Cossacks on the eve of the revolution. The most exotic Cossack troops in Russian history

Cossacks have been known in Rus' since the 14th century. Initially, these were settlers who fled from hard work, court or hunger, who mastered the free steppe and forest expanses of Eastern Europe, and later reached the vast Asian spaces, crossing the Urals.

Kuban Cossacks

The Kuban Cossacks were formed by the “faithful Cossacks” who moved to the right bank of the Kuban. These lands were granted to them by Empress Catherine II at the request of military judge Anton Golovaty through the mediation of Prince Potemkin. As a result of several campaigns, all 40 kurens of the former Zaporozhian army moved to the Kuban steppes and formed several settlements there, while changing the name from Zaporozhye Cossacks in Kuban. Since the Cossacks continued to be part of the regular Russian army, they also had a military task: to create a defensive line along all the borders of the settlement, which they successfully accomplished.
In essence, the Kuban Cossacks were militarized agricultural settlements, in which all men in peacetime were engaged in peasant or craft labor, and during war or by order of the emperor they formed military detachments that acted as part of Russian troops separate combat units. At the head of the entire army was an appointed ataman, who was chosen from among the Cossack nobility by voting. He also had the rights of governor of these lands by order of the Russian Tsar.
Before 1917, the total number of the Kuban Cossack army was more than 300,000 sabers, which was enormous power even at the beginning of the twentieth century.

Don Cossacks

From the beginning of the 15th century, people began to settle in wild lands that did not belong to anyone along the banks of the Don River. These were different people: escaped convicts, peasants who wanted to find more arable land, Kalmyks who came from their distant eastern steppes, robbers, adventurers and others. Less than fifty years had passed before the sovereign Ivan the Terrible, who reigned in Rus' at that time, received complaints from the Nogai prince Yusuf that his ambassadors began to disappear in the Don steppes. They became victims of Cossack robbers.
This was the time of the birth of the Don Cossacks, which got its name from the river near which people set up their villages and farms. Until the suppression of the uprising of Kondraty Bulavin in 1709, the Don Cossacks lived a free life, not knowing kings or any other government over them, but they had to submit to the Russian Empire and join the great Russian army.
The main heyday of the glory of the Don Army occurred in the 19th century, when this huge army was divided into four districts, in each of which regiments were recruited, which soon became famous throughout the world. The total service life of a Cossack was 30 years with several breaks. So, at the age of 20, the young man went to serve for the first time and served for three years. After which he went home to rest for two years. At the age of 25 he was again called up for three years, and again after serving he was at home for two years. This could be repeated up to four times, after which the warrior remained in his village forever and could be drafted into the army only during the war.
The Don Cossacks could be called a militarized peasantry that had many privileges. The Cossacks were freed from many taxes and duties that were imposed on peasants in other provinces, and they were initially freed from serfdom.
It cannot be said that the Don residents got their rights easily. They long and stubbornly defended every concession of the king, and sometimes even with weapons in their hands. There is nothing worse than a Cossack rebellion, all rulers knew this, so the demands of warlike settlers were usually satisfied, albeit reluctantly.

Khopyor Cossacks

In the 15th century in the river basins. Khopra, Bityuga, fugitives appear from the Ryazan principality and call themselves Cossacks. The first mention of these people dates back to 1444. After the annexation of the Ryazan principality to Moscow, people from the Moscow state also appeared here. Here fugitives escape from serfdom, persecution by boyars and governors. The newcomers settle on the banks of the rivers Vorona, Khopra, Savala and others. They call themselves free Cossacks and are engaged in animal hunting, beekeeping, and fishing. Even monastery grounds appear here.

After the church schism in 1685, hundreds of schismatic Old Believers flocked here who did not recognize the “Nikonian” corrections of church books. The government is taking measures to stop the flight of peasants to the Khoper region, demanding that the Don military authorities not only not accept fugitives, but also return those who had previously fled. Since 1695, there were many fugitives from Voronezh, where Peter I created the Russian fleet. Craftsmen from shipyards, soldiers, and serfs fled. The population in the Khopersky region is growing rapidly due to Little Russian Cherkassy who fled from Russia and resettled.

In the early 80s of the 17th century, most of the schismatic Old Believers were expelled from the Khoper region, many remained. When the Khopersky regiment moved to the Caucasus, several dozen families of schismatics were among the settlers on the line, and from the old line their descendants ended up in the Kuban villages, including Nevinnomysskaya.

Until the 80s of the 18th century, the Khoper Cossacks obeyed the Don military authorities little and often simply ignored their orders. In the 80s, during the time of Ataman Ilovaisky, the Don authorities established close contact with the Khopers and considered them an integral part of the Don Army. In the fight against the Crimean and Kuban Tatars, they are used as an additional force, creating detachments of Khoper Cossacks on a voluntary basis - hundreds, fifty - for the duration of certain campaigns. At the end of such campaigns, the detachments dispersed to their homes.

Zaporizhian Cossacks

The word “Cossack” translated from Tatar means “free man, vagabond, adventurer.” Initially this was the case. Beyond the Dnieper rapids, in the wild steppe, which did not belong to any state, fortified settlements began to emerge, in which armed people, mostly Christians, who called themselves Cossacks, gathered. They raided European cities and Turkish caravans, without making any distinction between the two.
At the beginning of the 16th century, the Cossacks began to represent a significant military force, which was noticed by the Polish crown. King Sigismund, then ruling the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, offered service to the Cossacks, but was rejected. However, such a large army could not exist without some kind of command, and therefore separate regiments, called kurens, were gradually formed, which were united into larger formations - koshis. Above each such kosh stood a kosh chieftain, and the council of kosh chieftains was the supreme command of the entire Cossack army.
A little later, on the Dnieper island of Khortitsa, the main stronghold of this army was erected, which was called “sich”. And since the island was located immediately beyond the rapids of the river, it received the name – Zaporozhye. By the name of this fortress and the Cossacks who were in it began to be called Zaporozhye. Later, all warriors were called this way, regardless of whether they lived in the Sich or in other Cossack settlements of Little Russia - the southern borders of the Russian Empire, on which the state of Ukraine is now located.
Later, the Polish crown nevertheless received these incomparable warriors into its service. However, after the rebellion of Bogdan Khmelnitsky, the Zaporozhye army came under the rule of the Russian tsars and served Russia until its disbandment on the orders of Catherine the Great.

Khlynovsky Cossacks

In 1181, the Novgorod Ushkuiniki founded a fortified camp on the Vyatka River, the town of Khlynov (from the word khlyn - “ushkuinik, river robber”), renamed Vyatka at the end of the 18th century, and began to live in an autocratic manner. From Khlynov they undertook their trade travels and military raids in all directions of the world. In 1361, they entered the capital of the Golden Horde, Saraichik, and plundered it, and in 1365, beyond the Ural ridge to the banks of the Ob River.

By the end of the 15th century, the Khlynovsky Cossacks became terrible throughout the Volga region, not only for the Tatars and Mari, but also for the Russians. After the overthrow of the Tatar yoke, Ivan III drew attention to this restless and uncontrollable people, and in 1489 Vyatka was taken and annexed to Moscow. The defeat of Vyatka was accompanied by great cruelty - the main national leaders Anikiev, Lazarev and Bogodayshchikov were brought in chains to Moscow and executed there; zemstvo people were resettled to Borovsk, Aleksin and Kremensk, and merchants to Dmitrov; the rest were converted into slaves.

Most of the Khlynovo Cossacks with their wives and children left on their ships:

Alone on Northern Dvina(according to the research of the ataman of the village of Severyukovskaya V.I. Menshenin, the Khlynovsky Cossacks settled along the Yug River in the Podosinovsky district).

Others down the Vyatka and Volga, where they took refuge in Zhiguli Mountains. Trade caravans provided an opportunity for these freemen to acquire “zipuns,” and the border towns of the Ryazans hostile to Moscow served as places to sell booty, in exchange for which the Khlynovites could receive bread and gunpowder. In the first half of the 16th century, this freemen moved from the Volga to Ilovlya and Tishanka, which flow into the Don, and then settled along this river all the way to Azov.

Still others to the Upper Kama and Chusovaya, to the territory of the modern Verkhnekamsk region. Subsequently, huge estates of the Stroganov merchants appeared in the Urals, to whom the tsar allowed to hire detachments of Cossacks from among the former Khlynovites to guard their estates and conquer the border Siberian lands.

Meshchera Cossacks

Meshchersky Cossacks (aka Meshchera, aka Mishar) - residents of the so-called Meshchera region (presumably the southeast of modern Moscow, almost all of Ryazan, partly Vladimir, Penza, northern Tambov and further to the middle Volga region) with a center in the city of Kasimov, who made up later the people of the Kasimov Tatars and the small Great Russian sub-ethnic group of Meshchera. The Meshchersky camps were scattered throughout the forest-steppe of the upper reaches of the Oka and the north of the Ryazan principality, they were even located in the Kolomensky district (the village of Vasilyevskoye, Tatarskie Khutora, as well as in the Kadomsky and Shatsky districts. . The Meshchersky Cossacks of that time were free daredevils of the forest-steppe zone, who later joined the Horse Don Cossacks, Kasimov Tatars, Meshchera and the indigenous Great Russian population of the southeast of Moscow, Ryazan, Tambov, Penza and other provinces.The term “Meshchera” itself supposedly has a parallel with the word “Mozhar, Magyar” - i.e. in Arabic “a fighting man." The villages of the Meshcherya Cossacks also bordered on the villages of the Northern Don. The Meshcheryaks themselves were also willingly attracted to the sovereign's city and guard service.

Seversk Cossacks

They lived on the territory of modern Ukraine and Russia, in the basins of the Desna, Vorskla, Seim, Sula, Bystraya Sosna, Oskol and Seversky Donets. Mentioned in written sources from the end. XV to XVII centuries.

In the 14th-15th centuries, the stellate sturgeon were constantly in contact with the Horde, and then with the Crimean and Nogai Tatars; with Lithuania and Muscovy. Living in constant danger, they were good warriors. The Moscow and Lithuanian princes willingly accepted stellate sturgeons into service.

In the 15th century, stellate sturgeon, thanks to their stable migration, began to actively populate the southern lands of the Novosilsk principality, which was then in vassal dependence on Lithuania, depopulated after the Golden Horde devastation.

In the 15th-17th centuries, the stellate sturgeon were already a militarized border population guarding the borders of adjacent parts of the Polish-Lithuanian and Moscow states. Apparently, they were in many ways similar to the early Zaporozhye, Don and other similar Cossacks, they had some autonomy and a communal military organization.

In the 16th century they were considered representatives of the (ancient) Russian people.

As representatives of the service people, Sevryuks were mentioned at the beginning of the 17th century, during the Time of Troubles, when they supported Bolotnikov’s uprising, so that this war was often called “Sevryuk”. The Moscow authorities responded with punitive operations, including the destruction of some volosts. After the end of the Time of Troubles, the Sevryuk cities of Sevsk, Kursk, Rylsk and Putivl were subject to colonization from Central Russia.

After the division of the Severshchina under the agreements of the Deulin truce (1619), between Muscovy and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the name of the Sevryuks practically disappears from the historical arena. The western Severshchina is subject to active Polish expansion (servile colonization), the northeastern (Moscow) region is populated by service people and serfs from Great Russia. Most of the Seversky Cossacks became peasants, some joined the Zaporozhye Cossacks. The rest moved to the Lower Don.

Volga (Volga) army

Appeared on the Volga in the 16th century. These were all kinds of fugitives from the Moscow state and immigrants from the Don. They “stole”, delaying trade caravans and interfering with proper relations with Persia. Already at the end of the reign of Ivan the Terrible there were two Cossack towns on the Volga. The Samara Luka, at that time covered with impenetrable forests, provided a reliable shelter for the Cossacks. The small Usa River, crossing the Samara Luka in the direction from south to north, gave them the opportunity to warn caravans traveling along the Volga. Noticing the appearance of ships from the tops of the cliffs, they swam across the Usa in their light canoes, then dragged them to the Volga and attacked the ships by surprise.

