Kathrine Frich
Now, they are once again being sent to war in Ukraine.
They are wrapped in folklore, faith and history, often portrayed as relics of another age: Russia’s Cossacks.
Once marginalised and persecuted, they have been drawn back into the centre of state power under Vladimir Putin.
From myth to state
Long romanticised in folklore, Russia’s Cossacks were once semi-autonomous communities living across southern Russia and present-day Ukraine.
They served the tsars as elite fighters before being persecuted for backing the imperial order during the 1917 revolution.
After decades of repression under Soviet rule, Cossack identity resurfaced following the collapse of the USSR. According to France24, the revival was initially grassroots and fragmented.
“In the 1990s, there was an anarchic, popular revival of Cossack culture,” said Pierre Labrunie, a specialist on Russian Cossacks at the École des hautes études en sciences sociales in Paris.
Order and loyalty
Rather than allowing the movement to develop independently, the Russian state moved to absorb it.
Under Vladimir Putin, Cossacks were formally reintegrated as auxiliaries to the police and border services.
“For the Russian state, this had a double advantage,” Labrunie said, noting that it answered Cossack demands for recognition while filling gaps left by a weakened state.
“They are the keepers of Russia’s soul, its traditions and its good character,” Labrunie said, describing how the Kremlin presents Cossacks as a model of loyalty and voluntary service.
Cossacks now patrol streets, guard public events and work alongside law enforcement, occupying a deliberately blurred space between civilian and state authority.
War mobilisation
As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine dragged on, the Kremlin increasingly turned to paramilitary formations to avoid mass mobilisation. Cossack units became part of that strategy.
France24 reports that more than 60,000 of Russia’s roughly 180,000 registered Cossacks have fought in Ukraine since 2022.
Many were deployed through dedicated battalions operating under military command.
Cossack communities have also organised logistics and “humanitarian” support for the front, reinforcing their role in the war effort.
Training the future
Parallel to battlefield deployment, the state has expanded “Cossack Cadet” schools.
These institutions combine standard education with military training and ideological instruction.
“They learn Cossack history, traditional songs, horsemanship, combat, and how to handle weapons,” Labrunie said.
New cadet bodies have been established not only in Russia, but also in Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine, including Luhansk and Donetsk, France24 reported.
Loyalty tested
Putin has repeatedly called for a “new Russian elite” defined by discipline, service and patriotism. Cossacks fit that image, but their loyalty is not absolute.
Registered numbers fell in 2024, and reports from eastern Ukraine suggest tensions between some Cossack units and Russian command structures.
Ironically, Cossacks are also fighting on the Ukrainian side, which shows that even a group presented as guardians of Russia’s soul remains deeply divided.
Sources: France24, Digi24.
