The Terek Cossacks or Grebentsy are the Cossacks who live along the rivers Terek, Sunzha, Assa, Kura, Malka, Kuma and Pokumo in the North Caucasus. The Terek Cossack army is the third oldest among all the Cossack troops, and the main headquarters of the Terek Cossacks is in the city of Vladikavkaz. The Terek Cossack army celebrates its holiday on August 25, honoring the memory of the captivity of the Murids during the reign of Shamil in the village of Gunib in 1859. Among all the advantages of the Terek Cossacks, it is worth noting their peacefulness and ability to live in harmony. On the territory of the Terek Cossack army live Grebensky, lower Tertsy, Agrakhans, Semey Tertsy, Kizlyar, Volga, Mozdok, Vladikavkaz and Sunzhen people. Of course, the Terek Cossacks could not do without their own website, where you can find the latest news about the affairs and projects of the Terek Cossack Host. Today, the Terek Cossacks are constantly developing not only thanks to the actions of the ataman, but also to numerous events that are constantly organized by the Terek Cossack society.

For example, most recently, Ataman Klimenko, in his speech, listed a number of legislative acts of the Russian Federation, which are designed to help revive the Terek Cossack society and help attract Cossacks to all types of public service. Among them were also presidential decrees on the establishment of a coat of arms, banner, ranks and a decree on the wearing of edged weapons in the process of public service. The ataman of the Terek Cossack army made a huge contribution to the development of the Cossacks, and thanks to him, the document "Strategy for the Development of Russia's Policy Regarding the Russian Cossacks until 2020" appeared. Sergei Alexandrovich Klimenko noted that today practically nothing is being done to develop the Terek military Cossack society. However, this document contributes to the solution of numerous problems. The overwhelming majority of members of the Terek Cossack society are eager to serve the Motherland and carry out public service. Atman of the Terek Cossack army held several meetings with the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation Alexander Khloponin. The fact is that the government promised to endow the Terek military Cossack society with a federal land fund and a building for the headquarters of the TKV. Also, the Russian authorities promised to help the Terek Cossacks in the creation of Cossack cadet corps. Unfortunately, while this issue has been suspended, however, the Terek Cossack army is doing everything possible to resume work regarding the above projects. As we have already mentioned, the chieftain is not the only Cossack who is trying to help the development of the Terek Cossacks. More recently, the Terek Cossacks turned to the Supreme Commander of Russia. On June 8, 2013, more than 4,000 people gathered in the sports complex of the city of Lermontov, Stavropol Territory. The Terek Cossacks hoped that this open meeting of the Terek military Cossack society would remind the administration that the question of the development of the Terek Cossacks remained open, and the Grebensky were eager to serve their state on a regular basis. In total, 3,227 people attended the gathering, and there was only one reason - a mass appeal to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of Russia, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin.

Also, the Terek Cossacks today pay a lot of attention to the Orthodox faith. The appeal to the President of the Russian Federation was supported by the Chairman of the Synodal Committee for Interaction with the Cossacks, Metropolitan Kirill of Stavropol and Nevinnomyssk. The Metropolitan held a prayer and after it turned to the Cossacks: “Dear Terek Cossacks! When we overcome sin, each of us will be ready to lay down our lives for our loved ones. It was then that we would have thousands of Cossack classes and many Cossack corps. The time will come when every Terek Cossack will confess and take communion in the temple of God. Cossacks will be respected and feared by people who sin. Therefore, the Terek Cossacks today must start with themselves and correct their own sins. As always, the representative from the Orthodox Church hit the "very point".

After Metropolitan Kirill, the chairman of the State Duma of the Stavropol Territory, Yuri Vasilyevich Bely, spoke, who during his speech emphasized that the Terek Cossacks are a force that must be constantly supported. The representative of the authorities promised that the regional Duma would begin work on improving the laws on the Terek Cossacks and would soon adopt several projects that would contribute to the development of the Terek military Cossack society. The head of the city of Lermontov thanked the Cossacks and the leadership for organizing such a mass event. In fact, the concern of the ataman of the Terek Cossack army can be understood. Indeed, today on the website of the Terek Cossacks it has been repeatedly noted that the Terek Cossacks today do not have their own source of income, not to mention the military treasury. It is for this reason that they cannot fully fulfill the tasks that were set by the President of the Russian Federation. As stated by the ataman of the Terek Cossack army, first of all, it is necessary to create a material base in order to equip and professionally train future security units and squads of the Terek Cossacks. After the appearance of a source of income, the Cossacks will have the opportunity to build cadet corps to train pre-conscription youth. However, the Terek Cossacks do not lose hope and are constantly trying to contribute to the development of the Terek military Cossack society. The last amendment to the charter of the Terek Cossack army was adopted on August 18, 2011. This document applies to the Terek military Cossack society, as well as to the societies that are part of the TKV. According to this document, the location of the Terek Cossack army is the city of Vladikavkaz and the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania. The charter of the Terek Cossack army implies that the TVK was created by combining the Alan Republican District Cossack Society, the Kizlyar District Cossack Society, the Stavropol District Cossack Society, the Terek-Malkinsky District Cossack Society and the Terek-Sunzhensky District Cossack Society. Also, the charter of the Terek Cossack army states that this society was created and operates on the basis of the principles of voluntariness, equality, legality, self-government, respect for human rights, as well as the preservation and development of Cossack traditions. Each Cossack undertakes to obey the federal state authorities and the laws of the Russian Federation. On the website of the Terek Cossack army, you can find a lot of interesting information about history, read the full version of the charter, and even get acquainted with the structure of the troops. The site of the Terek Cossack army was created not only for the Cossacks, but also for those who wish to become a full member of the Terek Cossack society. The site of the Terek Cossacks was created to develop the traditions of the Cossacks and disseminate information for all members of society. Terek Cossacks pay special attention to the day of St. Bartholomew. According to official figures, St. Bartholomew's Day is widely celebrated by the Catholic Church. Saint Bartholomew was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus, however, the facts from the history of his life contain many inaccuracies. After the ascension of Christ, he devoted himself to pilgrimage and went to preach in India. It was there that he left a copy of the gospel of Matthew. Today, St. Bartholomew is celebrated not only by Catholics, but also by Terek Cossacks. As you yourself know, the Terek Cossacks are mostly Orthodox, and according to legend, Bartholomew is the same person as the Apostle Nathanael. In any case, despite the "Catholic" character, the feast of St. Bartholomew's Day is celebrated among members of the Terek Cossack army. And now we propose to talk about the history of the Terek Cossacks and some chieftains of the Terek Cossack army. Note that without knowing the history of the main figures of the Terek Cossacks, it is impossible to continue the story about this wonderful army.

Starting a story about the history of the Terek Cossacks, one cannot fail to mention one of the most prominent Cossacks - Ataman Karaulov. Mikhail Alexandrovich Karaulov was the chieftain of the Terek Cossack army, a deputy of the State Duma and even the head of the Provisional Terek-Dagestan government. During his long life, he did many glorious deeds for the Terek Cossacks and even wrote several books on the history of the Terek Cossacks. Ataman Karaulov was born in the village of Tarskaya in the family of a nobleman. It turns out that Ataman Karaulov was a hereditary nobleman. In 1901 he graduated from the philological faculty of St. Petersburg University, and in 1902 he entered the Nikolaev Cavalry School. In 1905, with the rank of podsaul, he retired from active military service. Mikhail Aleksandrovich was an active participant in the February Revolution of 1917. He managed to become a member of the Provisional Committee of the State Duma, and on March 27, 1917 he became the chieftain of the Terek Cossack army. Throughout his career, he tried to solve agrarian and national problems in the North Caucasus, while speaking out against anarchy in this land. Unfortunately for everyone, Ataman Karaulov was killed in December 1917. A group of armed soldiers of the 106th Ufa Regiment, led by Zotov, who were returning from the Caucasian Front and were at the station, learned that none other than Ataman Karaulov was in the car. They asked him to get out of the car, to which he refused. A shootout began, as a result of which Ataman Karaulov and all his escorts were killed. The body of the ataman was dragged out into the street, looted and stripped. A hundred Terek Cossacks advanced to the aid of Ataman Karaulov, but most of the criminals escaped. The Terek Cossacks found several soldiers in the carriage and shot them. After that, the body of Ataman Karaulov was buried with honors in Vladikavkaz. Zotov was found and executed.

