# The Cossacks — The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories character guide

> The Cossacks in The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories by Leo Tolstoy.

**Role:** minor

**Also known as:** Don Cossacks

**First appearance:** 0036-a-prisoner-in-the-caucasus

## Who they are

Frontier warriors appearing in Caucasian stories like 'The Cossacks' (not in this collection) and 'A Prisoner in the Caucasus'.

## In the story

### [The Raid](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/leo_tolstoy_short_fiction_se/chapters/the-raid)

Part of the raiding force, seen looting and setting fire to the captured village alongside infantry and dragoons.

### [Búlka and the Wild Boar](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/leo_tolstoy_short_fiction_se/chapters/b-lka-and-the-wild-boar)

Implied as the narrator's hunting companions who arrive later to help sew up Búlka and transport the boar and the injured dog.

### [Búlka and the Wolf](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/leo_tolstoy_short_fiction_se/chapters/b-lka-and-the-wolf)

An old Cossack suggests the creature was a witch who charmed the gun, influencing the group's interpretation of the event.

### [Búlka’s and Milton’s End](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/leo_tolstoy_short_fiction_se/chapters/b-lka-s-and-milton-s-end)

An old Cossack mishandles Milton, taking him to hunt wild boar instead of birds, leading to the dog's death.

### [Ermák](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/leo_tolstoy_short_fiction_se/chapters/erm-k)

Ermák's band of roving fighters, initially unruly and prone to robbery. They are persuaded to join the sanctioned campaign against Kuchum, forming the core of the conquering force.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/leo_tolstoy_short_fiction_se/characters/the_cossacks
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/leo_tolstoy_short_fiction_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/leo_tolstoy_short_fiction_se/characters