The year is 1676, and a treaty has officially ended hostilities between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Ottoman Empire. Despite a serene sunset on the Dnipro river, the mood is tense for the Zaporozhian Cossacks. Renowned as one of Europe's most formidable military forces, they are in the midst of a power struggle. Alex Gendler outlines a day in the life of a Cossack soldier. [Directed by WOW-HOW Studio, narrated by Addison Anderson, music by Stephen LaRosa].

Alex Gendler: A day in the life of a Cossack warrior

A day in the life of a Cossack warrior

In 1676, Cossacks, Europe's formidable warriors, face a power struggle post the Treaty of Żurawno, striving for autonomy.

Cossack society, rich in diversity with Orthodox Christians, Greeks, Tatars, and Mongolian Kalmyks, showcases early multiculturalism.

The Cossacks, initially freedom fighters, evolved into the Russian government's enforcers, a stark transformation over 200 years.