(CNN) -- In their tall, fur hats and embellished traditional jackets, hundreds of Cossacks are patrolling the streets of Sochi, Russia, as the 2014 Winter Olympic Games approach. These Russian soldiers, whose ancestry dates back thousands of years, are known in the West for their gravity-defying dance style. Closer to home, the Cossacks have long symbolized rebellion and military might in Western and Southern Russia and Ukraine. That reputation was further enhanced by Russian literature giants Leo Tolstoy and Alexander Pushkin, whose writings contributed to the myth surrounding the Cossacks. But within their high hats is hidden a dark history.
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Russia has deployed Cossack soldiers to help with Olympics security
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The Cossacks were once known as the henchmen of Russia's tsars
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They fought against the Communist revolution and fell out of favor
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Since the fall of the Soviet Union, there has been a revival of Cossack culture and pride
During the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, the Cossacks fought for the @placeholder crown in regional wars against the Russian people, garnering a reputation as the tsars' henchmen.