Nagyka

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The Nagyka, nagaika, or nagayka (Russian: нага́йка; pronounced [nʌˈgajkə]) is a short, thick whip with round cross-section used by Cossacks of Russia, borrowed from Nogai people, hence the original name "nogaika", or "Nogai's whip". It is also called камча, kamcha from the Turkic word "kamci" for "whip". The latter word is also used for short whips of Central Asian origin.

The nagyka was made out of leather strips by braiding. Some nagykas had a piece of metal at the tip of the whip.

The main purpose of a nagyka was to urge a horse. A metal piece was used for defense against wolves. According to Vladimir Dahl's dictionary, this nagayka was called volkoboy (волкобой, "wolf-killer"). It was also used as a weapon in combat when other weapons were not available. Nagaykas were never listed among the weaponry, at the same time there existed a traditional form of hunting, when the chased animal (fox, wolf, etc.) was killed by a nagyka.^[1]

In the late Russian Empire the nagayka was perceived as a symbol of oppression, because in major cities Cossack regiments were used for pacification during civil unrest. In Finland it was the symbol of the Okhrana, the Russian secret police.^{[citation needed]}