There’s little oversight for Cossacks who work with police if they face accusations of using excessive force, typically against migrants or opposition activists. Some groups are official police auxiliaries but others are essentially costumed social clubs. Some have gone to fight with Russia-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine.Ĭossacks’ legal status varies. Petersburg and Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea, far from traditional heartlands. Recent years have seen government-backed “Cossack” groups spring up in World Cup host cities like Moscow, St. While some Cossacks trace their ancestry back to the paramilitary groups broken up by the Soviet Union after the Russian Civil War, others have more tenuous links. After decades of Soviet persecution, groups claiming to be Cossacks have multiplied under Putin, often with government funding. His group didn’t respond to AP requests to clarify the comments.Ĭossacks were historically a mix between colonists and a military caste on the Russian Empire’s south and eastern frontiers.
DON COSSACKS FREE
Barannikov told Radio Free Europe this week that his Cossacks would report same-sex couples to police if they saw them kissing during the World Cup. “We are happy for all our guests and we ask them to respect and keep to the traditions of the region and the country they are visiting.”Ĭossacks are often hostile to LGBT rights. “We are happy to welcome everyone here regardless of their ethnic background and faith, regardless of their gender,” he said. At the Sochi Olympics in 2014, Cossacks whipped members of the punk protest group Pussy Riot.īarannikov said his Cossacks would be tolerant of outsiders. Men in Cossack uniforms used their fists and traditional whips to attack Russians protesting against President Vladimir Putin last month in central Moscow. Cossacks generally can’t arrest or fine people, but some are notorious for using excessive force. Some will wear traditional fur hats, and a group of stunt riders will perform on horseback. During the World Cup, “we will help in any way to prevent any attempt at destabilization.”Īuthorities hope Cossacks will protect fans while adding local color.
“They are taught in the art of war from childhood, they obey their elders and serve the motherland,” Cossack elder Igor Barannikov told The Associated Press.