History has been brutal

FROM a New Yorker who prefers anonymity:

“My mother was born in Kiev. I know about the Cossacks. They’re relevant to Ukraine today.

“Millions of Cossacks, Slavs and Turks — a nation within a nation — live in Russia and eastern Ukraine. The 15th century, serfs fought their masters for freedom. ‘Cossack’ means free people. Attacked by Tartars and Turks they became fierce warriors.

“For the tsar they killed entire communities of Jews and Roman Catholics in exchange for privileges. Known for cruelty during pogroms in Ukraine, they burnt shtetels and condemned those people to be penniless refugees — including my grandmother, who committed suicide.

“Thinking they threatened his regime, Stalin wanted Cossacks gone. Then Putin came to power and reconstituted Cossack military units, restored their regional authority, made them a subject of Russian adoration, encouraged their powerful militia and police units. The Cossacks became for Putin what they were for the tsar.

“To return Georgia and Chechnya to his new Soviet Union, Putin used heavy artillery, missiles, air raids to kill civilians. The Chechens fought back. Putin brought in the Cossack units who brutally defeated the Chechens. Cossack police were charged with maintaining control. UN resolutions were passed, sanctions were levied. Disregarding global criticism, Putin moved to his next target — Ukraine. The Cossacks are to Putin what the SS was to Hitler.

“Bodies lying in the street? Murdering children? Tortured civilians thrown into mass graves? For such barbarism and cruelty Putin and his Cossacks have to answer.”

A perfect getaway

ON-SCREEN, offscreen, the whole world is kill-maim-shoot ’em up. In his new film “Ambulance,” Jake Gyllenhaal robs a bank. Everything’s jake for Gyllenhaal. His getaway’s an ambulance. He says: “In my character’s family robberies and heists were normal. We end up three different characters in one small space going hundreds of miles an hour. Thrown around in a vehicle with sharp edges. The turbo-charged film’s a moral tale. Intentions are good, but everything goes wrong.”

Be the boss!

DIANE von Furstenberg: “Released from Auschwitz, my mother weighed 49 pounds. Her mother in Belgium fed her like a little bird, every five minutes a tiny bit of food. Six months later, her fiancé returned. She weighed 90 pounds — and I was born.

“Needed in life is confidence. I am 75. At 27, I made my famous wrap dress — 1,000 of them each week. That’s what made me. Gave me confidence. Made me a woman in charge. If you have a voice, experience, knowledge and use all to promote something good, it will work for you.

“To own your imperfections, they become your asset. If you own your vulnerability it turns into confidence. Rather than being delusional or hiding it, own it! Make the best of it. Being in charge is owning it.

“My mother would not allow me to be afraid. She said, ‘Fear is not an option.’ Fear is a handicap. Push the fear away then deal with whatever you have to deal with.”

Chew on that

NEXT election, Bice Cucina’s owner Peter Guimaraes says he’ll run for mayor on the Republican ticket. “This party-going, photo-going, TV-going, BS-going mayor should also be going. He’s fulfilled zero campaign promises.” . . . GALLAGHERS. One of the world’s best steak restaurants. Friday, 7 p.m. Pre-theater. Jammed. 10 p.m., still jammed. Not one seat available. Pandemic and nobody going out?

Dr. Marc Lazare, specialist in biometric dentistry: “In the country, this man dropped his front bridge down a kitchen drain. Some local doc brought a wrench, removed the bridge, re­cemented the teeth. Days later his dental bill was only $35, but his plumbing bill was $675.”

Only in New York, kids, only in New York.