In the ranks are the Cossacks in spirit and beliefs

Military service has always been considered one of the cornerstones of the Cossacks. However, at the first stages of the revival of the original social class, the roll was made, unfortunately, in the wrong direction: the Cossack elite cut themselves all new "circles", divided power. The bulk of the people, however, abandoned specific tasks and were mainly interested in participating in a kind of permanent "vanity fair". In general, there were few practical results, but there were more than enough big words and external attributes.

Over the past two or three years, the situation has begun to change for the better. The relevant presidential decrees and the creation of Cossack structures with state status played a role. The issue of attracting Cossack youth to military service has also shifted. Just about this is described in the selection below.

SAVE THE COSSACK COMPANY

Hello, dear editors! I want to tell you a little bit about my service, with which I think I am very lucky. The fact is that I got to serve in an unusual company-the Cossack.

During the course of the young soldier's course, people in exotic uniforms and carrying checkers came to our barracks and started asking if any of us had any Cossacks in the family and if such a person wanted to serve in a specially formed company. I remembered my grandmother's stories that my great-grandfather, Nikolai Nikolaevich Kruchenovsky, had once served as a Cossack. I told the visiting guests about it. We had a good talk. After that, I was assigned to the Cossack company of the Order of Alexander Nevsky of the Sevastopol Motorized Rifle Regiment...

It wasn't like the neighborhood. For example, in addition to the official military name, our unit also had another one. The company was called the first Cossack hundred, which was part of the regimental village. Every month we had a small Cossack circle. It discussed the state of military discipline and combat training. The Cossacks from the Siberian and Semirechensk Cossack troops were not just guests in the company, but, in fact, participated in all our difficult daily life. They taught classes on the history of the Cossacks, went with us to exercises. They helped create a photography club, a library, constantly supplied newspapers and magazines, brought news from home. But most importantly, the company began to feel like a single team, one family. We shared our joys and sorrows with everyone now, and we didn't even come close to what is called "hazing". And the company commanders: the former senior Lieutenant V. Kolesnikov and the Captain O. Shaports who replaced him, had absolutely no problems with maintaining the statutory order. A lot of things have changed, even leisure time has become more diverse. Some of the children went to the Church of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos together with the Cossacks during their dismissal to the city, while others attended folk concerts or other events. All this contributed to the fact that the company began to persistently achieve good results in combat training. We were also filled with pride that our unit, the only one in the regiment, was mastering a new type of beautiful combat vehicles-the BMP-3.

A kind of Cossack self-government, introduced in the company, became an aid in educational work for our officers-commanders. The board of the small Cossack circle included our comrades: sergeants Ye. Medvedev. A. Makarov, S. Velikodny, A. Kartashov, N. Dzhumalin. He was chosen as a regimental ataman at the extended circle, where, in addition to our chief, military Sergeant Major A. Oborkin, other ranks of the Novo-Nikolaevsky department of the Siberian Cossack Army were present, to the approving "Lyubo!" Sergeant E. Medvedev. Esaul I. Antonenko handed him a whip with the right to use it for its intended purpose in the most exceptional cases. The guys say that this also happened. Allegedly, for violating the rules of guard duty, one of the soldiers was publicly punished in front of the company's personnel. It happened before I arrived in the company, but I think that this is nothing more than a legend. Although such stories work on newcomers, and they behave cautiously from the first days of their stay in the company, knowing that not only the officers, but also the soldiers themselves are watching order here. I have already said above that the Cossacks from the Siberian and Semirechensk Cossack troops are patronizing us. Those who closely follow the Cossack movement may ask with bewilderment :" What does the Semirechens have to do with it? After all, this is the territory of Kazakhstan?" This is actually the case. But the Semirechensk Cossacks, that is, Russian guys mostly from southern and eastern Kazakhstan, wanted to take Russian citizenship and serve in the Russian Army. So for a while, ninety percent of our company's personnel came from those parts. Now conscripts from there rarely come to our company. From the former composition, only the company's foreman, Ensign Alexey Tarasov, remained. After retiring to the reserve, he did not want to part with the division that had become his own and close, and after signing a contract, he stayed with us. This is a good sign. It happens that over time, traditions are blurred, as if they no longer become the vital motor of a division, but a verbal motto that is not supported by deeds. When there is a continuer of traditions, who stood at their origins, then the energy of such a person feeds good beginnings. In this case, this role is performed by Ensign Alexey Tarasov.

He keeps in constant contact with the board of the Cossack circle, conducts, in my opinion, ascetic work as if not noticeable, but important affairs and concerns for the preservation of friendship and military camaraderie in the unit. I believe that his merit lies in the fact that, having retired to the reserve, the guys do not forget their native part. Andrey Kudashov, Anatoly Kolesnikov, Sergey Ivanovsky constantly come to the anniversary of the birthday of the Cossack company, to solemn formations dedicated to taking the military oath, leaving for the reserve. It's not uncommon for them to be seen chatting with newcomers. By the way, I note that each of these former soldiers, when their term of service expired, turned to the board of the Cossack circle with a request to help get a job after being dismissed. They were helped. And today Andrey Kudashov drives a trolleybus through the streets of Novosibirsk, and Anatoly and Sergey work in the fire department.

Needless to say, everyone who served in our company leaves here for civilian life with a sense of gratitude, with words of gratitude. The moral and physical training received here is exactly what was recently called the army school of life, but behind all the problems of society, everything somehow began to be forgotten, obscured.

And that is why I still look forward to the future of our glorious first Cossack company in the Siberian Military District with a sense of anxiety before leaving for the reserve...

Things have been going downhill lately. As a soldier, it is difficult for me to judge why this is happening. But less and less soldiers who really have real Cossack roots began to be called up to our unit. Now there are only twelve of them in the company. Our senior comrades from the Siberian Cossack Army also began to come less frequently. If earlier no serious activity in the field, no event in the location was complete without them, now such visits are often formal in nature. Many newcomers only know from stories about joint excursions to museums, ancient monuments, and historical sites of our city that preserve the memory of the exploits of their fathers and grandfathers.

The spirit of the Cossack company itself becomes different, where previously it was not necessary to pronounce the word "patriotism". The joint educational process on the part of the Cossacks and officers was built in such a way that everything happened organically, as if by itself. I may be wrong, but I think we're losing ground now. And with discipline in the company, it became unimportant, and combat training brings few good results. We lose the sense of unity, the sense of a close-knit family.

Once again, I'm just a soldier and I don't know why this is happening. Maybe because of the periodic socio-economic crises that shake our country? Or because of the merger of the Siberian and Trans-Baikal districts? This event, as they say in our soldiers ' environment, greatly influenced the mood of the officers. Be that as it may, it is clear to every soldier and officer in our Leningrad - Pavlovsk division: the Cossack company is its golden fund. And if we don't save it now, then the compound will have another mediocre unit with a lot of problems...

They say that soon we will have a whole regiment of Cossacks. It is a pity if this name will be nominal, on paper... Still, I would like to hope that my concerns are unfounded.

Sincerely, Senior Sergeant of the 1st motorized rifle company (Cossack hundred) Leningrad-Pavlovsk Motorized Rifle Division Alexander Tyskikh. Siberian Military District.

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