- Astrakhan Cossacks
Astrakhan Cossack Host ("Астраханское казачье войско" in Russian) was a
Cossack host ofImperial Russia drawn from theCossacks of the LowerVolga region, who had been patrolling the banks of theVolga River from the time of Russia'sannexation ofAstrakhan Khanate in 1556.History
In 1737, the Russian government relocated a number of the
Volga Cossacks to Astrakhan and formed a Cossack unit of 3sotnya s, or 300 men, for escortingcourier s and correspondence and forguard duty , which would be re-organized into the Astrakhanregiment (5 sotnyas, or 500 men) onMarch 28 ,1750 . It was settled along the right bank of the Volga River from Astrakhan toCherniy Yar (a town in theAstrakhan Oblast ). In the early 19th century, the regiment was reinforced with the Cossaks fromTsaritsyn ,Kamyshin ,Saratov , and also with the remnants of theVolga Cossaks , someKalmyk s andTatar s. In 1817, the Astrakhan regiment (16 sotnyas, by that time) was reorganized into a 3-regiment Astrakhan Cossack Host. In 1833, it was transferred from under the authority of theCaucasus corps to thegovernor (ataman ) of Astrakhan. In 1872, the Astrakhan Cossack Host was divided into 2 departments and re-grouped into 1 cavalry regiment. The Astrakhan Cossack Host possessed 4stanitsa s next to Tsaritsyn, Saratov, Cherniy Yar andKrasniy Yar , 16yurt stanitsas, 57khutor s (farms), and 808,000desyatina s of land. One desyatina equals 2,7acre s (11,000 m²). In 1916, the total number of Astrakhan Cossacks was approximately 40,000 people. In times of peace, the Astrakhan Cossack Host supplied 1cavalry regiment (4 sotnyas) and 1platoon of guards, in times of war - 3 cavalry regiments, 1 platoon of guards, 1battalion , 1 special and 1 reserve sotnyas (the total of 2,600 men).The Astrakhan Cossack Host took part in the
Patriotic War of 1812 andRusso-Turkish Wars of the 19th century. During the Russian Civil War, a significant number of the Astrakhan Cossacks sided with thecounterrevolution and participated in the Astrakhanoffensive . In October-November 1919, the Whites were defeated at Astrakhan, causing the demise of the Astrakhan Cossack Host in 1920.
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