Who is cossack

What distinguished them from the regular army was that in peaceful periods, the Cossack hosts easily disbanded — and the individual Cossacks returned to their free way of life — trading goods and commodities, drinking, partying, and just living their free life on the steppes. They were free from capital tax, from recruitment, and other taxes, but were strictly obliged to appear to be drafted — armed and on a horse at the first call of the central administration.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the areas the Cossacks traditionally inhabited became parts of Russia. However, in the beginning of the 18th century, the Don Cossacks were subdued by Peter the Great and their lands became part of the Empire. Pugachev, also a Cossack, led his men and peasants to Central Russia, only to be crushed by the Imperial Russian Army.

After that, the Don Cossacks were firmly obliged to serve the state. Cossacks became a denomination among the Russian people, with certain privileges and responsibilities. In the middle of the 17th century, the Russian state was joined by another major Cossack Host - the Zaporozhian.

Settled in the valley of Dnieper river on the territories of central Ukraine, Zaporozhians were politically dependent on the Polish-Lithuanian state, defending its southern and eastern borders against Crimean Tatars, Ottomans, and even Moscow Tsars. However, since their relations with Poles left much to be desired, uprisings and liberation wars permanently occurred.

The Zaporozhian Host's existence in the Russian state lasted just over a century. Because due to the Russo-Ottoman wars the Empire's borders were expanded southwards, the Zaporozhian Cossacks' territories were left far in the Russian rear, abandoning, in fact, the Cossacks' main role as the defenders of national borders.

They became the forefathers of those whom we know today as the Kuban Cossacks. Yermak, who subdued the Siberian Khanate, Semyon Dezhnev, who discovered what is now the Bering Strait, and many other Russian explorers of the 17thth centuries were called Cossacks because they served on the outskirts of the Russian land, protected its borders and expanded its influence outwards. Semyon Dezhnev even served formally as a Cossack in the Siberian town of Tobolsk.

However, these Siberian Cossacks were not like the Cossacks of the Don region — they were not united into hosts armies , but were more like border guards. Their Christian faith defined them more than their nationality or their place of living; also, the Cossack principles and way of life united very different people that identified as Cossacks.

A Cossack boy was taught to ride, to use a sword, and to fire a gun from the age of Cossack upbringing was harsh. Kids worked in the fields side by side with their mothers and fathers, and even their games were military. Singing and dancing was also an important part of the upbringing of boys and girls, because a Cossack person is always a jolly and fearless one. We only have approximate numbers for the end of the 19th — beginning of the 20th centuries.

The census, the first one that showed the numbers of the Cossacks, estimated that there were about 3 million Cossacks 1,, men and 1,, women. However, their real numbers were much bigger than that, estimated around five million in the whole Empire. From , when Ukraine recognized the authority of the Muscovite tsar see Pereiaslav Treaty of , the principal political problem of the Cossacks, and particularly their leaders, became the defense of the autonomous rights of Ukraine from the encroachment of Russian centralism.

After their failures later hetmans, such as Danylo Apostol , Ivan Skoropadsky and Pavlo Polubotok , although they did not advocate an open break with Russia, stubbornly defended the autonomy of Ukraine. At the same time significant socioeconomic changes were taking place among the Cossacks.

In the Cossacks in Left-Bank Ukraine numbered 55,—65, in addition, there were 8,—10, Zaporozhian Cossacks , and 23, Cossacks in Slobidska Ukraine , which was part of the Russian state. Only about 50 percent of all Cossacks could afford to bear arms. In the first half of the 18th century the Cossacks and their families made up over 40 percent of the total population of Left-Bank Ukraine.

In the 18th century the socioeconomic differentiation among the Cossacks became more pronounced. Taking the privileged position of the Polish gentry as their model, the Cossack starshyna officers about 1, families were successful in changing their status from an elected to a hereditary one.

They expropriated land from the common Cossacks and increasingly exploited the peasants. The common Cossacks were divided into two categories: the richer elect Cossacks v yborni kozaky , who could perform military service, and the poorer Cossack helpers pidpomichnyky , who could not afford arms or military equipment.

In time a large number of Cossack helpers were reduced to the status of peasants. In the elect Cossacks and their families numbered ,; the Cossack helpers and their families numbered , In Slobidska Ukraine the Cossacks enjoyed wide autonomy within the Russian state.

In Right-Bank Ukraine, which until the end of the 18th century remained under Polish rule, Cossack mercenary units existed. Their center was in Dymer Kyiv region until the s and then in Nemyriv Bratslav region.

The hetmans and colonels were appointed by the Polish government. The need to secure its border from Turkish- Tatar invasions forced the government to organize on a territorial basis.

Cossack bands came from Left-Bank Ukraine and the Zaporozhian Sich and settled in the Kyiv region and Bratslav region beginning in the s. With the permission of the Polish government Cossack regiments were formed in Korsun Korsun regiment , Bratslav Bratslav regiment , Fastiv Fastiv regiment , and Bohuslav Bohuslav regiment under the command of Cossack colonels, headed by an acting hetman , Col Samiilo Samus from Bohuslav.

This unification was realized in This new Cossack movement in Right-Bank Ukraine lasted until , when it was wiped out jointly by the Polish and Russian governments. The few remaining Cossacks were resettled in Left-Bank Ukraine. But Cossack traditions lasted in Right-Bank Ukraine throughout most of the 18th century see Haidamaka uprisings. In the Polish Sejm decided to establish two Cossack regiments, but this resolution was never implemented.

Third period — The Cossack had stepped forward two or three paces and was walking by the next couple. But she showed no devotion, in which she was not singular, old people and Cossack officers excepted. New Word List Word List. Save This Word! We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.

Words nearby Cossack cosmos , cosmotron , cosplay , cosponsor , coss , Cossack , cossack hat , Cossacks , cosset , cossie , cost.