The Orthodox faith is the basis of the deep traditions of the Cossacks. Orthodoxy in the history and culture of the Kuban Cossacks

Doctor of Historical Sciences,
Professor of the Southern Federal University

In the system of values ​​of the Kuban Cossacks, Cossack researchers rightly assign the first place to the Orthodox faith. In addition to its main ideological significance, Orthodoxy permeated many aspects of the life of the Cossack army, the village community, and the family. Today the history of Orthodoxy of the Kuban Cossacks began to return from oblivion. Articles appear on individual pages, based on field and archival material, the first works of a general nature, the publication of documents. However, the specificity of the region with the Cossack, peasant, mountain population is still little understood both by the priesthood at all levels and by modern Cossack organizations. Meanwhile, historians, archivists, ethnographers, researchers of the culture of the Old Believers, etc., constantly point to the need to study the local-historical transformations of Christian traditions.

In the Moscow state at the turn of the 15th-16th centuries there were rumors that Orthodox Christians with Slavic speech lived among the mountain population of the Western Caucasus - the Circassians. How did the Russian people appear and how did they get along among the Gentiles? Some historians see in the Kuban Slavs the remnants of the population of the ancient Russian Tmutarakan principality, which had a long tradition of cooperation with local peoples. Other scholars believe that with the establishment of the Mongol-Tatar yoke, the Kuban tribes and the inhabitants of the Russian principalities, willingly or unwillingly, became allies. The resistance to the invaders never stopped. One of the forms of this resistance was the flight from the khan's captivity to the Kuban, to the zone of wooded foothills and inaccessible gorges. Among these fugitives there could be people from Ryazan, Chernigov, Smolensk and other principalities. After spending many years in the Horde captivity, these fugitives preserved the last memory of Russia - Orthodox pectoral crosses. Such crosses were found by archaeologists during excavations in the village of Makhoshevskaya (Mostovskaya district), on the Ilyich farm (Otradnensky district), in the valley of the Bolshoi and Maly Zelenchuk rivers. The fugitives apparently developed not only good-neighborly relations with the local highlanders, but also marital and family relations. Perhaps that is why in the sources of the XV-XVI centuries. the concepts of "Circassians" ("Cherkasy") and "Cossacks" are sometimes used interchangeably.

In the 17th century, the Don and Zaporozhye Cossacks began to show interest in the Kuban Azov Sea. It is no coincidence that the Turkish intelligence officer and scientist Evliya Chelebi, who twice visited the region in the middle of the 17th century, described with concern the sea and land campaigns in the Kuban region of the free inhabitants of the Dnieper and Don. According to Chelebi, the Don and Zaporozhye Cossacks were well oriented in these places and had guides from among the Slavic inhabitants of the Kuban.

In the XVII century. The North Caucasus is becoming one of the centers of the Russian Old Believers. By the end of the century, the construction of the first Old Believer churches began in the Kuban.

With the arrival of the Black Sea and Linear Cossacks in the region, the light of Christianity in the region kindled with renewed vigor. The matter of protecting and developing the Kuban Territory needed spiritual nourishment. However, the haste with which the spiritual estate was formed in the Black Sea army and in the line Cossack regiments led to the fact that Cossacks who had no spiritual experience were often ordained as priests and deacons. There were few educated people. Along with true ascetics and zealots of the faith, among the elected clergy there were pastors who did not differ in high moral qualities. Often, the Cossacks chose people with similar disabilities as priests, with the expectation that they would be graduated from the clergy. This was the case, for example, with one of the first Black Sea priests, Father Yuri. Before accepting the priesthood, he was a competent and intelligent Cossack, but he loved revelry and drinking. Therefore, the kuren community decided to turn the bully Cossack into a priest so that he would settle down. The Black Sea residents were not mistaken in their calculation. While fulfilling his religious duties, Father Yuri gained a reputation as a strict, God-fearing and moral person, although he did not pretend to be humble in the merry company of the Cossacks. If he noticed during a service in church that someone was talking, smiling or standing in an inappropriate position, then he was not shy in expressions, no matter who the guilty one was: a gentleman, an ordinary Cossack or a nimble maiden. There were cases when, on the formidable order of Fr. Yuri, the church watchman took out the laughing young lady and tied her with a rope to the bell tower, saying: "Don't rock your teeth, don't tease Satan!"

At the same time, among the clergy there were many who enjoyed the love of the Cossacks and knew how to heal mental ailments and experiences with a kind word, cordial attitude and disinterested help. In the linear villages, the Orthodox clergy was initially small in number due to the large number of Old Believers. The priests were not chosen here, but were appointed by the military commanders in each village.

Not only stanitsa parishes had their own priests, but also cavalry regiments, Plastun battalions and artillery batteries. In the fortifications of the Black Sea coastline, the hieromonks of the Balaklava St. George Monastery were spiritual mentors. One of them, Hieromonk Markel, gave his blessing to the immortal feat of a private Tenginsky regiment, Arkhip Osipov. The regimental and battalion priests had to not only perform church services and services, but also train the soldiers in church history, the Law of God and basic prayers. The priests monitored the behavior of the Cossacks during the divine service, confessed and received communion, established the obligatory singing of all the lower ranks of prayers in chorus. The regimental priest demanded that all posts be observed, fought against foul language, tried to prevent drunkenness. Realizing what hardships and hardships the lower ranks endure in military service, the priest tried in every possible way to alleviate their fate. He often acted as a link between the military unit and the village. Often it was the priest who sent the news to the family about this or that hero, he also read the long-awaited letter from home to the illiterate. It happened that the regimental priest, raising a cross, astride a horse, carried the Cossacks into attack under a shower of enemy bullets and buckshot.

The settlement of Chernomoria, Old and New lines, Trans-Kuban region, the Black Sea coast was accompanied by temple construction. The temple consecrated the stanitsa, rural, farmstead space, dividing it into the center and the periphery. The saint, whose name the temple was named after, was considered the patron saint of the stanitsa or village. Patronal feasts were held annually in his honor, to which guests were also invited from neighboring villages and mountain villages. The church was built by the whole world, yes "taku, yakoy nide nima." In the stories of the stanitsa old-timers, the stanitsa church is the most vivid impression of childhood. In every settlement of the Kuban, they were deeply convinced that there were no such temples anywhere else. At the beginning of the twentieth century, there were 363 churches in the Kuban region, every fourth of them was stone or brick.

It happened that the temples were used not only for their intended purpose. In the event of an attack by the mountaineers on the village, the temples became a shelter for women, old people and children. The Church has never stood outside the interests of the stanitsa or farm community. This was reflected in the customs characteristic of the region. So, after the declaration of war, the doors of the stanitsa church were not closed. Prayers were continuously read in them, services were conducted. The atheistic policy, actively pursued in the 20-30s and 50-60s. XX century, led to the complete or partial destruction of churches in the Kuban, their looting and desecration. In the popular mind, the destruction of the temple was perceived as the end of the world, the temporary departure of Christ and the arrival of the Antichrist.

Monasteries in the Kuban had their educational and charitable traditions. Here, the sons of the residents of nearby villages, as well as the children of the clergy, learned to read and write, sing and various crafts. The desert was also a school for those wishing to enter the clergy. At the monastery they studied church service and reading in the kliros. Many Kuban residents made it their duty to make a pilgrimage to a monastery every two or three years. People hurried here because they were convinced of the special power of prayer pronounced in holy places. The monasteries kept miraculous icons or particles of the relics of the saints of God. So, the subject of special veneration of pilgrims in the Mikhailo-Athos desert were particles of the Life-giving tree of the Lord, particles of the incorruptible relics of the holy great martyrs Panteleimon, George the Victorious and Kharlampy. Moreover, the relics of the holy Great Martyr George the Victorious, revered by the local highlanders, attracted even Muslims from nearby settlements to the Dormition Church of the monastery. Monasteries also played an important economic role in the development of the region. The monasteries developed viticulture, cattle breeding, arable farming, fishing, cheese making. The monasteries of the Kuban were famous for their icon-painting schools, handicrafts: artistic embroidery with gold and beads, lace-making, spinning and knitting, carpet weaving.

Historical documents paint a contradictory picture of the religious picture in the Kuban villages. In the memorandum of the priest Simeon Kucherovsky to the Yekaterinodar ecclesiastical board of May 13, 1852, it was reported about the state of religiosity among the population of Chernomoria: “In religious terms, the Black Sea people are not far off. By nature, the Chernomorets are pious, zealous for religion, but his piety is still rather rude. If he put a candle to God, sent a prayer service to all the saints, then he already considers himself a saint. The pastors of the Church still need to work hard to enlighten their moral concepts. This can be said in general about all the settlers of the Black Sea region ”. And further: “Chernomorets is lazy to go to church for prayer; he loves to observe the holiday, but his celebration consists in stopping household work, and nothing more; he is more inherent in the thought that it is a sin to work on a holiday than that it is even more sinful to spend a holiday in idle talk instead of prayer. "

In another testimony of this time, it was noted that the inhabitants of the village of Petrovskaya “know about the origin of religion from Jesus Christ. Some people know about the Ecumenical Councils. Many understand and know the meaning of Vespers, Matins and Liturgy. Not only the elderly, but also youngsters read prayers beautifully and with attention, for example: to the Heavenly King, our Father, I believe and have mercy on me, God, and others. "

The popular faith did not reproduce the literal dogmas of Orthodoxy, in many ways it perceived the essence of Christian teaching in its own way. This was manifested in the retelling of the lives of the saints, in folk prayers, in prophetic dreams and visions, in the interpretation of the subjects of the Sacred history and legends about miracles and the righteous. The Orthodox worldview was manifested among the Kuban people in walking with shrines in processions of the cross. They were perceived as a powerful means of purification, consecration of the earth and people, sources and dwellings. The concept of sin and the awareness of the need for repentance were felt deeply in the popular faith. A loving, caring attitude to the temple and its shrines has always been present among the Cossacks. The devastating impact on the people's spirituality of the Cossacks in the post-revolutionary decades was aimed at the complete eradication of religious traditions. But the people's faith in his shrine continued to exist, went inside the soul and heart, helping to survive morally. Unable to resist the prohibition and destruction of visible religious symbols and shrines, the Kuban people secretly remained with their personal values: body crosses, home icons, spiritual verses, ideas of piety.

