▁as ▁writer , ▁And r zej ▁Ch ry z ost om ▁Z ał us ki . ▁Also ▁Polish ▁Kings ▁Mich ał ▁K ory but ▁Wi ś ni owie cki , ▁John ▁III ▁Sob ies ki ▁and ▁Stanisław ▁Les z czy ński ▁were ▁born ▁in ▁present - day ▁Western ▁Ukraine . ▁ ▁Following ▁the ▁successful ▁u pr ising ▁of ▁Boh dan ▁Kn el ny t sky ▁against ▁the ▁Polish ▁crown ▁in ▁the ▁mid ▁ 1 7 th ▁century , ▁Ukrain ian ▁lands ▁east ▁of ▁the ▁D n ip ro ▁River , ▁the ▁C oss ack ▁Het man ate , ▁became ▁briefly ▁independent ▁and ▁then ▁became ▁an ▁autonom ous ▁part ▁of ▁Russia . ▁ ▁In ▁this ▁area , ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁Polish ▁nobles ▁were ▁exp elled ▁and ▁Polish ▁political ▁influence ▁was ▁cur ta iled . ▁ ▁Reg ions ▁west ▁of ▁the ▁river , ▁however , ▁remained ▁part ▁of ▁Poland - L ith u ania ▁for ▁approximately ▁another ▁ 1 5 0 ▁years , ▁retained ▁their ▁Polish ▁orientation ▁and ▁were ▁the ▁stage ▁of ▁on going ▁Polish ▁colon ization . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 8 th ▁century , ▁approximately ▁ 2 4 0 , 0 0 0 ▁people ▁of ▁the ▁Vol h yn ian , ▁Pod ilian ▁and ▁K iev ▁regions , ▁or ▁ 1 1 % ▁of ▁the ▁population , ▁were ▁Roman ▁C athol ics , ▁most ▁of ▁whom ▁were ▁Pol es . ▁ ▁Appro xim ately ▁half ▁of ▁this ▁number ▁had ▁arrived ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 8 th ▁century . ▁ ▁Within