History of the Kossacks

The Cossacks are descendants of fled Russian farmers and tundra dwellers, who made their way to the empire's outer extremities to live in freedom and defend that same liberty. This was the first Russian wave of emigration, made up of peasants that cherished their love of the land and Mother Russia. The Cossacks' daily lives were simple and patriarchal. In peacetime, they would spend their days farming, hunting, fishing and training their military skills, especially shooting and military exercises. A Cossack would always go to battle on horseback. He knew how to orient himself using the stars, had expert knowledge of camouflage and was an excellent tracker, which allowed him to discover the enemy on time. His saddlebag contained a ration of biscuits, bacon, dried meat and fish, and millet. He would wade through small streams, but larger rivers would require building a small wooden raft to which he would fasten the saddle, supplies and weapons. He would then tie the raft to horse's tail, and the two would swim across together with the Cossack clinging his faithful friend's manes. Popular speech still contains many sayings about the Cossacks, such as 'a Cossack doesn't cry when he's in misery', 'a Cossack drinks from his hand bowl and eats from his palm', 'a Cossack may go hungry, but his horse will eat its fill, 'a Cossack values his horse's life more than his own, 'a Cossack without a horse is like a soldier without a rifle'.

You were born a Cossack, and died a Cossack. The Cossacks were conscripted colonists. A Cossack's life consisted of physical labor and military service, and by the end of it he had to be sure his children were properly trained for the same difficult task; the defense of the nation's outer borders. Each new generation of Cossacks inherited their fathers' sense of duty regarding unconditional service to their country. Their community was built on principles of unity, brotherhood and mutual helpfulness no matter if a Cossack died, as long as he saved his comrade. Both officers as well as lowly soldiers would fulfill their service from a deep inner conviction. Rather than the commander's punishment for negligence, they feared the scorn of the Cossacks and the other inhabitants of the stanitsa, the Cossack settlement. The finer Cossack traditions, such as obedience of the law, discipline, a  strong work ethic, bravery, respect for elders and a strong family bond have been preserved and strengthened over the years. The general conscription applied to all men between 20 and 45. This left the Cossack to carry out all the household chores. The wellknown historian F. Sjtsjerbina paints the 'kazatsjka' of those days as near-ideal people, who would bear the trials of Cossack daily life without complaint. When it came to horse riding and sheer bravery, the Cossack women proved a formidable match for their husbands and brothers. They knew how to  handle rifles and sables and often fought side by side with their husbands in defending their lives and possessions. Cossack children rode horses from the age of ten, and learned how to handle weapons from the age of fourteen. They would guard the horses and cattle on horseback, and help the adults in defending the fortifications and villages if necessary. The historian Potto describes how, on the 10th of June 1774, the entire Cossack population displayed extraordinary bravery in defending the Mozdok fortification (founded in 1763 as an outpost on the northern Caucasus border). It was during the first Russo-Turkish war (1768 1774) and Mozdok as surrounded by an army of eight thousand Tartars, Kabardines and Turks.The city's military Cossacks were away on a campaign and the only ones left in the fortification were old men, women, children and a handful of officials. The enemy had obviously expected little resistance from these helpless inhabitants, especially as the fortification still had no properly reinforced defensive wall. Nevertheless, it was faced with the desperate  esistance of an entirely unique army with an odd mix of weapons. The Cossack women stayed calm amidst the whistling bullets and the wild screams of the attackers. Together with the old men, they calmly held off the Tartars vicious attacks, defending themselves with sickles and fending off the attackers scaling the parapets armed with scythes.Some sources claim the Tartars lost eight hundred men that day. The next day, the enemy unexpectedly retreated from the battlefield. As it turned out, the Cossack Perepork had managed to hit the enemy's  headquarters with a cannonball, killing the commander's beloved nephew. He saw this loss as a bad omen and called off the siege of Mozdok. The Cossacks' history is rich with events like these.