In the extreme conditions of border life, not only the character of the Cossack warrior was forged, but also a completely special type of woman - the Cossack woman. When we say that the Cossacks mastered and cultivated the vast expanses of the Don, Kuban, Terek, and Urals, we must remember that to a large extent this was done by women’s hands.
The men were constantly on campaigns or at cordons, while the elderly, children and Cossack women remained at home. They cultivated fields, vegetable gardens, melon fields, vineyards, looked after livestock, and grew lush gardens in which the villages were buried. They harvested crops, baked bread, made preparations for the winter, cooked, sheathed the whole family, raised children, weaved, knitted, they could treat ailments and fix up the hut. The Cossack woman was not only a tireless worker, but also an organizer. Nominally, the large family group was led by an old grandfather, but not all Cossacks lived to see their gray hairs. The grandfather could already be incompetent or disabled. Back then, housework was organized by grandmothers, mothers and wives of the Cossacks. They distributed households, hired workers and supervised them. Cossack women also knew how to trade in order to convert part of the products into money and purchase what they needed. Russian peasant women did not know such initiative and independence.
But the Cossack woman could do more than just that. When enemies attacked, she took her husband’s saber and gun from the wall and fought to the death, protecting the children or giving them the opportunity to escape. Eight hundred Cossack women took part in the defense of Azov in 1641. And how many references are there in the 16th-18th centuries to attacks by steppe inhabitants on Don, Terek, Kuban, Volga, Ural, and Siberian towns? If the men were at home, the Cossack women sheltered children and livestock and acted as an “auxiliary force,” loading guns, helping to repair fortifications, putting out fires, and bandaging the wounded. And if the main protector of the family is absent or has already fallen, the Cossack woman herself became the protector. The markets of Crimea and Taman were crowded with Russian and Ukrainian polonyankas, but from the Cossack towns the predators stole only children and very young girls. The Cossacks did not surrender and fought to the end.
And they knew how to wait for their husbands like no one else. The Cossacks went on campaigns for years, often from one war to another; it is unknown whether they will return. And the Cossacks were waiting. Things were even worse in Siberia. For example, a certain Semyon Dezhnev was absent from home for nineteen years! And on the Don, when her husband returned from a campaign, the Cossack woman, meeting him, first of all bowed at the feet of Kotsyu. She thanked him for not letting her husband down in battle and for bringing her home safe and sound.
There was also a case, however, the only one, when a woman became a military chieftain. In the 18th century, Peter Taishin, a native of the Khan’s Kalmyk family, was baptized with his ulus. And then the Kalmyk horde fell apart, and quarrels began. The prince died, but his widow Princess Taishina with 2,400 subjects in 1739 asked to be allocated land for a settled settlement and to be accepted into service. A suitable place was found on the Volga, where the fortress of Stavropol (now Tolyatti) was built. These Kalmyks made up the Stavropol Cossack Army. And the princess was given the powers of a military chieftain, and was given a salary of 500 rubles. The rest of the foremen were also given salaries at the level of officers of the Don Army. And ordinary Cossacks served from land plots. A thousand retired soldiers and 2,500 peasants were assigned to the army. The soldiers were supposed to train the Kalmyks in garrison and guard service, and the peasants - in agriculture. Gradually they mixed, the main duty of the Stavropol residents was to protect the Samara-Ufa line - a branch of the Samara-Orenburg line. At the call of the Tsar, the Army sent one regiment to war. And Princess Taishina led the people of Stavropol until the end of her life. There are also cases where Cossack women became famous as warriors.
In 1770-1771, 517 families from the Volga Army were transferred to the Caucasus, founding five villages, with one hundred families each. There were constant fights here, and in addition, a war began with the Turks, who incited the highlanders to launch massive attacks. In June 1774, a nine-thousand army of Tatars and Chechens attacked Naurskaya. The village had not yet been rebuilt; an earthen rampart with several cannons was built from the defensive structures. And all the combat Cossacks went on a campaign - the mountaineers’ reconnaissance worked well, and they were counting on easy prey. But the Cossacks took up arms! And let us note that these were not Grebensk Cossack women, accustomed to the local military life, but who came from the relatively calm Volga. But one and a half to two hundred women with old men and young people bravely met the enemy. They shot from guns, chopped and stabbed those climbing the ramparts, dragged heavy cannons from place to place, meeting attacks with grapeshot. The siege lasted two days, and the enemy, leaving hundreds of corpses, left with nothing. In honor of this victory, on June 10-11, a “women’s holiday” was celebrated in Naurskaya.
