Hereditary and personal nobles. nobility in russia

Where did the nobility in Rus' come from?

The word "noble" literally means "a person with princely court" or "court". The nobles were taken into the service of the prince to carry out various administrative, judicial and other assignments. In the system of European ideas, the top of the Russian nobility of that time is a kind of analogue of the viscountcy.
[edit] History
In the XIII century, the nobles constituted the lowest stratum of the nobility.
The nobility in Russia arose in the 12th century as the lowest part of the military service class, which constituted the court of a prince or a major boyar.

Code of laws Russian Empire defined the nobility as an estate, belonging to which “is a consequence of the quality and virtue of the men in charge in antiquity, who distinguished themselves by merit, by which, turning the very service into merit, they acquired a noble name for their offspring. Noble means all those who are born from noble ancestors, or who are granted this dignity by monarchs.

From the XIV century, the nobles began to receive land for their service: a class (landlords) appeared. They were later allowed to purchase land.

Rise of the nobility
The rise of the nobility is associated with the reign of Ivan the Terrible. Inspired by the ideas of the nobleman Peresvetov, the tsar set out to build a centralized monarchy (autocracy) based on the nobility, which meant fighting the old (boyar) aristocracy.

In February 1549, the first Zemsky Sobor took place in the Kremlin Palace. Ivan IV delivered a speech there. He publicly accused the boyars of abuse of power and called on everyone to work together to strengthen the unity of the Russian state.
In 1649, the nobles received the right to perpetual possession and an indefinite search for fugitive peasants.
In 1722, Emperor Peter the Great introduced the Table of Ranks - a law on the order of public service, based on Western European models.
According to the Table, the award of old (boyar) aristocratic titles was terminated, although they were not formally canceled. This was the end of the boyars. The word "boyar" remained only in folk speech as a designation of an aristocrat in general and degenerated to "master".
The nobility as such was not the basis for occupying the rank: the latter was determined only by personal length of service. “For this reason, we do not allow anyone any rank,” Peter wrote, “until they show us and the fatherland no services.”
This aroused the indignation of both the remnants of the boyars and the new nobility. This, in particular, is devoted to the Second satire of Cantemir "On the envy and pride of the malevolent nobles."
The privileges of the nobility are enshrined and legally codified by the "Charter to the nobility of 1785". Main privilege: the nobility is exempt from compulsory public service (in fact, from any obligations to the state and the monarch).

Russian nobilityGetting "freedom of the nobility" was the apogee of the power of the Russian nobility. Then began " Golden autumn": the transformation of the upper nobility into an "idle class" (at the cost of a gradual removal from political life) and the slow ruin of the lower nobility. Strictly speaking, the "lower" nobility did not particularly go bankrupt simply because there was often nothing to "ruin" - most of the service nobles were powerless.

Sunset of the nobility
IN early XIX century (especially after Patriotic War) part of the nobility was imbued with constitutionalist and even republican sentiments. Many nobles joined Masonic lodges or secret anti-government organizations. The Decembrist movement had the features of a noble opposition.
After the peasant reform of 1861, the economic position of the nobility weakened. As capitalism developed in Russia, the nobility lost its position in society.
After October revolution 1917 all estates in the RSFSR were legally liquidated.

Classification
During its heyday, the nobility was divided into:

The ancient nobility are the descendants of the ancient princely and boyar families.
Titled nobility - princes, counts, barons.
Hereditary nobility - nobility passed on to legitimate us

4. estate, rank, rank, title.

4.1. Main provisions O estates Russian empire.

From the creation of the Russian centralized state and up to 1917, there were estates in Russia, the boundaries between which, as well as their rights and obligations, were legally determined and regulated by the government. Initially, in the XVI-XVII centuries. in Rus' there were relatively numerous estate groups with a poorly developed corporate organization and not very clear distinctions between themselves in rights.

Later, in the course of Peter the Great's reforms, as well as as a result of the legislative activities of the successors of Peter I, especially Catherine II, there was a consolidation of estates, the formation of estate-corporate organizations and institutions, and inter-class partitions became clearer. At the same time, the specifics of Russian society were wider than in many other European countries, the possibility of transition from one estate to another, including raising the estate status through the civil service, as well as the widespread inclusion of representatives of the peoples who entered Russia into the privileged estates.

After the reforms of the 1860s. class differences began to gradually smooth out, and after the February Revolution of 1917, the question of the abolition of estates was put on the agenda and prepared by the Provisional Government. The all-estate nature of the future Russian Republic was to be determined by the Constituent Assembly. But back in August 1917, up to the legislative resolution of the issue, the previous procedure for entering information about the class origin into birth records was confirmed.

The official abolition of the estates was carried out by the Bolsheviks.

All estates of the Russian Empire were divided into privileged And taxable . The differences between them consisted in the rights to public service and chinoproizvodstvo, the rights to participate in public administration, the rights to self-government, the rights to trial and serving sentences, the rights to property and commercial and industrial activities, and, finally, the rights to receive education.

The status of each Russian citizen was determined by his origin (by birth), as well as his official position, education and occupation (property status), i.e. could vary depending on promotion in the state - military or civil - service, receiving an order for official and out-of-service merit, graduating from a higher educational institution, the diploma of which gave the right to move to the upper class, and successful commercial and industrial activities. For women, an increase in class status was also possible through marriage with a representative of a higher class.

The state encouraged the inheritance of professions, which was manifested in the desire to provide an opportunity to receive special education at the expense of the treasury, primarily for the children of specialists in this field (mining engineers, for example). Since there were no rigid boundaries between the estates, their representatives could move from one estate to another: with the help of service, awards, education, or the successful conduct of any business. For serfs, for example, to send their children to educational institutions meant a free state for them in the future.

The functions of protecting and certifying the rights and privileges of all classes belonged exclusively to the Senate. He considered cases on the proof of the class rights of individuals and on the transition from one state to another. Especially many cases were postponed in the fund of the Senate for the protection of the rights of the nobility. He considered the evidence and asserted the rights to nobility and honorary titles of princes, counts and barons, issued letters, diplomas and other acts certifying these rights, compiled coats of arms and armorials of noble families and cities; was in charge of the affairs of the production for length of service in civil ranks up to the fifth grade inclusive. Since 1832, the Senate was entrusted with the assignment to honorary citizenship (personal and hereditary) and the issuance of relevant letters and certificates.

The Senate also exercised control over the activities of noble deputy assemblies, city, merchant, petty-bourgeois and crafts societies.

The main stages in the history of Russian estates, ways to determine belonging to them and the path to "co-assignment", their rights and obligations should be considered separately for each estate.

4.2. Peasantry.

The peasantry, both in Muscovite Rus and in the Russian Empire, was the lowest taxable class, which constituted the vast majority of the population. In 1721, various groups of the dependent population were combined into enlarged categories government (state ), palace , monastic And landowners' peasants. At the same time, former black-mallowed , tributaries and so on. peasants. All of them were united by feudal dependence directly on the state and the obligation to pay, along with the poll tax, a special (at first four hryvnia) tax, equated by law with the owner's duties. Palace peasants were directly dependent on the monarch and members of his family. After 1797 they formed a category of so-called specific peasants. Monastic peasants after secularization formed a category of so-called economic (since until 1782 they were subordinate to the Collegium of Economy). Not fundamentally different from the state, paying the same duties and managed by the same government officials, they stood out among the peasants for their prosperity. in number possessory (landlord) peasants were both peasants themselves and serfs, and the position of these two categories in the 18th century. so close that all differences disappeared. Among the landlord peasants varied plowed peasants, corvée And dues , And yard , but the transition from one group to another depended on the will of the owner.

All peasants were attached to their place of residence and their community, paid a poll tax and sent recruiting and other natural duties, were subject to corporal punishment. The only guarantees of the landlord peasants from the arbitrariness of the owners was that the law protected their lives (the right of corporal punishment belonged to the owner), since 1797 the law on the three-day corvee was in force, which formally did not limit the corvee to 3 days, but in practice, as a rule, applied. In the first half of the XIX century. there were also rules prohibiting the sale of serfs without a family, the purchase of peasants without land, etc. For state peasants, the opportunities were somewhat greater: the right to transfer to the burghers and to register as merchants (if leave evidence ), the right to resettle to new lands (with the permission of the local authorities, in case of land shortage). After the reforms of the 1860s. the communal organization of the peasantry was preserved with mutual responsibility, the prohibition to leave the place of residence without temporary passports and the prohibition to change the place of residence and enroll in other estates without dismissal from the community. The poll tax, which was abolished only in the early XX century, their jurisdiction in petty cases to a special volost court, which retained, even after the abolition of corporal punishment under general law, the rod as a punishment, and in a number of administrative and judicial cases - to zemstvo chiefs. After the peasants received the right to freely leave the community and the right to private ownership of land in 1906, their class isolation decreased.

An important document containing genealogical information was family lists , which were compiled for persons of taxable estates (peasants and philistines). They were conducted from 1858 by state chambers and volost boards. They acquired particular importance in connection with the new statute on military service of January 1, 1874, which abolished the recruiting system and prescribed the compilation of draft lists of persons of taxable estates according to family lists. Since that time, parish priests have annually verified peasant family lists with the register of births, and since 1885 this duty has been assigned to volost foremen and clerks, so lists of males who turned 20 years old in the next year, with information about the composition of their families postponed in the volost government. Descriptive books of appanage peasants are kept in the Russian State Historical Archive. F. 515.

Once the compiled family list was supplemented new information over the years, and when it became difficult to make new amendments, a new one was started. Therefore, in the funds of volost boards, you can find 3-4 family lists.

The family list form, printed in a typographical way, had 11 columns. It is in many ways similar to the form of the revision tale of 7-10 revisions.

