Meeting with the Cossacks of the Kharkiv Slobozhanzkiy district

We are very grateful to Gadzhiev Gamzat Ibrahimovich - the ataman of the Kharkiv Slobozhanskiy district, for organizing the meeting with the Cossacks of the Kharkiv Slobozhanskiy district. When we worked as volunteers in camp "Lastochka" for the orphans of Bogoduhiv, Kharkiv region, we invited our friends - the Cossacks.

The children were waiting impatiently for the arrival of their guests. As soon as the Cossacks arrived, the children ran out to meet them, showing their great interest through their warm welcome.

All the children of the camp gathered in the main room anticipating an interesting meeting. The children's eyes shone with curiosity. Most of all they liked the artifacts of the Cossacks: the hetman's mace, the Cossack's pipe, the nagayka, pyrnach and many others. Each of children wanted to touch the historical items of the Cossacks past. The children truly enjoyed putting on the Cossacks' costumes and to have their photos taken in them. Abornjev Viktor Nickolaevich told the children about the history of the Cossacks, showed the ceremony of initiation into Cossacks, and told about true Cossack friendship, mutual help and about the false myth pertaining to the "alcoholism of Cossacks" at the Sich.

I as a follower of the healthy way of life can't but mention about some historical facts that from my opinion are very prophetic for the present generation.

"Fifteen thousand of the Sultan's yanizars and forty thousand of the warriors of Crimea Khan set afoot. They aimed to approach to the Sich at Christmas, Sultan and Khan thought that at this time all the Cossacks would be busy with the holiday and they would be so drunk, that it would easy to get them without a hand's turn and ruin the fortes. But neither Sultan nor Khan knew that there was "dry law" at the Sich, and each who drank even cup of vodka, was bend to the post and beaten with willow. And in sea trips they threw drunken men over the board". Children listened to the lecture of Victor Nickolayevich with great interest and asked questions. Golovko Tatiana Petrovna told children about the history of Kharkiv and the history of the Kharkiv Cossacks. Her love of the native land overflowed from her and went straight to the hearts of her listeners.

Tretjakov Andrey Mikhailovich, Bozhko Andrey Nickolayevich, Kashoubin Oleg Andreevich and Uldanov Ramis showed children the Cossacks' art of guarding of the native land from the conquerors. Children could try themselves in shooting in improvised shooting saloon, this evoked their vivid interest.

The Cossacks presented sweets to the children. But the best gifts for the orphans were their guests' attention and interest, and their sincere wish to pay attention to every child. And the guests were glad that they could make the children happy, because there's nothing better than the eyes of a happy child.