The most beautiful Cossacks. Cossacks are a special type of woman

Kuban Cossacks differed from other women of Russia in pride, courage, determination. The “gossip” spread by Soviet propaganda that the women of the Cossacks were humiliated and insulted have absolutely no basis. Respectful attitude to a woman - mother, wife, sister, the concept of the honor of a Cossack, the honor of a daughter, sister, wife - was determined by the honor and behavior of a woman, the dignity of a man was measured. Cossack women, for the most part, are a type of beauties that have developed over the centuries as a natural selection from Circassian women, Turkish women and Persian women, amazed and still amazes with their good looks and attractiveness.

IN family life the relationship between husband and wife was determined according to the Christian teaching: “Not a husband for a wife, but a wife for a husband”, “Let the wife of her husband be afraid”. But the woman always had the right to vote and her opinion was listened to. Moreover, everyone had their own duties: a man should not interfere in women's affairs, a woman - in men's. Responsibilities were adjusted by life itself, so who and what in the family should do is clearly divided. However, it was not considered a shame if a man was engaged in women's affairs if the circumstances required it. Yes, and a woman often had to take on men's affairs when her husband was in the service. In Cossack society, women enjoyed such reverence and respect that there was no need to give her the rights of a man. Doing household often lay on the Cossack mother. The Cossack spent part of his life in the service, in battles, campaigns, on the cordon. However, the leading role both in the family and in the Cossack society belonged to the man, who was responsible for the material support of the family and maintaining the strict order of the Cossack life in the family. The word of the owner of the family was indisputable for all its members, and an example of this was the wife of a Cossack - the mother of his children. But in society they adhered to the rule: no one has the right to interfere in other people's family affairs.

Outside the house, a woman was treated courteously, no matter who the woman she met, everyone, young and old, treated her with respect and protected her - for a woman is the future of the people. A Cossack woman considered it a great sin and shame to appear in public (society) with her head uncovered, to wear male type clothes and cut hair. In public, restraint was observed between husband and wife.
The custom did not allow a woman to be present at the gathering (circle) even to resolve issues of her personal nature. Her father, elder brother, godfather or ataman spoke for her with a petition or submitted a petition or complaint.

Care for the upbringing of the younger generation was shown not only by parents, but by the entire adult population of the farm, village. For the indecent behavior of a teenager, an adult could not only make a remark, but also easily “kick his ears”, or even “treat” with a slight slap in the face, inform his parents about what had happened, who would immediately “add”. Parents refrained from clarifying their relationship in the presence of children. The address of the wife to her husband, as a sign of honoring his parents, was only by name and patronymic, as the father and mother of the husband (mother-in-law and father-in-law) for the wife, and the mother and father of the wife (father-in-law and mother-in-law) for the husband were God-given parents.
A Cossack addressed an unfamiliar Cossack woman, as a rule, to the older “mother”, and to an equal - “sister”, to the youngest - “daughter” (granddaughter). To the wife - each individually learned from a young age - by name, to the elderly - often "mother", and even by name and patronymic. As a greeting to each other, the Cossacks slightly raised their headdress and with a handshake inquired about the state of health of the family, about the state of affairs. The Cossack women bowed to the man at his greeting, and hugged each other with a kiss and a conversation.
Children and younger Cossacks addressed themselves as relatives, acquaintances and strangers, calling them “uncle”, “aunt”, “aunt”, “uncle” and, if they knew, they called the name. An elderly Cossack (Cossack) was addressed: “father”, “father”, “dida”, “woman”, “grandmother”, “grandmother”, adding, if they knew, a name.
Despite the fact that in Cossack families there was a ban on smoking and drinking, except for wine, children under the age of majority were not allowed to be at the table during festivities, receiving guests, and generally in the presence of strangers. And it was not just forbidden to sit at the table, but also to be in the room where the feast or the conversation of the elders was taking place.
Cossack girls used complete freedom and grew up with their future husbands. The purity of morals was strictly observed, the entire Cossack community followed it.

Many ethnographers do not consider the Cossacks a separate people. They are called social group or even a special military class that is part of the Russian ethnos. The Cossacks themselves fundamentally disagree with this statement, defending their original culture, unique customs and traditions of the steppe freemen. One of the features of this people is a large number of mixed marriages, concluded in the XVI-XVIII centuries between the Don Cossacks, for example, and captured Turkish women.

