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Presidential Council for Cossack Affairs

Russian President Vladimir Putin says: “The patriotism of the Cossacks is beyond doubt. In this sense, they set a very good example not only for Russians, but also for all other peoples of Russia - an example of serving their Fatherland".

The Cossacks remain an important force in Russian society, with around 180,000 people registered as such and about 2,000 civic organizations. Officially, there are 12 “hosts” (regional formations) and 9,500 Cossacks are engaged in protecting public order – around 900 are helping secure Russia’s borders and nearly 2,000 are prepared to serve in the event of ecological catastrophe. The ministry of defense has discussed the idea of paying Cossacks who serve in the military and ordered compensation for those injured in the line of duty.

Although there are people with Cossack heritage in Russia, most members of Cossack organizations are not necessarily their descendants: one evidently becomes a Cossack by donning the uniform. Thus, the interpretation of what it means to be a Cossack is very diverse.

In the structure of state authorities of the Russian Federation, the policy of the Russian Federation in relation to the Russian Cossacks is implemented by the Council under the President of the Russian Federation for Cossack Affairs is an advisory body under the President of the Russian Federation, formed to promote the implementation of state policy in relation to the Russian Cossacks. It was formed by order of the President of the Russian Federation of January 12, 2009 No. 15-rp, the same order approved the Regulations on the Council and its composition.

The main tasks of the Council

• preparation of proposals to the President of the Russian Federation to determine the priority areas of state policy in relation to the Russian Cossacks;
• systematic informing the President of the Russian Federation on issues related to the Russian Cossacks;
• participation in the preparation of draft normative legal acts on the implementation of state policy in relation to the Russian Cossacks;
• Ensuring the interaction of federal state authorities, state authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and local governments with Cossack societies and public associations of the Cossacks;
• analysis of the activities of the Cossack societies and public associations of the Cossacks.

At the annual meeting of the Council 11 December 2020, chaired by Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation Anatoly Seryshev, speeches were made by Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Chernyshenko, Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the North Caucasus Federal District Yuri Chaika, Head of the FADN of Russia Igor Barinov, Ataman of the All-Russian Cossack Society Nikolai Doluda, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee for the Commonwealth of Independent States, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots Viktor Vodolatsky, Chairman of the Synodal Committee of the Russian Orthodox Church for Cooperation with the Cossacks, Metropolitan Kirill of Stavropol and Nevinnomyssk. In order to comply with sanitary and epidemiological requirements, videoconferencing was used for some of the participants. More than 200 people from 85 constituent entities of the Russian Federation were also involved in the meeting - leaders of working groups on Cossack affairs under state authorities of constituent entities of the Russian Federation, chieftains of Cossack societies and public associations of Cossacks. Council Chairman Anatoly Seryshev noted in his report that the joint volunteer work that was carried out during the pandemic in 2020 rallied all representatives of the Cossacks. The consolidation course will continue in the future. “Our goal is to revive a single strong “social organism” capable of self-development and self-government on the principles of mutual assistance,” emphasized the Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation. During the meeting, some results of the implementation of the Strategy for the Development of the State Policy of the Russian Federation in relation to the Russian Cossacks until 2020 were summed up, new approaches were proposed for coordinating actions in the implementation of the Strategy of the State Policy of the Russian Federation in relation to the Russian Cossacks for 2021-2030, the results of activities for carrying public service of the Russian Cossacks, patriotic education of the younger generation in the spirit of Cossack traditions. Among the important tasks to be solved in 2021, the following are highlighted - the development of a draft law in the field of the Russian Cossacks; consolidation of Cossack societies and public associations of Cossacks; implementation of measures to attract young people to Cossack organizations; formation of a personnel reserve of the All-Russian Cossack Society. The head of the FADN of Russia, Igor Barinov, summed up the results of the implementation of the Strategy of the State Policy of the Russian Federation towards the Russian Cossacks until 2020. He noted that in accordance with the Decrees of the President of the Russian Federation, the All-Russian Cossack Society was created, and it is also provided for the provision of subsidies to ensure its activities. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation has formed a system for involving the Cossacks in military service in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Cossacks take part in activities aimed at ensuring environmental safety, protecting the population and territories from natural fires, and protecting wildlife. In addition to attracting Cossacks to carry out state and other services, work is carried out with Cossack youth, in terms of their military-patriotic, spiritual, moral and physical education, the preservation and development of Cossack culture. On December 28, 2021, a meeting of the Council under the President of the Russian Federation for Cossack Affairs (hereinafter referred to as the Council) was held in Moscow under the leadership of Assistant to the Head of State, Chairman of the Council Dmitry Mironov. The event was attended by the Deputy Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Volga Federal District Igor Panshin, representatives of federal and regional executive authorities, chief federal inspectors, chairmen of the permanent district commissions of federal districts and atamans of district (departmental) Cossack societies. The head of the Federal Agency for Ethnic Affairs Igor Barinov and Ataman of the All-Russian Cossack Society Nikolai Doluda delivered keynote speeches. The meeting discussed topical issues of the activities of the All-Russian Cossack Society and the implementation of the Strategy of the State Policy of the Russian Federation towards Cossacks for 2021-2030. In the course of the work, the rule-making of the state authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation in the field of the Russian Cossacks, as well as the results of the work of the Council in 2021 and the main activities in 2022, were analyzed.