Regimental holidays and the anniversary of His Imperial Majesty's Own Сonvoy in the space of historical culture of the Kuban and Terek Cossacks

Salchinkina Angelina Rostislavovna ORCID: 0000-0002-4692-5362 PhD in History Associate Professor; Department of History and Political Science; Kuban State Agrarian University named after I.T. Trubilin 350044, Russia, Krasnodar Territory, Krasnodar, Kalinina str., 13, room 308 eclipsis@yandex.ru Other publications by this author

The second half of the twentieth century was marked by the emergence of a new independent field of research in historical science – historical culture. It includes the totality of representations of a certain social group (or society as a whole) regarding its past, as well as all forms of construction, fixation, translation and functioning of narratives about the past in certain historical conditions.

Festive commemoration plays an important role in the space of historical culture. The degree of scientific elaboration of the problem is very multidimensional, the works of O. V. Gefner ^[1], E. E. Keller ^[2], V. L. Miner ^[3], I. V. Khokhlova ^[4] are of interest for this study. In general, in the presence of a variety of literature devoted to the festive culture of military units of the Russian Empire, this aspect has been studied partially and beyond the concept of historical culture.

In her research, the Siberian historian O. V. Gefner identified the main groups of holidays that were officially celebrated in the Russian army in the late XIX – early XX centuries ^{[1, pp. 77-78]}. Among these, the most numerous were the "royal days" associated with solemn events in the imperial family, and religious holidays dedicated to the most significant events of the Orthodox calendar and especially revered saints. Next came the official state holidays and decorations dedicated to the day of saints, in honor of which 8 highest awards of the Russian Empire were established. Anniversaries and annual celebrations of military units occupied a special place in pre-revolutionary military culture.

In this article, the focus of research is on the annual tradition of organizing regimental celebrations and jubilee celebrations of His Imperial Majesty's Own convoy. The study of the festive commemoration of the Cossack Guard from the perspective of the concept of historical culture is conditioned by the need to find effective mechanisms for preserving and modeling the collective historical memory of the modern Cossacks, including through the practice of celebrating memorable dates.

In the military culture of pre-revolutionary Russia, regimental days were important events in military units and were supported by official authorities due to their functional significance. They reminded of examples of faithful service to the Fatherland and raised morale, formed corporate consciousness and contributed to the development of a sense of military solidarity. Most often, the regimental holiday was celebrated on the memorial day of the saint, who was considered the heavenly patron of the unit or in whose honor the regimental temple was consecrated. Sometimes the regimental day was timed to coincide with an important historical event, first of all, a military victory.

An interesting situation has developed with the evolution of the regimental Convoy holiday, the description of which is reflected in the historical essay by S. I. Petin ^[5]. Initially, the Cossack Guard celebrated its day on December 6, when the Orthodox Church honored the memory of Nicholas the Wonderworker. This saint was especially loved both among the Russian army in general and the Cossacks in particular. The legendary attack of the Don and Black Sea Cossacks of the Convoy against the French cavalry at Leipzig in 1813, when the lives of three emperors – Alexander I, Frederick William III and Franz I were saved, became one of the heroic pages in the history of the royal guard. In 1861, in memory of this event, October 4 was established as the regimental holiday of the Convoy, and Hieromartyr Hierotheus of Athens became the patron saint of the Leipzig heroes. In 1867, 3 squadrons were allocated as part of the Convoy, two of which consisted of Cubans, and one of Terets. The former holiday of L.-gv. The Cossack regiment (December 6) passed to the L.-gv. Caucasian Terek squadron, the legacy of the Black Sea Guard (October 4) went to the L.-gv. 1st and 2nd Caucasian Kuban squadrons. However, it is worth noting that in office records, pre-revolutionary periodicals, historical essays by S. I. Petin and N. V. Galushkin, information about the celebrations of the regimental holiday of the Cossack Guard refers only to St. Peter's Day. Hierotheus.

In the structure of the celebrations dedicated to the "name days" of the Convoy, the main traditional elements can be distinguished: the highest review of the Cossacks, a prayer service, a ceremonial march, and an informal part. As noted by O. L. Orlov, a researcher of festive culture, knowledge of the festive ritual is not only a prerequisite for participation in celebrations, but also a feature of belonging to a certain group and its cultural tradition ^{[6, p. 37]}. Since the semiosphere of the holiday reflects the collective axiological attitudes of the convoys and ideas about the past, it contains a powerful integrating potential and an effective mechanism for introducing to enduring group values.