Stepan Dmitrievich Rybalchenko is a famous Soviet military leader who was born into a Cossack family. He was forced to start working at the age of six, because his father died very early. Rybalchenko is known for his participation in the Civil and Great Patriotic Wars. During the Civil War, he participated in battles with the Cossacks under the command of Shkuro. It is unlikely that Rybalchenko can be ranked among the Cossacks because he never positioned himself as a Terek Cossack. Much more attention deserves Colonel Kolesnikov, who over 60 years of his life managed to rise to the rank of major general and become a hero of the First World War. Colonel Kolesnikov was born in the Ischerskaya village of the Terek Cossack army. On December 3, 1880, he was promoted to cornet, five years later to centurions, and in 1899 he became captain. In 1908, he received the rank of military foreman. On January 18, 1912, Colonel Kolesnikov was appointed commander of the 2nd Gorsko-Mozdok Regiment. For special merits, Colonel Kolesnikov was awarded a special award - St. George's weapon. He received such a high award thanks to the courage in the performance of his duty to the Motherland. On May 3, 1915, Colonel Kolesnikov, together with the 2nd Gorsko-Mozdok Regiment of the Terek Cossack Army, on the condition that the infantry units of the ally were driven out by superior enemy forces, threw all his forces into the attack under the destructive fire of the enemy. As a result of this desperate step, Colonel Kolesnikov stopped the advance of the enemy, and the allied troops, inspired by his example, finished off the enemy troops and fortified their former positions.

Continuing the story about the history of the Terek Cossacks, it is worth mentioning Vladimir Staritsky, who was born in the village of Mekenskaya. Vladimir Staritsky graduated from the Astrakhan School and the Kiev Military School, after which he entered the service in the 1st Volga Regiment. Cossack Vladimir Staritsky served in the 3rd Railway Battalion, where he mastered the course of telegraph and demolition, and also took a training course in weapons and shooting at the Officer Rifle School. He began to fight in the rank of commander of the Cossack hundreds of the 2nd Volga Regiment. For special merits, Vladimir Staritsky was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir with swords and a bow. In 1918 he participated in the Terek uprising as the commander of the Zolsky detachment. He also served as commander of the 1st Volga Regiment and the 1st Brigade of the 1st Terek Cossack Division of the All-Union Socialist Republic. In 1920 he joined the Russian Renaissance Army. After emigration, Vladimir Staritsky lived in America. In 1950 he was a member of the commission for the selection of the ataman of the Terek Cossack Army. During the years of service he received the rank of major general.

Among the famous figures of the Terek Cossack army, it is also worth noting Nikolai Baratov, a Russian general from the cavalry. Nikolay Baratov came from the noblemen of the Terek Cossack army. He began his studies at the Vladikavkaz real school, and entered the regular service in 1882. In 1885 he graduated from the Second Konstantinovsky Military School and the Nikolaev Engineering School. In the rank of cornet, Nikolai Baratov entered the service of the First Sunzheno-Vladikavkaz regiment from the Terek Cossack army. In 1887 he became a captain, and 20 years later he rose to the rank of major general. Since 1907, he was in the post of the Second Caucasian Army Corps with the rank of lieutenant general. Nikolai Baratov is known for his participation in the First World War. Together with the 1st Caucasian Cossack Division, he performed tasks to counter the pro-German forces in Persia. December 3, 1915 took the ancient capital of Persia - Hamadan. During the years of the Civil War, after the October Revolution, Nikolai Baratov lived in India, and then decided to join the white movement. Since 1918, he began to fulfill the duties of a representative of the Volunteer Army and the Armed Forces of the South of Russia. During the assassination attempt on September 13, 1919, he was seriously wounded. In 1920 he became the manager of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the South Russian government. In 1927, Nikolai Baratov was in France and served as chairman of the committee "For a Russian invalid" in Paris. After his death in 1932, he was buried in the Geneva cemetery. If you want to learn more about the history of the Terek Cossack army, we recommend that you look at materials about General Glukhov. During the war, General Glukhov proved himself to be a talented commander. Of course, talking about the history of the Terek Cossack army, one cannot fail to mention General Klimenko, who is currently acting as the ataman of the Terek Cossacks.

On December 21, 2012, General Klimenko became the head of the Terek Cossack army. The decree was signed by Vladimir Putin. Before him, the Terek Cossacks were commanded by Vasily Bondaryov. To date, Sergei Klimenko is taking active steps to develop the Terek Cossacks and is constantly fighting the so-called "mummers" Cossacks. Ataman believes that the revival of the Cossacks is possible only if the cohesion and constant interaction of various Cossack organizations. In his last press conference, Sergei Klimenko did not refer to the lack of funds, the red tape of the legislators and the inertia of the local authorities. General Klimenko decided to act actively and urged the Cossacks every day to prove that they are needed in the Caucasus. Sergei Klimenko said that he intended to report to the press every quarter on the successes of the Terek Cossacks. According to the ataman, first it is necessary to fulfill the tasks of Federal Law No. 154 "On the Public Service of the Russian Cossacks." After the Terek Cossack army entered the state register, it took on certain tasks. The protection of public order is the most obvious task for the Terek Cossacks, because even during the Soviet Union, the police resorted to the help of the people's squad. To date, Cossack squads are constantly being created to help the police, and during 2013, the military ataman Sergey Klimenko will ensure that the Terek Cossack army consists of 5,000 thousand trained combatants. Of course, the appearance of Cossacks with whips on the streets of the city will cause some resonance. However, this does not matter because the Terek Cossack army will send only trained people who will work closely with the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs. As for nationality, Kalmyks, Ingush, Chechens, Kabardians and so on have been living among the Terek Cossacks for many years. It should be noted that the majority of the Terek Cossacks are Orthodox, and those who do not want to change their faith can enter the staff of assigned Cossacks. General Klimenko believes that if the strict discipline of the combatants is maintained, then the uniform will not cause an ambiguous reaction among the townspeople. Seeing such a Cossack on the street, people will know that he is in public service.

And now we offer to plunge into the history of the Terek Cossacks. In fact, it is not known for certain when the first Cossack settlers appeared in the area of ​​the Terek River. Initially, everyone called them Grebentsy due to the fact that they were located on the slopes of the Tersky Range. The official date of the beginning of the history of the Terek Cossacks is 1577. In 1588, the Russian authorities founded the city at the mouth of the Terek River, which existed for 100 years. It is worth noting that according to the history of the Terek Cossacks, their dependence on the Russian authorities remained "transparent". The governors continued to attract Cossacks to carry out reconnaissance or protection. Translated from the Turkic language, the word "Cossack" is translated as "free" and throughout the history of the Terek Cossacks, they have repeatedly proved that they are a free people. The Cossacks carried out voluntary service, but gradually more and more Terek Cossacks entered the service of the tsar. The Grebensky army provided Russia with 1,000 soldiers, half of whom were on a salary, and the other half served for free. In the 17th century, the global migration of the Terek Cossacks to the other side of the Terek begins. The resettlement was due to pressure from Chechens and other Islamized neighbors. Because of this, Terek Cossacks and Chechens constantly met on the battlefield, but in most cases the Cossacks had to fight off attacks.

The Russian authorities were not happy with that. That the Cossacks accept runaway peasants and therefore insisted that the Terek Cossacks move to the left bank of the river. However, with the resettlement, the number of clashes between the Terek Cossacks and Chechens increased. The Cossacks had to found several large cities. In 1721, the Grebensky army took the oath of allegiance to the Military Collegium, and was included in the Russian armed forces. In 1723, the first fortress of the Holy Cross was founded, on the territory of which 1000 families of the Terek Cossacks lived. In 1860, the Caucasian linear Cossack army was abolished and was renamed the Terek Cossack army. Then the number of Cossack troops of the Russian Empire was increased. Note that the Cossack troops of the Russian Empire were very well trained and took part in all the battles with the enemy. The life of the Terek Cossacks was formed under the influence of the Chechens, Ingush, Kabardians and Kumyks. The Cossacks built a hut, a saklya and a pantry, which was also called a "hut". In the villages adjacent to Grozny, or any other large city, the Cossacks built urban-type houses. Note that the life of the Terek Cossacks and the life of the Chechens were not much different. Saklya was divided into two parts, and the Cossack hut had two rooms. The decoration of the rooms of the Chechens and the Terek Cossacks was also similar.

According to the customs of the Terek Cossacks, each city house had its own arsenal of weapons. On one of the walls was a holster for a pistol or a double-barreled shotgun. The weapon was an integral part of any Terek Cossack. It is worth noting that the Cossacks highly appreciated the ability of the Chechens to make weapons, and this is even reflected in some songs of the Cossacks. The Terek checker was also an integral part of the life of a Cossack. The Terek saber is still part of the formal dress of the Cossacks to this day. According to the customs of the Terek Cossacks, men wore a Caucasian cloak, beshmet, hat, balyk and Circassian coat. Terek Cossack women mastered mountain clothes, but over time they began to adopt the style of clothing from the Russians. It's no secret that the Terek Cossacks were among the most beautiful women in the Caucasus. Thanks to the Chechens, many Chechen national dishes entered the life of the Terek Cossacks, including cakes stuffed with cheese and a mixture of cottage cheese with melted butter. Also, the Terek Cossacks in Chechnya adopted several musical instruments, for example, the zurna, flute, pondura or harmonica, which was played by the Terek Cossacks. Terek Cossacks in Chechnya learned how to take care of horses, and over time, trick riding competitions became part of their traditions. As you can see for yourself, the Terek Cossacks and Chechens carried out a constant cultural exchange. The multinationality of the region inevitably affected the language borrowings, and in the Terek village one could hear the speech of the highlanders. The inhabitants of the Terek villages and the Chechens constantly expanded their vocabulary and thanks to the Terek Cossacks we can describe the Chechen way of life and customs.