Special customs

Let's start with the fact that the word "Cossack" is of Turkic origin and translated into Russian means "free, free." About five or six centuries ago, many people called themselves that, who preferred personal freedom to the narrow framework of laws established by official authorities. The name "Cossack" was well known both in Russia and in Central Asia.

Starting from the 15th century, young men began to flock to the free banks of the Don, who did not want to be slaves of the boyars, to bend their backs to the landowners, to depend on the arbitrariness and tyranny of various authorities: from a clerk to a state councilor. Some of the future Cossacks were fugitives, others were adventurers and adventurers. But the majority aspired precisely to independence. These people created a special social organization called the Cossack Circle, where the most important issues were decided at the council of the community. different questions– from a commercial dispute to a declaration of war.

Since there were almost no women among the fugitives, very soon these closed men's associations faced a problem: how to establish a personal life? Every person needs a family, care and procreation. Male forces, energy and desires - in abundance, but to whom should they be given? So the Cossacks began to steal girls and women from the Circassians, Nogais and other neighboring peoples, and from numerous campaigns, in addition to the loot, bring Turkish, Persian, Kalmyk women as brides ...

Therefore, there is nothing strange in the fact that the daring ataman Stenka Razin, as the famous song says, kidnapped the Persian princess. True, this caused dissatisfaction with his dashing comrades-in-arms: "He exchanged us for a woman." And he threw the beauty into the Volga water, demonstrating that for him the opinion of brothers in arms more important than any women. Still, initially a free community is a union of men.

Although, to the credit of the Cossacks, it should be said that they did not have the custom of having numerous concubines in addition to the official spouse, as was established in Central Asia, where captives were kept in the position of sex slaves. The communal way of life, when all issues - up to personal life - are decided by the Cossack circle, did not expect this. Cossacks would consider cohabitation married men with captive women debauchery. And they were very tough people. The rule was simple: once you stole a beauty, tore it from your father and mother, marry according to the law. And what kind of man will bring home a girl if he doesn't like her? Therefore, there was talk about the beauty of captured Turkish and Persian women, stolen Circassian women.

War and personal life

If the Cossacks did not lack anything, it was in wars. The southern borders of our country had to be constantly defended from numerous enemies. The inhabitants of the Don served the Russian tsars in exchange for the recognition of their freemen - the right to live according to their charter. The official status of the border army was assigned to the Cossacks by his decree by the second representative of the Romanov dynasty - Alexei Mikhailovich (1629-1676).

Especially often Russia fought with Turkey. From 1568 to 1878, seven Russian-Turkish wars and two more military conflicts took place in history: on Azov at the end of the 17th century and the Prut campaign of 1711. The most active participants in all these campaigns were the Don Cossacks. They often brought home captive girls. For example, it is known that in 1635, after a military clash with the Turks who lived on the coast of the Taganrog Bay - on Cape Chumbur and Pavlo-Ochakovskaya Spit, the Cossacks captured 1735 (!) The fair sex. Such women were called yasirs. And children born as a result of marriages with Turkish women, Circassians, Persians and other non-Christians, were called boldyrs in the Don. The surnames Boldyrev, Tatarkin, Turchanininov are quite common among the Cossacks, they all testify to the origin of their carriers.

This fact is also reflected in the literature. It is no coincidence that Mikhail Sholokhov in his legendary novel Quiet Flows the Don made the grandmother of the protagonist Grigory Melekhov a Turkish woman brought from a campaign. However, the Cossacks were also captured by the Gentiles. They became their wives, gave birth to children. Sometimes they returned to their native villages with their sons and daughters and remarried, since it was not accepted to remain a single mother living without support. In general, it was believed on the Don that there were no other people's children. The descendants of the Turks and Tatars adopted by the Cossacks were called Tumins. From here came the names Tuminovs and Tuminkins.

Separate people

Oddly enough, the Cossacks rarely married Russian girls and Ukrainian women. Even in the 18th century, when settlers from the northern regions began to settle Don lands, while not adjoining the local freemen, freedom-loving people wanted to distance themselves as much as possible from the newcomers Russians. The Cossacks wanted to preserve their own way of life and probably saw strangers as a threat to their identity. Moreover, by that time the demographic problem had been solved, and there were many beauties in the Don villages. Marrying a non-Cossack woman became reprehensible.

