Deluge ( history ) The term Deluge ( , , Cyrillic : Потоп ) denotes a series of mid - 17th century campaigns in the Polish – Lithuanian Commonwealth . In a wider sense it applies to the period between the Khmelnytsky ( Chmielnicki ) Uprising of 1648 and the Truce of Andrusovo in 1667 , thus comprising the Polish – Lithuanian theatres of the Russo - Polish and Second Northern War s . In a stricter sense , the term refers to the Swedish invasion and occupation of the Commonwealth as a theater of the Second Northern War only ( 1655 – 1660 ) ; In Poland and Lithuania this period is called the Swedish Deluge ( , ) , and the term deluge ( or " potop " in Polish ) was popularized by Henryk Sienkiewicz , in his 1886 book " The Deluge " . During the wars the Commonwealth lost an estimated 40 % of its population as well as its status as a great power . According to Professor Andrzej Rottermund , manager of the Royal Castle in Warsaw , the destruction of Poland in the deluge was more extensive than the destruction of the country in World War II . As Rottermund claims , Swedish invaders robbed the Commonwealth of its most important riches , and most of the stolen items never returned to Poland . Warsaw , the capital of the Polish – Lithuanian Commowealth , was completely destroyed by the Swedes , and out of a prewar population of 20 , 000 , only 2 , 000 remained in the city after the war . According to the 2012 Polish estimates , financial losses of Poland are estimated at 4 billion zloty s . Swedish invaders completely destroyed 188 cities and towns , 81 castles , and 136 churches in Poland . Historical background . In 1648 Bohdan Khmelnytsky led a popular uprising of Zaporozhian Cossacks and Ukrainian peasants discontented with the rule of Polish and Lithuanian magnates . Although the initial phase of the rebellion ended ( after much destruction ) at the Battle of Berestechko ( 1651 ) , it brought into focus the rivalry between Russia and the Commonwealth for hegemony over Ukraine and over the eastern Slavic lands in general . Thus in October 1653 the Russian Zemsky Sobor declared war on the Commonwealth , and in June , 1654 , the forces of Tsar Alexis of Russia invaded the eastern half of Poland - Lithuania , starting the Russo - Polish War of 1654 - 1667 . In the summer of 1654 , the Russians managed to capture most important cities and strongholds of today ' s Belarus . Smolensk was captured after a siege on October 3 , 1654 . The Swedish Empire , which technically already was at war with the Commonwealth ( a cease fire agreement existed from 1629 that was prolonged 1635 to 1661 ) , invaded ( July 1655 ) and occupied the remaining half of the country . Swedish invasion . Following the Thirty Years ' War , the Swedish Empire emerged as one of the strongest nations on the continent . It had a large army but little money to pay its soldiers . The Polish - Lithuanian Commonwealth , weakened by wars with the Cossacks and Tsardom of Russia , seemed like easy prey , also because its best soldiers had been massacred in the 1652 Battle of Batih . Furthermore , Swedes remembered claims to their throne by Polish kings Sigismund III Vasa and his sons Władysław IV Vasa and John II Casimir , who themselves belonged to the House of Vasa . An earlier conflict , the Polish – Swedish War ( 1626 – 1629 ) had ended with the Treaty of Stuhmsdorf . The Polish – Lithuanian King John II Casimir ( reigned 1648 – 1668 ) lacked support among the Commonwealth nobility ( " szlachta " ) due to his sympathies with absolutist Austria and his open contempt for the " Sarmatist " culture of the nobility . Earlier , in 1643 , John Casimir had become a member of the Jesuits and had received the title of Cardinal . Nevertheless , in December 1646 , he returned to Poland and , in October 1647 , resigned his position as Cardinal to stand for election to the Polish throne , after the death of his brother Władysław IV Vasa . He became King in 1648 . However , some of the nobility supported Charles Gustav ( King of Sweden from 1654 to 1660 and John Casimir ' s cousin ) for the Polish – Lithuanian throne . Many members of the Polish nobility , including Deputy Chancellor of the Crown Hieronim Radziejowski and Grand Treasurer