In the current villages of Ermakovka and Koltsovka, located on the Samara Bow, they still recognize the places where Ermak and his comrade Ivan Koltso once lived. To destroy the Cossack robberies, the Moscow government sent troops to the Volga and built cities there (the latter are indicated in the historical sketch of the Volga).

In the 18th century the government begins to organize a proper Cossack army on the Volga. In 1733, 1057 families of Don Cossacks were settled between Tsaritsyn and Kamyshenka. In 1743, it was ordered to settle immigrants and captives from Saltan-Ul and Kabardian who were being baptized into the Volga Cossack towns. In 1752, separate teams of Volga Cossacks who lived below Tsaritsyn were united into the Astrakhan Cossack Regiment, which marked the beginning of the Astrakhan Cossack Army, formed in 1776. In 1770, 517 families of Volga Cossacks were transferred to the Terek; from them the Mozdok and Volgsky Cossack regiments were formed, which were part of the Cossacks of the Caucasian line, transformed in 1860 into the Terek Cossack army.

Siberian army

Officially, the army led and dates back to December 6, 1582 (December 19, new style), when, according to chronicle legend, Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible, as a reward for the capture of the Siberian Khanate, gave Ermak’s squad the name “Tsar’s Service Army.” Such seniority was granted to the army by the Highest Order of December 6, 1903. And it, thus, began to be considered the third most senior Cossack army in Russia (after the Don and Terek).

The army as such was formed only in the second half of the 18th - first half of the 19th century. a number of different times, caused by military necessity orders of the central government. The Statute of 1808 can be considered a milestone, from which the history of the Siberian linear Cossack army itself is usually counted.

In 1861, the army underwent a significant reorganization. The Tobolsk Cossack Cavalry Regiment, the Tobolsk Cossack Foot Battalion and the Tomsk City Cossack Regiment were assigned to it, and a set of troops was established from 12 regimental districts, which fielded a hundred in the Life Guards Cossack Regiment, 12 horse regiments, three foot half-battalions with rifle half-companies, one a horse artillery brigade of three batteries (later the batteries were converted into regular ones, one was included in the Orenburg artillery brigade in 1865 and two in the 2nd Turkestan artillery brigade in 1870).

Yaik army

At the end of the 15th century, free communities of Cossacks were formed on the Yaik River, from which the Yaik Cossack Army was formed. According to the generally accepted traditional version, like the Don Cossacks, the Yaik Cossacks were formed from migrant refugees from the Russian kingdom (for example, from the Khlynovsky land), as well as due to the migration of Cossacks from the lower reaches of the Volga and Don. Their main activities were fishing, salt mining, and hunting. The army was controlled by a circle that gathered in the Yaitsky town (on the middle reaches of the Yaik). All Cossacks had a per capita right to use land and participate in the elections of atamans and military foreman. From the second half of the 16th century, the Russian government attracted Yaik Cossacks to guard the southeastern borders and military colonization, initially allowing them to receive fugitives. In 1718, the government appointed ataman of the Yaitsky Cossack army and his assistant; Some of the Cossacks were declared fugitives and were to be returned to their previous place of residence. In 1720, there were unrest among the Yaik Cossacks, who did not obey the order of the tsarist authorities to return the fugitives and replace the elected ataman with an appointed one. In 1723, the unrest was suppressed, the leaders were executed, the election of atamans and foreman was abolished, after which the army was divided into the elder and military sides, in which the former adhered to the government line as guaranteeing their position, the latter demanded the return of traditional self-government. In 1748, a permanent organization (staff) of the army was introduced, divided into 7 regiments; the military circle finally lost its significance.

Subsequently, after the suppression of the Pugachev uprising in which the Yaitsky Cossacks took an active part, in 1775 Catherine II issued a decree that in order to completely oblivion the unrest that had happened, the Yaitsky army was renamed the Ural Cossack army, the Yaitsky town was renamed Uralsk (an entire a number of settlements), even the Yaik River was named the Ural. The Ural army finally lost the remnants of its former autonomy.

Astrakhan army

In 1737, by decree of the Senate, a three-hundred-strong Cossack team was formed from Kalmyks in Astrakhan. On March 28, 1750, on the basis of the team, the Astrakhan Cossack Regiment was established, to complete it to the required number of 500 people in the regiment, Cossacks from commoners, former Streltsy and city Cossack children, as well as Don horsemen were recruited from the Astrakhan fortress and the Krasny Yar fortress Cossacks and newly baptized Tatars and Kalmyks. The Astrakhan Cossack Army was created in 1817, and included all the Cossacks of the Astrakhan and Saratov provinces.

Cossack army:

Azov Cossack Army - (in contrast to the Azov Cossack Regiment that existed from 1696 to 1775) Cossack military formation in the 19th century. Created by the Russian government in 1832 from former Zaporozhye Cossacks of the Transdanubian Sich, who transferred from Turkish to Russian citizenship. They were located between Berdyansk and Mariupol. In 1852-1864, the army was partially relocated to Kuban. In 1865 the army was abolished.

Compound:

Due to its small number, the army included the Petrovsky petty-bourgeois settlement, the Novospasovsky village of state peasants and the Starodubovskaya village, formed from settlers from the Chernigov province. Indigenous Cossacks inhabited two villages - Nikolaevskaya and Pokrovskaya. Some of the Cossacks, dissatisfied with Gladky, went back to Turkey. The main service of the Azov Cossacks was cruising on military longboats off the eastern shores of the Black Sea in order to catch Turkish smuggling.

Astrakhan Cossack Army - In 1737, by decree of the Senate, a three-hundred-strong Cossack team was formed from Kalmyks in Astrakhan. In 1750, on the basis of the team, the Astrakhan Cossack Regiment was established, to complete it to the required number of 500 people in the regiment, Cossacks from commoners, former Streltsy and city Cossack children, as well as Don mounted Cossacks and newly baptized Tatars and Kalmyks. Seniority since March 28, 1750, capital - Astrakhan, military holiday (military circle) - August 19, day of the Don icon Mother of God. The Astrakhan Cossack Army was created in 1817.

Compound: As part of the first regiment under the command of the Kalmyk Derbet noyon (prince) Jombo Taisha Tundutov, from August 8 to 18, 1812, Astrakhan residents took part in skirmishes with the French, opposing their crossing of the Bug River. In September 1812, they pursued the enemy from the Styr River to Brest-Litovsk. In the campaign of 1813 they made a campaign against Warsaw and from March 17 to August 28 were at the siege of the Modlin fortress.

The second regiment under the command of the Kalmyk Torgut noyon Serebdzhab Tyumen shot the Saxon dragoon squadron on July 18, demonstrating the ability of irregular cavalry to successfully fight the enemy’s heavy cavalry. During 1813, the Tyumen regiment pursued the French to Krakow; On October 4-7, he took part in the “Battle of the Nations” at Leipzig, and then drove the enemy to the Rhine. Moving in the vanguard of the allied forces, the regiment entered Paris in 1814, and the streets of the French capital saw not only Kalmyk warriors, but also Astrakhan Cossacks. All participants in the war were awarded the medal “In Memory of Patriotic War 1812."

Bug Cossack Army - Cossack army located along the Southern Bug River.

Compound: From the Cossacks, four settlement Uhlan regiments were formed (Olviopolsky, Bugsky, Voznesensky and Odessa), consolidated into the Bug Uhlan Division. Many of the former Cossacks of the Bug Cossack army were later assigned to the Danube, Azov and Caucasian Cossack armies, where they merged with the local Cossack population.

Volga Cossack Army - military Cossack formation in the middle and lower Volga. Officially formed in 1734 by decree of Empress Anna Ioannovna. For participation in the uprising, Emelyan Pugachev was abolished in 1777 by decree of Empress Catherine II.

Compound: The new army did not last long in its place. In 1770, 517 families from its composition were resettled to Mozdok and placed in five villages along the left bank of the Terek, between Mozdok and the Grebensky army, to protect the region from the Kabardians. They formed the Mozdok regiment, at the head of which a regimental commander was placed instead of the military ataman. In 1777, the regiment included 200 Kalmyk families who converted to Orthodoxy, who soon returned to Buddhism, and in 1799, the Russian police of the Mozdok fortress, which until then had existed separately under the name of the Moscow Legion Cossack Team.

In 1777, with the continuation of the line of fortresses in the Caucasus to the west from Mozdok to Azov, the rest of the Volga army was sent here, settled in five villages, from the Catherine to the Alexandros fortress, over a distance of about 200 versts. Retaining their previous name, the Cossacks formed the Volga Cossack regiment of five hundred. Gradually Cossack villages moved forward. To reinforce the strength of the army, already in 1832, 4 civilian villages in Kuma with a population of up to 4,050 people of “both sexes” were assigned to it.

In 1832, the Mozdok and Volga regiments became part of the newly formed Caucasian Linear Army, and in 1860 - the Terek Regiment.

The Cossacks who remained on the Volga in 1802 formed two villages: Aleksandrovskaya (now Suvodskaya, Volgograd Region) and Krasnolinskaya (now Pichuzhinskaya, Volgograd Region), which became part of the Astrakhan Cossack Regiment.

Danube army - in 1775, after the destruction of the Zaporozhye Sich, part of the Zaporozhye Cossacks retired to Turkey and settled on the banks of the Danube, between the Rushchuk fortress and Silistria, forming a new Sich.

Compound: By January 1, 1856, there were 2,811 people in active service in the Danube Cossack Army (2,858 according to the lists). In the same year, the army was renamed Novorossiysk, under which name it did not exist for long. Due to the scarcity of land, it could not receive further development through population growth; Its service personnel were extremely small, and, instead of 2 complete regiments with regular shifts, the army barely formed a regiment, and even then with the help of a constant release of money from the military capital for combat equipment. In addition, according to the Paris Treaty of 1856, the southern border of the Russian Empire was changed and part of the lands of the Novorossiysk army went to the Principality of Moldova; land shortage increased even more.

Don Army - the most numerous of the Cossack troops of the Russian Empire.

Posted on separate territory, called the Region of the Don Army, which occupied part of the modern Lugansk and Donetsk regions of Ukraine, as well as the Rostov and Volgograd regions of the Russian Federation.

Compound: The First Don District with a district center in the village of Konstantinovskaya,

2nd Donskoy with a district center in the village of Nizhne-Chirskaya,

Rostov with a district center in the city of Rostov-on-Don,

Salsky with a district center in the village of Velikoknyazheskaya,

Taganrog with a district center in the city of Taganrog,

Ust-Medveditsky district with a district center in the village of Ust-Medveditskaya,

Khopyorsky with a district center in the village of Uryupinskaya,

Cherkasy with a district center in the city of Novocherkassk.

In 1918, the Verkhne-Donskoy was formed from parts of the Ust-Medveditsky, Donetsk and Khopyorsky districts. The Upper Don District was planned to be created by the decision of the Great Circle of the Don Army at the end of 1917 (the original name was supposed to be the Third Don District).

Kuban Cossack Army - part of the Cossacks of the Russian Empire in the North Caucasus, inhabiting the territories of the modern Krasnodar Territory, the western part of the Stavropol Territory, the south of the Rostov region, as well as the Republics of Adygea and Karachay-Cherkessia. The military headquarters is the city of Ekaterinodar (modern Krasnodar). The army was formed in 1860 on the basis of the Black Sea Cossack army, with the addition of part of the Caucasian linear Cossack army, which was “stretched out as unnecessary.” As a result of completion Caucasian war.

