2014 Winter Olympics: Russia

Igor Gurevich Dept: The southern Krasnodar province which includes Sochi, the site of the 2014 Winter Olympics launched Cossack patrols in September to crack down on Muslim migrants from the neighbouring Caucasus. Now they ve made it to the Russian capital, according to Globe and Mail. Tuesday s patrol was a test run on whether the group can become an armed and salaried auxiliary police force, with the power of arrest, patrol leader Igor Gurevich said and the Kremlin is seeking to use the once-feared paramilitary squads in its new drive to promote conservative values and appeal to nationalists. Cossacks trace their history in Russia back to the 15th century. Serving in the czarist cavalry, they spearheaded Imperial Russia s expansion in exchange for special privileges, including the right to govern their own villages. In the 2010 census, about 650,000 Russians declared themselves Cossacks. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.