Cossacks at the Door

Cossacks at the door
In 1667 a Turkish army crossed into southern Russia. The local Cossacks made a victorious battle stand and defeated the Turkish army. After his army's loss, the Turkish leader sent a note to the Zaporozhian Cossacks demanding their surrender. Hah!

Now, I have to tell you that my mother's own family had dealings with both Cossacks and Siberians in previous generations, and both groups of peoples were ruthless folks who lived a hard life on the steppes and icy wastes. Life was cheap to people such as they, and a heady sense of victory must have been flowing through their blood when they responded with their own letter which for the sake of decency I cannot reproduce here. If you wish to read this letter, I suggest you go over to Turban Bomb to read the complete letter replete with expletives from a group of fellows who are luxuriating in the fact of being alive still, when so many had lost theirs.


Ilya Repin made a painting of the jubilant Cossacks writing their letter to the Sultan. I find this painting to be very interesting, and the more I study it the more little details pop out at me. The bandaged heads and bodies are obvious, but later, bandaged fingers emerge, and fellows missing teeth and eyes. The weapons are splendid. And actually what gets me the most, these fellows look so much like some old friends of mine from my motorcycle riding days, except we had more hair on our heads.