Can someone define to me with as little bullshit as possible, who the Cossacks were?
>>858308
badass motherfuckers
>>858308
>who the Cossacks were
A forced meme.
more a lifestyle than ethnic group
>>858314
>as little bullshit as possible,
>>858348
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazakhs
![455467_1_w_300_lq[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/xTve4gL.jpg "455467_1_w_300_lq[1].jpg")
>>858308
It's impossible to do so because cossack is an umbrella term for different types of people settling on the border and protecting it/raiding/doing whatever. Life on the frontier changes people greatly in a span of generation or two already. Word itself is Turkic for a "free man" or something like that.
While those types of social structures existed not only in Easternmost parts of Europe, historically speaking there were two types of cossack groups originally: Zaporozhian and Don. First settled around what's now Central (Podolia was frontier already back then) and South-Eastern Ukraine and were divided into Registered who were officially serving Poland and Zaporozhian ("Za porohamy","over the rapids [of Dnieper]") who didn't serve anyone and settled into really dangerous places. Even though pretty much everyone except women - up to the point where women weren't allowed into their garrisoned fortresses at all, lel - was welcome with open arms, absolute majority of Zaporozhian cossacks were Ukrainian since that's who lived the closest to the border, and later on they became Ukrainian national elite, substituting largely polonified Ruthenian szlachta. Oh, and they were firearms-wielding infantry by and large: there's a reason Zaporozhian Host's emblem was cossack with musket. Later on they settled down and became normal people, not without Russian "help".
Second settled around the river Don, and mostly consisted of Russians because Russia was closest. They were a merry bunch as well, but they were all incorporated into Russian structures, preserving their lifestyle but at the same time turning them into Czar's lapdogs. Many were transferred to other frontiers, forming different cossack hosts and shit. They were used as light cavalry, border guards and as proto-internal troops of sorts. This latter thing was what made Bolsheviks hate them so much.
That's it, I guess. Nowadays "cossacks" are used by Russians as Chinese Red Guards style larpers.
>>858372
cossack=/=kazakh
Cowboys of the Eurasian steppes.
>>858383
How so?
>>858398
because they're two completely different things?
>>858372
Dear Christ, that's a retarded answer...
>>858419
Both words have the same origins allegedly.
>>858474
so?
>>858510
I think that guy wanted to meme there.
>>858379
This is a great answer (makes sense to me), I'm been reading 'a concise history of Russia' by Paul Bushkovitch and trying to get my head around these groupings.
I'm confused to when the old Kievan Rus' people became known as 'Ukrainian' as well.
Russia expanded from the Muscovite principality, expanding its territories, but Kiev and the old Rus' area for a time was under Polish-Lithuanian rule, before leading to the uprising of 1648 by Khmelnytsky et al. and the establishment of the Cossack Hetmanate, and somehow they were now Cossacks *and* Ukrainians? When did they start getting known as Ukrainians?
I hope you understand what I mean through this confusion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivT-I-yxtdY
>>858722
Ruskies need to step up their police brutality game. It doesn't even look like they're trying to hurt them, and the one guy who does hit them hard gets pulled way almost instantly. Honestly, I'm disappointed.
t. American
>>858690
Ukrainians are a 19th century meme. They were known simply as Ruthenians in the past and adopted Ukrainian identity because Russians started preaching that Ruthenia and Russia are synonyms.
![Rusini1836[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/IY3xU7A.jpg "Rusini1836[1].jpg")
>>858690
Yeah, it can be pretty confusing. "Ukraine" as a term is very old, appearing as early as late 12th century. Most historians agree that it originally meant "borderlands" as in frontier before steppe. Later on it evolved to encompass most lands of modern Ukraine. Zaporozhians themselves used it quite often, for instance in chronicles written by them (the most famous one probably being Samovydets Chronicle).
However, the more common name for Ukrainian ethnicity was originally "Rusyny" (Ruthenians), that is "people of Rus'". The problem is, it sounded too much like "Russians", so in order to stress their national distinction, Ukrainian intellectuals in mid-19th century proposed a bold move of changing their name to Ukrainians. As you can see, it worked out quite well, though in Westernmost lands populated by Ukrainians that process took a while, especially in very isolated Zakarpattia where it happened as late as 1920s; and that's why there still are some people calling themselves Ruthenians. Ruthenia itself is Rus' in Latin, historically mostly used to describe historical Ukrainian lands up to Zhytomyr or so. These days people sometimes use it for all medieval Ukrainian territory to avoid confusion with Russia.
Another term for Ukrainian peoples mostly used by Russians was "Malorusy" (Ruthenians Proper would be the original intented meaning). That one was coined up by Kiev clergy in late 17th-early 18th century when they popularized the term "Russia" - Rus' in Greek - and wanted to present Kiev and Ukraine as its core (think X Minor and Major, X Proper and Greater). Needless to say, that plan backfired hard and prefix "Malo-" ended up having extremely negative "little brother" connotation.
