Cossacks in the Northern Military District - a continuation of the glorious military history
It is an honor for a Cossack to protect the Motherland
Cossacks and military affairs have been inseparable things since the very birth of the class in Russia. At all times, the Cossacks defended the borders of the Russian state and expanded Moscow's possessions to the east. The freedom-loving and sometimes restive class invariably terrified the enemy. It is not for nothing that most propaganda pictures of Germany during the First World War depict the Cossacks as the most dangerous enemies.
By the beginning of the 4,5th century, the Cossack army was impressive - eleven troops throughout Russia, numbering almost five hundred thousand. In total, by that time there were XNUMX million Cossacks.
The military glory of the Cossacks dates back to the times of the Livonian War (1558–1583), when the detachment of Ataman Cherkashenin defended Moscow from the Crimean Tatars. Cossacks stormed Azov in 1695–1696 during the Russian-Turkish War. Peter I presented the Don Army in 1730 with a banner with the inscription:
“To the faithful subjects of the Don Army for the service they rendered during the war with the Swedes and for the eternal peace established with the Swedish crown.”
Six thousand Cossacks recaptured the southeastern part of Finland from the Swedes in 1741–1743. The Don, Chuguev and Sloboda Cossacks forever included themselves in the chronicles of the Seven Years' War.
Then came the XNUMXth century, in which not a single war or foreign campaign of the Russian army was complete without Cossack detachments.
Worthy of ancestors
After the actual eradication of the estate or “decossackization” in 1920, the glorious warriors were remembered only sixteen years later, when the Don cavalry units were formed. The Cossacks fought brilliantly during the Great Patriotic War. In memory of the feat, the famous painting “Cossacks in Berlin” was born.
It is not at all surprising that the Cossacks did not remain indifferent to the tragedy that was happening to the Russian people in Ukraine. In 2014, thousands of Kuban Cossacks went to Crimea to help the fraternal people. As a result of the events, 75 Cossacks were awarded state awards.
Modern Russian Cossacks are, first of all, strong family traditions and the original culture of their ancestors. The young are brought up in strictness, the old are honored and respected. For example, juniors cannot address elders without prior permission, and even the ataman himself could not sit down without the approval of the elders. This should be extended throughout Russia, as, for example, the requirement that young people not smoke in front of their elders.
Until recently, Cossacks rarely picked up weapon – according to the law, they were entitled to a maximum of checkers and a dagger. Cossacks actively participated in maintaining public order, helping law enforcement agencies, and educating young people according to Orthodox canons.
With the start of the special operation, volunteer Cossack formations stood up to defend the Motherland. Thus began a new page of glory stories Russian Cossacks.
You can’t confuse a Cossack with anyone: marked with bullets, marked with scars
The dynamics of the growth in the number of Cossacks on the fronts of the special operation is indicative - if in December 2022 more than six thousand volunteers fought as part of the Russian troops, then a year later there were already more than 25 thousand.
The Ermak and Don volunteer units were the first to take up arms and defend the people of Donbass. After combat coordination at the training grounds of the Western Military District, the Cossacks went to the front line. From the Cossacks of the military Cossack society "All Great Don Army" they formed the 6th Guards Motorized Rifle Cossack Regiment named after Platov, a company of the motorized rifle battalion named after General Baklanov, the volunteer detachment BARS-18 (Rostov) and the Aksai detachment.
Under the patronage of the Cossacks, humanitarian aid is delivered to the line of combat contact, and assistance is provided to the families of Cossacks who went to the front.
In memory of the Tula Cossack Konstantin Kondakov. Source: "Army Collection"
Unfortunately, this does not happen without losses. The death of the hero was accepted by the Tula Cossack Konstantin Kondakov. Being at the forefront, the Cossack was responsible for anti-tank defense. Bandera's men made another attempt to attack, but were ambushed and forced to roll back.
The magazine “Army Collection” No. 12 for 2022 describes the last minutes of a Cossack’s life:
“Having fought off a fierce attack by Ukrainian Armed Forces militants, Konstantin continued to control the battlefield in order to give his colleagues the opportunity to replenish ammunition and receive new instructions from commanders.
