It is impossible to understand the Cossacks without recognizing their basic value - the family. Cossacks treated other people's children as their own, even if they were born of a non-Christian.
The Cossacks considered it a shame to have illiterate sons, and dreamed that their daughters were happy. And, if the Cossacks were destined to go to the mortal battle, the village did not leave his family to the mercy of fate.
There are no other children
In the 17th century, the Don Cossacks fought constantly. They lived in settlements called yurts. For example, in the tsar's charter dated 1638, Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov addressed them as follows: "To the Don, to the lower and upper yurts, to the atamans and Cossacks Mikhail Ivanov and the entire Don Host."
About the Cossacks of that time they write that they were throaty and talkative. It is understandable that all issues were resolved at the yurt circle. Women did not participate in management and were on the sidelines. Then it was considered the norm to marry Turkish, Persian and Circassian women driven into slavery. In particular, historical sources testify that in the winter of 1635 the Cossacks brought 1,735 captives from Chubur and Achakovskaya Spit to their yurts.
It also happened that the Cossack women were captured by the Crimean Tatars or by the Turks. However, the Don people made every effort to free them from the "bastard", they say, this is not divine. Sometimes it took years. As a rule, at the time of their release, these women already had children from the Tatars. According to tradition, the Cossacks did not leave such Cossacks alone and took them as wives, while her children became adopted fosterlings - "Tumins" or "Tartars". Children who were born from a Cossack and a captive were called “bolds”. By the way, the names of Bondyrevs, Tatarkins, Turchankins and Tumin are among the most common in the Don.
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Marriage and Divorce in the Circle
In the 16th and 17th centuries, a circle in a yurt meant everything or almost everything for a Cossack. That is why noble fathers, who wanted their daughters to be married by worthy men, demanded popular approval on the Maidan - a kind of guarantee. The Cossack, who gave his word at the Circle, always kept his promise. Over time, this tradition has spread to all weddings.
“Be my wife,” the groom said to the bride. “Be my husband,” she answered him. Such a proposal was made publicly - again at the Circle. If the Cossacks decided that "so be it," a new family would appear. There, on the Circle, they were bred, however, the man needed to explain his act and convince people of his innocence. Usually, another Cossack covered a woman with the hem of his caftan in order to protect her from dishonor. In this case, the woman became his wife. But not only men were the initiators of the divorce, but also women. If her husband turned out to be "so and so", then the Circle took the side of the Cossack woman.
I'll take them on myself
The Donskaya freemen carried a unique institution of social self-organization. Leaving for war or on a campaign, the Cossack was sure that his children would live in abundance if he died. This did not apply to all families, but to those whose union the Circle approved.
For example, a messenger appears in the settlement with the bad news that a fierce enemy has attacked the southern borders of Russia and must be detained at any cost until the complete mobilization of the Don Army takes place. In this case, a Circle was assembled, on which the chieftain first took off his cap, and then threw off his caftan. This meant the highest degree of danger.
"Who wants to be hanged, impaled, or boiled in pitch?" - asked the chieftain. In response, volunteers came out, knowing that they were going to certain death. In complete silence, they asked the audience: "Who will take my orphans and my widow over?" There were sure to be Cossacks who publicly said the oath: "I will take them upon myself." And so it was!
Beauty is a terrible force
In the 18th century, the role of women in the Cossack villages increased dramatically. Historian V. D. Sukhorukov connects this with the beauty of the Cossacks. The fact is, in past centuries, the Cossacks, as a rule, took prisoners only prominent girls and women, so as not to disgrace themselves. Mixing of the best representatives of various ethnic groups affected the beauty of the Don beauties. “Fiery black eyes, cheeks full of fresh life, the greatest neatness and cleanliness in clothes. They all loved outfits and blushed, wrote Sukhorukov.
At the same time, the Cossack women were famous for their strong character. The ethnographer G. V., Gubarev characterized them as follows: “centuries of constant anxiety developed fearless determination in the Cossack woman. On the river, she handled a skiff, rode a horse, deftly wielded a lasso and weapons. She knew how to protect her children and her chicken …”.
Gradually, the saying “keep a woman and a horse on the bit” in the Cossacks lost its original meaning. Seeing a resolute beauty in front of him, the Cossack, willingly or unwillingly, was imbued with respect for her.
Mothers Day
On the Orthodox holiday "the introduction of the Most Holy Theotokos into the temple" on December 4, the Cossacks have developed the custom to bow to their mother-Cossack. In fact, it was the first women's holiday in Russia. However, on the day they congratulated all the Cossacks, both existing and future mothers. This also affected the choice of a life partner.
In the eighteenth century, marriages of a Cossack with a non-Cossack woman were practically not concluded, for this was considered a great shame. If the Donets took a hohlushka or a little haired woman as his wife, they mocked him to old age. At the same time, traditions forbade marrying a girl closer than seven degrees of kinship. The ban also extended to marriage with the children of godparents. The fact is that godfather and godfather were equated with blood relatives, as, incidentally, with all Orthodox. There was one more strict rule: the groom must be older than the bride.
Boys and education
There were few children in the Cossack family, in comparison with the Russian peasant family, so they were always favorites. Since the life of the Cossack was full of dangers, the parents observed all the customs. For example, when the baby's first tooth was cut, they ordered a prayer service to John the Warrior. According to another tradition, the first time the boy was cut when he was one year old, and the second time - at the age of seven, which meant that childhood was over. From this age he learned to shoot accurately, and from the age of ten he learned to chop with a saber. However, already from the age of 3, the Cossack girl had already mounted a horse. Around this time, his personal holiday of the first trousers-trousers was celebrated. From spring to autumn, the boys spent time with their grandfathers, as a rule, on melons or with herds or herds. There the science of fighting and fighting was mastered. At the age of 14, the Cossack girl had to throw a stone to knock out a high and fast flying bird.
But the greatest shame was considered to be illiterate, while studying in the gymnasium of his son aroused admiration throughout the village. Students, for example, were even called by old people by their first names and patronymics. If there was no opportunity to study at school, they were sure to study at home. For example, Yakov Baklanov, the future hero of the Caucasian War, was taught by his father during his trip to Crimea. Already at the age of seven, the boy was educated at the level of schoolchildren, and also knew Moldovan and Turkish. On their return from the hike, the neighbors' boys brought a book. Seeing how he reads smartly, they took him into their circle, otherwise they could have beaten him.
Peaked cap upside down
Girls were raised differently. There was such a custom that for the first time the daughter was bathed by the entire female half of the family - "they washed away her worries" so that life was happy. In this case, the father had to eat salted porridge and never wrinkle. The girl's first step was especially celebrated by presenting her with gifts. From the age of five, she was taught to babysit her younger brothers and sisters. [C-BLOCK]
It was especially important for the Cossack girl to sing and dance beautifully. They were not specially taught this, but on holidays they were allowed to dance and sing along with adult women. When the time came to think about the family, the grandfather gave the girl a silver ring, thereby letting her know that his granddaughter was "not a child."
By the way, in the Don it never entered anyone's head to force the girl to marry. Usually, a young Cossack with his father came to visit the Cossack they liked. If he liked her, he put his cap on the table bottom down. Now everything depended on the bride. She could take the hat to the hanger, thereby letting him know that he would not be her husband. Or turn the bottom up, which means that you can call the matchmakers.