The order of common good" -the first Cossack "constitution"

2016 marks 222 years since Cossacks of the Black Sea Cossack Host adopted a unique document "The Order of Common Good." After Cossacks had moved to the Kuban under the letters patent signed by Catherine II, there was a need for a specific legal regulation of Cossacks' life in new lands. Such a document was "The Order of Common Good" as a vivid example of Cossack self-government. The article examines the main provisions of "The Order... ", which were intended to unite the Cossacks for the benefit of the Motherland, for the glory of Russia. It is noted that this document should be seen as a monument of Cossack rule-making in the field of self-government, but also as a kind of handbook for current generation, thus, the continuity and fidelity to the traditions of their ancestors is evident.