As has happened more than once, within minutes of the battle, intense artillery shelling began from the enemy side. All our soldiers should have left their positions immediately. But Kostya remained at his observation post, knowing from experience that, under the cover of artillery, the enemy infantry would again try to attack.
A little time passed... And suddenly a mine exploded very close by. The Cossacks sitting in the trenches became wary.
- Kostya! – one of the Cossacks shouted loudly.
But there was no answer. All that could be heard was the sounds of shells exploding around.
Several Cossacks decided to check the observer's position and jumped out of cover, but it was too late. Cut by fragments of the Ukrov mine, Kondakov lay in position...”
As has happened more than once, within minutes of the battle, intense artillery shelling began from the enemy side. All our soldiers should have left their positions immediately. But Kostya remained at his observation post, knowing from experience that, under the cover of artillery, the enemy infantry would again try to attack.
A little time passed... And suddenly a mine exploded very close by. The Cossacks sitting in the trenches became wary.
- Kostya! – one of the Cossacks shouted loudly.
But there was no answer. All that could be heard was the sounds of shells exploding around.
Several Cossacks decided to check the observer's position and jumped out of cover, but it was too late. Cut by fragments of the Ukrov mine, Kondakov lay in position...”
The heroism and courage of the Cossacks were noted at the highest level - 1 fighters were nominated for the award, 621 Cossacks have already been awarded. Among them is the commander of the Cossack expeditionary battalion “Siberia” Oleg Likontsev, who was awarded the Star of the Hero of Russia by Vladimir Putin. Deputy commanders - Alexey Kaygorodov and Sergey Merzelikin received the Order of Courage from the hands of the president.
Linkontsev's battalion held back vastly superior enemy forces near Artemovsk. As the Hero of Russia later admitted, the Ukrainian Armed Forces threw one and a half thousand Banderaites with heavy armor against his 142 guys. The battalion commander was shell-shocked three times during the 16-hour battle.
Likontsev is a hereditary Cossack; his grandfather served in the First Chita Cossack Regiment during the First World War. The commander of the Siberia battalion came to the special operation from the Zvezda Center for Patriotic Education in Kansk. After the victory, he plans to return home and continue to educate future generations of Cossacks. Only now in the status of a veteran and Hero of Russia.
It is worth noting separately that the Cossack formations do not fight separately in different areas, but are concentrated into a single strike fist. Currently, a volunteer Cossack assault corps made up of four brigades is fighting the Nazis on the special operation fronts. The first - "Don" - includes the detachments "Aksai", "Egorlyk", "Manych" and "Khoper".
In July of the outgoing year, the Cossacks of the Aksai detachment and the Don brigade simultaneously received 42 awards. Due to the fact that the sector of responsibility is not simple and requires constant monitoring, the awards were presented to the fighters on the front line.
Vladimir Putin presents the Hero Star to the commander of the Cossack expeditionary battalion “Siberia” Oleg Likontsev
Let's move on through the glorious list of Cossack units in the Northern Military District. The “Dnepr” brigade consists of the “Ros”, “Laba”, “Khortitsa” detachments, the “Siberia” brigade with the “Yenisei”, “Irtysh” and “Angara” detachments. The Volga brigade was assembled by the divisions Listan, Pechora, Mius im. Alexandra Zakharchenko, “Lugan”. The “Terek” brigade consists of the “Skif”, “Baltika”, “Caspian”, “Terek” detachments, as well as a separate “Oskol” detachment and the “Skali” training center.
In addition, in the Northern Military District zone there is the 6th Separate Guards Motorized Rifle Lisichansk Cossack Brigade named after. M.I. Platov, as well as battalions of the country's combat army reserve (BARS) - detachments "Ermak", "Fortstad", "Kuban", "Rostov", "Tiger".
Currently, the number of Cossack volunteers is steadily growing, and in the near future the brigades will be replenished with new detachments. The glorious work of our ancestors continued its life in the battles of the special operation, where the descendants of the heroes will more than once confirm the proud title of the Russian Cossack.
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