However, as history tells us, the highlanders and Terek Cossacks did not always live in peace. One of the largest conflicts is the Caucasian War, which lasted from 1817 to 1864. It all started with the fact that at the beginning of the 19th century the lands of the Kartli-Kakheti kingdom and some Transcaucasian khanates were annexed to Russia. However, between these territories lay the lands of independent mountain peoples. The Russian authorities wanted to strengthen the alliance with the Caucasians, and get rid of the endless raids on their part. However, the beginning of the Caucasian War was inevitable, when in 1825 the main opponents of the Russian troops were the Adygs of the Black Sea coast and the highlanders, who united with the Islamic state Imamat of Dagestan and Chechnya, headed by Shamil. The Caucasian war was intertwined with the war of Russia against Persia. The Terek army fought on the side of Russia and, despite the fact that they lived side by side with the Chechens for a long time, they had to fight with their neighbors. The resistance of the Chechens was broken by the Terek army only in 1859. It is worth noting that in 1832 the Kuban and Terek Cossacks fought side by side. The fact is that the Russian Empire decided to unite the Kizlyar, Terek-family, Grebensky, Mozdok, Gorsky, Volga, Caucasian, Stavropol, Khopersky and Kuban regiments in order to form the Caucasian linear Cossack army. This was the main reason for the unification of the Kuban and Terek Cossacks. Also in the service of the king were the Ural Cossacks, who participated in battles and performed other types of public service. Unfortunately, due to the mass repressions of Stalin, the army of the Ural Cossacks was completely disbanded.

Throughout their history, the Terek Cossacks have preserved their traditions and cultural values. Of course, the Cossacks devoted most of their lives to military affairs, but the life of the Terek Cossack army was also filled with beautiful customs, songs of the Terek Cossacks and interesting stories.

In many ways, the Cossack culture, songs of the Terek Cossacks and dances were based on the enthusiasm of the members of the Cossack community. However, the modern state apparatus is making efforts to strengthen and popularize the Cossack culture. It is for this reason that each of us has the opportunity to listen to the songs of the Terek Cossacks or the stories of the elders. Today, many groups are invited to the concert to listen to the songs of the Terek Cossacks and admire their energetic dances. Terek Cossack songs have a special energy, and not only the Cossacks themselves come to listen to them, but also representatives of various nations. Cossack groups allow you to hear Terek Cossack songs and work every day to bring their sound to every village in their region or region. Many performers of Terek Cossack songs have been delighting their fans for more than a year, and some have already gained many years of experience in performing Terek Cossack songs. One of the brightest examples of creative longevity is the Dolina choir, which in 2010 celebrated 20 years of work on stage. Of course, everyone can download the songs of the Terek Cossacks, but listening to a "live" performance is much more pleasant. The global Internet network allows you to download songs of the Terek Cossacks on numerous sites, but one concert can cost thousands of listened "tracks" in a car or at a music center.

The city authorities constantly hold competitions, during which the jury identifies the best dancers of the Terek Cossacks. Artists and group leaders receive grants and cash prizes. For example, in the winter of 2011, the State Ensemble of the Terek Cossack Song with the project "The Role of the Cossacks in the Second World War" won a grant from the President of the Republic of Dagestan. This suggests that the songs and dances of the Terek Cossacks are more than in demand. Some groups, such as the Free Step ensemble, represent the traditions of the Terek Cossack Army on the international stage. Note that due to the mixing of the culture of the Cossacks and the highlanders, the Lezginka of the Terek Cossacks is especially popular. The energetic Lezginka dance of the Terek Cossacks is very often included in the program of performances of many groups.

Continuing the conversation about the culture of the Cossacks, it is necessary to note the male folklore ensemble of the Terek Cossacks "Bratina". The ensemble was formed in 1995 by four fans of Terek songs. Since 1996, the Terek Cossacks "Bratiny" have been in constant disputes and discussions. In the process of choosing a creative direction, the members of the team were constantly engaged in the study, preservation and ethnographically reliable reproduction of the song tradition of the Terek Cossacks. The Terek Cossacks "Bratiny" still consider themselves an amateur group, but the level of song performance is at a highly professional level. To date, the Bratina ensemble remains a laureate of international folklore festivals in France, Latvia, Poland, Estonia and Russia. Terek Cossacks "Bratina" took part in the filming of the films "Russian Revolt", "Lords of the Jury" and "Deadly Force". Also, the Terek Cossacks "Bratina" participated in numerous television programs.

Another well-known group is the Terek Cossacks ensemble. Each of their performances is a real celebration of the Cossack culture, which is part of the cultural heritage not only of the Terek Cossacks, but of the entire Caucasus. The main mission of the ensemble "Terek Cossacks" is the revival of customs and rituals, as well as the preservation of the unique song culture of the Cossacks. The ensemble "Terek Cossacks" contributes to the familiarization of young people with the richest cultural heritage of the Cossacks. Today, the work of the ensemble "Terek Cossacks", this passionate champion and propagandist of Cossack culture, is well known not only in the city of Prokhladny, but also in other regions of Kabardino-Balkaria. Quite recently, the ensemble "Terek Cossacks" celebrated its 5th anniversary since its founding.

A worthy member of the vast community of creative teams of Cossacks is the Khor Terek Cossacks. It should be noted that the Terek Cossack choir is popular not only among the Tertsy, but also among the Russian youth. Today, the Terek Cossack Choir is constantly improving its skills in the field of performing folk Cossack songs. If you want to experience the true pleasure of listening to Cossack songs, then come to the concert of the Terek Cossack choir.

We also recommend listening to the anthem of the Terek Cossacks. It can be heard at meetings of members of the Terek Cossack army, who begin almost every meeting with the hymnal of the Terek Cossacks. The performance of the anthem of the Terek Cossack army is a tradition that is passed down from generation to generation among the Terts. The anthem of the Terek Cossack army can be found on the official website of the Terek Cossack army. Also on the official website of the Terek Cossack army you will find the latest news about events in the world of TKV. Terek Cossacks online is a great opportunity for every Terek to keep track of all events and meetings. For many members of the TKV, Terek Cossacks online is the only source of fresh and up-to-date information about modern Cossacks.

In order to better feel the culture of the Terek Cossacks, we suggest watching a video of the Cossack lezginka. After all, in order to understand the soul of the culture of the Cossacks, you need to look at the dances and listen to the songs. The video of the Cossack lezginka will help to appreciate the beauty of the Cossack dance:

We also offer to watch videos of the Terek Cossacks. If you want to know more about the life of TKV, then the video of the Terek Cossacks will help you with this:

The photo of the Terek Cossacks once again reminds that TKV lives and develops, preserving ancient traditions. Look at the photos of the Terek Cossacks and appreciate the beauty of their uniforms:

And now we decided to draw your attention to the form of the Terek Cossacks and the symbols of the Terek Cossack army. The Cossack uniform of the Terek Cossacks is a historically established symbol that determines the Cossack's belonging to the Terek Cossack army. The form of the Terek Cossacks is designed to increase the organization and discipline of the members of the TKV. Of course, there are certain rules for wearing the uniform of the Terek Cossack army, and these rules were approved by the President and the Government of the Russian Federation. The chieftain of the Terek Cossack army did a lot to ensure that there were as few “mummers” as possible on the streets of cities. The form of the Terek Cossack army is divided into front, everyday and field. There are also winter and summer forms. According to the charter of the Terek Cossack army, the Cossack must respect the form. The list of military clothing of the Terek Cossacks includes a hat, three caps, a hood, a removable sheepskin collar, a coat, an overcoat and a jacket. As well as a uniform, tunic, harem pants, trousers, shirt. Plus a winter and summer suit, a muffler, a scarf, an aiguillette, a belt and a frog. Including boots, boots, raincoat and government awards. The military clothes of the Terek Cossacks are very beautiful and designed in a traditional style. As for the costume of the Terek Cossack, each Cossack has the right to form his own "image" on his own. In any case, the costume of the Terek Cossack always contains traditional elements of Cossack clothing.

And now let's talk about the flag and emblem of the Terek Cossack army. TKV has its own flag, coat of arms and banner. The coat of arms of the Terek Cossack army is an image of the Imperial standard on a golden staff with a band to the right, which is located on a black background under the scarlet head. Above the imperial standard is a silver wavy baldric to the left. At the head of the coat of arms of the Terek Cossack army is an emerging golden double-headed eagle, which is the main figure of the coat of arms of the Russian Federation. The emblem of the Terek Cossack army can be made in a colorless version.

The flag of the Terek Cossack army is a rectangular panel of blue color, which depicts the coat of arms of the Terek Cossack army. The ratio of the length of the flag of the Terek Cossack army is 2:3. The flag of the Terek Cossacks is present at any meeting or meeting. As you understand, the flag of the Terek Cossacks is the official symbol of the Terek Cossacks. In addition to the flag of the Terek Cossack army, there are also seals, stamps, letterheads and other necessary details on which the coat of arms of the Terek Cossack army can be used. However, the flag of the Terek Cossack Army is used most often. The Cossacks are very sensitive to the coats of arms of the Cossack troops. After all, the coats of arms of the Cossack troops are also part of the history of the Cossacks in Russia.

