Kamalov: in Dagestan, Cossacks are cultural phenomenon

In Dagestan, Cossacks have ever been, above all, a binding link between all nationalities; it was stated by Zirkula Ilyasov, First Deputy Minister for National Policy, Religion Matters and Foreign Relations of Dagestan. Enver Kisriev, a researcher of the Caucasian, believes that there is no serious conflict between Dagestanis and Cossacks in the republic; while Hadjimurat Kamalov, founder of the newspaper "Chernovik", confirms this idea and indicates that local Cossacks have become more a cultural phenomenon than a military force.

Let us remind you that on October 30 the city of Pyatigorsk hosted celebrations on the twentieth anniversary of revival of the Terek Cossack Army. The event was organized by the Department of Home Policy of the office of Alexander Khloponin, Plenipotentiary of Russian President in the North-Caucasian Federal District (NCFD), who expressed his intention to support Cossacks and rely on them in the region. Some representatives of the Dagestani public assert that these celebrations can still further destabilize the situation in the North-Caucasian region.

"In Dagestan, Cossacks have ever been, first of all, a cementing binder of all the nationalities. We have about 1300 Cossacks in the roster and 23 registered Cossack communities," Zirkula Ilyasov told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"The issues are discussed of funding and strengthening the economic foundation of the Cossack communities; without this, they are just nominal structures. Currently, Cossacks were given about 600 hectares of land," said Ilyasov.

He noted that the Cossack hetman Spirin, Nikolai Petrovich, was awarded the status of Advisor to the Chairman of the Government. Cossacks were also granted one budget-funded staff position to ensure that all the necessary programme revival measures are put into practice.

According to his story, the Cossack movement is mostly popular in the Kizlyar, Tarum and some other districts of the republic.

In Dagestan, Cossacks have been traditionally friendly treated; and Cossacks themselves were nicely getting along with all nationals of Dagestan, as Enver Kisriev, Head of the Caucasian Centre for Civilization and Regional Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciencies, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"However, after collapse of the Soviet Union, the Terek Cossacks founded a movement for separation of northern districts of Dagestan in favour of the Stavropol Territory, which became an irritating factor for Dagestanis, because earlier the republic had no anti-Russian sentiment or aggression," said Kisriev.

They can be understood, the expert believes, because at that time an essential outflow of the Russian population from northern regions began, which had to do with the overall destabilization of the situation in the republic.

With all that, there are no anti-Russian moods in Dagestan. "A Dagestani, who dares to make any anti-Russian statement, will be an outcast in any society; it is, softly speaking, a bad habit," Mr Kisriev has added.

According to the scientist, the Cossack movement is gaining momentum mainly in the Rostov Region, and in the Stavropol and Krasnodar Territories. "Cossacks make the most proactive part of the Russian population. In this, they are very similar to Caucasians. Strictly speaking, they are Caucasians, only Russian ones. Cossacks are very active and offer themselves and their help in the matters relating improved public order and stability in the country and in the regions where they live. I think that for Khloponin and for the top management generally it may be a sort of an obstacle, because nobody can refuse them," said Kisriev.

According to Hadjimurat Kamalov, director of the Dagestani publishing house "Freedom of Speech" and founder of the newspaper "Chernovik" (Blueprint), the republic's population perceives the Cossack community as attributive-cultic one, which supports exclusively cultural traditions.

"Now, they have different sabres, different chokhas; and their guns have no gunpowder. This is all sham. In reality, Cossacks could have revived under the late Ataman Pyotr Statsenko, Deputy of the People's Assembly, who was shot dead recently nobody knows by whom and nobody knows for what. It's a big loss for all Cossacks. Statsenko revived not so much the Cossack, but sooner the Orthodox spirit. Only together with the Orthodoxy Cossacks could be perceived as some kind of independent, not even Russian, ethnic group," Kamalov told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"There's not feud as such; and there's no exodus of the population. While residents of the republic perceive Mr Khloponin's statements as the usual government's pathetic. The authorities need to mark some special role and indicate some special importance of Cossacks; so, they do it; and this is perceived as a cultural event," said Kamalov.

"Cossacks were very good in preserving their monuments, their epic tales; they preserved their dancing groups and artistic traditions, which cannot be said about Dagestani ethnic groups. That is why, it's very convenient to invite Cossacks to all constitutional holidays," he added.

He noted that we cannot say that Cossacks live separately, or in isolation. "Look, every two or three households in their villages are usually intermixed with those of other nations - Avars, Kumyks or Chechens. Cossacks don't enter mixed marriages; they cherish their culture. They live together with other nations but never get dissolved in them. They are not eager to go away," said Kamalov.

In his opinion, Cossacks are unlikely to be taken seriously as frontier guards.