Draft:Military cooperation between Cossacks and Circassians during First World War

During the First World War, the Circassian cavalry regiment of the Caucasian native mounted division was formed from the highlanders of the Kuban region, as well as several reserve Circassian hundreds. During the Russian Civil War, most Circassians, especially from Zakuban, joined the white movement, especially the Cossacks. The Circassian and Kabardian mounted divisions, the Karachai mounted brigade, Ossetian formations and high-ranking officers from the Circassian environment operated on the front of the White Movement.

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Categories:

• Peoples of the Caucasus
• Indigenous peoples of Europe
• History of the North Caucasus
• Circassians

History

During the First World War of 1914-1918, the Circassian Cavalry Regiment of the Caucasian Native Mounted Division was formed from the highlanders of the Kuban Region. Besides him, there was Several spare Circassian hundreds have been formed. When the troubles of 1917 began The Cir- cassian Cavalry regiment, as F.I. Eliseev rightly noted, "was the only military unit of the multimil- lion-strong Russian Army, which in its entirety marched on the Kornilov campaign with its spiri- tual leader, General Sultan-Kelech-Giray" . During the Civil War in Russia, the highlanders of the Caucasus, and especially the Transcuban Circassians, for the most part They joined the White Movement, the Kuban and Terek Cossacks in their struggle against Bolshevism and the Red ter- ror. The Circassian and Kabardian mounted divisions, the Karachai Cavalry Brigade, Ossetian mounted and foot units, and other formations of the Caucasian Highlanders operated on the front of the White Movement. There were also many senior Circassian officers, or people from Circassian backgrounds. Such as Generals Sultan-Kelech- Giray and S. G. Ulagai, Colonel K. K. Ula- gai. Regarding the warm relations between Cossacks and mountaineers during the years of the all-Russian troubles, we will give a number of excerpts from the memoirs of F. I. Eliseev. For ex- ample, in the autumn of 1918, during the liberation of Zakuban and the Caucasus from the Bol- sheviks, one of the Cossack mounted brigades of the 1st Cavalry Division was commanded by Colonel A. K. Murzaev. It included General Velyaminov's 1st Line Regiment and the Circassian Cavalry Regiment. So, after one unsuccessful battle of his native 1st Line Regiment, Colonel A. K. Murzaev let him "through the mat", and the following scene occurred: "Having missed the linemen, he turned his face to me and calmly explains: - Just think about it… We approached Kozminsky... walked at a variable gait (5 minutes at a walk, 10 minutes at a trot). I had no doubt that we would take the village. Although - why the hell do we need it?! It stands aside, just a throwback of strength!... And suddenly - the red cavalry suddenly swoops down on us... our regi- ments can't stand it... turn back and... it's a shame to say: we "ran" for 20 versts almost in a wide line. No commands or threats helped. Everyone is shouting, "Stop!...Stop!" and still they jump back. I rode with them too… And what a shame that there were as many red cavalry as there were us! And I stopped the shelves only here, at the village. Here I gathered them, and here - with a ceremonial march - I passed them "through the mat"... - he finished... The head of the Cir- cassian cavalry regiment was approaching. They sang "lezginka" without words, as if nothing spe- cial had happened. "Will Murzaev scold and insult the Circassians like his linemen?" I involuntarily thought. And is it possible to do this to Circassians? The Circassian officers commanded "Align- ment to the right!" The horsemen, having stopped purring the Lezginka, silently turned their heads in the direction of their brigade commander.

On the one hand, it is difficult to imagine that after 70 years of the fierce Caucasian war of the XIX century. Warm "Kunatsky" relations could be established between the Kuban Cossacks and the Transcuban Circassians, on the other hand, the Transcuban Circassians became no less "twinned" for the Kuban Cossacks as for the Donets of Kalmyks, and for the Terets of Ossetians. Let's touch on some aspects of the relationship between the Kuban Cossacks and the Transcuban Circassians based on the memoirs and writings of a prominent military Cossack historian of the Russian dias- pora, hereditary line Cossack Colonel Fyodor Ivanovich Eliseev (1892-1987) from the Kuban village of Kavkazskaya. Being a native of a large Cossack family, F. I. Eliseev, both in life and in the service, knew well the way of life and psychology of the Cossacks and the Transcuban highlanders.

Life itself in the linear village of Kavkazskaya, the training of young Cossacks from an early age in the elements of riding brought into their souls the first knowledge about worthy opponents of their grandfathers: "In those years, F. I. Eliseev writes, the entire left-bank Kuban was the land of independent Circassian tribes with whom Russia was at war. During the 70 years of the Caucasian War, the Cossack villages on the right bank of the Kuban gradually adopted from the highlanders some elements of gallantry on horseback, their weapons and uniforms. Being a horseman and a horseman in the village was considered the height of perfection of any brave Cossack. We, the Cossacks, perceived this cult from infancy, it was inspired by our elders. This was especially felt in our Caucasian village, as the central one for the Caucasian Regiment and the entire Caucasian Department" . In the early years of F.I. Eliseev's life, he studied at the Maikop Technical School, served as a volunteer in the 1st Yekaterinodar Regiment of the KKV, studied at the Orenburg Cossack Cadet School, then served with the rank of cornet in the 1st- the m Caucasian regiment in the Transcaspian region.