Long before the ulana girl Durova, the Don Cossack girl Praskovya Kurkina also became famous. According to legends recorded in pre-revolutionary sources, she was a young, pretty widow from the village of Nagavskaya and led a not very ascetic lifestyle. Once in 1792 she started a fire, for which, according to Cossack laws, she should have been severely beaten. But Praskovya disappeared. She changed into men's clothes, took a weapon, probably left over from her husband, saddled a horse and headed off to the Polish war. She pretended to be a man and joined Balabin’s Cossack regiment. She took part in battles, was wounded, and received the rank of constable for repeated distinctions. Although it remains doubtful how the Cossacks did not see through it. Unlike the officer Durova, the Cossack woman did not have serf orderlies, and at the very first bathing of the horses the truth should have been revealed. Rather, they still knew, but kept quiet. And, probably, it was no coincidence that Colonel Balabin took “Cossack Kurkin” as his orderly. But Praskovya fought bravely, was promoted to cornet, and then to centurion. In 1794 she returned to the village, and her previous sins were no longer remembered; the entire Don recognized her as a heroine. However, Kurkina’s further adventures, for example, how the Cossacks sent her to petition the empress, obviously belong to the realm of legends.
By the way, the life of Cossack women in the 17th-12th centuries (and partly in the 19th) has generally been studied very poorly. Of course, their life was in many ways different from the paintings of the Quiet Don,” from what we know from pre-revolutionary memories. Just like the Cossacks of the First World War, they differed in many ways from their ancestors during the time of Suvorov. Thus, examples with the defense of Naurskaya and Kurkina show that Cossack women were good at shooting (including from cannons) and were proficient with edged weapons. When did they learn this? Where? In their youth, were they allowed to train along with the Cossacks? Or did mothers, fathers, husbands teach - just in case? Unfortunately, so far the sources are silent about this. The Cossack’s attitude towards a woman could indeed seem rude outwardly, with a demonstration of his own superiority, but it was often considered chivalrous.
Thus, Ataman Platov in 1816, in an order for the Don Army, wrote about the Cossack women: “Let their loyalty and zeal, and our gratitude for them, mutual respect and love, serve in later posterity as a rule for the behavior of Don women.” According to customs, the Cossack woman enjoyed such respect and respect that she did not need to be given additional male rights. And vice versa, the Cossack and even the village ataman had no right to interfere in women's affairs. The Cossack woman did not participate in the circles. had no voice at meetings; her interests were represented by her father, husband, and brother. But a single woman could choose any intercessor from among the villagers. And the widow or orphan was under the personal protection of the ataman and the council of elders, and if this was not enough, she could turn to the gathering herself. When talking to a woman at a circle or gathering, the Cossack was obliged to stand up, and if she was elderly, to take off his hat.
At village holidays, a Cossack woman, even if married, could dance with any Cossack. She could scratch her tongue with anyone on the street and flirt innocently. Cossack women did not suffer from any complexes in the area of gender relations; this area did not represent any “secrets” for them. In many places, whole families went to the bathhouse. In Siberia and Transbaikalia, a bathhouse was often built alone per village; washing men and women together was considered quite natural. But this, again, did not imply anything more. It's one thing to know. And another thing is to understand what is acceptable and what is not. The extent to which a Cossack woman could afford depended on her marital status. Freedom in communicating with men, frankness of conversations, jokes, acceptable flirting were different for girls, married, widows. But it was also a shame for a Cossack to break what was permitted. And in order not to be mistaken, there was a system of “identification” using women’s rings. Silver on the left hand means a girl of marriageable age, on the right hand she has already been matched. Ring with turquoise - the groom is serving. Gold on the right hand - married. On the left is a divorced or widow.
However, with the general high morality of Cossack women, some deviations were allowed. Thus, if a widow strictly “observed herself,” this was appreciated. But even in those cases, if she, especially a childless woman, welcomed men, this was not condemned by public morality. And when one or two “merry widows” lived in the village, they turned a blind eye to this (examples can also be found in Tolstoy). And Pushkin recorded a conversation between Cossacks returning from service in the Caucasus - it became known that one of them had an affair with his wife, and they discussed what was the best thing to do, teach her a lesson or forgive her? And the Cossacks came to the conclusion: it is better to forgive. And they often forgave, even those who had become “insolent” were recognized as their own - here we were talking about preserving the honor of the family and the well-being of the household. But the Cossacks also had divorce, even when it did not exist legally in Russia. For this, for example, Old Believers converted to official Orthodoxy or vice versa - and a marriage concluded in a “different faith” was considered invalid. Nevertheless, Cossack morality had a very negative attitude towards divorce.
