Russian Cossacks Research Articles

О проведении историко-генеалогического конкурса «моя родословная» среди обучающихся школ кластера непрерывного казачьего образования, кадетских корпусов и других образовательных организаций

Statement of the problem. The article is devoted to one of the forms of patriotic education of schoolchildren — the holding of the Historical and genealogical Research Competition “My family Tree” and the final Educational and Research Conference «The fate of the family in the fate of the country: the Light of the Great Victory» for students of schools of the cluster of continuing Cossack education, cadet corps and other educational organizations. Regulatory documents. When writing this article, the authors relied on the Strategy for the Development of Education in the Russian Federation for the period up to 2025, approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated May 29, 2015 No. 996-R, as well as on the Strategy of State Policy of the Russian Federation in relation to the Russian Cossacks for 2021-2030, approved by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation dated August 9, 2020, No. 505. These Strategies take into account the Constitution of the Russian Federation, Federal laws, Decrees of the President of the Russian Federation, Resolutions of the Government of the Russian Federation, normative legal acts affecting the field of education aimed at protecting children's rights and forming a sense of patriotism among children, involvement in the historical and cultural life of the people and the fate of Russia. In the year of the family, we tried to emphasize the special importance of holding the Contest ”My family Tree”, which shows the role of the family, schools, universities in educating children and youth a sense of patriotism, pride in the Fatherland. The purpose of the article. The article substantiates the effectiveness of using our proposed methodology for conducting historical and genealogical work on this Competition - "My family Tree" with further analysis of the students' works and subsequent exchange of experience at the Conference held annually at the Moscow State University of Technology and Management named after K.G. Razumovsky (PKU) "The fate of the family in the fate of the country: the Light of the Great Victory." Conclusion. According to the authors, such a form of consolidating the results of the Competition is useful not only for students, but also for managers of children's projects.

On the Question of the Social Origins of Early Cossack Communities: Results, Methodology and Prospects of Research

Introduction. Addressing the complex and controversial problem of domestic Cossack studies – the determination of the stage affiliation of early Slavic Cossack communities – the author sets himself the task of summing up many years of discussions, identifying the most promising directions for further research, and identifying the associated methodological guidelines. Methods and materials. Many studies of the problem of the stage affiliation of early Cossack communities, carried out by pre-revolutionary, Soviet, and modern Russian Cossack researchers, as well as works on male unions and communities of the Slavic, Caucasian, and Turkic worlds, served as materials for the article. The analysis of sources and scientific publications was carried out using comparative historical and structural-functional methods, as well as methods of classification and typologization. Analysis. The available scientific papers on the problem were classified based on the social and political prototypes of early Cossack communities determined by scientists. Three groups of versions about the social nature of early Cossack communities have been identified, which correlate them: 1) with state structures; 2) with paramilitary communities that existed in the South Russian steppes and adjacent territories at the same time as the Cossacks; 3) with archaic structures (the so-called military democracy and male unions). Results. Defining the third direction as the most promising, the author of the article suggests expanding research on the cultural and historical comparison of Cossack organizations with archaic male unions and their later forms known in the Turkic, Caucasian, and Slavic worlds. We should start this case by adhering to a set of crucial methodological principles. These principles indicate that male unions were cultural universals, and their correlation with Cossack organizations may indicate not so much (and not only) genetic connections as typological ones. In contrast to the Caucasian and Central Asian unions, Cossack communities arose outside the metropolis, which, on the one hand, led to the need for them to build their own potestar structures and, on the other hand, determined the strong external impact on them from the Russian state. The development of Cossack communities did not follow the path of evolution but was first carried out in the form of a rollback to the archaic and then was associated with a series of sociocultural transformations.

“The Last Push from the South?” Explaining the Spread of Russia’s Cossack Movement

ABSTRACT Where did the Russian Cossack soldiers fighting in Ukraine come from? How can we explain that there are now 27,000 combatants who identify with this label? This article examines the commandeering of the Cossack legacy by the Russian state. The “authentic” Cossack movement in the early 1990s, has been commandeered by forces within the Russian government. We argue that the model of the new movement was pioneered first in Krasnodar and Rostov before spreading to the whole country. We make this argument through the analysis of an original database, metadata, and proxy of Cossack vigilante patrols.

