Translated material
What are "Cossack patrols"?
I would like to return to the Cossack patrols of the Krasnodar region. Fate again brought me together with representatives of the “people's squad”, called Cossacks. And unlike the previous meeting, this one was much more interesting and informative.
I noticed the Cossacks next to a stationary traffic police post in the center of Krasnodar. And since I had a little time, I decided to contact them with a couple of simple questions. The “law enforcement officers” reacted calmly to the journalist’s ID and asked only not to ask provocative questions. I assured the Cossacks that I was only interested in good intentions and proceeded with an unplanned interview.
As it turned out, after several months of work of the “Cossack patrols”, residents of the Krasnodar Territory have already become accustomed to them. They show documents, respond to comments and, in principle, are happy with the existence of such a squad. The “Cossack army” is headed by the ataman, who is also the deputy governor of the Krasnodar Territory. He is the same person who signs the nice certificates issued to the Cossacks.
Judging by the ID, the Cossacks are regulated by Law No. 10 of the Krasnodar Territory, which allows them to assist police officers in the field of law enforcement. The ranks of the Cossacks, as the “watchmen” explained to me, are equivalent to special ranks. I spoke with the captain and his assistant warrant officer. They were not assigned length of service, but their work experience is increasing. All of them are officially hired and receive a salary that is “no less than the salary of a police officer.”
In total, 1,250 Cossacks “work” in the Krasnodar Territory, and there are no plans to recruit more. Getting a job like this, as it turns out, is not easy. You need to have “Cossack experience” and be clean before the law, otherwise they won’t hire anyone. And when I asked why a structure duplicating the police was needed, the brave Cossacks waved their forelocks towards the regional administration with the words: “You need to ask questions there, they understand better there.”
Krasnodar itself “serves” about 300 people. As a rule, interacting with police patrols in crowded places. To be honest, I still don’t understand why the Cossacks were assigned to the traffic police post.
— How do people react to you?
- Differently. At first it was very difficult, but then they began to respect me. We don’t take bribes, we don’t bully anyone. We don’t just ask questions. We’ve been working since September, and the streets have become calmer.
— How do you feel about the fact that you were placed as a “buffer” between guests from the Caucasus and the local population?
- How do we feel about it? Everything is so, Stavropol region, over there, has already been lost. We have to restrain them somehow.
- So what happens? How do you influence them?
— It turns out (laughs). We have methods of influence.
The Cossacks did not go into details, but judging by the intonation, the methods are still the same, and despite the fact that perhaps this is really necessary, I again wonder: will this not eventually develop into an ethnic confrontation?