On April 25, after months of public scandals and brawls, the Terek Cossacks elected a new ataman (chieftain). The Cossacks confirmed the only candidate for the position, Alexander Zhuravsky, as the new head of the Terek Cossack Force. The election of the new ataman was carried out against Cossack traditions, without alternative candidates or discussion. A week prior to his appointment as the head of the Terek Cossacks, Zhuravsky was elected to lead the Stavropol branch of the Cossack Force, but he is not considered to be a Cossack by descent (Kavkazskaya Politka, April 26).
The Terek Cossack Force dates back …read more
Source: The Jamestown Foundation