I would recommend checking Kings and Generals channel as I don't really like that some controversial facts are covered better considering present debates, but basic things (even Bohdan Khmelnitsky's name, lol) are often with mistakes. Overall video is fine, just in the case one would like to know the case better - this video isn't a source. And by the way, not qа́zaq (kа́zak), but Сóssac. Not sure about the origin, as it may be a case, but actually even in Polish it's kozak. With kazaks it;s more complicated as it's horrible what they did to the origin under moscow's influence.
i thought so too and started looking for some fun book to read with this setting and could only find maybe two or three good ones but i wasn't a big fan of the exact settings (ion wanna read abt when russia had commanded the cossacks :/ like..) and then other books i found were just making cossacks these lustful savage idiots which sucks n having them be an antagonistic force in the book (again, ion wanna read that) and theres surprisingly like no english books about ukrainian cossacks being protagonists in a historical fiction (or even fantasy lmfao). really hope writers learn about cossacks and how cool they were and write them into fun stories while being faithful to that culture. although it seems unlikely for now
In polish, the word cosac (kozak) in slang is used to describe someone cool, daring and impressive. Similarly used to the word badass in english. Interesting how the awe of the cosacs freedom and bravery has remained in the culture and language of surounding coutries after so many houndreds of years
@Lx Dead Zapporishian cossacks had their own autonomous state which in short time gained independence from Poland but later was absorbed back and after partitioning of the Commonwealth they went under Russian rule.
@Egert Roos and what ? Pirates had their own flags too xD Write me another bullshit story narrative from UA that they were fighting for poor and abused Ukrainians xDDD Fact is cossacks were nothing more than a job. Polish, Ruthenian, Lithuanian poor nobles, and simple folk who ran away from the strong arm of the law of their countries formed it and were fighting as a mercenaries for Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. In times of peace they often attacked neighbouring countries frontiers dragging previously mentioned Commonwealth into the conflicts. The only reason they started uprising was a fact that they were useless for the crown during time of peace and needed $$$, also wanted privileges, something that was only for nobility to demand since in comparison to other countries it wasn't for the crown to sustain the army, but each of the members of Polish-Lithuanian bigger nobles.
the "Wild East" moniker fits perfectly since the Soviets even made their own Wild West movies called "Osterns" or "Red Westerns" which had Cossacks, Turks, and Caucasians (as in from the Caucuses) people playing stereotypes and stock characters the same as America had cowboys, indians, miners/gold rushers, and railroad/cattle tycoons.
@Acer Lewis try to watch Elusive Avengers (there’s 3 parts) it’s a «red western» in times of civil war in Russia, there’s also white (“bad”) Cossacks in the movie. I mean those movies are the definition of red western. And I know for sure that the first one is dubbed in English. There’s many soviet movies about Cossacks though they’re not packed much with action. For example Stepan Razin 1938 or Quiet Flows the Don 1957 are the well known classic. Anyway, Elusive Avengers is a must watch movie if you interested in such.
@Sam Featherstone what strikes me is the many similarities between early Cossacks and early Americans including common views of freedom and democracy and a shared sense of confidence and adventure.
This is what I love about history. Things like this are bound to be neglected by time. Hopefully not with the proliferation of the internet. But imagine how many tidbits like this are lost to history or written out by the victor.
@Arthas Menethil type in any search engine the best films about the Cossacks, preferably in Russian, and you will learn a lot of films, but very few of them have been translated into English, perhaps some have subtitles. not all Soviet "westerns" about Cossacks, there were also (parody westerns) A man from Kaputsinov Boulevard very popular in Russia.there is a Russian mini-series Ermak about a very famous Cossack who, with a small detachment, conquered the Siberian Khanate, his video author for some reason forgot to mention. there is also a Polish TV series With Fire and Sword.
Very nice. It ought to be noted the painting 18:47 took the artist, Ilya Repin, 10 years to paint (1880-1891) during which time Repin studied the Cossacks. It commemorates the Cossacks' writing the insulting letter to Ottoman Sultan. According to some historians, when Europe truly feared the advances of the Ottoman empire, the Cossacks dared to attack the Sultan at his capital, Constantinople. The sheer boldness of the Cossacks made them heroic throughout Europe (this is when multiple copies of the original letter were created) even the Roman Catholic Pope sent Cossacks a diplomatic envoy.
yep,thanks for this update. my great great great granddad ( estanislaus Don ), was from a group of Cossacks recruited by Maximillain to fight in the Mexican Revolution against Benito Juarez during the Mexican Revolution. Maximilian lost the war to Mexico and Don settled in Aguas Calientes, never to return to the Russian steppes. We are still a handful of Don's in Texas, thanks to our Ancestor Don.
One of the best historical descriptions/ to my knowledge / I have read in years.I know that to describe times and actions of people on the edge of stabilized societies, in parts which were ruled for three four centuries by Mongols, Golden Horde, on north bordering with raising Muscovy and other partially independent cities - duchies,on south by Crimean khanate / Ottoman influence still present /, on west by still strong Polish- Lithuanian Commonwealth/ in 15 - 16 century real superpower in this area way larger than France today and with no reliable /or. missing / documents is monumental task ,but You did it. If there is some tiny mistake / cca 27.15 min./ Commonwealth from the west , Muscovy from the east ,not opposite as You state.And the name Bodan should be corrected as Bohdan which means given by God.BTW - in Ukrainian name Bohdan should be read with very sound " H ", in Russian as Bogdan / Russian language doesn't have " H ". It is always replaced by "G". So thank You for Your video -it is excellent.
I'm greatly happy you covered this topic and I think you did a very good job (as an introduction, that is). There, of course, is a lot more that could be said about many things mentioned in this video. For example, if you are interested in learning more about the Tatar raids and the slavery in the region, I recommend a paper; _Slave hunting and slave redemption as a business enterprise: The northern Black Sea region in the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries_ by Dariusz Kołodziejczak.
As a Western European, I always love learning more about the history of Eastern Europe ( although I love world history in general ) because it is sadly often overlooked in an academic sense when analyzing politics & history alike and fascinated me deeply due to its relatively close proximity to my own homeland.
@MrAmhara Asia got a lot of coverage by comparison. Not all of Asia obviously, but a pretty significant amount, considering the limited amount of information. I can not speak for everyone but this was my experience.
I think you somewhat mix up the Don and the Zaporozian cossacks. There also were the so-called Burgher/City cossacks (Horodovi Kozaky) in the PLC. And they were the largest kind of Cossacks. They didn't belong to any host and most often either went to the steppes for the usual stuff or served as a hired muscle for some magnate. The registered cossacks were an alternative to serving in the PLC crown army or serving a magnate. They mostly consisted of the Orthodox Ruthenians and sometimes Jews and maybe Catholics. Just like with the crown army, the number of the registered cossacks was limited. By serving a magnate one could earn fairly big salary, but couldn't hope to get some land after service or pension. Both of these were guaranteed to those serving in the crown army or in the registered cossacks. The majority of people that joined the crown army or the registered Cossacks were the lesser or "medium" nobility. Most of the nobility in PLC were rather humble people, wealth-wise. Owning a house, some little land and maybe having 1-2 servants or none at all. There was also a rather big chunk of really poor szlachta - "holota" that would work as a hired muscle, servants or sometimes would even beg on the streets(szlachta brukowa/the street szchlata). Folks who went to the Zaporozian Host were mostly burghers, free peasants and the nobility. Not only from the PLC, but also to a lesser extent from the Crimean Khanate(after joining, Crimeans would convert to Orthodoxy and take up an Orthodox Christian name). For many, it was a way to quickly get rich, by joining the raiding expeditions against the Crimean Khanate or the High Porte. Zaporozians were among the main allies(and after all the powerful Ruthenian houses became Poles by converting to Catholicism, Zaporozians became the most significant ones) and patrons of the Orthodox church in the PLC. "Cossacking" was generally a Ruthenian thing, not Lithuanian or Polish(although those did occasionally join as well). Hence it was dominated by the Ruthenian culture, language and faith. After the Union of Brest happened, the Zaporozians became pretty extreme and everyone that joined them had to become Orthodox. It's not uncommon for people that were found(or were highly suspected of) practicing another form of Christianity to be executed. Attacks on the Uniate clergy that attempted to convert Orthodox churches into Uniate ones or push Uniate Christianity onto population were also commonplace. The serfs in the Zaporozian Cossack host probably existed, but they were not as common as it's often portrayed. There were even cases of feeling serfs being sent back to their masters by the Zaporozians. At least that's how it was until the 18th century. Before the 18th century, the Zaporozian host was mostly dominated by the lesser Orthodox nobility, free peasants and burghers. The higher strata of the Cossack society (starshyna), its ruling class, consisted mostly of the wealthy nobility and burghers. You'll have a hard time finding a single peasant or serf among the Hetmans, Otamans or officers. I'm not sure if there even exist any documented ones. But the majority of the Zaporozians were "holota" - nobles and commoners that were dirt poor. Officially, females were forbidden on Sich. When the winter came, the Cossacks usually went back to their homes, to cities or khutir. During the 18th century, when the right-bank Ukraine came fully under control of the PLC again, that's when a large number of serfs from there started swarming to the Zaporozian Sich and an image of a poor free serf Cossack became a thing. Yet still, at those times, you won't find known serfs among the