In his book, the famous writer-historian Valery Shambarov presents the reader with the full history of the Russian Cossacks, devoting much of his political role to the fate of Russia from ancient times to the present day. The book tells about the birth of the Cossacks, about Cossack traditions, about faithful service to the Fatherland, about the terrible times of the Cossack genocide under Soviet rule. This unique book will be of interest to everyone who is not indifferent to the history of Russia.