Editing Cossacks (section)

=== Uniforms ===
[[File:Orenburg cossack.jpg|thumb|Cossack officer from [[Orenburg]], with [[shashka]], early 1900s]]
[[File:Siberian Cossack 190x.jpg|thumb|[[Siberian Cossack]] {{circa|1890s}}]]

Cossacks were expected to provide their own uniforms. While these were sometimes manufactured in bulk by factories owned by the individual host, families often handed down garments or made them within the household. Accordingly, individual items might vary from those laid down by regulation, or be of obsolete pattern. Each host had distinctive uniform colourings. Similar uniforms are in service today amongst the Cossacks of Russia.

For most hosts, the basic uniform consisted of the standard loose-fitting [[tunics]] and wide trousers typical of Russian regular troops from 1881 to 1908,<ref>{{cite book |first1=A. |last1=Ivanov|page=[https://archive.org/details/russojapanesewar00ivan/page/n46 45] |title=The Russo-Japanese War 1904–05 |url=https://archive.org/details/russojapanesewar00ivan |url-access=limited |isbn=978-1-84176-708-6 |date=2004-07-25|publisher=Bloomsbury USA }}</ref> and shown in the two photographs opposite. In marked contrast the two Caucasian hosts (Kuban and Terek) wore the very long, open-fronted, ''[[cherkesska]]'' coats with ornamental cartridge loops and coloured ''beshmet''s (waistcoats). These have come to epitomize the popular image of the Cossacks. Most hosts wore [[Papakha|fleece hats]] with coloured cloth tops in full dress, and round caps with or without peaks for ordinary duties. These caps were worn sharply slanted to one side by the rank-and-file of Cossack regiments, over hair trimmed longer than that of ordinary Russian soldiers. The two Caucasian hosts wore high fleece caps on most occasions, together with black felt cloaks (''burke'') in bad weather.<ref name=Shenk>{{cite book |last1=Shenk |first1=Colonel V. K. |year=1910–1911 |title=Tablitsi Form' Obmundirovaniya Russkoi Armi |publisher=Imperial Russian War Ministry}}</ref>

Until 1909, Cossack regiments in summer wore white ''[[gymnasterka]]s'' (blouses)<ref>{{cite book |first1=Borris |last1=Mollo |pages=[https://archive.org/details/uniformsofimperi00moll/page/140 140]–141 |title=Uniforms of the Imperial Russian Army |isbn=978-0-7137-0920-9 |year=1979 |publisher=Blandford Press |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/uniformsofimperi00moll}}</ref> and cap covers of standard Russian army pattern. The shoulder straps and cap bands were in the host colour, as detailed below. From 1910 to 1918, they wore a khaki-grey jacket for field wear. The dress uniform had blue or green [[breeches]] with broad, coloured stripes in the host colour, which were often worn with the service jacket.

While most Cossacks served as [[cavalry]], several of the larger hosts had [[infantry]] and [[artillery]] units. Three regiments of Cossacks formed part of the [[Imperial Guard (Russia)|Imperial Guard]], as well as the ''Konvoi''—the tsar's mounted escort. The Imperial Guard regiments wore tailored, government-issue uniforms, which were colourful and elaborate. For example, the ''Konvoi'' wore scarlet ''cherkesska''s, white ''beshmet''s, and red crowns on their fleece hats.<ref>{{cite book|first=Vladimir A.|last=Emmanuel|page=8|title=The Russian Imperial Cavalry in 1914|date=2 April 2013|publisher=Winged Hussar |isbn=978-0-9889532-1-5}}</ref> The Guard Cossacks of His Majesty and the Ataman's Guard Cossacks, both drawn from the Don Host, wore red, and light blue, coats respectively.<ref>{{cite book|first=Vladimir A.|last=Emmanuel|pages=18–19|title=The Russian Imperial Cavalry in 1914|date=2 April 2013|publisher=Winged Hussar |isbn=978-0-9889532-1-5}}</ref> The Combined Cossack Guard Regiment, comprising representative detachments from each of the remaining hosts, wore red, light blue, crimson, or orange coats, according to squadron.<ref>{{cite book|first=Vladimir A.|last=Emmanuel|page=17|title=The Russian Imperial Cavalry in 1914|date=2 April 2013|publisher=Winged Hussar |isbn=978-0-9889532-1-5}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Host
!Year est.
!Cherkesska (long coat) or tunic
!Beshmet (waistcoat)
!Trousers
!Fleece Hat
!Shoulder Straps
|-
| [[Don Cossacks]] || 1570 || blue tunic || none || blue with red stripes || red crown || blue
|-
| [[Ural Cossacks]] || 1571 || blue tunic || none || blue with crimson stripes || crimson crown || crimson
|-
| [[Terek Cossacks]] || 1577 || grey-brown cherkesska || light blue || grey || light blue crown || light blue
|-
| [[Kuban Cossacks]] || 1864|| black cherkesska || red || grey || red crown || red
|-
| [[Orenburg Cossacks]] || 1744 || green tunic || none || green with light blue stripes || light blue crown || light blue
|-
| [[Astrakhan Cossacks]] || 1750 || blue tunic || none || blue with yellow stripes || yellow crown || yellow
|-
| [[Siberian Cossacks]] || 1750s || green tunic || none || green with red stripes || red crown || red
|-
| [[Baikal Cossacks|Transbaikal Cossacks]] || 1851 || green tunic || none || green with yellow stripes || yellow crown || yellow
|-
| [[Amur Cossacks]] || 1858 || green tunic || none || green with yellow stripes || yellow crown || green
|-
| [[Semiryechensk Cossacks]] || 1867 || green tunic || none || green with crimson stripes || crimson crown || crimson
|-
| [[Ussuri Cossacks]] || 1889 || green tunic || none || green with yellow stripes || yellow crown || yellow
|-
|colspan="7" style="text-align: center;" | '''Source:''' All details are based on the 1909–1914 dress uniforms portrayed in coloured plates published by the Imperial War Ministry (Shenk 1910–1911).<ref name=Shenk/>
|}