DOCSLIB.ORG

The Semirechye Cossacks in the Imperial Space of Russia

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Semirechye Cossacks in the Imperial Space of Russia Journal of Siberian Federal University. Humanities & Social Sciences 1 (2013 6) 74-84 ~ ~ ~ УДК 94(470) «1867/1920» The Semirechye Cossacks in the Imperial Space of Russia Mikhail G. Tarasov* Siberian Federal University 79 Svobodny, Krasnoyarsk, 660041 Russia 1 Received 09.01.2013, received in revised form 16.01.2013, accepted 23.01.2013 The article describes the history of the ethno-social group of the Russian people: the Semirechye Cossacks. The author analyzes emerging of the Semirechye Cossack host, its role in the conquest and economic development of Central Asia. The article also considers participation of the Semirechye Cossacks in the struggle of Russia for the control over Central Asia and its confrontation with the Islamic world, China and the West (the British Empire) in the region. Special attention is paid to interaction of the Semirechye Cossacks and the native Turkic population. Keywords: ethno-social group, Cossacks, interethnic relations, international relations, geopolitics, Central Asia, China, Islamic world. Point Russian and international researchers The phenomenon of the Cossacks, the traditionally pay significant attention to the original class that appeared in Russia at the end Cossacks as a specific social group. Participation of the 15th – beginning of the 16th centuries, is of the Cossacks in conquering and developing the quite complicated. The Cossacks are peculiar, territory of Central Asia, the role of the Cossacks while a Cossack was both a warrior and a as the keepers of the eastern regions of the Russian landowner-farmer at the same time. First of all, a Empire are quite interesting. Among the main Cossack was a medieval type warrior. Simplicity publications of Russian and international authors in everyday life, good knowledge of the area, in the past the following should be named first cultural and military features of the enemy of all: B. Bezsonov, N.V. Ledenyov, N. Konshin, allowed the Cossacks to act independently from N.E. Bekmakhanova, E. Tettau, Ph. Longwort, the bases, often in severe natural and climatic and a series of works of the general and reference conditions. At the same time, a Cossack was type1. capable of adapting to any conditions and could Among the research of modern authors build an economically profitable household in continuing the study of the Cossack host and its any part of Eurasia from Transpolar Siberia to role in the conquest and development of Central the deserts of Central Asia. All these features of Asia and Semirechye the most outstanding are the Cossacks were demanded by the Russian state the works by D.A. Sapunov, Yu. G. Nedbai, E.N. for centuries. Lechshev, as well as the works of international * Corresponding author E-mail address: [email protected] 1 © Siberian Federal University. All rights reserved – 74 – Mikhail G. Tarasov. The Semirechye Cossacks in the Imperial Space of Russia researchers D. Hosking, M. Khodorkovsky and jüz formations – and later the Turkic states that V. Martin2. emerged from the remains of the Golden Horde: Considering the Cossacks in general, it is the Emirate of Bukhara, the Khanates of Khiva necessary to distinguish between those Cossack and Kokand. The spoils of war and labour of hosts that had arisen independently and by the slaves captured mainly during regular attacks on administrative will of the state. The first ones Russia and Iran played a prominent role in the include, above all, the Don and the Zaporozhian economy of these countries. The Khiva troops, hosts, and their derivatives – the Terek, the Ural, in particular, raided on Russian lands until the the Volga, the Siberian and the Kuban Cossack middle of the 19th century. Until the middle of hosts, the second ones – the Ussuri, the Amur the 18th century Russia took a defensive position, and the Transbaikal hosts. The Semirechye but with the beginning of the reign of Anna Cossack host occupies a special place among Ioannovna a gradual advance into Central Asia them. The Semirechye host was established by began. The main force in this struggle, of course, the state in 1867 after the rest Cossack hosts. was the Cossack host. However, in this case we do not deal with The Cossacks lived on the border of the artificial formation. The Semirechye Cossack Turkic steppe since the end of the 15th century. host emerged as an isolated part of another During this time they were in the