A distinctive feature of the regimental holidays of the Cossack Guard was the presence of the emperor and his family members at them. First of all, this was due to the fact that the Convoy occupied an exceptional position among military units due to its proximity to the first persons of the state. After the emperor accepted the commander's report, he walked around the formation of hundreds, congratulating each one separately. The wearing of the Cossack uniform by the last Emperor Nicholas II and Tsarevich Alexei was also symbolic, which demonstrated the unity of the monarchy with the Cossacks. In case the august persons could not attend the solemn event, congratulatory telegrams were read to the Convoy from them. By the regimental holiday, the Cossacks could receive special signs or financial rewards from the emperor. For example, in 1883, officers were awarded a gold breastplate with the monogram of Alexander III, a crown and a laurel wreath intertwined with St. Andrew's ribbon, the lower ranks had it made of white metal. In 1894, all Cossacks received a silver ruble.

The obligatory attribute of the regimental holiday was the liturgy and prayer service. For the Cossacks, who saw their mission in protecting the Faith, the Tsar and the Fatherland, he gave the event a sacred character and performed the functions of spiritual support. For the official authorities, religious ceremonies, which are a reflection of the state ideology within the framework of the Uvarov triad, emphasized the God-given authority.

The military component of the holiday was a ceremonial march, which demonstrated the cohesion and discipline of the convoys. As a rule, hundreds marched on foot, less often a mounted formation was added, as it was during the 1907 parade in the arena of the Uhlan Regiment. If the emperor was present, the ceremonial march ended with his words of gratitude. In 1913, in Livadia, on the occasion of the regimental holiday of the Convoy, Nicholas II addressed his guard with the following speech: "Cossacks, today 100 years have passed since the glorious battle of Leipzig, in which the Black Sea Division, your ancestors, covered themselves with unfading glory, for which EMPEROR ALEXANDER I granted him the St. George standard. I am sure that you and future generations of Cubans and Turks, being in the Convoy, will serve your KINGS and Homeland as valiantly and devotedly as your ancestors served, and thereby support the glory of MY Convoy. For further military glory and prosperity of the Convoy, for your health, Cossacks" ^{[7, l. 171]}. Further, the emperor thanked the officers for organizing a brilliant parade, and the Cossacks for conducting a well–done review. The official part ended with a wish of "toast" to the entire royal family and an enthusiastic "hurrah" from the convoys ^{[8, p. 2]}.

Similar memorable speeches, which the modern researcher of symbolic politics O. Y. Malinova refers to the class of epideictic rhetoric ^[9], were accompanied by all the regimental celebrations of the Convoy, which were attended by the emperors. Through the praise of previous achievements and the expression of hopes for further faithful service, the words of the monarchs conveyed the political values of the era and formed models for future actions of the addressees.

For the regimental holidays of the Convoy, an informal part was mandatory, during which a feast with sincere songs was arranged and toasts were made. It has also become a tradition to read out telegrams with congratulations that came from the emperor and members of his family, ministers of the imperial court, the Caucasian governor, atamans of the Terek and Kuban Cossack troops, former convoys, military units of the Russian army, representatives of the Caucasian peoples, etc. According to the preserved materials in the State Archive of the Krasnodar Territory, in the jubilee year of 1911 The convoy received 142 congratulatory telegrams ^[10], in 1912 – 71, in 1913 – 80 ^[7], in 1915 – 29, in 1916 – 62 ^[11].

If the regimental celebration was held in the presence of the Highest, the officers of the Convoy were invited to breakfast with the emperor. In his historical essay, S. I. Petin wrote that the festive feast at the Livadia Palace in 1909 was accompanied by a lezginka with daggers, songs of the choir and music of a military orchestra ^{[5, p. 314]}. In 1913, trumpeters of the Crimean Equestrian Empress Alexandra Feodorovna's regiment played during breakfast ^{[8, p. 2]}, and in 1916 the choir of the Convoy amazed the foreign military representatives invited to the holiday with the performance of the Cossack march "Together, harmoniously, loudly we bang, Cossack hurrah!" and five anthems of the states allied to Russia ^{[12, p. 268]}. Traditionally, the emperor raised a cup for the military glory and prosperity of the Convoy, thanking the former and current Cossack Guard troops for their service. Such informal feasts, filled with memories of long-term joint activities, contributed to the cohesion and unity of the convoys, and the presence of the monarch cultivated a sense of devotion to the throne.