Sich's ruling class. It should also be mentioned that the Hetmanate/Ukraine/Vis'ko Zaporozke and the Zaporozian Host are two different things. Kish otaman(also sometimes called a hetman) ruled in the Zaporozian Host, while a hetman ruled the Vis'ko Zaporozke. The Zaporozian Host existed as a sort of autonomy within the Vis'ko Zaporozke, having its own rulers, army and land. After the Hetmanate was established, a large part of the Zaporozian ruling strata went there and the Orthodox szlahlta almost completely merged with starshyna(there were those that preferred to stay as szlachta and retained their titles and rights; somewhere around 1200 families, if I remember right). In Vis'ko Zaporozke, de jure everyone was equal(de facto it was different; just like it was for szlachta in PLC) and the Cossacks generally were supposed to see each other as equals regardless of the background(obviously that's not the case and those of higher birth most likely looked down upon those of lower). The absolute majority of the nobility(szlachta) surrendered their noble rights and sort of became like the commoners(putting their genealogies and coats of arms in dusty storage chests till the day when the Russian Tsar would offer to turn all those Cossacks, and not only the starshyna ones, into nobles again; many even forged the documents proving their nobility, successfully acquiring a title). In the Hetmanate, every Cossack was supposed to be sort of like a szlachcic and considered himself as such. Duels and court cases because someone's "szlachcic honour" was offended were pretty common. The government and the society of the Hetmanate generally mirrored that of the PLC. But the serfdom was abolished and everyone enjoyed freedom. At least for a time. Slowly, but surely, starshyna was reinstalling it. Vis'ko Zaporozke existed until 1782 (eventually turning into Little Russia Governorate) and the Zaporozian Sich until 1775. Also, Czaplinsky didn't bully Khmelnitsky because he was a "Cossack". It was pretty commonplace for the PLC nobles, especially in Ukraine(during the 15-17th centuries), to raid other nobles. Just hire some horodovi kozaky and send them to beat up ass of another noble and take away his property. Magnates, which had private armies (Yarema Vyshnevetsky and Constantine Ostrozky had pretty big ones), often engaged in squabbles between each other which turned into local wars. They also often took away (by force) land from the less strong nobles. Those nobles would sometimes preach about oppression of the common man among the peasants, calling them to rebel, maybe summon some of their cossack buddies, and start a rebellion against a local magnate that wronged them. The clothes were not borrowed from the Tatars. Tatars, just like the Ruthenians, adopted them. And so did the Ottomans and many others. Later on developing their own, somewhat unique styles. I really like the Muscovite fashion and I'd say that it was even more "exotic" than the Ottoman one, which for a time served as a fashion inspiration in the region. The Eastern Europe, the Central Asia and the Middle East generally had many similarities in fashion since the Middle Ages, due to trade and many other things. During the times of the PLC, clothes such as kaftan, kontusz and zhupan, among many others, were worn all over those areas differing only by having a different name and a slightly different design. Fashion of the Ottoman Empire also influenced how the richer folk from the neighboring states(and even Western Europe) around it dressed. The cossacks didn't really wear anything that'd make them stand out in a city crowd. Hungarians, Greeks, Poles, Lithuanians, Ruthenians, Muscovites, Balkan people, Turks, Tatars, Kurds and other folks shared many elements of their dress(especially the nobility) because of a shared cultural zone.
Very accurate comment. The author of the video really looks at the topic of Cossacks through the prism of Muscovites. Whereas Cossacks as a phenomenon are more characteristic of Rus (Ukraine). I agree with almost everything in your comment, except for the relationship between the Hetmanship and the Lower Zaporizhzhya Army.
This is all quite accurate, conflating Cossackdom in the Don and in Ukraine is a mistake, since, for most of their histories they dealt with different issues and had different backgrounds. Within the study of Ukrainian Cossacks, looking solely at the Siches is also a mistake, as well as omitting the role of the nobility. The first known Cossack was a member of the Hlins'kyi noble family, the founder of the Zaporizhian Sich, 'Baida' Vyshnevets'kyi, was one of the largest landowners in Europe, and his family would go on to wear the Polish Crown after his nephews converted to Catholicism.
This is awesome! I've always found the Cossacks fascinating, but living in the U.S it seems they're often treated as something more like a quaint myth (with big hats and weird dances).
@Ted Archer Look at russians and their features. Many have black eyes and hair unlike europeans who have brown eyes and brown hair not some pitch black color
@Egert Roos lol, that is fake. Even hungarians are 95% slav, not to mention russians. Although ukrainian genetics has a lot of influence from tatar blood
What an outstanding presentation of history! Thankyou very much for putting it together. My family emigrated from southern Ukraine in the early 1900's and I'm sure they had first hand experiences with these noble individuals.
In Poland when we call someone Cossack we think that this person is daring, brave, but in reckless way. Usually it is connected with bothering and provoking someone who you should not bother, cause he is stronger than you.
@Vadym Bh No. The word "Cossack" was first recorded in the Latin-Persian-Kipchak manuscript Codex Cumanicus, written in Kaffa in the late 13th century. It meant a guardian, a sentry. In 1308, "Cossacks" are also mentioned, but as robbers. In many Turkic languages, this word meant mercenaries, soldiers, steppe robbers, and more broadly - exiles, homeless people, bandits. Cossacks were a typical category of loose people in the border zone between the Great Steppe and lands of agricultural cultures. Existing outside the legal sphere, in the wild they escorted caravans one day as retainers, the next day they attacked them as brigands.
Nice and surprisingly long video! As somebody who actually has family ties to Cossacks (Refugees after the Russian Revolution and Members of the famous Cossack Choir) i found it beautifully animated and still informative.
The timing of this video is unbelievable! Later this year, I'm publishing a book from c.19th Russian literature in which Cossacks (e.g. Black Sea cossacks) play a significant role. Also of interest are the other Caucasian tribes: Ossetians, Circassians, Nogai, Kakhetians, Tatar, Kabardians, Abreks, Chechen, Armenian, and the Shapsugs.
@Three Thrushes Ronin and Abrek also have little in common. Ronin "wandering waves" "man"; peren. "the wanderer") is a declassed warrior of the feudal period of Japan (1185-1868), who lost the patronage of his overlord, or failed to save him from death. Abrek is a man who has gone to the mountains, living outside the government and the law, leading a guerrilla-robber lifestyle; originally a Caucasian highlander, expelled from his environment for a crime, usually murder.
If you are interested in this topic i recommend you the movie "With fire and sword" it is polish movie, about cossack uprising, but their motivations are shown very well too, of course it is adventure movie, based on fictional book, but it is really beautiful and historicaly precise in case of costumes, languages, etc. Big love for Ukraine!!!
Those who want to hear more about raiding Constantinopole/Stambull (aka eastern slav tradition), read about Petro Konashevich Sahaidachnyi, zaporozhian hetman. Dude was fcking legend.
I know it's an overview video, but the depiction of relations of cossacks in Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was quite simplistic. The Khmelnitsky uprising itself would warrant a video itself or the enormous battle of Berestechko, which is considered to be among the biggest battles of 17th century. The rebellion was quite a turning point in history of Eastern Europe. One of the big what ifs of history of the region is if the Treaty of Hadiach actually came to fruition, it was supposed to create the Polish-Lithuanian-Ruthenian Commonwealth in which Ruthenians would gain an autonomy in Kiev and Bratslav voievodships.
@Arsla нет это не нацизм, это факт. Идею украинства придумали в середине 19 века, такие организации как Кирилло-Мефодиевское братство и тд. Идея была популярна на конец 19 века только среди интилигенции. Обычный народ про то что они какие то украинцы и знать не знал. И никакого сепаратизма не проявлял. Я что то не помню какие то восстания где нибудь в Киеве или Чернигове, основанные на нац почве. Вот поляки друглй народ, и они восстания поднимали. В тоже время в Галиции в конце 19 века царили русофильские настроения, многие политические лидеры желали отсоединиться от Австрии и обьединиться с РИ. И да, я понимаю, что люди в вашей секте, так и так долбаебы, но все равно советую хотя бы загуглить, что такок нацизм, а не привязывать этот термин ко всему
@Tommy Versetti ти щовіністичоо заперечуєш права корінного народу на його землю+кажеш хуйню про ладогу та новгород(не тупо брехня, спитай у археологів)
Wonderful documentary about one of the most fascinating and colorful peoples to grace our world. You've made some great content already, but this I think is your best so far. Thank you!
Easily some of your best work yet, and on one of my personal favorite historical topics. It certainly is difficult not to romanticise these intriguing frontiersmen.
@Guilherme Sartorato Heroam Slava! Hahahaha! Sounds like Боже played with him a bit there. 😁 one of the only Ukrainian words I know. They took a lot from us. I hope I don't have to kill any Bolsheviks this time round. 😑
@Yury My grandfather was a Don Cossack and got hired as an extra for the movie, but he got a bit too excited about having his ethnicity depicted on TV and fell at the beginning of a battle scene after stumbling on some cable LOL Needless to say he doesn't show up in the movie or in its credits :-D In his defense I must say he performed far better when fighting Bolsheviks FOR REAL during Russian Civil War.
42:40 Thanks for mentioning this event. From persoanl family history this was a major event. My great grandpa basically had to run away when he was 6 years old after his familly got massacred. Lived most of his childhood as an orphan in train stations and could nbot even remember his family name, so he basically came up with his own. 43:46 very true. Whenever you hear modern day "cossacks", these are all modern groups and are fundamentally larping. There is no continuity between old and modern "cossacks".
This was such a great documentary! Thank you so much for putting this together!!! Very academically sound! I hope to make similar content like this myself someday. Congratulations
Wow, that was amazing. I remember that we talked in school about Cossacks. But that amount of detail is just amazing. This is amazingly interesting. Thank you for all the work you put into the video.