of the Crown Bogusław Leszczyński , regarded John Casimir as a weak king or as a " Jesuit - King " ; for this or for personal reasons ( i . e . Leszczyński was Protestant and Radziejowski was an old enemy of the Polish King who had banished him from Poland to exile in Sweden ) , they encouraged Charles Gustav to claim the Polish crown . Two Lithuanian noble princes , Janusz Radziwiłł and Bogusław Radziwiłł , subsequently introduced internal dissension into the Commonwealth ' s troubles and began negotiation s with the Swedish king Charles X Gustav of Sweden aimed at breaking up the Commonwealth and the Polish – Lithuanian union . They signed the Treaty of Kėdainiai ( 1655 ) , which envisaged the Radziwiłł princes ruling over two duchies carved out from the lands of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania under Swedish vassalage ( the Union of Kėdainiai ) . 1655 . In July 1655 two Swedish armies , operating from Swedish Pomerania and Province of Pomerania entered Greater Poland , one of the richest and most developed provinces of the Commonwealth , which had for centuries been unaffected by any military conflicts , and whose Levée en masse had not been used to fighting . The Greater Poland ' s nobility camp , located in the valley of the Noteć river , near the town of Ujście , looked more like a large party , as the szlachta , gathered there to face Swedish Army , was more interested in drinking . To make matters worse , two powerful magnates , the Voivode of Poznań Krzysztof Opaliński , and the Voivode of Kalisz Andrzej Karol Grudziński , argued with each other whether to fight or to give up to the enemy . Polish troops lacked gunpowder , cannons , even food , which was stolen at local villages by the hungry soldiers . After an easy Swedish victory at the Battle of Ujście , Krzysztof Opaliński , surrendered Greater Poland to Charles Gustav . On July 31 , 1655 , the army commanded by Arvid Wittenberg captured Poznań , and on August 20 near Konin , the armies of Wittenberg and Charles Gustav joined forces , and headed for Warsaw . On September 2 , the Poles lost the Battle of Sobota , and on September 4 , the Swedes captured Łowicz . Four days later , Swedish Army entered the Polish capital , becoming the first foreign army in Polish history to capture Warsaw . King Charles Gustav left a garrison in Warsaw , under Bengt Gabrielsson Oxenstierna , and headed southwards , in pursuit of John Casimir . On September 16 , the Swedes defeated Polish troops in the Battle of Żarnów , and the Polish forces gave up resistance and surrendered to the invaders . The Polish king headed towards Kraków on September 25 , and then fled to Silesia . Kraków was left in the hands of Stefan Czarnecki ; on October 3 Swedish forces once again defeated the Poles in the Battle of Wojnicz , which opened the road to Kraków . The ancient capital of Poland was captured after a siege , on October 13 , 1655 . With three most populated and best developed Polish provinces in his hands ( Greater Poland , Lesser Poland and Mazovia ) , Charles Gustav decided to head back northwards to Royal Prussia , which was defended by the Voivode of Malbork , Jakub Wejher . The Swedes , who were generally superior in training , discipline and equipment advanced rapidly . Meanwhile , in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania , whose eastern part had been occupied by another Swedish army under Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie since August 1655 , Janusz Radziwiłł and his cousin Bogusław Radziwiłł signed the Union of Kėdainiai ( October 20 , 1655 ) , which ended Lithuania ' s union with Poland . The decision of the Radziwiłłs was the result of the 1654 Russian invasion , as Janusz Radziwiłł accused Poles of not helping the Lithuanians with the defence of the Grand Duchy . Russian capture of Vilnius ( August 9 , 1655 ) , and the subsequent slaughter of its residents convinced Lithuanian nobility that Swedish protection was the best solution . The situation of the Commonwealth was desperate , but hope appeared with the Truce of Vilna ( November 3 ) , in which Poland and the Tsardom of Russia formed an anti - Swedish alliance . With Russian forces attacking Sweden in Livonia , ( see Russo - Swedish War ( 1656 – 1658 ) ) , Poland finally had time to recoup and gather fresh forces . On October 12 , 1655 , with permission of King John Casimir , Frederick William , Elector of Brandenburg signed the Treaty of Rinsk , in which the Royal Prussian nobility agreed to allow Brandenburgian garrisons in their province to defend it against the Swedish invasion ( the treaty did not include the cities of Gdańsk , Elbląg and Toruń ) . In November and December 1655 the Swedish army under Gustaf Otto Stenbock captured all the towns of Royal Prussia except for Gdańsk , Puck and Malbork . To prevent John Casimir ' s return to Poland , Swedish units protected the border with Silesia . On November 18 , 1655 , Swedes besieged the monastery at Jasna Góra , located in Lesser Poland , near the border . Led by the Grand Prior Augustyn Kordecki , the garrison of this symbolic sanctuary - fortress of Poland held off its enemies in the Siege of Jasna Góra . The defense of Jasna Góra galvanized Polish resistance against the Swedes . The news of the siege spread across the nation , and in several areas guerilla units were created , outraged at the Swedes ' attempt to seize the monastery . On December 7 , 1655 , the unit of Colonel Gabriel Wojniłłowicz defeated the Swedes and their Polish collaborators near Krosno . On December 13 , Polish troops under Wojniłłowicz recaptured Nowy Sącz , and soon afterwards Sweden lost Biała , Dukla , Biecz , Wieliczka , and Oświęcim . By late 1655 , the situation in southern Lesser Poland had deteriorated to such an extent for the invaders that on December 27 they decided to lift the siege of Jasna Góra . On December 16 , 1655 , in Sokal , Polish Crown hetman s urged the nation to fight the Swedish armies . Two days later , King John Casimir left Głogówek in Silesia , and via Racibórz and Cieszyn , returned to Poland , arriving at Lubowla on December 27 . Two days later , the Tyszowce Confederation was formed in support of the Polish king . John Casimir himself met with hetmans Stanisław Rewera Potocki , Jerzy Sebastian Lubomirski , Stanisław Lanckoroński and Stefan Czarniecki in Krosno , on December 31 , 1655 . The meeting was also attended by Primate Andrzej Leszczyński , and eight voivode s . 1656 . While in Krosno , the Polish king found out about the end of the siege of Jasna Góra , and about the death of Janusz Radziwiłł . On January 12 , 1656 , John Casimir left Krosno , and after three days , arrived at Łańcut Castle , which belonged to the Lubomirski family . On February 10 , the king came to Lwów , which , together with Gdańsk , was one of only two major cities of the Commonwealth not seized by any of Poland ' s enemies . Soon Polish Army units began to concentrate in the area of Lwów , including militias from Red Ruthenia , Volhynia and Lublin , as well as forces under Potocki and Prince Lubomirski , together with the garrison of Kamieniec Podolski fortress . Charles Gustav , after finding out about the return of the Polish king , ordered his armies to concentrate in Łowicz . On February 8 , 1656 , the Swedes defeated Czarniecki in the Battle of Gołąb , and continued their march towards Lwów , reaching the Zamość Fortress on February 25 . On March 1 , realizing that without heavy guns it was impossible to capture the mighty stronghold , the Swedish army gave up the siege , and headed towards Bełżec . On March 3 , Charles Gustav , whose units were harassed by Polish guerilla forces , decided to retreat . At the same time , guerilla warfare also broke out in Mazovia and Greater Poland , and Lithuanian units under the Grand Hetman of Lithuania Paweł Jan Sapieha began moving towards Red Ruthenia . On March 11 , the Swedish army arrived at Jarosław , fighting its way across the San river . Charles Gustav sent some of his forces to capture Przemyśl , but on March 16 they returned to Jarosław without success . On March 22 , the Swedish army set off northwards , along the San and Vistula rivers , back to Warsaw . They were followed by units of Stefan Czarniecki and Aleksander Koniecpolski , and during the retreat , Polish troops supporting the invaders changed sides , joining the forces of John Casimir . On March 30 , the starving , cold and tired Swedish army of 5 , 000 stopped near Sandomierz , which was already in Polish hands . The Swedes camped among the forests of Sandomierz Wilderness near Gorzyce , where they were quickly surrounded by approximately 23 , 000 Poles and Lithuanians . To help the besieged army , on March 27 Frederick VI left Warsaw with 2 , 500 reiter s and dragoon s , so John Casimir ordered the mounted units of Czarnecki and Lubomirski to face the margrave . Frederick ' s army was defeated on April 7 in the Battle of Warka . At Gorzyce , however , second - quality Polish forces remained , and the Swedish king managed to break out ( April 5 ) , and on April 13 , Charles Gustav reached Warsaw . Meanwhile , the Polish king made the Lwów Oath ( April 1 ) , in which he entrusted the Commonwealth to the Blessed Virgin Mary ' s protection , and declared her ' The Queen of the Polish Crown ' . After the Battle of Warka , Czarniecki and Lubomirski decided to head towards Greater Poland and Kujawy , to support guerrilla forces active there . By April 9 , Polish troops reached Royal Prussia , capturing Bydgoszcz and Nakło ( April 19 ) . Polish attempt to capture Toruń , on April 17 , was a failure . After a short rest , Stefan Czarniecki considered a raid of Swedish Pomerania , but other Polish leaders opposed this idea . Charles Gustav decided to prevent the Poles from taking control of the northern districts of the country , and departed Warsaw with an army of 10 , 000 ( April 17 ) . On April 21 , the Lithuanians under Sapieha freed Lublin , and on April 23 , the Lithuanian army reached Praga , which today is a right - bank district of Warsaw . The forces of Czarniecki and Lubomirski joined other troops near Piła , but on May 7 they were defeated in the Battle of Kłecko , despite their numerical superiority . After the battle , the surviving Polish units regrouped near Gniezno , and in late May , they headed for Warsaw , to help the Lithuanians in the siege of the Polish capital ( April 24 - July 1 ) . Warsaw was defended by Arvid Wittenberg with 2 , 000 soldiers , as the main Swedish army was busy besieging Gdańsk . Wittenberg capitulated on July 1 , 1656 . Already in late 1655 , Charles Gustav realized that it would be impossible for him to control the Commonwealth . The Swedish king decided to find allies , who would help him to divide Poland - Lithuania . On June 29 , 1656 , he signed the Treaty of Marienburg , in which he offered Frederick William , Elector of Brandenburg a reward for fighting on his side . Brandenburg - Prussia was promised sovereignty in four voivodeships - Poznań , Kalisz , Łęczyca , and Sieradz . On July 28 , a re - enforced Swedish - Brandenburgian army , under Charles Gustav , set out for Warsaw . Even though the allied army was smaller , it still managed to defeat the Poles and Lithuanians in the Battle of Warsaw ( 1656 ) ( July 28 – 30 ) , and to recapture Warsaw . This victory , hovewer , achieved little , as the Poles retreated behind the Wieprz , where they regrouped , and were soon ready to continue fighting . Finally , Charles Gustav decided to abandon Warsaw , and retreat to Royal Prussia . To punish Brandenburg - Prussia , Commonwealth forces decided to invade the Duchy of Prussia . In early October 1656 , an army of 11 , 000 under Wincenty Korwin Gosiewski entered Prussia , supported by 2 , 000 Crimean Tatars . On October 8 , Gosiewski ' s army won the Battle of Prostken ( October 8 ) , but after the Tatars decided to return to the Crimea , the Polish - Lithuanian army was defeated in the Battle of Filipów ( October 22 ) . In November 1656 , Greater Poland ' s troops invaded the Brandenburg province of Neumark , which resulted in withdrawal of Brandenburg forces from most of Greater Poland . Charles Gustav , knowing that he needed the support of the Elector , agreed to sign the Treaty of Labiau ( November 20 ) , which granted full sovereignty to the Prussian ruler , in exchange for his complete military support of Sweden in the ongoing war . The Commonwealth , on the other hand , had already been negotiating with the House of Habsburg . On December 1 , 1656 , the first Treaty of Vienna was signed , which was followed by a second Treaty of Vienna , in which Emperor Leopold I promised to aid John Casimir with 12 , 000 troops against the Swedish - Brandenburgian alliance . By late 1656 , Swedish troops had been pushed out of most of the Commonwealth . They only held the right - bank half of Royal Prussia , northern Mazovia , Łowicz , Kraków , and Tykocin . 