Songs and poems sing of beauty, stature and the freedom-loving disposition of the inhabitants of the Don villages. Thus, the historian Vasily Sukhorukov (1795-1841) wrote that the origin of the Cossacks was significantly influenced by the mixing of Slavic and Turkish blood, and therefore women on the Don have “fiery black eyes” and a healthy blush on their cheeks, and also love bright outfits. The clothes of the Polonyankas left a big imprint on traditional costume Cossacks.

The constant wars that men went to, taught women from the Don villages to be independent. They raised children and deftly managed not only with the economy, but also with weapons and did not allow themselves to become limp, fearing for their sons, brothers and husbands who had gone to the front.

Perhaps the Kuban woman can be described in one word - a warrior. And only then add epithets: stately, faithful, proud. smartnews made a portrait of a real Kuban woman

The Kuban woman traditionally carries through her whole image the history of the Kuban Cossacks, important for the entire region. Therefore, it is impossible to talk about how the image of the Kuban woman developed, which formed the basis of her character, without delving into the history of the Kuban Cossacks.

During the years of the Caucasian War, a new type of woman was formed, capable of replacing her husband not only in the economic, but also in the military sphere. In the first decades of life in the Kuban, women could deal with 3-4 enemies alone. Gradually, the tactics of mass defense of the villages by the female population also developed.

Many facts of the participation of Cossack women in open competitions in equestrianism and horse riding, and even participation in "kulaks" - hand-to-hand fights, and winning prizes by them, have been found. And this despite the fact that the level of complexity of military training was quite high: in addition to the obligatory equestrian formations, overcoming obstacles on horseback, the training complex included acrobatic skills (aimed throwing stones at full gallop, lifting objects from the ground at a gallop, etc.). Shooting competitions could require the skill of hitting a coin in outstretched hand standing man. Possession of a checker was obligatory.

It is no secret that the strong-willed character and this very image of a warrior, a strong, courageous woman, has developed over time due to the mixing of blood. Often, the Cossacks took Kabardians, Nogays, and Circassians as their wives.

Alexander Rigelman, the first historian of the Cossacks, described the women of the Kuban and the Don, who lived in the 18th century.

Children in the Kuban are loved, pampered, but in moderation. In the villages, children are more independent. They run all over the village, they go into any courtyard - relatives are everywhere. Often with early age next to adults, in the garden.

Kuban women know how to support their family and man. They have a sense of duty to the family. They are patriotic, they love Kuban and Russia. Naturally, they have good children - moral, athletic, respecting themselves and others. In connection with all these positive qualities, in my opinion, the role of Kuban women in power is great.

Mothers keep a close eye on their children. Girls from childhood know how to make pancakes, cook borscht, and make seam for the winter. All life is in plain sight, so it is very important that the neighbors "do not think". They quarrel quietly, “they don’t take dirty linen out of the hut”, they clean the windows every week and make sure that the hut is clean to the point of sterility. Devotion to the family hearth is honored sacred to this day.

Thin people in the Kuban do not like. What kind of woman is this, breastless, and even the bones are out? Real Cossacks don't like them. Our beauties are tall, stately, strong. And the borscht will be cooked so that you will lick your fingers. Yes, with lard, yes with garlic ... The lard, so you know, must be smelly, old. When the borscht is ready, lard is pounded with boiled potatoes and garlic, and the borscht is seasoned with this mash. Buckwheat and rice porridge were not found on the Cossack table. The Cossacks did not pick mushrooms, and there were no dumplings on the Cossack table. Women drank liqueur, which they prepared themselves, and men drank moonshine, "kishmishovka" from grapes. French grappa next to the grape moonshine is resting.

The fact that the girls in the Kuban are far from fluff is immediately evident - they are strong, healthy-looking, smiling, with sparkling eyes. The image of a real Kuban beauty was very successful for actress Clara Luchko. As a model of the Kuban woman, a monument was even erected to her in the Kuban. The actress herself said that she was a Cossack three times. By roots and roles - she played in the films " Kuban Cossacks” and “Gypsy”.

