Cossack host on the northern shore of the Sea of Azov
Azov Cossack Host
(
Ukrainian
:
Азовське козацьке в?йсько
;
Russian
:
Азовское Казачье Войско
) was a
Cossack host
that existed on the northern shore of the
Sea of Azov
, between 1832 and 1862.
The host was made up of several Cossack groups who were re-settled there. The most numerous were the former
Danubian Sich
Cossacks, who came under Russian Patronage in 1828. The host was the only one in the
Russian Empire
whose primary task was Naval Coast Guard duties, participating extensively in the course of the
Caucasus
and
Crimean
wars.
Zadunaets za Azovom
[
edit
]
During the
Russo-Turkish War (1828?1829)
, the
Danubian Sich
Cossacks, previously living in exile in
Ottoman
controlled
Danube Delta
were split in loyalty towards the Orthodox
Russian Empire
, who they left in 1775 and
Islamic
Ottoman Empire, which was about to start another war with Russia. Led by their
Kosh ataman
Osip Gladky
, some of the Cossacks, chose to defect to Russia, where they were pardoned by
Nicholas I
in 1828. The Tsar formed a
Special Zaporozhian Host
out of them, who took extensive part in the war.
After Russia's victory, a separate newly created
Danube Cossack Host
was deemed sufficient to safeguard the borders and the ex-Zaporozhian presence in the Danube was deemed excessive. The Tsar, having personally befriended Gladky, suggested that his Host moves to the
Kuban
to join the other ex-
Zaporozhian Cossacks
, the
Black Sea Cossack Host
who were actively involved against the
Circassians
in the course of the
Caucasus War
. In 1830 Gladky visited the Kuban, but rejected this idea of migrating there, citing the difficulties faced in such a long move for such a small host, and because such a persona would reject subordinating to the supreme authorities of the Black Sea Cossacks. The Tsar instead allowed the Cossacks to remain in
Novorossiya
provided they found a suitable empty land.
[1]
Gladky found the territory adjacent to the west of the
Don Cossack Host
land on the Northern coast of the
Azov Sea
between
Berdyansk
and
Mariupol
(modern
Donetsk Oblast
,
Ukraine
).
Thus in 1832, Gladky moved his host to
Priazovye
which numbered 2,336 Cossacks (including 637 women), and the Azov Cossack Host was officially formed, with Gladky as its Nakazny (appointed)
Ataman
. They were the only Cossack Host that had a naval role and were tasked in guarding the
Black Sea
coasts of the
Caucasus
and
Crimea
. Because of their initial small size, the peasants of
Novospasovka
selo
were also incorporated into the host. They were joined by numerous volunteers from the
Chernigov governorate
and in 1839 a group of 217
Nekrasov Cossacks
were added to their host.
[2]
Black Sea Coast Guard
[
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]
Azov Cossacks fighting Turkish pirates
The Azov Cossacks were responsible for patrolling the vast Coast of Circassia
Magomet-Amin
The Azov Host was instantly involved in the
Caucasus War
, and General
Yermolov
's aide A.Velyaminov suggested to press the
Circassians
from the south-western slope of the
Caucasus
ridge, which runs along the
Black Sea
from the
Strait of Kerch
(the mouth of the Azov) all the way to
Abkhazia
. A defence line was proposed from
Anapa
all the way to
Sukhum
. The first marine landings by the Russian
Black Sea Fleet
took place in 1830 near
Gagra
, prior to the formation of the Azov Host. After Gladky arrived in 1832, he immediately formed 10 commands numbering 20 Cossacks (later the number of commands was increased to 26) and their specially made
barka
boats (based in Sukhum and Konstantinovka) were regularly carrying out pre-landing reconnaissance and offered fire support to the Russian marines and sailors who were faced with conquering the very difficult landings.
The Azov Cossacks also helped to intercept numerous English, French and Turkish contraband supplies, and in 1835 off the coast of
Novorossiysk
they destroyed two
Schooners
and later captured the English cargo ship Vixen which carried a whole arsenal of illegal rifles. However, despite the success in 1839
Imam Shamil
sent his naib Magomet-Amin who instead of rallying the Circassians on the northern Kuban approach, unleashed them onto the Black Sea line in 1840. Outnumbered and after several Russian forts and garrisons were overrun, it was decided to abandon the Black Sea Coast and the Azov Cossacks proved their importance in evacuating the surviving Russian units.
Despite the unsuccessful operation in building the line, the Russian evacuation did not affect the Azov Cossacks' role in patrolling the Black Sea Coast. In 1845 the 26 commands were re-organized into two groups. The first one numbering 147 Cossacks and 7 Starshinas patrolling the coast from
Anapa
where they were based to Navaginsk fort (modern
Sochi
), and the southern group numbering 164 Cossacks with 20 officers from Svyatogo Dukha to Svyatogo Nikolaya (
Sukhum
). During the following years, as quoted by General M.Rayevsky
The Azov Cossacks recommended themselves as a potent force and stroke fear to the captains of contraband ships and Circassian
galleys
. The success of the Azov Cossacks led to a plan being drawn in 1843 to once again re-settle them to the whole Black Sea Coast from
Mingrelia
to the mouth of the
Kuban river
. This however was never realised.