In addition to the flag of the Terek Cossack army, in our military store you can buy other souvenirs with the symbols of the Terek Cossacks, for example, a Terek Cossack army towel, a Terek Cossack army mug, a Terek Cossack army lighter and much more.

We know about the Kuban and Don Cossacks, first of all, from the works of culture and art. But who are the Terek Cossacks? This question will confuse many. But remember the stories of Leo Tolstoy and other Russian writers who served in the Caucasus. Often Cossack patrols and outposts are mentioned there. It is hardly possible to imagine Donets or Kuban in this role, it was the prerogative of the Terek Cossacks. However, not only the Caucasian war became an opportunity for them to distinguish themselves and serve Russia.

The history of the origin of the Terek Cossacks

After Ivan the Terrible conquered Astrakhan, the Russian people began to move into the Caucasus. And it turned out that their compatriots already live here. At that time, people settled on the shores of the Agrakhan Bay and the Sunzha River, whose sub-ethnos would later be called the Terek Cossacks. According to the researchers, they were the heirs of the Volga ushkuins, who traveled in the Middle Ages around the Caspian Sea.

Voivode Pleshcheev brought along the Volga Cossacks to the Terek in 1563. And four years later, here, on the Terek, the famous Terek city was built. It became an outpost for the further penetration of Russia into the Caucasus. The city was destroyed by the Turks, but rebuilt 10 years later. This date (1577) became the starting point for the Terek Cossacks - it is from her that they lead their seniority.

By the 17th century, the Terek Cossacks had several cities of their own: four settlements were set up on the Sunzha and the Terek. Gradually, their troops deepened into Kabarda and helped the local population fight off the Nogais and Kumyks. Those Cossacks who settled along the Tersky Range began to be called Grebensky over time (after all, they lived, as it were, on the ridge).

The 18th century became a landmark for the Cossacks. During this period, they not only began to settle along the lower reaches of the Terek, but also took part in the Khiva campaign. One by one, the villages were built. So, in 1735, Kizlyar was founded, in 1763 a military fortification was erected, which later became the city of Mozdok, and in 1784 - Vladikavkaz. In this century, the Grebensky Cossack army was finally formed, which in 1776, along with several other associations, was transformed into Astrakhan. By 1786, the Caucasian linear army was formed, consisting of the Terek-Family, Grebensky, Volga, Terek troops.

Caucasian Cossacks took an active part in all the events that took place in this region. So, in 1768, Russia entered the war with the Ottoman Empire. The Mozdok line was defended by representatives of the Terek Cossack army, they also repelled the attacks of the highlanders and Turks on the villages. The defense of the village of Naurskaya in 1774 is inscribed on the pages of history. Most of the Cossacks of this settlement were on the campaign, so it was mainly women and the elderly who had to fight the attackers. The attack of the cavalry with one-handed drafts instilled real horror in the defenders. Despite the small number of inhabitants, they were able to defend the village, and on the part of the enemy, the losses amounted to about 800 people.

The Caucasian war of the 19th century also took place with the active participation of the Terek Cossacks. For exploits in this military campaign, the emperor granted St. George's banners to several Cossack regiments. The Cossacks also participated in the First World War.

By the beginning of the 20th century, 12 Terek regiments were formed, including:

  • three Kizlyarsko-Grebensky;
  • three Gorsko-Mozdok;
  • three Volga;
  • three Sunzha-Vladikavkaz.

There were also two Cossack batteries, which were artillery units. After the revolution, the Bolsheviks began the administrative redistribution of territories. As a result, the Terek lands were formed into the Mountain Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, and the Cossacks were made an offer to deploy in the Sunzha district. However, later it was also abolished.

The form of clothing and symbols of the Terts

Throughout its history, the Cossacks not only coexisted peacefully with the local Caucasian population, but also adopted a lot. This was especially reflected in the form of the Terek Cossacks. The main item of clothing here is traditionally considered the Circassian coat and beshmet. In some Cossack villages, outfits and costumes were used, in which there were clearly Asian motifs.

Tertsev hats are not only a badge of distinction, but also a symbol of Cossack honor. Traditionally, this headdress was made of sheepskin, but its shape could be anything. Each Cossack had several popes in stock for various occasions, up to and including funerals. Another integral attribute is gazyri. Even after the advent of cartridges and the disappearance of the need, it was customary to have their chests on the left and right in a row of 10 pieces.

The official colors of the Terek Cossacks are blue and black. Even the flag of the Terek Cossack army is blue with silver embroidery. Either the imperial eagle or the Savior Not Made by Hands were used as images.

Culture and songs of the Terek Cossacks

The songs of the Terek Cossacks can be called a unique phenomenon. The fact is that they combine traditional Russian motifs with the mountain intonation system in an interesting way. At one time, the Cossacks brought with them a song heritage from the Volga and the Don. These songs also came here with new settlers who came to the Caucasus to serve and stayed here forever. Here the tradition of the so-called historical song stands out, which has become a bright attribute of any Cossack holiday.

Historical songs are presented in a wide repertoire. Listeners are offered stories about chieftains, whole stories about famous heroes (such as Yermak). There are many songs where speech is conducted both on behalf of an individual, and a whole Cossack detachment or regiment. In such writings there are reflections on life, a possible impending death in battle. Most often, such works are imbued with patriotism and a willingness to lay down their lives for the country. They reflect in their own way the whole history of the Terek Cossacks, their worldview.

As a rule, songs are performed in a polyphonic way. Here, too, there is a connection between the traditions of Cossack hikers and mountain warriors. The predominance of low male voices is effectively set off by monophonic treble accompaniment. In the dances of the Terek Cossacks, Caucasian customs are also traced. For example, the famous Cossack song "Oysya" is often performed by the Terts to the local lezginka. Almost no holiday among the Tertsy Cossacks can do without musical accompaniment and dances with tambourines and drums. At the same time, not only mountain dances, but also traditional Russian Cossack dances are performed.

Customs and traditions of the Terek Cossacks

Like all Cossack sub-ethnic groups, the Tertsy have their own deep-rooted traditions. Wherever the Terek Cossacks live, they profess the Christian religion, maintain the rules of respect for elders. Life Tertsev begins with housing construction. In the old days, the whole village took part in the construction of a new house, and even today the neighbors actively help the developers.

In the Cossack environment for a long time (starting from the second half of the 19th century) there was a tradition of decorating home interiors with photographs. Whole stands were made up of family photographs hung on the walls of the house.

Along with the main stanitsa holidays (Christmas, weddings, and so on), the Tertsy also had the custom of sending the Cossacks off to work. It became a real holiday, on which the whole settlement walked. Weddings, as a rule, were celebrated in autumn or winter, when the worries about harvesting ended. By the way, the community could intervene in matters of marriage. She not only determined the age when one could marry, but also could prevent the Cossack girl from leaving for another village if widowed and unmarried men remained in her native. In general, the life of the Terek Cossacks can be called reasonable-domostroevsky.

LChronicles indicate that the first serving Cossacks, together with the Astrakhan archers, arrived on the Terek in 1563. by order of Ivan the Terrible to help his father-in-law, the Kabardian prince Temryuk, in local civil strife.

Andhistorians I.D. Popko and V.A. The Pottos were inclined to believe that the Cossacks came from Chervleny Yar in the Ryazan Principality and united their scattered communities around the first Russian town on the Sunzha River in 1567. This town was founded on the crests of the Caucasian mountains and gave its name to the Grebensky Cossacks.

D another researcher, H.P. Savelyev believed that the ancestors of the Cossacks were the Azs, the descendants of the Aryans who inhabited the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov (hence the consonant name "Cossack"). The Azes professed Christianity, had the Sarsk and Podonsk eparchies even under the yoke of the Golden Horde. The historian considered the beginning of the history of the Grebensky Cossacks the settlement of the Don Cossacks on the Aktash River, where they were forced out from the town of Grebni, located on the Don. There are no exact indications of where the town stood, but the Cossacks of Ataman Andrey Shchadra left it under pressure from the detachments of Ataman Yermak, who strengthened his power on the Don.
G the children retained their historical name, as well as the legends about how their ancestors on the eve of the Battle of Kulikovo brought to Prince Dmitry Donskoy the banner of the Don Mother of God and the image of the Virgin of Grebenskaya, which helped him in the battle against Mamai.
AT By the middle of the 16th century, the Muscovite state already had clearly defined military-political and economic interests in the North Caucasus. Embassies from the mountain peoples (Pyatigorsk Cherkasy, Kabardians, Georgians) repeatedly arrived in Moscow, asking a strong neighbor for protection from their enemies. Thus, the first Russian garrisons began to be built, securing the new Moscow possessions in the Caucasus.

