Free Cossacks

Free Cossacks
Free Cossacks
	1st Congress of Free Cossacks (Chyhyryn, October 1917)
Active	1917 - 1918
Country	Ukraine
Allegiance	Ukrainian People's Republic
Branch	Free Cossacks
Type	Corps, territorial army
Role	infantry, law enforcement
Size	~3,000 (18 May 1917); 60,000 (at the 1st Congress of Free Cossacks)
Engagements	Ukrainian - Soviet War Yekaterinoslav Uprising; Arsenal January Uprising; Battle of Zhmerynka; ;
Commanders
Notable; commanders	Pavlo Skoropadsky

Free Cossacks (

Ukrainian Cossacks that were organized as volunteer militia units in the spring of 1917 in the Ukrainian People's Republic. The Free Cossacks are seen as precursors of the modern Ukrainian national law enforcement organizations such as the National Guard of Ukraine or the Internal Troops of Ukraine

.

The primary purpose of those militia formations was to provide security and civil order for the local population. The consolidation process of various smaller units started sometime in April near the town of

Kosh Otaman, who became the otaman of Kalnyboloto Kurin (company). Under this title, he was delegated to the 2nd All-Ukrainian Military Congress

in Kiev in June 1917.

Hryzlo was also one of the organizers of the 1st All-Ukrainian Congress of the Free Cossacks that took place on October 3, 1917 in the former Cossack capital of Chyhyryn. The congress elected the Hetman of All Ukraine, who became General Pavlo Skoropadskyi. Hryzlo was elected as the General Yesaul.

The Free Cossacks units distinguished themselves during the

Pavlo Skoropadsky

all Free Cossacks formations were officially dissolved.

References

^ Воспоминания : Конец 1917 - декабрь 1918 / Павел Скоропадский; [вступ. ст. В.Г. Черкасова-Георгиевского]. - М. : ПРОЗАиК, 2019. - 315, [5] с., [24] с. ил. ISBN 978-5-91631-282-9