People became Cossacks not only from birth. When a Cossack married a peasant woman, a recaptured Polonian woman, a captured Circassian woman or a Turkish woman, she automatically acquired the status of a full-fledged Cossack woman. Village residents, as a rule, treated such a woman kindly if she herself did not behave provocatively. She was forgiven for ignorance of customs or actions uncharacteristic of a Cossack woman. The women's community secretly took her under their protection and taught her, “lived into” her harm.
Portraits of Russian women from cities and villages
Krasnodar. Cossack wives
SmartNews compiled a portrait of a resident of Kuban
The beauty of Russian women is known all over the world. The images of Russian women are as diverse as the national color of our large country. And these differences are not only in appearance, but also in character, the formation of which was influenced by way of life, religion and culture. SmartNews selected the individual traits of Russian women from Kaliningrad to Sakhalin.
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Perhaps the Kuban woman can be described in one word - warrior. And only then add epithets: stately, faithful, proud. SmartNews has compiled a portrait of a real Kuban woman.
The Kuban woman traditionally carries through her entire image the history of the Kuban Cossacks, which is important for the entire region. Therefore, it is impossible to discuss how the image of a Kuban woman was formed, what formed the basis of her character, without delving into the history of the Kuban Cossacks.
— During the years of the Caucasian War, a new type of woman was formed, capable of replacing her husband not only in the economic sphere, but also in the military sphere. In the first decades of life in Kuban, women could cope with 3-4 enemies alone. Gradually, the tactics of mass defense of the villages by the female population also developed.
Many facts have been discovered of Cossack women participating in open competitions in horsemanship and horse riding, and even participating in “fists” - hand-to-hand combat, and winning prizes. And this despite the fact that the level of complexity of military training was quite high: in addition to the mandatory equestrian formations, overcoming obstacles on horseback, the training complex included acrobatic skills (targeted stone throws at full gallop, picking up objects from the ground while galloping, etc.). Shooting competitions might require the skill of hitting a coin in the outstretched hand of a standing person. Possession of a saber was mandatory.
Alla Tsibulnikova
It is no secret that the strong-willed character and this very image of a warrior, a strong, courageous woman developed over time thanks to the mixing of blood. Cossacks often took Kabardian, Nogay, and Circassian women as wives.
— As a result of many years of proximity to the mountain people, among the married Cossack women there were many women of local mountain origin, especially Chechens, Kabardians and Nogays.
Alla Tsibulnikova, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor
Alexander Rigelman, the first historian of the Cossacks, described the women of the Kuban and Don who lived in the 18th century.
“Their (Cossacks’) wives have round and ruddy faces, dark, large eyes, thick bodies and black hair, and are unfriendly to strangers.
Alexander Rigelman, first historian of the Cossacks
Children in Kuban are loved and pampered, but in moderation. In villages, children are more independent. They run all over the village, enter any yard - there are relatives everywhere. Often from an early age next to adults, in the garden.
Photo: courtesy of Maria Kim
— Kuban women know how to support their family and man. They have a sense of duty to their family. They are patriotic, love Kuban and Russia. Naturally, they have good children - moral, athletic, respectful of themselves and others. In connection with all these positive qualities, in my opinion, the role of Kuban women in power is great.
Victor Krokhmal, actual state councilor of the Russian Federation, Doctor of Economic Sciences
Mothers watch their children strictly. Since childhood, girls know how to make pancakes, cook borscht, and make winter rolls. All life is visible, so it is very important that the neighbors “don’t think anything.” They quarrel quietly, “they don’t wash dirty linen in public,” they scrub the windows every week and make sure that the house is sterilely clean. Devotion to the family hearth is still revered sacred to this day.
— They don’t like skinny people in Kuban. What kind of woman is this, breastless, and with bones showing? Real Cossacks don't like those. Our beauties are tall, stately, strong. And the borscht will be prepared so that you will lick your fingers. Yes, with lard, and with garlic... The lard, just so you know, must have a smell, it must be old. When the borscht is ready, lard is pounded with boiled potatoes and garlic, and the borscht is seasoned with this pounder. There was no buckwheat or rice porridge on the Cossack table. The Cossacks did not collect mushrooms, and there were no dumplings on the Cossack table. The women drank liqueur, which they prepared themselves, and the men drank moonshine, “kishmishovka” made from grapes. French grappa rests next to grape moonshine.
Irina Begun, chef of the restaurant “Cossack Kuren”, hereditary Cossack woman
The fact that the girls in Kuban are far from being fluffy is immediately obvious - strong, healthy-looking, smiling, with sparkling eyes. The image of a real Kuban beauty was very successful for actress Klara Luchko. As an example of a Kuban woman, a monument was even erected to her in Kuban. The actress herself said that she was three times Cossack. By roots and roles - she played in the films “Kuban Cossacks” and “Gypsy”.