The state of faith in the urban and rural population of the Kuban and the Black Sea region also showed itself in their daily activities, in many features of the home environment. Wishing to make their home a holy place, protected from the influence of evil forces, the construction of the dwelling began from the holy corner. A lamp was placed here, and here there was a "corner" - a triangular corner table. The icons were covered with specially embroidered towels or curtains. They prayed in front of the icons in the house, blessed them with icons under important life circumstances. The bride was often blessed with the image of the Mother of God, the groom - with the image of the Savior or Nicholas the Pleasure. The elders in the family, guests of honor, as well as the bride and groom sat in the holy corner during the wedding. Seeing off the Cossack to the service, they again removed the icon from the holy corner. Holding it in their hands, the parents admonished their son to serve honestly, "not to disgrace the Cossack family," to defend their native land and return home safe and sound.

Household prayers were an indispensable part of everyday life. It was obligatory to read prayers in the morning, in the evening and before meals. In addition to the prayers “I Believe”, “The Most Holy Trinity”, “Heavenly King”, there could be appeals to God in their own way: “Give me, Lord, a good sleep, rest me in sleep, so that I can rest, and I also ask You, Lord, to get up. in the morning that I start working, help me, Lord, and give me, Lord, health. " The prayer before meals was recited by the eldest in the family, usually a father or grandfather. Most often they read "Our Father", but they could just say "Holy Lord, bless." After the meal, they said: "Save, Christ" or "Thank God, Mother of God, we will teach the saints, for khlib, for strength, for the gift of God." During the day, during household chores, they asked God for help and blessings. For example, when pasturing a cow for pasture, she was baptized with the words: "I cross with the cross, I protect with the cross, I drive away the enemy with the cross." They called upon God when leaving the courtyard, trying to protect themselves from any accidents: “Lord, I'm on my way, I call you with me. Angel, fly out, clear the path for me, and the Mother of God save me. " Before plowing, they must say: "Lord, bless me to start work."

When moving into a house, they first brought an icon and a table into the holy corner so that "evil spirits would not start." The most important manifestation of domestic piety was fasts, which represented a special meaning and unity of spiritual and bodily needs. “Invisible warfare” strengthened faith and helped to cope with the vicissitudes of life.

The faith of the fathers spoke to the Orthodox population of the Kuban about the immortality of the soul, about its endless life with God. Faith warned about the Last Judgment of the Lord and about new torments that await people. However, in all its fullness, Orthodoxy did not proclaim death, but the resurrection from the dead. The symbol of faith ends with the words: “I wish the resurrection of the dead and the life of the century to come. Amen". The Kuban people believed that above the sun and the stars there is another Heaven, in which God dwells together with the holy angels and the souls of the dead righteous. To some righteous people, before their death, this Kingdom of Heaven is revealed in all its glory. Vera taught a Cossack, a soldier of the Black Sea coastline, an officer not to be afraid of death in war, to rely on God's providence. He who feared God was not afraid of the enemy. A man completely devoted to the providence of God, patiently endured hardships and trials, boldly and calmly walked towards danger. The assimilation of the Christian commandments: to love your neighbor as yourself and to lay down your soul for your friends - was able to raise the Kuban Cossacks to an unattainable degree of moral heights. When, in 1809, the four-thousandth militia of the mountaineers crossed the Kuban ice near the Olginsky cordon, Colonel Tikhovsky and 200 Cossacks with a cannon could sit quietly in the fortification, repulsing the attacks of a superior enemy. However, the Cossacks did not become indifferent spectators of the massacre of the Circassians over the nearest villages. They left the fortification and entered into an unequal battle with the entire mass of enemy cavalry and infantry. In a merciless fierce battle, the Tikhovites perished, having accomplished a feat not only bodily, but also spiritual ...

When the Turks began to beat and torture Orthodox Christians on the Balkan Peninsula, drowning the uprisings of the Bulgarians and Serbs against the brutal Ottoman yoke in blood, the Kubans discovered a willingness to defend their fellow believers with arms in hand. The Cossack of the village of Vasyurinskaya, Ivan Vidny, wrote in his petition: "I have a zealous desire to join the ranks of the defenders of the Christian people against the Turks we hate and the arrogance and cruelty of the Bashibuzuk tyranny." About 35 inhabitants of the Kuban region (Cossacks, peasants, burghers, officers) managed to get to distant Serbia in 1876 and joined the small volunteer army of General Chernyaev, which had no chance to resist the superior forces of the Turks ...

All this and much more suggests that the Orthodox faith is the basis of the deep traditions of the Kuban Cossacks. It was and remains a great property of the people, and not a superficial phenomenon, supposedly imposed from the outside.

Notes (edit)

1. Bondar N.I. On the question of the traditional system of values ​​of the Kuban Cossacks. Part 1. XIX - early XX century. // From the cultural heritage of the Slavic population of the Kuban / Ed. N.I. Cooper. Krasnodar, 1997.S. 4.
2. Pogorelov N.N. Temple of the village of Irkliev // Orthodoxy, traditional culture, education / Scientific editor, compiled by N.I.Bondar, M.V. Sementsov. Krasnodar, 2000. S. 38–41; V.P. Ponomarev From the history of the Intercession Church of the village of Abinskaya // Ibid. S. 41–44; Rybko S.N. Some pages of the history of Art. Erivanskaya and its temple in the name of the Holy Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky // The development of the Kuban by the Cossacks: Questions of history and culture / Scientific. ed., comp. O.V. Matveev, Krasnodar, 2002, pp. 146-156; Pavlogradskaya L. D. Stepnaya swallow // Kuban collection. T. II (23) / Ed. O.V. Matveeva. Krasnodar, 2007. pp. 319–356; Her. Temples in the village of Umanskaya // Rodnaya Kuban. 2008. No. 2 (42). S. 11-28; A.V. Babich About the flood in the stanitsa of the Baku Psekup regiment of the Kuban region in 1866 and the donation of the icon by Empress Maria Alexandrovna to the Twelve Great Holidays to the inhabitants of the stanitsa in 1868 // "And God's grace descended ...": Romanovs and the North Caucasus: Materials of the IV International Noble Readings / Ed. ... O.V. Matveeva, E.M. Sukhacheva. Krasnodar, 2008; The history of the Orthodox community and the Archangel Michael Church in the village of Krylovskaya in documents and memoirs / Comp. V.V. Ter, E.V. Ter. Art. Leningradskaya (Umanskaya), 2010.52 p .; Soloviev I.A. The village of Vorovskoleskaya: from the outpost to the rural hinterland. Stavropol, 2010. S. 192–204; O.V. Matveev From the history of the Orthodox parishes of the village of Dyadkovskaya (1828–1918) // The World of the Slavs of the North Caucasus / Ed. O.V. Matveeva. Krasnodar, 2011, pp. 54–75, etc. 3. Kuznetsova I.A. Some aspects of the daily life of the parish and village priest of the Kuban region (second half of the 19th - early 20th centuries) // World of the Slavs of the North Caucasus. Issue 4 / Sci. ed., comp. O.V. Matveev. Krasnodar, 2008.S. 179–189; The cause of peace and love: essays on the history and culture of Orthodoxy in the Kuban / Nauch. ed. O.V. Matveev. Krasnodar, 2009.304 p.
4. Orthodox Church in the Kuban (late 18th - early 20th centuries): Collection of documents (To the 2000th anniversary of Christianity). Krasnodar, 2001.728 s; Priests and clergymen and members of their families of the Black Sea Cossack army based on the materials of the 7th revision (January 1816) / Publ. A.V. Babich, S.V. Samovtora // Kuban collection. T. II (23) / Ed. OV Matveeva. Krasnodar, 2007.S. 357–401.
5. Vinogradov VB Middle Kuban: fellow countrymen and neighbors (formation of the traditional composition of the population). Armavir, 1995.S. 69.
6. Ibid. P. 72.
7. The Orthodox Church in the Kuban ... p. 220.
8. Ibid. P. 221.
9. Quoted. by: Bondar N.I. Decree. op. P. 8.
10. The cause of peace and love ... S. 281.
11. Kuznetsova I.A. Traditions of domestic worship of Orthodox residents of the Kuban villages (second half of the 19th - early 20th centuries) // World of the Slavs of the North Caucasus. Issue 3 / Ed. O.V. Matveeva. Krasnodar, 2007.S. 316–317.
12. Matveev O.V. Kuban volunteers of the Serboturk war of 1876 // Slavic world, West, East: in memory of professor D.G. Sandy: Proceedings of the International Scientific and Practical Conference / Ed. E.G. Vartanyan, O. V. Matveeva. Krasnodar, 2008.S. 36.

On July 16, 1992, the Decree on the rehabilitation of the Cossacks was adopted, which canceled all repressive legislative acts adopted against the Cossacks, starting in 1918.

Recently, a new holiday has appeared in the church calendar: His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia declared September 1, the day of the Don Icon of the Mother of God, the day of the Orthodox Cossacks. This decision was made in order to rally the Cossacks. It is no secret that in Russian society, some are skeptical of them - "mummers", they say. How did the modern Cossacks deserve a special attitude from the Church?

Your orders

About seven million people consider themselves to be Cossacks in the Russian Federation. This is about 5 percent of the total population of the country. For this reason, people who polls call all the Cossacks "mummers" need to slightly adjust their position towards realism. We are talking about men, women and children, for whom the Cossacks are not just the heritage of their ancestors, but the idea on which their future is built.

One of the painful points of the modern Russian Cossacks is the division into registered and non-registered, public. Registered Cossacks, in accordance with their charter, undertake a voluntary obligation to perform public service. The state puts forward requirements and rules for them. Those who do not take upon themselves such responsibilities, do not want to submit to such an order, remain in public Cossack associations.

For the Cossacks, this is a real stumbling block. This division creates conflicts. Each side prefers to consider itself right. "Social activists" consider themselves the founders of the modern Cossack movement, reproach the registered ones for the fact that they, who arose much later, "came to anything ready." Registered Cossacks have their own questions and claims to public Cossack organizations.

The register officially includes 11 military Cossack societies: the Great Don Host, Central Cossack Host, Volga, Transbaikal, Yenisei, Irkutsk, Kuban, Orenburg, Siberian, Tersk and Ussuri Cossack military societies, as well as several district Cossack societies, such as, for example , The Amur District Cossack Society and the Baltic Separate Cossack District.

The Presidential Decree "On the State Register of Cossack Societies in the Russian Federation" states that the primary are farm, village and city Cossack societies. District (separate) units are formed from them, and from the separate ones - military Cossack associations.

The farm Cossack society must include at least 50 members, village and city - at least 200. The district (separate) Cossack society includes at least 2 thousand Cossacks, and the military, in turn, at least 10 thousand. However, farms, and stanitsa (city), and district (separate), and military Cossack societies can be created with a smaller number of these members of such societies, "depending on local conditions", if we are talking, for example, about Siberia or the Far East ...