Domestic and foreign political events could make adjustments to the procedure of the celebrations. The regimental holiday in 1894 was overshadowed by the illness of Alexander III. He passed quietly, praying for the health of the monarch. Despite the Cossacks' hopes for the emperor's recovery, caused by his telegram, 16 days later the imperial standard was lowered at the Livadia Palace, which announced the death of the Russian emperor.

Even greater changes could be made by military companies in which the Convoy took part. However, despite the extreme conditions of the war, they tried not to cancel the regimental holidays, since they were important for the official authorities and had a deep meaning for all ranks of the Cossack Guard. Such events made it possible to increase morale, realize the need to protect the Fatherland and gain confidence in the correctness of their work. At the height of the Russian-Turkish war in 1877, the Kuban people on the day of their patron saint St. Hierotheus conducted a successful reconnaissance of the area from Gorny Dubnyak to Telish, receiving a telegram from Alexander II the next day, in which he congratulated them "on the first battle and the divisional holiday" ^{[5, p. 213]}. For the Germans who stayed with the emperor in the village of Gorny Jelly, a real holiday was arranged – with a prayer service in the field church, a ceremonial march in front of His Majesty, breakfast for the lower ranks on the grass and words of gratitude from the sovereign "with a cup in the Sovereign's hand" ^{[5, p. 218]}. In 1904, the Convoy parade took place in Tsarskoye Selo in the presence of Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna. The emperor not only blessed the Cossacks for the campaign, but also thanked them "for the patriotic sacrifice" – the convoys transferred 3,000 rubles to the needs of the war and 1,000 rubles to strengthen the fleet. ^{[5, p. 306]}.

The most important occasions for festive commemoration in the military culture of pre-revolutionary Russia included the "round dates" of military units. The centenary of the Convoy was in 1911, however, preparations for it began long before the designated date.

In 1909, the Highest permission was granted to produce a jubilee standard for the anniversary of the Convoy, which until 1911, along with accessories, was stored in the Quartermaster's clothing warehouse in St. Petersburg ^{[10, L. 6, 155]}.

In 1909, the commander of the Convoy, Prince G. I. Trubetskoy, formed the jubilee commission under the leadership of Colonel S. I. Petin. Her task was to inspect and select the old uniforms, weapons and equipment of the convoys ^{[10, l. 9-9 vol.]}. With the permission of the emperor, it was supposed to show the historical uniforms of 9 officers and 9 Cossacks at the jubilee celebrations.

In 1910, a historical reference was compiled, which was traditionally prepared for significant events. The work was entrusted to the Convoy historian S. I. Petin, who had previously written a voluminous historical essay about it. A brief extract from the history began with the order of the Military Department No. 358 of 1904, which states that "The own E. I. V. Convoy enjoys the rights of the old Guard and seniority: the Kuban hundreds from May 18, 1811 and the Tersk hundreds from October 12, 1832" ^{[10, L. 13-19]}. S. I. Petin's reference recorded the official version of the appearance of the royal guard, which began with the formation of the L.-guards of the Black Sea Cossack Hundred. The historical review of 1891 was coming to an end, when 4 hundreds were allocated as part of the Convoy: 1st and 2nd Kuban, 3rd and 4th Tersk. In addition to outlining the main dates associated with the reformation of the Cossack Guard, S. I. Petin particularly noted the Battle of Leipzig, in which the Cossacks demonstrated their devotion to the throne.

The structure of the celebrations dedicated to the anniversary of the Convoy was practically the same as the annual regimental celebrations. The difference was in scope and solemnity. By organizing a large-scale event, the authorities demonstrated gratitude to their reliable support in the face of the guard and popularized military traditions among the public. In addition, as O. V. Gefner noted, in conditions of a lack of entertainment for the townspeople, the military holiday satisfied their need for spectacular events ^{[1, pp. 82-83]}.

