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Cossack
Makieh Chichkine (Astrakhan)

The Slav soul, of which it seems all has been said, is found complete, exotic and striking, in the pure face of this young man. The Cossacks are decidedly not only bearded giants, launched at an infernal gallop on their little horses, slashing and whipping with equal strength enemy squadrons and rioting crowds. One also finds among them, spiritual souls, mystical and gentle, eyes lit by visions of peace, their minds full of the gospel of Yasnaya Polyana (see in Wikipedia). When the big day came, these men were not the last to respond to the Tzar's call, nor the least keen to fight, nor the least heroic facing death. Under astrakhan hats, their head is held high under the storm. And, now at the time when their country faces dark times, what do they think of those beautiful fraternal doctrines whose sinister caricature terrifies the world?