Rostov residents, as well as many other residents of southern Russia, have long stopped being surprised by the sight of people in Cossack uniforms on the streets of their cities and towns. They are also frequent visitors to government offices, local television and radio stations, and newspaper and magazine editorial offices. This is not unusual, as the Don region is a Cossack territory. Moreover, the current times demand it. It is a time when many distinguished politicians are beginning to seriously consider the Don Cossacks to be a real civil force, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to address a wide range of regional and national issues without taking their interests into account. So what are the interests of the Cossacks? How do they fit into the era, and how do they differ from the hopes and aspirations of millions of other Russians? First, let's explore the background of the issue. From a circular directive issued by the Organizational Bureau of the Central Committee of the Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks) on January 24, 1919: "... Recent events on various fronts and in the Cossack regions, our advance into the depths of the Cossack settlements, and the disintegration of the Cossack troops, compel us to issue instructions to party workers on the nature of their work in these regions. Given the experience of the civil war with the Cossacks, it is necessary to recognize the only correct course of action as the most ruthless war against the entire Cossack elite, which can only be achieved through their complete extermination. 1. Carry out mass terror against the wealthy Cossacks, exterminating them en masse; carry out ruthless mass terror against all Cossacks who have taken any direct or indirect part in the struggle against the Soviet government. All measures must be taken against the middle-class Cossacks to ensure that they do not attempt to launch new uprisings against the Soviet government. 2. Confiscate the bread and force them to dump all t ... Читать далее