Volga Cossacks

free cossack communities formed along the Volga by fugitive peasants during the 16th century. The Volga Cossacks took part in the campaigns of Ermak (Yermak) Timofeevich. A Volga Cossack army of 1,057 families, made up mainly of Don Cossacks and headquartered at Dubovka (north of Tsaritsyn), was formed in the 18th century, in connection with the creation of the Tsaritsyn fortified line in 1733-34. The Volga Cossacks participated in the Pugachev rebellion (in Russian, the Peasant War of 1773-75 Under the Command of E. I. Pugachev). In 1770 and 1777 a large number of Volga Cossacks were transferred to the Northern Caucasus, thus forming the Mozdok and Volga regiments of the Tersk Cossack Host, and the Volga Host was disbanded. Those Volga Cossacks remaining on the Volga were joined with the Astrakhan Cossack Host in the early 19th century.