In addition to the registered ones, a large number of public Cossack organizations operate in Russia at the same time. The oldest and most representative of them, the Union of Cossacks of Russia, recently celebrated its 20th anniversary.

So it's one thing to laugh at the motley crowd of people in hats who humorously portray the Cossacks in the comedy "Election Day", it's another to deal with reality.

Heroes of books, films and resolutions of the Central Committee

One of the properties of human nature is to be wary of everything that is incomprehensible. This alertness only increases if the person with whom we have to deal behaves assertively, aggressively defends his opinion.

The history of the Cossacks is the history of just such a struggle, constant battles for their ideals.

In fact, at the root of all conflicts that arise in the Cossack environment itself, as well as between the Cossacks and society, is standing for the truth as they themselves see it. There is no place for indifference, calm prudence, notorious tolerance or even diplomacy, there is no place for fear of making enemies, rather, on the contrary, a desire to challenge the enemy to fight. Remember the famous painting by IE Repin "The Cossacks write a letter to the Turkish Sultan."

Affirming loyalty to clan and military traditions, the Cossacks defend their originality, and often this can be done only by opposing themselves to others. For example, it is known that it was an insult for a Cossack to hear the address “man” addressed to him. LN Tolstoy paints bright and uncompromising pictures of the Cossack life, describing the Terek Cossack: “He respects the enemy-mountaineer, but despises the soldier who is alien to him and oppressor. Actually, the Russian peasant for the Cossack is some kind of alien, wild and despicable creature, which he saw as an example in the entering hucksters and immigrants-Little Russians, whom the Cossacks contemptuously call Shapoval. "

It is not surprising that, feeling and seeing such an attitude towards themselves on the part of the Cossacks, the "Russian peasant" himself began to look at them with hostility. The unresolved conflicts and wars of the twentieth century contributed to the formation of this ambiguous image, which was also worked on by mass Soviet propaganda.

On January 24, 1919, the Organizing Bureau of the Central Committee of the RCP (b) adopted a document known as the decree "On decossackization." In it, "taking into account the experience of the year of the civil war with the Cossacks," it was proposed "to recognize the only right thing to be the most merciless struggle against all the tops of the Cossacks by means of their total extermination." The new policy of the Soviet government towards the Cossacks was marked by "mass terror". It was also about the confiscation of grain and other agricultural products, the complete disarmament of the Cossacks and the "hastily" organized "mass resettlement of the poor to the Cossack lands."

For some of our contemporaries, the history of the Cossacks began quite recently - in the 1990s. Since it was then that various Cossack public organizations began to appear, there was a feeling that it was as if the Cossacks had never existed before. But already in the Great Patriotic War, the Cossacks again showed themselves to be glorious warriors and defenders of the Motherland.

In 1936, restrictions on the service of the Cossacks in the army were lifted. At the same time, new Cossack cavalry divisions were formed. By the end of the war, 262 Cossacks were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Images of the Cossacks came to literature and to the wide screen. In 1940, Sholokhov completed his "Quiet Don", filmed in 1930, 1958 and 1992. In the post-war years, the Soviet audience formed their idea of ​​the Cossacks through other films: "Kochubei", "Dauria", "Kuban Cossacks". How objective could Soviet propaganda be in relation to the Cossacks, if not a single kind word could be uttered about the most significant values ​​for them: freedom, the Orthodox faith, devotion to the Tsar and the Fatherland?

In the 1990s, everything changes. These years "hit" in different ways on all segments of the population. And this was expressed, first of all, in the absence of a cementing national idea. Not many have managed to consolidate: the Russian Orthodox Church has retained its unity and is gathering wasteful children, and the Cossacks have also risen.

What does the Church have to do with it?

The points of contact between the Church and the Cossacks were immediately found. It is curious that the process of reviving the Cossacks is very similar to churching. And here and there - a lacuna of oblivion, when children, who knew nothing about the fate of grandfathers and great-grandfathers, suddenly discovered whole worlds for themselves: the world of faith and the world of a forgotten military tradition.

Attempts to tie the torn threads, return to the origins are always fraught with mistakes, generated by excessive diligence. The Orthodox neophyte often gravitates towards ascetic severity and condemnation of everything that does not fit into the ideal perceived from the books, divides the world into “right” and “wrong” Orthodox. Similar processes are going on in the Cossacks. Unfortunately, secondary things come to the fore: appearance, clothing, demeanor.

In an ordinary traditional environment, where one generation inherits another, everything proceeds naturally, follows the general order. The external is only a reflection of the internal. At the end of the twentieth century, we tried to move in the opposite direction.

Today the opportunity to join the ranks of the Cossacks is open to almost everyone who is ready to take the Cossack oath. But it is precisely “coming into adulthood” that gives rise to those special features that are characteristic of the modern period of the development of the Cossack movement in Russia.

Is the process of the revival of the Cossacks completed now, or has it not yet passed the "folklore stage", when the signs of antiquity are dearer than the real movement forward? The answer to this question must be given by the Cossacks themselves.

And the real movement depends on the solution of the question, what exactly are the Cossacks ready to do, what service are they ready to carry? For example, how do they want to serve the Church?

The most common answer is to guard churches on major Orthodox holidays. True, not all Cossack societies make contact with the parish priest, not all participate in the Sacraments. Why? For the same reasons as our other compatriots who were born and matured in the country of “victorious atheism”.

There are, of course, more conscious ones. They take part in religious processions, take the initiative in laying new churches, help priests in the improvement and cleaning of the parish territory, attend spiritual talks and lecture halls.

According to tradition, a priest must be present at the circle where issues important for the Cossacks are resolved. So far, this is not observed everywhere, but such a provision is likely to be reflected in the standard charter of registered military Cossack societies, the draft of which has already been approved by the Council for Cossack Affairs under the President of the Russian Federation.

Real strength

The main task of the Cossacks in past centuries was the defense of state borders and participation in hostilities led by the state. The participants of the Patriotic War of 1812 covered themselves with glory, and the people of Bulgaria, liberated from the Turkish yoke, still remember the Russian Cossacks with gratitude. For Bulgarians, Cossacks are a symbol of willpower, free spirit and fraternal assistance to Russia.

In modern Russia, there are enough other tasks for the Cossacks: this is environmental protection, and the protection of public order, and the fight against drug trafficking, which, for example, is actively pursued by the Cossacks of the Kuban Cossack army. Kuban in general this year was among the most economically prosperous regions of Russia. Maybe this is the merit of the Cossacks? It is not for nothing that the ataman of the Kuban Cossack army, Nikolai Aleksandrovich Doluda, is also the deputy governor of the Krasnodar Territory.

Krasnodar should be mentioned on another occasion: in August, it was in Krasnodar that the final of the All-Russian Spartakiad of pre-conscription Cossack youth took place, dedicated to the 65th anniversary of the Great Victory. The program of the Olympics included competitions in military-applied sports with Cossack specifics: running a mile (1067 m), horseback riding, army hand-to-hand combat, swimming and bullet shooting.

Cossack youth, especially students of the Cossack cadet corps, stands out among their peers for their seriousness and preparation for adulthood. No wonder the competition for such educational institutions is very great. Where else do the Cossacks gain experience? In specialized sports clubs, in sports camps, at war games such as "Zarnitsa". They grow up with a specific goal in front of them: to achieve respect and success in this life on their own, to be worthy of the name of a real Cossack.

The Cossacks are faced with a lot of questions today. There is a whole palette of opinions about which way to develop, there are deep historical studies and superficial manifestos. There is also a place for very peculiar interpretations of spirituality, which do not coincide with the Orthodox doctrine. But it is clear that the Cossacks are not a force that should be written off.

Cossacks and faith

From time immemorial, Orthodoxy served as the spiritual core of the Cossacks, and the Cossacks were loyal defenders of the Orthodox Church.
Returning from the campaigns, they carried all the most valuable of the spoils of war to the temple as a grateful sacrifice to the Lord for their salvation. Cossack banners, relics, kleinods were kept in God's temples. Military priests with a cross in their hands, together with the Cossacks, went on the attack, raising them to exploit by the word of God. It is a known fact that in 1790, during the storming of Izmail, a military priest and a Cossack were the first to climb the wall. In the villages and farms, the Church of God was that spiritual center, thanks to which education, morality, culture developed, practically every village church had a parish school. The main decoration of the Cossack capitals - Novocherkassk, Orenburg, Omsk and others - were undoubtedly the majestic military cathedrals. In addition, there were Cossack monasteries, for example, the famous Yekaterino-Lebyazhy in the Kuban. The Cossacks themselves were deeply religious people. It could not be otherwise: spending most of their lives in battles and campaigns, on the edge of life and death, the Cossacks felt the temporality of life more sharply and understood that only with God is eternity, and asked him for protection and victory over the foe.
Many outstanding ascetics of Orthodoxy, numbered among the saints, left the ranks of the Cossacks. These are the hero of Russian epics, "the old Cossack" Ilya Muromets, who at the end of his life became a humble monk of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, and the famous saint Metropolitan Dmitry of Rostov (in the world - the Cossack Daniel Tuptalo), who composed the famous Cheti-Minei, and St. Joseph of Belgorod. The Mother of God enjoyed special reverence among the Cossacks. Her holy icons - Don, Kazan, Tabyn - were considered the patroness of the Cossack troops. The Day of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos was a common Cossack holiday, the day of all Cossack troops. It was on this day that young Cossacks took the oath of allegiance to the Fatherland. Of the saints, the Cossacks most of all revered the Archangel of God, the Archangel Michael - the leader of the heavenly army, Nicholas the Wonderworker, John the Baptist, George the Victorious, John the Warrior, Alexy - the Man of God and the holy noble Prince Alexander Nevsky. In addition to them, each Cossack army had "its own", locally revered saints. At the same time, the Cossacks were quite tolerant and respected the representatives of other religions. The ranks of the Cossacks included Muslim Cossacks (Tatars and Bashkirs) and Buddhist Cossacks (Kalmyks and Buryats). But over 97 percent of the Cossacks have always been Orthodox.
Addressing the reviving Cossacks, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II said: “Dear Cossacks and Cossacks, dear brothers and sisters! The Russian Orthodox Church, like the rest of Russia, now looks with hope at the revival of the Cossacks, believing that not only the form, but also the spiritual basis of "Orthodox chivalry" is being revived. Voluntary service to the Church and the Fatherland, readiness to defend the Orthodox faith and native land to self-sacrifice - these feelings were characteristic of the Cossacks. The Cossacks in Russia have always been guided by the Gospel words of Christ the Savior: “There is no more love than if someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15, TK). And over the centuries, the Cossacks with their lives and deeds have confirmed their loyalty to this truth. Today, the Russian Cossacks have an opportunity to serve the faith and the Fatherland again. The time of testing and oblivion of the devoted service of the Cossacks to the Russian state is over. We hope for your participation in the revival not only of our historical lands, but also of Russia as a whole. Let the Cossack be glorious not only for his earthly service, but also for his tireless service to the Lord God and the holy Orthodox Church, for without this there will be no true revival of the Cossack warrior, farmer and pioneer. I express the hope that the life, service and work of Russian Cossacks for the benefit of the Fatherland and in the bosom of the Church will contribute to the preservation of peace and harmony among the peoples of the entire Fatherland. Keep our Russia - the House of the Most Holy Theotokos! May the Lord bless you all for faithful service to the Russian state and our people! "

“Religion is the greatest layer of human culture. Separated from it, we are building an unreliable, fragile house of spirituality ... "1, wrote one of the founders of Russian ethnopedagogy, G.N. Volkov, highlighting religion as a pivotal factor in the formation of human spirituality.