By the beginning of the reign of Emperor Nicholas II, the Kuban army was divided into 7 departments:

Ekaterinodarsky,

Tamansky,

Caucasian,

Labinsky,

Maikopsky,

Batalpashinsky.

Compound: by 1860, the army numbered 200 thousand Cossacks and fielded 12 cavalry regiments, 9 foot (Plastun) battalions, 4 batteries and 2 guards squadrons.

They made up the majority of the Cossacks in the Yeisk, Ekaterinodar and Temryuk departments of the Kuban region.

Yeisk Cossack Department of the KKV

Caucasian Cossack department of the KKV

Taman Cossack department of the KKV

Ekaterinodar Cossack department of the KKV

Maikop Cossack department of the KKV

Labinsk Cossack department of the KKV

Batalpashinsky Cossack department of the KKV

Black Sea Cossack District KKV

Abkhazian special Cossack department of the KKV

Semirechensk army - a group of Cossacks living in Semirechye, in the southeast of modern Kazakhstan and northern Kyrgyzstan. In the past they were united into a separate Cossack army.

Compound: was scattered in four districts of this region, in 28 villages. By January 1, 1894, its strength was 32,772 people, including 25,369 military (13,141 men and 12,228 women) and 7,403 nonresidents: 30,340 people of the Orthodox faith, 15 Christians of other faiths, 68 Jews, 2,339 Mohammedans and 10 pagans.

According to data at the beginning of 1914, the composition Semirechensk Cossack Army there were 19 villages and 15 settlements, with a population of 22,473 military class (of which 60 officers and 5,767 Cossacks ready for service, with 3,080 horses).

Terek Cossack Army - Cossacks who live along the Terek, Sunzha, Assa, Kura, Malka, Kuma, Podkumok rivers in the North Caucasus.

The Terek Cossack Army is the third oldest in the Cossack armies since 1577, when the Terek Cossacks first operated under the royal banners.

Compound:

1) district Cossack societies created (formed) by merging district Cossack societies and village Cossack societies that are not part of the district Cossack societies;

2) district Cossack societies created (formed) by uniting city, village and farm Cossack societies;

3) stanitsa Cossack societies that are part of district Cossack societies, or regional Cossack societies, which are the primary association of citizens of the Russian Federation and members of their families - residents of one or more rural or urban settlements or other settlements, included in the state register of Cossack societies in the Russian Federation Federation.

Ussuri Cossack Army - ethnic group of Cossacks in the Ussuri region. Other definitions are ethno-class group, military class-nationality.

Compound: In 1916, the number of Ussuri Cossacks amounted to 39,900 people. They owned 6740 km² of land. Ussuri Cossacks performed border, postal and police service, participated in Russian-Japanese war. During the First World War, the Ussuri Cossacks fielded a cavalry regiment and six hundred. During the Civil War, a split occurred among the Ussuri Cossacks regarding the place of resettlement; some of the Cossacks (immigrants from the Don) supported the Bolshevik policy of eliminating the Cossacks as a class and merging them with the peasantry. The rest acted under the command of Ataman Kalmykov, mainly on the side of the whites. After the civil war, the army ceased to exist.

Ural Cossack Army - (before 1775 and after 1917 - Yaik Cossack Army) - a group of Cossacks in the Russian Empire, II in seniority in the Cossack troops. They are located in the west of the Ural region (now the northwestern regions of Kazakhstan and the southwestern part of the Orenburg region), along the middle and lower reaches of the Ural River (until 1775 - Yaik). The seniority of the army began on July 9, 1591, in this month the Yaik Cossacks took part in the campaign of the Tsar’s troops against Shamkhal Tarkovsky. Military headquarters - Uralsk (until 1775 it was called Yaitsky town). Religious affiliation: the majority are Orthodox Christians, but there are co-religionists, Old Believers, Muslims (up to 8%) and Buddhists (Lamaists) (1.5%) Military holiday, military circle November 8 (21 according to the new style), St. Archangel Michael.

Compound: By the beginning of 1825, the Ural Cossack Army counted up to 28,226 souls of both sexes in its population. According to data at the beginning of 1900, the number of Ural Cossacks with family members was just over 123 thousand people. During the First World War, the army fielded 9 cavalry regiments (50 hundreds), artillery battery, guards hundred, 9 special and reserve hundreds, 2 teams (in total in 1917 over 13 thousand people). For valor and bravery, 5378 Ural Cossacks and officers were awarded St. George's crosses and medals.

Black Sea Cossack Army - military Cossack formation in the 18th-19th centuries. Created by the Russian government in 1787 from parts of the Army of the Loyal Cossacks, which was based on the former Zaporozhye Cossacks. The territory between the Southern Bug and the Dniester with the center in the city of Slobodzeya was allocated for the army.

Compound: In 1801, by charter of Emperor Paul, a military office was created, which included an ataman and two members from the army, special members appointed by the government and a government prosecutor; Moreover, the entire army was divided into 25 (according to other sources 20) regiments. During the time of Paul I, the army was headed by Ataman Kotlyarevsky, who was not loved by the army (there was a riot in 1797). In 1799 he was replaced by Ataman Bursak. By decree of February 25, 1802, the military government was again restored, consisting of an ataman, two permanent members and 4 assessors; the division into shelves was retained.

Transbaikal Cossack Army - irregular army in XVII-XX centuries in the Russian Empire, on the territory of Transbaikalia. The military headquarters is in Chita.

Compound: In 1916, the Cossack population of the Transbaikal Cossack Army was 265 thousand people, 14.5 thousand were in military service. The army took part in the suppression of the Yihetuan uprising of 1899-1901, in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05 and the First World War.

During the Civil War of 1918-20, part of the Cossacks actively fought against the Bolsheviks under the leadership of Ataman G. M. Semyonov and Baron Ungern. Some Cossacks supported the Reds.

In 1920, the Transbaikal Cossack Army, like other Cossack troops in Soviet Russia, was liquidated. After the defeat of Semenov, approximately 15% of the Cossacks, together with their families, went to Manchuria, where they settled, creating their own villages (Trekhrechye). In China, they initially disturbed the Soviet border with raids, and then closed themselves off and lived their own way of life until 1945 (the offensive Soviet army). Then some of them emigrated to Australia (Queensland). Some returned to the USSR in the 1960s and were settled in Kazakhstan. Descendants of mixed marriages remained in China

The number and distribution of Cossacks of the Russian Empire in the 18th – early 20th centuries.

annotation

Keywords

Time scale - century
XX XIX XVIII

Bibliographic description:
Kabuzan V.M. The number and distribution of Cossacks of the Russian Empire in the 18th – early 20th centuries. // Proceedings of the Institute of Russian History. Vol. 7 / Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Russian History; resp. ed. A.N.Sakharov. M., 2008. pp. 302-326.

Article text

V.M. Kabuzan

NUMBER AND DISTRIBUTION OF COSSACKS OF THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE IN THE 18th – EARLY 20TH centuries.

The Cossack class in Russia was a privileged class, guarding the borders of the empire and order within the country. Cossacks consistently populated the outlying regions of Russia, which were included in its composition. Their activities contributed to the 16th century. until 1918, the steady expansion of Russian ethnic territory, initially along the Don and Ural (Yaika) rivers, and then in the North Caucasus, Siberia, the Far East, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

To study the ethnodemographic history of the Russian Cossacks, various sources have been preserved and stored in our archives. However, they acquire the necessary completeness and reliability only in the 18th century. These are materials from the church (from the 30s of the 18th century), revision (from the 20s of the 18th century), departmental (from the 30s of the 18th century), as well as current records and censuses (from 60s of the XIX century and complete - census of 1897).

The historiography of the problem is very extensive and multifaceted. However, special, purely historical and geographical studies about the Cossacks have not yet been created.

The entire complex of sources stored mainly in archives (RGADA, RGIA, RGVIA, etc.) allows us to establish at a scientific level:

1) The dynamics of the settlement of the Cossack (and in the Cossack territories the entire) population over a 200-year period of time.

2) Determine the time of founding of the overwhelming majority of Cossack settlements (especially on the territory of the Kuban, Terek, Amur and Ussuri Cossack troops).

3) Since the 19th century. (especially from the second half) to trace the role of natural and mechanical growth in the overall increase in the population of the population using separately existing Cossack troops.

4) Determine the dynamics of the confessional composition of the inhabitants of a number of Cossack troops (Don, Kuban, Ural).

5) Research the ethnic structure of the Cossack population.

6) For the period from 1918 to 2002, consider what changes the former Cossack territory underwent and what remains of it today.

The dynamics of the number and settlement of Cossack troops in the Russian Empire are among the least studied. This especially applies to the 18th century, for which the main body of sources has not even been introduced into scientific circulation. The most complete of them are church statistics (religious paintings), current records of the military department and the census. The audit data (for 1719-1858) allows us to establish only the number of peasant population living in the military territory.

The surviving materials allow us to trace in detail how the population of the Cossack troops grew, both due to natural growth (birth rate, mortality) and migration (resettlement) movement. They make it possible to even consider when, where and in what numbers new Cossack settlements (stanitsa, kuren) were founded.

Let us trace the main stages of the movement of the Cossack population, at least using the example of the Don Army and the Kuban Army, which had their own autonomous control.

In the first half of the 18th century. in fact, almost the entire small population of the Don Army consisted of Cossacks. The fugitive population settling here could still become part of the Cossacks. Very incomplete data show that in 1707 only about 30 thousand people lived on Don, and in 1718, after the suppression of the uprising of K.A. Bulavin, approximately 20 thousand people remained here (see Table 1). The Don Cossacks lost vast territories, which mainly comprised the Bakhmut province of the Voronezh province. Sloboda Cossacks loyal to the government began to settle here. Later, this territory became part of the Yekaterinoslav province, and is now part of the Donetsk region of Ukraine.

In 1737, on the lands of the Don Army, according to church statistics, approximately 60 thousand people were counted, including 1.5 thousand runaway peasants, or about 2.5% of all residents (see table. 1).

In the 60s and early 70s of the 18th century. on the Don, about 145 thousand people were already counted, among whom fugitive Ukrainian peasants reached 35 thousand, or 24%. The latter began to actively populate the southern outskirts of the Land of the Don Army. Already in the 70s of the XVIII century. ka-

Table 1. Class and class composition of the population of the Land of the Don Army in the 18th - 30s of the 19th century. according to church statistics and estimates of the 18th century, thousand people*

				Including
			both sexes				landowner peasants
						both sexes			both sexes
* Lebedev V.I., Podyapolskaya E.P. Uprising on the Don in 1707-1708. // Essays on the history of the USSR: The period of feudalism: Russia in the first quarter of the 18th century. Transformations of Peter I. M., 1954. P. 253; Pronshtein A.P. Don Land in the 18th century. Rostov-on-Don, 1961. P. 71-72; Description of documents stored in the archives of the Synod for 1740. St. Petersburg, 1908. pp. 386-387; RGADA. F. 248. Op. 58. D. 59/3630. L. 904-905; D. 6018. D. 1-3 volumes; D. 288/4859. L. 809, 810, 811-814; RGIA. F. 796. Op. 89. D. 699. L. 1-9; Op. 99. D. 875. L. 1-9; Op. 116. D. 1083. L. 227; Op. 445. D. 424. L. 1-9; RGVIA. F. 20. Op. 1/47. D. 1044. L. 1-13.

