cossacks of the host organized into Kish. Kish is an old term for a reinforced camp that was used in 11th-16th centuries and later adopted by cossacks. Kish was the central body of government in Sich under jurisdiction of which were administrative, military, financial, legal, and other affairs. Kish was elected on annual bases at the Sich Rada (Black Rada). Black Rada was a council of all cossacks. Kish election were taken place either on January 1, October 1 (Intercession of the Theotokos holiday - Pokrova), or on the 2nd-3rd day of Easter. There was a cossack military court, which severely punished violence and stealing among compatriots, bringing women to the Sich, consumption of alcohol in periods of conflict, etc. There were also churches and schools, providing religious services and basic education. Principally, the Eastern Orthodox Church was preferred and was a part of the national identity. In times of peace, Cossacks were engaged in their occupations, living with their families, studying strategy, languages and educating recruits. As opposed to other armies, Cossacks were free to choose their preferred weapon. Wealthy Cossacks preferred to wear heavy armour, while infantrymen preferred to wear simple clothes, although they also occasionally wore mail. At that time, the Cossacks were one of the finest military organizations in Europe, and were employed by Russian, Polish, and French empires. Kurins of the Zaporozhian Host Levushkovsky Plastunovsky Dyadkovsky Bryukhovetsky Vedmedovsky Platmyrovsky Pashkovsky Kushchevsky Kyslyakovsky Ivanovsky Konelovsky Serhiyevsky Donsky Krylovsky Kanivsky Baturynsky Popovychevsky Vasyurynsky Nezamaikovsky Irkliyevsky Shcherbynovsky Tytarovsky Shkurynsky Kurenevsky Rohovsky Korsunsky Kalnybolotsky Humansky Derevyantsovsky Stebliyivsky-Higher Stebliyivsky-Lower Zherelovsky Pereyaslavsky Poltavsky Myshastovsky Minsky Tymoshevsky Velychkovsky Beside the above-mentioned kurins there also was a great number of other kurins outside the Host. Cossack Regalia (Kleinody) The most important items of the host were the Cossack Kleinody (always in plural; related to Imperial Regalia) that consisted of valuable military distinctions, regalia, and attributes of the Ukrainian Cossacks and were used until the 19th century. Kleinody were awarded to Zaporozhian Cossacks by the Polish king Stephen Báthory on 20 August 1576 to Bohdan Ruzhynsky, among which were khoruhva, bunchuk, bulawa "mace" and a seal with a coat of arms on which was depicted a cossack with a samopal "rifle". The kleinody were assigned to hetman's assistants for safekeeping, thus there have appeared such ranks as chorąży ("flag-bearer"), bunchuzhny ("staff-keeper"), etc. Later part of Cossack kleinody became pernaches, timpani (lytavry), kurin banners (badges),