The Registered Cossacks of the Russian Federation are a Cossack paramilitary formation that originally performed non-military and public safety services, on the basis of the Federal Law of the Russian Federation dated December 5, 2005 No. 154-FZ "On State Service of the Russian Cossacks".[1] However, since the 2008 Russian invasion of Georgia the Registered Cossacks have assumed a direct military role. [2]
| Registered Cossacks of the Russian Federation | |
|---|---|
| Russian: Государственный реестр казачьих обществ Российской Федерации | |
 Emblem of the All-Russian Cossack Society | |
| Founded | 1995 |
| Country |  Russia |
| Allegiance |  President of Russia |
| Type | Cossacks |
| Size | ~40,000 |
| Garrison/HQ | Moscow, Russia |
| Website | vsko |
| Commanders | |
| Ataman | Vitaly Vladimirovich Kuznetsov |
| Chairman of the Council for Cossack Affairs | Anatoly Seryshev |
| Insignia | |
| Flag |  |
| Patch |  |
| Abbreviation | Казачество (Kazachestvo) |
There reportedly are up to 10 million Cossacks in Russia, and the registered Cossack associations include around 740,000 people, of whom around 600,000 also carry out border and security tasks.[3][4][5][6][7] However, in the 2010 Russian census, only about 67,000 people described themselves as Cossacks. [8]
Cossack units have also been raised for and existing Cossack units have been placed under the control of the National Guard of Russia. [9]
Duties
editIn peacetime, the registered Cossacks are used for the following activities and functions: conservation, protection and restoration of forests; patriotic education of young people and their preparation for military service; Assistance in natural disasters, accidents, catastrophes and other emergencies; extinguishing forest fires and other fires; protection of public order; Border protection and securing the state border; Protection in municipalities and in municipal institutions and organizations; In some regions, the operation of a city police force (including special units “Kobra”), in which numerous Cossacks ensure public safety.
Registered Cossacks perform a substitute function on behalf of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Emergency Situations. In this way, they compensate for the lack of trained personnel in the country's security structures and, through their voluntary work, they contribute to savings for the state budget.[10][11]
Registered Cossacks receive a stipend[10] and are granted certain privileges: a uniform, a rank, insignia and awards, wearing a Cossack whip (nagaika), sword (shashka), dagger (Qama) and, in certain cases, firearms or a firearms permit in exchange for providing security in certain areas.[10] Registered Cossacks often wear uniforms of the Russian army or uniforms similar to that of the Imperial Russian Army.[10]
All-Russian Cossack Society
edit
The All-Russian Cossack Society (Russian: Всероссийское казачье общество, Latinized:Vserossiyskoye kazach'ye obshchestvo) is a government sponsored Cossack advocacy organization in the Russian Federation. It is responsible for the coordination of activities between the 12 registered Cossack hosts. In particular, it works in the spheres of patriotic education and the continuing historical Cossack customs and traditions. Both registered and non-registered Cossack organizations can be part of the society. It is headed by the Society Ataman, Cossack General Nikolai Doluda.
Cossack ranks from yesaul and above are appointed by a Presidential Envoy, the rank of a Cossack general by no less than the President of the Russian Federation. All other ranks are promoted by their respective troop commandants.
Registered Cossacks in military service
editCossack units helped in the Russian operations in Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Transnistria.[2]
2008 Russian invasion of Georgia
editCossacks also took an active role in the 2008 Russian–Georgian war during which no one could explain what role the Cossacks played in the campaign, as Russian soldiers were distinguished between regular servicemen and Cossacks.[2]
Russo-Ukrainian War
edit
2014
editVarious Registered Cossacks of the Russian Federation were identified operating in Eastern Ukraine and Crimea in 2014 during the Russo-Ukrainian War with Kuban Cossacks helping occupy the Crimea and Don Cossacks invading the Donbas. Cossack units were organized communities not as spontaneous volunteers.[11]
2022
editRegistered Cossacks are heavily involved in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine[12] where they are part of 18 ‘Cossack’ BARS (Combat Reserve Forces) battalions taking part in the invasion.[12][13][14] Per Ataman Nikolai Doluda, head of the All-Russian Cossack Society,"There are three battalions each from the Kuban and Terek hosts, two from Don, one from Orenburg, a Orenburg-Volga combined battalion, one from the Ussuriskiy host, one from the Zabaykalsky host, and one from the union of “Cossack” warriors from abroad"[13] Various sources number Registered Cossacks in the warzone to from 15,000 [15] to 25,000.[12][16]
Organizations
editCossack hosts
editThe Russian Federation has twelve Cossack hosts officially recognized by the federal government; these being the Don, Kuban, Terek, Orenburg, Volga, Siberian, Yenisei, Zabaykalsky, Irkutsk, and Far Eastern; all formed in the 1990's.[17] The Central Cossack host, including Moscow, was created in 2007 while the Black Sea Cossack host, including the Crimea, was added in 2015.[15] These officially recognized hosts may or may not be the same as the historical hosts.[17]
| Sleeve Patch (Host emblem) |
Host name | Service uniforms | Headquarters | Legislation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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The main headquarters is located in the city of Samara
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The main headquarters is located in the city of Omsk
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The main headquarters is located in the city of Chita
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The main headquarters is located in the city of Stavropol
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The main headquarters is located in the city of Vladivostok
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The main headquarters is located in the city of Novocherkassk
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The main headquarters is located in the city of Krasnoyarsk
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The main headquarters is located in the city of Orenburg
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The main headquarters is located in the city of Krasnodar
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The main headquarters is located in the city of Irkutsk
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The main headquarters is located in the city of Moscow
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The main headquarters is located in the city of Simferopol
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2021
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Note that under the new uniform regulations the open collar tunic, worn with a shirt and tie, has been replaced by a tunic with a standing collar.