Crimean War
[
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]
After the events of 1848 it became clear that
Russia
was en route to another major conflict between
Ottoman Empire
and her new allies
Britain
and
France
. The Azov Cossack Host's first job was to sabotage the remaining Russian strongholds on the
Caucasus coast
, which they themselves have built. After the British and French navies penetrated the
Strait of Kerch
and entered the
Sea of Azov
, they planned to navigate up the
Don River
to force the Russian armies en route to re-inforce Crimea to divert the attention. The Azov Host (by that point mobilising 1,920 men) was tasked with preventing the enemy from reaching the Don, a task which they accomplished (see
Siege of Taganrog
).
However, in addition to guarding the
Don
, and their
Black Sea
duties in
Novorossiysk
, the Azov Cossacks were constantly involved in guarding their own home, and Gladky formed three irregular units a naval battalion numbering 722 Cossacks, an infantry battalion with 400 more and a cavalry
sotnia
which had further 104 Cossacks.
[3]
However the weakly defended Strait of Kerch meant that in May 1855 a squadron of 57 English and French ships (17,400 men in total) easily overpowered the Russian garrison there and entered the Azov bassin. Afterwards the enemy approached
Berdyansk
and bombarded the city from the sea. Similar attacks were experienced by Petrovskaya Stanitsa, Mariupol and numerous other locations on the coast of the northern Azov. Yet any attempts to land troops on the shores, turned out to be complete failures. When attempting to land at the headquarters of the Azov Host Petrovsky Posad (modern
Nikolske
, Ukraine) the Anglo-French troops demanded the Cossacks surrender and sent their landing party of 100 boasts. None were to reach the shores.
[3]
Afterwards the survivors of the failed landing returned to the ships the squadron tried to land near
Taganrog
, but a similar fate awaited them from the hands of the
Don Cossacks
.
After the end of the war in 1856 all of the units, save the ones which resumed their previous patrolling of the Caucasus coast were disbanded. The Azov Host was awarded with the highest award that a Russian military unit could earn, the
Banner of St. George
whose inscription read:
For exceptional bravery and excellent service during the war against the French, English and Turks in 1853-1858
[3]
The end of the Azov Host
[
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]
After the Crimean War, Gladky attaining rank of General-Colonel retired and moved to Aleksandrovsk (modern
Zaporizhzhia
) where he died in 1866. However the Northern shore of the Azov, during the 30 years of the Cossack presence became a prosperous region, where the Cossacks numbering 10 thousand men were involved in fishery, farming and trade. In 1860 however the
Caucasus War
approached its decisive finale, and Russian General
Nikolay Yevdokimov
initiated several reforms of the Caucasus Hosts, forming the
Kuban
and
Terek Cossack Hosts
out of the previous Black Sea, Caucasus Line Hosts.
The Circassian front, particularly the
Western Caucasus
, after decades of stationary action began a process of capturing Circassian land and moving the peaceful Circassians from mountains to the ravines, and expelling (see
Muhajir (Caucasus)
) those hostile to Ottoman Empire. To help settle the empty mountainous land, Yevdokimov suggested to Emperor
Alexander II
to bring the Azov Cossacks, whose military role by now was expiring, as the
Imperial Russian Navy
in the Black Sea has made provisions for taking over their coast guard roles.
Originally Yevdokimov proposed to move 800 Cossack and eight officer families to the Western Caucasus with financial compensation and free transport promised to them. After freeing those who lacked elder sons, adolescent orphans and those older than 45 or were sick to travel, it was planned to use the draw method of selection. However no draw was required. Most Cossacks who were descendants of the Danubian Sich, the Nekrasovites (Nikolskaya and Pokrovskaya stanitsas) as well as the Cossacks of the Starodubskaya stanitsa (descendants of Chernigov migrants, whose ancestors were Cossacks in the
Sloboda
) agreed to move to the Kuban. Whilst the dwellers of the Novospasskaya and Petrovskaya stanitsas who were local peasants and traders that were enlisted into Cossackdom in 1832 chose to stay.
All in all 1093 families (5224 people) nearly half of the Azov Host left the Azov in 1862 and were settled in the stanitsas of the Abinsk and Adagumsk Regiments of the
Kuban Cossack Host
.
[4]
They participated in the finale of the Caucasus War which ended two years later in 1864. Afterwards, the ex-Azov Cossacks became fully integrated into the Kuban Host shared their history since. To this day their descendants live in the mountainous stanitsas of modern
Krasnodar Krai
and
Adygea
in
Russia
.
The remaining Azov region was passed to the
Yekaterinoslav Governorate
and afterwards to the
Ukrainian SSR
, where the former Petrovskaya stanitsa was renamed to
Volodarske
in 1924 (modern
Donetsk Oblast
). At present there are attempts to spread the knowledge of the Cossack heritage that the region has, despite the fact that all Don Cossacks were eradicated in 1921.
[5]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Shambarov, Valery (2007).
Kazachestvo Istoriya Volnoy Rusi
. Algorithm Expo, Moscow.
ISBN
978-5-699-20121-1
.
- ^
L.M. Malenko Re-settlement of former Nekrasovites on the lands of the Azov Host in the 1830s. Available online at
Cossackdom.com
- ^
a
b
c
L. Malenko, South Ukrainian Units during the Crimean War Available online at
Cossackdom.com
- ^
Frolov.B.E. Military units of the Black Sea and Kuban Cossack Hosts, Available online at
Yuga.ru
Archived
April 11, 2008, at the
Wayback Machine
- ^
Anatoly Gerasimchuk:
In to the Donetsk Steppe came from the Danube the Cossacks ...
Available online at
Narodna.pravda.com.ua
Archived
2011-05-21 at the
Wayback Machine