Ataman of Zabaikal Cossacks

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The Cavalry Captain Peter Collan (1824 - 1889) was elected as Ataman of Transbaikal Cossacks in 1872 in Tshita. He was not a Russian in ethnic origin but a Finn. Exactly speaking Finnish Swede. After serving in Imperial Russian Army he moved in 1859 to Siberia, married there a Volga German young woman and died in Jakutsk in 1889. A classic example of multi ethnic Cossack history. All this is documented in book "Suureen Itään" written by Max Engman and published by Siirtolaisinstituuutti 2005, Turku, Finland.

JN