The Cossackiad in the Ideology of the Cossacks of the Russian Diaspora: the Opinion of Historian N.I. Ulyanov

Abstract. For the first time, the creative heritage of the greatest thinker of the Russian emigration, the most famous representative of the second “wave”, historian Nikolai Ivanovich Ulyanov, dedicated to Cossack independence (“Cossackism”), is being explored. His work on resolving the national question in Russia is well known. At the same time, N.I. Ulyanov has a work “Cossackiad”, which analyzes Cossackian independence.
An unabridged draft of this article was found in the Yale University archives. The topic of studying Cossack ideology can also be seen in the correspondence of N.I. Ulyanov with historian S.P. Melgunov, editor-in-chief of the Russian Democrat magazine. All archival sources are being introduced into scientific circulation for the first time. A detailed overview of the historian’s views is given against the background of the history of the evolution of Cossackian ideology. Particular attention is paid to the American law on captive nations, which recognizes the independence of the mythical country of “Cossackia”. N.I. Ulyanov highlighted problems in independent ideology: the justification of a new pseudo-nation, the borders of the future “Cossackia”, relations with Ukrainian separatists. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of the racial origin of the Cossacks. Turkic, Caucasian, Germanic and other unscientific theories are discussed in detail. In the text of the article “Cossackiad” N.I. Ulyanov combines the tendencies characteristic of his work — a high scientific level and polemical sharpness addressed to the enemies of Russia. An analysis of the concepts of the historian and thinker of the Russian emigration convincingly demonstrates the relevance of the scientific and socio-political problems he raised

Keywords: Cossacks, falsification of history, Cossackians, separatism, Russian emigration, N.I. Ulyanov.