in the former Soviet Union. Streltsy singular strelitz , plural strelitzes or strelitzi (Russian: стрельцы) (Russian strelets "bowman") (historical) Units of armed guardsmen created by Ivan the Terrible in the 16th century and later abolished by Peter the Great . Tovarishch also Tovarich (Russian: това́рищ IPA [tɐˈvarʲɪɕɕ]) (Russian archaic товарищ, tovarishch sense "business