Zakis settled in 111 villages and a large number of adjacent villages. The Ukrainian, predominantly serf population was located mainly in the coastal Miussky district (at the beginning of the 19th century in 49 settlements). The number of farms at the beginning of the 19th century. reached 1722, and 206 villages. It is interesting that the absolute majority of villages arose at the beginning of the 18th century, and peasant settlements - in the 60-70s of the 18th century. The number of villages since the beginning of the 18th century. almost didn't change. During the period under review, the Cossack population settled in farmsteads. Lists of villages and farmsteads of the 18th-19th centuries. show the real settlement of the inhabitants of the Land of the Don Army. So, in the 50s of the XIX century. Only 367 people lived in the village of Veshenskaya, and the rest of the residents assigned to this village lived in 51 Cossack farms. In total, in this complex by the middle of the 19th century. inhabited by 14.8 thousand people. In many farms, the number of residents noticeably exceeded the population of the village of Veshenskaya itself (427 people were counted in the Kudinov farm, 541 in Er-makov, 590 in Ushakov, 769 in Chernovsky, 530 in Grachevsky, 500 people in Verkhovsky and etc.). Thus, each village was essentially a complex of a large number of settlements scattered over a large territory. The village itself was originally founded locality, which gave its name to this entire complex of villages.

In 1782, during the IV audit, 163 thousand people were registered in the Don Army (116.7 thousand Cossacks and about 46 thousand Ukrainian peasants, the share of which increased to 28%). In 1808, peasants made up 37% of the total population, in 1817 - 34%, in 1834 - 38.5%, in 1851 - 30.7%, in 1858 - 32.1% . Naturally, the peasantry lived in the first half of the 19th century. mainly in the territory of the Miussky district (in 1782 - 37.5%, in 1834 - 36.2%, in 1851 - 41.1%, in 1858 - 53.0% of the total ). In second place was the Donetsk district (1782 - 29.9%, 1851 - 29.9%, 1858 - 30.3%) and Ust-Medveditsky (7.2 and 9.5%). In other districts, the share of the enslaved population was much less significant (especially in Cherkasy, First Don and Second Don).

The influx of peasants and then nonresident populations constantly and steadily reduced the share of the Cossacks in the population of the Land of the Don Army. In 1775, Cossacks reached 70.6% of all residents here, in 1808 - 62.9%, in 1817 - 66.0%, in 1854 - 61.5%, in 1851. - 66.8%, in 1871 - 64.3%, in 1881 - 59.3%, in 1890 - 46.6%, in 1901 - 43.0%, in 1911 - 44.8%, in 1916 - 40.2%. Until the 70s of the XIX century. Mechanical growth among the population on the Don was negative. The region actively participated in the settlement of the North Caucasus. A large number of Cossacks moved to the Kuban and especially the Terek (hereinafter, see Table 2).

Table 2. Population movement of the Don Army region in 1816-1915, thousand people*

	Whole population						Number of Cossacks
	natural	mechanical		natural	mechanical
VII revision
VIII revision
IX revision

* RGIA. F. 1281. Op. 11. D. 14. L. 86 rev.; D. 16. L. 6 volume-152; D. 17. L. 27-41 volume; Op. 3. D. 66. L. 12; F. 869. Op. 1. D. 232. L. 25-108; RGVIA. F. VUA. D. 18415. L. 38, 77; St. Petersburg magazine. 1804. No. 11. P. 91; Namikosov S. Statistical description of the Don Army region. Novocherkassk, 1884. P. 292, 293; RGIA. F. 1290. Op. 4. D. 775. L. 232-248; Shchelkunov Z.I. Composition and growth of the population of the Don Army region. Novocherkassk, 1914. P. 22; RGIA. F. 1284. Op. 194. D. 248. L. 31-32; Krasnov N. Land of the Don Army. St. Petersburg, 1863. S. 197, 204, 218-219; RGVIA. F. VUA. D. 18721. L. 7-21. ** Before the 1880s there is no separate data for classes.

In 1816-1880 in the region the total increase was 1038.3 thousand people. Of this number, the natural increase reached 1072.4 thousand, and the mechanical loss - 34.1 thousand. The outflow was especially significant in 1820-1830. - 50.7 thousand people, in 1841-1850. - 42.7 thousand, in 1861-1870. - 14.3 thousand people. Since 1871, mechanical growth has been positive, and since the 90s - high (1871-1880 - +18.8 thousand, 1891-1990 - +170 thousand, 1901-1910 - + 104 ,3 thousand people). Since the 70s, an increasing number of migrants have been moving to the Don. These were rural residents flocking here to work (the so-called “out-of-town” migrants). The Cossack population grew only due to natural growth (in 1881-1915 - 718.9 thousand people), and mechanical growth reached only 1.4 thousand people (mainly due to marriages with persons of the Cossack class ).

This was precisely the reason for the sharp reduction in the share of Cossacks on the Don (from 100% in the first half of the 18th century to 40% in 1916), since their natural increase was increased, like that of the entire population of this region.

In the Kuban Cossack army the situation was approximately the same. It arose in 1793, mainly on the territory of the Taman Peninsula. Former Zaporozhye Cossacks were transferred here, as well as partially former Cossacks from Little Russia and Sloboda Ukraine. Already by 1797, on the lands of the Black Sea Army (the predecessor of the Kuban Army until 1861), 47 kurens (from the mid-19th century - villages) arose in four districts. In the Yekaterinodarsky district there were 18 villages (8.9 thousand people), in Yeisk and Beisugsky - 13 each (in the first 3.8 thousand, and in the second - 3.6 thousand people) and in Tamansky - 3 ( 0.7 thousand).

During the first half of the 19th century. About 120 thousand people settled in this territory, and the slight natural increase only slightly exceeded 20 thousand people. At the end of the first decade of the 19th century, in the 20s, and then in the 40s, many migrants arrived here, mainly from the Poltava and Chernigov provinces. All of them were automatically included in the category of Cossacks. Therefore, almost all residents of the Black Sea Army were Ukrainians.

In the post-reform years, the settlement of the region was in full swing. In 1865-1870 50.6 thousand people settled here, mostly Cossacks, and the natural increase reached 42.6 thousand people. The share of Cossacks here by 1865 dropped to 94%. Since 1870, the influx of migrants has been increasing and until the 90s it significantly exceeded the size of natural increase. And since the 90s of the XIX century. natural growth confidently moves into first place. Total in 1871-1916. natural increase in the Kuban region amounted to 1642.5 thousand people, and mechanical increase - 926.7 thousand. Among members of the military class, natural increase during this period was 890.2 thousand people, and mechanical increase - only 111.4 thousand (for persons of non-military class, respectively: 752.3 thousand and 815.3 thousand people). Thus, if among the Cossacks the leading role in the growth of the number of inhabitants was played by natural growth, then among the non-military population it was the resettlement movement. However, even in the latter, since the 90s, the size of natural increase has moved to first place (if in the 80s the natural increase amounted to 72.6 thousand people, and the mechanical increase - 260.7 thousand, then in the 90s - 177.3 and 94.0 thousand people, respectively). And as a result of the action of these factors, the share of the Cossack population in the total number of residents of the region in the second half of the 19th - early 20th centuries. rapidly decreasing (1865 - 94%, 1871 - 66%, 1881 - 55%, 1891 - 45.5%, 1901 - 44.7%, 1911 - 43, 9%, 1916 - 43.1%, 1920 - 42.9%) (see Table 3).

Table 3. Population movement of the Kuban region in 1865-1917, thousand people*

	Whole population						% ka-rakov
* RGIA. F. 1290. Op. 4. D. 755. L. 219-223; F. 1284. Op. 194. D. 27. L. 5-42; F. 433. Op. 1. D. 58. L. 1-4; Kabuzan V.M. Population of the North Caucasus in the 19th-20th centuries. St. Petersburg, 1996. S. 181, 192.

Table 4 shows the dynamics of the number and proportion of the Cossack population in the Russian Empire and on the lands of modern Russia in the 18th - early 20th centuries.

We see that at the beginning of the 18th century. the entire Cossack population of the Russian Empire reached almost 1.3 million people, or 4.5% of all residents of the country. Absolutely Cossacks predominated in the lands of Ukraine, where the Zaporozhye, Sloboda and Hetman were located

Table 4 . Number and proportion of Cossacks in the Russian Empire and modern Russia in the 18th - early 20th centuries, thousand people*

Cossack troops

-""- Don Army

-""- Kuban

-""- Terskoye

-""- Orenburg

-""- Transbaikal

-""- Siberian

-""- Astrakhan

-""- Yenisei

-""- Yakut

-""- Amurskoe

-""- Ussuri

-""- Bashkir

Population of Russia (million people)

Ural Army

-""- Semirechenskoye

In Ukraine (1710-1719) Zaporozhian, Hetman and Slobodskoe armies

By Empire

Total population (million people)

* RGADA. F. 248. Op. 13. D. 695.L. 375-392 (Report on the population of the Siberian province 1724); F. 248. Op. 58. 1782 D. 4342. L. 527; RGVIA. F. 52. Op. 194. D. 567. St. 124. L. 25-35; RGIA. F. 571. Op. 4. 1829 D. 2592. L. 25-42; Statement on the population of Russia for 1836 // Journal of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Part 25, No. 9; Keppen P.I. Ninth revision: Research on the number of inhabitants in Russia in 1851. St. Petersburg, 1837. pp. 246-278; RGIA. F. 571. Op. 6. D. 1069. L. 186-190 (Statement of estates not subject to revision for 1858); Centenary of the War Ministry. 1802-1902. St. Petersburg, 1906. Part V. P. 892-894; Shcherbatov M.M. Statistics in Russia’s discourse // Readings of OIDR. M., 1859. Book III. pp. 48-50; Den V.E. Population of Russia according to the fifth revision. M., 1902. T. 2, part 2. P. 166-309; Rychkov P. Orenburg topography. St. Petersburg, 1762. Part 1. P. 103; RGVIA. F. 12. Op. 161. St. 146. D. 146. L. 1202-1207; F. 52. Op. 194. St. 230. D. 450. 1778. L. 6-8; Zvarnitsky D.I. History of the Zaporozhye Cossacks. St. Petersburg, 1892. T. 1; Pronshtein A.P. Don Land in the 18th century. Rostov-on-Don, 1961. P. 72-73; Golobutsky V.A. Zaporozhye Cossacks. Kyiv, 1967; Kabuzan V.M. Settlement of Novorossiya (Ekaterinoslav and Kherson provinces) in the 18th - first half of the 19th centuries (1719-1858). M., 1976. S. 49-60, 71-101; It's him. Population of the North Caucasus in the 19th-20th centuries. St. Petersburg, 1996; The first General Census of the Russian Empire in 1897: General summary of the empire. St. Petersburg, 1905. T. I-II; Current population of both sexes by county and city, indicating the predominant religions and classes. St. Petersburg, 1901; RGVIA. F. 4. Op. 1. D. 4. L. 26, 33; RGIA. F. 1294. Op. 194. D. 48. L. 31-32; D. 37. L. 3; D. 27. L. 5-42; F. 433. Op. 1. D. 58. L. 1-4; F. 1284. Op. 194. D. 51. L. 159; D. 46. L. 11.

(Little Russian) Cossack administrative formations. In total, 942 thousand Cossacks were counted here at that time, or half of the total population of Ukraine. And at the same time, 76.6% of all the Cossacks of the empire lived here. In the 40s of the 18th century. Cossacks made up 44.1% (1078.0 thousand people) of the population of Ukraine, and in the 60s - 43.7% (1241.8 thousand people). Thus, it was in Ukraine in the 20-60s of the 18th century. lived the absolute majority of Cossacks of the Russian Empire, although their share in the population of this region was decreasing. At the same time, about 60% (716.2 thousand people) of all the Cossacks of the country were counted as countrymen of Little Russia or Hetman Ukraine.

Within the borders of modern Russia, only 22.5% of all the country’s Cossack troops were registered (276 thousand people). These were mainly Bashkirs, who made up the irregular army of the empire and were equated to the Cossacks. Among the Cossacks themselves, the main regions of their settlement were the Siberian (3.2%) and Don (2.3%) troops. All this shows that in the lands of modern Russia, the Cossack population was then small. It was located on the outskirts of the country and still retained significant autonomy in relation to the central government, as clearly evidenced by the uprisings of K. Bulavin, the Bashkirs, and in the 70s of the 18th century. and E. Pugacheva.