In column 1, N families were indicated in order, in the 2nd - N families according to the last revision tale. Columns 3-8 were filled in with information about the male part of the family. Column 3: nickname (or surname), name and patronymic of the head of the family and the names of his sons, grandchildren, brothers and sons who lived together. Columns 4-6 showed the age of men (year, month and day of birth) - as of January 1 of the current year. In column 7, information was entered on the year in which the family member died, the name and number of years of the newly born. Column 8 indicated the beginning of entry into active service, its end, transfer to the reserve, etc. Column 9 indicated the names and patronymics of wives (who is the husband) and the names of daughters. Column 10 indicated the facts of marriage and death of women.

4.3. Philistinism.

Philistinism - the main urban taxable estate in the Russian Empire - originates from the townspeople of Moscow Rus', united in black hundreds and settlements. The philistines were assigned to their city societies, which they could leave only on temporary passports, and transfer to others - with the permission of the authorities. They paid a poll tax, were subject to recruitment duty and corporal punishment, did not have the right to enter the state service, and upon entering the military service did not enjoy the rights of volunteers.

Petty trade, various crafts, and work for hire were allowed for the townspeople. To engage in craft and trade, they had to enroll in workshops and guilds.

The organization of the petty-bourgeois class was finally established in 1785. In each city, they formed a petty-bourgeois society, elected petty-bourgeois councils or petty-bourgeois elders and their assistants (the councils were introduced from 1870).

IN mid-nineteenth V. the townspeople are exempted from corporal punishment, since 1866 - from the soul tax.

Belonging to the bourgeois class was hereditary. Enrollment in the philistines was open to persons obliged to choose a way of life, for state (after the abolition of serfdom - for all) peasants, but for the latter - only upon dismissal from society and permission from the authorities.

4.4. Shop (artisans).

Guilds as corporations of persons engaged in the same craft were established under Peter I. For the first time, a guild organization was established by the Instruction to the Chief Magistrate and the rules on registration in workshops. Subsequently, the rights of the guilds were clarified and confirmed by the Craft and City Regulations under Catherine II.

Guilds were given a pre-emptive right to engage in certain types of crafts and sell their products. To engage in these crafts by persons of other classes, they were required to temporarily register in the workshop with the payment of appropriate fees. It was impossible to open a craft institution, keep workers and have a sign without registering in the workshop.

Thus, all persons enrolled in the workshop were divided into temporary and eternal workshops. For the latter, belonging to a guild meant at the same time class affiliation. Full guild rights had only ever-shop.

After spending 3 to 5 years as apprentices, they could sign up as apprentices, and then, after submitting a sample of their work and having it approved by the guild (craft) council, they could become masters. For this they received special evidence . Only masters had the right to open establishments with hired workers and keep apprentices.

Jewish craftsmen were taken into account in separate statements. Vedomosti O Jews , masters And artisans contained: surname, name, patronymic, place of residence, Family status, degree of kinship, ownership of land and real estate. Records were kept in craft councils.

Guilds belonged to the number of taxable estates and were subject to poll tax, recruitment duty and corporal punishment.

Belonging to the guilds was assimilated at birth and upon entry into the guild, and was also passed on by the husband to his wife. But the children of the workshops, having reached the age of majority, were to be enrolled as apprentices, apprentices, masters, and in otherwise they passed into the tradesmen.

The guilds had their own corporate class organization. Each workshop had its own council (in small towns, since 1852, workshops could unite with subordination to the craft council). The guilds elected artisan heads, guild (or management) foremen and their comrades, apprentices elected and attorneys. Elections were to take place annually.

4.5. Merchants.

In Muscovite Rus', merchants stood out from the general mass of townspeople, divided into guests, merchants of the Living Room and Cloth Hundreds in Moscow and " the best people"in the cities, and the guests were the most privileged top of the merchant class.

Peter I, having singled out the merchants from the general mass of citizens, introduced their division into guilds and city self-government. In 1724, the principles for attributing merchants to a particular guild were formulated: "In 1st guilds noble merchants who have large auctions and who trade in various goods in the ranks, city doctors, pharmacists and healers, ship industrialists. In 2nd guilds who trade in petty goods and all sorts of food supplies, handicraft people of all skill levels and others like that; the rest, namely: all the vile people who are hired, in menial jobs and the like, although they are citizens and have citizenship, they are not only among noble and regular citizens.

But the guild structure of the merchants, as well as the city self-government bodies, acquired its final form under Catherine II. On March 17, 1775, it was established that merchants with a capital of more than 500 rubles should be divided into 3 guilds and pay to the treasury 1% of the capital declared by them, and be free from the poll tax. On May 25 of the same year, it was clarified that in third guild merchants who have declared capital from 500 to 1000 rubles must be recorded, in second- from 1000 to 10000 rubles, in first more than 10000 rub. At the same time, "the declaration of capital is left for voluntary testimony on the conscience of everyone." Those who could not declare for themselves a capital of at least 500 rubles did not have the right to be called merchants and enroll in a guild. In the future, the size of the guild capital increased. In 1785, for the 3rd guild, a capital of 1 to 5 thousand rubles was established, for the 2nd - from 5 to 10 thousand rubles, for the 1st - from 10 to 50 thousand rubles. , in 1794, respectively, from 2 to 8 thousand rubles, from 8 to 16 thousand rubles. and from 16 to 50 thousand rubles. , in 1807 - from 8 to 10 thousand rubles, from 20 to 50 thousand and more than 50 thousand rubles.

The letter of rights and benefits to the cities of the Russian Empire confirmed that "who declares more capital, he is given a place before those who declare less capital." Another, even more effective means of inducing merchants to declare capital in large amounts (within the limits of the guild norm) was the provision that in government contracts "confidence" manifests itself in proportion to the declared capital.

Depending on the guild, the merchants enjoyed various privileges and had various rights to trade and crafts. All merchants could pay the appropriate money instead of recruiting. The merchants of the first two guilds were exempted from corporal punishment. Merchants of the 1st guild had the right to foreign and domestic trade, the 2nd - to internal, the 3rd - to petty trade.

cities and counties. Merchants of the 1st and 2nd guilds had the right to travel around the city in pairs, and

3rd - only on one horse.

Persons of other classes could enroll in the guild on a temporary basis and, paying guild duties, maintain their class status.

On October 26, 1800, the nobles were forbidden to enroll in the guild and enjoy the benefits assigned to one merchant, but on January 1, 1807, the right of the nobles to enroll in the guild was restored.

On March 27, 1800, to encourage merchants who distinguished themselves in trading activities, the title was established commerce adviser , equated to the 8th class of civil service, and then manufactories -adviser with similar rights. On January 1, 1807, the honorary title was also introduced top-notch merchants , which included merchants of the 1st guild, conducting only wholesale trade. Merchants who simultaneously had wholesale and retail or holding the ransom and contracts. First-class merchants had the right to travel around the city as a couple or quadruplets, and even had the right to visit the court (but only in person, without family members).

The manifesto of November 14, 1824 established new rules and benefits for the merchants. In particular, for the merchants of the 1st guild, the right to engage in banking, enter into government contracts for any amount, etc. was confirmed. The right of merchants of the 2nd guild to trade abroad was limited to 300,000 rubles. per year, and for the 3rd guild such trade was prohibited. Contracts and buyouts, as well as private contracts for merchants of the 2nd guild, were limited to the amount of 50 thousand rubles, banking business was prohibited. For merchants of the 3rd guild, the right to start factories was limited to light industry and the number of employees up to 32. It was confirmed that a merchant of the 1st guild, engaged only in wholesale or foreign trade, is called a first-class merchant or merchant Those engaged in banking could also be called b anchors . Those who spent 12 years in a row in the 1st guild received the right to be awarded the title of commerce or manufactory adviser. At the same time, it was emphasized that "monetary donations and concessions under contracts do not give the right to be awarded ranks and orders" - this required special merits, for example, in the field of charity. Merchants of the 1st guild, who had been in it for less than 12 years, also had the right to ask for their children to be enrolled in the civil service as chief officer children, as well as for their admission to various educational institutions, including universities, without dismissal from society. . Merchants of the 1st guild received the right to wear the uniforms of the province in which they were registered. The manifesto emphasized: "In general, the merchants of the 1st guild are not revered as a taxable state, but constitute a special class of honorable people in the state." It was also noted here that merchants of the 1st guild are required to accept only positions urban goals And assessors chambers (judicial ), conscientious courts And orders public charity , and deputies trade And directors banks and their offices and church elders , and they have the right to refuse to be elected to all other public positions; for merchants of the 2nd guild, positions were added to this list burgomasters , ratmanov And members shipping reprisals , for the 3rd - urban elders , members six-vowel doom , deputies at different places. For all other city posts, the townspeople were to be elected, if the merchants did not wish to accept them.

On January 1, 1863, a new guild system was introduced. Occupations in trade and crafts became available to persons of all classes without enrolling in a guild, subject to payment of all trade and craft certificates, but without class guild rights. At the same time, wholesale trade was assigned to the 1st guild, and retail trade to the 2nd. Merchants of the 1st guild had the right to engage in wholesale and retail trade everywhere, contracts and deliveries without restrictions, the maintenance of factories and factories, the 2nd - to retail trade at the place of recording, the maintenance of factories, factories and craft establishments, contracts and deliveries in the amount of no more than 15 thousand rubles. At the same time, the owner of a factory or factory, where there are machines or more than 16 workers, had to take a guild certificate of at least the 2nd guild, joint-stock companies - the 1st guild.

