Russian Cossacks in Service of the Kremlin: Recent Developments and Lessons from Ukraine

Autor(en): Tomáš Baranec
Herausgeber: Stephen Aris, Matthias Neumann, Robert Orttung, Jeronim Perovic, Heiko Pleines, Hans-Henning Schröder, Aglaya Snetkov
Serie: Russian Analytical Digest (RAD)
Ausgabe: 153
Seiten: 9-12
Verlag(e): Center for Security Studies (CSS), ETH Zurich; Research Centre for East European Studies, University of Bremen; Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies, George Washington University
Publikationsjahr: 2014

As a result of the February 2014 Cossack militia attack on Pussy Riots punk singers during their protest action at the Sochi Olympics, Russian Cossacks finally attracted the attention of the Western media. Despite this exceptional coverage, the phenomenon of the Cossacks as a constantly rising and well organized government- backed group remains largely unknown to Western readers. Nevertheless, Cossacks registered for state service are starting to play an increasingly significant role in both Russian domestic and foreign policies; in fact they have already become a symbol and backbone of Putins new traditionalist ideology. This article seeks to establish a basic understanding of this new and dynamic phenomenon. The process is the result of both spontaneous developments and a top-down Kremlin policy. Understanding how the government is using the Cossacks helps us outline the possible strategy behind the rise of the Cossacks and the potential consequences of this development.

Download:

Englisch (PDF)