1657 . In 1653 , Transylvanian Hungarian ruler George II Rákóczi signed an alliance with Poland , and the relations between the Commonwealth and Transylvania were friendly . George had even been offered the Polish crown , on condition that he converted to Catholicism . Stunning Swedish successes , however , made Rákóczi change his mind . On May 18 , 1656 , Charles X Gustav , in a letter sent from Malbork , offered the Hungarian prince Red Ruthenia , in exchange for military support against the Commonwealth . Meanwhile , Rákóczi had already been negotiating with Bohdan Khmelnytsky , and on September 7 , 1656 , Transylvania and the Zaporizhian Sich signed a peace treaty , which obliged both sides to help each other in war . On December 8 , 1656 , the Treaty of Radnot was signed , which divided Poland - Lithuania between Charles X Gustav , Bogusław Radziwiłł , Elector Frederick William , Bohdan Khmelnytsky , and George II Rákóczi . In late January 1657 , the Transylvanian army of 25 , 000 crossed the Carpathians , heading towards Medyka , where 10 , 000 Cossack allies awaited them . To face the new invader , the army of hetman Stanisław Rewera Potocki rushed southwards . At the same time ( January 2 ) , in the Battle of Chojnice , the Swedes defeated the Poles . On February 26 , Stefan Czarniecki and King John Casimir met in Kalisz , where they decided to prevent the Swedish and Transylvanian armies from meeting . After joining the Cossacks , Rákóczi decided not to attack Lwów , but set off towards Kraków , where the situation of the Swedish garrison under Wirtz was desperate . On March 21 , Rákóczi captured Tarnów , and on March 28 , he reached Kraków . Along the way to the ancient Polish capital , the Transylvanian - Cossack army burned and looted towns and villages , murdering thousands . Since his army was too busy looting Lesser Poland , only 5 , 000 soldiers reached Kraków , which by the Treaty of Radnot , was to be ruled by Transylvania . After leaving 2 , 500 soldiers to help the Swedish garrison of Kraków , Rákóczi ' s army headed northwards , along the Vistula . On April 12 , 1657 , the Transylvanian - Cossack army met with Swedish forces under Charles X Gustav , at Ćmielów . The joined forces began to follow the Polish Crown army under Stanisław Potocki , and the Lithuanian army under Paweł Sapieha , to force a decisive battle . On April 29 , the Polish and Lithuanian armies joined forces at Łosice , and in early May 1657 , the Poles decided to organize a revenge raid on Transylvania , under hetman Jerzy Sebastian Lubomirski . On May 13 , Rákóczi and Charles X Gustav seized the fortress of Brześć Litewski , and on May 17 , after a three - day siege , the Swedes , Cossacks , and Transylvanians captured Warsaw . Soon afterwards , however , the Dano - Swedish War began , and Charles X Gustav left Poland with most of his troops . The remaining Swedish army was commanded by Gustaf Otto Stenbock . The Swedish withdrawal made Rákóczi uneasy , as he was well aware of poor quality of his soldiers . On July 7 – 8 , 1656 , at Łańcut Castle , King John Casimir and his hetmans agreed that Stefan Czarniecki would follow Rákóczi and the Cossacks , while Lubomirski ' s and Potocki ' s divisions together with Crimean Tatars would guard the border , preventing the Transylvanian - Cossack army from leaving the Commonwealth . On June 20 , 1657 , Stenbock was ordered by Charles X Gustav to abandon Rákóczi and head with his army to Stettin . To save his skin , the ruler of Transylvania began a quick retreat southwards , towards the Carpathians . On July 11 , Stefan Czarniecki ' s division defeated Rákóczi at Magierów near Lwów , and on July 20 , the Transylvanian - Cossack army was completely destroyed in the Battle of Czarny Ostrów in Podolia . Three days later , Rákóczi signed a peace treaty with the Commonwealth , in which he promised to break the alliance with Sweden , withdraw