As a Serb who has in his own history many examples of such a lifestyle. These men lived in hard times, were shaped by hunger, fear and things us modern people will if God wills never again endure. This is why i always have a soft spot for such rebellious men who in spite of the world forge their own path.
An amazing and beautiful video, greatly learnt from such a fascinating people and culture! The only thing I knew about the cossacks came from the Spanish expression for heavy drinking "to drink like a Cossack", and now I see why :D
Thank you for yet another insightful and interesting video that not only talks about the facts as they are but also talks about their implications in the modern world, keep up the good work!
Hey man just here after your most recent siege video and I love those but it's also fun when you make the one off vids about things you find interesting are good too. The passion bleeds through some of these You make me feel like a dilettante with the rigor of your research and enthusiasm lol.
Wow. What a find. Thank you for this enlightening documentary. Really well put together and engaging. And enhanced the little Cossack knowledge I had. Which was probably more romantic than real. 😀
Really like these more narrative driven documentary style viewers. I have watched your more analytical videos in the past and enjoyed them, but personally this is the kind of content i am going to subscribe for.
It's amazing how the origins, development and characteristics of the cossacks are similar to the Gaúcho people of South America, especially on how both interacted with centralized governments.
Great job with this! I know you couldn't cover everything, but perhaps you could revisit this subject with relation to the Cossacks' role as servants/enforcers of Imperial Russia. Both the highs (Napoleonic War) and the lows (pogroms). To what extent was this a natural evolution of the Cossack elites from earlier times who held back their poorer and younger counterparts, versus a more top-down policy of state control. Not to make Russia out to be the villain TOO much, though: even in the nineteenth century the memory of the Pugachev uprising was still very fresh.
It would also be interesting to go into how much Soviet propaganda and whig historiographical hostility (e.g. bias because they moved from a free people to subjects and enforcers of autocracy, counter to ideas around 'natural' progression of history once held by many historians) might have distorted views of the later Cossacks. The view of the role of both Cossack and Baltic German elites in the Russian Empire would also be interesting.
often tried knowing of the cossacks since many years / decades.... as they were a fascinating heroic breed of people from russia, thanks a lot for the video. learnt more in the last 30 minutes about the cossacks than in the last 30 years :)
I can't wait to watch it and compare the knowledge of the foreign authors to those in polish history books! Ps. i can recommend some, but i guess you won't be able to read them though. EDIT: I've watched it, great job! Now some notes from me to supplement this video. You didnt mention, that the heart and the beginning of the cossack movement originated in Kiev Voivodeship one of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth provinces. In 1569 (Union of Lublin) when the region of Kiev was given by the Lithuania to the Kingdom of Poland, the newly created Kiev Voivodeship was a barren wasteland, scarcely populated and poor. In the XVII thanks to the settlement efforts of the Kingdom of Poland there was 500-550 thousand people living in it. And of course, the vast majority of people settled there was peasants, many of them indigenous ruthenians, but it was kind of a mix of subjects from all around the Kingdom of Poland and beyond, that where invited to inhabit those fertile lands. We have to remember that Polish Lithuenian Commonwealth had many cultural and ethnic subjects during that period, and we can't really think about modern understanding of nationality here. Anyway, i want to stress out that no matter their cultural and ethnic background, they where peasants just like in every other feudal monarchy of Europe in this period - they had to work the fields for their liege. So how did those people become excelent warriors, sailors, cunning, smart and very resourceful folk who could impregnate the strongest castles, strike fear in the hearts of Sultans and Kings alike? The Kiev Voivodeship was so far from the PLC main political, military and economic hubs, that even though they where subjects of the King of Poland, in the case of attack by the Muscovy, Tatars or the Sultan they had to defend their lands by themselves - before any PLC army could lend them their aid it could take months. So even though Kingdom of Poland pumped great amount of resourses, time and effort to make Kiev Voivodeship a prosperous and rich land, they had to care for the land by themself. Kingdom of Poland could afford it at that time, so you could simply say they gave the tools to the folk and left them to use them how they saw fit. And they used them well. This unprecedented event in the feudal Europe, this autonomy given to the simple folk was a gift, that the people later known as the Cossacks used to the fullest. This responsibility changed the simple farmers into the brave, tought and smart folk called the Cossacks. If only PLC could recognize those traits in those people they might have created Polish Cossack Lithuanian Commonwealth instead treating them as peasants after all they have achieved. It didn't happen and they eventually became PLC enemies - they doomed themselves by alliance with the Moscovy, they doomed PLC which had to fight them, Muscovy, Sultan, Tatar Hordes and Swedes at the same time and a chance for Poles Lithuanians and Cosacks to became the mightiest empire in the region was irretrievably lost. To this day Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine are mediocre countries with little power, wealth and authority and the root of this evil is based in the events of XVI-VXII century.
Thanks so much for this! They were ahead of their time unfortunately. I think this is a past worth revisiting as it would be a better fit for today, no?
Awesome presentation sir. Very eye opening given the current situation between Ukraine & Russia. In my opinion understanding & learning from history is the key to a more peaceful and harmonious future for all.
@Life Россия это греческая форма названия Русь. А вот Московия - это не более чем латинский экзоэтноним Московского княжества. Исаак Масса, европейский дипломат и путешественник, на своей карте XVII века прямо писал - Russie, vulgo Moscovie dictae. Т.е. "Русь, в просторечии именуемая Московией." Впредь учи историю, прежде чем захочешь ляпнуть очередную ересь. А то опять опозоришься.
@orca the invoker смешно это читать, учитывая что тот на кого ты ссылаешься - обыкновенный псевдоисторик, враньё коего уже не раз разбирали, например здесь - @user-in9ut6cm2r И да. Россия это лишь греческая форма названия Русь. Её использовали в т.ч. европейские авторы задолго до появления собственно Москвы: ок.950 г. - император Константин Багрянородный - Ρωσία 1009 г. - Кведлинбургские анналы - Rusciae, Russia 1018 г. - Хроники Титмара Мерзебургского - Ruscia, Rucia Ну и остальные, уже после основания Москвы: 1154 г. - трактат и карта аль-Идриси - الروسي (Аль Русия) 1190 г. - карта Sawley - Russia ок.1300 г. - Херефордская карта - Rusia 1375 г. - Каталoнский атлас - Rossia 1430 г. - карта Борджиа - Rusia 1436 г. - карта Андреа Бьянко - Imperio Rosie Magna 1459 г. - каpта Фра Мауро - Rossia
@orca the invoker масса. Начиная с того, что Россия(Ρωσία) - это греческая форма названия Русь, под коим она фигурирует в трактате византийского императора Константина Багрянородного "об управлении империей" и заканчивая тем, что европейские авторы - Исаак Масса, Александр Гваньини, Гильом де Рубрук, Иосафат Барбаро и др. ставили между этими понятиями знак равенства. Но, твоё самоуверенное невежество меня весьма позабавило. А теперь докажи, что Русь имеет хоть какое либо отношение к Украине, кроме опосредованного в лице территориального перехлёста.
7:00 I find it funny that the Tatars would complain to Muscovy about being raided. I mean, didn't they have a habit of themselves raiding Muscovy? I can't blame Muscovy for not being particularly sympathetic. Lol
@Kiling Pertin They DID have guns made in China. Kublai's army deployed south to Vietnam armed with primitive handgonnes. In Japan remnants of gunpowder bombs and grenades used by the Mongols in their two invasions (the ones sunk by the kamikaze) have been found by Japanese archaeologists. The army of Mongke Khan built cannons to take down Ismaili mountain fortresses. Even during the great rebellions at the end of the Yuan dynasty the Mongol armies were equipped with arquebuses, cannons, and rockets and handily wrecked the various and many times larger Chinese rebel armies. The Crimean Khanate mentioned here had armies equipped with firearms as well, in some cases outgunning Muscovite armies thanks to their relationship with their "lesser cousins" the Ottoman Empire (which was obviously many times more powerful but was considered a lesser nobility in steppe nomad hierarchy). Ottomans happily supplied their "senior khans" with lots of firearms to make themselves a major pain in the butt for everyone around the Black Sea but never to the point of making them strong enough to really challenge Constantinople. Military technology was not where the Mongols were lacking. Their problem was the loss of political cohesion after the glory days of the Toluid branch.
Imagine if Mongol Khaans were bit more literate, visionary and tech savvy back than. They could have had guns made in china haha that would be wild, completely have changed the course of history lol
"The study of history is not the study of the past, but the study of change. So instead of contemplating the loss of a romanticized past, we should use the past as a reservoir to understand change in our own time, and think about what circumstances make our society what it is today". I get chills hearing this, its such an intelligent and concise way to sum up your videos. Great job!
In my incomplete and relatively short family history, my Great Great Grandfather ( maybe older) joined the Cossacks for a long term after killing a nobleman who had raped his sister. The story continues that upon his return or settlement years later somewhere between 50-60 yo he married a 16 y/o girl and had 8 children then lived to a ripe old age over 100. This handed down from my Grandfathers father to my father. Would love to check the dates and authenticity but….no records exist. Was my Great Grandfather who immigrated to the US in the 1870s from Russia or Russian controlled lands and identified as a Russian.
Thank you for an excellent video, I learned a few things regrading Raisin, for example One point to add: when the Zaporozhska Sech was destroyed, some Cossacks went to Kuban, becoming Cossacks there, and some went to Ottoman Empire over Danube. There were also small Cossacks pockets in modern Kazakhstan (Vernyi now AlmaAty) and Far East (Ussuri Cossacks) IIRC. ----------------------- Fun fact (rumor?) about Khmelnitskiy - he was a Polish military (sotnik), and try to revenge Chaplinsky by law. He came before the Polish king but the king advised him to take the matter into his own hands. "Do you have a sword?Someone, give pan sotnik a sword!" Unfortunately Khemlintsky followed this advice but the result was not what the king would expect.
