Cossacks of Southern Russia and Urals urge federal and regional authorities to recognize them as nation

More than two thousand Cossacks from the Don, Terek, Kuban and the Urals have signed a petition to the authorities to recognize them as a nation.

As explained by Gennady Kovalev, one of the signatories, after the rally on January 26, Cossacks prepared letters of appeal and other documents, which were dispatched on March 7.

"The resolution of the rally was complemented by several other documents; for example, birth and marriage certificates issued to Cossacks with indication of nationalities of the parties as "Cossacks". These certificates were issued in different regions of Russia over the years. Local bodies, as stipulated by the Constitution, did not put obstacles and by desire of Cossacks specify their nationalities in that way," said Gennady Kovalev.

Cossacks write in their appeal to federal and regional authorities that "in the regions of the rivers Don, Kuban and Terek Cossacks cannot fully proud of their roots, traditions and history – for example, it is now impossible to prove either at court or civil status registration agency, that one is a Cossacks, and put this nationality into a birth or marriage certificate."

The signatories believe that such a policy is a continuation of the policy of "Cossack liquidation."

Cossacks also demand to adopt local programmes for rehabilitation of the Cossack nation, finance the study of Cossack history and introduction of regional and territorial curricula with mandatory replacement of the "version of fugitive slaves" for the works of modern scholars, who have long proved the inconsistency of this politicized version; and preserve on electronic media the Cossack archival documents.