“I’ve seen a lot of beauties in my life.” And eastern, and western, and our Caucasian mountain women. Nice girls, you can't say anything. But ours, the Kuban ones, are different. You can see it right away - the skin is peachy - this is not a salon, but the sun has worked hard. The hair is thick and light brown. The braid is tight, as thick as your hand. The girls swim beautifully and jump from towers. Many people are fond of horse riding and go hiking. And the character is strong.
Elena Prozhogina, teacher-consultant of the Kuban Beauty competition
According to statistics, women in Kuban build their personal lives, as a rule, until they are 25 years old. So, at the age of 25-29, 674 girls out of 1000 are married. While young people at this age are married, 592 out of the same 1000. However, already in the next age category - 30-34 years old - the number of married women for some reason decreases, and the number of married men increases.
On traditional holidays in Kuban, it is customary to wear traditional Kuban costumes, which at one time fashion historian Alexander Vasiliev, for some reason, called vulgar, and with them the image of Kuban women in general.
— The European woman wants to be rather inconspicuous, rather seeks elegance, seeks individuality, seeks hidden chic. And a Russian woman wants to show off her natural beauty - a deep neckline, thin waist, wide hips. High heels, glued-on nails, “perhydrol” hair - she often looks vulgar. Especially, of course, in the southern regions of Russia it blooms with a bright flame. Why? Lack of men, the desire to find one’s place in the sun, the desire to express oneself.
Alexander Vasiliev, fashion historian
Nevertheless, there are plenty of men in Kuban, and a thin waist has never been a disadvantage. And today’s young women in Kuban dress stylishly, individually and not without southern chic.
— The traditional women's costume in Kuban was modest. Consisted of a skirt and jacket, the so-called “couple”. The suit was made from factory fabrics - silk, wool, velvet, calico. Sweatshirts, or “bowls,” came in a variety of styles: fitted, at the hips, with a “basque” frill, long sleeves, smooth at the shoulder or strongly gathered with “puffs,” on high or narrow cuffs, a stand-up collar or cut at neck volume. Elegant blouses were decorated with braid, lace, stitches, garus, and beads. The skirt at the bottom was decorated with lace, frills, cord, and small folds. An underskirt - a “split” - is an essential part of a woman’s costume. It was made from thin white or light fabric with lace, often decorated with embroidery. It is important to note age differences in clothing. The most colorful and best quality material was the costume of girls or young women. By the age of 35, women preferred to dress in darker, plain clothes with a simplified cut. There are beautiful silk scarves on the head, and ankle boots on the feet. The girls have ribbons in their hair instead of scarves.
Valery Malinsky, designer, art teacher
From the comments:
— Strong and strong-willed women. What kind of men they have then, I’m at a loss. After all, to tame one like this you need a real Cossack.
Marina Alekhina, administrator
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- I think that this description is more suitable for women who lived like this 50-70 years ago. Now the morals and customs are slightly different.
Sergey Antonov
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— I was still waiting for them to tell about our Kubanks))). It's exaggerated, of course, but there's not much truth to it. The character is strong, obstinate - because the mountains are nearby. They dress colorfully - yes, well, this is the south, like a Brazilian carnival)). They forgot to say that the Cossacks came from Ukraine and many of their features came from Ukrainians. Well, the men, yes... they have grown up with us... The women are in charge.
Marmelatto Cat
Lyudmila Shalagina, Nelly Shestopalova, Ksenia Gagai,
Marina Alekhina, Sergey Antonov, Marmelatto Cat
SmartNews, August 31, 2013
Don Cossack women... Independent, proud, strong, but incredibly feminine and alluring. Can a woman combine masculine and feminine qualities equally and remain alluring and magnetic? The Don Cossacks are an example of this!
The Cossacks had a respectful attitude towards women, for example, the Deanery Charter of 1794 stated: “If anyone... in the presence of a woman uses abusive or obscene words, he will be charged a fine, half a day’s detention in a restraining house and taken into custody.” Of course, the character of Cossack women was shaped by the attitude of men. They themselves did not allow themselves too much in their interactions with men, although their temperament clearly stood out: not with rude words, but with a sense of justice, a demand for self-respect.
Kazak V.A. Dronov in his book “Cossack Prisud” wrote that “Women were a special clan, with their own customs. A Cossack woman could receive a medal “For Diligence” for homeliness, decent behavior, and if she equipped at least three sons for service. Such women were honored and respected, the Ataman himself bowed his head before them.”