I'm interested more about the information you mentioned in 2:30, because I've never heard about Tatars raiding Vilnius in 1510. The only thing I've found regarding your information was that because of the threat of Tatars, city of Vilnius began building defensive walls, but that's it.
I recently discovered this channel and already watched 5 videos today. A great channel you have here, don´t mind if i watch it non stop for the next week
Man, I would love it if you made a video about Bosnia. There is none of this type on youtube. There was a crusade on Bosnia, in the balkans... You can start a Eastern European series with this. Bosnians were used for wars in the ottoman empire, austrohungary and also fought against both. They were sent to Africa, they fought Russians and Spanish, also Italians on the Alpes etc. It could be a very interesting video. Just a note, when you do the research take tge Serbian historians with a huge reserve... They have a propaganda against us and other southslavs for a few hundred years now.
Very interesting video! Probably you should have mentioned something about Ignat Nekrasov, another cossack leader who stood against Russian Empire after Bulavin has been defetaed ! His oath about never fighting along Russians is still famous! On the other hand, this video's end has stongly reminded me about Mihail Sholohov's book "The Quiet Don" (Tichi Don). Even if that book was written by a bolshevic novelist it contains an incredible description of Don Cossacks' resistence against bolshevism. Thanks a lot for your good work!
I think it would be cool if there were more last kingdom type shows that painted pictures of historical periods/events like this. Only other decent ones I can think of are vikings and barbarians
Thanks for the Viking digression. A vik, or vík, using Old Norse, is a water inlet. This is where you launched the boats, or carried them over land to the next fjord or sea body. So you can clearly see the "verbification" done by the Old Norse. The -ing being the add-on part that all verbs get, both in modern and old Norwegian. "Seiling" for example, is sailing in English. Fisking is fishing. Some words split many hundred years ago but many retain the similarities, and especially the -ing ending. For example, they could had called going viking "going boating" or "båting" but it would be less descriptive of what their intents - trading and raiding - would be.
Every time in History that a "noble" class were created, or defended, or propped up,...it led to MASSIVE suffering on BOTH sides of any any of the MANY battles ensuing!. Excellent Video SandRhoman!, very informative and well delivered and illustrated!, thank you!(new Sub by the way.) Some info(maybe Video?) on the Cossack(and formerly Mongol) Battle style(particularly the "Shooting from the Saddle" style tactics that were driven by some stunningly advanced communication with, and fearlessness from the Cossack's Horses,some info on how many Arrows they could fire, their accuracy, the Bow's characteristics( I believe a short(VERY powerful!) recurve, of Horn and different wood types, Similar to the Scythian bow?, but I am by no means certain!) Thank you again!.
Thank you! But i should give attention for two moments: 1. Left-Bank Hetmanate was effectively merged into imperial system after liquidation of leftbank regiments in 1781, which used to be not only military instituion, but also administration for particular territory 2. after destruction of Zaporozhian Sich in 1775, a lot of the cossack take ottoman protectorate and went to the Danube, where they created several so-called "Zadunayska Sich". In the 1828 most of them changed sides and return under the hand of russian emperor
I am Ukrainian. As per our official history and common feeling we're descendants of Dnipro kozaks. Those were different from Don kozaks (Russian). This difference is tracked through many pieces of cultural legacy that our artists and scientists has left us. Nowadays, we still fight for our freedom with Russia and Don kozaks are fighting against us. We're totally different. We still cultivate those original principles of freedom while they serve the tsar of moscovia. By the way, Bogdan Khmelnytsky is on our money - 5 hryvnia (uah). This is our national hero. You might hear about Azov legion. They are one the bravest soldiers in Ukraine. And they adhere to kozaks principles and can perfectly recall kozaks in modern reincarnation.
Khmeljnitskiy is a hero of Holy Rus. He fought against the Poles to liberate the lost lands of the Rus after the Mongol Invasions. He made an Aliance with Tsar Alexei Mikhailovic. The Ukraine has nothing to do with him
If anyone is interested in reading Cossack fiction, I'd recommend the pulp novels starring Khlit the Cossack by Harold Lamb. Despite being written between 1917-1926, they *really* hold up.
Excellent! This fills in some areas I knew nothing about, though I have read some about the Cossacks at various points in time. I hadn't known about their democratic form of government, for example. Probably, most of my reading about Cossacks was in fiction, so, of course those stories probably got a lot wrong.
Can you make a video about the Klephts please? I'm sure it should be an amazing video. You have "Rhoman" in your channel's name and Greek letters on its emblem. You must do a video about the "Roman wild west"
The response to the Sultan by the Cossacks has got to be the greatest put down in history and I don't care if some historians suddenly don't think it happened in my book it happened I even have the painting in my living room.
"I don't if it's fake news, it must be happened in my book" It's not some historians that suddenly don't think it happened. It litterally never exist in any archive. It's just like fanfiction.
He is the happiest Cossack in the entire Cossack speaking 🌎 .Seen some nights out that old Geezer. Before Cossacks were Cossacks they was called The Jolly old Geezers.
Get 20% OFF + Free Shipping with code SAND at mnscpd.com/SandRhomanHistory #manscapedpartner
p
DNIPRO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Name of the river is DNIPRO not Dnieper!!!!!!!!
One of my points is that none of any Ukranians are Slavic northern Russians dying blood in the soil for Mother Russia against NATO.
interesting that the cossacks were basically the pirates of the east, the cowboys of the east and the revolutionaries of the east all at once.
They were their own east wild
These were the youngest sons in the family. Which did not leave the earth
Slava Ukraine Slava Bandera
but the mongols
@Marius Jacques du Plessis 😂
The Cossack letter to the Sultan had me belly laughing and endeared them to me even more.
Even if it is made up, as some people are so eager to insist, it captures their spirit perfectly.
@Barquero Juan Carlos + всi мали бути православими (на початках). Тодi релiгiя була важливiшою
@OutnBacker By Repin.
This letter would have queueing at cossack recruitment station back in the day.
@Mirai Hi .. or Irish...
That honestly is a fantastic setting for an adventure story. I especially like how deep ships and horses are implemented into it
I would recommend checking Kings and Generals channel as I don't really like that some controversial facts are covered better considering present debates, but basic things (even Bohdan Khmelnitsky's name, lol) are often with mistakes. Overall video is fine, just in the case one would like to know the case better - this video isn't a source. And by the way, not qа́zaq (kа́zak), but Сóssac. Not sure about the origin, as it may be a case, but actually even in Polish it's kozak. With kazaks it;s more complicated as it's horrible what they did to the origin under moscow's influence.
Jack Sparrow of the Steppes.
i thought so too and started looking for some fun book to read with this setting and could only find maybe two or three good ones but i wasn't a big fan of the exact settings (ion wanna read abt when russia had commanded the cossacks :/ like..) and then other books i found were just making cossacks these lustful savage idiots which sucks n having them be an antagonistic force in the book (again, ion wanna read that) and theres surprisingly like no english books about ukrainian cossacks being protagonists in a historical fiction (or even fantasy lmfao).
really hope writers learn about cossacks and how cool they were and write them into fun stories while being faithful to that culture. although it seems unlikely for now
Or a video game, maybe CD Project Red wanna try instead of Witcher 4
Honestly, it would make for a perfect assassin's creed setting
In polish, the word cosac (kozak) in slang is used to describe someone cool, daring and impressive. Similarly used to the word badass in english. Interesting how the awe of the cosacs freedom and bravery has remained in the culture and language of surounding coutries after so many houndreds of years
@Lx Dead Ruthenians are the ancestors of both belarusians and ukrainians. Look at the history of the Kievan-Rus.
@Lx Dead Zapporishian cossacks had their own autonomous state which in short time gained independence from Poland but later was absorbed back and after partitioning of the Commonwealth they went under Russian rule.
@Egert Roos and what ? Pirates had their own flags too xD Write me another bullshit story narrative from UA that they were fighting for poor and abused Ukrainians xDDD
Fact is cossacks were nothing more than a job. Polish, Ruthenian, Lithuanian poor nobles, and simple folk who ran away from the strong arm of the law of their countries formed it and were fighting as a mercenaries for Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. In times of peace they often attacked neighbouring countries frontiers dragging previously mentioned Commonwealth into the conflicts.
The only reason they started uprising was a fact that they were useless for the crown during time of peace and needed $$$, also wanted privileges, something that was only for nobility to demand since in comparison to other countries it wasn't for the crown to sustain the army, but each of the members of Polish-Lithuanian bigger nobles.
@Lx Dead They were called back then Zapporishian sich. They even had their own flag
@Lx Dead They had their own laws but still had to obey Poland-Lithuania
the "Wild East" moniker fits perfectly since the Soviets even made their own Wild West movies called "Osterns" or "Red Westerns" which had Cossacks, Turks, and Caucasians (as in from the Caucuses) people playing stereotypes and stock characters the same as America had cowboys, indians, miners/gold rushers, and railroad/cattle tycoons.
@Acer Lewis try to watch Elusive Avengers (there’s 3 parts) it’s a «red western» in times of civil war in Russia, there’s also white (“bad”) Cossacks in the movie. I mean those movies are the definition of red western. And I know for sure that the first one is dubbed in English.
There’s many soviet movies about Cossacks though they’re not packed much with action. For example Stepan Razin 1938 or Quiet Flows the Don 1957 are the well known classic. Anyway, Elusive Avengers is a must watch movie if you interested in such.