AT1571 Prince Vorotynsky prepared the first Charter of the guard Cossack service, which divided the Cossacks into city, regimental, guard and stanitsa.
AT1577 Astrakhan governor Lukyan Novosiltsev one of the first garrison fortifications of the Caucasus was rebuilt into the powerful fortress of Terki, in which the royal warriors and free Cossacks served. They supported the peoples who swore allegiance to Russia, controlled the crossing of the caravan route through the Terek and Sunzha, carried out security, intelligence services, and were guides for the detachments of Russian princes.
ATIn the same year, the free Grebensky Cossacks entered regular service in the garrison of Terka, the seniority of the Terek Cossack Army was established, and the very next year, after declaring their intention to protect the southern borders of Russia, they received the first letter of commendation from Ivan the Terrible.
HThe regular service of the Terek Cossacks of Russia began. Any subject of the Russian Empire, regardless of ethnic origin and religion, could join the Terek army, and local highlanders willingly went to serve in the army. However, the Grebensky army remained exclusively Christian.
ATAt the beginning of the 18th century, the Terek Cossacks repulsed a large number of bloody raids by many mountain peoples on their villages. In 1712 aggravated relations between Russia and Turkey, in connection with attempts to access the Black Sea. To strengthen the position of the Russian positions, the governor P.A. Apraksin organized a border line along the Terek. There, for 80 kilometers, the Terek Cossacks were resettled from the banks of the Sunzha. They created the villages of Chervlennaya, Novogladkovskaya, Starogladkovskaya and Kurdyukovskaya.
AT1722 During the Persian campaign, Tsar Peter I founded the fortress of the Holy Cross and began organizing a new cordon line along the Sulak River. For faithful service, the tsar granted the Grebensky army a “cross and a beard”, allowing them to profess the Old Believer faith and not shave their beards. The highest Cossack ranks, "Cossack heads", began to be called captains and received the nobility. Elected atamans were abolished in all troops, and the tsarist atamans were appointed by the tsarist administration.
AT1763 the fortress of Kizlyar was erected to strengthen the Russian positions, and the Terek Family Army was formed from the Astrakhan Cossacks resettled in it. Cossack regiment.
ToCossack troops courageously defended their territories, carried out regular military service, adhering to the commandment: “Do not attack yourself, but compensate Cossack losses a hundredfold.” So, in 1774. the population of the village of Naurskaya heroically repulsed the attack of the highlanders, many times greater than the defenders in numbers, and inflicted a crushing defeat on them. Women also took part in the legendary defense of the village.

AT soon, in 1784, the Vladikavkaz fortress was founded. The favorable geographical position led to the rapid development of the fortress and its settlements, and in 1861. it was transformed into the city of Vladikavkaz, which became the administrative center of the Terek region, which housed the governing bodies of the Terek Cossack Army.
And The Caucasian line of settled Cossacks was formed from the Grebensky, Terek Family, Volga, Mozdok, Khoper and Terek Cossack regiments. From that moment, the Cossacks who served on this line began to be called "lines".
AT At the beginning of the 19th century, the entire male Cossack population was considered liable for military service from the age of 15. Each family allocated one service Cossack, who served for 25 years and received a salary. The rest did not receive a salary and provided their own maintenance.
FROM 1816 to 1827 troops in the Caucasus were commanded by General A.P. Ermolov. The time of his command fell on the first half of the long and bloody Caucasian war, which was fought mainly by the forces of the Cossack regiments. General Yermolov in 1818 founded the village of Groznaya, which later became the city of Grozny. He also finally canceled the election of military atamans and replaced them with mandates, the first of which was appointed Colonel E.P. Efimovich.
To Cossack regiments served the interests of Russia not only in the Caucasian war. Linemen's divisions were sent to war with Persia (1826-1828) and Turkey (1828-1829).
AT the same period, or rather in 1828, a horse platoon was formed from the noble Caucasian highlanders for the convoy of His Imperial Majesty. This platoon was transformed into the Caucasian squadron and in 1881. disbanded.

