the census meant that only Cossacks who are in active service were treated as such, and at the same time, 300,000 families are registered by the Kuban Cossack Host. Kuban Cossacks not politically affiliated with the Kuban Cossack Host, such as the director of the Kuban Cossack Choir Viktor Zakharchenko, have maintained at various times a pro-Ukrainian orientation. Organisation Early 20th century Within the Empire, the Kuban land was administered through the Kuban Oblast with a semi-military administration. It was composed of seven subdivisions (), and numbered 1.3 million people (278 and 32 ). Kuban Cossacks formed regular units of the Imperial Russian Army as listed below. The following lists the structure prior to the outbreak of World War I, although this was re-organised during the conflict (see foot-note). In peacetime the Host provided 10 horse regiments making up a Kuban Cossack division, six plastun (infantry) battalions and six horse-artillery batteries; in addition to irregular and support units. The "first" regiments were linked to the specific locales that they were recruited from, although they would often be deployed elsewhere in the Empire. In wartime, recruits were drafted from each region to form "second" regiments during the stage of initial mobilization. If further manpower was required, a "third" regiment would be formed to be dispatched as reinforcements. During World War One a total of 37 horse (cavalry) regiments were raised by the Kuban Cossack Host. Regiments: 1st and 2nd Kuban Life Guard sotnias of His Imperial Majesty's personal convoy (a special unit of the Imperial Guard acting for personal protection of the monarch) 1st Khopyor regiment "Her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna" 1st Kuban regiment "General Field Marshal Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich" 1st Zaporozhian regiment "Empress Catherine the Great" 1st Yekaterinodar regiment "Kosh Ataman Chepiga" 1st Poltavskaya regiment "Yekatrinoslav Viceroy General Field Marshal Prince Potyomkin-Tavrichesky" 1st Umanskaya regiment "Brigadier Golovaty" 1st Taman regiment "General Bezkrovny" 1st Laba regiment "General Zass" 1st Line regiment "General Velyaminov" 1st Black Sea regiment "Colonel Bursak" Divisions: Kuban Cossack Division (after the outbreak of World War I, the Russian Army began reforming this system along modern lines, but only one division was in existence in 1914) Plastuns: 1st Kuban plastun battalion "General Field Marshal Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich" 2nd through 6th Kuban plastun battalions As noted the plastun units served as infantry. On mobilization an additional six battalions (numbered 7th through 12th) were added to