Cossack is who? History of the Cossacks

In the process of the historical development of any people there were moments when a certain ethnic group separated and thereby created a separate cultural stratum. In some cases, such cultural elements coexisted peacefully with their nation and the world as a whole, while in others they fought for an equal place under the sun. An example of such a militant ethnos can be considered a layer of society, like the Cossacks. Representatives of this cultural group have always had a special worldview and very sharp religiosity. To date, scientists can not figure out whether this ethnic stratum of the Slavic people is a separate nation. The history of the Cossacks dates back to the distant fifteenth century, when the states of Europe were mired in internecine wars and dynastic coups.

The etymology of the word "Cossack"

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

- Turkic ("Cossack" is a free person);

- the word comes from the feet;

- Turkish ("kaz", "Cossack" means "goose");

- the word comes from the term "kozary";

- The Mongolian theory;

- Turkestan theory - 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 completely differently explains the given word, however it is possible to allocate the most rational grain from all definitions. The most common theory is that the Cossack was a free man, but armed, ready to attack and fight.

Historical Origin

The history of the Cossacks begins in the XV century, namely from 1489 - the time of the first mention of the term "Cossack". The historical homeland of the Cossacks is Eastern Europe, to be more precise, the territory of the so-called Wild Field (modern Ukraine). It should be noted that in the XV century, the territory was neutral and did not belong to both the Russian Kingdom and Poland. In general, the territory of the Wild Field was subjected to constant raids by the Crimean Tatars. Gradual settling of these people from Poland and from the Russian Kingdom influenced the development of the new estate - the Cossacks. In fact, the history of the Cossacks begins with the moment when ordinary people, peasants, begin to live on the lands of the Wild Field, while creating their own self-governing military formations in order to fight 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.

The creation of the Zaporozhye Sich

According to historical data, which are known to date, the first attempt of self-organization by the Cossacks was undertaken in 1552 by Prince Volhynian Vishnevetsky, better known as Baida.

He for his money created a military base, Zaporizhzhya Sich, which was located on the island of Khortitsa. It was the life of the Cossacks. The location was strategically convenient, since the Sich blocked the passage from the Crimea to the Tatars, and was also in close proximity to the Polish border. Moreover, the territorial location on the island created great difficulties for the storming of the Sich. Khortitskaya Sich existed for a short time, because in 1557 it was destroyed, but until 1775 such fortifications were built on the same type - on the river islands.

Attempts to subjugate the Cossacks

In 1569 a new Lithuanian-Polish state was formed - Rzeczpospolita. Naturally, this long-awaited union for both Poland and Lithuania was very important, and free Cossacks on the borders of the new state were at variance with 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 Commonwealth Sigismund II August publishes a wagon, which regulated the recruitment of the crown of 300 Cossacks. They were recorded in the list, the register, which led to their name, - registered Cossacks. Such units have always been in full combat readiness in order to quickly repel the Tatars' raids on the borders of the Commonwealth, as well as to suppress the periodically arising uprisings of the peasants.

Cossack uprisings for religious-national independence

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

The strongest desire for independence began to manifest itself among the Cossack class after 1620, when the hetman Sagaidachny joined the entire Kiev army with the entire Zaporozhye army. This action marked the unity of Cossack traditions with the Orthodox faith.

Since that moment, the Cossacks' battles were not only liberation, but also religious. The growing tension between Cossack and Poland led to the famous national liberation war of 1648 - 1654, which was headed by Bogdan Khmelnitsky. In addition, it should be noted no less significant uprisings, namely the uprising of Nalivaiko, Kosinsky, Sulima, Pavlyuk, and others.

Rasskazachivanie during the Russian Empire

After the unsuccessful national liberation war in the 17th century, as well as the turbulence that had begun, the military might of the Cossacks was significantly undermined. In addition, the Cossacks lost support from the Russian Empire after moving to the side of Sweden in the Battle of Poltava, in which the army of Cossacks was led by Ivan Mazepa. Due to this series of historical events in the XVIII century, a dynamic process of rasskazachivaniya begins, which reached its peak in the time of the Empress Catherine II. In 1775 the Zaporizhzhya Sich was liquidated. However, the Cossacks were given a choice: to go their own way (to live a normal peasant life) or to join the hussar, dragoon regiments, than many used. Nevertheless, a significant part of the Cossack army (about 12,000 people) remained, which did not accept the offer of the Russian Empire. To ensure the former security of the borders, as well as in some way legitimize the "Cossack remains", on the initiative of Alexander Suvorov, the Black Sea Cossack Host was created in 1790.

The Kuban Cossacks

The Kuban Cossacks, or the Russian Cossacks, appeared in 1860. It was formed from several military Cossack formations that existed at that time. After several periods of raskazachivaniya these military formations have become a professional part of the armed forces of the Russian Empire. The Cossacks of the Kuban were based in the region of the North Caucasus (the territory of the modern Krasnodar Territory). The basis of the Kuban Cossacks was the Black Sea Cossack Host and the Caucasian Cossack Host, which was abolished as a result of the end of the Caucasian War. This military formation was created as a border force to monitor the situation in the Caucasus. The war in this territory was over, but stability was constantly under threat. Russian Cossacks have become an excellent buffer between the Caucasus and the Russian Empire. In addition, representatives of this army were involved in the Great Patriotic War. To date, the life of the Cossacks of the Kuban, their traditions and culture have been preserved thanks to the formed Kuban Cossack Host Society.

Don Cossacks

The Don Cossacks is the most ancient Cossack culture, which arose in parallel with the Zaporozhye Cossacks in the middle of the XV century. The Don Cossacks were located on the territory of the Rostov, Volgograd, Lugansk and Donetsk regions. The name of the army is historically connected with the Don river. The main difference between the Don Cossacks and other Cossack formations is that it developed not just as a military unit, but as an ethnos with its own cultural characteristics. Don Cossacks actively cooperated with Zaporozhye in many battles. During the October Revolution, the Don army established its own state, but the centralization of the White Movement on its territory led to the defeat and subsequent repression. It follows that the Don Cossack is a person who belongs to a special social formation based on an ethnic factor. The culture of the Don Cossacks has survived in our time. On the territory of the modern Russian Federation there are about 140 thousand people who record their nationality as a "Cossack".

The role of Cossacks in world culture

To date, history, the life of the Cossacks, their military traditions and culture are actively studied by scientists around the world. Undoubtedly, Cossacks are not just military formations, but a separate ethnos, which for several centuries built its own special culture. Modern historians are working to recreate the smallest fragments of the history of the Cossacks in order to perpetuate the memory of this great source of a particular Eastern European culture.