The nagaika (russian: нага́йка, ) is a short, thick

whip A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally ...

with round cross-section used by

Cossacks The Cossacks , es, cosaco , et, Kasakad, cazacii , fi, Kasakat, cazacii , french: cosaques , hu, kozákok, cazacii , it, cosacchi , orv, коза́ки, pl, Kozacy , pt, cossacos , ro, cazaci , russian: казаки́ or ...

, borrowed from

Nogai people The Nogais ( Nogai: Ногай, , Ногайлар, ) are a Turkic ethnic group who live in the North Caucasus region. Most are found in Northern Dagestan and Stavropol Krai, as well as in Karachay-Cherkessia and Astrakhan Oblast; some als ...

, hence the original name "nogaika", or "Nogai's whip". It is also called камча, kamcha from the Turkic word "kamci" for "whip". The latter word is also used for short whips of

Central Asia Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes the fo ...

n origin. The nagaika was made out of leather strips by

braiding A braid (also referred to as a plait) is a complex structure or pattern formed by interlacing two or more strands of flexible material such as textile yarns, wire, or hair. The simplest and most common version is a flat, solid, three-strande ...

. It was possible to have a piece of metal at the tip of the whip. The main purpose of a nagaika was to urge a horse. A metal piece was used for defense against

wolves The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly un ...

. According to Vladimir Dahl's " Explanatory Dictionary of the Live Great Russian language", this nagayka was called ''volkoboy'' (волкобой, "wolf-slayer"). In modern times the descriptions of the military use of nagaika tend to be mythologized, and in the past the prime and predominant use was to drive horse. At the same time nagaika was known to be used against unarmed people, e.g., for corporal punishment or to disperse public disorders (e.g., during

Russian Revolutions The Russian Revolution was a period of political and social revolution that took place in the former Russian Empire which began during the First World War. This period saw Russia abolish its monarchy and adopt a socialist form of government ...

), so that a cossack with nagayka has become a symbol of tsarist oppression. In 2005 the

were reformed and armed with nagaikas in addition to other traditional weapons. In 2014, members of

Pussy Riot Pussy Riot is a Russian feminist protest and performance art group based in Moscow that became popular for its provocative punk rock music which later turned into a more accessible style. Founded in August 2011, it has had a membership of appr ...

were attacked by Cossacks wielding nagaikas and

pepper spray Pepper spray, oleoresin capsicum spray, OC spray, capsaicin spray, or capsicum spray is a lachrymatory agent (a compound that irritates the eyes to cause a burning sensation, pain, and temporary blindness) used in policing, riot control, ...

while protesting.

Gallery

References

External links

"Nagayka"
construction and technique (an excerpt from the book Г. Э. Адамович, Р. И. Федин
Владение холодным оружием (казачьи техники)
)
"Вольная станица"
design and kinds {{commons category, Nagyka Whips Cossack culture