Terek Cossacks

In the Stavropol Territory, many settlements of Cossacks — villages-are mono-national and consist of Russian Cossacks. Even on the border with Chechnya and North Ossetia, only Russians live in Cossack villages.

In the villages of Stoderevskaya and Galyugaevskaya, Terek Cossacks live — a Cossack community living along the Terek River. The border between the Stavropol Territory and Chechnya runs along this river. The proximity to the border, especially with the Chechen one, leaves its mark on the history of the villages. Today, near the school, you can see a monument to the fallen helicopter during the Chechen campaign. There is a memorial sign on the lake about the sentries who were shot, and there is still a moat in the field that the Chechens dug during the escalation of the conflict.

For many years, Russian Cossacks and border people have been living in peace, sharing hunting grounds and traveling to each other on business. However, past events, cultural and religious peculiarities create invisible borders within one country.