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Pavel Golovkin / AP
Two Cossacks, right, watch pedestrians passing by as they patrol Belorussky railway station in downtown Moscow on Nov. 27, 2012.
The Associated Press reports
Pustem Adagamov / AP
Patrol leader Igor Gurevich speaks to the media at Belorussky railway station on Nov. 27, 2012.
— Renowned for their sword-fighting prowess and anti-Semitism in czarist Russia, the Cossacks are taking on new foes: beggars, drunks, unlicensed traders and improperly parked cars.
With the approval of city authorities, eight Cossacks clad in traditional fur hats and uniforms patrolled a Moscow train station on Tuesday looking for signs of minor public disturbances.
Patrol leader Igor Gulichev compared his forces to the Texas Rangers, the elite law-enforcement body in the U.S. state.
"They are just like Cossacks, and they work for the government, but they're welcomed with open arms. How come this should be allowed in America, but not in Russia, with our rich Cossack traditions? We're like Chuck Norris!" Gulichev said. Read the full story.
Pavel Golovkin / AP
Two Cossacks watch pedestrians passing by as they patrol Belorussky railway station on Nov. 27, 2012.
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It looks like they might be of some use as far as helping keep minor problems from disturbing the public, but until the government is willing to publicly back them up and actually pay them for their services, this looks to be only a flashy show without any real substance.
If as the full article mentions the government will reinstate the Cossacks to their full prior status, then perhaps the people will see some changes, including Muslims being removed from the Capital where they have now recently immigrated and are causing problems. However, with splinter groups already getting politically involved, it is really anyone's guess what will happen.