What Is a Cossack?

An attempt at providing a more nuanced answer and setting up context for future videos that will be developed on the massive topic of What is a Cossack/ Who were/are they?

Here I try my best to show that the answer is both more simple and convoluted than one could imagine.

The Three Following Links are for mentioned sources for understanding What Cossacks were at given times in History.:

Some Academic Articles:

Grau W. , Lester. 1993. “The Cossack Brotherhood Reborn: A political/military Force in a Realm of Chaos” Low Intensity Conflict & Law Enforcement Vol. 2, No. 3

Artists Featured:

Jozef Brandt: A Camp of the Zaporozhian Cossacks

Ilia Repin: The Zaporozhian Cossacks Write a Letter to the Turkish Sultan

As always feedback is very much needed and welcomed, I still struggle with my english and getting caught up with proper pauses and not saying um because in Ukrainian we use a word Alle all the time as a space filler and to show that one is thinking, it is akin to how westerners use "like" I will continually do my best to make conscious efforts to purge this from my speech!

None the less This video is no where near what I would like it to be but it needed to be made so that the plethora of much better and shorter and exciting videos can be made on the topics I really like to and am capable of talking about.

[thebuilder]

Word of mouth is how most history survives the test of time. You’ve done a nice job of preserving the Cossack history!

Good job sharing with others in an old tradition!

[Willox]

i wouldn't stress about your english, you're great

[ginobalakonis]

Your English is excellent. My father's people are Cossacks. Came to America in late 20s. I was told that Grandpa had served the czar and was given land, at some point they had to flee Lithuania. Somehow he was alerted that Communist death squads were coming for him so Grandpa got to a port and put his pregnant wife and young son into a row boat and rowed out in to the Baltic sea. Rescued by Norwegian fisherman that found them. Made their way to England and then America. Was given a commission in the U.S.M.C. and served many years as did both his son's. I will be showing this to my family. Hope to travel to Lithuania, Poland and Russia. Through the internet I have found some relatives. Can't wait

[Sharkman]

Excellent video. I have a few friends from the Ukraine and I have never really understood the complexity of this part of the world. Your presentation of this material is great! Thank you!

[vickyhelgren]

My Great grandfather was a Kuban Cossack.. . Thank you for this i would like to learn more about his history

[andrzejadamowicz]

In polish language, bold or brave or fearless person still can be call a cossac.

[tdt]

English: 95% (pretty good as second or third language!) Ability to keep interest going: 100%. Very promising! Bravo!

[greenmarcosu]

Thank you so much! I am 50% Ukrainian on my fathers side but I do not speak the language. Also, growing up I never thought it was "cool" to be Ukrainian because none of my peers were and no one really knew about it. Now as an adult, I am trying to learn as much about my heritage as possible and the warrior Cossacks of Ukraine have been a huge inspiration for me.

I really want to figure out if there is any Ukrainian Cossack lineage in my family but I have no idea how to do so.

Now I do medieval/fantasy LARP and I am trying to build some Cossack influence into my character.

[rusvaryag]

I had my DNA analyzed a few years ago and was pleasantly surprised to learn my MATERNAL ancestry included Slavic, Russia / Belarus, Cossack and Rus. My PATERNAL ancestry included Germanic/Scandinavian, Prussia, Baltic/Lithuanian/Latvian. Hellofa combo. Cossack was simply a "military freeman" who wandered across eastern Europe. My MATERNAL grandfather spoke of it often. He was a storyteller and well traveled. He and my grandmother migrated to the US at the turn of the century, (1903 and 1905 respectively) He from Kiev and she from Polotsk. He embarked from Crimea, Russia and she from Hamburg, Germany. He landed in New Orleans and she in NYC, Ellis Island. They met in a church in Massachusetts, (both had family Brot there) married, moved to NY and that side of my family grew. He said it was an honor to be Cossack. Family RARELY spoke of the old country. HE did. The term Druzhina was spoken of a lot. A brotherhood if you will. He spoke Russian and English 50/50. He spoke several Russian dialects. He was quite well educated. He wore a chupryna/sidelock as a young man. My grandmother was a peasant and was illiterate. She spoke Belarussian predominately with little English. She was Krivich. He was a farmer, bee keeper, herdsman and an Engineer for the railroad. He learned metallurgy/blacksmithing before he came to the US. He was Brodnici. They wanted to assimilate and leave the old country behind. ALL AMERICAN!! Things were tough in Eastern Europe at that time. He actually became a US citizen. She never did. My PATERNAL side settled in Pennsylvania and New York. Farmers and Engineers on the Railroad as well. My PATERNAL great great grandfather was a stone mason. They all became citizens.They fought in EVERY war from 1775 until today. I have a lot of the records. Thank you DNA. My father was severely wounded in WW2. Very military. Proudly ALL AMERICAN!!! Great information on Cossack. Look forward to more.

[husariatowarzysz]

My Polish grandpa told me that I had an ancestor who was a Cossack during the early 1900's which is pretty cool.

[tortoisesoup]

Thanks for this very informative video! I came here because of Metatron but after seeing this video I had no choice but to subscribe. Waiting for more videos about cossacks!

[Jarod-vgwq]

I love the Cossacks. Their sword the shashka is an amazing sword.

[WellnessbynatureOrglife]

Excellent explanation...I did not know about registering as such. The cossacks history has amazed me and found this so interesting.

[garymarcera]

Thanks for this video and the information you've given so far. Can't wait for more and completely agree that you can't cover Cossack history with a short video of just a few minutes.

[eloisadellore]

I'm Brazilian and had just finished reading Tolstoy (The Cossacks). As it was the first time I was introduced to the cossacks I started looking for their history when I came across your video. Excellent and your English is perfect! I also would like to know the name of this piece of music you played at the beginning.

[angelastubbe]

Thank you so much for this education. I am German and my grandfather was Ukrainian. Unfortunately I never met him. I have always felt great kinship with Russians and Ukrainians. I know they have different countries but they are very close in my opinion. I am very sad about the war we have going on right now. I hope you are in a safe place. Keep the good stuff coming.

[funnyrader]

I really loved this video! My great grandfather was a White Russian and a Cossack, and my great grandmother was Polish Lithuanian.

Been brushing up on the history so I know my stuff of my familial origin on my mother's side. Thanks so much for the video! Do you have an email? Would love to chat with someone who knows more about Russian and Eastern European history than I do

[gaminikokawalage]

great video! keep making more Cossack and historical videos!

[cenkcenker]

when i searched the origins of cossacks, i also reached nearly same informations as cossacks hetman.people(russians, turks, tartars, mongols(few)) who landed to ukranian grands in any reason, formed their own military sistem and created cossack culture.they also effected from turkic culture but they feel themselves as a russian.the word 'ataman', 'cossack', 'yiğit' come from turkic language.some of them escape to turkey lands and spend their life generally in the middle of anatolia.

[Exodus.Pi]

Title content 5:00. Solid presentation again!