Kuban Cossacks were entrusted as private guards to Emperor Nicholas II and his family  

Thanks to collaboration and solidarity of Alexander Pevnev, the ataman of Kuban Cossack army abroad, over 300 military regalia and emblems have been returned to Russia. In Moscow the ataman was received by Vladimir Medinsky, Minister of Culture and head of the Russian Historical and Military Foundation.

According to the website of the Russian Historical and Military Foundation (RHMF), the question of returning sacred war regalia had been raised several times on the international level, but has become close to its resolution only in the recent years. In particular, with the help of ataman Alexander Pevnev in spring 2013 a large collection has been transferred back to Russia, including 38 Cossack emblems, an original document signed by Catherine II granting the landowner rights to the Cossacks, and about 300 items of memorabilia overall.

The letter from Pevnev to Medinsky says: “I would like to express my sincere gratitude for your kind reception and hospitality to me personally and to the entire delegation of the Cossack army abroad during our stay in Moscow... We are hoping for the long-term and fruitful collaboration in order to preserve the Russian culture and return its historical and cultural treasures back to Russia”.

It is planned to establish secure and permanent connections with the Cossacks abroad, reports RHMF.

The headquarters of the Kuban Cossack army abroad is stationed in New Jersey, and multiple regalia of the Cossack army taken from Russia by the ataman Vyacheslav Naumenko are stored there.

© Russian Cultural Heritage. 03 May, 2013

A group of Russian Cossacks announced Monday the creation of an Australian branch and four new traditional units there.

A Siberian group of Cossacks, the Zabaikalsky Cossack Host Association, said that the decision to expand the organization was made following a request from Australia-based descendants of the Cossacks who emigrated after the 1917 Russian revolution.

The request was submitted by Australian Cossack ataman Simeon Boikov in light of “the growing number of Cossacks in Australia,” a spokesperson for the organization told RIA Novosti.

Four Australian “stanitsas,” historically villages inside a Cossack host, as a territory of Cossack settlements was known in imperial Russia, will be established in Melbourne, Geelong, Dandenong and on the island of Tasmania.

The first and only Cossack “stanitsa” in Australia was established as a cultural and historic organization in June 2012 in the town of Cabramatta near Sydney.

The local Cossack diaspora then compiled 152 people, some of whom have voiced their intention to move to Siberia’s Zabaikalsky Krai, the Cossack association said.

The Cossacks, who served as a special police force in tsarist Russia, are remembered for their role in fighting against the revolutionary side in the 1917 uprising against the tsar. Many of them fled abroad following the Bolshevik revolution.

Monday’s announcement came amid an ongoing revival of Cossack culture in Russia, though critics have questioned the authenticity of some self-proclaimed Cossacks.

© RIA Novosti. 08 April, 2013

Cossack graves in Rookwood cemetery in Sydney, which have not been looked after for a long time, will in part be cared for by their descendants—Cossacks of the Australian Embassy ‘stanitsa’ (section) of the Trans-Ural Cossack army. The relevant agreement between Cossack representatives and the cemetery management was signed today.

Those present at the meeting examined the cemetery and drew up a scheme of work for the immediate future. On the same day, several graves were tidied up, including that of the Colonel of the Orenburg Cossack army, Stepan Ivanovich Nesterenko, born 1893.

Mark Boondy, representing the cemetery administration, was delighted at the Cossacks' initiative and noted that a great many graves in the cemetery are seriously neglected, even though some relatives are still alive. "It would be better to have less talk and argue about the various plans, and instead start carrying them out straightaway. That is also a reflection of the Cossack spirit— to put words into action straightaway," said in turn the head of the Australian Embassy stanitsa, Semion Boikov.

Thousands of Russian soldiers and exiles are currently buried in Australia: officers and soldiers of the Imperial Army, engineers, pilots, doctors, scientists, and representatives of nearly all the Cossack armies: the Trans-Baikal, the Kuban, the Don, the Ussuriysk and the Orenburg.

© Pravoslavie.ru. 07 February, 2013

Renowned for their sword-fighting prowess and horsemanship, the Cossacks are taking on new enemies – beggars, drunks and improperly parked cars on the streets of Moscow.

With the approval of city authorities, eight Cossacks clad in fur hats and uniforms patrolled a Moscow train station yesterday looking for signs of minor public disturbances.

The Kremlin is seeking to use the once-feared Tsarist paramilitary squads in its new drive to promote conservative values and appeal to nationalists.

The southern province of Krasnodar – which includes Sochi, the site of the 2014 Winter Olympics – launched Cossack patrols in September to crack down on Muslim migrants from the neighbouring Caucasus.

Cossacks trace their history in Russia back to the 15th century. Serving in the Tsarist cavalry, they spearheaded imperial Russia’s expansion in exchange for special privileges, including the right to govern their villages.

In the 2010 census, about 650,000 Russians declared themselves Cossacks. Yesterday’s patrol was a test run for whether the group can become an armed and salaried auxiliary police force, with the power of arrest, patrol leader Igor Gulichev said.

Mr Gulichev’s group, which he said numbers up to 85, has patrolled south-western Moscow with police approval for the past year, and has brought about 35 arrests. They are unpaid but receive free public transport passes and uniforms.

The conservative Cossacks have increased their political activity in response to an impromptu protest that feminist punk rockers Pussy Riot staged in Moscow’s main cathedral in February.