Independent Districts
editIn addition to the military Cossack Hosts, there are other registered societies which are active auxiliaries:
Current
- Separate Northwest Cossack District (Territory of activity - Northwestern Federal District). Headquarters - St. Petersburg;
- District Cossack society "Baltic separate Cossack District - Baltic Cossack Union" (Territory of activity - the Kaliningrad region). Headquarters - Kaliningrad;
Former
- District Cossack society "Sevastopol Cossack District '(Territory of activity - Sevastopol). Headquarters - Sevastopol.
- Crimean Cossack District Society "Crimean Cossack troops" (Territory of activity, Republic of Crimea),. Headquarters - Simferopol.
Both of the above last two were integrated into the Black Sea Cossack host in 2015.
Cossack ranks and insignia
edit- Officers
The rank insignia of commissioned officers.
| Rank group | General / flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Registered Cossacks of theRussian Federation[18] |
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| Казáчий генéрал Kazáchiy generál |
Казáчий полкóвник Kazáchiy polkóvnik |
Войсковóй старшинá Vojskovói starshiná |
Есаýл Yesaúl |
Подъесаýл Podyesaúl |
Сóтник Sótnik |
Хорýнжий Khorúnzhyi |
Подхорýнжий Podkhorúnzhiy |
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| Field uniform | 
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| Army equivalent | Генера́л-лейтена́нт Generál-leytenánt |
Полко́вник Polkóvnik |
Подполко́вник Podpolkóvnik |
Майо́р Majór |
Kапита́н Kapitán |
Старший лейтена́нт Stárshiy leytenánt |
Лейтенант Leytenant |
Mла́дший лейтена́нт Mládshiy leytenánt |
Курсант Kursant | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rank group | General/flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
- Other ranks
The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.
| Rank group | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Cossacks of the Russian Federation[18] |
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| Стáрший вáхмистр Stárshiy váhmistr |
Вáхмистр Váhmistr |
Млáдший вáхмистр Mládshiy váhmistr |
Стáрший урядник Stárshiy Uryádnik |
Урядник Uryádnik |
Млáдший урядник Mládshiy Uryádnik |
Прикáзный Prikáznyi |
Казáк Kazák |
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| Field uniform | 
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| Army equivalent | Ста́рший пра́порщик Stárshiy práporshchik |
Пра́порщик Práporshchyk |
Старшина́ Starshyná |
Ста́рший сержа́нт Stárshiy serzhánt |
Сержа́нт Serzhánt |
Мла́дший сержа́нт Mládshiy serzhánt |
Ефре́йтор Efréĭtor |
Рядово́й Ryadovóy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rank group | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Федеральный закон Российской Федерации от 5 декабря 2005 г. N 154-ФЗ - О государственной службе российского казачества [Federal Law of the Russian Federation from 5 December 2005 No 154-FZ - On the State Service of Russian Cossacks] (in Russian). rg.ru. 8 December 2005.
- ^ a b c https://css.ethz.ch/content/dam/ethz/special-interest/gess/cis/center-for-securities-studies/pdfs/RAD-153-9-12.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ RIA Novosti vom 3. Juli 2008: Russlands Kosaken werden für nationale Sicherheit mit verantwortlich.
- ^ RIA Novosti vom 1. Juli 2005: Kosaken wieder im Dienst am Staat.[dead link]
- ^ RIA Novosti vom 5. August 2008: Russischer Kosaken-Ataman dementiert Meldungen über Spaltung im Kosaken-Heer.
- ^ RIA Novosti vom 16. August 2006: Kosaken von Abchasien und Russland schließen Freundschaftsvertrag.
- ^ RIA Novosti vom 2. August 2006: Russische Kosaken bereit zum Schutz der Bürger Russlands in Abchasien.
- ^ Wie Russlands patriotische Kosaken Moskau erobern – Die Welt vom 28. November 2012.
- ^ "UNHCR Web Archive".
- ^ a b c d Russian Security and Paramilitary Forces since 1991 (Elite), Mark Galeotti, Copyright 20 August 2013, Osprey Publishing, ISBN 978-1780961057
- ^ a b "Cossacks: Servants of the Kremlin or gravediggers of the empire". 13 April 2022.
- ^ a b c "The Kremlin Uses Registered Cossacks as a Means of Stealth Mobilization".
- ^ a b "Миссия казачества на Северном Кавказе – объединять патриотов и быть щитом России". 3 October 2023.
- ^ https://jamestown.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/cossacks-in-BARS-640x482.jpeg.webp [bare URL image file]
- ^ a b "Beyond Wagner: The Russian Cossack Forces in Ukraine – PONARS Eurasia".
- ^ "Cossacks as a Case Study of Russia's Paramilitarization – PONARS Eurasia".
- ^ a b "Refworld | Russian Cossacks to Join National Guard Units".
- ^ a b "Указ Президента Российской Федерации от 9 февраля 2010 г. N 171 "О форме одежды и знаках различия по чинам членов казачьих обществ, внесенных в государственный реестр казачьих обществ в Российской Федерации"" [Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of 9 February 2010 Nr.171 "On the uniform and insignia by ranks of members of Cossack societies included in the state register of Cossack societies in the Russian Federation"]. rg.ru. Rossiyskaya gazeta. 11 February 2010. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