Secrets of the feminine power of Don Cossack women
1. The power of the Family.
Cossack women very correctly understood the power of the feminine gender and adamantly observed traditions. The eldest woman, the grandmother, played a special role in the Cossack house. She was the keeper of family traditions. She raised her teenage grandchildren, who called her grandma. Everyone knows how proud Cossack women were of their origin - “I’m not a pain, I’m a Cossack”, how they avoided marriages with non-residents, and were unfriendly with strangers. The Cossacks stubbornly preserved their tribal identity, most of all with the help of women, jealous guardians of ancient customs and purity of blood. Constantly being away from their home, the Cossacks learned to appreciate and love their women. The theme of love for mother and wife is one of the main ones in Cossack songs. And there are many tales, legends and traditions not only in Russia about the love for the native land, for brotherhood, which was raised by a Cossack mother. The correct and fraternal life of the Cossacks strongly tied them to their native land. The feeling of imitation in behavior, actions, and clothing was alien to the Cossack woman. She always emphasized that she belonged to the Cossack people, both in clothing and in conversation, and was proud of it. Marrying someone other than a Cossack was considered a disgrace.
2. Orthodox faith.
Don Cossack women were pious and religious. Strong faith and prayer in front of the images of saints protected women from misfortune and various troubles. Don Cossack women did not miss a single church service on weekdays, not to mention Sundays and other holidays. We fasted twice a year - during Lent and on the Savior Day, in August. “Our kuren is full of icons, in almost every corner, and in front of them lamps burn unquenchably. It smells like burning wood oil, incense, wax and something else churchly,” recalled Cossack Vasily Zaporozhtsev from the village of Bessergenevskaya. Traditions. “Take yourself a zhinka from the outside,” says a Cossack proverb. By the way, the wedding ceremony arose back in the sixteenth century, when the family gave the go-ahead for the wedding, after which the bride and groom were married near a willow tree. By the way, a bride who did not know the Psalter and Book of Hours and could not read Church Slavonic was considered bad
3. Women's responsibilities.
Girls were taught to sew from the age of five or six. Moreover, the little ones learned to sew and knit precisely magical signs that protect against evil spirits. The symbolism of the Don Cossacks had many interpretations. Protective amulets were closely related to Slavic ones and had a lot in common. First, the girl embroidered the protection of the Family, the family, then she embroidered protective ornaments from evil forces and envy. Growing up, the grandmother taught her granddaughter to embroider an ornament for the wedding, so that the wedding would take place under the cover of protective forces, and the bride and groom would be passionately loved by each other. At the age of seven, young Cossack girls began to learn how to cook food, and this was not an easy task in a Cossack home. For example, on holidays they served dulma with cabbage, cucumbers or eggplants, wild duck soup, licks with a side dish of pickles, jelly, sec, strips of pig, goose, turkey, boiled wild boar meat, bustards and much more. From an early age, the future mother - a Cossack girl - was taken by her grandmother or mother during the period of ripening of herbs to the steppe or mountains to collect medicinal herbs and flowers, and explained which herb or flower was for which ailment. By the way, the Cossack girl was free in her personal life. Her parents did not infringe on her will and did not marry her off without her consent. In the event of an unsuccessful marriage, she could obtain public support for divorce.
4. Kindness.
Cossack women were generous with alms, fed the poor, treated nuns, and honored clergy. On a voluntary basis, Cossack women went to clean the church, provide assistance, build huts, and in all cases when someone needed outside help. Nobody forced, obliged, or organized, and everyone knew that if I didn’t come, then they wouldn’t come to me. All the Cossack women of the village and village knew each other from an early age, they knew what their “needs” were, and without any prompting, based on their capabilities and income, they helped.
5. Cleanliness.
Do you remember at one of the seminars I told you how important it is for a woman to keep her house clean? A dirty house (room) is a breeding ground for negative energies. The Don Cossack women knew this like no one else. This was noted by historian G.V. Gubarev. “Failing to clean the smoking area and letting your husband and children out in an untidy state means for a Cossack woman to lose her human dignity.” In addition to daily cleaning, the smokehouses were thoroughly washed inside and out for Easter, Christmas and the feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul.
6. Playfulness.
It is known that at village holidays there were merry dances, at which even a married Cossack woman was not forbidden to dance with any man. She could also flirt on the street. Writer Leo Tolstoy, describing the life of the village of Novomlinskaya in the story “Cossacks”, cites scenes of free “not enslaved” behavior of girls and women. And although the events take place on the Terek, ethnographers see many similarities with the Don way of life. But this does not mean that the Cossack woman crossed the boundaries of flirting. Basically, that’s where it all ended. Don Cossack women have always been famous for their loyalty and devotion not only to their husbands, but also to their home, their clan.