continuous Cossack host, the Siberian one. military confrontation with the local peoples, The Cossacks were universal warriors, and learned well the Turkic population during having brilliantly demonstrated this feature, in their campaigns to the steppe: characteristics of particular, in the era of the Napoleonic wars. its economy and way of life, mentality, methods However, they integrated better in the Asian of war fighting. The Cossacks also knew the area regions of the Russian Empire. Having appeared well: places for camps and routes of nomadic in the 15th- 16th centuries during the confrontation movements, pastures, wells, fords, etc. The between the Slavs and the Turks, and mostly as a Cossack household, life, military skills and result of this confrontation, the Cossacks ideally traditions of the Cossacks ideally suited local adapted to the fight against the steppe nomads. conditions. Gradually, from the defenders of the southern During active movement deeper into the and the eastern borders of the Russian state the Steppe, when in 1731 the lands of the Junior jüz Cossacks became the main force of the Russian (modern Northern Kazakhstan) were incorporated Empire in the East – Russian conquistadors. From into Russia, it appeared to be at the border with the middle of the 16th century until the middle of Semirechye, a unique region, which had a key the 18th century the eastern regions of Europe, position in the whole Central Asia. located between the Volga and the Urals, Siberia, Semirechye or Zhetysu (in Turkic languages) the Far East and the north-western regions of was a geographic area in Central Asia with the America were incorporated into Russia. Then, Balkhash lake as its border in the north and the in the middle of the 18th century conquering of west, the Tian Shan Mountains as its southern the north-eastern regions of Central Asia began. border and lakes Sasykol’ and Alakol’ and the In 1731 with the construction of Orenburg, the Dzhungarian Alatau Mountains as its border in Russian Empire began to advance deeper into the east. The region got its name from the seven Central Asia, winning the Kazakh proto state main rivers that flowed on this territory: Ili, Aksu, formations – the Junior, the Middle and the Great Lepsa, Karatal, Bien, Baskan and Sarkand. Often – 75 – Mikhail G. Tarasov. The Semirechye Cossacks in the Imperial Space of Russia in historical references the Chu river valley is also Colonel of the General Staff A. Butovsky, referred to Semirechye. Nowadays the territory who was sent in 1834 to visit Kyrgyz steppe by the of former Semirechye is occupied by modern order of the Minister of War, presented the “Draft Kazakhstan, China and Kyrgyzstan. of Commercial and Economic Development For a long period of time Semirechye was of Semirechye and Lake Balkhash in Order to one of the key regions in Asia3. After the Iran Develop and Strengthen Trade Relations with Saka tribes were forced out of there by the Turkic Asian Countries”. Admitting the significant peoples at the beginning of the 1st millennium of role of Semirechye he called this region “an the New Era, the region was a part of the Turkic important point in the heart of Asia”. Colonel states of the Turkut, Turgesh, Karluk, Kara- Butovsky considered that establishment of the Khanid and Kara-Khitai. In the 13th century control of Russia over Semirechye would give Semirechye was incorporated into the Mongolian an opportunity to establish good trade relations state. Approximately in the middle of the 16th with Tibet, Hindustan and other “Asian states”. century a proto state Kazakh union was formed at A. Butovsky thought to use the Siberian Cossack the territory of Semirechye – the Great jüz, which hundreds in development of the region, thus was the dominating political power for the two making expenditures for colonization “paltry in other Kazakh territorial-political formations – the comparison with upcoming profits”4. Middle and the Junior jüz formations. These three In 1847 the Emperor Nicholas I approved territorial-tribal unions of the Kazakhs occupied the plans of occupying Semirechye region and a large territory from the Caspian Sea in the west “migration of the Cossacks from the [Siberian – to the Dzhungarian borders, and later China in M.T.] line to this region”. the east, from Siberian taiga in the north to the In 1849, 25 Cossack families settled down 65 states of Central Asia: the Khanate of Khiva, the km from the headwaters of the Syr-Dar’ya river. Khanate of Kokand and the Emirate of Bukhara In 1854 the Russian