his troops from Kraków and Brześć Litewski , and pay for the damage inflicted by his army . On July 26 , remnants of the Transylvanian army were surrounded by the Tatars near Skałat . Rákóczi himself managed to flee , and the army was temporarily commanded by John Kemény , who himself was captured by the Tatars . After six months of fighting in Poland , Rákóczi ' s army of 25 , 000 ceased to exist , with all survivors taken prisoner by the Tatars . On August 30 , the Swedish garrison left Kraków , and throughout August and September 1657 , all Swedish troops in Poland moved northwards , to Royal Prussia . Altogether , by autumn of that year , only some 8 , 000 Swedish soldiers remained in Poland - Lithuania . The Swedes still kept some Pomeranian cities , as Malbork , Elbląg , Sztum , Brodnica , Grudziądz , and Toruń . On September 11 , an Austrian army of 11 , 000 , allied with Poland , concentrated near Kraków and set off to Płock , where it spent the winter . Polish army commanders and King John Casimir , gathered in Poznań on November 26 , decided to delay the attack on Swedish forces in Royal Prussia until spring 1658 . On November 6 , 1657 , Poland and Brandenburg - Prussia signed the Treaty of Bromberg . Ducal Prussia , which had previously allied itself with Sweden and attacked Poland , changed sides and guaranteed military support of the Commonwealth , in return for sovereignty ( it had been a fief of Poland since 1466 ) . This treaty is regarded as one of the worst mistakes in Polish history . 1658 - 1660 . In the spring of 1658 , Polish army , together with its Austrian allies under Raimondo Montecuccoli began campaign in Royal Prussia , where several key towns and cities were still in Swedish hands . On July 1 , the siege of Toruń began . The heavily fortified city was defended by 2400 soldiers under Barthod Hartwig von Bulow . Polish troops included the divisions of Krzysztof Grodzicki , Jan Sapieha and Stefan Czarniecki . Furthermore , they were provided support by Brandenburgian - Prussian army of Bogusław Radziwiłł , which after the Treaty of Bromberg changed sides . Altogether , almost 25 , 000 soldiers besieged Toruń . After a prolonged artillery bombardment , the main attack took place in the night of November 16 – 17 , and on December 30 Toruń capitulated . Meanwhile Stefan Czarniecki ' s division headed to Denmark – Norway , to help the Danes in the Dano - Swedish War . In October 1658 , Polish army of 4500 reached Hamburg , and in December 1658 , with help of Polish troops , the fortress of Kolding was captured ( see Battle of Kolding ) . On July 1 , 1658 , the Sejm ordered the expulsion of the Polish Brethren , who were accused of collaborating with Swedish invaders . In 1659 , Swedish army still remaining in Poland , under Lorens von der Linde was withdrawn to major Royal Prussian fortresses - Malbork , Głowa Gdańska , Grudziądz , Elbląg , and Brodnica . In August 1659 , Polish army captured Głowa and Grudziądz , and soon afterwards , starving Swedish garrison at Brodnica surrendered . The siege of Malbork was continued , and Polish - Brandenburgian troops blocked Elbląg . In December 1659 , the siege of Elbląg began . Meanwhile , in late 1658 , Polish - Russian truce ended when Russian forces under Ivan Andreyevich Khovansky ( Tararui ) and Jurij Aleksiejewicz Dołgorukow again attacked Polish - Lithuanian units ( see Russo - Polish War ( 1654 – 1667 ) ) . The reason for the attack was the Treaty of Hadiach , which created the Polish – Lithuanian – Ruthenian Commonwealth . Muscovy was opposed to this newly established state , and decided to wage another war . The Russians managed to capture large parts of the Commonwealth , but were later defeated in the Battle of Konotop and the Battle of Polonka . On May 3 , 1660 , the Treaty of Oliva was signed , which ended the Polish - Swedish war . After the conclusion of the conflict , Poland - Lithuania initiated a large offensive against the Russians , who were beaten in the Battle of Chudnov . In 1661 , Vilnius was recaptured ( December 2 ) , and in 1663 - 64 , Polish forces invaded Left - bank Ukraine . The war with Russia ended with the Truce of Andrusovo ( January 30 , 1667 ) . Other conflicts . The