Participation of Ural (Yaik) Cossacks in annexation of Central Asia to Russia

The article shows the history of the participation of the Ural (until 1775 – Yaik) Cossacks in military campaigns in Central Asia and in campaigns to conquer it. Yaik Cossacks were the first Russians to make military campaigns in Central Asia. However, both of these campaigns, which took place at the very beginning of the 17th century, ended tragically for the Cossacks. During the reign of Peter I, Yaik Cossacks participated in the Khiva campaign of Bekovich-Cherkassky, but this campaign also ended with the death of the Russian detachment. For most of the 19th century, the Ural (former Yaik) Cossacks took an active part in expeditions to the territory of the Kazakh steppe, the purpose of which was to explore its territory in order to determine the optimal routes for future campaigns in Central Asia, as well as to select the sites of future steppe fortifications as intermediate points on the route and military support bases. In 1839–1840, they formed a significant (and best) part of General V.A. Perovsky's detachment, although this expedition also failed to achieve its desired goal. In the second half of the 19th century, military campaigns in Central Asia intensified sharply, and eventually this region was included in the Russian Empire. The Ural Cossack hundreds took an active part in all these military campaigns. For citation: Dubovikov A.M. Participation of Ural (Yaik) Cossacks in annexation of Central Asia to Russia. From History and Culture of Peoples of the Middle Volga Region. 2024, vol.14, no.4, pp.64–82. https://doi.org/10.22378/2410-0765.2024-14-4.64-82 (In Russian)