Trans-Baikal Cossacks as a Subject of Patriotic Education of Youth

Introduction. In modern conditions, patriotic education of young people is of particular importance, the implementation of which is possible using the potential of the Russian Cossacks. The Russian Cossacks have the necessary resources for the formation of youth patriotism, including the presence of their own ideology, ethnopsychological and ethno-cultural features, behavioral models, the system of patriotic education as part of the “Cossack pedagogy”. This potential of the Cossacks should be used in the modern social practice of patriotic education from the younger generation. The purpose of the article is based on the results of the analysis of public opinion in the Trans-Baikal Territory to investigate the attitude of the population to the Cossacks and its role in the patriotic education of the younger generation. Materials and Methods. The methodology of the study is presented by the theory of social identity of V. A. Tishkov, the pedagogical theory of patriotic education of V. V. Ivanov. Within the framework of the study, the attitude of the Trans-Baikal Territory residents to the Cossacks and the opinion about the potential of the Cossacks in the patriotic education of young people are characterized. The study was conducted in 2021–2022. A survey in the form of a questionnaire was used as the main method. 500 residents of the Trans-Baikal Territory were interviewed. The method of cluster (territorial) single-stage sampling was used in the study. Results. It is revealed that in the Trans-Baikal Territory, a positive attitude to the Cossacks, their traditions and values prevails. The results obtained in the course of the study indicate that today the process of revival of the Cossacks is supported in society. It is shown that the Cossacks play an important role in the patriotic education of young people. Discussion and Conclusion. The residents of the Trans-Baikal Territory recognize the value of using the patriotic traditions of the Cossacks and the need for the participation of the Cossacks in the patriotic education of young people. The results obtained can be used in the development of programs of patriotic, spiritual and moral education of the younger generation based on the traditional values of the Cossacks.

Копейный бой в военном искусстве калмыков и джунгар XVII – начала XIX вв.

Introduction. The article examines the features of the formation and evolution of the Oirat light cavalry armed with spears of the Late Middle Ages and early Modern times. The purpose of the study is to identify the role of spear fighting in the military practice of the Dzungars and Kalmyks of the XVII – early XIX centuries on the basis of a comprehensive analysis of written, pictorial and material sources. Results. It has been established that in the Central Asian region for centuries shock spears and pikes remained mainly the weapons of armored cavalry, while light nomads without armor used them only sporadically. During the military transformations carried out by the Oirat and Mongol military leaders of the second half of the XVI–XVII centuries, mounted archers were equipped with shock spears and pikes, which led to the emergence of a new type of cavalry composed of lightly armed spearmen capable of conducting both remote and close combat. During the military campaigns of the Oirats, which covered most of steppe Eurasia, the idea of mass light cavalry with spears was adopted by many peoples of the Great Steppe, including Russian Cossacks and Turks of Eastern Europe (Nogais, Crimean and Polish-Lithuanian Tatars). In turn, the battle on the spears of the Polish-Lithuanian Tatars (Lipkov) formed the basis of the military practice of the Polish lancers, which became a model of such cavalry for the countries of Central and Western Europe of the XVIII – early XIX centuries. Based on the analysis of Mongolian, Oirat, Ottoman, European and Qing written sources, the original name of the Oirat long–barrel weapon of the XVII–XVIII centuries was revealed, which sounded like “jida” (“dzida”). The design features of the Oirat spears were established, the spear fighting technique and tactics of mounted Kalmyk and Dzungarian warriors armed with spears were reconstructed. Conclusions. The collected materials indicate that spears and pikes were the main type of melee weapons of the Oirat warriors of the XVII – early XIX centuries. Spear fighting was one of the key elements of the military art of the Dzungars and Kalmyks of this period. The Oirats had a significant impact on the development of the practice of equestrian spear fighting among the peoples of Eurasia of the XVII–XVIII centuries.

