The Serbian Hussar Regiment was a military unit of the Russian Imperial Army which predominantly consisted of Serbian colonists to Russia. This cavalry unit was in service from 1723 to 1783. Background Due to Rákóczi's War of Independence (1703–1711), the position of Serbian militiamen in the Military Frontier of the Habsburg monarchy was endangered. In 1704 the first Serbian attempts were made to offer their services to the Russian Empire in the latter's struggle against the Ottomans. Before the beginning of the Russo-Turkish War (1710–11) Russian Emperor Peter the Great invited Serbian militiamen and Serbs in general to join the Russian forces. During this period, a small group of Serbs, including Jovan Albanez, emigrated to Russia. A small Serb unit commanded by then-Captain Albanez distinguished itself in the Pruth River Campaign (1710–11), so Peter the Great decided to expand this unit and turn it into a separate Serbian Hussar Regiment. In 1723 Peter the Great sent Albanez to the Pomorišje and Potisje regions of the Military Frontier of the Habsburg monarchy to recruit additional Serbian militiamen. The invitation letter carried by Albanez was signed by Peter the Great on 23 October 1723. Every military men who emigrated to Russia with his wife and children would be granted arable land, while those who emigrated with larger numbers of people were promised additional privileges. Albanez was quite successful with recruitment. On 5 May 1724, Albanez reported from Serbia that he had recruited ten officers, including one colonel. According to some sources, 459 Serbs emigrated to Russia in 1724, and 600 in 1725. A detailed list of the military unit commanded by Albanez was made in 1726. Establishment and command staff In 1724 a military unit known as the Serb Command (), consisting of Serbian colonists, was established and put under the command of the Kiev garrison. Between 1724 and 1729, the Serbian Hussar Regiment was expanded and completed its organisational structure. In 1727 this military unit had 459 Serb hussars when it was established as a separate regiment, Serb Hussar Regiment, by the decision of Empress Anna. It was also known as the Old Serbian Hussar Regiment. Its first commander was Major Jovan Albanez; members of the command staff included Captain Jovan Stojanov, Captain Georgije Marjanović, Captain Teodor Petrov, and Lieutenant Stefan Vitković (later promoted to brigadier). The large-scale recruitment of Serbs from Austria was opposed by Austria and only smaller groups