Identity formation in the Russian Cossack revival

COSSACKS, THE FIERCE WARRIORS ON HORSEBACK who ruthlessly pushed back the Russian frontier in the name of the tsars, seemingly passed into history with the rise of the communist regime and the modem Soviet army. Recent years, however, have witnessed a sudden and dramatic resurrection of the Cossacks as a distinct group and social force in the former Soviet Union. As Gorbachev presided over a crumbling Soviet empire, descendants of the Cossacks began to shake the dust off their grandfathers' uniforms and to proselytize for a renewed kazachestvo, or Cossackdom, with its historic role of 'defending the Fatherland'. With a programme that is nationalistic at a basic level, today's Cossack revival movement is an interesting case study for the overall emergence of nationalist movements in all areas of the former Soviet Union. Significantly, the Cossacks base their programme and identity on a revival of their historical traditions in the context of the current period of social change. This article explores, first, the major elements at work in the process of modem Cossack identity formation and revival, and, second, the unifying ideals for the revival movement. It focuses solely on the Russian Cossacks, or those who are loyal to the modern Russian state, including those living beyond the boundaries of Russia in other former Soviet republics. The observations presented are based on an analysis of current Russian Cossack publications and personal interviews with members of the Cossack revival movement in various areas of Russia.