Terek Cossack Host

Part of the Cossacks in pre-revolutionary Russia quartered in the Terek region/oblast (present-day part of the Stavropol territory, the Kabardino-Balkar Republic, North Ossetia - Alania, Chechnya and Ingushetia, and part of Northern Dagestan) with the center in Vladikavkaz.

Remote ancestors of the Terek Cossacks were the Grebni (Greben) Cossacks that settled down on the Sunzha River in the late XV cent. through the first half of the XVI cent., as well as migrants from the Don that joined them.

The year 1577 when the Grebni Cossacks were successfully holding the line against the Crimean Tatars in the Tersky town (near the mouth of the Sunzha; present-day Kizlyar) was considered the official date of the foundation of the Terek Cossack Host. The Grebni Cossacks were resettled on the Terek River in 1712. The Agrakhan (later called "Family") Cossack Host was formed in 1722 of resettled Don Cossacks on the Agrakhan and the Sulak rivers. Three hosts (later called regiments) took shape on the Terek River in 1735: the Grebni one (formed of the first re-settlers' descendants); the Terek-Family one (formed of Don Cossacks); and the Kizlyar one (formed of Don Cossacks, Armenians, and Georgians). In addition, the Mozdok, Volga, and then Mountain regiments were formed in the 1770s of resettled Cossacks, Russian and Ukrainian peasants, Tatars, and mountain folk from the Caucasus. These were meant to defend the fortified lines which were under construction along the Caucasian border. The Terek region commanded by the chief of the Caucasus corps was created in 1806. The six Terek regiments were included in the structure of the Caucasus "line" Cossack host in 1832, which later also comprised the newly-formed Sunzha (1817) and two "Little-Russian" regiments (1831; these two were later renamed as Vladikavkaz regiments). The Terek Cossack Host was formed in 1860 including four regiments (Volga, Mountain-Mozdok, Sunzha-Vladikavkaz, and Kizlyar- Grebni).

The Terek region included four Cossack sections and six national districts in 1905; it was governed by the chief of the region (appointed ataman). The Terek Cossack Host had 2.15 million hectares of land, including 413,000 hectares of allotted communal stanitsa (Cossack village) land (11.9 hectares per one Cossack). The regional population numbered 1.36 million (1916), including 255,000 Cossacks. In peacetime in the early XX cent., the Terek Cossack Host put forward four mounted regiments, two batteries, two guard companies ("sotnias"), and ten crews (more than 5,000 men). Terek Cossacks took part in the Chigirin and Crimean campaigns in the XVII cent, the 1717 Khiva campaign, the Russo-Turkish campaigns in the XVIII-XIX cent., and the 1817-64 Caucasus war. During World War I in 1914-18, the Terek Cossack Host put forward twelve mounted regiments, two "plastun" (foot) battalions, two batteries, two guard companies, five reserve companies, and 15 crews (all in all 18,000 men).

During the 1918-20 Civil War, poorer Cossacks fought for the Soviet government, while better-off for the White Guard. The Terek Soviet republic existed on the Terek Cossack Host's territory from 1918 through early 1919. The Terek Cossack Host was abolished in 1920. The Terek-Stavropol Cossack division was formed in the Red Army in 1936. It took part in the 1941-45 Great Patriotic War alongside with other Terek Cossack units.

The Terek Cossack Host was restored in the 1990s. The host has been taking an active part in the counter-terrorist operation in Chechnya in the past few years.