In the second half of the 18th century. the importance of the Cossacks in the fight against external enemies and in general in protecting internal regions from raids by Tatars and Nogais is sharply reduced. And this was one of the main reasons for the destruction in Ukraine of all the Cossack troops that were there, with the inclusion of ordinary Cossacks in the state peasants, and the Cossack elders in the class of nobles. In the 60s, the Sloboda Cossacks were liquidated, in 1775 - the Zaporozhye Cossacks, and by the beginning of the 80s - the Hetman Cossacks. Some of the Zaporozhye Cossacks became state peasants. A small number of them received nobility. And a significant part (up to 10 thousand people) went to Turkey. From there they gradually return to Russia, forming the Black Sea, Ust-Danube, and Azov Cossack troops there. Gradually, a significant part of them moved to the North Caucasus and joined the Black Sea (from 1861 - Kuban) Cossack army. However, even in 1878, in Northern Dobruja, which was part of Turkey, there were still about 10 thousand descendants of the former Zaporozhye Cossacks.

In general, in the early 80s of the 18th century. In the Russian Empire, only 514.6 thousand Cossacks were counted, which amounted to 1.2% of the empire’s population. However, in Russia itself, the number of Cossacks increased to 487 thousand, and it reached 2.2% of the country's population.

In first place in terms of numbers were the Bashkirs (247 thousand people). The Don Cossacks (117 thousand) were located on the second. Their number since the beginning of the 18th century. increased 4 times. In the middle of the 18th century. (in 1746) the final border was established between the Don and Zaporozhye Cossacks (along the Kalmius River), which prevented the uncontrolled seizure of the lands of this army. Ukrainian settlers (mainly from the 70s of the 18th century) actively populated the Lands of the Don Army (especially the Miussky district), but until the 20s of the 20th century. these territories remained part of the Land of the Don Army.

The Ural Army remained outside the borders of modern Russia, where 12 thousand lived in 1719, and 28 thousand Cossacks in 1782. This army arose back in the 16th century. on the outlying Kalmyk lands, but after 1917 it was included in Kazakhstan, where these lands remain to this day.

Simultaneously with the Cossacks, in the vastness of the future Russian Empire (i.e. in the 16th century), in Austria, on the borders with Turkey, a kind of Cossack formation was formed - the Military Border (Militärgränze). The so-called “border guards” settled here, who guarded the borders of the Austrian Empire, using in return large land plots and other benefits. However, they did not enjoy any, not even internal, autonomy, which distinguishes them from the Cossacks of Russia, at least in the 18th century. About a third of the inhabitants of the Military Border each consisted of Serbs and Croats, about 15% were Vlachs (Romanians). In addition, Hungarians, Germans, etc. lived here. The Military Border was destroyed already in the early 80s of the 19th century. due to the disappearance of the Turkish threat, since the last Turkish province here - Bosnia and Herzegovina - turns into a protectorate of Austria-Hungary. In the early 80s of the 18th century. About 650 thousand people lived on the territory of the Military Border, which was a quarter (487 thousand) larger than the entire Cossack population of Russia.

Then, throughout the 80s of the XVIII - early XX centuries. in the Russian Empire and actually within the borders of present-day Russia, there is a rapid increase in the number and proportion of people of the Cossack class. Cossacks are successfully developing new territories in the North Caucasus, the Far East, Kazakhstan and Central Asia. They significantly expand the Russian ethnic territory. IN late XVIII-XIX V. A large number of state peasants, mostly Russian, were included in the Cossacks. However, many Ukrainians, Buryats (in 1851), Bashkirs and Tatars were included here. Moreover, such transfers were often carried out forcibly, without any consideration of the opinions of people of the non-military class, and this was widely practiced throughout the North Caucasus (in the Kuban and Terek troops), in the Southern Urals (in the Orenburg army), in the Siberian and Transbaikal Cossack troops. Such transfers came to naught in the 60s of the 19th century. Then the Cossacks finally turned into a closed class, which was very difficult to join (mainly allowed through marriage). A paradoxical situation is emerging. Thanks to high level Natural growth, the proportion of Cossacks throughout the empire is constantly and steadily growing, but on the Cossack lands (due to the massive influx of non-resident migrants there) the share of the Cossack population is rapidly falling. In the post-reform years, they turned into a minority both in the region of the Don Army, and in the Kuban region, and in the Cossack territories of the Terek region.

Within the borders of the empire, the share of Cossacks in 1782 was 1.2% of all residents (515 thousand people), in 1795 - about 700 thousand (1.5%), in 1817 - 1 million people (1, 8%), in 1851 - 2 million (2.7%), in 1897 - 4.3 million (3.8%) and in 1916 - 6.3 million (about 4%). Thus, from 1782 to 1916 it increased from 1.2 to 3.7%, without reaching the level of 1719 - 4.5%.

Within the borders of Russia, the proportion of Cossacks increased continuously: 1719 - 2.0%, 1795 - 2.6%, 1851 - 4.6%, 1897 - 6.3% and 1916 - 6.5%. If at the beginning of the 18th century. In Russia, about 500 thousand Cossacks were registered, then in 1916 - 6.3 million people. The most numerous groups of Cossacks were Bashkir (1719 - 209 thousand, 1916 - 1.6 million people), Don (30 thousand and 1.5 million people, respectively), Kuban (late 18th century. - 55 thousand, 1916 - 1.4 million people), Orenburg (1719 - 5 thousand, 1916 - 0.5 million), Transbaikal (8 and 265 thousand, respectively) and Terek ( end of the 18th century - more than 3 thousand, 1916 - 255 thousand people) troops, etc.

New, which arose only at the end of the 50s of the 19th century, were the Amur and Ussuri Cossack troops.

What remained outside the borders of present-day Russia was created in the 60s of the 19th century. Semirechensk Cossack Army. And a special position was occupied by the one that arose in the 16th century. on the Kalmyk lands the Ural Cossack army. It also went to Kazakhstan, like the Semirechensk army.

On the Military Border in the Austrian Monarchy back in 1817 there were more “border guards” (940 thousand people) than in Russia (935 thousand). But then the number of Cossacks in Russia is already significantly ahead of the latter (1834 - 1.4 million to 1.1 million; in 1858 - 2.3 million to 1.1 million). And in 1880, there were 3.4 million Cossacks in Russia, and only 0.7 million border guards on the Military Border, since already on the eve of its liquidation, significant territories with a Serbian population (Serbian Region) became part of Croatia.

We have already noted that part of the territory of the Cossacks of the former Russia passed after 1917 to Kazakhstan. At the same time, part of the land of the Don Army was included in the borders of Ukraine (35% of the territory of Cherkassy, ​​24% of Donetsk and most of the Taganrog district). The Russian border here is with the river. Kalmitsa moved almost to the river. Sukhoi Elanchik (these lands are included in the Donetsk region of Ukraine). The Russian population predominated throughout this territory. In general, in the Donetsk region the Russian population was 32.1% (969.5 thousand people) in 1939, in 1959 - 37.6% (1601.3 thousand), in 1989 - 43.6 % (2316.1 thousand) and in 2001 - 38.2% (1844.4 thousand). In the neighboring Lugansk region it reached 32.5% (3 thousand people) in 1939, 38.8% (950.0 thousand) in 1959, and 44.8% (1279 people) in 1989. 0 thousand) and in 2001 - 39.0% (991.8 thousand).

The Cossack territory of the North Caucasus remained within the borders of Russia. However, when national-territorial entities were created here, a significant part of it became part of them. The Russian population (mostly Cossacks) of the former Kuban army partially ended up within the borders of Adygea and Kabardino-Balkaria. In Adygea, the share of Russians reached 55.7% in 1926, 73.3% in 1939, 70.5% in 1959 and 67.9% in 1989. Census data from 1959 show that in the Giaginsky region the Russian (Cossack before 1917) population reached 93.2%, in Maikop - 88.8%, in Krasnogvardeysky - 83.7%. It seems unclear how these territories could have ended up as part of Adygea.

In Kabardino-Balkaria, the share of Russians was significantly smaller (in 1926 - 36%, in 1959 - 36.3%, in 1959 - 34.4%, in 1989 - 32%). And here in 1959, Russians made up 90.5% in the Prokhladnensky district, 86.3% in the Maysky district, 58.4% in the Nalchik district, and 55.6% of all residents in the Primankinsky district. It was here that the Cossack population was located until 1918. In the 1940-1980s, the natural growth rate of Russians in the region turned out to be reduced, which contributed to a decrease in their share.

In Karachay-Cherkessia the situation was the same. Until the 60s of the XX century. the share of Cossacks here was 50%, and by 1989 it had dropped to 42%. Russians dominated here in Prokhladnensky (83.2%), Zelenchuksky (75.3%) and Cherkessky (58.8%) regions, Cossack territory formed in the 60-70s of the 19th century.

In North Ossetia, the share of Russians was 28% in 1926, 38% in 1939, 40% in 1959 and 30% in 1989. Nevertheless, it also included a population inhabited in the 18th century. Cossacks Mozdok region (in 1959 there were 67.5% Russians). In Checheno-Ingushetia, the proportion of Russians and Ukrainians (mainly descendants of Terek Cossacks) in the 60-90s of the XX century. dropped catastrophically. In 1926 they reached 27.5% (150 thousand people), in 1939 - 36% (263 thousand), in 1959 - 50.9% (360 thousand), in 1970 - 36% (380 thousand), in 1979 - 30% (350 thousand), in 1989 - 24% (300 thousand) and in 2001 - 5% (60 thousand). In 1959-1989 The share of Russians is decreasing. Here, everywhere, except in the city of Grozny, they are turning into an ethnic minority (in Grozny there were 78% of them in 1959, and 52.9% in 1989). In the Grozny district their share in these years fell from 45.8 to 8.7%, in Gudermes - from 59 to 13%, in Naursky - from 83 to 7%, in Shelkovsky - from 72 to 5%, in Sunzhensky - from 73 to 7%, etc.

Until 1957, the border between Checheno-Ingushetia and the Stavropol Territory ran along the river. Terek. In the Shelkovsky, Naursky, Sunzhensky districts lived Russians, descendants of the Terek Cossacks who settled here in the 16th century. But then all these lands became part of Checheno-Ingushetia, and the Russian population was forced out of here mainly until the early 90s of the 20th century, and completely by the beginning of the 21st century.

Of all the Cossack troops in Russia, the saddest fate was that of the Terek army, the most “ancient” of all the troops. Its inhabitants lost their homeland and were forced to move mainly to the neighboring Stavropol Territory. The population of other former Cossack troops was at least able to remain in their places of permanent residence. And only relatively few had to find themselves within the boundaries of the newly created state entities(some of the Don Cossacks are in Ukraine, all the Ural, Semirechensk and part of the Siberian ones are in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan). In the Donetsk and Lugansk regions of Ukraine, on the former lands of the Don Army region, the Russian population still predominates (Enakievo, Makeevka, Snezhnoye, Kharutsyzsk, Krasnodon, etc.).

Table 5 shows how the number and distribution of the Bashkir (in the 19th century Bashkir-Meshcheryak) army on the territory of Russia changed in the 18th-20th centuries.