Socio-vital Institutions of the Cossack Everyday Life: Categorical and Conceptual Analysis

Numerous scientific and popular works have been written about the Russian Cossacks, and in modern Russia, interest in Cossacks as a subject of scientific analysis is growing. Presidential Decree No. 505 of August 9, 2020, approved the "Strategy of State Policy of the Russian Federation in relation to the Russian Cossacks for 2021-2030", that emphasises "promoting the scientific study of the history of the Russian Cossacks, countering the falsification of pages of Russian history related to the Russian Cossacks". To ensure the scientific study of the history of the Russian Cossacks, it is important to understand the system of key categories and concepts that reflect Cossack everyday life. The development of a scientific toolkit to achieve this goal requires interdisciplinary research, including turning to historical sociology and sociology of culture, conceptualising the socio-vital institutions of the Russian Cossacks, revealing the features of Cossack everyday life.
 Vitalist sociology, in turn, paradigmatically supports the author's scientific installation and provides an expanded categorical and conceptual analysis of the ethnocultural sphere of the life activities of Cossack communities in a cultural vitalist key. Attention is drawn to the material side of the socio-personal evolution of Cossack communities in the historical everyday life of the Russian Empire from the 18th to the beginning of the 20th century and the preservation, through commemorative practices, of the socio-vital institutions of the Russian Cossacks to the present day.
 The basic resource for life support is housing as a product of the creative activity of the Cossacks and a form of their territorial-spatial localisation within Cossack settlements. The cultural vitalist narrative presents traditional Cossack food, considered in a chronotopic key, positioning Cossack communities as a social group with rational consumption and at the same time external self-presentation.
 Historically, Cossacks have had predominant relationships with such an important resource for life support as clothing, and here we encounter profound symbolic interactionism in the self-interpretation of the Cossack costume. In other words, three key categories of Cossack everyday life are taken as an example for interdisciplinary analysis: housing, food, and clothing. This article is dedicated to their study by two scientists who have been working fruitfully in the capital of the world and Russian Cossacks, the city of Novocherkassk.

Гражданская активность современного российского казачества: основные формы и практики

The article examines the main forms and practices of civic activity of modern Russian Cossacks. As a civil so-ciety institution, it interacts with the state in different spheres: economy, social and humanitarian sphere, as well as in the protection of the country from external threats and in the sphere of internal security. First of all, this refers to Registered Cossacks who fulfill the tasks of public service. Cossack civic initiative is especially power-ful at the local level, in rural areas and small towns, in regions where the corresponding identity is strong. Inter-action with the executive and legislative authorities of the regions, local authorities, law enforcement bodies, the system of education and culture contributes to the development of civic activity of the Registered Cossacks. Non-Registered Cossacks and independent Cossack activists are active in the information sphere by creating and maintaining information resources and pages in social networks, primarily dedicated to Cossack history and traditions. In the face of external challenges and threats, it is necessary that registered and non-registered Cossacks cooperate constructively and exert a consolidating influence on Russian society.

Cultural Activity of the Cossack Emigration in the Territory of the Three Rivers

The article examines the appearance of the Russian Cossacks on the territory of Northwestern Manchuria, namely the Three Rivers, the construction of the first settlements, their cultural life and the translation of Russian traditions. The authors of the work set a goal to study the contribution of the emigrant community to the development of the image of this region, the process of preserving traditional orders and foundations. This problem is considered in the article from the material and spiritual-social directions of culture. The relevance of the topic is due to the process of returning to active social activity of the Cossacks. In modern Russian society, discussions about the essence of the Cossacks, the economic, moral, social and spiritual foundations of their life do not cease. The authors use the fundamental principles of historical science. The principle of objectivity made it possible to evaluate the analyzed historical documents taking into account the subjectivity of their author. Representatives of the Cossack emigration in the Three Rivers were active in cultural life, which against the background of the cultural life of other emigration groups, was distinguished by its initiative. All achievements in different aspects of culture had a special Russian personality. They were reflected not only in everyday life and material culture, but also in the development of institutions such as education, literature, publications, the church, etc. Arriving on the Manchurian side, the Cossacks brought with them their way of life and culture, which strengthened on foreign territory and became a reference point for the development of the region. Thanks to the location of the Chinese authorities, the Three Rivers began to grow and develop rapidly. People fleeing wanted to feel like an integral part of Russia. Various representatives of the emigrant Cossacks, including the intelligentsia, the clergy, sought to support the Russian spirit and opposed assimilation. The paper identifies and seems promising the need for further research, reconstruction, translation and support of the Cossack culture of the Russian Three Rivers.