Thus, belonging to the merchant class was determined by the value of the declared capital. Merchant children and unseparated brothers, as well as the wives of merchants, belonged to the merchant class (they were recorded on one certificate ). Merchant widows and orphans retained this right, but without engaging in trade. Merchant children who had reached the age of majority were to

office again enroll to the guild for a separate certificate or passed into the tradesmen. Unseparated merchant children and brothers were to be called not merchants, but merchant sons etc. The transition from guild to guild and from merchants to philistines was free. The transfer of merchants from city to city was allowed provided that there were no arrears in guild and city fees and taking leave evidence . Entry of merchant children into the civil service (except for the children of merchants of the 1st guild) was not allowed if such a right was not acquired by education.

The corporate class organization of the merchants existed in the form of merchant elders and their assistants elected annually, whose duties included maintaining guild lists , concern for the benefits and needs of the merchants, etc. This position was considered in the 14th grade of the civil service. Since 1870, merchant elders were approved by the governors.

Belonging to the merchant class was combined with belonging to honorary citizenship.

4.6. Clergy.

The clergy was considered a privileged, honorary class in Russia in all periods of its history.

The Orthodox clergy were divided into black (all monastics) and white , and the latter belonged to both clergymen (protopresbyters And archpriests , presbyters , priests , protodeacons And subdeacons , and clerks in rank psalm readers ) and ecclesiastical -ministers (sexton , deacons etc.). Since the black clergy, as monks who had renounced the world, could not have property, had no offspring, or terminated all civil ties with children, parents and all relatives, and persons of the upper classes entering monasticism could not enjoy any class privileges, to speak of the clergy as class group can be primarily applied to the white clergy.

In the XVIII century. the financial position of the parish clergy in the countryside was only slightly higher than that of wealthy peasants, and in the city it was comparable to the position of the lower part of the bureaucracy and the bulk of the townspeople (with the exception of the clergy of cathedrals and, of course, the court clergy). At the same time, the practice (not formally legalized by any civil code or church canon) of the actual inheritance of church parishes was established, when the diocesan bishop, when retiring the parish priest, fixed, according to petition the latter, a place for his son or son-in-law. As a result, the applicant could most often get a parish by marrying a priest's daughter, for which even lists brides and recommendations were given to those who wished.

At the same time, the principle of necessity was finally established spiritual education to occupy a clergy position, enshrined in the Spiritual Regulations.

From the very beginning, the clergy were free from state taxes, first of all, from the poll tax, recruitment tax (from the moment it was established and until the introduction of universal military service), and from 1874 - military service and from military billeting. But the freedom of the clergy (priests and deacons) from corporal punishment was proclaimed only in 1747.

Persons of the clergy were deprived of the right to own serfs (before secularization, this right was exercised corporately by monasteries, bishops' houses, and even some churches), but for priests who transferred to the clergy from the nobility, and also received orders, this right was recognized. The clergy could own uninhabited lands and houses. When owning houses for clerics, there was one restriction: it was impossible to place taverns and drinking establishments in these houses. Clerics could not engage in contracts and deliveries and act as guarantors for them. In general, persons of the clergy were forbidden to engage in "uncharacteristic" commercial trades, entailing their inclusion in the trade category (i.e., entry into guilds and workshops). This prohibition went along the same lines as the prohibition for the clergy to visit "games", play cards, etc.

Belonging to the clergy was assimilated at birth and upon entry into the ranks of the white clergy from other classes. In principle, the law permitted entry into the clergy to persons of all classes, except for serfs who did not receive a leave of absence from their owners, but persons of taxable classes could join the ranks of the clergy only if the local diocesan authorities certified that there were not enough clergy to fill the corresponding position, with "approval" behavior and if leave evidence from a peasant or urban society. The transition to the white clergy of persons of the nobility up to the beginning. 20th century for Russia was uncharacteristic, but this practice was quite common in Ukraine.

The children of clergymen inherited their class affiliation and were not supposed to choose their own kind of life upon reaching adulthood, but those who remained with their fathers until the age of 15 without being sent to theological schools and appropriate training or expelled from theological schools for dullness and laziness were excluded from the spiritual rank and had to choose their own kind of life, i.e. ascribe to any community taxable estate- petty-bourgeois or peasant - or enroll into merchants. The children of clergy who voluntarily evaded the clergy had to choose their own way of life. For the "surplus" children of the clergy, the so-called " analysis ", in which the children of clergy, nowhere recorded and not identified anywhere, were given into soldiers. This practice finally ceased only by the 60s of the XIX century.

The children of the clergy had the right (and initially this right meant an obligation) to receive education in theological schools. Graduates of theological seminaries and theological academies might wish to choose a secular career for themselves. To do this, they had to resign from the spiritual department. Those born in the clergy upon entering the civil service enjoyed the same rights as the children of personal nobles, but this applied only to clergy children. When entering - voluntarily or by analysis - into the military service, the children of the clergy who graduated from the secondary department of the seminary and were not dismissed from the seminary for vices, enjoyed the rights volunteers . But for persons who voluntarily resigned from the priesthood and wished to enter the civil service, such entry was prohibited for priests for 10 years after the removal of the dignity, and for deacons - 6 years.

In practice, the most common option for changing the class affiliation for children of the clergy in the XVIII - early. 19th century There was an entry into the civil service as a clerk until reaching the first class rank, and later - to universities and other educational institutions. Prohibition in 1884

seminary graduates to enter universities significantly limited this path of class and social mobility of the clergy. At the same time, the greater openness of ecclesiastical educational institutions (according to the charters of 1867 and 1884) for people of all classes, as well as the formal prohibition of the inheritance of parishes, contributed to greater openness of the clergy.

The wives of the clergy adopted their class affiliation and retained it after the death of their husbands (until the second marriage).

Persons belonging to the Orthodox clergy were subject to the court of the spiritual department.

Evidence of belonging to the clergy was metric evidence , clear statements compiled in consistories, as well as protege diplomas .

The clergy did not have a special corporate class organization, except for the beginnings of such an organization in the form of diocesan congresses and attempts to introduce in the 60s - early. 80s 19th century the election of the deans. Inherited at birth, belonging to the clergy was preserved upon reaching the age of majority only when entering a clergy position. Belonging to the clergy could be combined with inborn or received (for example, by order) rights of nobility and honorary citizenship.

The rights, basically similar to the Orthodox clergy, were used in Russia by the clergy of the Armenian Gregorian Church.

Regarding the class affiliation and special class rights of the Roman Catholic clergy, due to the obligatory celibacy in the Catholic Church, there was no question.

The Protestant clergy enjoyed the rights of honorary citizens.

Clerics of non-Christian confessions either received honorary citizenship after a certain period of performance of their duties (Muslim clergy), or did not have any special class rights, except for those that belonged to them by birth (Jewish clergy), or enjoyed the rights stipulated in special provisions on foreigners (Lamaist clergy).

4.7. Nobility.

The main privileged estate of the Russian Empire was finally formed in the 18th century. It was based on the privileged class groups of the so-called " servicemen By fatherland ranks "(i.e., by origin). The highest of them were the so-called" Duma ranks " - Duma boyars , roundabout , nobles And Duma clerks , and belonging to each of the listed class groups was determined both by origin and by the passage of the "state service". It was possible to reach the boyars by serving, for example, from the Moscow nobles. At the same time, not a single son of a duma boyar began his service directly from this rank - he first had to visit at least the stolniks. Then walked ranks Moscow : stolniki , solicitors , nobles Moscow And tenants . Below Moscow went city ​​police ranks : nobles elective (or choice) children boyar yard And children boyar city ​​police . They differed among themselves not only by "fatherland", but also by the nature of the service and property status. Duma ranks headed the state apparatus. Moscow officials carried out court service, made up the so-called "sovereign regiment" (a kind of guard), were appointed to senior positions in the army and in the local administration. All of them had significant estates or were endowed with estates near Moscow. The elected nobles were sent in turn to serve at the court and in Moscow, and also served "distant service", i.e. went on long trips and carried out administrative duties far from the county in which their estates were located. Children boyar yard also carried out long-distance service. Children boyar city ​​police due to their property status, they could not carry out long-distance service. They carried out police or siege service, making up the garrisons of their county towns.

All these groups were distinguished by the fact that they inherited their service (and could move up along it) and had hereditary estates, or, upon reaching adulthood, were assigned estates, which were a reward for their service.

The intermediate class groups included the so-called servants People By device , i.e. recruited or mobilized by the government in archers , gunners , tinkerers , reiters , spearmen etc., and their children could also inherit the service of their fathers, but this service was not privileged and did not provide opportunities for hierarchical elevation. For this service, a monetary reward was given. Land (during the border service) was given to the so-called "vopchie dachas", i.e. not in the estate, but as if in a communal possession. At the same time, at least in practice, their possession of serfs and even peasants was not ruled out.

Another intermediate group were clerks different categories, which formed the basis of the bureaucratic machine of the Moscow state, who were recruited into the service voluntarily and received monetary rewards for their service.

Service people were free from taxes that fell with all their weight on taxable people, but none of them, from the city son of a boyar to a Duma boyar, was exempt from corporal punishment and at any moment could be deprived of their rank, all rights and property. "State service" for all service people was obligatory and it was possible to get rid of it only due to illnesses, wounds and old age.

The only title available in Muscovite Rus' - prince - did not give any special advantages, except for the title itself, and often did not mean either a high position on the career ladder or large landed property.

Belonging to service people in the fatherland - nobles and boyar children - was recorded in the so-called dozens , i.e. lists of service people compiled during their reviews, parsing And typesetting , as well as in data books Local order, which indicated the size of the estates given to service people.

