Military art has always been a significant part of the life of many nationalities and states. After all, as soon as a person picked up a stick, he began to use his power to subjugate his own kind. This negative love of violence has haunted humanity throughout its history. This fact led to the fact that in each nationality a separate class of warriors appeared, distinguished by professionalism and ruthlessness.
It should be noted the fact that similar warlike castes also existed on the territory of the Slavic states. The history of their formation is quite interesting, given the fact that in the territory of modern Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and other CIS countries, constant wars were fought for territorial domination between different states. Thus, the constant military conflicts have substantially tempered the population living in the countries represented.
Speaking specifically about the Russian Federation, in this state the Kuban Cossacks are the most famous military community. The creation of this army was carried out for years, and their activities are still alive.
The article will examine the most striking stages in the development of the Kuban Cossacks, as well as the specifics of this military formation.
Who are the Kuban Cossacks?
The history of the Kuban Cossack army dates back to very distant times. Today it is quite difficult to imagine the entire chronology of the existence of this military formation, since it still operates on the territory of the Russian Federation, which will be discussed later in the article. Nevertheless, taking into account historical facts, the Kuban Cossack army is part of the entire Cossacks in the Russian Empire, which was based in the North Caucasus. In other words, this formation played the role of modern border guards.
From historical sources it is known that the military headquarters of the Kuban Cossacks was based in Yekaterinodar (the modern name of the city is Krasnodar). Despite the fact that the Kuban Cossack army was a typical military group, one of the elements of the army of the Russian Empire, its own ethnic group was formed on its basis. This fact today allows us to talk about the Cossacks not just as warriors, but as a separate nationality, along with the Russians, Chechens, Kazakhs, etc.
History of creation
The Cossacks of the Kuban Cossack army were initially not a homogeneous ethnic mass of patriots of their state. After all, as already mentioned earlier, the history of the creation of this formation is quite complicated. The Kuban Cossack army was formed from several groups of Cossacks, which by the middle of the 18th century were quite a lot on the territory of the Russian Empire.
Of course, the ancestors of the Cossack regiments of the Kuban should rightfully be considered the Zaporozhye Cossacks, which appeared in the XVI century. As we know, they were originally based on the territory of modern Ukraine, on the island of Khortytsya, which is located near the modern city of Zaporozhye. Subsequently, the Zaporozhye Cossacks became a threat to the imperial power, because from an organized military formation they turned into ordinary robber groups. Therefore, by the end of the XVIII century, the Cossacks as such received the status of "outside the law." However, this fact did not become the final point in the development of such formations.
Black Sea Cossacks
In 1774, the Russian Empire gained access to the Black Sea. At this stage, Turkey ceased to pose a threat, and the Commonwealth, one of the most powerful states in the west, was on the verge of complete collapse. Therefore, the need to keep the Cossacks in their historical place was no longer required. In addition, these formations began to turn into gangster structures by the end of the 18th century. Confirmation of this fact is the support by the Cossacks of the Pugachevsky uprising. Thus, in 1775, it was decided to completely destroy the Zaporizhzhya Sich and all its inhabitants. In this slaughter, only 12 thousand Cossacks were able to survive, who subsequently fled to the mouth of the Danube.
The army of faithful Cossacks
It should be noted that the appearance of the Trans-Danube Sich was a weighty argument for Turkey, which gained additional forces of 12 thousand soldiers. In turn, the Russian Empire, seeing a threat to its territorial interests in the south of the country, stops the process of eliminating the Cossacks. Moreover, in 1787, Grigory Potemkin created the Army of Faithful Cossacks from among the previously persecuted members of the same regiments. With their help, the Russian empire not only strengthens in the south, but also wins the Russian-Turkish campaign of 1787-1792.