Groups of Cossacks recently barred visitors from entering a Moscow art exhibition that daubed Pussy Riot’s trademark balaclavas over Orthodox Christian icons, and they led a successful campaign to cancel a staging of Vladimir Nabokov’s racy novel, Lolita, in St Petersburg.

A government-backed Cossack political party held its first congress in Moscow last weekend. Communists have called it a cheap attempt to siphon pensioners’ support from their party, which is widely known by the same acronym. Six other groups have applied to form splinter Cossack parties.

Mr Gulichev, whose official title is deputy ataman, a Turkic word meaning commander, said he expected his group’s responsibilities would expand to fighting drug trafficking and terrorism, mirroring the special relationship Cossacks had with the tsars.

“Cossacks have always been on the frontiers of the Russian empire, fighting foes and adversaries, illegal immigration – repulsing raids, as people say today,” he added.

President Vladimir Putin was inducted into what is known as the Cossack host in 2005 and given the rank of colonel, previously held by tsars.

A 400,000-strong all-Russia Cossack host directly subordinate to Mr Putin is scheduled to be launched by the end of the year.

© Scotsman. 29 November, 2012

The “Cossack village of Moscow” festival is now underway on the territory of the “Luzhniki” Olympic complex. It commemorates 200th anniversary of the Cossacks gathering that set the task of expelling Napoleon forces from Moscow.

“The Cossack corps led by Ataman Matvei Platov completely destroyed my horses, artillery and bags”, Napoleon said remembering his unsuccessful campaign in Russia. In the Great Patriotic war of 1812, Cossacks distinguished themselves by displaying cleverness, decisiveness and bravery. Later, they entered Paris in the vanguard of European forces. Their descendants still honour the traditions, says Cossack Colonel Alexander Gavrin.

“The festival is staged at the time when members of the Council for Cossack Affairs under the President of the Russian Federation meet in Moscow. From time immemorial, Moscow has been the centre that unites all Cossack regiments. Before the Revolution in 1917, there were 12 Cossack regiments, while at present, 11 regiments have been registered by the government. Representatives of all Cossack villages, from the Russian Far East, Ussurisk and Amur to Tver gather in the Russian capital. Cossacks have long lived in multinational Russia and have never betrayed the country. They have always served their motherland with good faith and fidelity, Alexander Gavrin said.

The main event of the festival in Luzhniki is the construction of an Orthodox church. The whole church is built in a single day. Here is an opinion from organizer of the festival Olga Ivanova.

“The festival opens with a performance by the army chorus of the Moscow District’s Central Cossack force. Sholokhov Moscow Cossack cadet’s corps march and a performance by Kuban Cossack force’s honorary guard will close the festival. Muscovites and the visitors of the Russian capital will get an opportunity to watch master-classes in historical fencing. The festival includes a huge children’s programme, competitions, round dances and other entertainment,” Olga Ivanova said.

The festival also features a large fair of traditional handicrafts. The hosts of Cossack villages offer visitors “kvass”, honey and other treats and snacks.

© The Voice of Russia. 18 October, 2012

Photo: The Novocherkassk Army Assumption Cathedral hosted a memorial service on the event's opening day 

Novocherkassk, the capital of Don Cossacks in southern Russia, is hosting the Fourth World Cossack Congress this week, which convenes about 500 participants from the CIS and from 40 countries outside the CIS, Nezavisimaya Gazeta reports.

Foreign participants will drive into the city via two Triumphal Arches built to commemorate Russia’s victory over Napoleon in 1812, to which Don Cossacks, commanded by legendary chieftain Matvei Platov, contributed a great deal.

The Novocherkassk Army Assumption Cathedral will feature a memorial service on the event’s opening day, and memorial plaques will be installed at the cathedral’s burial vault. A Cossack parade will take place at Chieftain Platov Square followed by other commemorative events.

At the same time, representatives of Don Cossack Host – a public association uniting over 100,000 local Cossacks – will not attend the congress. Historically, the world congresses are only for “official Cossacks,” while the public association holds its own conventions and parades.

Don Cossack Host Chieftain Nikolai Kozitsyn complains that the authorities have always used the Cossacks for their own purposes, dividing them arbitrarily into “the red” and “the white,” or into “unofficial” and “official” Cossacks.

The World Cossack Congress will run until October 1, featuring gala performances, fairs and exhibitions, and an equestrian festival.

© Russkiy Mir. 01 October, 2012

Two dozen daredevil Russian Cossacks, known for their deep-rooted horse-riding and fighting traditions, are heading to Paris. Fear not! All they want is to celebrate the bicentenary of the country's victory over Napoleon in the War of 1812.

­Twenty-three Cossacks who set out on horseback to ride from Moscow to the French capital are descendants of those who once fought against Napoleon’s army.

Their primary objective these days is to pass through six countries – Russia, Belarus, Lithuania, Poland, Germany and France – to arrive at the Palace of Fontainebleau by October 19. The horses the Cossacks are riding are a special southern Russia breed ideal for long journeys.

Residents of the cities the Cossacks will pass through will have a chance to appreciate their strong battle and horse riding skills, which once helped them beat the French.

Among their signature stunts are riding a horse while standing up; sitting on the horse the “wrong way” and being able to shoot backwards.

Among the key battles in Napoleon’s Russian campaign was the Battle of Borodino which involved 250,000 troops and was the bloodiest single day in all the Napoleonic Wars.  

Describing that battle, Napoleon said that the French proved themselves to be worthy of victory, while the Russians proved they can be called invincible, in many ways thanks to Cossacks.

© Russia Today and RIA Novosti. 13 August, 2012