The essence of Peter's reforms in relation to the nobility was that, firstly, all categories of service people in the fatherland merged into one "noble gentry estate", and each member of this estate from birth was equal to everyone else, and all differences were determined by the difference in

position on the career ladder, according to the Table of Ranks, and secondly, the acquisition of the nobility by the service was legalized and formally regulated (the nobility gave the first chief officer rank in military service and the rank of the 8th class - collegiate assessor - in civil), thirdly, each member of this estate

was obliged to be in the public service, military or civil, up to old age or loss of health, fourthly, the correspondence between military and civil ranks, unified in the table of ranks, was established, fifthly, all differences between estates were finally eliminated as a form of conditional possessions and fiefdoms on the basis of a single right of inheritance and a single obligation to serve. Numerous small intermediate groups of the "old services of the people" were deprived of their privileges by one decisive act and assigned to the state peasants.

The nobility was first of all a service estate with the formal equality of all members of this estate and a fundamentally open character, which made it possible to include in the ranks of the estate the most successful representatives of the lower classes in public service.

Titles: primordial for Russia princely title and new - county And baronial - had the meaning of only honorary generic names and, apart from the rights to titles, did not provide any special rights and privileges to their carriers.

The special privileges of the nobility in relation to the court and the order of serving punishments were not formally legalized, but rather existed in practice. The nobles were not exempted from corporal punishment.

With regard to property rights, the most important privilege of the nobility was the monopoly on the ownership of populated estates and householders, although this monopoly was still insufficiently regulated and absolute.

The realization of the privileged position of the nobility in the field of education was the establishment in 1732 of the gentry corps.

Finally, all the rights and advantages of the Russian nobility were formalized by the Charter to the nobility, approved by Catherine II on April 21, 1785.

This act formulated the very concept of the nobility as a hereditary privileged service class. It established the procedure for acquiring and proving the nobility, its special rights and benefits, including freedom from taxes and corporal punishment, as well as from compulsory service. This act established a noble corporate organization with local noble elected bodies. And Catherine's provincial reform of 1775 somewhat earlier secured the right of the nobility to elect candidates for a number of local administrative and judicial posts.

The charter granted to the nobility finally secured the monopoly of this class on the possession of "serf souls". The same act for the first time legalized such a category as personal nobles. The basic rights and privileges granted to the nobility by the Letter of Complaint remained, with some clarifications and changes, in force until the reforms of the 1860s, and, according to a number of provisions, until 1917.

4.7.1. Acquisition And confirmation right nobility.

hereditary nobility , by the very meaning of the definition of this class, was inherited and, thus, acquired by the descendants of nobles at birth. Women of non-noble origin acquired the nobility when they married a nobleman. At the same time, they did not lose their noble rights when they entered into a second marriage in the event of widowhood. At the same time, women of noble origin did not lose their noble dignity when they married a non-nobleman, although children from such a marriage inherited their father's estate.

The table of ranks determined the order acquisitions nobility service : achievement of the first chief officer rank in military service and the rank of 8th class in civilian service. On May 18, 1788, it was forbidden to assign hereditary nobility to persons who received the military chief officer rank upon retirement, but did not serve in this rank. The Manifesto of July 11, 1845 raised the bar for achieving nobility by service: from now on, hereditary nobility was assigned only to those who received the first staff officer rank in military service (major, 8th class), and in the civil service the rank of 5th class (state councilor ), and these ranks had to be received in active service, and not upon retirement. Personal nobility was assigned in military service to those who received the rank of chief officer, and

on civil - ranks from the 9th to the 6th class (from titular to collegiate adviser). From December 9, 1856, the hereditary nobility in military service began to bring the rank of colonel (captain of the 1st rank in the navy), and in civilian life - a real state councilor.

The charter to the nobility indicated another source of acquisition noble dignity - rewarding one from Russian orders .

On October 30, 1826, the State Council decided in its opinion that "in disgust from misunderstandings about ranks and orders, to persons of the merchant class most mercifully bestowed" henceforth such awards should only be given by personal, and not hereditary nobility.

On February 27, 1830, the State Council confirmed that the children of officials of non-nobles and clergy who received orders, born before the award of this award to their fathers, enjoy the rights of the nobility, as well as the children of merchants who received orders before October 30, 1826.

But according to the new statute of the Order of St. Anne, approved on July 22, 1845, the rights of hereditary nobility were supposed only to be awarded the 1st degree of this order; by decree on June 28, 1855, the same restriction was established for the Order of St. Stanislaus. Thus, only among the orders of St. Vladimir (except for merchants) and St. George all degrees gave the right to hereditary nobility. From May 28, 1900, only the Order of St. Vladimir of the 3rd degree began to give the right to hereditary nobility.

Another restriction on the right to receive nobility by order was the procedure by which hereditary nobility was awarded only to those awarded orders for active service, and not for non-official distinctions, for example, for charity.

A number of other restrictions periodically arose: for example, the prohibition to rank among the hereditary nobility the ranks of the former Bashkir army, awarded with any orders, representatives of the Roman Catholic clergy, awarded the Order of St. Stanislav (Orthodox clergy were not awarded this order), etc.

In 1900, persons of the Jewish confession were deprived of the right to acquire nobility by ranks in the service and the award of orders.

Grandchildren of personal nobles (i.e., descendants of two generations of persons who received personal nobility and were in the service of at least 20 years each) could ask for elevation to the hereditary nobility, older grandchildren eminent citizens (a title that existed from 1785 to 1807) upon reaching the age of 30, if their grandfathers, fathers and they themselves "retained eminence without blemish", and also - according to tradition, not legally formalized - merchants of the 1st guild on the occasion 100th anniversary of their company. So, for example, the founders and owners of the Trekhgornaya manufactory, the Prokhorovs, received the nobility.

Special rules were in effect for a number of intermediate groups. Because the number odnodvortsev the impoverished descendants of ancient noble families (under Peter I, some of them were enrolled in one-palaces in order to avoid compulsory service), who had letters of nobility, also got there; on May 5, 1801, they were granted the right to find and prove the noble dignity lost by their ancestors. But already after 3 years it was ordered to consider their evidence "with all severity", while observing that people who had lost it "for guilt and serving out of service" were not admitted to the nobility. On December 28, 1816, the State Council recognized that proof of the presence of noble ancestors for single-palace residents is not enough, it is also necessary to achieve the nobility of a person.

cut service. For this, the single-dvortsam, who provided evidence of their origin from a noble family, were given the right to enter military service with exemption from duties and promotion to the first chief officer rank after 6 years. After the introduction in 1874 of universal military service, the odnodvortsam was granted the right to restore the nobility lost by their ancestors (if there is appropriate evidence, confirmed by the certificate of the noble assembly of their province) by entering the military service as volunteers and receiving an officer rank in the general procedure provided for volunteers.

In 1831 Polish nobility , which has not formalized the Western provinces of the Russian nobility since the annexation of Russia by presenting the evidence provided for by the Letter of Complaint, was recorded in single palaces or " citizens " .

On July 3, 1845, the rules on the return of the nobility to the single-palaces were extended to persons belonging to the former Polish gentry.

IN Cossack troops hereditary nobility included:

According to the Don Cossacks - persons who received headquarters officers on the basis of a report approved by Catherine II on February 14, 1775, military foremen who, on the basis of this report, were considered junior to army second majors and foremen in relation to captains, military officials,

recognized by decree on September 22, 1798 as army ranks, persons promoted to military officer ranks after the decree of September 22, 1798 on comparing them with ranks with regular troops and before the decree of September 29, 1802, and, finally, persons promoted to military officer ranks after the decree of September 29, 1802 and before the manifesto of June 11, 1845;

According to the Ural Army - military officials recognized by decree on April 9, 1799 as army ranks, persons promoted to military officer ranks after comparing them in ranks with regular troops by decree on April 9, 1799 before the decree on December 26, 1803 and after this decree until manifesto June 11, 1845;

According to the Astrakhan Army - military officials, by the Regulations of May 7, 1817, compared in ranks with regular troops, and persons promoted to military officer ranks after May 7, 1817 and before the manifesto on June 11, 1845;

According to the Orenburg Army - military officials, compared in ranks with regular troops by the Regulations of December 12, 1840, persons promoted to military officer ranks after December 12, 1840 and before the manifesto on June 11, 1845, as well as military officials of the former Orenburg thousandth Cossack regiments compared with army ranks according to the "highest approved report" on June 8, 1803;

According to the Kuban Army (formerly the Black Sea) - military officials who received army ranks according to a report approved by Alexander I on November 13, 1802, and persons who received military officer ranks after November 13, 1802 and before the manifesto on June 11, 1845;

According to the Tersky Army (formerly the Caucasian Linear) - military officials, according to the Regulations of February 14, 1845, compared in ranks with the army, and persons who received military officer ranks after the mentioned provision and before the manifesto on June 11, 1845;

According to the Siberian Army (formerly the Siberian Linear) - persons who received actual army ranks before the manifesto on June 11, 1845, and all who received the rank of colonel before the decree on December 6, 1849 or received the rank of military foreman for military exploits, as well as officers of the equestrian artillery company, renamed by decree on June 9, 1812 into army ranks or promoted to ranks before June 11, 1845, as well as persons who rose to the rank of military foreman after December 6, 1849, but before December 9, 1856

According to the Don, Ural, Astrakhan, Orenburg, Kuban and Terek Cossack troops, the hereditary nobility also included persons who received actual army officer ranks before comparing the Cossack troops in ranks with regular troops, and all those who had risen from June 11, 1845 to December 9, 1856 to the rank of military foreman.

According to the Transbaikal Cossack army, in the Irkutsk and Yenisei Cossack cavalry regiments, as well as in the abolished Cossack troops that had no comparison in ranks with the army - Azov and Novorossiysk, all persons who received actual army ranks before the manifesto of June 11, 1845 were classified as hereditary nobility ., all who rose to the rank of colonel or received the actual rank of military foreman for military exploits before December 9, 1856, and for the Novorossiysk army - promoted to military foremen from November 13, 1844 to February 23, 1848

According to the abolished Bashkir army, persons who received actual officer ranks in the service before May 14, 1863, were approved in the hereditary nobility according to the rules that were in force for the Transbaikal Cossack army.