AT 1832 a team of the Life Guards of the Caucasian linear Cossacks was appointed from the composition of the Combined Linear Regiment to His Imperial Majesty's Own convoy. This year has been a turning point for linemen. According to the decree of October 25, 1832, their troops, with the exception of the Black Sea troops, were united into the Caucasian linear army, whose headquarters was located in Stavropol. Lieutenant-General Pyotr Semenovich Verzilin became the first chieftain of the army.
AT 1837 formed the Stavropol Cossack regiment.
AT 1845 construction of a new cordon line along the Sunzha River began. A large number of new villages appeared - Vladikavkazskaya, Novo-Sunzhenskaya, Aki-Yurtovskaya, Field Marshalskaya, Terskaya, Karabulakskaya, Troitskaya, Mikhailovskaya and others. From the Cossacks of these villages, the 1st Sunzhensky and 2nd Vladikavkaz Cossack regiments were formed. And from the Cossack villages of Samashki, Zakan-Yurt, Alkhan-Yurt, Grozny, Petropavlovsk, Dzhalkinskaya, Umakhan-Yurt and Goryachevodskaya, the 2nd Sunzhensky regiment was formed.
AT In the same year, the first "Regulations on the Caucasian linear Cossack army" was approved, which regulated the order of command and service in the army.
FROM the fall of Gunib and the capture of Ataman Shamil in 1859. in the Caucasian war there was a turning point, and the resistance of the highlanders was basically suppressed. A year later, the Vladikavkaz, Mozdok, Kizlyar, Grebensky and two Sunzhensky regiments were awarded St. George's banners "For military exploits against the recalcitrant highlanders."
FROM By the end of hostilities, the Caucasian line was divided into the right - the Kuban line and the left - the Terskaya. The territory of the Caucasus region was divided into the Terek and Kuban regions and the Stavropol province. The Terek Cossack Army was appointed as the successor of the Caucasian linear army, which was also assigned a zone of administrative control - the Terek region. The military and civil leadership in the region was assigned to the chief ataman, and the city of Vladikavkaz became the center.
AT The war is over, peace has been established, and the service of the service Cossack has been significantly reduced. Since 1870 only the number of Cossacks that was necessary for the recruitment of regiments and batteries was put up for regimental service. At the end of the service, the Cossack received a complete resignation. From the non-serving category of the Cossacks, a military tax began to be levied, which was used to financially support the servicemen.
To beginning of the reign of Alexander III in 1881. the number of the Cossack population in the Terek region reached 130 thousand people of both sexes, and 5.6% of men of the military class were in active service. This year, for centuries of heroic service to Russia, the Terek Cossack Army was awarded the St. George banner with the jubilee Alexander ribbon.
2 December 4, 1890 for the Terek Cossack Army, the day of the military holiday was established - August 25 (September 7, according to a new style), the day of the Apostle Bartholomew, the patron saint of the Army.
AT World War I 1914-1918. 18 thousand Terek Cossacks participated, which were equipped with 12 cavalry regiments, two plastun battalions, two batteries, two guard hundreds, five spare hundreds, 12 teams, that is, all regiments of the first stage of the Terek Cossack Army.
D about 1917 Cossacks lived in 70 villages, which were part of four regimental departments of the TKV: Kizlyarsky (21 villages), Mozdoksky (15 villages), Pyatigorsky (14 villages), Sunzhensky (20 villages). In all 70 villages, the non-military population was about a quarter.
To Cossack villages owned vast land areas. So, in 1916. The Terek region occupied more than 6.5 million acres, or approximately 72 thousand square meters. meters. The military lands occupied about two million acres, that is, almost a third of the territory of the Terek region. This part included arable lands, villages, spare lands, forest lands.
T The traditional basis of the Cossack economy until the 18th century was cattle breeding, fishing and hunting. Later, due to the growth in the number of Cossack communities, the need for food supply increased, and the Cossacks mastered arable farming. By the end of the 19th century, 80% of the population of the Terek region was engaged in agriculture. The value of cattle breeding did not lose its significance, since the army needed constant replenishment with drill and work horses. Terek horse breeders bred the Kabardian breed of horses, distinguished by beauty and endurance.
D Winemaking, which became widespread in the Terek villages, brought income to the treasury of the troops and Cossack families. In the village of Shelkovskaya there was a military garden, loans were given to the Cossacks to spread viticulture.
T Ersk Cossack Army owned 1625 sq. miles of sea waters of the Caspian Sea, the waters of the Terek, Sunzha, Malka. Fishing developed - the income of the treasury of the troops and villages was replenished. The silkworm was bred, first at home, and in 1735. in the village of Shelkovskaya a mulberry factory was built.
To Kazakh families were also engaged in beekeeping and some handicrafts. Each village had its own carpenters, joiners, blacksmiths, etc.
AT At the beginning of the 20th century, the communal way of life and housekeeping of the Cossacks held back the capitalization of the economy. In addition, the costs of uniforms and maintenance of military horses were still expensive. As before, the Cossacks bore the hardships of a long 18-year service, were limited in their rights to leave the communities. The Cossacks remained illiterate.
R Various problems and contradictions were skillfully used by the revolutionary parties, among which the party of socialist revolutionaries (Socialist-Revolutionaries) was especially popular in the North Caucasus. Under their influence, the ideas of “decossackization” began to spread among the Cossacks (freedom to leave the Cossack estate and from communities, etc.). The First World War further exacerbated the existing contradictions. As a result of mass mobilization, many Cossack families were left without men and could not cultivate their land, many were forced to work as laborers.
H On the front and in the rear, the Cossacks met with hope the news of the February Revolution and the transfer of power to the Provisional Government. With the abdication of the Russian throne by Nicholas II, and then by his brother Mikhail, the service of the Cossacks of the Russian Empire ended, a new stage in the history of the Cossacks began.
AT revolutions of 1917 and the subsequent Civil War, the issue of land ownership was decided. The interests of the nobility, who had large estates and defended the power of the monarchy, were alien to the Cossacks. Nor did their point of view coincide with that of the proletarians, who were striving for the abolition of private property. The radical leaders of the Cossacks even proposed to create an independent state of Cossacks on the basis of the unification of all Cossack military territories, but the majority of the Cossacks understood their inextricable connection with Russia and did not support the idea of ​​separating the Cossack regions.
And the inhabitants of Novgorod and the highlanders were the most obvious opponents of the Cossacks on the issue of land and claimed a complete redistribution of all military lands, which greatly complicated the situation in the Terek region.
AT March 1917 in Vladikavkaz, a military circle of the Terek Cossacks was held, at which a military ataman was elected podesaul M.A. Karaulov.
FROM The situation was rapidly changing: the Union of Highlanders was formed, which declared the territories of the national districts of the Terek region an independent state, independent of Russia.
P Trying to stop the political confrontation on the Terek, Ataman Karaulov agreed to conclude an alliance with those highlanders who advocated the preservation of the North Caucasus as part of Russia. The Terek-Dagestan Republic was organized, which until the beginning of 1919. led by the military ataman and the military circle (government), whose chairman was P.D. Gubarev.
AT early October 1917 in Vladikavkaz, a conference of the Astrakhan, Don, Kuban and Terek Cossack troops was convened, in which delegations from the Kalmyks and the Union of Caucasian Highlanders and the Peoples of Dagestan participated. October 21, 1917 the conference decided to form the "South-Eastern Union of Cossack Troops, Highlanders of the Caucasus and Free Peoples of the Steppes" to combat "anarcho-bolshevism". Members of the Union advocated the preservation of a single Russian state in the form of a federal republic.
O However, the planned reforms by the Union were not implemented due to the October proletarian revolution and the outbreak of the Civil War. Not having received broad popular support, the government of the Union ceased its activities in early 1918.
FROM The union was still being revived, with the support of the White movement, but not for long - in 1919-1920.
To the Azak regions did not recognize the created on November 7, 1917. Council of People's Commissars. The chieftains of the Cossack troops publicly expressed in a telegraph appeal that the power in the Cossack regions remains in the military governments. Under the leadership of General Alekseev and General Kornilov on the Don, the formation of the Volunteer (White) Army began to fight Bolshevism and continue the war with Germany. Cossacks made up to 50% of it.
AT The Terek region grew to colossal proportions of banditry, which was facilitated by the abandoned and forgotten parts of the Russian army that fought in the First World War on the Turkish front. Armed and demoralized soldiers without proper organization and discipline refused to obey anyone. Chechen attacks began on the Cossack villages, who achieved the expulsion of the entire Russian population from the Khasav-Yurt district.
AT the decree “On the destruction of estates and civil ranks”, soon adopted by the SNK, abolished the legal foundations of the social status of the Cossacks and deprived them of special prerogatives in allocating land and lands. The age-old self-organization of the Cossacks collapsed.
AT December 1917 The Council of the Union of Cossack Troops in Petrograd was destroyed on the orders of the Council of People's Commissars. Many of its members returned to the Don and took part in the White movement. After the end of the Civil War, the Council went abroad, where it became a stronghold for emigrant Cossacks.
AT December 1917 at the Prokhladnaya railway station, the ataman of the Terek Cossack Army M.A. was shot by demoralized "revolutionary" soldiers. Karaulov and his companions. They were accused of condoning mountain nationalists. The military foreman of the Civil Aviation was elected the new ataman of the TKV. Vdovenko.
And Due to ineffective resistance to the revolutionary forces, power in the region passed to the workers' councils, which established the Terek Soviet Republic. By order of the Extraordinary Commissioner of the South of Russia G.K. Ordzhonikidze from the revolutionary soldiers and the "Red Mountaineers" created special detachments that were engaged in the forced eviction of Cossack families from the villages, which were then settled by the mountaineers and non-Cossack population.
H the attackers robbed and brutally killed the settlers. Cossack uprisings swept through the villages under the command of G. Bichekharov, I.E. Erdeli, G.A. Vdovenko. Crushing blows were dealt to Soviet power and on June 26, 1918. she fell on the Terek. Almost a month later, the Cossacks of the village of Lukovskaya, with the support of peasants and Cossacks of other villages, took Mozdok with battles.
O however, the situation was unstable. Under the command of A.3. Dyakova on the Terek, the "Cossack Red Army of the Sunzha Line" operated, which included about 7 thousand fighters. In November 1918 the whites occupied Stavropol, and the North Caucasian Front broke up into many "local" small fronts. Until the end of 1918. in the region of the CMS, Vladikavkaz and Stavropol, a Cossack partisan detachment of Colonel A.G. Shkuro.
FROM Soviet power was driven out of the territory of the Terek and Kuban regions, as well as the Stavropol province. Fierce fighting continued for another seven months. Killed about 40% of the composition of personal units on both sides.
AT January 1919 the Bolsheviks used the tactic of "decossackization", in which they put a completely different meaning than the Socialist-Revolutionaries. The directive of the Organizing Bureau of the Central Committee of the RCP (b) ordered all commissars to wage a merciless struggle against the Cossacks through their total extermination. There was mass terror: bread and all products were confiscated, complete disarmament, resettlement, executions of those who dared to disobey were carried out ...
And, although this directive was recognized as erroneous and was canceled by the plenum of the Central Committee of the RCP (b) on March 16, 1919, the apparatus of repression of the Soviet government against the Cossacks continued to operate. The Bolsheviks sought the physical destruction of the Cossacks, the complete eradication of their families and villages. Massively shot those who refused to serve in the Red Army.
M Many Cossacks retreated together with the White Guards to the Crimea, and the civilian population also fled there.
FROM 1920 The Russian Cossacks were divided into two large parts - the Cossacks who remained in Russia, and the emigrant Cossacks. As a result of the First World War, revolutions and the Civil War, the Cossacks lost about half of their numbers.
AT difficult conditions of emigration were frequent epidemics and famines. Many of the Cossacks who left their homeland died in the very first years, others fled to Brazil, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey. To Soviet Russia in 1922-1925. about 30 thousand Cossacks returned, who were subjected to mass repressions.
AT 1924 in Paris, the Cossack Union was established, uniting the Cossack villages abroad. He coordinated the solution of economic, cultural and other problems, provided assistance to the creative intelligentsia. The "Union of Cossack Writers", "Literary Cossack Family", "Circle of Cossack Writers", "Society for the Study of Cossacks" operated abroad, more than 100 magazines and newspapers were published.
R Askol in exile occurred in connection with the German attack on the USSR. Some of the Cossacks were on the side of the German army, but many Cossacks, remaining patriots, joined the resistance units in the territories of the occupied states in which they lived.
AT February 1920 The 1st All-Russian Congress of Labor Cossacks, under the influence of V.I. Lenin, adopted a resolution stating that “the Cossacks are by no means a special nationality or nation, but an integral part of the Russian people. Therefore, there can be no question of any separation of the Cossack regions from the rest of Soviet Russia, which the Cossack leaders, closely allied with the landowners and the bourgeoisie, are striving for ... ”(Cossacks of Russia. Historical and legal aspect: documents, facts, comments. - M., 1999.- S. 244-245).
AT At the same time, the policy of forcible eviction of the Cossacks from their places of historical residence continued. March 27, 1920 Of the 72,000 members of Cossack families evicted beyond the Terek from three villages, only 35,000 arrived at their destinations. The "Red Mountaineers" attacked the column, and, without meeting the resistance of the escorts, cut down unarmed Cossacks, women, old people and children with sabers. This day is still considered the Day of Remembrance of the Terek Cossacks, repressed by the Soviet state.
M men between the ages of 18 and 50 were evicted to the North, to the Donbass, their wives and children were expelled from their homes, villages were burned, and property was redistributed among the new settlers and Soviet activists. The Cossacks, as an "enemy of the revolution", were deprived of all civil rights.
AT 1927 The North Caucasian region did not fulfill the unreasonably inflated grain procurement plan, and food detachments evicted 10.5 thousand families (more than 50 thousand people), among whom there were many Cossacks, to the North and the Urals. In connection with this "fight against internal enemies" by order of the OGPU, in the early 1930s. uprisings swept across the Don, Kuban and Terek. A partisan movement unfolded in the CMS area, but in response to the people's protest, the Soviet government responded with new repressions and deportations of the Cossack population to various regions of the country.
O However, without the Cossacks, accused of disrupting collectivization, the territorial units were losing their numbers, and the region was losing its combat capability. Therefore, the Cossacks again began to serve in regular military units. In the 1930s by decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, cavalry divisions and units, cavalry corps were equipped with Cossacks.
FROM the first days of the Great Patriotic War, the 152nd Terek Cossack Regiment and the 5th Stavropol Cossack Division named after I.I. M.F. Blinova. In July 1941 On the territory of the North Caucasus, cavalry Cossack hundreds were formed to assist the fighter battalions of the NKVD in the fight against banditry, guard approaches to railway stations and tracks, and telegraph lines. In December 1941 in the fighter detachments there were about 6.5 thousand foot soldiers and 1.7 thousand horsemen. During the period of temporary occupation of the North Caucasus by German troops, fighter detachments were part of partisan detachments operating in mountainous forests.
D For decades, the Cossacks were formally consigned to oblivion in the USSR. But the hereditary Cossacks never forgot their roots, they passed on the history, cultural and military traditions of their ancestors to their children and grandchildren. From the mid 1980s. democratic transformations in the country finally created the conditions for uniting the descendants of Russian Cossacks and reviving what was cruelly, unfairly and thoughtlessly destroyed at the beginning of the 20th century.
To The Azaks have been and remain faithful and loyal defenders of Russia for hundreds of years. And, despite the troubles and pain suffered, they have preserved their history, traditions and laws, the first and foremost of which is always love for the Fatherland.
AT the Cossacks are being revived, and Russia is regaining an old friend, a reliable defender of its borders.