I have seen many beauties in my life. And eastern, and western, and our Caucasian mountain women. Good girls, do not say anything. But ours, the Kuban ones, are different. You immediately see it - peach skin - this is not a salon, but the sun has worked hard. Hair is thick and blond. The braid is tight, as thick as an arm. The girls swim beautifully, they jump from the towers. Many people are fond of equestrian sports, they go hiking. And the character is strong.

According to statistics, women in the Kuban build a personal life, as a rule, up to 25 years. So, at the age of 25-29, 674 girls out of 1000 are married. Whereas young people at this age are married 592 out of the same 1000. True, already in the next age category– 30-34 years old – number married women for some reason, it decreases, and the number of married men increases.

In traditional holidays in the Kuban, it is customary to wear traditional Kuban costumes, which at one time the fashion historian Alexander Vasilyev for some reason called vulgar, and with them the image of Kuban women in general.

A European woman wants to be rather inconspicuous, rather looking for elegance, looking for individuality, looking for hidden chic. And a Russian woman wants to show her natural beauty - deep neckline, thin waist, wide hips. High heels, glued nails, "perhydrol" hair - often she looks vulgar. Especially, of course, in the southern regions of Russia, it blooms with a bright flame. Why? The lack of men, the desire to find their place in the sun, the desire to express themselves.

Nevertheless, there are plenty of men in the Kuban, and thin waist has never been a disadvantage. And today's young women in the Kuban dress stylishly, individually and not without southern chic.

Probably, one should not try to film another new "Quiet Flows the Don" anymore. After all, indeed, each time a new and new interpretation is obtained, which moves further and further away from the real one.
To say that the directors and actors see the work in their own way and try to present it understandable to the modern young viewer, but why then call their series after the great work?
For those who truly read "Quiet Don", saw in it not only love, or, as they say today, "relationships", but the whole tragedy of the Russian people in the fratricidal war, only the film directed by S. Gerasimov deserves to be called "Quiet Don ". The audience is already fed up with cheap series of bad directors and the same actors and actresses. The novel tells about the tragic events in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century, about the destinies of people broken by the First World War and the revolution. The Quiet Flows the Don is one of the best works, and it should be filmed the way the author intended. And so far only S. Gerasimov and the actors chosen by him have done this. And therefore, there is no better E. Bystritskaya Aksinya, there was not and is unlikely to be! This is proven by two subsequent films.

The same can be said about Grigory Melekhov, who is shown in the work not only good guy from Central Russia, near Ryazan or Kaluga, and Don Cossack, in which there is fire, hot blood ... This hero is a reflection of the entire Don Cossacks, a symbol of the whole people.
And such “quiet dons”, in which Grigory is handsome, fragile with gay actor, only humiliate the dignity of the Don Cossacks. In any case, it is a pity that the younger generation will watch insignificant and mediocre films based on famous novels.


Disadvantage Quiet Don» S. Gerasimov can only name the number of episodes - only four, and therefore much is left behind the scenes. However, the actors who played not only the main characters, but literally everything, turned out to be the most high level. And there will be no more better Aksinya, Natalia and Daria.
The writer Mikhail Sholokhov himself, having seen Elina Bystritskaya at the audition, chose her for the role of Aksinya. S. Gerasimov called "Quiet Don" a folk epic, a dictionary of the Russian and Cossack languages. And when the shooting of the film began, he gathered all the actors and said that they would have to become different people, that is, similar to those who are used to working on the ground.
He demanded from the actors to achieve full reality in the images, and therefore they had to learn a lot from the inhabitants of the Cossack farm, and above all, labor, so that both the body and the hands could do all the work with ease, at ease. Before some scenes during filming, Gerasimov forced the actresses to first wash the mountain of linen, and then not to powder their face, so that everything was believable.
He said: “Do more laundry, clean the dishes, scrub the floors, clean up the house. You will do everything at home - help your neighbors ... ".
In communication with the Don Cossacks, Elina Bystritskaya recalls one of them - Baba Ulya, who taught her to carry buckets on the yoke: “And you carry it with your hips ... carry it with your hips ... You understand, the Ent should not just carry water, but to make Grishka like it ... ".


