REVISITED THEORIES ABOUT "LIBERTIES"

AND STATEHOOD OF COSSACKS

Yerokhin I.Yu.

Croydon College, London, Great Britain

Abstract: Cossacks originated as a free ethnic group in Rus. The concept of "Cossack ethnicity" was introduced into practice. The situation changes drastically in the course of historical development when the Cossack community is drawn to the military and government service. A new Cossacks state ideology was formed, transforming ethnicity into a military class. Up to the present time there continues to exist an ideology of a free nation and a worldview of state noblemen. They may come into conflict with each other. The study of Cossack history and their state ideological orientation is an important factor in a number of sciences – history, economics, pedagogy, philosophy, and sociology.

Key words and phrases: Cossacks, Cossack liberties, Cossack privileges, Cossack ethnic group, Cossack class, state and power, Cossack states, independence.

From their very appearance Cossacks were formed solely as a freedom-loving, proud-hearted and rebellious ethnic group. In historical science, we find a lot of confirmations and evidences to this. It is difficult to name another cultural and social ethnographic community of ancient Rus which in such a way cherished their "freedom" and struggled for it, and held on to their age-old traditional way of life, as the Cossacks.

S.M. Solovyov wrote on this occasion: "These were free people, with no obligations, ready to work for hire and to move freely from place to place, regardless of their language, religion and origin who were called Cossacks in Rus since ancient times, at least 14-15 cc. These people belonged to the basic number of recruits during land reclamation. Many of them have not changed their way of life – they did not want to live in settled foreign lands, depending on the circumstances, they preferred belligerent, dangerous, but more freestyle wildlife in the steppes at the boundaries or farther, beyond the borders of the state.» [4]

The thesis of Cossack "liberties" is rather widespread in historiography. First of all, this is an aristocratic historiography, about which a Soviet historian A.L. Stanislavskiy says: «For historians of noble "outrageous Cossacks" were seekers of "wild liberties and capture", "scum of homeless people," exclusively engaged in robberies, looting, and looking for prey. The carriers of a destructive and anti-state ominous beginning, people who strove to live at the expense of society.» [5,p.7] Revolutionary clerisy of different classes of later times strongly supports and cultivates the thesis of the rebellious nature of the Cossacks. Their heroes and leaders are S.Razin, Ye.Pugachev, K.Bulavin.

Indeed, all the way through its historical development, the Cossacks not once nor twice took arms in their hands to combat the unwanted power. [1-3] Here is a far from complete list of the riots, wars and rebellions, where Cossacks participated:

1591 Krzysztof Kosiński Uprising.

1595 Nalyvaiko, Szuła and Loboda Uprising.

1625 Marek Zhmaylo Uprising.

1630 Taras Fedorovych (Triasylo) Uprising.

1635 Ivan Sulyma Uprising.

1637-38 Pavlo But (Pavluk), Dmytro Hunia, Karl Skydan, Yakiv Ostrianyn (Ostrianytsia) Cossack Uprising.

1638 Yakiv Ostrianyn and Dmytro Hunia Uprising.

1657 Martyn Pushkar and Yakiv Barabash Uprising.

1659 Ivan Bohun Uprising.

1670 Stepan Razin Uprising.

1702 Semen Paliy Uprising.

1707 Kondraty Bulavin Uprising.

1772 Yaik Cossacks Uprising.

1773 Yemelyan Pugachiov Uprising.

Already in the ancient Cossack history the state was trying to "tame" the proud and freedom-loving Cossacks. However, this relationship has been possessing the character of "contractual partnership" for a long time. This situation would exist until the time of Peter I.

The title of the largest and most successful Cossack communities which pursued state and foreign policy can be given to Zaporizhian Sich and the territories of Don Cossacks. Both communities have a long history, which was studied pretty good and in detail, and is reflected in a variety of sources.

Unlike them many other areas settled by Cossacks (Cossack armies) were formed at once as structural elements of the Russian statehood and fulfilled well defined functions in the state (such as border protection and expansion of the state).

Since the beginning of reformist era of Peter I he starts to implement a system of similar measures towards Cossacks as a part of the overall reformist policy of the state. This was a truly systematic and focused approach, not occasional relationships with the ethnic group, as it was before. Peter for the first time acts not as a partner for Cossacks, though as a head of state. It is quite clear that Cossacks themselves lose the right of statehood as a consequence of those measures.

When studying history of Cossacks, their philosophy and development psychology, we can make an important conclusion about duality of the Cossack community. On the one hand, there is a desire to serve the state, on the other hand, trying to preserve a very special lifestyle and a way of life based on the system of Cossack liberties. This was written and said by many historians, prominent public and political figures. For example, P.B. Struve, P.I. Miliukov etc. [6, p.4-5]

References

1.Dubrovin N. Pugachiov and his accomplices. Episode in the history of the reign of the Empress Catherine II. Saint-Petersburg, 1884.

2. Materials for the history of indignation of Stenka Razin. Мoscow, 1857.

3.Pushkin A.S. History of Pugachiov, Applications, The Complete Works in 10 vols, ed. IV, T.VIII. Leningrad: Nauka, 1979.

4.Solovyov S.M. History of Russia from the earliest times: in 29 vols. – Saint-Petersburg, Publisher: Association "Obshchestvennaya polza", 1851-1879.

5.Stanislavskiy A.L. Civil war in Russia in the 17 cent.: Cossacks at a turning point of history. Мoscow, 1990.

6. Contemporaries’ thoughts about the past, present and the future of the Cossacks. Publisher: Kazachiy Soyuz. Paris, 1928.

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[Electronic network resource] Recurrence date: 30.05.2013.