In 1719, the Bashirs made up 1.2% of the total population of Russia (and with the Meshcheryaks and Teptyars - 1.4%). Then, for various reasons, their share decreases (1762 - 0.7%, 1795 - 0.7%), but by the middle of the 19th century. reached the level of 1719. By 1897 it increased to 1.5%. But this was the result of the inclusion of numerous groups of the Tatar population (Teptyars and Bobyls and Meshcheryaks) into the Bashkirs. In the 20s of the XX century. their share fell to 0.8%,

Table 5. Dynamics of the Bashkir population of Russia in the 18th-20th centuries. (within modern borders), thousand people*

Bashkiria

Perm region

Tatarstan

Orenburg region

Samara

Chelyabinsk

Sverdlovskaya

More than that:

Meshcheryakov

Teptyar and Bobyly

% of the population of Russia

* I revision: RGADA. F. 248. Op. 17. D. 1163. L. 1007-1017; GARF P. XVI. Op. 1. D. 993. L. 1-3; F. 248. Op. 13. D. 13/695. L. 192; Op. 7. D. 35/406. L. 4 rev.; Dan V.E. Population of Russia according to the fifth revision. M., 1902. T. 2, part 2. P. 208. II revision: NLR. OR. F. 885. Op. 1. D. 242. L. 1-54; RGADA. F. 248. Op. 58. D. 559/3082. L. 1015-1020. III revision: RGADA. F. 248. Op. 58. D. 4342. L. 317-358; F. 259. Op. 19. D. 23. L. 586-603; GA RF P. XVI. Op. 1. D. 816. L. 27-29. V revision; RGVIA. F. VUA. D. 18815. L. 1-63 vol. IX revision: RGIA. F. 1263. Op. 1. D. 2184. L. 119, 817, 825; Keppen P.I. Ninth revision: St. Petersburg, 1857. P. 248; RGIA. F. 571. Op. 6. D. 934. L. 8; Op. 9. D. 52. L. 83; The first general census of the Russian Empire in 1897. St. Petersburg, 1901. Issue. 17: Current population of both sexes by county, indicating the number of predominant native languages... L. 1-28. Censuses 1920-2002: Shibaev V.P. Ethnic composition of the European part of the USSR. L., 1930. P. 103-150, 190-191, 202-203, 218-219, 266-267; Bogoyavlensky D.D. Ethnic composition of the population of Russia // Population of Russia. 1999. M., 2000. S. 28-34; Tishkov V. Ethnic composition of the population of the Russian Federation. 1989-2002 // Independent newspaper. 2003. 11 Nov. No. 242. P. 2; National composition and language proficiency, citizenship: Results of the 2002 All-Russian Population Census. M., 2004. T. 4. P. 7, 25-122.

since censuses began to again register Meshcheryaks and Teptyars (at least most of them) as part of the Tatars. And only in 1979-2002. The share of the Bashkirs, due to higher natural growth, rose to 1.2% - the figure at the beginning of the 18th century. And their absolute number increased from 170 thousand in 1719 to 510 thousand in 1850, 730 thousand in 1926, 1.3 million in 1989 and 1.5 million in 2002.

The settlement of the Bashkirs also changed. In 1762, only 52% of them lived within the borders of modern Bashkiria. Almost 25% lived within the borders Chelyabinsk region, 14% - in the Orenburg region.

And in 1989, 64.2% of all Bash-Kirs lived within the borders of Bashkiria, 12% in the Chelyabinsk region, 4% each in the Orenburg, Perm regions and Tatarstan. In other words, the share of Bash-Kirs is sharply decreasing beyond its modern borders and especially in Chelyabinsk and Orenburg regions. And in Tatarstan and the Sverdlovsk region there are more of them.

In 1917-1920 Cossacks mostly supported the overthrown regime. And this was the main initial reason not only for the liquidation of all Cossack troops, but also for the inclusion of many of their territories into the created administrative-state entities. By the mid-1920s, about 200 thousand Cossacks who had fled abroad returned to their homeland. In the USSR, the population of formerly Cossack territories grew somewhat faster than in other regions. This was how it was in the 18th-19th centuries, and it remained so in the 20th century. The lands of the southern regions of the country had excellent chernozem soils, a good climate and were more favorable for living. But even if we assume that the inhabitants of the regions of Russia previously inhabited by Cossacks grew in the same way as throughout the country, then in 2002 they should amount to approximately 9.5 million people (6.5% of all residents of Russia). The vast majority of the descendants of these Cossacks no longer relate themselves to their ancestors.

The last census of 2002 completely unreasonably tried to recreate a new ethnic group in Russia - the Cossacks. In pre-revolutionary Russia, the Cossacks were a privileged class with its own glorious history. The same as nobles, clergy, merchants or townspeople. It, with the absolute predominance of Russians, was multinational. Among them there were many Ukrainians (in the Kuban army), Bashkirs, Buryats (in the Transbaikal army), Kalmyks (in the Don and Ural armies), Tatars, etc. According to the 2002 census, the descendants of the Cossacks actually did not include themselves in this class (less than 100 thousand people were counted).

Attempts to recreate in the 21st century. The Cossacks in the country as a special irregular army guarding the borders, especially in the Caucasus, are unlikely to be successful. To do this, first of all, it is necessary to scientifically explore the heroic historical past of this class, to show its contribution to the protection and formation of the territory of Russia since the 16th century.

In our country, strange Cossack units are still being created, often in territories where there have never been Cossacks. And there is often nothing like this where many generations of Cossacks lived a difficult life. It is believed that we now have 600 thousand Cossacks. But already in 1916 there were about 6.5 million of them?

From the above it follows that the task of a comprehensive study of the history of the Russian Cossacks over the entire centuries-old history of its existence since the 16th century has become ripe.

And here historical and geographical research is of considerable value, establishing how the process of creation and functioning of Cossack troops in the country proceeded. It is important to know how the number and settlement of the Cossacks changed, what their ethnic composition was and what contribution they made to the formation and defense of Russian and Russian ethnic territory in general.

In the period after 1917, it is necessary to study which new state and administrative-territorial entities included the Cossack lands. And what was their further fate?

All these problems are provided with good sources, and researchers are left with only one specific task - to create new ones. basic research, which would angle and expand the existing ones.

[ 319 ] FOOTNOTES of the original text

DISCUSSION OF THE REPORT

V.M. Hevrolina. Considering the traditions that have developed among the Cossacks, some consider the Cossacks to be a special ethnic group. What is your opinion on this issue?

V.M. Kabuzan. There was no ethnic group represented by the Cossacks in Russia, there is not and there cannot be. Now we have tried to revive this ethnic group. This is 40 thousand people who registered themselves as Cossacks. These are people who consider themselves Russians, but are ready to classify themselves as Cossacks.

V.M. Hevrolina. How are the living conditions now different in the North Caucasus, and in other places, between the Cossacks and the simply Russian population, not the Cossacks?

V.M. Kabuzan. There are no differences, these territories just remain.

V.M. Hevrolina. So what is the point of allocating Cossack territories?

V.M. Kabuzan. I believe that this is inappropriate, it will not give anything, the Cossacks were destroyed! But it is important for the revival of at least some traditions in our consciousness to know how the Cossacks lived and defended themselves and their Motherland from their neighbors. It is unlikely that this will succeed today and in the future.

A.N. Bokhanov. They will not be reborn, but at least the North Caucasus is important to them.

V.M. Kabuzan. In the North Caucasus, the Russian population is declining, while the local population is growing by leaps and bounds. The proportion of Muslims grew by more than 1 percent in the 1990s. That's a lot.

A.N. Bokhanov. It is necessary to take into account the signs for identifying the Russian archetype. The number of Muslims is growing. Orthodox - 5 percent.

V.M. Kabuzan. Orientation towards Orthodox values ​​is the main thing.

A.N. Bokhanov. This is faith, of course, and then consciousness. Faith shapes consciousness. You are right when you write about the second position of fatherhood in Israel. But there seems to be an exception - the law of 1950. If you declare in documents that you are a Jew, but profess Christianity, you are not allowed into Israel.

V.M. Kabuzan. If the mother is Jewish, then you can go, but if the father is Jewish, but the mother is Orthodox or some other, then it is no longer possible.

A.N. Medushevsky. Please tell me, what factors determine negative demographic dynamics? After all, it is known that Germany and many other Western European countries are dying out.

V.M. Kabuzan. To some extent, the decline in reproduction rates was prepared by the entire course of our historical development, starting from the 1930s. But with Europe there is a very big difference. If we take Germany, its population is growing due to migration, due to the influx of not only Germans, but also Turks and representatives of other nations. The German population in Germany has decreased by 7 million people from 1972 to the present day, and due to the huge influx of migrants - Germans and others to Germany - it has grown, so this “hole” is being patched. But what is happening in Germany to the Germans? They have a low birth rate. Due to the low birth rate, the number of Germans is decreasing. Their mortality rate is very low, people live there very long and well. This characteristic both Germany and the countries of the European market.

What is happening here? Our birth rate is the same as in Germany, now it has become a little higher. All that distinguishes us from all civilized countries and even from countries of average income is a huge, ever-increasing mortality rate. It is twice the birth rate, and it also plays a major role in the increasing population decline.

A.N. Medushevsky. But this factor affects both the Orthodox and Muslim populations equally...

V.M. Kabuzan. No, not at all! The old traditional demographic behavior is there. There are a lot of children there. The mortality rate there is the same as that of Russians, and the birth rate is very high, and due to this, the proportion of Muslims has increased by more than 1% in just 10 years. Now there are materials from the 2002 census. The Muslim population has grown very much. It has not been affected by negative trends; it is growing in the same way as it grew before - 20, 30, 40 and 50 years ago, even more. Therefore, even if everything remains as it is, it will be the same as in Israel. When Israel appeared, there were 13% Arabs, now it is 17%, because the Arabs have twice the reproduction rate of the Jews, and they have already calculated when Israel will become an Arab state.

Ya.N. Shapov. I cannot agree with what the speaker said. It seems to me that we have the wrong state and scientific position in relation to what is an ethnic group and what is an estate. Vladimir Maksimovich represents an incorrect scientific position. The wrong state one was represented by V.I. Tishkov, who was Minister of Nationalities Affairs. These are old ideas - what is an “ethnic group” and what is a “class”. Our classes are familiar: nobility, merchants, peasants. These are classes that have become a thing of the past, and when people are asked during the census - “Who are you?”, not a single nobleman, not a single merchant, not a single peasant will say that he belongs to this class, unlike the Cossacks.

The Cossacks continue to claim that they are Cossacks and they have a special position, which in our country is not taken into account either in scientific works or in government structures or gradations.

The Cossacks, as we know, arose and exist as a special structure within other Russian territories. And this was the meaning of the Cossacks. When we now deny the Cossacks their special status, we are continuing the same line that the speaker condemns, i.e. we are depriving the Cossacks of their traditional function, traditional affairs, traditional concerns - the defense of Russia. We equate them with Russians and thereby we destroy them on the spot.

I believe that this is a wrong policy, just as the policy that was pursued after the collapse of the Soviet Union was wrong. But why do you put the Cossacks on the same level as the Russians who live on the territory of Russia, in internal Russia. Their situation is completely different, and they need to realize this.

V.M. Kabuzan. There is no special situation.

Ya.N. Shapov.

We need to realize this, we need to give the Cossacks the appropriate rights, we need to give them to them, we need to force them to get together, to choose their Cossack leader, to provide them with the appropriate lands. If we treat them not as a class, but as an ethnic group, then nothing will come of it.

My conclusion is that in addition to these two concepts, ethnicity and class, there is something in between, something that we do not take into account. If we take it into account, then we can revive the Cossacks, then we can, using these methods that were invented in the old days, return our lands, return our population to these lands.

V.V. Kuchkin. I still want to return to science and ask about things that have already been touched upon here.

First question. When you talk about the growth of the Cossacks, let’s say, before 1917, did people enroll as Cossacks who had not been Cossacks before? Is this the same way you received nobility or merchant status? What was the relationship between natural growth and enrollment in the Don Cossack Army or the Ural Cossack Army?