"Dzikie Pola" ("Wild Fields") in Polish is a very long-standing and well understood name with all the connotations you list and more ...
@Sam Featherstone what strikes me is the many similarities between early Cossacks and early Americans including common views of freedom and democracy and a shared sense of confidence and adventure.
This is what I love about history. Things like this are bound to be neglected by time. Hopefully not with the proliferation of the internet. But imagine how many tidbits like this are lost to history or written out by the victor.
@Arthas Menethil type in any search engine the best films about the Cossacks, preferably in Russian, and you will learn a lot of films, but very few of them have been translated into English, perhaps some have subtitles. not all Soviet "westerns" about Cossacks, there were also (parody westerns) A man from Kaputsinov Boulevard very popular in Russia.there is a Russian mini-series Ermak about a very famous Cossack who, with a small detachment, conquered the Siberian Khanate, his video author for some reason forgot to mention.
there is also a Polish TV series With Fire and Sword.
Very nice. It ought to be noted the painting 18:47 took the artist, Ilya Repin, 10 years to paint (1880-1891) during which time Repin studied the Cossacks. It commemorates the Cossacks' writing the insulting letter to Ottoman Sultan. According to some historians, when Europe truly feared the advances of the Ottoman empire, the Cossacks dared to attack the Sultan at his capital, Constantinople. The sheer boldness of the Cossacks made them heroic throughout Europe (this is when multiple copies of the original letter were created) even the Roman Catholic Pope sent Cossacks a diplomatic envoy.
Good job covering such a fractured topic in detail. I wouldn't have expected a full documentary video from you, but it's very welcome and appreciated!
yep,thanks for this update. my great great great granddad ( estanislaus Don ), was from a group of Cossacks recruited by Maximillain to fight in the Mexican Revolution against Benito Juarez during the Mexican Revolution. Maximilian lost the war to Mexico and Don settled in Aguas Calientes, never to return to the Russian steppes. We are still a handful of Don's in Texas, thanks to our Ancestor Don.
The video is funny because the author talks about what he doesn't understand....
One of the best historical descriptions/ to my knowledge / I have read in years.I know that to describe times and actions of people on the edge of stabilized societies, in parts which were ruled for three four centuries by
Mongols, Golden Horde, on north
bordering with raising Muscovy and other partially independent cities - duchies,on south by Crimean khanate / Ottoman influence still present /, on west
by still strong Polish- Lithuanian
Commonwealth/ in 15 - 16 century real superpower in this area way larger than France today and with no reliable /or.
missing / documents is monumental task ,but You did it.
If there is some tiny mistake
/ cca 27.15 min./ Commonwealth from the west , Muscovy from the
east ,not opposite as You state.And the name Bodan should be corrected as Bohdan which means given by God.BTW - in Ukrainian name Bohdan should be read with very sound " H ", in Russian as Bogdan / Russian language doesn't have " H ". It is always replaced by "G". So thank
You for Your video -it is excellent.
I'm greatly happy you covered this topic and I think you did a very good job (as an introduction, that is).
There, of course, is a lot more that could be said about many things mentioned in this video. For example, if you are interested in learning more about the Tatar raids and the slavery in the region, I recommend a paper; _Slave hunting and slave redemption as a business enterprise: The northern Black Sea region in the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries_ by Dariusz Kołodziejczak.
Thank you for that post Artur, I wish to learn more about Tartar/Mongol history and articles like the one you mentioned are just what I needed.
As a Western European, I always love learning more about the history of Eastern Europe ( although I love world history in general ) because it is sadly often overlooked in an academic sense when analyzing politics & history alike and fascinated me deeply due to its relatively close proximity to my own homeland.
@MrAmhara Asia got a lot of coverage by comparison. Not all of Asia obviously, but a pretty significant amount, considering the limited amount of information. I can not speak for everyone but this was my experience.
It's not really "Eastern Europe" but mostly Asia and Eastern Europe.
@Arsla
Так, буде найбільшою ❤️❤️🇺🇦
@Arsla Я чую что ты с Галиции и бредишь.
@Stephany Schneider досі є
I think you somewhat mix up the Don and the Zaporozian cossacks. There also were the so-called Burgher/City cossacks (Horodovi Kozaky) in the PLC. And they were the largest kind of Cossacks. They didn't belong to any host and most often either went to the steppes for the usual stuff or served as a hired muscle for some magnate. The registered cossacks were an alternative to serving in the PLC crown army or serving a magnate. They mostly consisted of the Orthodox Ruthenians and sometimes Jews and maybe Catholics. Just like with the crown army, the number of the registered cossacks was limited. By serving a magnate one could earn fairly big salary, but couldn't hope to get some land after service or pension. Both of these were guaranteed to those serving in the crown army or in the registered cossacks. The majority of people that joined the crown army or the registered Cossacks were the lesser or "medium" nobility. Most of the nobility in PLC were rather humble people, wealth-wise. Owning a house, some little land and maybe having 1-2 servants or none at all. There was also a rather big chunk of really poor szlachta - "holota" that would work as a hired muscle, servants or sometimes would even beg on the streets(szlachta brukowa/the street szchlata). Folks who went to the Zaporozian Host were mostly burghers, free peasants and the nobility. Not only from the PLC, but also to a lesser extent from the Crimean Khanate(after joining, Crimeans would convert to Orthodoxy and take up an Orthodox Christian name). For many, it was a way to quickly get rich, by joining the raiding expeditions against the Crimean Khanate or the High Porte.
Zaporozians were among the main allies(and after all the powerful Ruthenian houses became Poles by converting to Catholicism, Zaporozians became the most significant ones) and patrons of the Orthodox church in the PLC. "Cossacking" was generally a Ruthenian thing, not Lithuanian or Polish(although those did occasionally join as well). Hence it was dominated by the Ruthenian culture, language and faith. After the Union of Brest happened, the Zaporozians became pretty extreme and everyone that joined them had to become Orthodox. It's not uncommon for people that were found(or were highly suspected of) practicing another form of Christianity to be executed. Attacks on the Uniate clergy that attempted to convert Orthodox churches into Uniate ones or push Uniate Christianity onto population were also commonplace.
The serfs in the Zaporozian Cossack host probably existed, but they were not as common as it's often portrayed. There were even cases of feeling serfs being sent back to their masters by the Zaporozians. At least that's how it was until the 18th century. Before the 18th century, the Zaporozian host was mostly dominated by the lesser Orthodox nobility, free peasants and burghers. The higher strata of the Cossack society (starshyna), its ruling class, consisted mostly of the wealthy nobility and burghers. You'll have a hard time finding a single peasant or serf among the Hetmans, Otamans or officers. I'm not sure if there even exist any documented ones. But the majority of the Zaporozians were "holota" - nobles and commoners that were dirt poor. Officially, females were forbidden on Sich. When the winter came, the Cossacks usually went back to their homes, to cities or khutir.
During the 18th century, when the right-bank Ukraine came fully under control of the PLC again, that's when a large number of serfs from there started swarming to the Zaporozian Sich and an image of a poor free serf Cossack became a thing. Yet still, at those times, you won't find known serfs among the Sich's ruling class.
It should also be mentioned that the Hetmanate/Ukraine/Vis'ko Zaporozke and the Zaporozian Host are two different things. Kish otaman(also sometimes called a hetman) ruled in the Zaporozian Host, while a hetman ruled the Vis'ko Zaporozke. The Zaporozian Host existed as a sort of autonomy within the Vis'ko Zaporozke, having its own rulers, army and land. After the Hetmanate was established, a large part of the Zaporozian ruling strata went there and the Orthodox szlahlta almost completely merged with starshyna(there were those that preferred to stay as szlachta and retained their titles and rights; somewhere around 1200 families, if I remember right). In Vis'ko Zaporozke, de jure everyone was equal(de facto it was different; just like it was for szlachta in PLC) and the Cossacks generally were supposed to see each other as equals regardless of the background(obviously that's not the case and those of higher birth most likely looked down upon those of lower). The absolute majority of the nobility(szlachta) surrendered their noble rights and sort of became like the commoners(putting their genealogies and coats of arms in dusty storage chests till the day when the Russian Tsar would offer to turn all those Cossacks, and not only the starshyna ones, into nobles again; many even forged the documents proving their nobility, successfully acquiring a title). In the Hetmanate, every Cossack was supposed to be sort of like a szlachcic and considered himself as such. Duels and court cases because someone's "szlachcic honour" was offended were pretty common. The government and the society of the Hetmanate generally mirrored that of the PLC. But the serfdom was abolished and everyone enjoyed freedom. At least for a time. Slowly, but surely, starshyna was reinstalling it.
Vis'ko Zaporozke existed until 1782 (eventually turning into Little Russia Governorate) and the Zaporozian Sich until 1775.
Also, Czaplinsky didn't bully Khmelnitsky because he was a "Cossack". It was pretty commonplace for the PLC nobles, especially in Ukraine(during the 15-17th centuries), to raid other nobles. Just hire some horodovi kozaky and send them to beat up ass of another noble and take away his property.
Magnates, which had private armies (Yarema Vyshnevetsky and Constantine Ostrozky had pretty big ones), often engaged in squabbles between each other which turned into local wars. They also often took away (by force) land from the less strong nobles. Those nobles would sometimes preach about oppression of the common man among the peasants, calling them to rebel, maybe summon some of their cossack buddies, and start a rebellion against a local magnate that wronged them.