The traditions and values ​​of the Russian Cossacks are historically closely related to Orthodoxy, as they were formed in that historical period when Russia was an Orthodox state. It is for this reason that the Orthodox faith occupies a special place in the history and culture of the Cossacks, is a connecting link and a solid foundation of their spiritual and cultural traditions in Russia and abroad.

The history of the Cossacks is inextricably linked with the service of Russia. Cossacks have always been state people, warriors, workers, selflessly defending the interests of the Fatherland, their native land, the faith of their ancestors. For many centuries Russia was strengthened by the Cossack faith, valor and glory, military and labor service 2.

The spiritual core of the Cossacks was the Orthodox faith. The Cossack always saw his destiny as a defender of the ideals of the Fatherland and faith: he understood his life as an active service - with arms in hand. Whether on service, on a campaign or on a circle, on a river wave or on vacation in a kuren, the Cossack always felt like a Christian warrior and at any moment could become a fighter for the Russian land, for the Christian faith.

If we talk about the era of "free Cossacks", then the Cossacks organized religious life according to their "Christian understanding". For joint ritual actions, they gathered in one of the houses, which served as a prayer house, or in an open area. Since the free Cossacks had no church organization, they themselves chose persons for worship from among the most respected Cossacks, who were well acquainted with the religious life of their fathers and grandfathers.

For centuries, Orthodoxy has been the foundation of all Cossack life. The triune formula "For Faith, Tsar and Fatherland" determined the main directions of the education of young Cossacks and served them as a reliable vector throughout their lives.

The spiritual core of the Cossacks was the Orthodox faith. The Cossack always saw his destiny as a defender of the ideals of the Fatherland and faith: he understood his life as an active service - with arms in hand. Whether in service, on a hike or on a circle, on a river wave or on vacation in a kuren, the Cossack always felt like a Christian warrior and at any moment could become a fighter for the Russian land, for the Christian faith

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, speaking on November 11, 2014 at the opening of the XVIII World Russian People's Council, emphasized: “Love for the Motherland, a sense of brotherhood and a sense of duty, the willingness to lay down“ his soul for his friends ”are equally characteristic of the heroes of Kulikov fields, Borodin and Stalingrad. The same properties of the national character are characteristic of the majority of Russian people today. It is thanks to these properties, as the sociologist Pitirim Sorokin wrote, “the Russian nation was able to defend itself, its independence, freedom and other great values” 3.

The Cossack worldview, developed over centuries of life full of dangers, was based on Orthodox canons, the Cossacks have always maintained their sincere faith in the Lord. From the moment of baptism to the last breath on his deathbed, the Cossack in earthly life was connected by visible and invisible threads with Orthodoxy. Before the campaign, the Cossacks blessed swords and sabers, chain mail and armor, prayed to God to protect them in battle and grant victory. According to ancient tradition, when going on a campaign, the Cossacks took with them a small icon or prayer book. And next to the cross, an icon of the Intercessor Mother of God was worn on the chest. Before the battle they fasted and prayed earnestly. Leaving on a campaign or before a decisive battle, the Cossack warriors exchanged body crosses, became brothers-in-arms, promised to sacredly keep brotherhood and faithfulness in friendship, for according to the word of Christ there is “more love than to lay down your soul for your friends” (John 15, 13), and in the event of the death of one of the brothers, pray for the deceased and take care of his family until his deathbed. Prayers preceded a Cossack gathering, gathering or circle. Without the blessing of the priest, the Cossacks could not make a circle, and all decisions made on it did not gain strength. Cossack historian V.D. Sukhorukov writes: “Our ancestors, as well as the current Donets, ascribed every success of the work to the will of God. That is why the rite has always, constantly remained with us, that the army returning from the campaign goes directly to the church. According to this custom, each time they stopped in front of the chapel, and not before, as after a service of thanksgiving, the soldiers went out to the square to meet with their comrades. "

The Cossack, a warrior and a farmer, was close to the moral foundations of the Orthodox faith, with the principles of justice, piety, and conciliarity5. Orthodoxy did not contradict the primordial concepts of the Cossacks - such as love of freedom, striving for independence, courage and mutual assistance. All social and family relations among the Cossacks were regulated by religious norms of behavior. Any meaningful business began and ended with prayer. The main stages of the life of the Cossack were marked by church rites of baptism, weddings, and funerals. The pectoral cross, worn at baptism, was worn all their lives, and they buried with it. Each Cossack family had a saint, a red corner, a goddess with the most revered icons. It was decorated with a special towel with embroidery and lace - a towel. Prayer and the cross accompanied the Cossack all his life, protecting him from troubles and misfortunes. The entire economic year was associated with the church calendar, the main milestones in economic life were determined in relation to church holidays: after Trinity, hay was cut, after the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, grapes were harvested, etc.

The first thing that the Cossacks built in a new place was a church. Sometimes it was preceded by a temporary place of worship - for example, a canvas tent. A church was built in the most prominent place, usually in the center of the village, and a churchyard was located near it. Until now, the Cossacks have preserved the tradition of building an ordinary temple, i.e. built in one day.

Religion for the Cossacks is not just reverence, worship of God, attending church, the ability to be baptized, but, first of all, a special worldview - the idea of ​​society, nature, man, his destiny. This is a way of life, norms (commandments) that an Orthodox person must follow, which is reflected in his actions and behavior. Cossack valor is based on the high spiritual and moral qualities of the Cossack, on his strength of mind, which he takes in the Orthodox faith. That is why the Cossacks say about themselves: "The mother of the Cossack is the Orthodox faith, and the saber is the sister."

Following the first commandment, the Cossacks strictly honored their faith, trying to act in accordance with Christian norms in various situations: all business began with prayer, provided assistance to those in need, including widows, orphans, the sick, the poor and the elderly. In the Cossack environment, there was also the so-called secret charity, when the needy received help, not knowing from whom it came.

The belief that the Lord is always there, constantly protects and preserves the warrior, never left the Cossacks. And the firm belief that killed for a just cause, for the weak and offended, for the faith of Christ, the Cossack immediately goes to heaven, that “death for his friends” frees him from all sins, made him fearless in any battle

Orthodoxy regulated the rhythm of the life of the Cossack. Weekdays alternated with Christian holidays, during which they did not work. With the evening bells ringing, work was stopped. The entire life circle of the Cossack, from birth to death, was associated with Orthodoxy and its shrines: the obligatory baptism of a newborn, a blessing of the bride and groom with an icon and bread, a wedding in a church, an icon blessing and a compulsory prayer service when leaving for service and war, case of death.

The Cossacks were often called “the army of Christ”. The cry of the Cossacks became famous: "Who wants to be impaled for the Christian faith, who wants to be quartered, wheeled, who is ready to endure all sorts of torments for the Holy Cross, who is not afraid of death - pester us!"

Understanding his life mission, his “share” as a defense of the faith of Christ made the Cossack fearless in battle. In the Azov seat, the Cossacks called themselves "the defenders of the Thrones of the Forerunner and Nikolina". Their self-sacrifice and faith broke the fifty-fold superiority of the enemy. “The belief that the Lord is always there, constantly protects and preserves the warrior, has never left the Cossacks. And the firm belief that killed for a just cause, for the weak and offended, for the faith of Christ, the Cossack immediately goes to heaven, that “death for his friends” frees him from all sins, made him fearless in any battle ”6. From early childhood, the Cossack learned to comprehend the faith. As a rule, this happened in a family circle, where the elders taught the girl or boy the Orthodox customs and rituals. The obligatory wearing of a cross, prayer before the general family "supper" - this is how Orthodoxy entered young souls in the everyday life of the Cossacks. It was obligatory for all Cossacks and members of their families to visit serf or village churches. On Sundays, the whole family went to Matins and Mass. In every house of the Christian Cossack, candles were lit in front of the images of the Savior, the Mother of God, the saints, lamps were burning, and the whole family was praying. The cross, prayer, holy water and incense were considered protection from all unclean things.

N.N. Velikaya tells about the religious educational tradition of the Terek Cossacks, which expresses the involvement of living people with generations of relatives who have left this world. “The Cossack families kept (and are now kept) and passed on from generation to generation memorial books, where the names of the deceased family members were entered. The memory of the dead, their veneration, crying during the funeral, where the merits of the deceased were listed, were needed not for the dead, but for the living. It was a kind of call to young people to follow the example of their ancestors, to cultivate positive qualities in themselves ”7.

It is customary to say about the Cossack that he has "God in his soul." At the same time, it was typical for the Cossacks, especially in the early stages of their formation, to have an attitude to material and spiritual values ​​close to the Gospel covenants. For example, among the Cossack environment, greed and stinginess were considered unacceptable. The property and valuables obtained during the campaigns were subject to strict division (duvan) into four parts: for the military treasury, for food, for armaments and for monasteries. A Cossack who suddenly got rich tried to quickly get rid of unexpected wealth - he squandered, distributed money, "walked", treating everyone who came to hand. This attitude towards wealth was welcomed in every possible way among the Cossack environment. They were proud of the atamans-good fellows who distributed the riches they got. They served as an example to the younger generation in the self-education of the soul, in which stinginess and greed are impossible 8.

The Kuban Cossacks had a tradition - to have marching churches, thanks to which services were performed on the way. In the Kuban, from the first months of their stay, the Cossacks began to build temples and found monasteries. The foundation of each village, as a rule, began with the foundation and construction of a temple.

