroyed in 1868, rebuilt in 1912, and renovated in 2003. It is a venue for events organized by the Polish minority in Moldova. In 1903 a statue of Żółkiewski was built in Źółkiew, but it was demolished in 1939 by Soviet troops in the aftermath of the Soviet invasion of Poland. In modern