Cossacks with a masculine character
Remember the “Yin-Yang” sign, which the ancient Taoists loved so much. It seems to us that it is also very simple and understandable. But if you look closely, you will see that in the womb of the female yin energy there is a round island of yang energy, and vice versa. The Yesena Women's Association is always trying to remind our members, our dear women, that there are almost no women with 100% feminine energy. Each of us has masculine qualities, and this is very good. After all, if we were so overly smooth, slow, spreading along the tree, would we be able to make a career, gain authority among colleagues, achieve the fulfillment of our desires? But willpower is a completely yang quality! What Vedic teachers taught us for several years (the essence of a woman is only to serve a man and there should be no male energy) - we will leave it to those who want to believe it. Before us is history. The history of Don families, in which Cossack women had undeniable authority and drove the Cossacks crazy. This secret was in their completeness, harmony, in the correct fusion of elements. Along with her courageous character, the Don Cossack woman had tenderness and homeliness. She was a wonderful wife, and at the same time she knew how to protect her home and family if necessary.
The editor of the “Don Regional Gazette” Semyon Nomikosov, compiling the “Statistical Description of the Region of the Don Army,” gave the following description of the Don Cossack woman: “She knew how to keep the need out of the house in the absence of a Cossack breadwinner, knew how to buy bread and livestock and knew how to keep her property from the steppe predators."
It is no secret that Don Cossack women could shoot from a gun or chop with a saber. There were real heroines among them, who were spoken of with respect on the Don. History remembers the defense of Azov (in 1641), at that time the new Cossack capital. The fortress was attacked by 227 thousand Janissaries, spagi and mercenary foreigners of the Silistrian Pasha Hussey Delius and the Crimean Khan Begadyr Girey. They were opposed by a six-thousand-strong Cossack garrison, as well as eight hundred Cossack women, who not only loaded their husbands’ guns, but also shot accurately at the Turks themselves.
The beauty of the Don Cossacks
Many foreigners who visited Russia admired Russian women, but Cossack women were distinguished by their special beauty, intelligence and strength. We find a lot of evidence of this in the notes of our compatriots. The artist V. Surikov, who came from an ancient Yenisei Cossack family, left the following memories: “My cousin sisters are girls just like the ones in the epics about twelve sisters. The girls had a special beauty: ancient, Russian. They themselves are strong and strong. The hair is wonderful. Everything breathed health.”
The strength of their special beauty was the mixture of Slavic features with mountain-steppe features. Probably, more than anyone else, the ancient saying that “A woman comes into the world to exalt it with her beauty, maternal kindness and love” applies to the Cossack woman. The whole appearance of a Cossack woman breathes with grace and the consciousness of her charm, and what is first seen in a Cossack woman is speed and agility in actions and deeds. L.N. In his story “Cossacks,” Tolstoy, noting the beauty features of Cossack women, emphasizes that panache and grace in clothing and hut decoration are a habit and a necessity in their lives. The Cossack, who, in front of strangers, as required by etiquette, considered it indecent to speak affectionately and idly with his wife, involuntarily felt her superiority, remaining with her face to face.
In 1816, Ataman Platov issued an order that said: “Let the loyalty and diligence of their (Cossack women), and our gratitude for them, mutual respect and love, serve in later posterity as a rule for the behavior of Don wives.”
I prepared this article for almost a week, studying a lot of material about Don Cossack women. And so, at the end, I talked with my teacher of Russian and literature and asked me to name the main features of the Don Cossack woman, based on works of Russian literature. The teacher told me: “Let me describe Aksinya to you.” And this is what a woman told me, completely far from our energy practices.
1. External and internal beauty
2. Devotion to family and home, meaningful submission to husband
3. Pride and humility at the same time
4. Honoring and respecting the traditions of the older generation
5. Sensual and attractive nature of a woman
I heard this characteristic and realized that I had written the right article. Thank you if you read it in its entirety! I can only wish that in every family, to this day, ancestral traditions are valued, and that women harmoniously combine different traits of their character, directing them in the right direction, which would cause in men an irresistible desire to be the best husband for this proud, fair woman. and a gentle woman.
Yesena Women's Association and its leader Ksenia.
The life of Cossack women in the border steppes of the Don and the Urals, Terek and Kuban was filled with anxiety. Over the centuries, this has forged their extraordinary character, which distinguishes them from Russian women of the middle zone and representatives of other ethnic groups of Russia. Harmoniously combining femininity and courage, meekness and love of freedom, selfless love for family and devotion to the fatherland, they, along with men, are involved in the formation of a bright image of the Cossacks.
To become special
Every traveler or researcher, meeting a “Cossack woman,” certainly noted in his notes her special appearance and beauty. Having absorbed the features of once captive Persian, Circassian and Turkish women, they caressed the eye with the prettiness of their faces, combined, according to Leo Tolstoy, with the strong physique of a northern woman.
