“Services” of Kuznetsk Town - Service Cossacks on the Territory of the Byisk District in the Late 18th - Early 19th Century

Abstract

In the article the author used “Monthly Reports and Lists of Kuznetsk Town-Service Cossack Party Personnel Conditions” for 1812 to tell about missions of its members on the territory of the Byisk district. In this period in Western Siberia there were several fortified defense lines. They intended for protection the state territory from outward enemy. The district town Kuznetsk was a part of the structure of Siberian fortified defense lines. It had the permanent town-service Cossack party nearly from the early 19th century. By the facts according to 1812 the most members of the Cossack party did their service in the Biysk district. The Cossacks guarded the salt extraction territory on the territory of numerous salt lakes. Kuznetsk town-service Cossacks also did their service in towns and defense points of the district. Their responsibilities there were connected with guarding salt and other foodstuffs storages. By the facts according to 1812 the missions of the Kuznetsk Cossacks to Biysk district were continuous and lasted very often 5 and more years. There were some cases when Cossacks spent more than 15 years in such missions. Keywords: Siberian fortified defense lines, line-service and town-service Cossacks, near and distant missions, salt lakes, provision and salt repositories, salt storekeepers