And the fact that Elina Bystritskaya, Zinaida Kiriyenko, and Lyudmila Khityaeva became real Cossack women can be judged by the huge flow of letters that were bombarded with them after the film was released on the screen and the memory of the audience, although about 60 years have already passed. Cossack actresses were “real”, because later the audience began to call them among themselves - Aksinya, Natalya and Daria. And E. Bystritskaya, and Z. Kiriyenko, and L. Khityaeva had to live with a middle name for a long time.
Cossack women, surrounded by steppe expanses, whose beauty was shaped by nature itself and hard work, are strong, desperate and fearless, "these are amazingly proud, freedom-loving women." Aksinya - wonderful black, burning eyes, shoulder turn - a strong, beautiful, desperate woman in love.
Aksinya, Natalya and Daria left the pages of the famous novel on the screen and became real Cossack women. Is it really possible to replace reality with props that new directors with newly-minted actresses and actors are trying to impose on the audience.
When M. Sholokhov was shown the first and second series, he sat in silence for a long time, next to him in the ashtray was a “cap” of cigarette butts. Finally he turned around, his face looked tear-stained, he said hoarsely:
"Your film goes in a drawbar with my novel."


Cossack pride, brought up over many centuries, and how could it be otherwise, because the entire Cossack family arose from the most fearless and freedom-loving people. Much later, the command of the Don Cossack Army awarded P. Glebov the title of honorary major general of the Cossack army with the right to wear uniforms and weapons.
Aksinya came to people from the pages of the famous Sholokhov novel, and then from the screen - lively, passionate, proud, beautiful. “Here she turns her head, mischievously and lovingly, from under the bottom she strikes with a look of fiery black eyes, ...”.
The Don Cossacks awarded Elina Bystritskaya the rank of Colonel of the Don Cossacks, handed over the corresponding certificate, uniform and began to call Elina Donskaya.


Until now, Lyudmila Khityaeva considers the role of Daria her favorite. Playing her, she learned to plow, mow, reap, cook Cossack dishes and, despite the fact that she was afraid of water since childhood, swim perfectly. Stately and beautiful Cossack Daria with a proud head and a slightly mocking sly look expressive eyes- that's how the audience remembered her.
For Zinaida Kiriyenko, the role of the emotional and devoted Natalya has become calling card. For a long time some people approached her and looked closely - is there a scar on her neck, which allegedly remained with her after filming.
Russia can be proud of such actors, they remain not only in the history of cinema, but forever in the hearts of the audience. And many subsequent film adaptations of "The Quiet Flows the Don" make one more and more admire the film and the actors of S. Gerasimov.

