The Ussuri Cossack army is the youngest in comparison with the Don, Kuban and Orenburg. It consists of people from various Cossack troops, that is, the Ussuri are hereditary Cossacks. Their area of residence is the areas of the Ussuri and Sungari rivers. The creation of the army is connected with the development of the eastern lands. The goals remained the same - the protection of the border regions of Russia. The military headquarters was in the city of Vladivostok.
Creating an army. History
The Ussuri Cossack army was created in 1889. Thirty-four years before that, for seven years, from 1855 to 1862, immediately after the signing of the Beijing and Aigun treaties, more than 16 thousand Transbaikalians arrived at the place of settlement, as well as Cossacks from the central provinces who committed any violations. Despite the fact that the Transbaikal army was formed four years earlier than the Ussuri, the settlement of these places by the Cossacks beganmuch earlier.
They appeared in Transbaikalia at the beginning of the 17th century, settled down, built villages and towns. The government intended to use this region to move the settlers further into the area of the Ussuri River. It was a springboard for advancing to the Far East.
With the participation of the Cossacks in Primorye, 96 villages and settlements were formed. Directly on the Ussuri River there are 29 villages. In 1889, the developed Regulations on the Ussuri Cossack Host were approved. It consisted of 6 stanitsa districts - Bikinsky, Glenovsky, Grodekovsky, Donskoy, Platono-Aleksandrovsky, Poltava. Ussuri, Orenburg, Don and other Cossacks were accepted into it.
In 1891, the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway began, which stretched from the city of Miass, Chelyabinsk Region, to Vladivostok. In the early 1890s, a new resettlement begins, its goal is to ensure the protection of the Trans-Siberian Railway. Until 1899, more than 5 thousand Cossack settlers from Transbaikalia, Don and Orenburg region arrived in the Ussuri Territory.
Symbols of the Ussuri Cossacks
The coat of arms of the Ussuri Cossack army was an azure St. Andrew's cross in a silver shield, over which a golden tiger is depicted. Above, in a scarlet field, the rising symbol of Russia is a double-headed eagle. Behind the shield are crossed gold-colored ataman notches. The coat of arms is bordered with an orange-yellow ribbon, with a silver border. The flag was a green cloth, bordered by an orange ribbon, in the center of which was locatedcoat of arms.
The situation of the Ussuri Cossacks at the beginning of the 20th century
While building the village, the Cossacks of the Ussuri Cossack army simultaneously served on the border, delivered mail, and guarded order as policemen. In 1905, the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War forced him to leave his usual business and take up military service. It was very expensive for families, since the Cossacks were mostly poor, having one horse in their household, which was a breadwinner in peacetime, and a fighting friend in war. They could not be compared with the Don or Kuban Cossacks, whose generations went on campaigns or raids and brought rich booty home.
If the regular troops were provided with everything necessary, then the Cossacks of the Ussuri Cossack army had to buy uniforms, ammunition, horses at their own expense, many were unable to do so. The approximate per capita income of the Cossacks was 33 rubles per year, and the cost of a complete outfit, including a horse, was 330 rubles. The government, realizing this, from 1904 paid the Cossacks a cash subsidy in the amount of 100 rubles for the purchase of equipment.
All expenses for the acquisition of preferential and spare parts were made at the expense of the treasury. In 1905, money was allocated to reimburse expenses for lost or worn-out uniforms for combat units, then a certain amount was allocated for the purchase of sheepskin coats. All these measures were partially supported by the families of the Cossacks. In total, in 1901, 14,700 Cossacks lived on the territory of the army, in 1917 - 44340 people, including 33,800 Cossacks.
Participation in the Japanese War of 1905
Participation in the war of 1904-1905 was the first serious test, before that the Cossacks had to clash only with gangs of Khunguz, who penetrated the Far East to rob. From the point of view of analysts, the participation of the Ussuri in hostilities was successful, but from a socio-economic point of view, the war placed a very heavy burden on the families of the Cossacks, which affected their financial situation.
The defeat of Russia in the war of 1904-1905 was due to a number of reasons, the main of which were the remoteness of hostilities, the corruption of high-ranking officials who felt too at ease away from the center, poor supply and the slow concentration of military forces. This led to the fact that the main role fell on the Far Eastern Cossacks, who participated in all major operations. Their technical equipment was in many ways inferior to the Japanese. After the end of the war, the stake was placed on regular troops. And the Cossacks were left with the responsibility of protecting the borders.
Participation in World War I
In 1906, the Ussuri platoon was assembled, which was part of the fourth hundred of the combined Life Guards Cossack regiment. During the World War of 1914, the Ussuri brigade was formed, it included 4 regiments, including the Ussuri. In 1916, the brigade was reorganized into the Ussuri Cavalry Division,it included four regiments, two divisions and one battery. The division commander was General Krymov. She was part of the 3rd Corps, commanded by Count Keller. The ataman of the Ussuri Cossack army was Major General Kalmykov.
They fought on the Romanian, Northwestern, Northern fronts. General Wrangel, who served as a colonel in the division, characterized the Ussuri as brave Cossacks devoted to their Motherland. General Krymov also spoke positively about the Ussuri Cossacks.
Liquidation of the Cossacks and repressions
After the October Revolution, a split occurred among the Cossack class, which was predetermined by the fact that part of the Cossacks supported the power of the Bolsheviks, the other, under the leadership of Ataman Kalmykov, opposed and fought in the Civil War on the side of the Whites. After the end of the war, the Ussuri Cossack army ceased to exist. Most of the Cossacks went to China and Manchuria. The Bolsheviks decided to abolish the Cossack estate.
Ussuri Cossacks did not escape repression in the 30s. The first wave is dispossession. She hit the strongest Cossack households, they were evicted from their homes, their belongings were taken away. Actively participating in the Civil War were arrested. The second wave is passportization and registration of the population. Here, Cossacks living in rural areas were denied passports, which led to infringement of civil rights. The third wave, under which the Ussurians fell, passed in 1939. This is the eviction of the unreliable.
The structure of the Cossack society today
Today there is the Ussuri Military Cossack Society, the charter of which was approved by the President of Russia on 1997-17-06. The army consists of 8 district Cossack societies. These are the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), the territories of Primorsky, Khabarovsk, Kamchatsky, the autonomous region of Jewish, the regions of Magadan, Sakhalin, Amur.
Total number of 5588 people. In total, there are 56 Cossack societies, of which 7 are urban, 45 are stanitsa, and 4 are farm communities. There are 4 cadet schools located in Khabarovsk, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Yakutsk and Blagoveshchensk.