Creation of the Kuban Cossacks
The Kuban Cossack army, the photo of which is presented in the article, was formed in 1792. After the Russian-Turkish campaign, a delegation is sent to the capital of the Russian Empire, led by Anton Golovaty, a judge of the Black Sea Army. The delegation was assembled in order to ask the "enlightened monarchy" for land for the resettlement of the Black Sea Cossacks. Negotiations took place from March to May 1792. The "leadership" of the empire did not want to give the Cossacks a neighborhood of Taman and land on the right bank of the Kuban. In this case, the position of imperial power was understandable - the reluctance to create a formation similar to the Cossacks, which could betray at any time. However, agreement was nevertheless reached. Thus, since 1792, the regiments of the Kuban Cossack army began to be located on the territory of Taman and Kuban. These lands were transferred to them "in eternal and hereditary possession", which is generally confirmed by the existence of the Kuban Cossacks today.
History of linear Cossacks
It should be noted that the Kuban Cossack army was formed not only exclusively from the Black Sea Cossacks. The Kuban regiments also included the so-called “linear Cossacks”, which became part of a large military formation in 1860. However, the history of the Caucasian linear Cossack army begins in the middle of the 15th century. The ancestor of the line regiments were the hopper Cossacks.
History of hop regiments
The Khoper Cossacks have been living on the territory of the Khoper and Medveditsa rivers since 1444. But in the XVIII century, these regiments launched an uprising against the power of Peter I. The reaction of the monarch was immediate and brutal.
In the period from 1708 to 1716, virtually no one lived in the territories between these rivers. However, since 1716, Cossack regiments that were participants in the Northern War returned here. For military valor during the war with Sweden, the hopper Cossacks were allowed to build their fortress in their historical homeland. Subsequently, the army developed so much that part of it was transferred to the North Caucasus to protect the borders of the Russian Empire. And in 1860, as previously indicated, this part of the Cossack army was transferred to the Kuban military formation.
The current stage of development of the Kuban Cossacks
The Kuban army of Cossacks still exists in the territories that were allocated to them at the end of the 18th century. This military formation plays the role of unofficial border guards. It should be noted the fact that the Kuban Cossacks were participants in the First World War and the Great Patriotic War. The last historical period, which began in 1945, significantly abolished the role of the Cossacks in public administration and service. Nevertheless, no one disbanded this formation, even taking into account the political doctrine of the Soviet Union.
The atamans of the Kuban Cossack army throughout the history of its existence defended the rights of their people, which by 1945 could already be called a completely separate ethnic group. After the collapse of the Soviet Union on the territory of the Russian Federation, Cossack communities were united in order to increase the identity and glorification of the ethnic minorities of the state. Since that time, there is such an organization as the Kuban Military Cossack Society (KVKO).
KVKO
KVKO begins its history since 1990. The first chieftain of this military organization was Vladimir Gromov. It should be noted that the combat effectiveness of the KVKO units is at a fairly high level. Confirmation of this is the participation of the mentioned organization in the Abkhaz war. In 1993, KVKO units were the first to enter the city of Sukhum. Later, the Kuban Cossack army was included in the "State Register of Cossack Societies of the Russian Federation." This means that the activities of the CSCO have become legal. In addition, there are regalia of the Kuban Cossack army and a peculiar structure of society. Today, the organization plays the role of a law enforcement rather than a military authority.
Territorial structure of KVKO
The Kuban military Cossack society has its own territorial structure, which allows us to talk about the significant development of not only the organization as a whole, but also its activities. To date, the structure of KVKO consists of the following territorial units:
- Her Cossack department.
- Caucasian Cossack department.
- Taman Cossack department.
- Yekaterinodar Cossack department.
- Maykop Cossack department.
- Batalpashinsky Cossack department.
- Black Sea Cossack District.
- Sukhumi special Cossack department.
This structure allows KVKO to carry out its law enforcement functions much more efficiently and as quickly as possible.
Culture of the Kuban Cossacks
In addition to a significant role in the military sector of the Russian Federation, the Kuban Cossacks is a rather interesting ethnic social entity. Its cultural traditions go back to Zaporizhzhya Cossacks. The Kuban warriors are quite close in cultural matters with the native Ukrainians. There is also a Cossack form of the Kuban Cossack army, the design of which was also formed historically.
The article presented the Kuban Cossack army. The origins of the organization and the structure of this organization date back to the time of the existence of the Zaporozhye Cossacks, which, in fact, became the progenitors of the Kuban army. This ethnic formation is still operating in the territory of modern Russia. Let's hope that this island of Slavic culture will not be lost in the abyss of centuries!