Vocabulary

1. The Rostov Regional Local Lore Museum – Ростовский краеведческий музей

2. carved platbands – резные наличники

3. shutters – ставни

4. pottery – гончарное ремесло

5. winegrowing – виноделие

6. a chest – сундук

EXERCISES

1 Compare the cossack costume described in the text with the present-day uniform.

2 Answer the questions:

1 Have you ever seen a typical cossack «kuren» and where?

2 Why is the Cossack culture so unique and amazing?

3 Try to draw a cossack dress.

TEXT 4

The Famous Cossacks

ERMAK

Ermak, a monument to whom we can see in Novocherkassk, is known as «a Conqueror of Siberia». He was born in the Don area but no one knows when and where. He participated in the Livon war of 1558-1583 and after it organized a group of soldiers to liberate the Russians captured by the Tatars. The tzar troops stopped this activity and Ermak was invited by the merchants – the Stroganovs – to defend their property against the Siberian Tatars.

On the 1-st of September 1582 Ermak with 850 Cossacks equipped with cannons, powder and food started a trip to Siberia in order to widen the lands belonging to the Stroganovs. His army gained several victories over the Tatars. Ten thousands of the Tatars led by khan Kuchum were defeated. But Ermak realized that he was not able to continue struggling as only 300 Cossacks stayed alive. He sent a letter and many presents to the czar, Ivan the Terrible, asking him to include Siberia into the Russian borders. The tsar was pleased and awarded the Cossacks. He proclaimed Ermak the Prince of Siberia and sent 500 soldiers to him.

In 1585 Ermak with only 50 Cossacks were moving along the Irtish. When the soldiers fell asleep khan Kuchum treacherously attacked them. Ermak fought heroically but he was seriously wounded. He tried to escape by swimming but his wounds as well as heavy armour – a present from the tzar – made him sink.

Ermak Timofeevitch is one of the most popular heroes in the Don history. Many legends, songs and pictures are devoted to him. There are several monuments to Ermak and his name is given to stanitsa Ermakovskaya. His deeds and his name are immortal.

Stepan rasin

Stepan Rasin is a legendary personality in Russian history. He was born in Cherkassk (now stanitsa Starocherkasskaya) approximately in 1630. His father Timofey Rasya came from Voronezh and became a lieutenant-colonel of the Cossack Army thanks to his military deeds. Nothing is known about his mother but that she was of eastern origin (from Turkey or Persia) and died very young.

In 1658 Stepan with a group of Cossacks who constituted the Embassy traveled across Russia to Moscow. He got a lot of vital experience about the life of poor people during this trip. By this time he had already learnt eight foreign languages. He was readily appointed a diplomat because he possessed an outstanding will-power, an ability to communicate and have an influence upon different people. Besides he was very imposingly looking: everything in him – his deliberate manners, reserved speech and gestures -– excited respect and trust. Stepan was a skilful warrior as well: during all his life full of battles he was wounded only once. As a military leader he was famous as an experienced and cunning tactician. There was nothing pretentious in his clothes and he could have been accused only of two «sins»: card gambling and smoking a pipe.

In spring 1667 Stepan Rasin was elected the ataman of the poorest Don Cossacks who decided to move to the Volga in order to enrich themselves. At first they attacked Tsaritsin and after several battles approached the Caspian Sea. The army of Rasin was met with enthusiasm everywhere: the poor felt themselves ready to get free from their landlords. In 1668 Rasin and his people destroyed a powerful Persian fleet and returned to Astrakhan where they decided to stay after the czar had forgiven Stepan.

In 1670 Rasin with his people established a democratic order in a number of towns: Astrakhan, Tsaritsin, Saratov, etc. The people of these towns were liberated from the yoke and all the matters were solved by voting. But near Simbirsk Rasin was seriously wounded and his army retreated to the Don. He reached Kagalnik safely and after some time started a siege of Cherkassk. The ataman of Cherkassk at that time was his god-father Kornila Yakovlev. As many other well-to-do Cossacks he was against Rasin‘s actions and in 1671 his people defeated Rasin and took him and his brother Frol into custody. They were taken to Moscow where in June 1671 they were executed in the Red Square.

Many centuries passed since then and the names of the people who fought against Stepan Rasin erased from our memory but every Russian remembers this talented and brave person whose deeds will be kept for ever in people‘s songs and legends.