Hereditary nobles recognized persons who had abolished Little Russian ranks: general convoy , general judges , general podkarbiya , general clerk , general Yesaula , general cornet , general Bunchu , colonel military board , bunchuk comrade , convoy regimental Artillery board , Yesaula Artillery board , cornet Artillery G general Artillery board , regimental Yesaula , cornet And centurion

military board , chieftain Artillery general , military comrade regimental And clerk regimental Statsky board , and feeding , zemstvo judges And jurisdiction who received these ranks during the existence of hetman rule in Little Russia.

When new territories were annexed to Russia, the local nobility, as a rule, was included in the Russian nobility. This happened with the Tatar murzas, Georgian princes, etc. For other peoples, the nobility was achieved by obtaining the appropriate military and civil ranks in the Russian service or Russian orders. So, for example, the noyons and zaisangs of the Kalmyks roaming in the Astrakhan and Stavropol provinces (the Don Kalmyks were registered in the Don Army and they were subject to the procedure for obtaining nobility adopted for the Don military ranks), upon receiving orders, enjoyed the rights of personal or hereditary nobility according to general position. The senior sultans of the Siberian Kirghiz could ask for hereditary nobility if they served in this rank for three three-year elections. Bearers of other honorary titles of the peoples of Siberia did not have special rights to the nobility, if the latter were not assigned to any of them by separate letters or if they were not promoted to ranks that bring nobility.

Regardless of the method of obtaining hereditary nobility, all hereditary nobles in the Russian Empire enjoyed the same rights. The presence of a title did not give the holders of this title any special rights either. The differences were only depending on the size of real estate (until 1861 - populated estates). From this point of view, all the nobles of the Russian Empire could be divided into 3 categories: 1) nobles who are included in the genealogical books and own real estate in the province; 2) nobles, included in the genealogical books, but do not own real estate; 3) nobles not included in genealogical books. Depending on the size of real estate ownership (before 1861 - on the number of serf souls), the degree of full participation of nobles in noble elections was determined. Participation in these elections and, in general, belonging to the noble society of a particular province or county depended on being included in the genealogical books of one or another province. nobles

who owned real estate in the province were subject to entry in the genealogical books of this province, but the entry into these books was carried out only by petitions these nobles. Therefore, many nobles who received their nobility through ranks and orders, as well as some foreign nobles who received the rights of the Russian nobility, were not recorded in the genealogical books of any provinces.

Only the first of the categories listed above enjoyed the full rights and benefits of the hereditary nobility both as part of noble societies and separately belonging to each person. The second category enjoyed in full the rights and benefits that belonged to each person, and the rights in the composition of noble societies to a limited extent. And, finally, the third category enjoyed the rights and advantages of the nobility assigned to each individual and did not enjoy any rights as part of noble societies. At the same time, any person from the third category could, at will, at any time move to the second or first category, while the transition from the second category to the first and vice versa depended solely on the financial situation.

Each nobleman, especially not an employee, had to be recorded in pedigree book the province where he had a permanent place of residence, if he owned any real estate in this province, even if this property was less significant than in other provinces. Nobles who had the necessary property qualification in several provinces at once could be recorded in the genealogical books of all those provinces where they wished to participate in the elections. At the same time, the nobles who proved their nobility by their ancestors, but who did not have any real estate anywhere, were entered in the book of the province where their ancestors owned the estate. Those who received the nobility by rank or order could be entered in the book of that

provinces wherever they wish, regardless of whether they have real estate there. The same rule also applied to foreign nobles, but the latter were entered into genealogical books only after they had been previously submitted to the Department of Heraldry. The hereditary nobles of the Cossack troops were entered: the Don troops in the genealogical book of this army, and the rest of the troops - in the genealogical books of those provinces and regions where these troops were located. When the nobles of the Cossack troops were included in the genealogical books, their belonging to these troops was indicated.

Personal nobles were not included in genealogical books. The genealogical book was divided into six parts. IN first Part "kinds of the nobility paid or actual" were introduced; in second Part - clans of military nobility; V third - clans of the nobility acquired in the civil service, as well as those who received the right of hereditary nobility according to the order; V fourth - all foreign births; V fifth - titled births; V sixth Part - "ancient noble noble families".

In practice, persons who received the nobility by order were also recorded in the first part, especially if this order complained outside the usual official order. With the legal equality of all nobles, regardless of which part of the genealogical book they were recorded in, the entry in the first part was considered less honorable than in the second and third, and together the first three parts were considered less honorable than the fifth and sixth. The fifth part included families that had the Russian titles of barons, counts, princes and most serene princes, and the barony of the Ostsee meant belonging to an ancient family, the barony granted to the Russian family - its originally humble origin, occupation in trade and industry (barons Shafirovs, Stroganovs, etc. ). The title of count meant

especially high position and special imperial mercy, the exaltation of the family in the XVIII - early. XIX centuries, so that in other cases it was even more honorable than princely, not supported by the high position of the bearer of this title. In the XIX - early. XX centuries the title of count was often given at the resignation of a minister or as a sign of special royal favor to the latter, as a reward. This is the origin of the county of the Valuevs, Delyanovs, Witte, Kokovtsovs. By itself, the princely title in the XVIII - XIX centuries. did not mean a particularly high position and did not talk about anything other than the antiquity of the origin of the family. Princely families in Russia there were much more than counts, and among them there were many Tatar and Georgian princes; there was even a family of Tungus princes - the Gantimurovs. The title testified to the greatest nobility and high position of the family brightest princes , which singled out the bearers of this title from other princes and gave the right to the title "your grace" (ordinary princes, like counts, used the title "lordship", and the barons were not given a special title).

The sixth part included clans, the nobility of which was a century old at the time of the publication of the Charter, but due to the lack of certainty of the law, when considering a number of cases, the hundred-year period was calculated by the time the documents for the nobility were considered. In practice, most often the evidence for inclusion in the sixth part of the genealogical book was considered especially meticulously, at the same time, the entry into the second or third part did not meet (if there was appropriate evidence) any obstacles. Formally, an entry in the sixth part of the genealogical book did not give any privileges, except for one single one: only the sons of nobles recorded in the fifth and sixth parts of the genealogical books were enrolled in the Corps of Pages, the Alexander (Tsarskoye Selo) Lyceum and the School of Law.

Evidence nobility considered: d diplomas on award to the nobility dignity , paid from monarchs coats of arms , patents on ranks , proof awards of the order, evidence "through letters of commendation or commendation", decrees on award lands or villages , layout By noble service estates , decrees or diplomas on award their estates And fiefdoms , decrees or diplomas on paid villages And estates (albeit later lost by the family), decrees , orders or diplomas , data nobleman on embassy , mission or other shipment proof O noble service ancestors , proof that the father and grandfather "led a noble life or a state or service similar to a title of nobility", supported by the testimony of 12 people, about whose nobility there is no doubt, bills of sale , mortgages , in-line And spiritual O noble estate , proof that father and grandfather owned villages, as well as evidence " generational And hereditary , ascending from son To father , grandfather , great-grandfather and so on, as much as they can and wish to show "( genealogy , generational murals ) .

The first instance to consider evidence of nobility were noble deputy meetings , consisting of deputies from county noble societies (one from the county) and the provincial marshal of the nobility. Noble deputy meetings considered the evidence presented against the nobility, conducted provincial pedigrees books and sent information and extracts from these books to the provincial governments and the Department of Heraldry of the Senate, and also issued letters for the inclusion of noble families in the genealogy book, issued to the nobles at their request lists With protocols , according to which their genus is included in the genealogy book, or evidence O nobility . The rights of the noble deputy assemblies were limited by the inclusion in the genealogical book of only those persons who had already irrefutably proved their nobility. Elevation to the nobility or restoration to the nobility was not within their competence. When considering evidence, the noble deputy assemblies did not have the right to interpret or explain current laws. They were supposed to consider the evidence of only those persons who own or owned real estate in a given province themselves or through their wives. But retired military or officials who chose this province as their place of residence upon retirement, deputy meetings could freely enter into genealogical books themselves upon presentation of patents for ranks and certified service or formulary lists, as well as metric certificates approved by spiritual consistories for children.

Pedigrees books were drawn up in each province by a deputy assembly together with the provincial marshal of the nobility. The district leaders of the nobility were alphabetic lists noble childbirth of his county, indicating the name and surname of each nobleman, information about marriage, wife, children, real estate, place of residence, rank and being in the service or retired. These lists were submitted signed by the county marshal of the nobility to the provincial. The deputy assembly was based on these lists when they were included in the genealogical book of each kind, and the decision on such an introduction should be based on irrefutable evidence and be taken by at least two-thirds of the votes.

Decisions of deputy meetings were submitted for revision to the Department of Heraldry of the Senate, except for cases on persons. who acquired the nobility in the order of service. When sending cases for revision to the Department of Heraldry, the nobility deputy assemblies had to ensure that the genealogies attached to these cases contained information on each person about evidence of his origin, and birth certificates were certified in the consistory. The department of heraldry considered cases of nobility and genealogical books, considered the rights to noble dignity and the titles of princes, counts and barons, as well as to honorary citizenship, carried out the issuance of statutory okay diplomas , diplomas And evidence for these rights, considered cases of changing the names of nobles and honorary citizens, compiled a coat of arms of noble families and a city coat of arms, approved and compiled new coats of arms of the nobility and issued copies of coats of arms and genealogies.