Deluge was the climax of a series of wars , that took place in Poland - Lithuania in the mid - 17th century . The Commonwealth was first affected by the Khmelnytsky Uprising , which began in 1648 , and affected southeastern provinces of the country . In final stages of the uprising , the Russians invaded Poland - Lithuania in 1654 , reaching as far west as the Vistula river near Puławy . The Commonwealth also fought forces from Transylvania and Brandenburg - Prussia , but the Duchy of Prussia gained formal Polish recognition of its independence outside of the Polish state ( Treaty of Wehlau , 1657 ) . With the Treaty of Hadiach on September 16 , 1658 , the Polish Crown elevated the Cossacks and Ruthenians to a position equal to that of Poland and Lithuania in the Polish – Lithuanian Union , and in fact transformed the Polish – Lithuanian Commonwealth into a Polish – Lithuanian – Ruthenian Commonwealth ( Polish : " Rzeczpospolita Trojga Narodów " , " Commonwealth of Three Nations " ) . Supported by Cossack Hetman Ivan Vyhovsky and the " starshyna " , the treaty aimed to change the face of Eastern Europe . However , its terms never came into full operation : Russia refused to recognize Hadiach , and maintained its claims to Ukraine . The Russo - Polish War ( 1654 – 1667 ) ended with the Treaty of Andrusovo of 13 January 1667 . ( Poland - Lithuania profited from Turkish participation in the Russo - Turkish War ( 1676 – 1681 ) due to Ottoman links with the Crimea . The peace settlement gave Moscow control over the so - called Left - bank Ukraine ( left of the river Dnieper ) , with the Commonwealth retaining Right - bank Ukraine ( right of the Dnieper ) . While initially the agreement stipulated that Russia would return Left - bank Ukraine to the Commonwealth in twenty years , the division became permanent with the Eternal Peace Treaty of 1686 . The Deluge brought to an end the era of Polish religious tolerance : mostly non - Catholic invaders antagonized the mostly Catholic Poles . The expulsion of the Protestant Polish Brethren from Poland in 1658 exemplified the increasing intolerance . During the Deluge , many thousands of Polish Jews also fell victim to violence carried out by the Zaporozhian Cossacks . Destruction of the Commonwealth . Swedish invasion affected the richest provinces of the Polish - Lithuanian Commonwealth ( Greater Poland , Lesser Poland , Mazovia , Pomerelia , Kujawy , Podlasie ) , which for the most part had not been affected by major wars for 200 years . Professor Andrzej Rottermund , manager of the Royal Castle in Warsaw claims that the Swedish army robbed Poland of her most precious goods - thousands of works of art , books and valuables . Most of these items have never been returned to Poland , and are kept both in private Swedish hands , and in Stockholm museums , such as Swedish Army Museum , and Livrustkammaren . Almost all cities , towns , castles and churches in locations where Swedish troops were stationed were destroyed , and , as prof . Rottermund says , it can be seen even today , as in guides to many Polish towns and cities one will find a note that says " object destroyed during Swedish invasion " . From the Royal Castle in Warsaw Swedes stole app . 200 paintings , a number of carpets and Turkish tents , musical instruments , furniture , Chinese porcelain , weapons , books , manuscripts , marbles , even dresses of maids and door frames , pulled from walls . Huber Kowalski of University of Warsaw Institute of Archeology says that Swedes stole anything they could lay their hands on - windows , stairs , chimneys , sculptures , floors , doors and gates . Most goods were loaded on boats and transported along the Vistula to the Baltic Sea , and then to Sweden . In November 2011 , archeologists of University of Warsaw found app . 