A Cossack settler stands in Pagran-Petrovka in Russia's Far East near the border with China in January 2001. Russia deployed a chain of Cossack border guards to prevent Chinese citizens from crossing the border illegally
In their tall, fur hats and embellished traditional jackets, hundreds of Cossacks are patrolling the streets of Sochi, Russia, as the 2014 Winter Olympic Games approach.
These Russian soldiers, whose ancestry dates back thousands of years, are known in the West for their gravity-defying dance style. Closer to home, the Cossacks have long symbolized rebellion and military might in Western and Southern Russia and Ukraine.
That reputation was further enhanced by Russian literature giants Leo Tolstoy and Alexander Pushkin, whose writings contributed to the myth surrounding the Cossacks.
But within their high hats is hidden a richer history.
Known for rebelling against Russia's feudal system, the Cossack state allied itself with Russia's tsars to help create the monolithic Russian Empire. These warrior horsemen helped bring Russian rule to vast parts of the country, most notably Siberia.
Since the fall of the Soviet Union in the late 20th century, there has been a revival of Cossack culture and pride in Russia and the former Soviet states. Russia has been turning to the Cossacks to help bolster security, even before Sochi was named as the host city for the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Last year, the governor of Russia's Krasnodar region -- where Sochi is located -- hired about 1,000 Cossack patrolman to rein in the surge of illegal immigrants, mostly Muslim, according to the New York Times.
"What you cannot do, a Cossack can," Krasnodar Gov. Aleksandr Tkachev explained to local police. His comments sparked an outcry from Sochi natives, minorities and migrants. Analysts say it is not a coincidence that the Cossacks' revival is taking place as nationalism and independence are on the rise in Russia.
This new role for the Cossacks has caused fear on the part of the global Zio-plutocracy. That's because some Cossacks are starting to demand more autonomy for Russia and blood-and-soil patriotism from Moscow "to support the process of the rebirth of the Cossacks."