The playwright Alexander Dumas Sr., who made a voyage through the Caucasus in the late 60s of the 19th century, saw in the brave Cossack women “a Russian oval face, but a slender figure - the figure of a woman in mountainous countries.”
In turn, Alexander Rigelman, who studied the Cossacks, praised their “ruddy-round faces,” dark thick hair and large black eyes, which, along with “cheeks full of life,” were noted in his works by Vasily Sukhorukov.
Place in society
According to publicist Valery Shambarov, Cossack women, unlike Russian women, had much greater personal freedom and respect in society.
No one, not even her father or the Cossack circle, could force a young girl to marry against her will. In addition, marriageable Cossack women were not forbidden to flirt, talk, dance, drink wine and even kiss innocently with male villagers during the holidays. In some places, for example, in the village of Novomlinskaya, even married Cossack women could behave in a similar way, but both the former and the latter never went beyond the bounds of honor, since the loss of it was akin to social death.
Although officially Cossack women were deprived of the right to vote at the village meeting, since this was considered a male occupation, her interests could be represented by her father, husband or brother. A woman without a family and a father could ask any village resident to become her representative, and orphans or widows automatically fell under the special protection of the ataman, and moreover, had the opportunity to personally attend the Cossack circle.
Role in the family
Alexey Ozerov, analyzing the role of a Cossack woman in the family, notes the gentlemanly attitude of her husband towards her, who acted as her protector, and not a ruler and enslaver.
Ethnographer Valentin Shumov, declaring the special position of Cossack women, refers to the words of the German naturalist Ivan Georgi, who noted in the 18th century that “Cossack husbands treat their wives more kindly than usual in Russia, and therefore they are more cheerful, lively, more prudent and handsome.”
Every self-respecting Cossack was guided in his family life by the testament of Ataman Platov, who advised the following: “Let their loyalty and diligence, and our gratitude for them, mutual respect and love, serve in later posterity as a rule for the behavior of the Don’s wives.”
Perky Cossack women, for the most part, repaid their spouses with fidelity, raised their children in the spirit of true Cossacks and protected their tribal customs in every possible way.
In the absence of her husband
Cossack women spent a significant part of their lives in the absence of their husbands, who were either at the cordons or participating in military operations. At these stages, the nominal head of the family was the grandfather, who did not participate in campaigns due to his age, but in clans where he either died or was incapacitated, women took the reins of government into their own hands.
So, in addition to economic and educational responsibilities, organizational male concerns fell on their shoulders: Cossack women independently hired workers, planted fields, harvested crops, and were personally involved in trading surplus products. They, as V. Shambarov assures, coped not only with sewing and cooking, but with fixing up the house and providing voluntary assistance to each other, since “everyone knew that if I didn’t come, then they wouldn’t come to me.”
According to the historian Elena Godovova, such initiative and autonomy in decision-making strikingly distinguished the Russian peasant woman from the emancipated, but submissive Cossack woman to her husband.
This same trait of Cossack women is evidenced by a note in Semyon Nomikosov’s “Statistical Description of the Don Army Region” published at the end of the 19th century, where it is recorded: “Due to the peculiarities of military life on the Don, a special type of woman has historically been developed - a tireless worker who boldly and energetically takes on everything the labors of a man who keeps up everywhere and manages to do everything.”
Brave character
This lifestyle contributed to the physical development of the Cossack woman and the development of indomitability, perseverance, efficiency and masculinity in her character.
A diligent mother, an honest wife and a clean housewife, in moments of danger she forgot about belonging to the weaker sex and, together with the Cossacks, bravely participated in the defense of the village, and therefore the family hearth.
Knowing the secrets of handling a sword and a gun, the Cossack woman, according to ethnographer G. Gubarev, showed “fearless determination. On the river... she handled a skiff, rode on horseback, and deftly wielded a lasso and weapon. She knew how to protect her children and her chicken..."
The history of the Cossacks of Russia in the 16th–18th centuries is replete with references to the heroic self-defense of the Siberian and Volga, Terek and Kuban, Don and Ural villages by the forces of not only Cossacks, but also Cossack women, who preferred death to shameful captivity.
Many ethnographers do not consider the Cossacks to be a separate people. They are called a social group or even a special military class that is part of the Russian ethnic group. The Cossacks themselves fundamentally disagree with this statement, defending their original culture, unique customs and traditions of the steppe freemen. One of the features of this people is the large number of mixed marriages that took place in the 16th-18th centuries between Don Cossacks, for example, and captured Turkish women.
Special customs
Let's start with the fact that the word “Cossack” is of Turkic origin and translated into Russian means “free, free.” About five or six centuries ago, this was the name given to many people who preferred personal freedom to the narrow framework of laws established by official authorities. The name “Cossack” was well known both in Russia and in Central Asia.