Terek Cossacks, Tertsy, Grebenets - Cossacks who live along the rivers Terek, Sunzha, Assa, Kura, Malka, Kuma, Podkumok in the North Caucasus.

The Terek Cossack army is the third oldest in the Cossack troops since 1577, when the Terek Cossacks first acted under the royal banners.

The headquarters of the Terek Cossack army is located in the city of Vladikavkaz.

Military holiday, military circle August 25 (old style), St. Bartholomew's Day, in memory of the defeat and capture of the Murids, who were led by Shamil in the village of Gunib in 1859.

Officially, the Terek (Grebenskoye) Cossack army has existed since 1577. The service of the Terek Cossacks was to guard the border, which ran along the line along the Terek River. The Russian government supplied the Cossacks with weapons and supplies and used them to fight against the Crimean and Nogai Tatars and mountain princes. The Grebensky army supplied at least 1000 Cossacks, of which half received a salary, and the other defended their towns "from water and grass", that is, free of charge, in exchange for tax privileges.

Grebentsy settled mainly in the basin of the middle reaches of the Terek and its tributary, the Sunzha. In the 16th century, Don Cossacks from the Kalitva River also moved here. From the end of the 16th century, a significant number of Cossacks moved to the North Caucasus - immigrants from the Don, Volga, Khopra. They made up the grassroots, actually "Terek" Cossacks, which was formed later than the Grebensky (in the 16th-18th centuries) with the active participation of immigrants from neighboring peoples. Significant groups of Orthodox Ossetians and Circassians, as well as Georgians and Armenians who fled from the Ottoman and Persian oppression, were accepted into the Cossacks, and, having become Russified, finally merged with it.

In 1653, as a result of the devastating invasion of the Persian troops and their allies, which went down in history as the "Kyzylbash ruin", more than 10 Cossack towns disappeared completely, as their population was either destroyed or taken prisoner, and the few survivors joined the inhabitants of other villages .

In 1685, the Terek Cossacks were temporarily pushed back from the mountains, and in 1707, most of the old Cossack towns were destroyed by the Kuban Sultan Kaib. In 1712, the surviving combers were resettled down the Terek.

The resettlement of the Cossacks-grebens to the left bank of the Terek, which began at the end of the 17th century, was finally completed at the beginning of the 18th century. The relocation was due both to pressure from Islamized neighbors and to the fact that the Russian authorities were unhappy with the fact that the Cossacks sheltered the fugitives, and therefore demanded the relocation of the Cossacks to the left bank, where they could be controlled.

The attacks of the highlanders forced the Cossacks-grebetsy, instead of the former small towns, to establish large settlements on the left bank: Chervlenny, Shadrin (Schedrinsky), Kurdyukov and Gladkov (in 1722, the Gladkov Cossacks received a salary for one town, and in 1725 - for two: Starogladkovsky and Novogladkovsky) . These towns (from the end of the 18th century - villages), named after the surnames or nicknames of the chieftains, stretched for 80 miles along the left bank of the Terek.

The Grebensky army in 1721 was subordinated to the Military Collegium and thus included in the armed forces of Russia. Instead of the abolished Terek city in the interfluve of Sulak and Agrakhan in 1723, a new Russian fortress was founded - the Holy Cross, near which 1000 families of the Don Cossacks (from the Don, Donetsk, Buzuluk, Khoper, Medveditsky towns) were settled, which received the name of the Agrakhan army (later " family army). The difficulties associated with resettlement and settling in a new place, and in addition, the outbreak of the plague led to the fact that by 1730 only 452 families had survived.

After the Ganja Treaty with Iran, according to which the Russian border was moved to the Terek, in 1736 the Don people were resettled on the left bank (from the Grebensky villages down the Terek) by three villages: Borozdinskaya, Kargalinskaya, Dubovskaya. They received the name of the Tersko-Family Host.

In 1735, on the left bank of the Terek, 60 versts from the Caspian Sea, a new city was founded - Kizlyar, which for many years became the political and cultural center of the North-Eastern Caucasus. From the fortress of the Holy Cross, Cossacks and North Caucasians were transferred here, who had long been in the service of Russia (Kabardians, Chechens, Kumyks, etc.). All of them became known as the Tersko-Kizlyar army. The Cossacks lived in a special quarter of Kizlyar, the so-called. "Kizlyar village", the highlanders lived in other quarters). All groups of Cossacks along the Terek were placed under the command of the Kizlyar commandant. In the 40s of the 18th century, an attempt was made to unite the Grebensky and Terek-Family troops, but it was not successful.

In 1762, the Kabardian prince Andrei Konchokin was allowed to move to the Mezdoga tract on the left bank of the Terek with baptized subjects. In 1763, a fortification was laid here, which in 1765 was transformed into the city of Mozdok. Its main population was made up of Cossacks, Georgians, Armenians, Kabardians, Ossetians, Greeks. From among the settlers, mainly baptized Ossetians and Kabardians, the mountain Mozdok Cossack team was created, numbering a little more than 100 people, under the command of Prince Andrei Konchokin. These Cossacks mostly performed the functions of translators and were sent by mail.

To strengthen the Terek fortified line on the left bank from Mozdok to Chervlyonnaya, 517 families of the Volga Cossacks were settled (Donets, who lived for several decades on the Volga border line between Kamyshin and Tsaritsyn, and with its liquidation were not returned to their homes). The decision to resettle the Volga people was made in 1765, but the real foundation of their villages in the Caucasus (Galyugaevskaya, Ishcherskaya, Naurskaya, Mekenskaya, Kalinovskaya) took place only in 1771. The Cossacks of these villages made up the Mozdok Cossack Regiment. Later, 50 Don Cossack families were sent to each village. In 1770, one hundred Donets families on the outskirts of Mozdok founded the village of Lukovskaya.

In 1800, the village of Stoderevskaya arose, where 200 families of baptized Kalmyks were settled. However, the Kalmyks soon returned to the Trans-Kum steppes to their former nomadic way of life and to their former Buddhist beliefs.

In the 20-30s. XIX century, state peasants from Poltava, Kharkov, Chernigov, Voronezh, Kursk, Tambov, Simbirsk, Astrakhan provinces were sent to the villages of the Tersky left bank, who received the status of Cossacks. The government also made attempts to attribute the Mozdok Ossetians and Kabardians, Armenians, Georgians to the Cossacks, but, as a rule, without success. Only a part of the Ossetians (migrants from the mountains), Georgians and, to a lesser extent, Armenians, wished to become citizens of the Terek Army.

In 1832, out of 5 Cossack regiments (Kizlyarsky, Terek-family, Grebensky, Mozdoksky and Gorsky), located from the mouth of the river. Terek to Mozdok, and 5 Cossack regiments of the Azov-Mozdok line (Volga, Caucasian, Stavropol, Khopersky and Kuban) the Caucasian linear Cossack army was formed. The Caucasian linear Cossack army, together with the Black Sea, occupied the Caucasian defensive line from the mouth of the Terek to the mouth of the Kuban and, together with the Separate Caucasian Corps, participated in the Caucasian War.

Close proximity to the Caucasian highlanders, the participation of highlanders in the Cossack army and mixed marriages contributed to the penetration of Caucasian culture into the life of the Tertsy. This is especially noticeable in the clothes (cloaks, hats) and weapons (daggers, sabers) of the Cossacks. Many Cossacks spoke the languages ​​of the highlanders; so L. N. Tolstoy in the story “Cossacks” writes: “The well done Cossack flaunts knowledge of the Tatar language and, having taken a walk, even speaks Tatar with his brother” (Tatar here means one of the Turkic languages ​​​​of the Caucasus: Karachay-Balkarian, Nogai or Kumyk ).