70 items ( total weight of five tons ) , which probably come from Warsaw Royal Castle . They sank in the Vistula , while being transported to Sweden . Even though Article 9 of the Treaty of Oliva stated that Sweden should return all stolen goods , all items are still kept in Stockholm and other Swedish locations . Several Polish kings ( Jan Kazimierz , Jan III Sobieski , Stanisław August Poniatowski ) sent official missions to Sweden , but without success . In most situations , Swedish authorities claimed that they did not know where stolen goods were . In 1911 , Kraków ' s Academy of Science sent its own mission , which was made of renowned professors Eugeniusz Barwiński , Ludwik Birkenmajer and Jan Łoś . In Stockholm and Uppsala they found 205 manuscripts and 168 rare Polish books , describing their foundings in a report . In 2002 , Warsaw Royal Castle organized exhibition " Eagle and Three Crowns " , which presented many items stolen from Poland , and kept in Swedish museums . After the Deluge , the Commonwealth turned into a " cultural desert " . Poland and Lithuania lost 67 libraries and 17 archives . Of all major cities of the country , only Lwów and Gdańsk were not destroyed , and when Swedish soldiers were unable to steal an item , they would destroy or burn it . In ruins were castles , palaces , churches , abbeys , towns and villages . As a result of Swedish invasion , few pre - Baroque buildings remained in Poland . Among others , Swedish troops stole such items as : According to the estimates of Polish scholars I . Ihnatowicz , Z . Landau , A . Mączak and B . Zientara , the invasion of Swedish army and its allies ( Brandenburg - Prussia and Transilvania ) , resulted in loss of 25 % of population in four core Polish provinces . Lesser Poland lost 23 % of population , Mazovia 40 % in villages and 70 % in towns , Greater Poland 50 % in villages and 60 % in towns . Royal Prussia lost some 60 % of its population . In January 2013 Marek Poznański , a Palikot Movement member of the Polish parliament announced his plan to send thousands of postcards to European politicians and journalists , in which he wants to prove that that Poland should get financial compensation from Sweden , for the destruction of the country in the deluge . Poznański claims that in the 1660 Treaty of Oliwa , Sweden pledged to return all stolen goods , which never happened . The MP had previously intervened at Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture , he also visited the Embassy of Sweden in Warsaw . A businessman from Warsaw , Sławian Krzywiński , joined Poznański , creating the Foundation of Reconstruction of Destruction Caused by the Swedish Invasion ( Fundacja Odbudowy Zniszczeń Dokonanych w Czasie Potopu Szwedzkiego ) . According to Krzywiński , looted goods are still kept in Swedish museums and private collections . Among others , Poland lost the Braniewo Library , works of Nicolaus Copernicus , including the 1543 Nuremberg edition of De revolutionibus orbium coelestium , as well as the oldest printed text of Bogurodzica . Krzywiński states that as act of goodwill , Swedish side should cover the cost of reconstruction of the Rawa Mazowiecka castle , which was destroyed by them in the 1650s . In popular culture . The Deluge had a major effect on Poland , and there are several books describing the war . In 1886 Henryk Sienkiewicz described Swedish invasion in his novel " Роtор " . Based on the novel , Jerzy Hoffman directed the film " The Deluge " ( " Роtор " ) in 1974 , a classic historical work based on Sienkiewicz ' s novel . It starred Daniel Olbrychski as the character Andrzej Kmicic , a patriot who valiantly fought against the Swedish invasion . The film received a nomination for an Oscar in 1974 , but lost to the Italian film " Amarcord " . In 2000 , Renata Ocieczek wrote the book " Czasy potopu szwedzkiego w literaturze polskiej " ( " The time of the Swedish deluge in Polish literature " ) , and in 2006 Jacek Płosiński wrote " Potop szwedzki na Podlasiu " ( " Swedish deluge in Podlasie " ) Among other books about this topic there are : " Warszawa 1656 " by Mirosław Nagielski , " Krwawy sztorm " ( " Bloody storm " ) by Augustyn Necel ( it describes the deluge in the region of Kaszuby ) , " Znak Jastrzębca " ( " The sign of the Jastrzębiec " ) by Stanisław Maria Jankowski , and " Pamiętnik oblężenia Częstochowy " ( " The memoir of the siege of Częstochowa " ) , by Father Augustyn Kordecki . Furthermore , James Michener describes the Deluge in his novel " Poland " ( 1983 ) . In the video game , , there is a quest called " The Deluge " , that is based on the actual events of the Deluge .