The clothes were not borrowed from the Tatars. Tatars, just like the Ruthenians, adopted them. And so did the Ottomans and many others. Later on developing their own, somewhat unique styles. I really like the Muscovite fashion and I'd say that it was even more "exotic" than the Ottoman one, which for a time served as a fashion inspiration in the region.
The Eastern Europe, the Central Asia and the Middle East generally had many similarities in fashion since the Middle Ages, due to trade and many other things.
During the times of the PLC, clothes such as kaftan, kontusz and zhupan, among many others, were worn all over those areas differing only by having a different name and a slightly different design. Fashion of the Ottoman Empire also influenced how the richer folk from the neighboring states(and even Western Europe) around it dressed. The cossacks didn't really wear anything that'd make them stand out in a city crowd. Hungarians, Greeks, Poles, Lithuanians, Ruthenians, Muscovites, Balkan people, Turks, Tatars, Kurds and other folks shared many elements of their dress(especially the nobility) because of a shared cultural zone.
Very accurate comment. The author of the video really looks at the topic of Cossacks through the prism of Muscovites. Whereas Cossacks as a phenomenon are more characteristic of Rus (Ukraine). I agree with almost everything in your comment, except for the relationship between the Hetmanship and the Lower Zaporizhzhya Army.
This is all quite accurate, conflating Cossackdom in the Don and in Ukraine is a mistake, since, for most of their histories they dealt with different issues and had different backgrounds.
Within the study of Ukrainian Cossacks, looking solely at the Siches is also a mistake, as well as omitting the role of the nobility. The first known Cossack was a member of the Hlins'kyi noble family, the founder of the Zaporizhian Sich, 'Baida' Vyshnevets'kyi, was one of the largest landowners in Europe, and his family would go on to wear the Polish Crown after his nephews converted to Catholicism.
That is an excellent comment, one of the best ones I've read in a long time. Props to you!
This is awesome! I've always found the Cossacks fascinating, but living in the U.S it seems they're often treated as something more like a quaint myth (with big hats and weird dances).
@Ted Archer Russia was ruled by khans btw
@Ted Archer Look at russians and their features. Many have black eyes and hair unlike europeans who have brown eyes and brown hair not some pitch black color
@Egert Roos lol, that is fake. Even hungarians are 95% slav, not to mention russians. Although ukrainian genetics has a lot of influence from tatar blood
What an outstanding presentation of history! Thankyou very much for putting it together. My family emigrated from southern Ukraine in the early 1900's and I'm sure they had first hand experiences with these noble individuals.
In Poland when we call someone Cossack we think that this person is daring, brave, but in reckless way. Usually it is connected with bothering and provoking someone who you should not bother, cause he is stronger than you.
@Vadym Bh No.
The word "Cossack" was first recorded in the Latin-Persian-Kipchak manuscript Codex Cumanicus, written in Kaffa in the late 13th century. It meant a guardian, a sentry. In 1308, "Cossacks" are also mentioned, but as robbers. In many Turkic languages, this word meant mercenaries, soldiers, steppe robbers, and more broadly - exiles, homeless people, bandits.
Cossacks were a typical category of loose people in the border zone between the Great Steppe and lands of agricultural cultures. Existing outside the legal sphere, in the wild they escorted caravans one day as retainers, the next day they attacked them as brigands.
@Cetus444 Cossacks is ''free people''
Indeed, the word _"Kozaczyć"_ in Polish means a type of behavior characterized by a primitive form of aggressive or meaningless showing off....
Nice and surprisingly long video! As somebody who actually has family ties to Cossacks (Refugees after the Russian Revolution and Members of the famous Cossack Choir) i found it beautifully animated and still informative.
We share a common history! Don Cossacks? Relative George Roth Don Cossack Choir. Olgenfeld and Rhuental cossack host villages near Rostov.
The timing of this video is unbelievable!
Later this year, I'm publishing a book from c.19th Russian literature in which Cossacks (e.g. Black Sea cossacks) play a significant role. Also of interest are the other Caucasian tribes: Ossetians, Circassians, Nogai, Kakhetians, Tatar, Kabardians, Abreks, Chechen, Armenian, and the Shapsugs.
@Trivial Freedom Hi, yes, we published it in September. I can't give details here, but if you follow the breadcrumbs...
Has it released ?
@Three Thrushes
Ronin and Abrek also have little in common.
Ronin "wandering waves" "man"; peren. "the wanderer") is a declassed warrior of the feudal period of Japan (1185-1868), who lost the patronage of his overlord, or failed to save him from death.
Abrek is a man who has gone to the mountains, living outside the government and the law, leading a guerrilla-robber lifestyle; originally a Caucasian highlander, expelled from his environment for a crime, usually murder.
If you are interested in this topic i recommend you the movie "With fire and sword" it is polish movie, about cossack uprising, but their motivations are shown very well too, of course it is adventure movie, based on fictional book, but it is really beautiful and historicaly precise in case of costumes, languages, etc. Big love for Ukraine!!!
Those who want to hear more about raiding Constantinopole/Stambull (aka eastern slav tradition), read about Petro Konashevich Sahaidachnyi, zaporozhian hetman. Dude was fcking legend.
Btw many russian nobilities were of Ukrainian (back then Zapporishian cossack) or partly of that origin.
@Копатель Петров Free man raiding the nest of slaves.
He raided Moscow once as well :)
I know it's an overview video, but the depiction of relations of cossacks in Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was quite simplistic. The Khmelnitsky uprising itself would warrant a video itself or the enormous battle of Berestechko, which is considered to be among the biggest battles of 17th century. The rebellion was quite a turning point in history of Eastern Europe. One of the big what ifs of history of the region is if the Treaty of Hadiach actually came to fruition, it was supposed to create the Polish-Lithuanian-Ruthenian Commonwealth in which Ruthenians would gain an autonomy in Kiev and Bratslav voievodships.
@Arsla нет это не нацизм, это факт. Идею украинства придумали в середине 19 века, такие организации как Кирилло-Мефодиевское братство и тд. Идея была популярна на конец 19 века только среди интилигенции. Обычный народ про то что они какие то украинцы и знать не знал. И никакого сепаратизма не проявлял. Я что то не помню какие то восстания где нибудь в Киеве или Чернигове, основанные на нац почве. Вот поляки друглй народ, и они восстания поднимали. В тоже время в Галиции в конце 19 века царили русофильские настроения, многие политические лидеры желали отсоединиться от Австрии и обьединиться с РИ. И да, я понимаю, что люди в вашей секте, так и так долбаебы, но все равно советую хотя бы загуглить, что такок нацизм, а не привязывать этот термин ко всему
@Tommy Versetti ти щовіністичоо заперечуєш права корінного народу на його землю+кажеш хуйню про ладогу та новгород(не тупо брехня, спитай у археологів)
@Elvira I дай вгадаю. Ти вважаєш, що Румунія має право на спадкоємність Римської імперії?
Wonderful documentary about one of the most fascinating and colorful peoples to grace our world. You've made some great content already, but this I think is your best so far. Thank you!
I had no idea the Cossacks had such a vibrate and interesting history. Thank you for showcasing this to the world. Excellent video.
Easily some of your best work yet, and on one of my personal favorite historical topics. It certainly is difficult not to romanticise these intriguing frontiersmen.
Great information on the Cossacks. I really enjoy hearing about these great warriors
The Cossack (by Tolstoy) is one of my favourite pieces of literature, there was also a famous Royal Navy destroyer in WW2 called 'HMS Cossack'
@Guilherme Sartorato Heroam Slava!
Hahahaha! Sounds like Боже played with him a bit there. 😁 one of the only Ukrainian words I know. They took a lot from us.
I hope I don't have to kill any Bolsheviks this time round. 😑
@Yury My grandfather was a Don Cossack and got hired as an extra for the movie, but he got a bit too excited about having his ethnicity depicted on TV and fell at the beginning of a battle scene after stumbling on some cable LOL Needless to say he doesn't show up in the movie or in its credits :-D
In his defense I must say he performed far better when fighting Bolsheviks FOR REAL during Russian Civil War.
@nekatsap7 lmao salty Ukrainians detected
@nekatsap7 i watched Taras Bulba with Yul Brynner sooo much as a kid. Zaphorozhski!
Always been very curious of this history, feel like it doesn't get mentioned enough great work as always
You are very quickly becoming my favorite history channel, good work my dude I love the topics you keep covering
42:40 Thanks for mentioning this event. From persoanl family history this was a major event. My great grandpa basically had to run away when he was 6 years old after his familly got massacred. Lived most of his childhood as an orphan in train stations and could nbot even remember his family name, so he basically came up with his own.
43:46 very true. Whenever you hear modern day "cossacks", these are all modern groups and are fundamentally larping. There is no continuity between old and modern "cossacks".
@Andrea Scovano seething slav
@Andrea Scovano I can prove it to you
@ComradeKenobi I'm sure bro.
@Andrea Scovano not really lol I know some who are very proud of their Samurai heritage
Samurai bloodline is still respected even in modern society
@ComradeKenobi Because japanese people know it is cosplay
I'd love to see a high quality Cossack history show series
Awesome documentary. I love your videos, so a 40+ minute one is amazing! Keep up the amazing work man, you're one of my favourite history youtubers.
This was such a great documentary! Thank you so much for putting this together!!! Very academically sound! I hope to make similar content like this myself someday. Congratulations
Wow, that was amazing. I remember that we talked in school about Cossacks. But that amount of detail is just amazing.
This is amazingly interesting. Thank you for all the work you put into the video.
As a Serb who has in his own history many examples of such a lifestyle.
These men lived in hard times, were shaped by hunger, fear and things us modern people will if God wills never again endure.
This is why i always have a soft spot for such rebellious men who in spite of the world forge their own path.
