Gorodovye Cossacks

Gorodovye Cossacks 

cossacks who did garrison and border duty on the fortified lines along the southern and eastern frontiers of the Russian state in the 15th through 17th centuries. The government enlisted the services of the cos-sacks for the settlement of the borderlands because of their daring and skill in military matters. They were paid a salary and given land allotments. The cossacks who entered the service in detachments (stanitsy, large cossack villages) retained their elected atamans, who were subordinate to the cossack chief or to the municipal voevoda (military commander). The gorodovye cossacks served on horseback, with their weapons and supplies. Their number was fixed at 5,000–6,000 men, but by the 1680’s it had increased to 7,000. In the 18th century, the gorodovye cossacks became a part of the odnodvortsy.

REFERENCE

Chernov, A. V. Vooruzhennye sily Russkogo gosudarstva v XV-XVII vv. Moscow, 1954.