military expedition founded in the south. Zasil’skoe fortification, later renamed into Verny Occupying Semirechye allowed Russia to fort (future Alma-Aty, modern Almaty). From control the states of Central Asia, establish trade 1854 till 1867 Semirechensk, Ayaguz and Trans- relations with Eastern Turkmenistan, protect its Ili territories were included into the Semipalatinsk southern borders from the potential expansion of region. In 1857 the 9th and the 10th regiments of England and China, and get closer to the borders the Siberian Cossack host were transferred to of British India. The Cossacks were supposed this region. Not only Cossacks, but hundreds of to become the main power for both conquering peasant families were sent there from Siberia. this region and establishing control over it, and They were given land and were classed as the providing its further economic development.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Interethnic Relations in Russian Central Asia (19Th – Early 20Th Centuries)
    Journal of Siberian Federal University. Humanities & Social Sciences 12 (2018 11) 1968-1990 ~ ~ ~ УДК 323.11(574)“18/19” Interethnic Relations in Russian Central Asia (19th – Early 20th Centuries) Eduard G. Kolesnik, Michael G. Tarasov, Denis N. Gergilev and Nikolai R. Novoseltsev* Siberian Federal University 79 Svobodny, Krasnoyarsk, 660041, Russia Received 02.09.2018, received in revised form 24.10.2018, accepted 07.11.2018 The article views the interethnic relations in Semirechye, one of the regions of the Russian Central Asia. During the first half of the 19th century, this territory became part of the Russian Empire. These were the Cossacks who played the main role in its accession and colonization. Initially, the government strongly encouraged the Cossacks and, thus, ensured the growth of their number both by creating favorable conditions for life and service and by including the representatives of other social groups (peasants and soldiers) in the Cossack population. The conquest of Semirechye being over, economic objectives but not military and police ones became prioritized for the region’s Russian-speaking population. The Cossacks were unable to solve these tasks due to the congestion with the official duties. This led to the situation when in their colonization policy the authorities began to give preference to the peasants of the region, deterioration of the Cossacks’ socio-economic situation and strengthening of the indigenous population’s position being the consequence. The result of this policy was the aggravation of inter-ethnic relations in the region. This culminated in the Turkestan uprising of 1916, which led to numerous victims among all ethnic groups in the region.
    [Show full text]
  • An Interdisciplinary Survey of South Siberia
    Alexis Schrubbe REEES Upper Division Undergraduate Course Mock Syllabus Change and Continuity: An Interdisciplinary Survey of South Siberia This is a 15 week interdisciplinary course surveying the peoples of South-Central Siberia. The parameters of this course will be limited to a specific geographic area within a large region of the Russian Federation. This area is East of Novosibirsk but West of Ulan-Ude, North of the Mongolian Border (Northwest of the Altai Range) and South of the greater Lake-Baikal Region. This course will not cover the Far East nor the Polar North. This course will be a political, historical, religious, and anthropological exploration of the vast cultural landscape within the South-Central Siberian area. The course will have an introductory period consisting of a brief geographical overview, and an historical short-course. The short-course will cover Steppe history and periodized Russian history. The second section of the course will overview indigenous groups located within this region limited to the following groups: Tuvan, Buryat, Altai, Hakass/Khakass, Shor, Soyot. The third section will cover the first Russian explorers/fur trappers, the Cossacks, the Old Believers, the Decembrists, and waves of exiled people to the region. Lastly, the final section will discuss contemporary issues facing the area. The objective of the course is to provide a student with the ability to demonstrate an understanding of the complex chronology of human presence and effect in South-Central Siberia. The class will foster the ability to analyze, summarize, and identify waves of influence upon the area. The overarching goal of the course is to consider the themes of “change” versus “continuity” in regard to inhabitants of South Siberia.