Казачество как фактор межкультурного сотрудничества России и Китая

Introduction: Russian-Chinese relations in the field of intercultural cooperation have a fairly wide range of contacts concerning various areas. At the same time, the interethnic factor, and especially the factor of the Cossacks in the history and modernity of China, arouses considerable research interest. Russian Cossacks have acquired the role of a bridge in the system of humanitarian relations, emphasizing their relationship with Russia, the Russian Orthodox Church, and the unified Russian culture. Methods: Through institutional analysis, the study will assess the role of the Cossacks in Russian-Chinese intercultural cooperation. Analysis: the arrival of Albazin people in China is a key moment in the Chinese vector of the history of the Cossacks, the Russian Diaspora. Having occupied a high place in society for centuries, the descendants of the Albazinians are still part of the Russian soft power in the country today. China is among the countries where Cossack emigration was sent after the Civil War of 1917–1922, and this was reflected in the historically established cultural ties of our countries. The author provides data concerning modern contacts between the Cossack societies of the Russian Federation and the Russian diaspora, cultural and scientific centers of China. The paper examines the existing approach and delivers recommendations on the assessment of international cooperation of modern Cossacks in domestic Cossack studies.

КАЗАЧЕСТВО ВО ФРОНТИРНОЙ СРЕДЕ ЮГА РОССИИ

The aim of the study is to analyze the influence of the frontier identity of the Cossacks on the socio-cultural processes of the South of Russia. In the framework of the work carried out, the main factors of the frontier nature of the modern Cossacks, their socio-cultural features of development in the environ-ment of the Russian border area, which developed after the collapse of the USSR, were studied. The Cossacks of the South of Russia have a long history of formation, due to their presence in the frontier environment, at the junction of civilizations, peoples, and cultures. Being between Orthodoxy and Islam, the Slavic and Turanian worlds, in a zone of constant tension and military conflicts, the Cossacks received in their socio-cultural code distinctive features, opportunities for stabilizing the habitat, reducing conflict with neighbors. Constant contact with representatives of other peoples, other countries is also reflected at the pre-sent stage of Cossack development. As a result, the author comes to the conclusion that the view of modern Cossack scholars on the very factor of the Cossacks-frontiersmen has to be revised in order to form a state policy towards the Russian Cossacks.

On the Origin of the Russian Surnames Bagryzlov, Badryzlov

The study explores the origin of the surnames Bagryzlov, Badryzlov currently owned by several hundred Russians. At present, these are mostly spread in the south of the Tyumen region and in adjacent territories which is where the surname Badryzlov first appears in historical documents in the first half of the 18th century. According to these sources, the surname indicates a relation to Cossacks. The geographical and linguistic analysis of the variants of the surname undertaken by the author with consideration of close evidence from Russian dialectal appellative vocabulary and onomastics (including those territories that were historically associated with the Cossacks) confirmed the “Cossack” origin of these surnames. According to the author’s hypothesis, they go back to the South Russian Cossack nickname from the appellative *badryzglo which meant either a reveler who likes to drink heavily or, conversely, a weak, sick, old person. In the first case, the surnames can be traced back immediately to the verb dryzgat’ ‘to drink alcoholic beverages immoderately,’ whilst in the second case, the surnames must be considered in relation to the verb’s derivatives meaning ‘something broken, crumbling, worthless.’ The research is at the junction of onomastics and dialect lexicology: apart from the surnames Bagryzlov, Badryzlov, it covers the etymology of a number of close common dialectal words (bagryza, bagryzlo, bagryzya) and reconstructed forms (*badryzlo, *badryzya). Looking into the etymology of the Ural and Siberian surnames, the author specifies two main ways of how South Russian Cossack vocabulary could penetrate the dialects of the Urals and Trans-Urals. Firstly, there is documentary evidence that Cossack daughters were often married to local peasants and citizens, secondly, the decossackizations periodically carried out in the Russian Empire led to the fact that many Cossacks finally stopped participating in military activities and became peasants or citizens.