In February 1920, Lieutenant General S. G. Ulagai, a native of the Transcuban Circassians, the son of a Circas- sian officer, became the commander of the Kuban Cossack Army of the All-Russian People's Republic. Surprisingly, despite the presence of senior officers and generals from among the Kuban Cos- sacks, such as A. G. Shkuro, V. G. Naumenko, V. M. Tkachev, N.G. Babiev, and others, a native of the Kuban Circassians was entrusted to command the Kuban Army. This did not cause any protests or discontent from the Cossack environment. F.I. Eliseev was then the commander of the 1st Labinsk regiment of the Kuban Army, which was part of the 2nd Kuban Corps of Gen- eral V.G. Naumenko. F.I. Eliseev recalled the visit of S.G. Ulagai on February 28, 1920 to a part of the corps: "I didn't have to wait long. Soon, a steam locomotive with one small passenger car approached from Yekaterinodar and gently stopped at the station. General Ulagai immedi- ately appeared in the doorway of the carriage and jumped softly, elastically off the threshold. All this came out so gently, beautifully, nobly, as if not the commander of the army had ar- rived, but a simple, brave Cossack officer, on a visit to the country, whom everyone was looking forward to at the railway station in a remote province. And in order not to waste time, he quickly jumped off the train, almost on the move, to hug his friends, so close and dear to him. He was wearing a dark gray summer cottage Circassian, with a black beshmet and a small black astrakhan hat. And - no decorations or insignia on the modest Circassian. He was, I think, about 40 years old at the time. Clean-shaven, dark-haired, typical highlander, Kuban Circassian noble family - uzden. After listening to the report and shaking hands, Ulagai shakes hands with all the officers. Then he goes to the Labintsev formation. The structure is smooth, two-gear, or- dinary gray. But the fact that they were Labintsy told the general a lot. With them, with the 2nd Kuban Cossack Division, starting in July 1918, he marched up and down the entire Stavropol province with victorious battles! Then - the movement with them to Tsaritsyn and Kamyshin in 1919. There was success, victory and glory everywhere. And now, in the year of a major disaster, they are again before him, brave before the brave. After glancing at the forma- tion of Cossacks, Ulagai stopped. Then, walking quickly in front of them, he stood in the mid- dle, took his hand under the visor and said loudly: - Hello, my brave Labintsy! I do not want to describe how powerfully and joyfully the Cossacks replied - "my brave Labintsy" - to their dear senior chief. This needs to be understood without words. Lowering his hand, Ulagai addressed the honor guard, as representatives from the entire regiment, with fervent words of praise and finished as follows: - Loyal, brave, noble Labintsy!... Kuban will never forget your blood and fortitude! The corps headquarters with General Naumenko, the division headquarters and all other senior officers of the corps listened with bated breath to the rare words of praise of the closed, bravest Circassian knight in the Kuban Army" . All the hardships of military failures on the Civil War front in the winter and spring of 1920 were shared with the Kuban Cossacks and Circassians. During the retreat to the Black Sea coast, the armed forces in the South of Russia F. I. Eliseev meets many old Circassian kunaks, who were already in officer ranks. Pshi- maf Azhigoev complained to F. I. Eliseev about Circassians who did not want to address him in any way according to the charter and called him only by the name "Pshimaf". F.I. Eliseev re- called with great respect the passage of the Circassian mounted division past the Kuban Cos- sacks: "Then the Circassian mounted division of the Kuban region passed, which we observed with interest, as our closest Cossacks, with a force of about 3 thousand horses. Behind the divi- sion, at a respectful distance, a new group of mounted Circassians appeared, up to a hundred people. Ahead of her, majestically, on a tall, sleek horse of a dark bay color, walked the division chief, General Sultan-Kelech- Giray. He was flanked by elderly Circassians. Some have beards dyed with henna in a bright fiery color, as a sign of wealth and honor. Most of them have very serious and even severe faces. All have rifles on the same shoulder strap on the right shoulder, muzzles down, ready to fire at any moment, as they accompany their military and spiritual Leader with sacred thrift. All of them were wearing burkas, and only one General Sultan-K- elech-Giray was wearing a dark gray Circassian coat on a black beshmet. Caucasian pride, ap- parently, did not allow him to hide from the rain and cold in front of his Circassians. He wasn't even wearing a hood. The Circassian cavalry Division retreated from Stavropol through Armavir. At the village of Kelermesskaya, she had an unsuccessful battle with the red cavalry. Now she was leaving on Tuapse" .

References

1.Eliseev F.I. Dzhigitovka Cossacks in the white world. M., 2006. p. 335.

2.Eliseev F.I. The first steps of a young cornet. M., 2005. P. 75.

3.Ibid., p. 78.

4.Ibid., p. 80.

5.Ibid., p. 83.

6.Eliseev F.I. With Kornilovsky equestrian. M., 2003. pp. 362-363.

7.Diaries of Cossack officers. M., 2004. p. 217. () Eliseev F.I. Labintsy. Escape from Red Russia. M., 2006. pp. 12

8. Eliseev F.I. Labintsy. Escape from Red Russia. M., 2006. pp. 125-126.

9.Ibid., pp. 179-180. Yegor Vasilyevich Bratsun - Kuban Cossack art. Korenovskaya, Kuban State State University, Krasnodar