V.M. Kabuzan. The fact is that in the second half of the 18th century. All persons who managed to escape to Cossack territory were registered as Cossacks. But the statistics were still very bad then. Starting from the end of the 18th century. The Cossacks are turning into a closed word category, into which access was very difficult. Here I mean the Don Army and the Ural Army. All migrants were made nonresident. This is a special group that received special rights after the reform of 1861, and its members began to be called peasants. But since the beginning of the 19th century, when the administration became stronger, there is data on how many people signed up to be Cossacks, how many died or were born. So, in the Don Army in the 19th century. Only a few thousand people signed up to become Cossacks. Naturally, their growth was colossal, but as for those who signed up, it was an extremely insignificant figure. They signed up only through marriages. No other form of recording existed anymore. But in the Caucasus it was a different matter. There were few Cossacks here. It was a very restless place. And what did they do there? There, registration as a Cossack was facilitated in every possible way. And a peasant, if he wished to move to the Kuban and enlist as a Cossack, immediately received the right to do so. Any vacation documents from local authorities were not needed - only a wish, an application. And everywhere this happened at government expense. The peasants were immediately included in the Cossacks and were given very large benefits. Therefore, the mechanical resettlement of peasants here played a major role in the growth of the number of Cossacks in the Caucasus. There is evidence that the Ural Army, the Black Sea Army, the Terek Army mainly grew up on these very large migrations of mainly Russian peasants. In the Caucasus until the 70s of the 19th century. there was very low population reproduction. There were a lot of diseases, people could not get used to the climate, and until the middle of the 19th century. The number of Cossacks in the Caucasus increased mainly due to the influx of peasants, who were included in the Cossacks immediately at the place of arrival, maximally easing the situation of this category of the population.

And in post-reform times, just like on the Don, the number of immigrants is somewhat reduced, but the influx still remains quite significant, especially to the Terek army. There we had to fight a lot with the highlanders, especially the Chechens. Therefore, there were special settlement conditions there.

Or, for example, a tributary to the Ussuri and Amur. The same thing happened there, they took everyone there.

V.A. Kuchkin. Second question. Although you said that there were no attempts to declare the population of the South of Russia a special ethnic category, in fact there were. I will refer to the work of the famous ethnographer Zelenin, who, speaking about the Slavic population of Eastern Europe, distinguished between Great Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians. He divided the Great Russians into northern Great Russians and southern Great Russians. Such a division in relation to the Cossacks included the Cossacks as part of the southern Great Russians, and since you are engaged in the Cossacks, what was the ratio of the Russian population in general and the Cossacks in these areas?

V.M. Kabuzan. Firstly, I want to say that it doesn’t matter what kind of adverbs there were: okaya or aka, northern or southern. The essence of the matter is that we forget that in Rus' and Ukraine there were so-called subethnic groups - categories that had very significant differences. But they fell short of becoming a separate ethnic group. Usually, one has only to divide the territory (as Russia is now divided into eight states) into separate states, and the subethnic groups existing here can quickly turn into real ethnic groups. We have a lot of such precedents. Take the Macedonians in 1878 - Bulgarians by language. They were separated so that Bulgaria would not be too big, and through a short time a separate ethnic group emerged. This is a subethnic group that is less closely connected with the center. Here people can only be united by culture, education, enlightenment.

I did not and do not believe that Cossacks are a special ethnic group. This is truly a subethnic group. It’s like the Hutsuls in Ukraine or, for example, the same Pomors in the North in Russia. This is also a subethnic group. Or a smaller ethnic group - the Christians in Tatarstan. These things are already specific. But in general, under the conditions of pre-revolutionary Russia, they never considered themselves a separate people. There was no such thing! This is an artificial attempt, I am deeply convinced of this. The Cossacks in Russia used Russian as their spoken language; for a long time they were replenished at the expense of Russian peasants - immigrants from Central Russia. And never and nowhere before the 90s of the XX century. none of them considered themselves a representative of a special (or special) ethnic group.

My opinion is that all these attempts to revive a new ethnic group for protection, for defense are an attempt with unsuitable means.

Yu.A. Tikhonov. You said that in the North Caucasus the Cossack troops were replenished by settlers. Well, what lands were they located on? On empty ones? Or did they push someone aside?

V.M. Kabuzan. The fact is that the highlanders lived mainly in the mountains and did not descend to the plain, and the Cossacks settled on the plain. Only the Adyghe people, until 1805, inhabited vast territories south of the Black Sea Army. And after the Crimean War, when they failed to unite with Turkey of the same faith, they went to the territory of what is now Syria and Jordan. And the remaining lands in short term were inhabited by Cossacks and people who signed up as Cossacks. Until the mid-80s of the XIX century. More immigrants settled here than in all of Siberia. Thus, in the Caucasus, either empty lands or lands abandoned by the mountaineers were settled.

V.A. Kuchkin. There was no answer to the question about the ratio of the Cossack population, Russian or other population.

V.M. Kabuzan. I have all this outlined in detail in the text of the article. But I will speak here in general terms. At the beginning of the 18th century. on Do-nu the entire population was considered Cossack. There were local censuses. They took into account about 30 thousand. All Russian residents were considered Cossacks. Then a very large Ukrainian migration began, when in the 1860-1880s huge masses of Ukrainian migrants rushed there, who thought of becoming full-fledged Cossacks there. They were not recorded as Cossacks, and a lot of Ukrainians appeared on the Don. This changed the ratio; Russian Cossacks became about 80% of the total population. And in 1917 there were just over 40% of Russian Cossacks. There has already been a huge flow of non-residents, mostly Ukrainians.

V.A. Kuchkin. This means that 60% of Russian Cossacks accounted for 40% of Ukrainians.

V.M. Kabuzan. On the Don - mostly Russians, and in the North Caucasus, Ukrainians predominated among the Cossacks and peasants. But I think that this is a unique phenomenon, when in 1926 the Ukrainians dominated the Kuban, and in 1936-1937. Russians made up almost 100%. Assimilation processes intensified in the region and many Ukrainians began to consider themselves Russian. However, in 10 years, in our opinion, such rapid assimilation is unlikely could have taken place.

Yu.A. Tikhonov. So trust the censuses after this.

V.M. Kabuzan. No, no, these are real processes that accelerated in the 20th century. However, changes in the methodology for registering ethnic composition also influenced the results of the censuses of the 30-80s of the 20th century.

I’m very happy today: I think I’ve stirred up the audience. This is a big, complex problem. Not everything is clear here yet. And we still have a lot to do.

Yu.A. Tikhonov. Let's summarize.

The report was very interesting, incendiary, productive. We still have few researchers, and especially real, good researchers who, in the search for truth, are not afraid to express some non-standard positions. The topic is necessary and important. V.M. Kabuzan produces a lot of works, and he has written even more. So he is in line for other publications. Perhaps letters of appeal should be written to the government and to the Cossack troops, which are being revived, with a request for funding and to publish his work on the Cossacks.

RGVIA. F. 20. Op. 1/47. D. 1044. L. 1-13 (1776); Military statistical description of the Land of the Don Army in 1852 // RGVIA. F. VUA. D. 18721. L. 21 rev.-23; PFA RAS. F. 30. Op. 2. D. 19 (1857); Lebedev V.I., Podyapol-Skye E.P. Uprising on the Don in 1707-1708. // Essays on the history of the USSR: The period of feudalism. Russia in the first quarter of the 18th century. Transformations of Peter I. M., 1954. P. 253.

Cm.: Kabuzan V.M. Population of the North Caucasus in the 19th-20th centuries: Ethnostatistical study. St. Petersburg, 1996.

Who are the Cossacks? There is a version that they trace their ancestry to runaway serfs. However, some historians claim that the Cossacks go back to the 8th century BC.

Where did the Cossacks come from?

Magazine: History from the “Russian Seven”, Almanac No. 3, autumn 2017
Category: Mysteries of the Moscow Kingdom
Text: Alexander Sitnikov

The Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus in 948 mentioned the territory in the North Caucasus as the country of Kasakhia. Historians attached particular importance to this fact only after Captain A.G. Tumansky in 1892 in Bukhara discovered the Persian geography “Gudud al Alem”, compiled in 982.
It turns out that the Kasak Land, which was located in the Azov region, is found there too. It is interesting that the Arab historian, geographer and traveler Abu-l-Hasan Ali ibn al-Hussein (896-956), who received the nickname of the imam of all historians, reported in his writings that the Kasakis who lived beyond the Caucasus ridge were not highlanders.
A meager description of a certain military people who lived in the Black Sea region and Transcaucasia is found in the geographical work of the Greek Strabo, who worked under the “living Christ.” He called them Kossakhs. Modern ethnographers provide data about the Scythians from the Turanian tribes of Kos-Saka, the first mention of which dates back to approximately 720 BC. It is believed that it was then that a detachment of these nomads made their way from Western Turkestan to the Black Sea lands, where they stopped.
In addition to the Scythians, on the territory of the modern Cossacks, that is, between the Black and Azov Seas, as well as between the Don and Volga rivers, Sarmatian tribes ruled, who created the Alanian state. The Huns (Bulgars) defeated it and exterminated almost its entire population. The surviving Alans hid in the north - between the Don and Donets and in the south - in the foothills of the Caucasus. Basically, it was these two ethnic groups - Scythians and Alans, who intermarried with the Azov Slavs, who formed a nation called “Cossacks”. This version is considered one of the basic ones in the discussion about where the Cossacks came from.

Slavic-Turanian tribes

Don ethnographers also connect the roots of the Cossacks with the tribes of northwestern Scythia. This is evidenced by burial mounds of the 3rd-2nd centuries BC.
It was at this time that the Scythians began to conduct sedentary lifestyle life, intersecting and merging with the southern Slavs who lived in Meotida - on east coast Sea of ​​Azov.
This time is called the era of “the introduction of the Sarmatians into the Meotians,” which resulted in the tribes of the Torets (Torkov, Udzov, Berendzher, Sirakov, Bradas-Brodnikov) of the Slavic-Turanian type. In the 5th century there was an invasion of the Huns, as a result of which part of the Slavic-Turanian tribes went beyond the Volga and into the Upper Don forest-steppe. Those who remained submitted to the Huns, Khazars and Bulgars, receiving the name “Kasaks”. After 300 years, they adopted Christianity (around 860 after the apostolic sermon of St. Cyril), and then, on the orders of the Khazar Kagan, drove out the Pechenegs. In 965, the Land of Kasak came under the control of Mstislav Rurikovich.

Tmutarakan

It was Mstislav Rurikovich who defeated the Novgorod prince Yaroslav near Listven and founded his principality - Tmutarakan, which extended far to the north. It is believed that this Cossack power was not at the peak of power for long, until about 1060, 1 and after the arrival of the Polovtsian tribes it began to gradually fade away,
Many residents of Tmutarakan fled to the north - to the forest-steppe and, together with Russia, fought with the nomads. This is how the Black Klobuki appeared, who were called Cossacks and Cherkasy in Russian chronicles. Another part of the inhabitants of Tmutarakan was called the Don Brodniks.
Like the Russian principalities, the Cossack settlements found themselves under the control of the Golden Horde, however, conditionally, enjoying broad autonomy. In the XIV-XV centuries, they started talking about the Cossacks as an established community, which began to accept fugitives from the central part of Russia.