WOMAN -- COSSACK Many foreigners who have visited Russia admired Russian women, but the Cossack women were distinguished by their special beauty, intelligence and strength. We find a lot of evidence of this in the notes of our compatriots. The artist V. Surikov, originally from an old Yenisei Cossack family, left such memories: “My sisters are cousins ​​- the girls are just like in epics they sing about twelve sisters. The girls had a special beauty: ancient, Russian. They are strong, strong. The hair is weird. Everything breathed health. A. Rigelman, the first historian of the Cossacks, described the women of the Don, who lived in the 18th century: “The wives of their faces are round and ruddy, their eyes are dark, large, dense and black-haired, unfriendly to strangers.” About the beauty and appearance of a Cossack woman, the authors, not without reasons, did not stint, and still do not stint on compliments, noting such features in appearance Cossacks, as harmony, flexibility, a thin camp, beautiful facial features in which Slavic features are mixed with mountain-steppe features. The Cossacks asserted themselves in history with powerful human characters. Figuratively speaking, in Russia, and in other countries of the world, they are accustomed to the fact that geniuses of courage and feat were born from time to time on the banks of Cossack rivers, and this, above all, is the merit of Cossack mothers - educators of the formidable Cossacks of the past. However, since the beginning of the movement to revive the Cossacks (90s of the XX century), out of the entire abundance of printed material devoted to the Cossacks, very little, or rather, almost nothing has been said about the glorious Cossack mothers, about the Cossack woman, whom for a long time laid the image of the Cossack life main duty about the well-being of the Cossack family. Rarely, but still sometimes there are reports in the press and television news about the participation of Cossack women in the revival, but, unfortunately, in an image far from the Cossacks of the past. If history captured such properties as dashing, courage and eternal fearlessness in the image of a Cossack, then the image of a Cossack woman - a strong indomitable temper, efficiency, devotion to the family hearth. This is true devoted wife, a caring mother and an economical hostess. She managed to adequately stand up with the Cossacks with weapons in her hands to protect her children, the hut and the village. And, despite all this, she did not lose the main features inherent in the weaker sex: femininity, cordiality, coquetry, love for outfits. In the “Statistical Description of the Region of the Don Cossacks”, published in 1884, it was written: “Due to the peculiarities of military life on the Don, a special type of woman has historically been developed - a tireless worker, boldly and energetically taking on all the labors of a man, keeping up everywhere and doing everything in time. The concern of a young woman who lived with her father and mother without grief and need is precisely that, not with bare hands, to meet her husband upon his return from service. Having dropped the economy, she drops her human dignity in the eyes of an honest village and her own. Probably, like no other, the saying of the ancients applies to the Cossack woman, that “A woman comes into the world to exalt it with her beauty, maternal kindness and love.” it is speed and agility in actions and deeds. Everyone knows how the Cossacks were proud of their origin - “not the pain of a sore - I am a Cossack”, how they avoided marriages with nonresidents, and were unfriendly with strangers. The Cossacks stubbornly protected their tribal face, most of all with the help of women, jealous keepers of ancient customs and purity of blood. Being constantly away from their home, the Cossacks learned to appreciate and love their women. The theme of love for mother and wife is one of the main ones in Cossack songs. But this relationship did not emerge suddenly. In the early days of its existence, the "Cossack freemen" consisted of familyless warriors. According to legend, some even took a vow of celibacy. Perhaps the first companions of the Cossacks who left their native places forever were “captive Tatars and Turkish women or representatives of indigenous peoples. However, by the middle of the 19th century, the Cossacks preferred to marry in their midst. When choosing a spouse, an important role was played by the condition of the parents of the bride and groom, bad habits (Cossacks were ardent opponents of smoking for a long time), the reputation of the groom, the chastity of the bride, the opinion of the young was often taken into account. According to the historian N. Minenko, in some Cossack villages, the ability to ride a horse was a mandatory requirement for a bride. In the Ural army, a bride was considered bad if she did not know the Psalter and the Book of Hours and could not read Church Slavonic. TO XIX century in all territories of residence of the Cossack troops, families were large, consisting, as a rule, of three generations. strength, and often blood, for well-being and well-being. The Cossack girl was free in her personal life. Her parents did not encroach on her will and did not give her in marriage without her consent. When bad marriage, she could win society's support for a divorce. Protecting widows and orphans from poverty, public law took care of them, there was a social land allotment "widow" and "orphan". Tolstoy in the story "The Cossacks", noting the peculiarities of the beauty of the Cossack, emphasizes that panache and elegance in clothes and decoration of huts is a habit and a necessity in their lives. The Cossack, who, in the presence of strangers, as etiquette required, considered it indecent to talk affectionately and idly with his wife, involuntarily felt her superiority, staying with her eye to eye. . The constant work and cares that fell on her hands gave a particularly independent courageous character and amazingly developed in her physical strength, common sense, determination and fortitude. Behind her external shyness, as noted by many authors, often lies a strong and indomitable temper, the consciousness of the guardian family hearth and mistresses of the house. A woman in the Cossack society enjoyed attention and exclusive respect. Not without reason, in some Cossack regions, even