    [Show full text]
  • Russian Regional Report (Vol. 9, No. 1, 3 February 2004)
    Russian Regional Report (Vol. 9, No. 1, 3 February 2004) A bi-weekly publication jointly produced by the Center for Security Studies at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich (http://www.isn.ethz.ch) and the Transnational Crime and Corruption Center (TraCCC) at American University, Washington, DC (http://www.American.edu/traccc) TABLE OF CONTENTS TraCCC Yaroslavl Conference Crime Groups Increasing Ties to Authorities Gubernatorial Elections Sakhalin Elects New Governor Center-Periphery Relations Tyumen Oblast, Okrugs Resume Conflict Electoral Violations Khabarovsk Court Jails Election Worker Procurator Files Criminal Cases in Kalmykiya Elections Advertisements Russia: All 89 Regions Trade and Investment Guide Dynamics of Russian Politics: Putin's Reform of Federal-Regional Relations ***RRR on-line (with archives) - http://www.isn.ethz.ch/researchpub/publihouse/rrr/ TRACCC YAROSLAVL CONFERENCE CRIME GROUPS INCREASING TIES TO AUTHORITIES. Crime groups are increasingly working with public officials in Russia at the regional, and local levels, making it difficult for those seeking to enact and enforce laws combating organized crime, according to many of the criminologists who participated in a conference addressing organized crime hosted by Yaroslavl State University and sponsored by TraCCC, with support from the US Department of Justice on 20-21 January. The current laws on organized crime are largely a result of Russia's inability to deal with this problem, according to Natalia Lopashenko, head of the TraCCC program in Saratov. Almost the only area of agreement among the scholars, law enforcement agents, and judges was that the level of organized crime is rising. Figures from the Interior Ministry suggest that the number of economic crimes, in particular, is shooting upward.
    [Show full text]
  • Formation of New Otherness in the Frontier Environment
    ISSN 0798 1015 HOME Revista ESPACIOS ! ÍNDICES ! A LOS AUTORES ! Vol. 39 (Number 18) Year 2018 • Page 37 «Power of soil»: Formation of new otherness in the frontier environment «Poder del suelo»: formación de nueva alteridad en el entorno fronterizo Sergey Nikolayevich YAKUSHENKOV 1; Anna Petrovna ROMANOVA 2 Received: 27/03/2018 • Approved: 15/04/2018 Content 1. Introduction 2. Research Methodology 3. Discussion 4. The main part 5. Conclusion References ABSTRACT: RESUMEN: The article discusses cultural transformations of El artículo discute transformaciones culturales de migrants or colonists, who find themselves in new migrantes o colonos, que se encuentran en un nuevo natural and cultural environment of the Frontier entorno natural y cultural de las heterotopías de heterotopias. We show how the new Space Frontier. Mostramos cómo el nuevo Espacio incorpora incorporates and absorbs the new comers forcing y absorbe a los recién llegados obligándolos a them to constant changes. When the new comers cambios constantes. Cuando los recién llegados come into contact with the Natives they find entran en contacto con los nativos, se encuentran en themselves in s state of constant transformations, constante transformación, incluso hasta convertirse even to the point of becoming a Stranger for the en un extraño para los representantes de su propia representatives of their own culture. For an external cultura. Para un observador externo, estos colonos observer these settlers seem to have more in parecen tener más en común con los nativos que con common with the natives than with the people from las personas de su tierra de origen. Esta semejanza their land of origin.