О роли общественных казачьих объединений в патриотическом воспитании молодёжи

The purpose of writing this article is due to the decision of the problem of activating the patriotic education of young people, in particular, students of universities, on the basis of spiritual and moral principles and values of the Russian Cossacks, taking into account the participation of public Cossack associations (PCA) in the implementation of state youth policy. In the process of research methods were used: observation, conversation, modern information technology, the study of historical and normative legal documents for the drawing of the Roadmap for the development of the system of continuous Cossack education. Results. The conducted review shows that the social markers that form the basis of Cossack identity are highlighted and, in general, understood by society, associated with patriotism, love for the Motherland and the Orthodox worldview. In the process of Cossack revival the pedagogical and educational potential of Cossack culture was discovered, based on the values of democracy, on the one hand, and on the traditions of statehood, on the other. Although marked by a certain transformation of the Cossack idea in the direction of «militarization», this process does not contradict the basic principles of Cossack education, which became the basis of interaction between universities and OKO in the educational process. Conclusions. The analysis of organizational and pedagogical forms of youth upbringing with participation of modern OKOs shows by the example of the South of Russia (Krasnodar Territory, Rostov Region) that a certain stage of formation in the educational system has already been passed and represents a four-dimensional model, including the younger generation from preschoolers to students. The last stage of the model is in the formation stage, which is characterized by the creation in 2021 of the Association of Cossack universities of Russia and the signing of the Roadmaps for implementing joint, scientific, educational and social activities of universities and public Cossack associations, defining a new round of development of Cossack higher education and patriotic education of the university youth.

Крещение калмыков в Семиречье и его последствия

Introduction. In the process of territorial expansion, Imperial Russia was seeking to implement internal policies, including that of Christianization. Christian missionary endeavors across Kazakh steppes were to involve not only Kazakh ethnic groups proper but also other populations to have emigrated from China in the 19th century. Goals. The study aims at exploring problems and consequences of Semirechye Kalmyks’ conversion to Orthodox Christianity after their arrival from China, revealing the role of missionaries in that Christianization campaign, determining key techniques and methods employed by the latter, identifying essentials and crucial events to have proved efficient thereto and based on the destruction of indigenous culture, traditions and lifestyle of ethnic groups who had been forced to stay away from their historical roots. Results. The paper analyzes archival sources to examine the history of how China’s emigrant Kalmyks acquired Russian citizenship and converted to Orthodox Christianity in the 1860s–1870s. In the aftermath of the Dungan Revolt, the refugee Kalmyks settled in Qapal, Sarkand, Koksu, Verny, Turgen and other areas of Semirechye. Fertile land plots were allotted for them to conveniently engage in agriculture, gardening and vegetable farming. Another goal was that they were thus to establish close relations with Russian peasants and learn the latter’s language, culture, and peculiarities of the newly adopted faith. Conclusions. The missionary activities and Kalmyks’ conversion to Orthodox Christianity resulted in acculturation characterized by that the newly baptized would often change their personal and family names and receive Russian Cossack peasant clothes in missionary shelters.

Крещение калмыков в Семиречье и его последствия

Introduction. In the process of territorial expansion, Imperial Russia was seeking to implement internal policies, including that of Christianization. Christian missionary endeavors across Kazakh steppes were to involve not only Kazakh ethnic groups proper but also other populations to have emigrated from China in the 19th century. Goals. The study aims at exploring problems and consequences of Semirechye Kalmyks’ conversion to Orthodox Christianity after their arrival from China, revealing the role of missionaries in that Christianization campaign, determining key techniques and methods employed by the latter, identifying essentials and crucial events to have proved efficient thereto and based on the destruction of indigenous culture, traditions and lifestyle of ethnic groups who had been forced to stay away from their historical roots. Results. The paper analyzes archival sources to examine the history of how China’s emigrant Kalmyks acquired Russian citizenship and converted to Orthodox Christianity in the 1860s–1870s. In the aftermath of the Dungan Revolt, the refugee Kalmyks settled in Qapal, Sarkand, Koksu, Verny, Turgen and other areas of Semirechye. Fertile land plots were allotted for them to conveniently engage in agriculture, gardening and vegetable farming. Another goal was that they were thus to establish close relations with Russian peasants and learn the latter’s language, culture, and peculiarities of the newly adopted faith. Conclusions. The missionary activities and Kalmyks’ conversion to Orthodox Christianity resulted in acculturation characterized by that the newly baptized would often change their personal and family names and receive Russian Cossack peasant clothes in missionary shelters.