When considering cases on proof of nobility for certain localities and peoples (confessions), there was a special procedure. So, when considering cases of Greeks and Mohammedans seeking nobility, in the event of a lack or absence of evidence required by general legislation, deputy assemblies were obliged to send their negative conclusions, without carrying them out and not announcing them to the petitioners, to send them to the governor, who had the right, if, despite on the lack of written evidence, the nobility of this person "is not in doubt, was announced by general and simultaneous popularity among the people or proved by some special events", send their ideas about this to the Minister of Justice, the latter submitted them for consideration to the State Council (to the Department of Civil and spiritual matters).

4.8. Honorary citizenship.

The category of eminent citizens included three groups townspeople : meritorious on elective urban service (not included in the civil service system and not included in the Table of Ranks), scientists , artists , musicians (remember that until the end of the 18th century, neither the Academy of Sciences nor the Academy of Arts were included in the Table of Ranks system) and, finally, tip merchants . Representatives of these three, heterogeneous, in fact, groups were united by the fact that, not being able to achieve public service, they could claim certain class privileges personally and wished to extend them to their offspring.

Eminent citizens were exempted from corporal punishment and recruitment duty. They were allowed to have country yards and gardens (except for settled estates) and travel around the city in pairs and quadruplets (the privilege of the "noble estate"), it was not forbidden to have and start factories, factories, sea and river ships. The title of eminent citizens was inherited, which made them a pronounced class group. The grandchildren of eminent citizens, whose fathers and grandfathers carried this title impeccably, upon reaching 30 years of age, could ask for the nobility.

This class category did not last long. On January 1, 1807, the title of eminent citizens for merchants was abolished "as mixing heterogeneous virtues." At the same time, it was left as a distinction for scientists and artists, but since by that time scientists were included in the system of public service, giving personal and hereditary nobility, this title ceased to be relevant and practically disappeared.

October 19, 1831, in connection with the "analysis" of the gentry, with the exclusion of a significant mass of the petty gentry from among the nobles and their registration in single-palaces and urban estates, those of them, "who apply in any scientific occupations" - doctors, teachers, artists, etc., as well as having legalized certificates for a lawyer's title, "to distinguish themselves from those engaged in petty-bourgeois craft or in the service and other lower occupations" received the title honorary citizens . Then, on December 1, 1831, it was clarified that among the artists, only painters, lithographers, engravers, and so on should be included in this title. carvers on stones and metals, architects, sculptors, etc., who have a diploma or a certificate from the Academy.

On April 10, 1832, a new estate was introduced throughout the empire honorary citizens , divided, like the nobles, into hereditary And personal . IN

the number of hereditary honorary citizens included children of personal nobles, children of persons who received the title of hereditary honorary citizen, i.e. born in this state, merchants awarded the titles of commerce and manufactories-advisers, merchants awarded (after 1826) one of the Russian orders, as well as merchants who spent 10 years in the 1st guild or 20 years in the 2nd and not falling into bankruptcy. Persons who graduated from Russian universities, artists of free states, graduated from the Academy of Arts or received a diploma as an artist of the Academy, foreign scientists, artists, as well as trading capitalists and owners of significant manufacturing and factory establishments, even if they were not were Russian subjects. Hereditary honorary citizenship could complain "for differences in the sciences" to persons who already have personal honorary citizenship, persons with doctoral or master's degrees, students of the Academy of Arts 10 years after graduation "for differences in the arts" and foreigners who accepted Russian citizenship and who have been in it for 10 years (if they have previously received the title of personal honorary citizen).

The title of hereditary honorary citizen was inherited. The husband communicated honorary citizenship to his wife if she belonged by birth to one of the lower classes, and the widow did not lose this title with the death of her husband.

Approval of hereditary honorary citizenship and the issuance of charters for him were entrusted to Heraldry.

Honorary citizens enjoyed freedom from the poll tax, from recruitment duty, from standing and corporal punishment. They had the right to participate in city elections and be elected to public positions not lower than those to which merchants of the 1st and 2nd guilds are elected. Honorary citizens had the right to use this name in all acts.

Lost honorary citizenship in court, in case of malicious bankruptcy; some rights of honorary citizens were lost when enrolling in craft workshops.

In 1833, it was confirmed that honorary citizens were not included in the general census, and special lists were kept for each city. In the future, the circle of persons who had the right to honorary citizenship was specified and expanded.

In 1836, it was established that only university graduates who had received any degree at the end of their studies could apply for personal honorary citizenship. In 1839, the right to honorary citizenship was granted to artists of the imperial theaters (1st category, who served a certain period on stage). In the same year, pupils of the highest commercial boarding school in St. Petersburg received this right (personally). In 1844, the right to receive honorary citizenship was extended to employees of the Russian-American Company (from the estates that did not have the right to public service). In 1845, the right to hereditary honorary citizenship of merchants who received the orders of St. Vladimir and St. Anna was confirmed. Since 1845, civil ranks from the 14th to the 10th grade began to bring hereditary honorary citizenship. In 1848, the right to receive honorary citizenship (personal) was extended to graduates of the Lazarev Institute. In 1849 physicians, pharmacists and veterinarians were added to honorary citizenship. In the same year, the right to personal honorary citizenship was granted to graduates of gymnasiums to the children of personal honorary citizens, merchants and philistines. In 1849, personal honorary citizens were given the opportunity to enter military service as volunteers. In 1850, the right to be awarded the title of personal honorary citizen was given to Jews consisting of special assignments under governor-generals in the Pale of Settlement ("learned Jews under governors"). Subsequently, the rights of hereditary honorary citizens to enter the civil service were clarified, and the range of educational institutions, the completion of which gave the right to personal honorary citizenship, was expanded. In 1862, technologists of the 1st category and process engineers who graduated from the St. Petersburg Institute of Technology received the right to honorary citizenship. In 1865, it was established that from now on, merchants of the 1st guild are elevated to hereditary honorary citizenship after staying in it "in a row" for at least 20 years. In 1866, the right to receive hereditary honorary citizenship was granted to merchants of the 1st and 2nd guilds, who bought estates in the Western provinces for at least 15 thousand rubles.

Representatives of the top citizens and clerics of some peoples and localities of Russia were also ranked as honorary citizenship: Tiflis first-class mokalaki, residents of the cities of Anapa, Novorossiysk, Poti, Petrovsk and Sukhum, on the proposal of the authorities for special merits, zaisangs from

Kalmyks of the Astrakhan and Stavropol provinces, who do not have ranks and own hereditary aimaks (hereditary honorary citizenship, who did not receive personal citizenship), Karaites, who held the spiritual positions of gahams (hereditary), gazzans and shamases (personally) for at least 12 years, etc.

As a result, at the beginning of the XX century. hereditary honorary citizens by birth included children of personal nobles, chief officers, officials and clergymen, granted the orders of St. Stanislav and St. Anna (except for the 1st degrees), children of clergymen of the Orthodox and Armenian-Gregorian confession, children of church clerks ( deacons, sextons and psalmists), who completed the course in theological seminaries and academies and received academic degrees and titles there, the children of Protestant preachers, the children of persons who have impeccably served for 20 years as the Transcaucasian sheikh-ul-Islam or the Transcaucasian mufti, Kalmyk zaisangs, not having ranks and owning hereditary aimaks, and, of course, children of hereditary honorary citizens, and personal honorary citizens by birth included those adopted by nobles and hereditary honorary citizens, widows of church clerks of the Orthodox and Armenian-Gregorian confessions, children of the highest Transcaucasian Muslim clergy, if their parents performed impeccable service for 2 years, zaisangs from the Kalmyks of Astrakhan and Stavropol provinces, who have neither ranks nor hereditary aimaks.

Personal honorary citizenship could be requested for 10 years of useful activity, and after staying for 10 years in personal honorary citizenship, hereditary honorary citizenship could also be requested for the same activity.

Hereditary honorary citizenship was awarded to those who graduated from some educational institutions, commerce and manufactories-advisers, merchants who received one of the Russian orders, merchants of the 1st guild who stayed in it for at least 20 years, artists of the imperial theaters of the 1st category who served for at least 15 years, fleet conductors who served for at least 20 years, Karaite gahams who stayed in positions for at least 12 years. Personal honorary citizenship, in addition to the persons already mentioned, was received by those who entered the civil service during production in the rank of the 14th class, who completed the course in some educational institutions dismissed from the civil service with the rank of 14th class and received the senior officer rank upon retirement from military service, managers of rural handicraft workshops and masters of these institutions after service, respectively, 5 and 10 years, managers, masters and teachers of technical and handicraft training workshops of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, who served 10 years, masters and master technicians of the lower craft schools of the Ministry of Public Education, who also served at least 10 years, artists of the imperial theaters of the 1st category, who served 10 years on stage, fleet conductors, who served 10 years, persons with navigational ranks and who have sailed for at least 5 years, ship mechanics who have sailed for 5 years, honorary guardians of Jewish educational institutions who have held this position for at least 15 years, "learned Jews under governors" for special merits after serving for at least 15 years, masters Imperial Peterhof Lapidary Factory, who have served for at least 10 years and some other categories of persons.

If honorary citizenship belonged this person by birthright, it did not require special confirmation, if assigned, it was required solution Department of Heraldry of the Senate and charter from the Senate.

Belonging to honorary citizens could be combined with being in other classes - the merchants and the clergy - and did not depend on the type of activity (until 1891, only entering some workshops deprived the honorary citizen of some of the advantages of his title).

There was no corporate organization of honorary citizens.

4.9. Cossacks.

The Cossacks in the Russian Empire were a special military class (more precisely, a class group) that stood apart from the others. The estate rights and obligations of the Cossacks were based on the principle of corporate ownership of military lands and freedom from duties, subject to compulsory military service. The class organization of the Cossacks coincided with the military. Under elective local government The Cossacks were subordinate to the wax chieftains (military kakazny or nakazny), who enjoyed the rights of the commander of the military district or the governor general. Since 1827, the heir to the throne was considered the supreme ataman of all Cossack troops.

