Dykra
Dykra was the southern territory of the medieval Grand Duchy of Lithuania near the Black Sea, presently shared between Ukraine and Moldova.
During the reign of Haji Girey, the Crimean Khanate was endangered by the Golden Horde and the Ottoman Empire. In search of allies, he agreed to cede parts of his state to Duke Vytautas, who incorporated it into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. There were two notable towns located in the area: Kara Kermanas and Chadibėjus. However, the area was only scarcely populated with Tartars and consisted mostly of unpopulated steppes.
The Tartars from the area were often hired for service in Lithuanian army and were later settled in other parts of Lithuania. Also, after formation of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, many Tartars also entered Polish service. From these men the Tatar communities in present Belarus, Lithuania and Poland draw their ancestry. With time the Tatars dropped their language and mixed with the nobility of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. However, they retained their traditions and the Islamic faith.
In 17th century the area was lost to Turkey, which in turn lost it to Russia in 19th century. From then on it shared the fate of the rest of Crimea, from where the Tatars were resettled to other parts of the USSR in 1944. Currently the area is a part of Ukraine.
See also
Categories: Lithuania | Ukrainian historical regions