    [Show full text]
  • The Russian Civil War
    Reds! RULEBOOK © 200 Rodger MacGowan TheREDS! Russian Civil War, 98-92 Table of Contents . Introduction ................................................ 2 3. City, Sea and Resource Control ................. 13 2. Components ................................................ 2 4. Reinforcements and Replacements ............ 14 3. Game Set-up ............................................... 3 5 Poland ......................................................... 14 4. How to Win ................................................ 4 6. The Makhno Partisans ................................ 15 5. Sequence of Play ........................................ 4 7. Nationalist Garrisons .................................. 15 6. Initiative and Random Events .................... 5 8. Allied Withdrawal ....................................... 16 7. Activation and the Action Phase ................ 5 9. Winter ......................................................... 16 8. Zones of Control ........................................ 6 20. Special Units and Markers .......................... 16 9. Stacking ...................................................... 7 Strategy Notes ................................................... 19 0. Movement .................................................. 8 Design Notes ..................................................... 20 11. Combat ....................................................... 10 Historical Overview .......................................... 2 2 Supply and Rally ........................................ 12 Expanded
    [Show full text]
  • Nick Fielding
    Travellers in the Great Steppe FROM THE PAPAL ENVOYS TO THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION NICK FIELDING “In writing this book I have tried to explain some of the historical events that have affected those living in the Great Steppe – not an easy task, as there is little study of this subject in the English language. And the disputes between the Russians and their neighbours and between the Bashkirs, the Kazakhs, the Turkomans, the Kyrgyz and the Kalmyks – not to mention the Djungars, the Dungans, the Nogai, the Mongols, the Uighurs and countless others – means that this is not a subject for the faint-hearted. Nonetheless, I hope that the writings referred to in this book have been put into the right historical context. The reasons why outsiders travelled to the Great Steppe varied over time and in themselves provide a different kind of history. Some of these travellers, particularly the women, have been forgotten by modern readers. Hopefully this book will stimulate you the reader to track down some of the long- forgotten classics mentioned within. Personally, I do not think the steppe culture described so vividly by travellers in these pages will ever fully disappear. The steppe is truly vast and can swallow whole cities with ease. Landscape has a close relationship with culture – and the former usually dominates the latter. Whatever happens, it will be many years before the Great Steppe finally gives up all its secrets. This book aims to provide just a glimpse of some of them.” From the author’s introduction. TRAVELLERS IN THE GREAT STEPPE For my fair Rosamund TRAVELLERS IN THE GREAT STEPPE From the Papal Envoys to the Russian Revolution NICK FIELDING SIGNAL BOOKS .
    [Show full text]
  • The Northern Routeing in the Arctic Sea and Russian History
    講演(02) The Northern Routeing in the Arctic Sea and Russian History Leonid M. Mitnik V.I. Il'ichev Pacific Oceanological Institute FEB RAS 690041 Vladivostok, Russia, e-mail: [email protected] “History is a lantern to the future, which shines to us from the past” (V.О. Klyuchevskiy, 1841-1911) “The history of the exploration of the North is full of heroic spirit and tragedy, voyages and expeditions that were accompanied with the geographical discoveries, the history of scientific studies, organization of a system of stationary and non-stationary observations, and creation of the scientific–technical support service for the Northern Sea Route (NSR) is a history of a fierce battle against the incredibly severe conditions of the Arctic”. The motivation to navigate the Northeast Passage was initially economic. In Russia the idea of a possible seaway connecting the Atlantic and the Pacific was first put forward by the diplomat Gerasimov in 1525. However, Russian settlers and traders on the coasts of the White Sea, the Pomors, had been exploring parts of the route as early as the 11th century. By the 17th century they established a continuous sea route from Arkhangelsk as far east as the mouth of Yenisey. This route, known as Mangazeya seaway, after its eastern terminus, the trade depot of Mangazeya, was an early precursor to the Northern Sea Route. Western parts of the passage were simultaneously being explored by Northern European countries, looking for an alternative seaway to China and India. Although these expeditions failed, new coasts and islands were discovered. Most notable is the 1596 expedition led by Dutch navigator Willem Barentz who discovered Spitsbergen and Bear Island and rounded the north of Novaya Zemlya.