South Russian Settlers of Western Siberia in the Late 19th to Early 20th Centuries, Based on Archival Documents and Field Studies

In cultural terms, as compared to many other Russian groups, the South Russian (Kursk) settlers of Siberia in the late 19th to early 20th centuries were a distinct group, having their own traditional culture but usually no compact settlements. In this work, for the first time, on the basis of the State Archive of the Kursk Region, the ethno-cultural composition of Siberian settlers from that region is examined. Attitudes of South Russian peasants of the post-Reform era to migration are analyzed, reasons underlying their “wanderlust” and their reflection about relocation and ethnic identity are explored. Documents at the State Archive of the Tomsk Region, and the findings of my fi eld studies in 2014– 2018 pertaining to the Siberian stage in the history of Russian “Yuzhaks” (Southerners) suggest that their priority was to live side by side with Ukrainian settlers, as they had used to do in their homeland. The reason is that the key role in the early 20th century migrations was played by Russian-Ukrainian frontiersmen—people of “no man’s land”. At the time of migration to Siberia, those living in the southern Kursk Governorate were Russian Old Believers, Southern Russians, Belarusians, Ukrainians (Little Russians), Russian Cossacks, and “Cherkassians” (Ukrainian Cossacks). The latter preferred to live apart from others, even within a single village. Archival documents and findings of field studies in the Anzhero-Sudzhensky District of the Kemerovo Region, and in the Topchikhinsky and Kulundinsky Districts of the Altai Territory demonstrate that Southern Russians were situationally identical to Ukrainians, as evidenced, for instance, by the frequent shift of surname endings from “-ko” and “-k” to “-ov” and vice versa, depending on migration plans. A conclusion is made that the ethnic diversity of migrants from the Kursk Governorate, the situational equivalence of Eastern Slavic groups in Siberia, as well as marriages with Russian old residents and Ukrainians, were key factors in the formation of local Siberian variants of the South Russian culture.

The Network Capital of the Cossack Youth as an Element of the Social Capital of the Russian Cossacks

Introduction. The article considers the modern Russian Cossacks as a complex social object in the trinity of interpersonal, intragroup and intrapersonal communications. The ethno markers of the Cossacks that influence the perception of “friend or foe” are determined; the problem of the concept of the network capital of the Cossacks is formulated. Methodology and sources. The section formulates the construction of network capital from the point of view of structuring social relations in the network approach, and from the point of view of the culture of interactive communication in the network space. The main approaches to the definition and measurement of network capital are shown, its specificity for the social group of Cossack youth is revealed. The network model of the Cossacks and Cossack youth is described as a whole and its part. The role of state-forming values in the Cossack environment is shown. The largest network Cossack youth organizations from different regions of Russia are presented. Results and discussion. The article describes the methodology for researching network capital, organized at the All-Russian Gathering of Cossack Youth in the fall of 2021 in the city of Krasnoyarsk. On the basis of four groups of values of the Cossack youth, namely social, personal, values of the Cossacks and values of the direct contact environment, a network analysis of positive and negative relationships, as well as relationships in subgroups of values, is carried out. As a comparative analysis, the results of measuring the network capital of students of the IT faculty of the evening department are used, which show a clear professional orientation and belonging to a generalized supranational community of IT specialists and a low team-building potential. The authors conclude that the construction of “network capital” is more often used in an empirical sense to obtain information about the mechanisms of access to resources or some kind of influence through network relations. Conclusion. In general, the theory of “network capital” is in the process of its formation and requires further scientific understanding. In the ongoing process of institutionalization of the Cossacks, contradictions often arise between the traditions and values of modern society, which the Cossack youth seeks to resolve in a compromise way. It is concluded that the network capital of the Cossack youth is in the stage of its active accumulation and continuous transformations.