To the beginning 20th century in Russia there were 11 Cossack troops, as well as Cossack settlements in 2 provinces.

Under the ataman, a military headquarters operated, in the field the atamans of departments (on the Don - district ones) were in charge, in the villages - the village atamans elected by the stanitsa gatherings.

Belonging to the Cossack class was hereditary, although formally, registration in the Cossack troops for persons of other classes was not excluded.

During the service, the Cossacks could reach the ranks and orders of the nobility. In this case, belonging to the nobility was combined with belonging to the Cossacks.

« What is the nobility? The hereditary estate of the people is the highest, that is, awarded with great advantages regarding property and private freedom».

The word "noble" literally means "a person from the prince's court" or "court". The nobles were taken into the service of the prince to carry out various administrative, judicial and other assignments. In the system of European ideas, the top of the Russian nobility of that time is a kind of analogue of the viscountcy [ ] .

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Why nobles were always in debt

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From the end of the 12th century, the nobles constituted the lowest stratum of the nobility, directly connected with the prince and his household, in contrast to the boyars. In the era of Vsevolod, the Big Nest, after the defeat of the old Rostov boyars in 1174, the nobles, together with the townspeople, temporarily became the main social and military support of princely power.

Rise of the nobility

• From the 14th century, the nobles began to receive land for their service: a class of landowners appeared - landowners. They were later allowed to purchase land.
• After the annexation of the Novgorod land and the Tver principality (end of the 15th century) and the eviction of the estates from the central regions, the lands thus vacated were distributed to the nobles under the condition of service (see the estate).
• The Sudebnik of 1497 limited the right of peasants to move (see serfdom).
• In February 1549 in Kremlin Palace The first Zemsky Sobor took place. Ivan IV delivered a speech on it. Inspired by the ideas of the nobleman Ivan Semyonovich Peresvetov, the tsar set a course for building a centralized monarchy (autocracy) based on the nobility, which meant fighting the old (boyar) aristocracy. He publicly accused the boyars of abuse of power and called on everyone to work together to strengthen the unity of the Russian state.
• In 1550 chosen thousand Moscow nobles (1071 people) was posted within 60-70 km around Moscow.
• The Code of Service of 1555 actually equalized the rights of the nobility with the boyars, including the right to inherit.
• After the annexation of the Kazan Khanate (mid-16th century) and the eviction of the estates from the oprichnina region, declared the property of the tsar, the lands thus liberated were distributed to the nobles under the condition of service.
• In the 1580s, reserved summers were introduced.
• The Cathedral Code of 1649 secured the right of the nobles to eternal possession and the indefinite search for fugitive peasants.

The strengthening of the Russian nobility in the period of the XIV-XVI centuries occurred mainly due to the acquisition of land under the condition of military service, which actually turned the nobles into suppliers of the feudal militia, by analogy with the Western European chivalry and Russian boyars of the previous era. The local system, introduced with the aim of strengthening the army in a situation where the level of socio-economic development of the country did not yet allow centrally equipping the army (unlike, for example, France, where kings from the 14th century began to attract knighthood to the army on terms of monetary payment, first periodically, and from the end of the 15th century - on an ongoing basis), turned into serfdom, which limited the influx of labor into the cities and slowed down the development of capitalist relations in general.

Apogee of the nobility

The possibility of obtaining the nobility through the service created a massive stratum of landless nobles who were entirely dependent on the service. In general, the Russian nobility was an extremely heterogeneous environment; except for the rich princely families(by the end 19th century about 250 genera were taken into account), there was also an extensive layer of small landed nobles (who had less than 21 male serf souls, often 5-6), who could not provide themselves with a worthy existence for their estate, and hoped only for positions. In itself, the possession of estates and serfs did not automatically mean high incomes. There were even such cases when the nobles, having no other means of subsistence, personally plowed the land.

In the future, the nobles received one benefit after another:

• In 1731, the landowners were granted the right to collect a poll tax from the serfs;
• Anna Ioannovna, with a manifesto of 1736, limited the service of the nobility to 25 years;
• Elizaveta Petrovna in 1746 forbade anyone, except the nobles, to buy peasants and land;
• In 1754, the Noble Bank was established, issuing loans in the amount of up to 10,000 rubles at 6% per year;
• On February 18, 1762, Peter III signed the “Manifesto on the granting of liberties and freedom to the Russian nobility”, freeing him from compulsory service; within 10 years, up to 10 thousand nobles retire from the army;
• Catherine II, carrying out the Provincial reform of 1775, actually transfers local power into the hands of elected representatives of the nobility, and introduces the position of district marshal of the nobility;
• The charter granted to the nobility on April 21, 1785, finally freed the nobles from compulsory service, formalizing the organization of local self-government of the nobility. The nobles turned into a privileged estate, no longer obligated to the state for service and not paying taxes, but having many rights (the exclusive right to own land and peasants, the right to engage in industry and trade, freedom from corporal punishment, the right to their own class self-government).

The charter granted to the nobility turned the nobleman-landowner into the main agent of the government in the field; he is responsible for the selection of recruits, the collection of taxes from the peasants, supervision of public morality, etc., acting on his estate, in the words of N. M. Karamzin, as “the governor-general in a small form” and “the hereditary police chief” [ ] .

The right to class self-government also became a special privilege of the nobles. The attitude of the state towards him was twofold. Together with the support of noble self-government, its fragmentation was artificially maintained - district organizations were not subordinate to provincial ones, and until 1905 there was no all-Russian noble organization.

The actual liberation of the nobles by Catherine II from compulsory service, while maintaining serfdom for the peasants, created a huge gap between the nobles and the people. This contradiction has given rise to peasant environment rumors that Peter III was allegedly going to free the peasants as well (or “transfer them to the treasury”), for which he was killed. The pressure of the nobles on the peasantry became one of the reasons for the uprising Pugachev. The anger of the peasants was expressed in the mass pogroms of the nobles under the slogan "cut the poles - the fence will fall down by itself" In the summer of 1774 alone, about three thousand nobles and government officials were killed by peasants. Emelyan Pugachev in his "manifesto" explicitly stated that “who were before the nobles in their estates and vodchinas, - those opponents of our power and rebellions of the empire and the despoilers of the peasants, to catch, execute and hang, and act in the same way as they, having no Christianity in themselves, repaired with you, the peasants”.

Obtaining the "liberty of the nobility" in 1785 was the apogee of the power of the Russian nobility. Then the “golden autumn” began: the transformation of the upper nobility into an “idle class” (at the cost of gradual removal from political life) and the slow ruin of the lower nobility. Strictly speaking, the "lower" nobility did not particularly go bankrupt simply because there was often no one to "ruin" - most of the service nobles were powerless [ ] .

Sunset of the nobility

Over time, the state begins to limit the massive influx of non-nobles into the nobility, which became possible due to the length of service of the ranks. Especially to satisfy the ambitions of such non-nobles, an "intermediate" class of honorary citizens was established. It was formed on April 10, 1832, and receives such important privileges of the nobility as exemption from poll tax, recruitment duty and corporal punishment.

The circle of persons entitled to honorary citizenship expanded over time - children of personal nobles, merchants of the 1st guild, commerce - and manufactory advisers, artists, graduates of a number of educational institutions, children of Orthodox clergy.

A wave of peasant riots during the Crimean War (the peasants signed up for the militia during the war, hoping to be freed from serfdom, but this did not happen) leads Alexander II to the idea that "it's better to cancel serfdom from above, rather than wait for the time when it will of itself begin to be canceled from below..

Acquisition of nobility

Hereditary nobility

Hereditary nobility was acquired in four ways:

• awarding it at the special discretion of the autocratic power;
• ranks in active service;
• as a result of awards for "service distinctions" by Russian orders;
• descendants of especially distinguished personal nobles and eminent citizens

One of the main ways of acquiring nobility is the acquisition of nobility by service. Previously, a professional military man who entered the service of one or another prince automatically became a nobleman.

In the years 1722-1845, hereditary nobility was given for the length of service of the first chief officer rank (fendrik, then ensign, cornet) in military service (and in general the rank assigned to the XIV class and above - for example, the rank of bayonet junker was not a chief officer, but the nobility gave) and the rank of collegiate assessor in civil and when awarded with any order of the Russian Empire, since 1831 - with the exception of the Polish order Virtuti Militari.

In 1845-1856 - for the length of service of the rank of major and state councilor, and for awarding the orders of St. George, St. Vladimir of all degrees and the first degrees of other orders.

In 1856-1917, the nobility was given to those who rose to the rank of colonel, captain of the 1st rank, real state adviser.

It was permissible to apply for the award of hereditary nobility in the event that the father and grandfather of the applicant had personal nobility, having served him in the chief officer ranks. The right to acquire hereditary nobility by the descendants of personal nobles and eminent citizens was preserved until the beginning of the 20th century. The article of the law on the receipt of hereditary nobility by the son upon reaching the age of majority and entering the service if his grandfather and father were "immaculate" in the service in the ranks that brought personal nobility, for at least 20 years each, was canceled by the Decree of May 28, 1900. In the Laws on the States of 1899 edition, there was no previously existing provision that if eminent citizens - grandfather and father - “maintained their eminence without blemish”, then their eldest grandson could ask for hereditary nobility on the condition of his impeccable service and reaching 30 years of age.

In 1900-1917, the qualification for orders increased - hereditary nobility by the Order of St. Vladimir could only be obtained starting from the 3rd degree. This restriction was introduced due to the fact that the Order of St. Vladimir of the 4th degree complained en masse about length of service and for charitable donations. By 1917, there were about 1,300,000 hereditary nobles in the Russian Empire, which was less than 1% of the population.

