As was arranged, "the Swedish family" of the don Cossacks before the advent of "spiritual scrapie"

The don Cossacks have always lived strong Orthodox families. In the XVI-XVII centuries monogamy was not the most suitable type of relationship in the Cossack few freemen and often practiced group cohabitation, when one woman was in a relationship with several men.

History of the don Cossacks is unique because the people of this community have never known tribal relations. Therefore, the legal status of any human being was not determined by blood, and belonging to such a structure, as the don army. Military Cossack way of life had control of all the processes in their society, including the institution of marriage.

Married a Cossack in the XVI—XVII centuries of ecah was a rarity, because my whole life the warriors held a dangerous long-distance hikes. In addition, affected by the fact that the Cossacks lived in the villages, towns and simovich, dominated by the male population and family life, there were no conditions.

The demographic problem is most often solved by military means — brides for themselves Cossacks "Snitch" in the campaigns in the Caucasus mountaineers, the Turks and the Persians. But family life organized few brides and grabbed everything. This has led to the emergence in the sixteenth century on the Lower don, the so-called group marriage.

It was a kind of family in which one woman served the needs of several men. In such alliances intimate life was free that suit absolutely everyone. The book is well-known ethnographer G. Nepatinka "the institution of the family in the customary law of the don Cossacks (of the XVI — beginning of XX centuries)" detailing unusual for Orthodox Christians relationship.The author writes that the life of the don Cossacks did a couple's marriage is almost impossible. Family values are a little worried about swashbuckling warriors who conducted most of his life in wars and campaigns. Group marriages appeared on the don in a very difficult time, when he began a serious confrontation of the Cossacks with the Turkic world.

The don army was in constant wars with Astrakhan, Kazan, Siberia khanates and the raids of the Tatars on Cossack towns and villages were common. The enemy were driven into slavery of women and children, were killed men were subjected to looting and destruction of the economy.

Negative impact of these raids was reduced by the creation of a small dispersed communes — "sum", consisting of 10-20 people. Their members have a common household and, if necessary, has joined forces with neighbors to fight the common enemy.

Housing for large families were large tents or huts. In the center of the room was equipped with a hearth, which was crowned with a large pot. Capacity for cooking were selected by the volume under the number of consumers and it has always been a key symbol of the Cossack family.

All household work in "scrip" was performed by a woman. She cooked, sewed, cleaned, and in addition was the mistress for all the men of the commune. At birth no one wondered about the determination of paternity and, in General, the children were not too anxious.

For procreation, in the words of Rigelman, the don were some boys with good health, which he grew up, he joined the don army. This cruel artificial selection has led to an overabundance of men in Cossack villages and only contributed to the "group marriage".

Enemies, attacking settlements of Cossacks, took their women with them, and likewise during his military expeditions did the inhabitants of the Lower don. In the village were brought from a distant and not very edges of Circassian women, kolmychek, Persians, Turkish women, who became wives of the Cossacks. One of the historical sources describes the results of the military campaign of 1635 as follows: "with Ochakovskoe Braids and Chubura drove almost 1750 captives".

It so happened that the don Cossacks were freed of their previously abducted women. This was done not only by force but by diplomacy. Even if Kazachka already managed to give birth to a Gentile, it didn't quit and took them home.After the Cossacks in 1671 swore allegiance to the Tsar of Muscovy and, in fact, lost its independence in their environment gradually began to infiltrate the practices adopted in Central and Northern Russia. Significantly increased and the influence of the Orthodox Church, which could not tolerate the existence of a Cossack of "megamouth".

The barbarous customs began to leave in the past and the women in the villages became more and more. This contributed to the fact that the majority of the Cossacks settled and started to live a normal monogamous families. With this began to emphasize fatherhood. Children are divided into legitimate (legitimate) and illegitimate (amazed rights).

Despite the obvious improvements, monogamous marriage, the don Cossacks did not give this much importance, as in other regions of Russia. Marriage and its termination occurred quickly and without any ceremonies. To create a family man had enough of public approval that he could get at the Cossack circle (the square) — the General meeting of the men of the village or town.

The so-called Maidan vow turned into a real wedding tradition. Divorce also took place with the approval of the brotherhood. Cossack explained at the Cossack circle, why do not want to live with his wife and, after hearing it, the Maidan was decided. Present then the wife could not lose time in vain, to find a new husband. The man who wanted to take rejected Cossack girl in wife, according to the custom overshadowed the hollow of her coat, showing her their rights.

It so happened that the reason for the divorce was becoming dangerous military campaign that promised to a Cossack certain death. In this case, the husband asked the Cossack circle the question: "Who will marry my wife and children?". Almost always among the cities, there were those who were willing to take responsibility in case of death of husband.By the mid-eighteenth century, a free pair of marriages in Cossack villages were completely supplanted by the Patriarchal Church. Divorce began to be censured, and was allowed to marry more than three times. After the wedding, the couple stayed in the family home, where he formed a small Patriarchal community of three generations of couples who jointly led the household.

Family nest, the young couple left only after it has gained financial independence and were able to build their home and to acquire the economy. But the link between generations is not torn, and it was decided to help each other in the most various everyday issues.

In patriarchale Union, the dominant role played by the eldest male in the family, and the second place was given to his wife. The elderly usually operated domestic issues, which were more knowledgeable than the young. Cossacks were not powerless in this society and their opinion in a family was considered. This is not surprising, because on the shoulders of women were economic Affairs, agriculture and education of the new generation. The Cossacks had often been harsh, independence and took important decisions.

At the end of the XVIII century on-don was dominated by a cult of the family, to the choice of the couple approached very seriously and the divorce and flippant attitude to marriage strongly censured. Despite this there is some evidence that in the nineteenth century some where Cossacks lived Sumy and had a total wives. But it was the exception rather the rule.