Zaporozhye Cossacks celebrated religious ceremonies on the holidays of the Intercession, Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, Epiphany with cannon volleys.9 When reading the Gospel in the church, the Cossacks stood with half-naked swords, symbolically demonstrating their readiness to defend the Orthodox faith at any moment.

When starting to build their villages on the Caucasian line, the Cossacks, first of all, set aside a place for a church and surrounded it with a stone fence with loopholes made in it. Residential buildings were located in a circle, but not closer than a rifle shot from this fence, and the streets were planned in the correct blocks. Having dug out a dugout for himself or somehow put together a hut, the Cossack concentrated all his strength on the construction of a church. The beauty of the church, the height of its bell tower, the shine of the dome and the gilded cross were signs of the greater or lesser affluence of the village. Slow ringing of the bell summoned the inhabitants of the village to daily prayer, and frequent - "alarm" - heralded the alarm. Hearing this ominous ringing, the service Cossacks rushed to the rampart, and the elderly, women and children hurried to the church fence.

It is noteworthy that Cossack monasteries were usually built on the very border with the "Turkish land", strengthening the border not only with weapons, but also with holiness (Monastic town on the Don). Old people, moving to the border zone, took upon themselves an unspoken spiritual vow “to keep God's path” - the border of Russia with another world

The first Cossack monastery was founded in 1573 on the Tsna River near the town of Shatsk (now Nikolsky) 10. In 1613, the Trinity Borshchevsky Monastery was founded near present-day Voronezh. The number of monasteries gradually increased. As a rule, the way of the aged Cossack lay in the monastery, where he was cleansed of the consequences of "bloody providence" by spiritual exploits - he sought solitude in prayer and fasting. It is noteworthy that Cossack monasteries were usually built on the very border with the "Turkish land", strengthening the border not only with weapons, but also with holiness (Monastic town on the Don). Old people, moving to the border zone, took upon themselves an unspoken spiritual vow "to keep God's path" - the border of Russia with the other world. On this occasion, M.A. Ryblova notes: “The elders who settled on the borderlands significantly raised their social status, enjoyed honor and respect. In a certain sense, they opposed (but not by force of arms, but by "holiness") all those who constantly tried to open the border: "basurmans" in the period of early history, sorcerers and witches - at a later time "11.

In other cases, after leaving the service, the elderly Cossacks, although they lived at home, led a semi-monastic life, devoting the rest of their lives to prayer.

The attitude to Vera determined the image and meaning of the life of the Cossack. The first words of the battle motto, embroidered on the banners of the Zaporozhye, Don and Terek Cossacks, were “For faith ...” 12. The Cossack devoted his whole life to the service of faith without a trace. But if at the beginning of his life it was an active activity form - with a weapon in his hands, then if he managed to live to old age and not perish on the battlefield, he devoted himself to truly spiritual service 13.

The Cossacks were very religious not only in the war, but also in their everyday life in the village. Their religiousness was expressed in their frequent and accurate attendance at divine services. Especially many Cossacks came to church on holidays: Easter, Trinity, Christmas, etc. Great holidays with the ringing of bells, lighted candles, rituals of festive services, the mystery and solemnity of what is happening, had a noticeable impact on the spiritual life of the Cossack population. The inner space of the dwellings in the Cossack villages necessarily included a red corner, where the images were placed. Christian symbols (crosses) were placed on many objects (doors, windows, shops, stoves). Prayers accompanied eating, going to work, service, visiting friends and relatives.

The patronal feast was very widely celebrated, that is, the day of the saint, in memory of which a stanitsa church was erected. Usually, many guests came from neighboring villages, a public meal took place, for which refreshments were gathered from all over the village. Familiar and unfamiliar people also gathered in the houses. At first, everyone gathered in the church for the festive service, and then there was a meal and fun, songs and dances.

The Cossacks paid much attention to the spiritual, religious and moral education of the younger generation. The introduction of children to religion began at an early age. "Even a child does not know how to speak well," contemporaries noted, "as they began to teach him to be baptized and read prayers." Parents, going to church on Sundays and on holidays, always took their children with them. At home they taught them Church Slavonic literacy. In schools, an in-depth acquaintance with religious literature took place. In secular village schools (elementary schools), the Law of God was taught, on holidays the students sang in the church choir. According to the tradition existing in the Cossack villages, children took an active part in the celebration of Christmastide, Maslenitsa, Trinity, etc. Thus, religious and cultural continuity was carried out. From generation to generation, from grandfathers to grandchildren, from fathers to children, ceremonies and holidays were passed, which reflected the way of life of the Cossack.

The Cossacks were convinced of their destiny to be the defenders of the Faith, the Tsar and the Fatherland. They considered themselves brothers not only in arms, but also in faith. Seeing off the Cossacks for active service was certainly accompanied by a general parting prayer.

The Cossacks had a special form for such Christian sacraments as communion and repentance. To perform Communion, the Cossack-combiner took into his mouth the end of a beard, which he considered sacred: in hot battles and fights with the enemy, the combers took their beards in their mouths, and, biting them with their teeth, considered themselves as if they had received the sacrament of Communion - and then death for them was "A cup of sweet red wine." Since repentance was impossible in the absence of clergy and churches in the free Cossack societies, such a form of self-repentance as a vow became widespread among the Cossacks. On a vow, they went to worship the most famous shrines, swam in the Terek for Epiphany, etc.

Based on the above material, the following features of the religious consciousness of the Cossacks are traced 14:

1. awareness of oneself as knights of Orthodoxy, defenders of the faith, people and Fatherland from anyone else;
2. a special perception of religion arising from living conditions: being in constant combat readiness, continuous warfare. This perception was significantly different from the religious consciousness of a person who was engaged in peaceful labor. Exposure to constant danger, the proximity of death made faith in God the only salvation. Hence the ardent religiosity of the Cossacks and the sincerity of their faith;
3. striving for independence in everything, including the desire to preserve the independence of one's church and clergy, as well as the tradition of forming the spiritual class from one's own environment;
4. the Cossacks have their own special shrines and veneration of them, special observance of certain religious holidays.

RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS

Each Cossack army traditionally had its own patron saint; his day is celebrated as the main military holiday 15. Don Cossacks have the Holy Prophet Hosea; the Orenburg Cossacks - the Holy Great Martyr George the Victorious; among the Terek Cossacks - Saint Bartholomew; among the Siberian and Semirechye Cossacks - St. Nicholas the Wonderworker; among the Ural (Yaik) Cossacks - St. Michael the Archangel; among the Trans-Baikal, Amur and Ussuri Cossacks - the Monk Alexei, a man of God; among the Kuban Cossacks - the Holy Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky; the Astrakhan military holiday falls on the day of the icon of the Don Mother of God. The common Cossack holiday is considered the day of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos, which is celebrated by the Cossacks on October 14 (new style).

All the Cossacks commemorate the memory of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called on November 30 (December 13 till present): “Desolate Scythia, not fearing, into the depths of a half-thick country, you stretched your apostolic wanderings, First Called! Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called, pray to God for us, Cossacks! "

During the time of the Tmutarakan principality (Azov Rus), the role of Christianity (already Orthodoxy) was strengthened in the Cossacks. The Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir introduced Christianity in Russia in the 10th century as a state religion, which is why Vladimir the Baptist is glorified in the face of saints as "Equal to the Apostles." His Remembrance Day was established on July 15 (July 28, up to the present). Patriarch Alexy II at one time (June 24, 2008) said at the ROC 16 Bishops' Council: epics, became the greatest event in Russian history, without which all the best and the sublime would not have been born in it, which is inextricably linked with the Orthodox faith. I believe that the day of the Grand Duke Vladimir should be celebrated as a great holiday. "

Since the time of Azov Rus (Tmutarakan), the Cossacks finally became "Rus" (Russian, Orthodox), that is, the Cossacks became a part of the Russian nation, as various tribes and ethnic groups entered it - Maloros, Belarusians, Pomors, Siberians and all those who recognized the spiritual authority of the Russian Orthodox Church, first Kiev, then Vladimir-Suzdal, and even later Moscow. A symbol appeared in Tmutarakan - "a Cossack as an armed guard of the front line", epic heroes-Cossacks, vigilantly guarding the borders of ancient Russia. Saint Reverend Ilya Muromets in songs and legends is called "the old hardened Cherkasy Cossack", who embodies the national ideal of the hero-warrior and the people's protector. He is canonized and canonized as "Venerable Elijah of Muromets", his memory according to the church calendar is December 19 (January 1 NS). The Russian Border Guard Service, as well as the military personnel of the strategic missile forces, consider the Holy Hero Ilya Muromets as their heavenly patron. Airborne troops and aviators honor the Holy Prophet Elijah and celebrate his day on August 2 Gregorian

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia declared the Day of the Don Icon of the Mother of God on August 19 (September 1 n.s.) as the main holiday of the Orthodox Cossacks. According to legend, the icon of the Donskoy Mother of God was presented by Orthodox Cossacks-wanderers to Moscow Prince Dmitry Ivanovich (later named "Donskoy") before the Battle of Kulikovo

The test for the Orthodox Cossacks came in the XIII century: the Tatar-Mongol Golden Horde conquered and brought to its knees all of Russia. At the beginning of the invasion of the Horde, the Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky managed to preserve Christianity in Russia, which was later not shaken by the Islamization of the Horde. Through the efforts of Alexander Nevsky in Sarai, the capital of the Golden Horde, the Sarai-Podonsk diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church was established. Before Khan Uzbek in the middle of the XIV century introduced Islam as the official religion of the Golden Horde, the Sarai-Podonsk diocese was subordinate to the Metropolitan of All Russia, whose residence was first in Kiev, then in Vladimir (on the Klyazma). Later, the diocese was transferred to Moscow, where it was allocated a Krutitsky courtyard at the Church of Saints Peter and Paul, and the diocese began to be called Krutitskaya. The Day of the Holy Blessed Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky is celebrated on August 30 (September 12 N.S.). On this day in 1721, by the decision of Peter the Great, the relics of St. Alexander Nevsky were installed in the Trinity Cathedral of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra in St. Petersburg.

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia has declared the Day of the Don Icon of the Mother of God on August 19 (September 1 ns) the main holiday of the Orthodox Cossacks. According to legend, the icon of the Donskoy Mother of God was presented by Orthodox Cossacks-rovers to Prince Dmitry Ivanovich of Moscow (later named "Donskoy") before the Battle of Kulikovo. The Cossacks brought Prince Dmitry the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, it was approved in the ancient times as a banner. On the day of the glorious Battle of Kulikovo, the icon was worn among Orthodox soldiers for approval and assistance.