And women*
@Дядя Смоллетт 66 -devils numbers
Well... hunger, fear and hursh times came to the cossack's land once again 22.02.2022...
Love the work, narration, animation and details, always on point
The final reflexion was a nice touch, even more for the current events
Cossacks boats you've mentioned and called them Chaiki is just multiple for Chaika. And Chaika literally means a seagull.
An amazing and beautiful video, greatly learnt from such a fascinating people and culture! The only thing I knew about the cossacks came from the Spanish expression for heavy drinking "to drink like a Cossack", and now I see why :D
This is such a great video thanks for making this, the Cossacks are something i was really interested about so i learned a lot!
One of the best videos about Cossack history, more people should know their story
I have learned so much about Cossacks because of this video. Also, that transition to an advert for Manscaped was very smooth.
So delighted i found this channel! Amazing animation and narrative such a brilliant piece of work
Thank you for yet another insightful and interesting video that not only talks about the facts as they are but also talks about their implications in the modern world, keep up the good work!
Amazing maps and story-telling. I am obsessed with all Steppe warriors.
Hey man just here after your most recent siege video and I love those but it's also fun when you make the one off vids about things you find interesting are good too. The passion bleeds through some of these
You make me feel like a dilettante with the rigor of your research and enthusiasm lol.
Wow. What a find. Thank you for this enlightening documentary. Really well put together and engaging. And enhanced the little Cossack knowledge I had. Which was probably more romantic than real. 😀
ogniem i mieczem to arcydzieło polskiej kinematografii
Really like these more narrative driven documentary style viewers. I have watched your more analytical videos in the past and enjoyed them, but personally this is the kind of content i am going to subscribe for.
You know, pretty much this whole historical overview could make an absolutely golden series of comedy movies.
It's amazing how the origins, development and characteristics of the cossacks are similar to the Gaúcho people of South America, especially on how both interacted with centralized governments.
You should definitely do a similar analysis to the Boers and their history leading up to the Boer Wars.
Very informative and keeping Cossack History Alive. Lovely Video to Watch. God Bless 🇦🇺🇷🇸☦️❤️
Great job with this! I know you couldn't cover everything, but perhaps you could revisit this subject with relation to the Cossacks' role as servants/enforcers of Imperial Russia. Both the highs (Napoleonic War) and the lows (pogroms). To what extent was this a natural evolution of the Cossack elites from earlier times who held back their poorer and younger counterparts, versus a more top-down policy of state control. Not to make Russia out to be the villain TOO much, though: even in the nineteenth century the memory of the Pugachev uprising was still very fresh.
It would also be interesting to go into how much Soviet propaganda and whig historiographical hostility (e.g. bias because they moved from a free people to subjects and enforcers of autocracy, counter to ideas around 'natural' progression of history once held by many historians) might have distorted views of the later Cossacks. The view of the role of both Cossack and Baltic German elites in the Russian Empire would also be interesting.
Incredibly entertaining, great job on this one
OMG 46 minutes! That's really better than many history documentaries in TV!
often tried knowing of the cossacks since many years / decades.... as they were a fascinating heroic breed of people from russia, thanks a lot for the video. learnt more in the last 30 minutes about the cossacks than in the last 30 years :)
This is probably the best documentary on Cossacks!
My Grand Mother family were Cossacks! Respect!
Thank you!
Wonderful video. A nice overview of Kozak history. Another peoples to learn valuable lessons from.
I can't wait to watch it and compare the knowledge of the foreign authors to those in polish history books! Ps. i can recommend some, but i guess you won't be able to read them though. EDIT: I've watched it, great job! Now some notes from me to supplement this video. You didnt mention, that the heart and the beginning of the cossack movement originated in Kiev Voivodeship one of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth provinces. In 1569 (Union of Lublin) when the region of Kiev was given by the Lithuania to the Kingdom of Poland, the newly created Kiev Voivodeship was a barren wasteland, scarcely populated and poor. In the XVII thanks to the settlement efforts of the Kingdom of Poland there was 500-550 thousand people living in it. And of course, the vast majority of people settled there was peasants, many of them indigenous ruthenians, but it was kind of a mix of subjects from all around the Kingdom of Poland and beyond, that where invited to inhabit those fertile lands. We have to remember that Polish Lithuenian Commonwealth had many cultural and ethnic subjects during that period, and we can't really think about modern understanding of nationality here. Anyway, i want to stress out that no matter their cultural and ethnic background, they where peasants just like in every other feudal monarchy of Europe in this period - they had to work the fields for their liege. So how did those people become excelent warriors, sailors, cunning, smart and very resourceful folk who could impregnate the strongest castles, strike fear in the hearts of Sultans and Kings alike? The Kiev Voivodeship was so far from the PLC main political, military and economic hubs, that even though they where subjects of the King of Poland, in the case of attack by the Muscovy, Tatars or the Sultan they had to defend their lands by themselves - before any PLC army could lend them their aid it could take months. So even though Kingdom of Poland pumped great amount of resourses, time and effort to make Kiev Voivodeship a prosperous and rich land, they had to care for the land by themself. Kingdom of Poland could afford it at that time, so you could simply say they gave the tools to the folk and left them to use them how they saw fit. And they used them well. This unprecedented event in the feudal Europe, this autonomy given to the simple folk was a gift, that the people later known as the Cossacks used to the fullest. This responsibility changed the simple farmers into the brave, tought and smart folk called the Cossacks. If only PLC could recognize those traits in those people they might have created Polish Cossack Lithuanian Commonwealth instead treating them as peasants after all they have achieved. It didn't happen and they eventually became PLC enemies - they doomed themselves by alliance with the Moscovy, they doomed PLC which had to fight them, Muscovy, Sultan, Tatar Hordes and Swedes at the same time and a chance for Poles Lithuanians and Cosacks to became the mightiest empire in the region was irretrievably lost. To this day Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine are mediocre countries with little power, wealth and authority and the root of this evil is based in the events of XVI-VXII century.
Thank you for this, enjoyed watching. Very well made video.
Much love and respect to our Cossack brethren from Serbia ^^
Thanks so much for this! They were ahead of their time unfortunately. I think this is a past worth revisiting as it would be a better fit for today, no?
What an amazing documentary. Every video you upload is a must watch. The easiest and most rewarding subscription I’ve made
Awesome presentation sir. Very eye opening given the current situation between Ukraine & Russia. In my opinion understanding & learning from history is the key to a more peaceful and harmonious future for all.
Love the sentiment at the end. History and identity should not be straightjackets, but tools for wisdom and self expression.
Okay this was unexpected. As a Ukrainian, thank you for this topic
@Life Россия это греческая форма названия Русь. А вот Московия - это не более чем латинский экзоэтноним Московского княжества. Исаак Масса, европейский дипломат и путешественник, на своей карте XVII века прямо писал - Russie, vulgo Moscovie dictae. Т.е. "Русь, в просторечии именуемая Московией." Впредь учи историю, прежде чем захочешь ляпнуть очередную ересь. А то опять опозоришься.
@orca the invoker смешно это читать, учитывая что тот на кого ты ссылаешься - обыкновенный псевдоисторик, враньё коего уже не раз разбирали, например здесь - @user-in9ut6cm2r
И да. Россия это лишь греческая форма названия Русь. Её использовали в т.ч. европейские авторы задолго до появления собственно Москвы:
ок.950 г. - император Константин Багрянородный - Ρωσία
1009 г. - Кведлинбургские анналы - Rusciae, Russia
1018 г. - Хроники Титмара Мерзебургского - Ruscia, Rucia
Ну и остальные, уже после основания Москвы:
1154 г. - трактат и карта аль-Идриси - الروسي (Аль Русия)
1190 г. - карта Sawley - Russia
ок.1300 г. - Херефордская карта - Rusia
1375 г. - Каталoнский атлас - Rossia
1430 г. - карта Борджиа - Rusia
1436 г. - карта Андреа Бьянко - Imperio Rosie Magna
1459 г. - каpта Фра Мауро - Rossia
@orca the invoker масса. Начиная с того, что Россия(Ρωσία) - это греческая форма названия Русь, под коим она фигурирует в трактате византийского императора Константина Багрянородного "об управлении империей" и заканчивая тем, что европейские авторы - Исаак Масса, Александр Гваньини, Гильом де Рубрук, Иосафат Барбаро и др. ставили между этими понятиями знак равенства.
Но, твоё самоуверенное невежество меня весьма позабавило.
А теперь докажи, что Русь имеет хоть какое либо отношение к Украине, кроме опосредованного в лице территориального перехлёста.
@Sty какие аргументы? Источник укажи, и тогда подискуссируем. "sqqq6706" с древнеславянского - xyecoc. Аргументы?
Amazing and quite in depth, thank you for the awesome work!
7:00 I find it funny that the Tatars would complain to Muscovy about being raided. I mean, didn't they have a habit of themselves raiding Muscovy? I can't blame Muscovy for not being particularly sympathetic. Lol
@Andrew Suryali guns were slow in those days so they preferred their bows.
But cannons were obviously used everytime by mongols against castles.
@Andrew Suryali yea that's probably it and I agree with your view
@Kiling Pertin They DID have guns made in China. Kublai's army deployed south to Vietnam armed with primitive handgonnes. In Japan remnants of gunpowder bombs and grenades used by the Mongols in their two invasions (the ones sunk by the kamikaze) have been found by Japanese archaeologists. The army of Mongke Khan built cannons to take down Ismaili mountain fortresses. Even during the great rebellions at the end of the Yuan dynasty the Mongol armies were equipped with arquebuses, cannons, and rockets and handily wrecked the various and many times larger Chinese rebel armies.