Censoring Ukrainian patriotism in the Russian Empire: the ban on the second printing of the History of the Rus′ in 1858

ABSTRACT This article examines the censorship case of the second printing of Istoriia Rusov ili Maloi Rossii (The History of the Rus′ or Little Russia). The book, which was apocryphally attributed to Archbishop Georgii Konisskii, is a history of the Little Russian Cossacks containing much fiction. It was submitted to the St. Petersburg Censorship Committee in August 1858. After consideration at the council of the Chief Censorship Administration, the highest collegial body of censorship in the Russian Empire, it was denied authorization for publication. The explicit motive for the denial was that the book contained local patriotism. This expressed motive shows that already five years before the notorious Valuev directive, which restricted Ukrainian publications in the empire, the censors were alert to the propagation of Little Russian or Ukrainian particularism and found it harmful. The files of the Chief Censorship Administration indicate the page numbers of the passages that the censors found impermissible, which makes possible a detailed reconstruction of their thinking. The censors marked the passages in which the status of Muscovy as the successor to the medieval Principality of Kyiv was questioned, as well as those that portrayed the Russian monarchs negatively.

Russian Emigrants in Manchuria and the Japanese New Order: The Collapse of Hopes

In imperial studies, the inclusion of diasporic groups, fragments of vanished empires, into newly formed imperial spaces remain considerably underexplored. This article is devoted to the problem of the integration of the Russian emigrant colony into the multinational community of the quasi-sovereign state of Manchukuo (1932–1945), which was a product of Japanese pan-Asian imperial construction. The option of integrating emigrants with the status of a national-cultural autonomy into the society of early Manchukuo generally suited the emigrant community. This option of maximum integration corresponded with the special role of emigration as the heir of Russian colonisers of the Manchurian region and the bearer of the mission of preserving Russian culture in exile. Very quickly, the integration process ran into an insurmountable contradiction between the ideal model of organising Manchukuo on the principles of national-cultural federalism and the real imperial practice of governing the peoples ruled by Japan. Japanese pan-Asian nation-building, which after the late 1930s turned towards the creation of a single East Asian nation, began to threaten emigration with the loss of national identity. This threat, along with the forcible politicisation and mobilisation of the colony to solve Japan’s imperial problems, intensified protective tendencies in the emigrant environment and contributed to some emigrants refusing integration strategies. Almost the only successful example of the inclusion of emigrants into Manchukuo society was the so-called frontier integration of the Russian Cossack population of Sanhe Qu (so-called Three-River Region) bordering the USSR. Another important factor that stimulated the refusal of emigrants to integrate was the growth of pro-Soviet patriotism during the Great Patriotic War. The article is based on materials from periodicals and other print media of Russian emigrants in China, documents from emigrant organisations and Japanese special services, and emigrant ego-documents.

О разработке проекта единой концепции преподавания истории российского казачества в образовательных организациях

The article deals with the issue of improving the educational and methodological literature on the history and culture of the Russian Cossacks. Information is provided on the activities of the North Caucasian Federal University in terms of preserving and popularizing the Cossack traditions in the region and the spiritual and moral revival of the Cossacks as a whole. Proposals are presented for the draft of a unified concept of teaching the history of the Russian Cossacks in educational institutions.

Muslims among the modern Cossacks

The article is devoted to the role of Muslim Cossacks at the present stage of the Russian Cossacks development. The issue is debatable and has not ever been discussed by domestic and foreign researchers. Following the succession from the Cossack troops of pre-revolutionary Russia, the Muslim Cossacks are active participants in the so-called Revival, characterized by creating Cossack farms, military formations and etc. The Russian Federation state policy towards the Russian Cossacks considers the possibilities of their incorporation into military Cossack Societies and concedes forming large public associations of Cossacks. An important component of the policy is the participation of Muslims in the confl ict in the Donbass, which takes place on the historical lands of the Don Army Region. The work is based on journalistic materials and research papers from online publications. As a result of the analysis, it was possible to determine the actual aspects of studying the factor of Islam in the Russian Cossacks, which has not only historical foundations, but also modern practical directions.