Women of the Cossack Resurgence

Throughout the steppes and valleys of autonomous Crimea and Caucasus Southern Russia the Cossack people are relearning their warrior traditions and cultural heritage, which were aggressively suppressed by the communists during their 74 years in power. The Cossack revival began in 1991 with the collapse of the USSR, as small groups of men and women began to resurrect their historic role as defenders of Russia's Southern borders and the Orthodox Church. Today the movement has gained considerable numbers, particularly in Russia with backing from the government, which is also investing in nurturing Cossack resurgence through the many Cadet schools that are now operating in the South.

Children from the age of 12 to 18 attend these military style schools where they divide their time between normal academic lessons and learning traditional Cossack skills such as horse riding, martial arts, folk dancing and Shashka (Cossack sabre) performance as well as the more contemporary soldering necessities of shooting and parachuting.

Although Cossack units in Ukraine and Russia are made up of both men and women, the school here is the first to accept female cadets as full time boarders, and there are now around 80 girls living at Belaya Kalitva. Historically only the wives of Cossacks were allowed to join the military formation, but as they have adapted to modern life all women are now welcomed, as are men, regardless of ethnic origin or whether they have Cossack heritage.