Starting from the 15th century, young men began to flock to the free banks of the Don, who did not want to be slaves of the boyars, bend their backs to the landowners, and depend on the arbitrariness and tyranny of various authorities: from the clerk to the state councilor. Some of the future Cossacks were fugitives, others were adventurers and adventurers. But the majority strove precisely for independence. These people created a special social organization called the Cossack Circle, where a variety of issues were resolved at the community council - from an economic dispute to a declaration of war.
Since there were almost no women among the fugitives, very soon these closed men's associations were faced with a problem: how to improve their personal lives? Every person needs family, care and procreation. There is an abundance of male strength, energy and desires, but who should I give them to? So the Cossacks began to steal girls and women from the Circassians, Nogais and other neighboring peoples, and from numerous campaigns, in addition to the stolen goods, they brought Turkish, Persian, Kalmyk women as brides...
Therefore, there is nothing strange in the fact that the daring chieftain Stenka Razin, as the famous song says, kidnapped the Persian princess. True, this caused discontent among his dashing comrades: “He traded us for a woman.” And he threw the beauty into the Volga water, demonstrating that for him the opinion of his brothers in arms is more important than any woman. Still, initially a free community is a union of men.
Although, to the credit of the Cossacks, it should be said that they did not have the custom of having numerous concubines in addition to their official spouse, as was established in Central Asia, where captives were kept as sex slaves. The community way of life, when all issues - including personal life - are decided by the Cossack circle, did not assume this. The Cossacks would consider the cohabitation of married men with captive women to be debauchery. And they were very harsh people. The rule was simple: once you stole a beauty, tore your father and mother away from your family, marry according to the law. And what kind of man would bring home a girl if he doesn’t like her? That is why there was talk about the beauty of captured Turkish and Persian women, stolen Circassian women.
War and personal life
If there was one thing the Cossacks had no shortage of, it was wars. The southern borders of our country had to be constantly protected from numerous enemies. Residents of the Don served the Russian tsars in exchange for recognition of their freedom - the right to live according to their own rules. The official status of the border army was assigned to the Cossacks by decree of the second representative of the Romanov dynasty - Alexei Mikhailovich (1629-1676).
Russia fought especially often with Turkey. From 1568 to 1878, there were seven Russian-Turkish wars and two more military conflicts: in Azov at the end of the 17th century and the Prut campaign in 1711. The most active participants in all these campaigns were the Don Cossacks. They often brought home captive girls. For example, it is known that in 1635, after a military clash with the Turks living on the coast of the Taganrog Bay - on Cape Chumbur and the Pavlo-Ochakovskaya Spit, the Cossacks captured 1,735 (!) representatives of the fair sex. Such women were called yasyrs. And children born as a result of marriages with Turkish, Circassian, Persian and other women of other faiths were called “boldyrs” on the Don. The surnames Boldyrevs, Tatarkins, Turchanininovs are quite common among the Cossacks, they all testify to the origin of their bearers.
This fact is reflected in the literature. It is no coincidence that Mikhail Sholokhov in his legendary novel “Quiet Don” made the grandmother of the main character Grigory Melekhov a Turkish woman brought back from a campaign. However, Cossack women were also captured by infidels. They became their wives and gave birth to children. Sometimes they returned to their native villages with their sons and daughters and got married again, since it was not accepted to remain a single mother living without support. In general, on the Don they believed that there were no other people’s children. The descendants of Turks and Tatars adopted by the Cossacks were called Tumins. This is where the surnames Tuminov and Tuminkin came from.
A separate people
Oddly enough, Cossacks rarely married Russian girls and Ukrainians. Even in the 18th century, when settlers from the northern regions began to populate the Don lands without joining the local freemen, freedom-loving people wanted to distance themselves as much as possible from the newcomer Russians. The Cossacks wanted to preserve their own way of life and probably saw strangers as a threat to their identity. Moreover, by that time the demographic problem had been solved, and there were many beauties in the Don villages. Marrying someone other than a Cossack woman has become reprehensible.
Songs and poems glorify the beauty, beauty and freedom-loving nature of the inhabitants of the Don villages. Thus, the historian Vasily Sukhorukov (1795-1841) wrote that the origin of the Cossacks was significantly influenced by the mixture of Slavic and Turkish blood, and therefore on the Don women have “fiery black eyes” and a healthy blush on their cheeks, and also love bright outfits. The clothes of Polonyanka left a big imprint on the traditional costume of Cossack women.
Constant wars, to which men went, taught women from the Don villages to be independent. They raised children and deftly managed not only the household, but also weapons, and did not allow themselves to become slack, fearing for their sons, brothers and husbands who had gone to the front.