Cossacks of the Urals.

Maslenitsa with the Ural Cossacks, 2015

Every year, Maslenitsa marks the end of winter through traditional celebrations, games and community gatherings. The Ural Cossack communities have their own way of observing the festival. Alongside children’s activities, sleigh rides and folk songs, they organise lively snowball battles. Energetic but carefully supervised, these events follow agreed rules and bring people together in a friendly atmosphere.

This series was photographed in 2015. The community’s distinctive cultural heritage was shaped by regional traditions, horsemanship, music and communal activities. At that time, a military and nationalist orientation was already visible alongside the preservation of tradition. Some officially registered Cossack organisations also maintained close relations with public authorities. Their activities could include cultural programmes, youth education, environmental protection, local security initiatives and civil defence.

This gives the Cossacks a public and political role beyond the preservation of tradition. They are involved in discussions about regional identity, historical memory, education and the organisation of public service. Their influence varies considerably from one region to another and is generally exercised through cooperation with local and federal institutions rather than through an independent political movement. Since the 2010s, the Russian state has increasingly encouraged Cossack organisations to promote civic duty, discipline and patriotism, while also drawing on their military heritage and symbolic authority.

The Ural Cossacks therefore occupy an intermediate position between a cultural community, a historical identity group and a state-supported civic organisation. Their role remains diverse: some members focus mainly on heritage and local activities, while others participate in security, military or patriotic programmes.