The first Russians who came to Yugorskaya land were the Cossacks. 420 years ago they came to the Eastern Siberia under the command of a legendary voevode Ermak, joined Siberia to Russia and started an uneasy developing of this rebellious land. The tsar Ivan the Terrible gave a special status to the Cossacks in Siberia, a proud name - a Siberian Cossack army.

The Cossacks convoyed the mail, convicts, guarded towns and villages. They managed to organize farming, to create safe and cozy atmosphere for their families. The Cossacks of Siberia represented one of the most active and well-to-do social classes living on the territory of Russia.

The Siberian Cossack army officially begins its existence since the first Cossack settlements in Siberia of 1582. As an independent army it was founded in 1808. In the beginning of XX century the Cossack army occupied the territories of contemporary Altai republic, Omskaya, Kemerovskaya, Novosibirskaya, Tomskaya, Tyumenskaya, Kurganskaya oblasts of the Russian Federation.

In 1913 there were more than 130 000 people in the Siberian Cossack army. The capital was Omsk, where all main military institutions were situated. After the monarchy was overthrown the Cossack army took a waiting position. Later it became important again in 1941 when it immediately began fighting against fascism occupants. A lot of famous military leaders were Cossacks. After the war the Cossacks helped restore the national economy.

In 1995 the President of Russia passed a law "About the state list of the Cossacks' communities in the Russian Federation". After that the revival of the Cossacks began.