The Day of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos on October 1 (October 14 n.s.) is celebrated as the main holiday of the common kazach. In the Rostov region, already today, the Day of the Protection of the Mother of God has been declared a day off. It was on this day that young Cossacks took the oath of allegiance to the Fatherland. This significant date is associated with the city of Azov on the Don - a symbol of Cossack military glory. In 1637, the Cossacks took this well-fortified fortress by storm and drove all the Turks out of the city. Peace with the Turkish Sultan and his main vassal, the Crimean Khan, was then more expensive for Moscow than the Azov acquired by the Cossacks.

To take revenge for the defeat, the Turks brought 240 thousand of their soldiers under the walls of Azov. They were opposed by only 6 thousand Cossacks, including 800 of their wives and daughters. The siege lasted for several months and received the historical name "Azov sitting". When the Cossacks had no hope of salvation, they received Communion, said goodbye to each other and went on the last sortie from the fortress in order to win or die with dignity. Imagine their surprise when they discovered that the Turks had lifted the siege and left the outskirts of Azov. This miracle is attributed to the appearance of the Most Holy Theotokos, who covered the whole city with her kerchief and hid it from the infidels. Extremely exhausted and wounded Cossacks no longer had the strength to hold the city. They retreated to their former Cossack capital, Cherkassk. Bells from Orthodox churches, holy books and an ancient Christian relic - the icon of John the Baptist (Baptist), especially revered by the Cossacks, were brought there from Azov.

Christmas Holidays 17. In Cossack life, Christmastide was considered the biggest, noisiest and most cheerful holiday. Christmastide began no earlier than Nikolina's day - December 19, according to the new style (according to the present), until Epiphany - January 19 (according to the present), at a time when the Cossacks, having finished the main agricultural work, had the opportunity to rest. With the beginning of Christmas time in the strict everyday life of the village, there was a time of fun. Young people, gathering for gatherings, games, fortune-telling and arranging a variety of fun, brightened up the dull winter of the village. Although Christmastide was considered a youth holiday, the older generation did not remain indifferent to them. Christmastide was especially significant for the Cossacks. They were given the opportunity to free themselves from everyday household worries and take part in the general fun. The strictest mother on Christmas time did not force her daughter to spin yarn, sit at the loom, and sew. Young people always prepared for Christmas evenings: girls sewed new outfits for themselves, and young Cossacks tried to flaunt a belt, dagger or astrakhan hat. On Christmastide evenings, people gathered mainly along the streets, but Cossacks from other streets, sometimes even from other villages, could also come to them. If suddenly some stranger Cossack decided to take care of the "Nashenskaya" Cossack woman, then quarrels arose. The "stranger" was certainly obliged to expose compensation in the form of wine or moonshine - otherwise he could be beaten. Often, on some Christmas evening, a "masquerade ball" was held. On Christmastide evenings before Christmas, no songs were sung, except for "Svyatov's".

In the late evening, the adult population of stanitsas and farmsteads went to church. The rest were waiting for the Christians (carols). Children began to cast aside. Outside the window, voices were heard: “Can I christianize?” ... In the late evening, before Christmas, young people and even adult Cossacks went out to carols.

At the same time, there was an intensive preparation of Christmas food supplies. Summer kitchens of the Cossacks turned into warehouses. On massive nails or hooks, hams of pigs and poultry carcasses were hung. Cooked homemade sausages and sweets were placed on the tables, stocks of pickles, cabbage, cucumbers, preserves, soaked thorns, wine, etc. were checked in the cellars. Until Christmas Eve, no one was allowed to eat non-fast foods. Fish, potatoes, sauerkraut, pickles with vegetable oil, salted watermelons, pumpkin, pies with peas and beans, dried fruit uzvar, juice from soaked thorns were allowed. Christmas Eve in Cossack families was held in strict fasting. The food was consumed after the "first star". Before sunset, and if it was covered by clouds, then by time the eldest in the house (usually grandfather) invited all household members to prayer, lit a candle and put it on a loaf of bread. After reading a short prayer, he went out into the courtyard, took there bundles of hay and a sheaf of unmilled wheat, brought them into the house. In the house, the bench in front of the icons was covered with a clean tablecloth or towel, covered with straw, and a sheaf of wheat, kutya and porridge were placed on it. The prayer was recited again, and after that they began to eat. Straw and an unmilled sheaf of wheat were symbols of the future bountiful harvest. Kutia (porridge made from whole grains of wheat, later rice, with the addition of quiche, nuts, even jam and poured with honey) symbolized fertility and was consumed not only on Christmas Eve, but also at childbirth, christenings and funerals. Marking Christmas Eve, parents sent their children to distribute kutya to close relatives and neighbors. In the late evening, the adult population of villages and farmsteads went to church. The rest were waiting for the Christians (carols). Children began to sing carols. Outside the window, friendly voices were heard: "Can I christianize?" Having received the go-ahead, the friendly company entered the house and sang in a discordant chorus: “Thy Christmas, O Christ our God, ascend the world the light of reason, in it, by the stars, serving as a star, I learn to bow to You, the Sun of Truth, and guide You from the height of the East. Lord, glory to You! " This was followed by congratulations to all on the holiday and wishes of health and happiness. Late in the evening, before Christmas, young people, and even adult Cossacks, went out to carols.

A wide variety of dishes were prepared for Christmas: the Christmas table was supposed to reflect the idea of ​​wealth, abundance, well-being. However, on the eve of the Nativity of Christ (January 6), lenten dishes were put on the table. During the supper (dinner on the eve of the Nativity of Christ), with the appearance of the first star, they first broke the fast with kutya. Supper is a family dinner. Married sons came to the parental home with their children. Lonely neighbors were invited. A device was placed on the table for deceased ancestors. On Christmas Day, January 7, we went from house to house to praise Christ. The ritual could only consist of a verbal text ("Your Christmas, Christ our God ...", "Christ was born ...", etc., or it also included theatrical biblical subjects related to the birth of Jesus Christ. On the evening of January 7, caroling was performed.

Fortune-telling on Christmastide days (after Christmas) constituted a significant part of the entertainment of the stanitsa youth, especially young Cossacks. In the evening, groups of young Cossacks went to their homes, and in the morning Cossacks. Moreover, their pre-New Year's repertoire was not much different from the Christmas one. For example, the boys sang: “In the field, in the field, the Lord Himself walks. Virgin Mary went to God, asked for Happiness. Ilya walks to Vasily, He pours there, he waves there, There rye grows, Livestock and wheat, On every arable land. Hello, owner and hostess, Happy New Year, with new happiness. "

In some linear villages of the Kuban, grown-up men who read prayers, glorified Christ and wished the owners a good harvest and good health also went to Christian households. After congratulations, the guest was invited to the table, and the New Year was celebrated together with the hosts.

Baptism (Epiphany) of the Lord. The people called this holiday (January 19) "candles", since on this day after Vespers, when "blessing of water" (blessing of water) takes place, the Cossack women put candles entwined with colored threads next to the vessel in which the water is blessed. The whole day was spent in the strictest fast, even children were not allowed to eat until the first star. Upon returning from the blessing of water, the owner drank a few sips of holy water, treated the household, and then took the willow from the icon, consecrated before Easter, and sprinkled this water on all the rooms, outbuildings, property, and pets. At the end of all these rituals, holy water was placed on a special stand for the images. It was believed that such water could not deteriorate. The same sacred action was attributed to simple river water, which received special strength on the eve of Epiphany. The water drawn from such an ice hole on the eve of Epiphany was considered curative and could help - especially women. To do this, they had to draw water and go home without turning around and making a wish. In some villages, at the same time, the house was outlined with a solid chalk line - so that the hemp would grow tall, so that nothing scattered from the house, so that the chickens would rush well. On the day of Epiphany, on rivers covered with thick ice (mainly in the Middle and Upper Don), the Cossacks erected a large high cross, and on the sides there were two ice forms - the Chalice and the Gospel, painted with paints. As soon as the sound of the bell rang out, a procession began from the church. Everyone walked with their heads bared, and they tried to wrap up the kids in their heads. All the stanitsa authorities, headed by the ataman, gathered at the ice-hole. They were all dressed festively. Cossacks wore fur coats or long coats trimmed with fur, and covered with multi-colored shawls on top. "In the Jordan, the Lord who is baptized with You ..." - the choir sang, and the priest plunged the cross into the ice-hole. At this time, shots rang out, and a flock of pigeons was released into the sky. After that, everyone in turn approached the ice-hole for the sacred water. There were many daredevils among young Cossacks, (often old people), who, after taking water, swam in an ice-hole, believing that, having bathed in consecrated water, they would not get sick and be exposed to various misfortunes.

The spring period of the calendar, in comparison with the winter Christmastide, shows an “inverted” pattern. If the winter cycle began with fasting and ended with strict fasting on the eve of Epiphany, then the central part of the spring block was represented by Great Lent, and the beginning (Maslenitsa) and the end (Easter) were non-fasting, “modest”

The spring period of the calendar, in comparison with the winter Christmastide, shows an “inverted” pattern. If the winter cycle began with fasting and ended with strict fasting on the eve of Epiphany, then the central part of the spring block was represented by Great Lent, and the beginning (Maslenitsa) and the end (Easter) were non-fasting, "modest".

Presentation of the Lord. The Feast of the Meeting is celebrated on February 15 (according to the present) and is referred by the Orthodox Church to the important twelve (twelve) holidays. It was installed in honor of the meeting of the baby Jesus Christ in the temple with the pious Simeon and the prophetess Anna. In Cossack families, Sretenye was also explained as a calendar meeting of winter and summer, since from that time the frosts began to subside, and the sun often caused drops. They associated many signs with this day. “On Sreteniev's day there was snow - in the spring it was burnt,” the drops that day foreshadowed the harvest of wheat, and the wind the fertility of orchards.

Maslenitsa. The Shrovetide festival got its name in the 16th century. and is ranked by the Orthodox Church as a celebration called "butter" or "cheese" week.