The Crimean Khanate mentioned here had armies equipped with firearms as well, in some cases outgunning Muscovite armies thanks to their relationship with their "lesser cousins" the Ottoman Empire (which was obviously many times more powerful but was considered a lesser nobility in steppe nomad hierarchy). Ottomans happily supplied their "senior khans" with lots of firearms to make themselves a major pain in the butt for everyone around the Black Sea but never to the point of making them strong enough to really challenge Constantinople.
Military technology was not where the Mongols were lacking. Their problem was the loss of political cohesion after the glory days of the Toluid branch.
Imagine if Mongol Khaans were bit more literate, visionary and tech savvy back than. They could have had guns made in china haha that would be wild, completely have changed the course of history lol
The Moscow tsar was a vassal of the Crimean khan until 1700, and paid tribute to him ...
"The study of history is not the study of the past, but the study of change. So instead of contemplating the loss of a romanticized past, we should use the past as a reservoir to understand change in our own time, and think about what circumstances make our society what it is today". I get chills hearing this, its such an intelligent and concise way to sum up your videos. Great job!
You just don't understand about what talking .
Very interesting information. Glad to have found your channel!
Keep up the good work!
In my incomplete and relatively short family history, my Great Great Grandfather ( maybe older) joined the Cossacks for a long term after killing a nobleman who had raped his sister. The story continues that upon his return or settlement years later somewhere between 50-60 yo he married a 16 y/o girl and had 8 children then lived to a ripe old age over 100. This handed down from my Grandfathers father to my father. Would love to check the dates and authenticity but….no records exist. Was my Great Grandfather who immigrated to the US in the 1870s from Russia or Russian controlled lands and identified as a Russian.
@Eugene S it’s also common in the Middle East. People shouldn’t bring their western mindset to other cultures
@Pratham Mane It's much more popular than you think, at many places. Including Europe, for example.
@Pratham Mane Even now some nations are ok with early marriages. With brides being much younger than 16.
16 year! Bro what?
Thank you for an excellent video, I learned a few things regrading Raisin, for example One point to add: when the Zaporozhska Sech was destroyed, some Cossacks went to Kuban, becoming Cossacks there, and some went to Ottoman Empire over Danube. There were also small Cossacks pockets in modern Kazakhstan (Vernyi now AlmaAty) and Far East (Ussuri Cossacks) IIRC.
-----------------------
Fun fact (rumor?) about Khmelnitskiy - he was a Polish military (sotnik), and try to revenge Chaplinsky by law. He came before the Polish king but the king advised him to take the matter into his own hands. "Do you have a sword?Someone, give pan sotnik a sword!"
Unfortunately Khemlintsky followed this advice but the result was not what the king would expect.
@xmmv_ Muscovy is the Rus lol
@Dwarow 2 rusia is mocsovy lol
Zaporozhian Sich, Not Sech
@Leo Russia is Rus
@Dwarow 2 mockowy destroy Rus
This is my favourite video of yours so far. I have learnt so much!
I'm interested more about the information you mentioned in 2:30, because I've never heard about Tatars raiding Vilnius in 1510.
The only thing I've found regarding your information was that because of the threat of Tatars, city of Vilnius began building defensive walls, but that's it.
Well done man. How much time does it take you to process such a long video?
I recently discovered this channel and already watched 5 videos today. A great channel you have here, don´t mind if i watch it non stop for the next week
Man, I would love it if you made a video about Bosnia. There is none of this type on youtube. There was a crusade on Bosnia, in the balkans... You can start a Eastern European series with this. Bosnians were used for wars in the ottoman empire, austrohungary and also fought against both. They were sent to Africa, they fought Russians and Spanish, also Italians on the Alpes etc. It could be a very interesting video. Just a note, when you do the research take tge Serbian historians with a huge reserve... They have a propaganda against us and other southslavs for a few hundred years now.
I have rarely learned so much from a single video. Bravo!
amazing documentary, please keep on delivering high quality content, dear sir!
Very interesting video! Probably you should have mentioned something about Ignat Nekrasov, another cossack leader who stood against Russian Empire after Bulavin has been defetaed ! His oath about never fighting along Russians is still famous! On the other hand, this video's end has stongly reminded me about Mihail Sholohov's book "The Quiet Don" (Tichi Don). Even if that book was written by a bolshevic novelist it contains an incredible description of Don Cossacks' resistence against bolshevism. Thanks a lot for your good work!
I have very interested in the Cossacks history for sometime. This gives a nice starting point. Thanks
It’s crazy to think that we were doing the same thing over here in the frontier…even down to the beaver fur trade.
I think it would be cool if there were more last kingdom type shows that painted pictures of historical periods/events like this. Only other decent ones I can think of are vikings and barbarians
Who needs Caribbean when you got the steppe...Land pirates don’t!
Even then they had sea pirates too.
what a nick :D Rabarbarzyńca
@N Fels Land-captain Raven
Thanks for the Viking digression.
A vik, or vík, using Old Norse, is a water inlet.
This is where you launched the boats, or carried them over land to the next fjord or sea body.
So you can clearly see the "verbification" done by the Old Norse. The -ing being the add-on part that all verbs get, both in modern and old Norwegian. "Seiling" for example, is sailing in English. Fisking is fishing. Some words split many hundred years ago but many retain the similarities, and especially the -ing ending.
For example, they could had called going viking "going boating" or "båting" but it would be less descriptive of what their intents - trading and raiding - would be.
Great video, subbed! I don't know how I've missed out on your channel for so long. Keep it up!
This is the best video I’ve seen on the history of the Cossacks. Bravo!!!
Every time in History that a "noble" class were created, or defended, or propped up,...it led to MASSIVE suffering on BOTH sides of any any of the MANY battles ensuing!.
Excellent Video SandRhoman!,
very informative and well delivered and illustrated!, thank you!(new Sub by the way.)
Some info(maybe Video?) on the Cossack(and formerly Mongol) Battle style(particularly the "Shooting from the Saddle" style tactics that were driven by some stunningly advanced communication with, and fearlessness from the Cossack's Horses,some info on how many Arrows they could fire, their accuracy, the Bow's characteristics( I believe a short(VERY powerful!) recurve, of Horn and different wood types, Similar to the Scythian bow?, but I am by no means certain!)
Thank you again!.
Great Video about the Wild East! I was just wondering if your town maps are handled through Inkarnate, as I recognize some of your assets.
Thank you!
But i should give attention for two moments:
1. Left-Bank Hetmanate was effectively merged into imperial system after liquidation of leftbank regiments in 1781, which used to be not only military instituion, but also administration for particular territory
2. after destruction of Zaporozhian Sich in 1775, a lot of the cossack take ottoman protectorate and went to the Danube, where they created several so-called "Zadunayska Sich". In the 1828 most of them changed sides and return under the hand of russian emperor
Increíble trabajo de documentación y divulgación. Ameno, divertido y completo.
Muchas gracias
The "Eastern frontier theme" gets full development in the conquest of Siberia by Cossack bands leaded by Ermak in 16th century.
I am Ukrainian. As per our official history and common feeling we're descendants of Dnipro kozaks. Those were different from Don kozaks (Russian). This difference is tracked through many pieces of cultural legacy that our artists and scientists has left us.
Nowadays, we still fight for our freedom with Russia and Don kozaks are fighting against us. We're totally different. We still cultivate those original principles of freedom while they serve the tsar of moscovia.
By the way, Bogdan Khmelnytsky is on our money - 5 hryvnia (uah). This is our national hero.
You might hear about Azov legion. They are one the bravest soldiers in Ukraine. And they adhere to kozaks principles and can perfectly recall kozaks in modern reincarnation.
А теперь они церкви гнобят)
Потомками казаков управляют долларом)
Вы не туда воюете.
@Sam Fabia Not sure if you can call the cannibalistic tradition of hohol "civilized"
Khmeljnitskiy is a hero of Holy Rus. He fought against the Poles to liberate the lost lands of the Rus after the Mongol Invasions. He made an Aliance with Tsar Alexei Mikhailovic. The Ukraine has nothing to do with him
I just found your channel today and I can tell you will be a big channel! Also you have awesome merch, very nice designs 👌
Wonderful video!! Thank you for such hard work!
26:26 The question is most definitely not whether ukraine is autonomous or part of russia, it is very distinctly not russian
If anyone is interested in reading Cossack fiction, I'd recommend the pulp novels starring Khlit the Cossack by Harold Lamb. Despite being written between 1917-1926, they *really* hold up.
Excellent! This fills in some areas I knew nothing about, though I have read some about the Cossacks at various points in time. I hadn't known about their democratic form of government, for example. Probably, most of my reading about Cossacks was in fiction, so, of course those stories probably got a lot wrong.
Can you make a video about the Klephts please? I'm sure it should be an amazing video.
You have "Rhoman" in your channel's name and Greek letters on its emblem. You must do a video about the "Roman wild west"
I'd love a game, book, series or movie about this!
The response to the Sultan by the Cossacks has got to be the greatest put down in history and I don't care if some historians suddenly don't think it happened in my book it happened I even have the painting in my living room.
"I don't if it's fake news, it must be happened in my book"
It's not some historians that suddenly don't think it happened. It litterally never exist in any archive. It's just like fanfiction.
He is the happiest Cossack in the entire Cossack speaking 🌎 .Seen some nights out that old Geezer. Before Cossacks were Cossacks they was called The Jolly old Geezers.
One of the travel shows I watch just did an episode on Rostov on the Don. So this was very timely.
Really well done! Awesome job!