VENKOV A.V. The Don “Golden Youth” and Its Socialization. 18th Century
- Details
- Hits: 40
- item->id; ?>
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15688/jvolsu4.2026.3.1
Andrey V. Venkov,
Doctor of Sciences (History), Professor, Chief Researcher, Laboratory of the Cossacks, Federal Research Centre the Southern Scientific Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Chekhov St, 41, 344006 Rostov-on-don, Russian Federation,
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4455-2822
Abstract. Introduction. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Don Cossack elite established their informal oligarchic rule on the Don. To strengthen their power, the starshyna made extensive use of matrimonial ties and, contrary to law and custom, nominated their own children. As a result, the so-called “golden youth” appeared, who from a young age received high ranks and were appointed regimental commanders but overwhelmingly could not cope with their duties. Materials and methods. In this study, the anthropological approach plays a leading role. An analysis of the lives and activities of Don’s “golden youth” is conducted. The main source is the service record, which includes information about fines and punishments, property status, marital status, and literacy levels. Analysis. In the middle of the 18th century, the Don “starshinas” united into an advisory, executive, and judicial body called the Voyskovaya Kantselyariya. Formally, the title of “starshina” was awarded by the Voyskovoy Krug for personal achievements. However, in the 18th century, there were frequent instances of the assignment of the title “starshina” to the children of those very same starshinas, often at a very young age. At the request of respected representatives of the Cossack elite, the Army Circle awarded starshina ranks to their children immediately upon their entry into service. A larger group of the Don elite took a different approach. Their children enlisted in the service at an early age and were promoted to the rank of “starshina” within a few years. Their achievements were more significant than those of the first group of “golden youth,” as many of them spent their childhood and youth in the Cossack regiments. This practice was especially widespread under the atamans S.D. Efremov and A.I. Ilovaysky. Conclusions. The narrow circle of the elite, which maintained unity through marriage alliances, resulted in a weak and unstable offspring. Very few members of the “golden youth” achieved the rank of general in the Russian army during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, when the values of the Don elite underwent significant changes.
Key words: Cossacks, Cossack elite, “golden youth”, assignment of titles, oligarchy, matrimonial ties.
Citation. Venkov A.V. The Don “Golden Youth” and Its Socialization. 18th Century. Vestnik Volgogradskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Seriya 4. Istoriya. Regionovedenie. Mezhdunarodnye otnosheniya [Science Journal of Volgograd State University. History. Area Studies. International Relations], 2026, vol. 31, no. 3, pp. 6-15. (in Russian). DOI: https://doi.org/10.15688/jvolsu4.2026.3.1
The Don “Golden Youth” and Its Socialization. 18th Century © 2026 by Venkov A.V. is licensed under CC BY 4.0 
 1_Venkov.pdfURL: https://hfrir.jvolsu.com/index.php/en/component/attachments/download/4090 | 52 Downloads |