girls were called "parents." The Cossack was sure that his voluntary and involuntary sins would be pleaded for by the Parents (mother and wife). In his memoirs about the Cossack life, I.I. Georgi wrote: “Among the Cossacks, husbands treat their wives more kindly than usual in Russia, and therefore they are more cheerful, livelier, more prudent and prettier.” The Cossack woman was alien to democratic book theories fashionable in the spirit of the times. The inner ideal of the Cossack woman was God, the family, the farmstead - this, above all, obedient children those who respect parents, a serviceable household, a sense of their responsibility before God to maintain Orthodox moral principles in the family and, especially, no matter how strange it may seem now, this is the suppression of debauchery. In relations with men, the Cossack woman, and especially the girl, enjoyed complete freedom. In some Cossack regions, in particular, in the Kuban, there were traditions joint holding young Cossacks and Cossacks on a summer night in the hayloft. But woe to that Cossack who tried to desecrate this folk tradition manifestation of lust and its harassment. For this, the culprit was expected to pay a heavy price, up to the shedding of blood. Cossack women were alien to organizations and societies in which women were involved and attached to male concerns, speeches with statements, decisions, protests, etc. There were no unions, councils of Cossacks of a social orientation, there were centuries-old foundations for the provision of mutual assistance and the assistance of their farm, village, relative, neighbor. On a voluntary basis, Cossack women went to clean the church, to provide assistance, in the construction of huts, and in the distant past, to make adobe and dung - and in all cases when someone needed outside help. No one forced, did not oblige, did not organize, and everyone knew that if I did not come, then they would not come to me either. All the Cossack women of the farm and the village knew each other from an early age, they also knew what their “need” was, and without any prompting, based on their capabilities and prosperity, they helped. Our “great-grandmothers” before the revolution, and in some Cossack families up to patriotic war 1941-1945 did not work in production. They had enough work and home. For a Cossack, if his wife, besides at home, was still working somewhere, it was considered a shame - not being able to provide for her family - do not start. Everyone knows what great importance had a woman in a Cossack family, how she knew how to devote herself family life and instill in your children the love of native land, native land, to his people. From an early age, the child absorbed from his mother feelings of national pride and blood closeness to his fellow tribesmen, self-esteem, along with respect human personality and to the elders. There are many tales, legends and traditions about love for the native land, for the brotherhood that the Cossack mother brought up, not only in Russia, but also in countries where the fate of the defenders of the Russian land threw. The correct and fraternal life of the Cossacks strongly tied them to their native land. This passionate love for the native land permeates all memories in songs, stories, tales. The Cossack woman was especially jealous of instilling in children the consciousness of the unity of the ethno-sociological features of the Cossacks as a people. From an early age, a Cossack girl and a Cossack girl proudly attributed themselves to the Cossack people and firmly learned that all Cossacks are brothers, a Cossack is a brother to a Cossack. They could be convinced of this: in the Cossack relationship, mutual assistance, loyalty, mutual assistance - Kuban, Donets, Terets, Urals, Usuri, etc., both inside their army, as well as being in other Cossack regions. The Cossack woman was alien to the feeling of imitation in the behavior of actions, deeds, clothes. She always emphasized her belonging to the Cossack people both in clothes and in conversation, and was proud of it. Marrying a non-Cossack was considered a disgrace. A Cossack mother, and no one else, was primarily responsible before God for the religious and moral strength of her children. Diligence, rejection of idleness, mismanagement, was the basis of the morality of the Cossacks, to which the Cossack mother taught children. From an early age future mother- a Cossack girl - a grandmother or mother, during the ripening of herbs, took with her to the steppe or mountains to collect medicinal herbs, flowers, and explained which grass or flower from which disease. There was no Cossack woman who could not sew, cut clothes, knit stockings, socks, lace, embroider towels, napkins, edging shirts and sweaters, quilting blankets. All work clothes for the family were mostly sewn by the Cossack women themselves. Especially the Cossacks were famous for their culinary talent for preparing dishes characteristic of the Cossack way of life. In some Cossack regions, the Cossacks held, according to today's concepts, a review competition for the best meeting and treating guests - whose wife is better able to accept and treat delicious food. From generation to generation, the secrets of each family were passed on to the Cossack from mother and grandmother bread and other oven products. “Fighting” qualities are not typical image Cossacks, both in the past and, obviously, in the future. Since ancient times, the life of a Cossack woman has been full of anxieties, worries, torments, losses and meetings, but not always joyful ones - war is for that and war to kill. In addition to gravity physical labor, a Cossack woman, to a large extent, seeing off her sons, and often with her husband, felt spiritual heaviness, no matter how accustomed the Cossack woman was to all sorts of surprises, thoughts about possible losses her neighbors weighed her down. female body very sensitive to perception negative consequences, and very vulnerable to injustice. Popular rumor affirms, and practical cases confirm, that the heart of a mother feels the misfortune of her child and her neighbor over long distances as long as it beats, regardless of her health and age. 001.jpg" rel="lytebox" href=" http://www.mooko.ru/images/stories/kazstran_2/001.jpg" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(213, 78, 33); background: transparent;">