Consulate General of the Russian Federation in the HKSAR, PRC
"The Couple" – Stylised Cossack Dance Costumes
The men’s costume is a dancewear inspired by the military outfit of a Terek Cossack. It features a tunic shirt, trousers, a traditional “Cherkeska” (a fitted coat), tall boots, and a “Papakha” (fur hat). The chest of the cherkeska is decorated with “Gaziri” - rows of ornamental tubes with metal caps, which historically held gunpowder for rifles. Interestingly, the last Gazir could contain dried meat, used as emergency rations. Cossacks were warriors who guarded the borders of the Russian Empire. Of about eleven Cossack hosts, the Terek Cossacks settled along the frontier with the Caucasus.
Cossack women’s clothing was practical and functional. Married women always wore their hair in a bun, covered with a piece of fabric (called a “Shlychka”) or a small wreath. Cossack women, or Kazachkas, were renowned for their independence, courage, and resourcefulness. They often managed households, farms, and communities while men were away at war. Skilled in embroidery, weaving, and costume-making, Kazachkas wore vibrant traditional dresses adorned with intricate patterns and bright colours, reflecting their regional identity and status. Women played a vital role in preserving Cossack traditions, songs, dances, and folklore, passing them down through generations. In times of conflict, many Cossack women bravely defended their homes and, on occasion, even fought alongside men.
Costumes are courtesy of Ms Svetlana Novotochinova and Mr Veniyamin Novotochinov of the Moscow Cossack Choir.