In the process of historical development of any nation, moments arose when a particular 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 layer of society as the Cossacks. Representatives of this cultural group have always been distinguished by their particular worldview and very sharp religiosity. Today, scientists can not 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 European states 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 rather dry and far from the truth, given the etymology of the term “Cossack”. There are several basic theories of the origin of this word, for example:
- Turkic ("Cossack" is a free man);
- the word comes from slopes;
- Turkish ("kaz", "cossack" means "goose");
- the word comes from the term "Kozars";
- 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 explains the word in a completely different way, but the most rational kernel of all the definitions can be distinguished. The most common theory is that a Cossack was a man who was free, but armed, ready for attack and battle.
Historical background
The history of the Cossacks begins in the XV century, namely from 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 apply both to the Russian Kingdom and to Poland.
Basically, the territory of the "Wild Field" was subjected to constant raids of the
Crimean Tatars. The gradual settlement of people from both Poland and the Russian Kingdom on these lands influenced the development of a new estate - 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 fight off the raids of the Tatars and other nationalities. By the beginning of the 16th century, Cossack regiments had turned into a powerful military force, which created great difficulties for neighboring states.
Creation of Zaporizhzhya Sich
According to historical data that are known to date, the first attempt to self-organize by the Cossacks was made in 1552 by the Volyn prince Vishnevetsky, better known as Baida.
He created a military base at his own expense, the Zaporizhzhya Sich, which was located on the island of Khortytsya. It was the life of the Cossacks. The location was strategically convenient, as the Sich blocked the passage to the Tatars from the Crimea, and was also in close proximity to the Polish border. Moreover, the territorial location on the island created great difficulties for the assault of Sich. The Khortitsky Sich did not last long, 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 - the Commonwealth. Naturally, this long-awaited alliance for both Poland and Lithuania was very important, and the free Cossacks on the borders of the new state acted contrary to the interests of the Commonwealth. Of course, such fortifications served as an excellent shield from the Tatar raids, but they were completely uncontrolled and did not reckon with the authority of the crown. Thus, in 1572, the King of the Commonwealth Sigismund II Augustus publishes a station wagon, which regulated the hiring of the Crown of 300 Cossacks. They were recorded in the list, the registry, which led to their name - the registry Cossacks. Such units were always in full combat readiness in order to repel the Tatars raids on the borders of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth as quickly as possible, as well as suppress the periodically rising uprisings of peasants.
Cossack uprisings for religious-national independence
From 1583 to 1657, some Cossack leaders raised revolts in order to free themselves from the influence of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and other states that tried to subjugate the lands of an unformed Ukraine.
The strongest craving for independence began to appear among the Cossack estate after 1620, when the hetman Sagaidachny joined the Kiev Brotherhood together with the entire Zaporizhzhya army. Such an action marked the cohesion of Cossack traditions with the Orthodox faith.
From that moment on, the battles of the Cossacks carried not only a liberating, but also a religious character. The growing tension between the Cossacks and Poland led to the famous national liberation war of 1648 - 1654, which was led by Bogdan Khmelnitsky. In addition, no less significant uprisings should be highlighted, namely: the uprising of Nalivaiko, Kosinsky, Sulima, Pavlyuk, etc.
Excavation during the time of the Russian Empire
After the unsuccessful national liberation war in the XVII century, as well as the unrest that began, the military power of the Cossacks was significantly undermined. In addition, the Cossacks lost support from the Russian Empire after switching to the side of Sweden in the battle of Poltava, in which Ivan Mazepa led the army of Cossacks .
As a result of this series of historical events in the 18th century, the dynamic process of storytelling begins, which reached its peak during the time of Empress Catherine II. In 1775, the Zaporizhzhya Sich was liquidated. However, the Cossacks were given the choice: to go their own way (to live an ordinary peasant life) or to join the hussar,
dragoon regiments, which many took advantage of. Nevertheless, a substantial part of the Cossack army remained (about 12,000 people), which did not accept the offer of the Russian Empire. To ensure the former preservation of the borders, as well as to legitimize in some way the "Cossack remnants", on the initiative of Alexander Suvorov, the Black Sea Cossack army was created in 1790.
Kuban Cossacks
The Kuban Cossacks, or Russian Cossacks, appeared in 1860. It was formed from several military Cossack units that existed at that time. After several periods of reveling, these military units became a professional part of the armed forces of the Russian Empire.
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 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 border forces to control the situation in the Caucasus.
The war in this territory was over, but stability was constantly at risk. Russian Cossacks have become 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 is the most ancient Cossack culture, which arose in parallel with the Zaporizhzhya 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 groups is that it developed not just as a military unit, but as an ethnic group with its own cultural characteristics.
Don Cossacks actively collaborated with Zaporozhye 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 the rout and subsequent repressions. 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. About 140 thousand people live on the territory of the modern Russian Federation, who record their nationality as a “Cossack”.
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 around the world. Undoubtedly, the Cossacks are not just military formations, but a separate ethnic group, 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 special Eastern European culture.