The initiator of the festivities was the supreme power, so the participants of the anniversary celebrations were selected in advance. In 1910, the atamans of the Kuban and Tersk Cossack troops submitted a list of their delegates to the capital. According to the report of the commander of the Imperial Headquarters, Baron V. B. Fredericks, the Emperor approved the composition of the participants. Both the Kuban and the Terets had to send their atamans, chiefs of staff, one staff and chief officer each, as well as 6 Cossacks ^{[10, l. 46]}. As S. I. Petin wrote in his historical essay, "by the anniversary of the Convoy, the highest representatives of the combat Cossack forces of Kuban and Terek arrived from the Caucasus" ^{[5, p. 317]}, among whom were the governor of the Caucasus, Count I. I. Vorontsov-Dashkov, the ataman of the Kuban Cossack army, Lieutenant General M. P. Babych and the chief Chief of Staff, Major General A. I. Kiyashko, commander-in-chief of the Terek Cossack Army, Lieutenant General A. S. Mikheev and Chief of Staff, Major General F. G. Chernozubov.

The old convoys also arrived for the anniversary. Especially for them, in March 1911, an advertisement was placed on the first page in the newspaper "Kuban Regional Vedomosti". In it, the old-timers of the Convoy were informed about the holding of a memorial service at the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg on the eve of the holiday and about the parade with the Highest presence in Tsarskoye Selo the next day. Officers who served in the Cossack Guard were invited to the designated events: on May 17 – in ordinary uniform with mourning, on May 18 – in full dress ^{[13, p. 1]}.

The anniversary was not complete without memorable gifts from the emperor. A badge of the Convoy was made for all ranks that were supposed to be in service during the solemn parade. It was a "convex ancient Slavic shield", which was bound with 13 nails. The emblem depicted the imperial crown under the protection of a sword and the number "100 l" ^{[10, l. 38/8 vol.]}. In addition to the jubilee badge, the emperor granted the entire list of lower ranks of the Kuban and Terek Cossack hundreds of Convoys 1 silver ruble minted in 1911 ^{[10, l. 90]}.

The celebrations began on May 17, 1911 at 11:00 in the tomb of the Russian emperors at the Peter and Paul Cathedral. Wreaths of fresh flowers were laid on the tombs of the founder of the Convoy and his Imperial Chiefs Alexander I, Nicholas I, Alexander II and Alexander III and a memorial service was served. At 16.30 in The Alexander Palace began the procedure of nailing the jubilee St. George standard, awarded by the diploma of Nicholas II to the 1st and 2nd Kuban Cossack hundreds of Their Own E. I. V. Convoy ^{[14, l. 1–1ob.]}. In the Semicircular hall, around a table with a standard, the officers and lower ranks of the Convoy, headed by their commander, Prince G. I. Trubetskoy, settled down. In the adjacent Portrait Hall there were the Minister of the Imperial Court, Baron V. B. Fredericks, the commander-in-chief of the Caucasian troops, Count I. I. Vorontsov-Dashkov, Chief Marshal of the Imperial Court, Count P. K. Benkendorf, as well as delegations from the Kuban and Tersk Cossack troops. The emperor appeared in the presence of his children, while he and his heir, Tsarevich Alexei, were in the form of an Escort. After paying attention to each delegation, Nicholas II went to the Semicircular Hall. Crossing himself, he drove the first nail into the shaft of the new standard, then Tsarevich Alexei, I. I. Vorontsov-Dashkov, V. B. Fredericks, G. I. Trubetskoy, officers and lower ranks of the Convoy performed this procedure. The event ended after the emperor tied the jubilee ribbon and St. George's strap to the standard, handing it to the senior sergeant of the 2nd Kuban Hundred N. Popov for transportation to the Grand Palace. The emperor himself and his children went out on the balcony to look at a gift from the Germans – uniforms and a horse ^{[5, pp. 317-318; 15, p. 2]}. The gift was approved by the Emperor back in March 1911, when the chief of staff of the Terek army, F. G. Chernozubov, through the commander of the Convoy, G. I. Trubetskoy received permission to present the uniform of the Terek Cossacks to the August ataman of all Cossack troops, Tsarevich Alexei ^{[10, l. 66]}.

On May 18, the main anniversary celebrations unfolded – a parade with the Highest presence, the lighting of the standard and the oath of the Cossacks. A Convoy was built on the site of the Great Tsarskoye Selo Palace, on the left flank of which horsemen in historical forms stood out. I. I. Vorontsov-Dashkov, V. B. Fredericks, G. I. Trubetskoy, A.V. Rodionov and A. N. Grabbe were waiting for the emperor near the Zubovsky Gate. All the available seats around the venue were occupied by spectators. At 11:00, Nicholas II arrived with the Tsarevich in the ceremonial uniform of his Retinue, as well as his August daughters. After the report of the Convoy commander, the Emperor toured the Cossacks with congratulations to the sounds of the anthem performed by trumpeters of His Majesty's Hussar regiment. The "old St. George standard of the Kuban, awarded for Leipzig, a witness to the victorious battles of the last Turkish war" was taken to the palace with honors ^{[5, p. 319]}. The new standard was consecrated after the prayer service, while the edges of the cloth were held by the sovereign and the commander of the Convoy when sprinkled with holy water. The solemn procedure was continued by the oath of the Cossacks. After her, the emperor handed the standard to the kneeling G. I. Trubetskoy, who in turn handed it to the senior sergeant.