Seeing off the carnival. In Cossack families, this day was dedicated to zavel. At 4 o'clock in the afternoon, a bell rang in the bell tower of the stanitsa church, calling for Vespers. Hearing him, the villagers crossed themselves and tried to shake off the Shrovetide mood. The streets were emptied, the festive chatter and noise subsided, all entertainment ceased, everyone knew that Great Lent was coming on Monday. The approach of Great Lent with the rite of forgiveness of sins ("forgiveness day", "forgiveness Sunday") reflected on the emotional mood of the Cossacks, awakening in them the idea of ​​repentance and complete reconciliation with neighbors and friends. As soon as the church bells died down after the evening mass, relatives and neighbors began to walk home, asking each other for forgiveness for obvious and implicit grievances. They bowed low and said: “Forgive Christ for the sake of what I have sinned in front of you” - “Forgive me too,” the same request was heard in response. Or, entering the house, the guest turned to the owner with the words - "Forgive me with all your family, for which I have done wrong in front of you this year." The owner and all the household answered: "God will forgive you, and so will we." Then the host, having kissed the guest, invited him to the table. After a while, the ceremony was repeated, but already in the guest's house, where the previous owners came. Forgiveness in the family circle represented a certain feature. The whole Cossack family gathered at the table late in the evening. After supper, the youngest left the table, bowed to everyone in turn, asked for forgiveness and, having received it, walked away. All family members began to bow after him, in order of seniority (they did not bow to the youngest and did not ask for forgiveness from him). The oldest Cossack woman in the family bowed last, and she only asked for forgiveness from her husband. The head of the family did not bow to anyone.

Annunciation. On this day, April 7 (n.t.), any work was prohibited. The old people said that they stopped torturing even sinners in hell that day, so the smallest work was considered a sin. They reminded the young people: “In the Annunciation - the bird does not build a nest, the Cossack woman does not braid her braids. Look at the cuckoo, it lays its eggs in the nests of other birds. The Lord punished her for allowing her to build a nest that day. Even a stupid chicken hesitates for such a job. " From the Annunciation, the Cossacks went to sleep in the "poveta" (in the summer bedroom).

Great Lent is the most important and oldest of the many-day fasts. He reminds all Christians of the 40-day fast of the Savior in the wilderness; he also introduces them into Passion Week for the holiday of holidays - the Bright Resurrection of Christ. The Cossacks strictly observed the fasts, refraining not only from meager food, but also from all (mostly old people) food, especially on Wednesdays and Fridays. Many Cossack families had special "lean" dishes "(special pots, cast iron, bowls and even spoons intended only for fast days). Adults, observing the fast, watched the youth so that they did not start merry games, dances, and did not sing "worldly" songs. During Lent, the old Cossacks and Cossacks ate once a day, and moreover, often only bread or crackers with water. Due to the fact that the days of Great Lent always fell on intensive field work, the adult Cossacks fasted (fasted) on the first, fourth and Holy Week. At this time, each fasting person tried to speak less so as not to utter a bad word, and in the evenings, divine books were read in many families. Fasting people attended all church services in good faith, and before confession they bowed to each other's feet, asking for forgiveness. Cossack customs forbade the elders to bow to the younger. The head of the Cossack family, going to the sermon, bowed slightly and said: "Forgive me if I did something wrong." They were preparing for confession as if for a big holiday, everyone tried to dress in everything new. Young Cossack women began Communion with a braid unbound, while the hair was flowing down the shoulders or tied in a bun, but in no case was braided in a braid. After Communion, it was a sin to laugh, swear, quarrel, get angry, since this defiled the sacrament itself. On "clean Thursday" baths were heated, water was heated and poured into tubs, into which all family members were immersed in turn. On this day, according to popular custom, even "ravens of their own are washed in a puddle." By this day, the custom of the first haircut of young children was formed. On Good Friday, the Cossacks attended church in the afternoon. At this time, the Shroud (the image on a special plate of the body of Jesus Christ taken from the cross) was brought out to bow to all parishioners in the middle of the church. It was believed that on this day one should not wash, take a steam bath, wash and clean the house.

In terms of importance, Easter is a Feast of Holidays, a Celebration of Celebrations, therefore it is celebrated by the Orthodox Church with extraordinary solemnity. Preparations for Easter began as early as Holy Week: in each Cossack family, work was going on to bring their homes to an elegant look ... All household chores ended by the evening of Great Saturday (the day before Easter, celebrated on the night of Saturday to Sunday), then many rushed to church

Easter. In terms of importance, Easter is a Holiday of Holidays, a Celebration of Celebrations, therefore it is celebrated by the Orthodox Church with extraordinary solemnity. Preparations for Easter began as early as Holy Week: in each Cossack family, work was going on to bring their homes to an elegant look. On Holy Week, the men put things in order in their courtyard and field camps, prepared fodder for the cattle so that they would have enough for the full Bright Week (the week after Easter), and on the holiday they would not have to worry about this. Women were busy in their homes. Old Cossack women said that if you do a good cleaning in your house during Holy Week, it will be “clean” all year round. All household chores ended by the evening of Great Saturday (the day before Easter, celebrated on the night from Saturday to Sunday), then many rushed to church. On the village square in front of the church, the crowd grew as midnight approached, and in the church it became so crowded that there was nowhere for an apple to fall. At 12 o'clock in the morning, the first lingering and sonorous beat of the bell was heard, and then the play of bells of different sizes. "Pasochniks" approached and placed up to the church wall and fence, who placed Easter cakes, eggs, cheese, bacon, butter, sweets for the consecration. To the ringing of bells, "Christ is Risen" was heard, and outside the fence they fired from cannons and rifles. The process of christianization began: first, the priests christened in the altar, and then they went out and christened with the ataman, his reign and the most respected Cossacks, exchanged painted eggs with them. After the liturgy (church service), the priests went out to the parishioners, who lit candles on Easter cakes and waited patiently for their turn and holy water to fall on their Easter food. Arriving from church, the mothers woke up the children, and the whole family sat down at the table, where the consecrated food was laid out. A prayer was read, and after it everyone proceeded to the festive meal.

The Red Hill was celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. This holiday was considered a holiday of young Cossacks. On Krasnaya Gorka, there were many weddings and intensified matchmaking. It was considered a bad omen if young Cossacks and Cossacks would sit at home that day: a Cossack could miss the opportunity to find a good bride for himself, and a Cossack woman might not marry at all, or “get” a groom of a non-Cossack family.

Day of the Holy Trinity (Pentecost). This holiday is celebrated on the fiftieth day after Easter and lasts for several days. In some villages it was called “green Christmastide”, since the Cossacks decorated their homes with greenery, and came to church with bouquets of meadow and home flowers. The fences were decorated with branches of poplars and birches. The rooms of the houses were filled with thyme, and the walls, doorposts of doors and windows with flowers. Young people these days went to the river or to the meadow, which at that time was covered with many flowers, and celebrated the holiday by "curling wreaths". Young Cossacks went far into the field, where they looked for rare and beautiful flowers, weaved wreaths from them and gave them to the Cossacks. The celebration was accompanied by drinking sweet water (fruit drink). Early in the morning, the older generation brought with them to church, in addition to thyme, small bundles of grass, which they consecrated and then mixed into hay and given to the cattle. After consecration, medicinal herbs were dried and used for brewing tea. The feast of the Trinity symbolized farewell to spring, the onset of summer, and with it the agricultural harvest. Therefore, in every Cossack family, prayers were held with the hope that God would send a rich harvest.

By the time of the Pokrov, the main agricultural work was finished and weddings began in the villages. For the young cocks, the Pokrov meant a girl's holiday. On this day, Cossack brides went to church, lit a candle in front of the image of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos and lamented: “Father-Protection, cover my head”, and going to sleep, they said: “Cover-holiday, cover the earth with snow, and crown my head "

The Day of the First Apostles Peter and Paul is celebrated on July 12 (according to the present). Cossacks, engaged in fishing, considered this day a fisherman's day, since the Apostle Peter is also the patron saint of fishing. Cossack fishermen (in the Black Sea, Azov and Caspian villages) prayed intensely that day, served a prayer service and lit a large candle in front of the image of the Apostle Peter. The day of Peter and Paul was preceded by a two-week fast, which was observed in all the rigor of church traditions. For Peter's Day, Cossack families prepared rich borscht, soups, fried meat, baked pies.

Feasts of the Savior were celebrated in August. By this time, spikes of wheat and barley had already been mowed, tied in sheaves and folded into the sacrum, and most of the fruit crops were ripening. Three spas are celebrated. The First Savior is celebrated on August 14 (n.st.) and is called "honey". Cossacks-beekeepers cut out the best honeycombs from the hives on that day and carried them to the church "in commemoration of the parents." Most of the Cossack families bred bees, so on the day of the Savior on Honey, they made mead in almost every courtyard (in some villages it was called "funnels") and treated everyone who came to visit. The Second Savior is celebrated on the day of the Transfiguration of the Lord on August 19 (according to the present) and is called "apple". Since that time, it was allowed to consume garden fruits and vegetable garden. On the day of the Transfiguration, the Cossacks went with fruits to the church, carried apples, as well as other fruits and vegetables to consecrate them. After the consecration and blessing, the family gathered at home and broke the fast with apples. The third Savior is celebrated on August 29 (according to the present) and is called "nut". It was not customary for the Cossacks to celebrate this holiday widely. Only in a number of Terek and Kuban villages, where groves of walnuts grew, was it celebrated by the whole village. On this day, the fruits of nuts were brought to the church for consecration. On the second day of the "nut" Savior, as a rule, the Cossacks began to plow the land under fallow.

Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos. Among the Cossacks, this holiday was one of the most revered and fell on October 14 (according to the present). By the Pokrov, the main agricultural work was completed and weddings began in the villages. For young Cossacks, the Pokrov meant a girl's holiday. On this day, Cossack brides went to church, lit a candle in front of the image of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos and lamented: "Father-Protection, cover my head", and going to sleep, they said: "Cover-holiday, cover the earth with snow, and my head a crown. " From the Intercession, the Cossack women began to heat the stoves in the houses, saying: "Father-Pokrov, heat our hut without firewood," and the Cossacks insulate their homes and wintering places for domestic animals. Sheaves of oats selected in the mow were taken to the Pokrov and fed to animals in order to protect them from winter lack of food and diseases.

