Valentina Ivanova: "The Cossacks are to give a weighty utterance to provide peace"

The festival 'Cossack village — Moscow' took place for the fifth time last weekend in the Moscow museum-reserve of Kolomenskoye. Cossacks from all parts of Russia gathered in Moscow to participate in the festival. The organizers believe that this is the only event which so clearly reflects the rich heritage of the Cossacks. The motto of the festival is ‘‘Cossacks are the honor of the Russian land!’’ The rector of the Razumovsky Moscow State University of Technology and Management (First Cossack University), a member of the Council for the Cossacks under the President of the Russian Federation, Professor, Doctor of Economic Sciences Valentin Ivanov, spoke in an interview with Vestnik Kavkaza about the role of the Cossacks in Russia today. 

Is the First Cossack University participating in the festival?

- The university is participating in the festival 'Cossack village — Moscow' for the third time. This is the main event in autumn during the school year. The University built kurens, organized Cossack cuisine, the university presents our Cossack ensemble – the Theater of Cossack Songs. Cossack students arrived in the Cossack village from five regional institutions. The central Cossack army was represented by the Cossack Smolensk Regional Institute, the Kuban Cossack Institute, the Don Cossack Institute, as well as the Volga region. Certainly, the leading institution was the first in the column.

In recent days, the All-Russian Forum Cossack Unity 2015 took place in Stavropol. This forum was attended by Cossack students from the Don Cossack Institute, the Kuban Cossack Institute – the Kuban, Don and Terek Army. These three forces are seriously working now to ensure peace and safety in the Caucasus.

- One of the principles of the Cossacks is adherence to traditions. What role does the university play in this?

- At the time of the joining of the eastern lands, the Cossacks were developing the territory with the help of new technologies. It is an organization of agriculture, and certainly, processing of agricultural products. Our university is food oriented. We are preparing modern technologies, which process agricultural products. This sphere is extremely important for the Cossacks: both modern technologies and traditions. Because the Cossacks assimilated all the peoples of the Volga region, Siberia, the Far East precisely due to new, progressive technologies of production on the ground.

The Orthodox faith is an important part of the traditions. There is an open spiritual and educational center of the Cossacks for them in the university named after Cyril and Methodius. We conduct services. We have a confessor at the University. Spiritual and educational centers were established in all of our regional Cossack institutions. It is also one of the components of teaching, and research, educating and educational work for us, i.e. the Cossack environment.

- How are the Cossacks promoting intercultural and interethnic dialogue?

According to our most ancient history, the Cossacks always ensured peace in the Caucasus due to the serious mutual penetration of cultures. The penetration of cultures were based on dialogue. Kunachestvo was very popular. The Kunakovs were Cossacks and representatives of the peoples of the Caucasus. The interpenetration of cultures into everyday life, each other family, as well as family support, support of villages, and auls were implemented with the help of the Caucasus peoples. Therefore, the Cossacks were a major pillar of the tsarist Russia in order to ensure peace in the Caucasus. Now Cossacks are experiencing a regeneration. Of course, the main role is the union of cultures, unfolding a dialogue, as well as mutual support. It seems to me that the Cossacks will give weighty utterance to provide peace in the republics of the Caucasus.

- September is the beginning of the school year. How would you assess the results of the admission campaign?

There were a lot of candidates this year in the university. We received 30% more students than last year. All rectors note a demographic hole, but we don’t feel it, as the number of students is increasing. Moreover, we had a contest for the target enrollment of Cossacks. This year we have doubled the enrollment of students in the specialty of technology of meat and milk, meat products, dairy products, sugar technology and cooking oil. It means that the technological direction begins to take precedence over the direction of the humanities at the university. It also means that the food industry is developing. There are new jobs, and qualified personnel are in demand. And this is becoming known in schools. We conduct professional work together with employers. It brings us good results. I think we will have a weighty say regarding import substitution.

- What is the principle of admission? Is origin taken into account?

- We need a letter of referral from the Cossack Army confirmed by the Governor of the federal subject. It is a very high level.