Not Khazars and not Goths

There is another version, popular in the West, that the ancestors of the Cossacks were the Khazars. Its supporters argue that the words “hussar” and “Cossack” are synonymous, because in both the first and second cases we are talking about military horsemen. Moreover, both words have the same root “kaz”, meaning “strength”, “war” and “freedom”. However, there is another meaning - it is “goose”. But even here, advocates of the Khazar trace talk about the hussar horsemen, whose military ideology was copied by almost all countries, even Foggy Albion
The Khazar ethnonym of the Cossacks is directly stated in the “Constitution of Pilip Orlik”: “The ancient fighting people of the Cossacks, who were previously called Kazars, were first raised by immortal glory, spacious possessions and knightly honors...” Moreover, it is said that the Cossacks adopted Orthodoxy from Constantinople (Constantinople) during the era of the Khazar Kaganate.
In Russia, this version among the Cossacks causes fair criticism, especially against the backdrop of studies of Cossack genealogies, whose roots have Russian origin. Thus, the hereditary Kuban Cossack, academician of the Russian Academy of Arts Dmitry Shmarin, spoke out with anger in this regard: “The author of one of these versions of the origin of the Cossacks is Hitler. He even has a separate speech on this topic. According to his theory, the Cossacks are Goths. Visigoths are Germans. And the Cossacks are Ostrogoths, that is, descendants of the Ostrogoths, allies of the Germans, close to them by blood and warlike spirit. In terms of belligerence, he compared them with the Teutons. Based on this, Hitler proclaimed the Cossacks the sons of great Germany. So, should we now consider ourselves descendants of the Germans?

Cossack circle: what is it?

The circle always gathered in the square in front of the village hut, chapel or church. This place was called Maidan. On Sunday or on a holiday, the ataman, going out onto the porch of the church, invited the Cossacks to a gathering. The Yesauls made a “call” - they walked through the streets with a mark in their hand and, stopping at every intersection, shouted: “Well done atamans, come to the Maidan for the sake of the village’s cause!” After this, the villagers hurried to the Maidan.
All adult Cossacks participated in the “voting”; women, vicious and foamy Cossacks were not allowed. Young Cossacks could only be in the circle under the supervision of their father or godfather. Banners or icons were brought to the center of the meeting, so the Cossacks stood without a headdress. When the old chieftain “resigned”, he laid down his insect and asked the fellow chieftains who would make the report. The right to report did not belong to everyone, and the ataman himself could not make a report without the consent of the elected judges. This is where the saying came from: “The chieftain is not free to report.”

6 misconceptions about the Cossacks

1. “The Cossacks are a stronghold of democracy”
Writers Taras Shevchenko, Mikhail Drahomanov, Nikolai Chernyshevsky, Nikolai Kostomarov saw in the Zaporozhye freemen “common people” who, freed from the lord’s bondage, tried to build a democratic society. This mythology is still alive today. The Zaporozhye Sich was indeed a champion of the idea of ​​liberating the peasantry from serfdom. However, life in Cossack society was far from democratic principles. The peasants who found themselves in the Sich felt like strangers: the Cossacks did not like the farmers and kept themselves apart from them.
2. “Cossacks - the first Cossacks”
There is a strong opinion that the Cossacks originated from the Zaporozhye Sich. This is partly true. After the dissolution of the Zaporozhye Sich, many Cossacks became part of the newly created Black Sea, Azov and Kuban Cossacks. However, in parallel with the emergence of the Cossack freemen in the Dnieper region, in the middle of the 16th century, Cossack communities began to emerge on the Don.
3. “The Cossack went to service with his own weapon”
This statement is not entirely true. Indeed, the Cossacks mainly bought weapons with their own money.
Allow yourself good things firearms only a wealthy person could. An ordinary Cossack could count on captured or old weapons received “on lease,” sometimes with a redemption period of up to 30 years. There are documents that confirm that the Cossack formations were supplied with weapons. However, weapons were in short supply, and those available were often outdated. It is known that until the 1870s, the Cossack cavalry fired flintlock pistols.
4. “Joining the regular army”
As historian Boris Frolov notes, the Cossacks “were not part of the regular army and were not used as the main tactical force.” It was separate military structure. Cossack troops most often consisted of light cavalry regiments, which had the status of “irregular”. The reward for service until the last days of the autocracy was the inviolability of the lands where the Cossacks lived, as well as various benefits, for example, for trade or fishing.
5. “Letter from the Cossacks to the Turkish Sultan”
The offensive response of the Zaporozhye Cossacks to a request Turkish Sultan Mehmed IV's laying down of arms still raises questions among researchers. The controversial situation is that the original letter has not survived, and therefore most historians question the authenticity of this document. The first correspondence researcher A.N. Popov called the letter “a forged document invented by our scribes.” And the American Daniel Waugh established that the letter that has survived to this day was subjected to textual alteration over time and became part of pamphlets with anti-Turkish content. According to Uo, this forgery is connected with the process of formation of the national self-awareness of Ukrainians.
6. “Devotion of the Cossacks to the Russian crown”
Often the interests of the Cossacks went against the established order in the empire. This was the case during the largest popular uprisings - uprisings led by the Don Cossacks Kondraty Bulavin, Stepan Razin and Emelyan Pugachev.

In the development of any nation, moments arose when a certain ethnic group separated and thereby created a separate cultural layer. In some cases, such cultural elements coexisted peacefully with their nation and the world as a whole, in others they fought for an equal place in the sun. An example of such a warlike ethnic group can be considered such a stratum of society as the Cossacks. Representatives of this cultural group have always been distinguished by a special worldview and very intense religiosity. Today, scientists cannot figure out whether this ethnic layer of the Slavic people is a separate nation. The history of the Cossacks dates back to the distant 15th century, when the states of Europe were mired in internecine wars and dynastic coups.

Etymology of the word "Cossack"

Many modern people have a general idea that a Cossack is a warrior or a type of warrior who lived in a certain historical period and fought for their freedom. However, such an interpretation is quite dry and far from the truth, if we also take into account the etymology of the term “Cossack”. There are several main theories about the origin of this word, for example:

Turkic (“Cossack” is a free person);

The word comes from kosogs;

Turkish (“kaz”, “cossack” means “goose”);

The word comes from the term "kozars";

Mongolian theory;

The Turkestan theory is that this is the name of nomadic tribes;

In the Tatar language, “Cossack” is a vanguard warrior in the army.

There are other theories, each of which explains this word in completely different ways, but the most rational grain of all definitions can be identified. The most common theory says that a Cossack was a free man, but armed, ready for attack and battle.

Historical origin

The history of the Cossacks begins in the 15th century, namely in 1489 - the moment the term “Cossack” was first mentioned. The historical homeland of the Cossacks is Eastern Europe, or rather, the territory of the so-called Wild Field (modern Ukraine). It should be noted that in the 15th century the named territory was neutral and did not belong to either the Russian Kingdom or Poland.

Basically, the territory of the “Wild Field” was subject to constant raids. The gradual settlement of immigrants from both Poland and the Russian Kingdom into these lands influenced the development of a new class - the Cossacks. In fact, the history of the Cossacks begins from the moment when ordinary people, peasants, begin to settle in the lands of the Wild Field, while creating their own self-governing military formations in order to fend off the raids of the Tatars and other nationalities. By the beginning of the 16th century, the Cossack regiments had become a powerful military force, which created great difficulties for neighboring states.

Creation of the Zaporozhye Sich

According to historical data that are known today, the first attempt at self-organization by the Cossacks was made in 1552 by the Volyn prince Vishnevetsky, better known as Baida.

At his own expense, he created a military base, the Zaporozhye Sich, which was located on the Cossacks’ entire life. The location was strategically convenient, since the Sich blocked the passage of the Tatars from the Crimea, and was also located in close proximity to the Polish border. Moreover, the territorial location on the island created great difficulties for the assault on the Sich. The Khortytsia Sich did not last long, because it was destroyed in 1557, but until 1775, similar fortifications were built according to the same type - on river islands.

Attempts to subjugate the Cossacks

In 1569, a new Lithuanian-Polish state was formed - the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Naturally, this long-awaited union was very important for both Poland and Lithuania, and the free Cossacks on the borders of the new state acted contrary to the interests of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Of course, such fortifications served as an excellent shield against Tatar raids, but they were completely uncontrolled and did not take into account the authority of the crown. Thus, in 1572, the king of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth issued a universal, which regulated the hiring of 300 Cossacks for the service of the crown. They were recorded in a list, a register, which determined their name - registered Cossacks. Such units were always in full combat readiness in order to quickly repel Tatar raids on the borders of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, as well as suppress periodic uprisings of peasants.

Cossack uprisings for religious-national independence

From 1583 to 1657, some Cossack leaders raised uprisings in order to free themselves from the influence of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and other states that were trying to subjugate the lands of the yet unformed Ukraine.

The strongest desire for independence began to manifest itself among the Cossack class after 1620, when Hetman Sagaidachny, together with the entire Zaporozhye army, joined the Kiev Brotherhood. Such an action marked the cohesion of Cossack traditions with the Orthodox faith.

From that moment on, the battles of the Cossacks were not only liberating, but also religious in nature. Increasing tension between the Cossacks and Poland led to the famous national liberation war of 1648 - 1654, led by Bohdan Khmelnytsky. In addition, no less significant uprisings should be highlighted, namely: the uprising of Nalivaiko, Kosinsky, Sulima, Pavlyuk and others.

Decossackization during the Russian Empire

After the unsuccessful national liberation war in the 17th century, as well as the outbreak of unrest, the military power of the Cossacks was significantly undermined. In addition, the Cossacks lost support from the Russian Empire after going over to the side of Sweden in the battle of Poltava, in which the Cossack army was led by

As a result of this series of historical events, a dynamic process of decossackization began in the 18th century, which reached its peak during the time of Empress Catherine II. In 1775, the Zaporozhye Sich was liquidated. However, the Cossacks were given a choice: to go their own way (live an ordinary peasant life) or join the hussars, which many took advantage of. Nevertheless, there remained a significant part of the Cossack army (about 12,000 people) that did not accept the offer of the Russian Empire. To ensure the former safety of the borders, as well as to somehow legitimize the “Cossack remnants,” the Black Sea Cossack Army was created in 1790 on the initiative of Alexander Suvorov.

Kuban Cossacks

The Kuban Cossacks, or Russian Cossacks, appeared in 1860. It was formed from several military Cossack formations that existed at that time. After several periods of decossackization, these military formations became a professional part of the armed forces of the Russian Empire.

The Kuban Cossacks were based in the North Caucasus region (the territory of modern Krasnodar Territory). The basis of the Kuban Cossacks was the Black Sea Cossack Army and the Caucasian Cossack Army, which was abolished as a result of the end of the Caucasian War. This military formation was created as a border force to control the situation in the Caucasus.

The war in this territory was over, but stability was constantly under threat. Russian Cossacks became an excellent buffer between the Caucasus and the Russian Empire. In addition, representatives of this army were involved during the Great Patriotic War. Today, the life of the Kuban Cossacks, their traditions and culture have been preserved thanks to the formed Kuban Military Cossack Society.

Don Cossacks

The Don Cossacks are the most ancient Cossack culture, which arose in parallel with the Zaporozhye Cossacks in the middle of the 15th century. Don Cossacks were located in the Rostov, Volgograd, Lugansk and Donetsk regions. The name of the army is historically associated with the Don River. The main difference between the Don Cossacks and other Cossack formations is that it developed not just as military unit, but as an ethnic group with its own cultural characteristics.

The Don Cossacks actively collaborated with the Zaporozhye Cossacks in many battles. During the October Revolution, the Don army founded its own state, but the centralization of the “White Movement” on its territory led to defeat and subsequent repressions. It follows that a Don Cossack is a person who belongs to a special social formation based on the ethnic factor. The culture of the Don Cossacks has been preserved in our time. On the territory of the modern Russian Federation there are about 140 thousand people who record their nationality as “Cossacks”.

The role of the Cossacks in world culture

Today, the history, life of the Cossacks, their military traditions and culture are actively studied by scientists all over the world. Undoubtedly, the Cossacks are not just military formations, but a separate ethnic group that has been building its own special culture for several centuries in a row. Modern historians are working to reconstruct the smallest fragments of the history of the Cossacks in order to perpetuate the memory of this great source of a special Eastern European culture.