    [Show full text]
  • The Ultimate Household Management Planner Book : Aqua and Silver Floral
    THE ULTIMATE HOUSEHOLD MANAGEMENT PLANNER BOOK : AQUA AND SILVER FLORAL - HOME TRACKER - FAMILY RECORD - CALENDAR - CONTACTS - PASSWORD - SCHOOL - MEDICAL DENTAL BABYSITTER - GOALS FINANCIAL BUDGET EXPENSE Author: Household Planner Queen Number of Pages: 122 pages Published Date: 31 Aug 2019 Publisher: Independently Published Publication Country: none Language: English ISBN: 9781689669788 DOWNLOAD: THE ULTIMATE HOUSEHOLD MANAGEMENT PLANNER BOOK : AQUA AND SILVER FLORAL - HOME TRACKER - FAMILY RECORD - CALENDAR - CONTACTS - PASSWORD - SCHOOL - MEDICAL DENTAL BABYSITTER - GOALS FINANCIAL BUDGET EXPENSE The Ultimate Household Management Planner Book : Aqua And Silver Floral - Home Tracker - Family Record - Calendar - Contacts - Password - School - Medical Dental Babysitter - Goals Financial Budget Expense PDF Book With real-world use cases associated with each data structure, the book explains which data structure should be used to achieve the desired results in the real world. Ritchie; and from Copenhagen, V. Students respond to the straightforward and thoughtful concepts, puzzles, trivia, clever comics, and friendly voice because they were created specifically for their developmental level. You'll learn to: Create a realistic plan for reaching your financial goals Find cash you didn't know you had Talk to creditors when they call Build - and stick to - a budget Get help with catastrophic medical bills No matter how you got into a financial crisis, it's never too late to take steps to turn things around. Impact of a Residential Sprinkler on the Heat Release Rate of a Christmas Tree FireEvery sensitive therapist intuits the wealth of meaning that resides in nonverbal behavior. Whether you have prediabetes or diabetes--or you want to avoid them--this plan can help you succeed.
    [Show full text]
  • University of Florida Thesis Or Dissertation Formatting Template
    NAVIGATING THE ‘DRUNKEN REPUBLIC’: THE JUNO AND THE RUSSIAN AMERICAN FRONTIER, 1799-1811 By TOBIN JEREL SHOREY A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2014 © 2014 Tobin Jerel Shorey To my family, friends, and faculty mentors ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would first like to thank my parents and family, whose love and dedication to my education made this possible. I would also like to thank my wife, Christy, for the support and encouragement she has given me. In addition, I would like to extend my appreciation to my friends, who provided editorial comments and inspiration. To my colleagues Rachel Rothstein and Lisa Booth, thank you for all the lunches, discussions, and commiseration. This work would not have been possible without the support of all of the faculty members I have had the pleasure to work with over the years. I also appreciate the efforts of my PhD committee members in making this dream a reality: Stuart Finkel, Alice Freifeld, Peter Bergmann, Matthew Jacobs, and James Goodwin. Finally, I would like to thank the University of Florida for the opportunities I have been afforded to complete my education. 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................... 4 LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................... 8 ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Tara and Omsk: Western Siberian Architectural Heritage in Historical Context
    Journal of Siberian Federal University. Humanities & Social Sciences 10 (2017 10) 1462-1484 ~ ~ ~ УДК 72.035(571) Tara and Omsk: Western Siberian Architectural Heritage in Historical Context William C. Brumfield* Tulane University New Orleans, Louisiana, USA Received 01.05.2017, received in revised form 05.10.2017, accepted 12.10.2017 The Omsk region has played a major role in the development of Siberia. The article examines the region’s architectural heritage in its historical context, beginning with the small town of Tara, founded at the end of the sixteenth century. The main part of the article focuses on the prerevolutionary architecture of Omsk from the late eighteenth to the early twentieth centuries. The analysis includes churches, houses, commercial and civic buildings. The architectural styles range from Neoclassicism and Eclecticism to the style moderne and the Neoclassical Revival. The opening of the Trans-Siberian Railroad led to a construction boom with major commercial buildings resembling those of St. Petersburg. Keywords: Siberian architecture, Trans-Siberian Railroad, Tiumen, Tobolsk, Omsk, Tara, Tsar Feodor, Irtysh River, Yermak, Khan Kuchum, Andrei Yeletskii, Time of Troubles, Mikhail Romanov, Old Believers, Peter the Great, Ivan Bukholts, Catherine the Great, Ivan Shpringer, Nicholas I, Vasilii Stasov, Gustav Gasford, Fedor Dostoevskii, style moderne, Nikolai Verevkin, Fedor Lidval, Ivan Zholtovskii, Leonid Chernyshev, Andrei Kriachkov, Alexander Kolchak, Russo-Asiatic Bank. DOI: 10.17516/1997-1370-0148. Research area: сulturology. As the Trans-Siberian Railroad moves the capital of Omsk oblast’. From the beginning southeast beyond Tiumen, the landscape becomes of Russian presence in this area at the end of the flatter and the rich fields of western Siberia sixteenth century, this new southern flank was unfold in a southerly direction towards Omsk.