Introduction to the temple of the Most Holy Theotokos. This Orthodox holiday is celebrated on December 4 (n.st.) and is called the Day of the Cossack Mother. The Cossacks - mothers and wives - had to endure a lot of suffering and hardship. There was a tale about their hard lot. “It happened a long time ago, brothers falcons, when the Cossacks often had to fight in the steppes and on the blue sea, when the souls of the dead soared in the mists over the river shoals, over the swampy estuaries, when bitter lamentations for the fallen rushed from every farm like the sound of water on the rapids. Once the Most Pure Virgin, our Heavenly Mother, came down to earth. She went down with Saint Nicholas in her best pearl crown. She walked quietly along the vast Cossack region, listening to the bitter cry of her children. And when the sultry day came, Her lips were dry with pity, and there was nothing to refresh them with. No one in the farmsteads answered their knocking until they came to a wide river. And as soon as the Most Pure Mother bent down to her streams, the crown fell from her head, fell and disappeared deep under the water. “Ah,” she said, “my beautiful pearls are gone. Never again will I be so beautiful. " But when they returned to their Heavenly Home, they saw on her golden throne the same shining grains of precious pearls. “How did they get here,” she exclaimed, “I lost them. Probably, the Cossacks found them and handed them over for me. " “No, Mother,” the Son answered her, “these are not pearls, but the tears of Cossack mothers. Angels gathered them and brought them to your throne. " That is why the Cossacks celebrated this day in a special way, dedicating it to all women. In the Stavropol Territory, this holiday is called "Day of the Cossack".

The basis of the moral and ethical foundations of the Cossacks was made up of the ten commandments of Christ. Teaching children to observe the commandments of the Lord, parents simply taught them: do not kill, do not steal, do not fornicate, work according to your conscience, do not envy another and forgive the offenders, respect your parents, cherish girlish chastity and feminine honor, take care of your children, help the poor, do not offend orphans and widows, defend the Fatherland from enemies. But first of all, strengthen the Orthodox Faith: cleanse your soul from sins through repentance and communion, observe fasts, pray to the only God - Jesus Christ and added: if someone can sin, then we cannot - We are Cossacks.

In conclusion, I would like to quote the words of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia ... the revival of the Cossacks "is a very important part of the revival of our national traditions, customs, but, most importantly, the Orthodox spirit, which has always revitalized and filled the life of the Cossack community."

Head of the educational and methodological sector of the Synodal Committee of the Russian Orthodox Church for interaction with the Cossacks Irina Kotina

1. Volkov G.N. Ethnopedagogy. M., 1999.S. 150.
2. The concept of traditional spiritual and moral education, development and socialization of students in the Cossack cadet corps. Cit. by skvk.org
3. Speech by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia at the opening of the XVIII World Russian People's Council. Cit. by vrns.ru
4. Kruglov Yu.N. The many-sided world of the Cossacks: a textbook. Rostov-on-Don, 2007.S. 55.
5. Ratushnyak V.N. History of the Cossacks of Russia: a textbook for the 10th grade of institutions of additional education for children and classes of the Cossack orientation of educational institutions of the Krasnodar Territory. Krasnodar: Tradition, 2012.S. 247.
6. Cossacks / ed. B.A. Almazov. SPb., 1999.S. 27.
7. Great N.N. Cossacks of the Eastern Ciscaucasia in the 18th-19th centuries Rostov-on-Don, 2001.S. 205.
8. Ryblova M.A. Old men in the Don Cossack community: status and functions // World of the Cossacks. Issue 1. Krasnodar, 2006.S. 139.
9. Kolodny A.M. Characteristic features of the religiosity of the Zaporozhye Cossacks // History of religion in Ukraine. [Electronic resource]: uchebnikionline.com
10. Cossack Don: five centuries of military glory. [Electronic resource] URL: detectivebooks.ru; iknigi.net
11. Ryblova M.A. Decree op. P. 143.
12. S.A. Golovanova Cossacks as an idea and as an ideal // From the history and culture of the linear Cossacks of the North Caucasus: materials of the V International Kuban-Tere conference / ed. V.B. Vinogradova, S.N. Lukash. Krasnodar; Armavir, 2006.S. 18.
13. Ryblova M.A. Old men in the Don Cossack community: status and functions // World of the Cossacks. Issue 1. Krasnodar, 2006.S. 142
14. Ryabinsky S.V., esaul. Orthodox worldview as the basis of the Cossack ideology. Cit. by chern-cossak.ucoz.ru
15. Traditions of the Cossacks [Electronic resource] URL: kazak-center.ru
16. [Electronic resource]: http://www.sedmitza.ru/text/427666.html
17. Religion and Church in the life of the Cossacks [Electronic resource] http://www.npi-tu.ru/assets/files/kazaki/posobie/5.5.pdf; according to the book of VF Nikitin "Traditions of the Cossacks", ch. "Cossack Holidays" [Electronic resource] kazak center.ru

Recently, the chairman of the Synodal Committee for Cooperation with the Cossacks, Bishop Kirill (Pokrovsky) of Stavropol and Nevinnomyssk, paid a short visit to Vladikavkaz. Especially for "Orthodox Ossetia", the bishop gave a short interview on the revival of the Cossacks.

- A year and a half ago you headed the Synodal Committee for Cooperation with the Cossacks. Have you previously dealt with the issues of the Cossacks?

- Not. The topic of the Cossacks was completely unfamiliar to me. For twenty years I was a priest in the Nizhny Novgorod diocese. This is not a Cossack region and the Cossacks are poorly developed there. Although I grew up in the Urals, in those years it was not customary to talk about the Cossacks, so I had only a general idea.

At the end of 2009, I was approved as the governor of the Donskoy stauropegic monastery in Moscow. This was symbolic, given the significance of the Don Icon of the Mother of God for the Cossacks. As you know, this icon was presented by the Don Cossacks to the Moscow prince Dimitri Donskoy before the Battle of Kulikovo in 1380. In the spring of 2010, I was assigned to head the Synodal Committee for the Cossacks. I had to quickly get into this topic. In this matter, Viktor Petrovich Vodolatsky, the ataman of the Great Don Army, helped me a lot.

When you take up obedience with God's help, everything works out. I immediately made about 15 trips to the Cossack regions and got acquainted with their activities. As a result, I fell in love with the Cossacks forever. This is the same phenomenon: despite many years of persecution, despite repression, today thousands of citizens recognize themselves as Cossacks, want to serve for the good of the Fatherland! How not to respect such people!

- Have you already outlined your program of action for the revival of the Cossacks?

- Of course, I have specific plans and initiatives. With God's help, they will be carried out. Here it is necessary to take into account that the Cossacks have always been the second force on a par with the regular army in Russia, and now it is necessary to gradually return to this. True, the Cossacks themselves are not yet ready for this. That is why the state must deal with the problems of the Cossacks, and the Church must spiritually strengthen the Cossacks so that they are able to solve the problems that life sets before us. The tasks of the Cossacks have hardly changed since the 19th century: in the South of Russia they have always been engaged in strengthening the borders. " Who else, if not the indigenous population, should do this? They know the manners and customs of the peoples of the North Caucasus. The Cossacks bear a great responsibility, and we will help them.

It may seem that the revival of the Cossacks is proceeding slowly, but it cannot be otherwise. After all, everything must be created from scratch. Previously, it took hundreds of years, but now it is unrealistic to recreate everything in a few years. And first of all it is necessary to reeducate people. I will in every possible way support all positive initiatives of the Cossacks: the opening of Cossack corps, schools, etc.

- Aren't all the initiatives of the Cossacks positive?

- Unfortunately. I will not talk here about the split of the Cossacks into the register and the public. Although there is an artificial division here as well. Confessional schism poses a great danger. Previously, the Cossacks were almost entirely Orthodox, with part of the Old Believers. Now what? Pagan Cossacks appeared, and recently they started talking about the "Cossack Church".

A certain initiative group, which has gathered in Podolsk, declared its goal to "revive" a separate religious organization. A temporary spiritual administration was even formed, which was entrusted with preparing a "local council of the Cossack autocephalous church."

I can say with confidence: there has never been any separate Cossack church, but always in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, the Cossacks were children of the Russian Orthodox Church - both when the Cossacks were a frontier freemen, and when they became a service class, and in the hard times of atheistic persecution of the twentieth century. Therefore, there is no need to talk about any "own" revival. Attempts to accuse the ROC of refusing to care for unregistered Cossacks are also deceitful. Many people remember the first Big Circle of Russian Cossacks in 1990 in Moscow and the Big Circle in the same year in Stavropol with the participation of Metropolitan Gedeon. All subsequent years, the commonwealth of the Cossacks and the ROC consistently continued and developed. The principle of equal care for all Cossacks was reflected in the creation of the Synodal Committee of the ROC for interaction with the Cossacks and the order to assign priests to each Cossack society, which was done throughout the country.

The Cossacks need to realize that the efforts of the schismatics are directed against our faith and our country, against the Cossacks. Enough divisions. The Cossacks still have too many real troubles and problems, without the solution of which there is no future for the Cossacks, there is no future for Russia. We will overcome them only together. In addition, the Cossacks must remember that the Orthodox faith is the basis of the deep traditions of the Cossacks.

- One of the "sick" topics in the Cossack sphere is about the land. Cossacks are increasingly left without her and are losing the basis of their existence. How do you look at this question?

- Of course, the Cossacks cannot exist without land. Therefore, more and more proposals are being heard that it must be transferred to the Church, and only it will justly be given for processing, including to the Cossacks. We already have corresponding appeals in the Stavropol diocese. I propose to create parish farms. This issue is now being resolved. Unfortunately, the land is often already largely distributed. In the Stavropol diocese there is only one parish with land of 1800 hectares, but this land was formalized long ago, when plots were freely distributed. It should also be borne in mind that the land received by the Cossacks is often not cultivated, for which the local authorities reproach them. These issues are also solvable - what is the reason - there is no equipment, or there are no people willing to work.

- No less acute is the issue of recognizing the Cossacks as a separate nation. How do you feel about this idea?

- Historically it was so. And the fact that the Cossacks began to revive is a confirmation of this, the estates are not reviving. Ethnically, this is still the case, but in the structure of the state, the Cossacks are an estate. The stronger the Cossacks revive, gain strength, the more chances that they will be recognized as a people. Much depends on the Cossacks themselves and on the state.

In order for the Cossacks to engage in the maintenance of public order and the suppression of crime, the ministries that have concluded agreements need to share resources, help them in case of injury, in solving social issues. Sadly, no one wants to do this. Departments offer work only on a voluntary basis. That is, the Cossack, who must feed his family while in the public service, does not receive money for it. And this despite the fact that according to statistics, a lot of crimes are suppressed by the Cossacks. Every structure working with the Cossacks must follow the law.

On the other hand, it is clear that our Cossacks are still weak, they need to develop. Just for this, the Council under the President of the Russian Federation for Cossack Affairs and the Synodal Committee of the Russian Orthodox Church for interaction with the Cossacks were created. We must spiritually support and educate the Cossacks so that they really become worthy of the service that society expects from the Cossacks.