So, to answer your question, Ukrainians started to be called that only around mid-19th century, though obviously the peoples themselves existed for much longer than that. Even though it is anachronistic, I think it's pretty safe to call Zaporozhian Cossacks Ukrainians.
>>858722
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=fa4_1373888572&comments=1
>>858308
White people pretending to be Turkics.
To fight against Turkics.
>>858690
>When did they start getting known as Ukrainians?
Not earlier than 19th century. Even than this idea was far more popular among local intellectuals than the peasants. The majority of people still self-identified as Russians until the Soviet-imposed "idigenization" process in 1920-1930s. (Korenizatsiya)
>>858856
Didn't those cunts called themselves "Little" Russians
>>858856
>The majority of people still self-identified as Russians
Since when? Russian imperial census of 1897 had Ukrainian speakers being absolute majority in 9 governorates: Volhynia, Kiev, Chernigov, Katerinoslav, Tavria (relative 42 % to 28% Russians, absolute without Crimea), Podolia, Poltava, Kharkov, Kherson. Russian imperial ideology did not consider Ukrainians to be a separate nation, hence why Ukrainian speakers, but that's a Russian problem.
>>858859
They did, but it refers to the name of the land (Malorossiya - Little Russia), it doesn`t mean that they thought of themselves as some inferior breed of Russians. Then again, even the "little Russian" identity was a thing mostly for educated people/intellectuals. The peasants either called themselves Russians or didn`t give a fuck about nationality at all.
![_1917[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/SH9ilau.jpg "_1917[1].jpg")
>>858916
These people on demonstration in Kiev in March of 1917 are Russians.
![image017[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/qti9ts7.jpg "image017[1].jpg")
>>858985
These people on demonstration in Kiev with bicolor flags are Russians as well.
![29764291[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/pp5tovk.jpg "29764291[1].jpg")
>>858988
And these people standing in Ukrainian national attire under "Long live free Ukraine!" sign are definitely Russians, no ifs ands or buts about it.
>>858308
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cossacks
>too lazy to do the bare minimum of a google-search
>>858809
It is really interesting that you mentioned Rusyny, because my girlfriend's father is a Rusyn from Eastern Slovakia and a member of the Orthodox church.
However, for some reason Rusyns still consider themselves Slovak, even though historically they are more tied to Ukraine? I guess by this point its fine to consider yourself Slovak if you've lived there long enough, and I suppose they are quite similar at the border.
Thanks for answering guys.
>>858809
Most of Zaporozhian Cossaks were relocated to establish Kuban Cossack Host in the end of 18th century. Zaporozhian Host was disbanded. So their descendants live in Russia now.
>>863134
Not most, rather just a relatively sizable part of them. In late 18th century when Zaporozhian Host was destroyed, Ukrainians had almost finished colonizing the steppes so there was a humongous amount of people living there. It wasn't anything like hostile uncharted territory 100-150 years before it.
However yes, Kuban Cossacks were originally pretty Ukrainian in their culture. They even had their own dialect called balachka which is quite close (if not completely equal with) to Ukrainian language. However, it's mostly forgotten by now.
>>863167
One of the reason to disband Zaporozhian Host was the oppostion of Cosssaks to colonization of steppe territories by other people. Colonist were not only from Ukraine, but also from other Russia and immigrants from Slavic territories of Ottoman Empire and Hungary, from Germany.
Not all Kuban Cossaks were Zaporozhian.
And Ukraininan culture is not good term as parts of modern Ukraine had very different history, different languages, different religion and developed their own culture. Parts were artificialy lumped together only in 20th century by Soviets.
Cossaks were separate social class in Russian Empire. If they stopped to belong to Cossak Host then they had to join other social class: peasants, city population or regular army. High ranks could get nobility.
During period when Zaporozhian Host was disbanded and Black Sea Host (predecessor of Kuban Host) was not yet established many Cossacks were forced to do so. Those who were not agree fled to Ottoman Empire.
I doubt that many of those who had the chance to be restored as Cossaks would not accept. Cossaks were priveleged class after all.
>>858308
>Slavs start moving onto the steppe because good farmland or running away from serf obligations
>living there sucks, constant fighting with Turkic steppe people
>adopt raiding lifestyle and Turkic dress
Could anyone suggest some books about the cossacks? I find them quite interesting
You have ten seconds to name a single battle where the cossacks weren't the bad guys.
>>865257
The Cossacks by Shane O'Rourke
>>865269
t. Ahmed.
>>865257
Ill just leave this here for you
>>858800
>Russians started preaching that Ruthenia and Russia are synonyms.
To be fair, they were synonyms. "Russia" was just a Hellenized version of Ruthenia (or better, Rus') to begin with. They only became really separate after the Russian Empire fell apart.
>>858992
Ivan please fuck off, we're trying to talk about history.
>>858308
NAAAAAAAA GORA STOYAL SHAMIL
they have pretty GOAT music
>Tfw no Cossack husbando
>>866054
>>866183
Thanks!