The jubilee ceremonial march was especially spectacular – 594 Cossacks, among whom 11 St. George cavaliers, marched in front of the emperor at a walk, trot and pace ^{[10, l. 125]}. After its completion, the emperor raised a cup for the honest and devoted service of the Kuban and Terek Cossacks of the Convoy, expressing the hope that "future generations will serve following the example of their glorious ancestors" ^{[16, p. 2]}.

The unofficial part took place in the Grand Tsarskoye Selo Palace. Staff and chief officers with their spouses, as well as old guards, were invited to breakfast with Nicholas II and his family^[1]. The round tables of the Large Hall were served for 180 people. According to the preserved in The State Archive of the Krasnodar Territory breakfast menu was served chicken hunting (French poulet chasseur), cucumber cream soup (French creme de concombres), jelly (French jelle de P rê-J alé R ichelieu), Ravigote sauce from fresh herbs (from French sauce R avigote), cold chicken (French poulardes froides prinlanniere), peaches (French pêches V ictoria), Paris ice cream (French glaces passienne), dessert (French Dessert) ^{[10, L. 40/5]}. The court symphony orchestra played during the meal. Before leaving for the Small Palace, the imperial family was photographed in the general officer group. For the lower ranks, the informal part consisted of lunch in the barracks and evening entertainment – cinema, fireworks and music ^{[10, L. 131]}.

On May 19, the jubilee jigging took place. At 16.00, the emperor and his children arrived at the Palace Square. The 70 best escorts contested 37 prizes among themselves, competing in exemplary chopping and jigging. Especially for the holiday, six 3-line Cossack rifles and the same number of 4-line berdanok were issued from the St. Petersburg District Artillery depot ^{[10, L. 89, 93]}. Having demonstrated "selfless prowess, a necessary companion of the Cossack holiday," the best riders received prizes from the hands of Nicholas II's eldest daughter, Grand Duchess Olga ^{[5, p. 322]}.

The evening of this day was no less eventful than the previous one. The Emperor took part in the consecration of the new building of the officers' assembly, built specifically for the anniversary of the Convoy according to the designs of architects V. A. Pokrovsky and V. A. Maksimov. After the prayer service, Nicholas II received deputations of the 16th Infantry Regiment of Emperor Alexander III, His Majesty's Own Consolidated Infantry Regiment, L.-guards. His Majesty's Cossack regiment, Kuban and Tersk Cossack troops. As S. I. Petin wrote in his essay, "the first ceremonial dinner of the Convoy in the new century of its service was distinguished by extraordinary enthusiasm" ^{[5, p. 323]}. Toasts were raised on it and everyday Cossack songs sounded. The evening ended with dancing and fireworks.

According to the official program of the Convoy's anniversary, May 19 became the final day in a series of festive celebrations ^{[10, l. 131]}. However, S. I. Petin mentioned the dinners that took place on May 22 at the officers' assembly and on May 27 at the house of Governor I. I. Vorontsov-Dashkov, thus completing the story of the jubilee celebrations honoring the 100th anniversary of the Cossack Guard ^{[5, pp. 323-324]}.

Thus, the festive commemoration of the Convoy's own E. I. V. played an important role in the development of the historical culture of the Kuban and Terek Cossacks. The festive dates were tied to events perceived by the convoys as valuable – this is the formation of the Black Sea Cossack Hundred in 1811 and its successful attack at Leipzig in 1813. The official authorities, being the initiator of the organization of regimental holidays and jubilee celebrations, pursued specific tasks - for the Cossacks demonstrated their favor by mobilizing military support the throne, for the public, showed the fighting power and strength of the state. At the same time, at the heart of the festive commemoration of the Cossack Guard, several key features can be identified – retroorientation, ritualism, collectivity, corporate value orientation and emotionality.

^[1] Alexandra Feodorovna was absent from the anniversary celebrations due to illness and Maria Feodorovna due to mourning.