    [Show full text]
  • Історичні Науки for Questions Systematization
    30 «Молодий вчений» • № 1 (03) • січень, 2014 р. UDС 396 FOR QUESTIONS SYSTEMATIZATION HISTORY OF THE COSSACKS Erokhin I.Ur. Croydon College, London, U.K. History of the Cossacks is currently of great interest of researchers in Russia and Ukraine. Questions of history of the Cossacks are poorly structured in a global context. This article is an attempt to identify the key points to the genesis of the Cossack community. Key words: Cossacks, ethnicity, class, history, Russia, culture, traditions. veryone knows about the Cossacks, inde- Having appeared on the southern expanses of Ependently on the interest to the history. so called «Wild Field», the first communities of Cossacks appear on the pages of textbooks each free Cossacks were real democratic commune for- time when the major events of Russian State his- mations [2]. The basic principles of their inner or- tory are described. But what is known about them? ganization were personal freedom of all the partic- Where do they originate from? ipants, social equality, mutual respect, possibility The term «Cossack» was first mentioned in for every Cossack to express freely his point of the sources of the XIII century, in particular in view at the Kazachiy Krug, which was the upper «The Secret History of the Mongols» (1240) and power-administrative body of the Cossack com- according to different versions has Turkic, Mon- mune, to choose and be chosen as the supreme gol, Adighe – Abkhazian or Indo-European origin. official person, ataman, who was the leader among The meaning of the term which later became an the equals. ethnonym is also defined variously: a free man, The bright principles of liberty, equality and light-horseman, fugitive, lonely man an others [1].
    [Show full text]
  • The Historic Architectural Legacy of the Chita Region in Eastern Siberia
    Journal of Siberian Federal University. Humanities & Social Sciences 6 (2018 11) 874-902 ~ ~ ~ УДК 82.091:72.035 The Historic Architectural Legacy of the Chita Region in Eastern Siberia William C. Brumfield* Tulane University New Orleans, Louisiana, USA Received 12.04.2018, received in revised form 05.06.2018, accepted 12.06.2018 The article places the architectural heritage of the Chita territory (now known as Zabaikalskii krai) with a historical context extending from the mid-seventeenth century to the Soviet period. After a survey of events that led to Russian expansion and consolidation in the area, the text focuses on the architectural history of two urban centers: Nerchinsk and Chita. Each town was closely connected with the China trade. The article notes the work of Mikhail Butin, an entrepreneur and author who created an extensive base of operations in Nerchinsk. Special attention is given to George Kennan’s notes on Nerchinsk in his two-volume work Siberia and the Exile System. Also included are Anton Chekhov’s impressions. The latter part of the article traces the rise of Chita with the rapid development of the Trans-Siberian Railway at the turn of the twentieth century. Also noted are events surrounding the revolutions of 1905 and 1917, as well as the Russian Civil War. Keywords: Architecture in Siberia, Chita, Nerchinsk, Albazin, Irkutsk, Lake Baikal, Ingoda River, Shilka River, Tsar Aleksei Mikhailovich, Peter Beketov, Afanasii Pashkov, Avvakum, Siberian Cossacks, Buriat people, Erofei Khabarov, Manchu Qing (Ch’ing) dynasty, Mikhail Butin, George Kennan, Siberia and the Exile System, Vasilii Kandinskii, Trans-Siberian Railway, Art nouveau design, style modern architecture, Aleksandr Vtorov, Chita synagogue, Ataman Grigorii Semenov.
    [Show full text]