# Traditional Russian Weapons.



## arnisador (Nov 3, 2002)

What are the _traditional_ weapons associated with Russia? The Cossack sword comes to mind--what else?


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## Jay Bell (Nov 3, 2002)

The Cossack whip also comes to mind


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## NYCRonin (Jun 22, 2003)

The answr would depend upon many factors - the historical era, the section of Russia involved, and such.
Similar to all cultures - the everyday tools of farming and such could be pressed into combat mode. Sometimes the weapons captured from the invader became the tool of the warrior. The Mongol sword was used effectively at one time - the cruciform type sword of the crusade era was popular at another time. The shield was not only used defensively but also aggressively. The polearms -pike, mace and such - also commonly used, as was the spear and archery. The 'Rus', early Russians, used weapons that recalled their viking heritage.
   Pretty much whatever was in vogue during the time period of Europe in question.
  Overall though, the one common thread was the use of the knife, in many permutations, it was perhaps THE most common weapon through the history of Russian Martial Arts.


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## Rich_ (Jun 23, 2003)

The AK-47 springs to mind.

Blades of all sorts, especially the shashka (Cossack sabre)... But militarily, the spear was the mainstay of Russian armies for many centuries, more so than in Western Europe. 

NYCRonin - *Viking* heritage?


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## NYCRonin (Jun 23, 2003)

Long before there was a 'Russia', there was this vast land peopled by the 'Rus' - it is a facinating history and any post here will not do it justice. A web-search will do it justice though.
This 'vast land' had infulences from so many different types of culture - from northern european, roman and eastern - that the term 'traditional' is very hard to pin down.
AK-47? Well, thats a little to recent to be 'traditional' for me. 
Overall, culturally, the Russian warrior was very close to his knife (nosh) and may have been his most decorative and expensive weapon, regardless of whatever arm he might have used in actual warfare.
   Again, all forms of polearms were important...the pike moreso than the spear because of its use against the mounted combatant.


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## NYCRonin (Jun 23, 2003)

Hi Rich-
   I figured I would answer abit more compleatly about the Viking heritage thing.
   Tradition says the Viking Rurik came to Russia in C.E. 862 and founded the first Russian dynasty in Novgorod. The fact is that in the course of the 9th century, Viking tribes from Scandinavia moved southward into European Russia, tracing a path along the main waterway connecting the Baltic and Black Seas. The various tribes were united by the spread of Christianity in the 10th and 11th centuries; Vladimir the Saint was converted in 988. During the 11th century, the grand dukes of Kiev held such centralizing power as existed. In 1240, Kiev was destroyed by the Mongols, and the Russian territory was split into numerous smaller dukedoms. The Mongol Empire stretched across the Asian continent and Russia was put under the suzerainty of the Khanate of the Golden Horde. The next two centuries saw the rise of Moscow as a provincial capital and centre of the Christian Orthodox Church. 
In the late 15th century, Duke Ivan III acquired Novgorod and Tver and threw off the Mongol yoke. Ivan IV, the Terrible (1533-84), first Muscovite tsar, is considered to have founded the Russian state.
The rest is pretty much easy to research.


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## Rich_ (Jun 24, 2003)

Thanks, NYC. I've never heard of the Rus being described as Germanic; linguistically and physically is Slavic, a different tribal background altogether, more in line with the Black Sea peoples. Also, the old weapons and jewellery look very distinct from Viking cultural artifacts. IndoEuropean, yes, but so are Iranians.  I shall have a look around about that, anyway.

I know the Vikings traded with the Slavs, and all along the Danube.


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## Rich_ (Jun 24, 2003)

Just had a quick look on-line, I hadn't realised the Vikings were such a part of the early aristocracy. Or that the pagan beliefs were so closely tied. Thanks for getting me looking!


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## jellyman (Jun 24, 2003)

There was a CBC special on the Rus a year or two ago. At one point they were very much in demand as mercenaries and bodygaurds in the Middle East.


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## Disco (Jun 24, 2003)

Anybody mention an empty Vodka bottle


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## Klondike93 (Jun 24, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Jay Bell _
> *The Cossack whip also comes to mind  *



Brad came back from the Russia trip last year and that was his new favorite toy. Having that thing swung at you will help you move, it leaves a nice welt if you don't.


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## old_sempai (Jun 27, 2003)

Before coming to the States, my fiancee's grandfather served in the Russian Army under the Tzar, as a non-com - dont know what rank : Sargent or something.  Further, niether she or her other sisters or brother can recall him ever talking about anything exotic with regard to h2h type training, just rifle, bayonet, sabre [called a kindjal I think]......

However, the "history" of its heritage was interesting reading........ definitively creative in some aspects........ does it work?????????? Many will say yes........ but then so does a tank round at 2000 yards................

think I'll go back to rock climbing...............


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## NYCRonin (Jun 28, 2003)

Oh yeah, just remembered - the ax saw many incarnations as did the 'war-hammer'. The ax. spear and other longarms were pretty much the basic soldiers tools.


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