In 1860, the Caucasian linear Cossack army was abolished. From part of the army, the Terek Cossack army was formed, and the other part, together with the Black Sea Cossack army, became part of the newly formed Kuban Cossack army. In the same year, the Terek region was formed.

In peacetime, the Terek army fielded for service: two Life Guards Terek hundreds of His Majesty's Own Convoy (Tsarskoye Selo), four cavalry regiments of 6 hundred of the first stage (1st Kizlyar-Grebenskaya General Yermolov (Grozny and Grozny). Vladikavkaz), 1st Gorsko-Mozdok General Krukovsky (Olta township), 1st Volga and 1st Sunzha-Vladikavkaz General Sleptsov (Khankendy tract), two horse batteries of 4 guns (1st and 2nd -I Terek Cossacks) and 4 local teams (Grozny, Goryachevodsk, Prokhladnensk and Vladikavkaz).

By the beginning of the First World War, the Terek Cossacks numbered about 260 thousand people (2.1 million acres of land in use).

TERSK COSSACKS

Cossacks living along the banks of the Terek River; only a few pieces of evidence have been preserved about their life in ancient times. There were many mountain Cossacks among them, and therefore the original communities of T. K-kov were called Grebensky. According to them, A.I. Rigelman recorded in the eighteenth century that they lived before coming to the Terek in the mountains between the Kabardians and there they were called Kazarovtsy, natives of Kazaria. According to the ancient Russian historians I. Boltin and V.N. Tatishchev, from there in 1280 the Tatar Baskak Akhmet led a large group of Pyatigorsk Cossacks, who later founded the city of Cherkasy on the Dnieper, because. according to their old place of residence, they were also called Cherkasy. The Yermolinskaya chronicle tells that the Horde king Makhmet and his son Mamutyak in 1445 called 2,000 Cossacks from Cherkasy. Russian acts of all Zaporizhzhya Cossacks almost until the 19th century are called Cherkasy, referring the same name to their ancestors Cherny Klobuks, which the Moscow Chronicle begins under the year 1152 (“all Black Klobuks are called Cherkasy”). If we add to this the testimonies of foreigners Sigismund Herberstein and the Polish monk Matvey from Mekhov about Pyatigorsk Cherkasy, Christians of the Slavic language, then the words of the Russian academician of the 18th century I.K. Taubert about the Cossacks, with whom Mstislav Tomator-Kansky defeated the troops of his brother Yaroslav near Listv-nom in 1023. From the above information it follows that the ancestors of T. Kazakov lived in the North. Caucasus already in very remote times. And, probably, the professor of the Russian Academy of the General Staff, V.I. should be included” (SI. Sirin, South-East of Russia. Edition of the Committee for the Economic Revival of the South-East of Russia, Berlin, 1922). This is confirmed by archeological data and folk legends preserved in the records. The resettlement of the Grebentsy-Highlanders beyond the Nizhny Terek took place at the end of the 15th century after the Turks conquered part of the Caucasus and thoroughly massacred Christians by Sekaydar crowds (see). In the middle of the trail century, Russia went to the Caspian Sea and then the Christian Grebentsy, in the face of a formidable enemy, the Turks, agreed, together with the Kabardians, to serve the interests of the Moscow Tsar. For this, Ivan the Terrible recognized their right to the lands of the Terek Lower Region and promised them his patronage. In 1567, fulfilling his promise, the tsar ordered his people to fortify the Cossack town of Terka at the mouth of the Sunzha River. Since that time, T.K. and the Kabardians continually opposed the Turks in their advance from the Crimea towards Persian Dagestan. But after the Turkish invasion in 1582, only the Sunshinsky settlement remained from Terka. In 1588, Russia erected a new fortification with the same name - Terka and Terek redoubt, but now closer to the sea at the mouth of the Terek. Some of the serving Cossacks were transferred here from the Russian "riding cities" (from the Upper Volga), where they were no longer needed. In 1640, in addition to them and the archers, there were also 70 yards of Kabardian uzdens in Terka, and Grebenets were replenished from year to year with Cossacks from the mountains, the Volga and the Don. Living in a tense struggle with the Turkish vassals, T.K. nevertheless, they found time for their household needs, bred bees, orchards and vineyards, grazed herds and herds, sowed cereals. Very early winemaking, sericulture and the extraction of wild-growing madder, at that time an expensive plant, the roots of which contain dyes, began to develop here. From 1721, complete dependence on Russia begins with the subordination of the Military Collegium. In 1722, Emperor Peter I moved part of T. Kazakov to the area of ​​the new fortress of the Holy Cross near the Agrakhan river channel; two years later, a thousand families from the Don were resettled there, who founded five small towns there. However, the living conditions and climate in this area turned out to be so disastrous that most of the Cossacks settled here soon died. In addition, in 1735 these lands had to be given back to Persia and then the Agrakhan Cossacks, thinned from combat losses and diseases, returned beyond the Terek. They settled in the newly fortified Kizlyar and in four towns: Aleksandrovsky, Borozdinsky, Dubovsky and Kargalinsky, which they built on the Terek below the old settlements of Grebentsy. This part of T. Kazakov's acts is called "family". From 1732, the Grebentsy, who had once gone to the Lower Volga, began to return to the Middle Terek; the last time they were indicated there on the map of Delil in 1702. The remnants of the mountain Cossacks also gathered on the Terek. When the Mozdok fortification was founded (1763), these Cossacks-highlanders were included in its garrison, who laid the foundation for the Mountain Cossack regiment there. The Don people founded the village of Lukovskaya near Mozdok. In 1777, 1,067 Cossack families were resettled from six villages from the Volga to the new Azov-Mozdok Line; according to their former place of residence, they were also called Volga here, lived in five villages and exhibited the Volga regiment. From 1836 all T.K. began to be registered in the Caucasian Linear Troops with butts: Grebensky, Kizlyarsky, Gorsky, Mozdoksky, Volga and two Sunzhensky and Vladikavkaz. The Sunzha and Vladikavkaz regiments were forced to move closer to the mountains to the lands that used to belong to the mountain tribes. The old and new Cossack lands consisted of four regimental departments: Pyatigorsk, Mozdok, Kizlyar and Sunzha, which were included in the Terek region. By 1920, they consisted of 275 thousand Cossacks about. gender, between which lived 130 thousand indigenous Muslims and approx. 200 thousand newcomers from other cities. In the possession of the villages there were 1,745,000 acres of land, 150 thousand acres were left to the indigenous population, and 117 thousand acres were in the Military Fund. T.K. exhibited in the imperial army 2 guard hundreds, a hundred of the convoy of the Viceroy of the Caucasus, 2 con. batteries and four cavalry regiments: the First Volga, the First Gorsko-Mozdok, the First Kizlyar-Grebensky and the First Sunzha-Vladikavkaz; due to increased mobilization, regimental cadres were tripled with the same names into 12 regiments, to which 4 spare hundreds, two local teams and two plastun battalions were added in recent years. The social and military life of T. Kazakov under the rule of Russia was built on ancient foundations; relative classlessness remained in the villages, and the nobles and honored officers nominated by the tsars, except for respect, did not enjoy any advantages in the affairs of the village communities. Therefore, class strife was alien to the Cossack masses; it did not become a significant factor even after the revolution of 1917. The October Revolution did not promise any special prospects for the people's economy of the region, but the old feuds between the Cossacks and the former owners of the Sunzha Department, Chechens and Ingush, aggravated. There were also major antagonisms between the Cossacks and the alien Russian-Ukrainian residents, who for a hundred years the wall of the Cossack villages ensured a peaceful life and prosperity in new places. At the same time, the revolution of 1917 gave the Cossacks the opportunity to revive the People's Assemblies on the Terek - Circles, as well as the institution of freely chosen atamans. With their help, T.K. hoped to peacefully resolve all differences with the local Highlanders, Russians and Ukrainians. But this proved impossible; Highlanders burned villages and villages, and crowds of non-residents and soldiers ran amok on the railway. lines and shot on December 26, 1917 at the station. Cool Tersky ataman M.A. Karaulov together with his companions. Shortly thereafter, T.K. took up arms, defending themselves from violence and social reforms according to Lenin's recipes. For a whole year the struggle proceeded in especially difficult conditions of complete encirclement. Only through incredible efforts did they manage to hold their positions until the beginning of 1919. when they finally came with the help of the Kuban Cossacks Corps gene. Lyakhova. All this time there was the Terek Military Circle with the chairman P.D. Gubarev, and the defense of the villages, which fought off attacks from all sides, was led by the newly elected ataman gene. G.A. Vdovenko. At the beginning of 1919, T.K. joined the general Cossack front of the struggle against the Bolsheviks and together went through a difficult path of victories and defeats. After the triumph of Soviet power, they had to endure the same suffering that befell other Cossacks and Highlanders. Those who went into exile arranged their lives in a foreign land, and the youth studied hard. Only from higher Czech schools in Prague and Brno came out with diplomas of engineers, doctors and lawyers more than 60 T. Kazakov.