Personal nobility

A special position was occupied by personal nobles, who appeared simultaneously with the Table of Ranks. Unlike hereditary nobles, their noble dignity was not inherited, and their children received a special status of "chief officer's children." Personal nobles receive the right to achieve hereditary nobility by length of service; also, until May 28, 1900, they had the right to apply for it if their fathers and grandfathers had served twenty years without blame in the ranks of chief officers.

Personal nobility was acquired:

• by award, when a person was elevated to the nobility personally, not by order of service, but by special supreme discretion;
• ranks in the service - in order to receive personal nobility, according to the Manifesto of June 11, 1845 "On the procedure for acquiring nobility by service", it was necessary to rise in active service: civil - to the rank of 9th class (titular adviser), military - the first chief officer rank (XIV Class). In addition, persons who received the rank of IV class or colonel not in active service, but upon retirement, were also recognized as personal, and not hereditary nobles;
• awarding the order - when awarding the Order of St. Anna II, III or IV degree at any time after July 22, 1845, St. Stanislav II or III degree at any time after June 28, 1855, St. Vladimir IV degree at any time after May 28, 1900 . Persons of the merchant rank, granted by Russian orders between October 30, 1826 and April 10, 1832, and the Order of St. Stanislav from November 17, 1831 to April 10, 1832, were also recognized as personal nobles. In the future, for persons of merchant rank, the path to obtaining personal nobility through the award of orders was closed, and only personal or hereditary honorary citizenship was recognized for them.

Personal nobility was passed by marriage from husband to wife, but was not communicated to children and offspring. The rights of personal nobility were enjoyed by the widows of clergymen of the Orthodox and Armenian-Gregorian confession who did not belong to the hereditary nobility. The largest number personal nobles were among mid-level officers and officials. According to estimates in 1858, the total number of personal nobles and non-noble officials (who had the lowest class ranks according to the Table of Ranks, as well as petty clerical employees), who were also included in this group, including wives and minor children, was 276,809 people, and according to the census  1897 year already 486963 people.

The textbook N. M. Korkunov "Russian State Law" (1909) says:

At the same time, one cannot but pay attention to the extreme ease of achieving the nobility for persons who have received higher education, especially academic degrees, and for persons serving in scientific and educational departments. Higher education gives the right to production directly to the ranks XII, X or IX class; doctoral degree even the right to rank Class VIII. Those enjoying the rights of the training service are approved in ranks directly according to the grade of position and can be promoted to two ranks above the grade of post. Thus, we can say that in our country everyone who has received a higher education and has served his homeland in any way becomes a nobleman. True, until recently this was somewhat limited by the fact that the receipt of ranks and orders is connected only with public service. An educated zemstvo figure, therefore, could not become a nobleman in any way. But now this restriction has disappeared. The zemstvo regulation of 1890 granted the rights of the civil service to the members of the zemstvo councils. Thanks to this, a university candidate who has served at least one three years as a member of the zemstvo council receives the rank of IX class and with him personal nobility. Even members of zemstvo councils from persons who do not enjoy the right to enter the civil service, after three three years of service, can be presented by the governor for production in the first class rank.

Transfer of hereditary nobility by inheritance

Hereditary nobility was inherited and as a result of marriage male line. Each nobleman communicated his noble dignity to his wife and children. A woman noblewoman, marrying a representative of another class, could not transfer the rights of nobility to her husband and children, but she herself remained a noblewoman.

The extension of noble dignity to children born before the award of the nobility depended on the "highest consideration". The question of children born before their fathers received the rank or order, which gave the right to hereditary nobility, was resolved in different ways. By the highest approved opinion of the State Council of March 5, 1874, restrictions on children born in a taxable state, including those born in a lower military and working rank, were abolished.

Award of the nobility after 1917

Privileges of the nobility

The nobility had the following privileges:

• the right to own populated estates (until 1861),
• freedom from compulsory service (in 1762-1874, all-class military service was later introduced),
• freedom from zemstvo duties (until the second half of XIX century),
• the right to enter the civil service and to receive education in privileged educational institutions (children of nobles from 5 and 6 parts of the genealogical book and children of persons who had a rank of at least IV class were admitted to the Page Corps, the Imperial Alexandrovsky Lyceum, the Imperial School of Law),
• corporate law.
• entering the military service immediately to the rank of officer (when a commoner had to rise to the rank).

Each hereditary nobleman was recorded in the genealogical book of the province where he had real estate. By the Highest Decree of May 28, 1900, the inclusion of landless nobles in the provincial genealogical books was granted to the assembly of leaders and deputies of the nobility. At the same time, those who did not have real estate were entered in the book of the province where their ancestors owned the estate.

Those who received the nobility directly through a rank or award with an order were entered in the book of the province where they wished, even if they did not have any estate there. This provision existed until the Decree of June 6, 1904 “On the procedure for maintaining genealogical books for nobles not recorded in genealogical books in the provinces”, according to which the King of Arms was entrusted with maintaining a genealogical book common for the entire empire, where they began to enter nobles who did not own real estate or who owned it in the provinces where there were no noble institutions, as well as Jews who acquired the rights of hereditary nobility, who, on the basis of the Decree of May 28, 1900, were not subject to inclusion in the provincial noble family books.

Personal nobles were not included in the genealogical book. Since 1854, they, along with honorary citizens, were recorded in the fifth part of the city's philistine book.

The nobles had the right to carry a sword. Common to all nobles was the title "your honor." There were also generic titles of nobility - baronial (baron), count and princely (your excellency), as well as other titles. If the serving nobles had titles and uniforms that corresponded to their ranks of a civil or military department, then a non-serving nobleman retained the right to wear the uniform of the province where he had an estate or was recorded, as well as the right “by his nickname to be written as a landowner of his estates, and as a patrimony of family , hereditary and granted his fiefdoms.

One of the privileges that belonged exclusively to hereditary nobles was the right to have a family coat of arms. Coats of arms were approved for each noble family by the highest authority and then remained forever (changes could only be made by special royal command). The general coat of arms of the noble families of the Russian Empire was created by the Decree of January 20, 1797. It was compiled by the Department of Heraldry and contained drawings and descriptions of the coats of arms of each family.

A number of legalizations from April 21, 1785 to April 17, 1863 hereditary, personal, foreign nobles could not be subjected to corporal punishment both in court and during detention. However, as a result of the gradual liberation from corporal punishment of other segments of the population, this privilege of the nobles in the post-reform period ceased to be a privilege.

The Laws of the States of 1876 edition contained an article on the exemption of nobles from personal taxes. However, in connection with the abolition of the poll tax under the Law of May 14, 1883, this article turned out to be unnecessary and was already absent in the 1899 edition.

see also

• Diploma for rights liberties and advantages noble Russian nobility
• List of noble families included in the General Armorial of the Russian Empire

Notes

Literature

• K. E. T. Reference book for district leaders nobility. - St. Petersburg. : Type. Volpyansky, 1887. - 54 p.
• Collection of laws on the Russian nobility / Compiled by G. Blossfeldt. - St. Petersburg. : Ed. D. V. Chichinadze, 1901. - 512 p.
• Becker S. The myth about the Russian nobility: The nobility and privileges of the last period of imperial Russia / transl. from English. B. Pinsker. - M. : New Literary Review, 2004. - 344 p. - ISBN 5-86793-265-6.
• Veselovsky S. B . Studies in the history of the class of service landowners. - M.: Nauka, 1969. - 584 p. - 4500 copies.
• Vlasiev G. A. Descendants of Rurik. Materials for compiling a genealogy. - St. Petersburg. , 1906-1918.
• Noble families of the Russian Empire. Volume 1. Princes / Compiled by P. Grebelsky, S. Dumin, A. Mirvis, A. Shumkov, M. Katin-Yartsev. - St. Petersburg. : IPK "Vesti", 1993. - 344 p. - 25,260 copies. -

Rise of the nobility

Apogee of the nobility

Sunset of the nobility

Classification

Acquisition of nobility

Hereditary nobility

Personal nobility

Privileges of the nobility

Nobility in Russia arose in the XII century as the lowest part of the military service class, which constituted the court of a prince or a major boyar.

The Code of Laws of the Russian Empire defined the nobility as an estate, belonging to which “is a consequence of the quality and virtue of the men who ruled in antiquity, who distinguished themselves by merit, by which, turning the very service into merit, they acquired a noble denunciation for their offspring. Noble means all those who are born from noble ancestors, or who are granted this dignity by monarchs. A.S. Pushkin:

The word "noble" literally means "a person from the prince's court" or "court". The nobles were taken into the service of the prince to carry out various administrative, judicial and other assignments. In the system of European ideas, the top of the Russian nobility of that time is a kind of analogue of the viscountcy. Nobles hereditary 1st estate in the Russian Empire.

Story

From the end of the 12th century, the nobles constituted the lowest stratum of the nobility, directly connected with the prince and his household, in contrast to the boyars. In the era of Vsevolod the Big Nest, after the defeat of the old Rostov boyars in 1174, the nobles, together with the townspeople, temporarily become the main social and military support of princely power (in particular, the defeat of the Rostov boyars in the Battle of Kalka did not affect the combat capability of the troops of North-Eastern Rus').

Rise of the nobility

• Since the XIV century, the nobles began to receive land for their service: a class of landowners appeared - landowners. They were later allowed to purchase land.
• After the annexation of the Novgorod land and the Tver principality (end of the 15th century) and the eviction of the estates from the central regions, the lands thus vacated were distributed to the nobles under the condition of service.
• The Sudebnik of 1497 restricted the right of peasants to move.
• In February 1549, the first Zemsky Sobor took place in the Kremlin Palace. Ivan IV delivered a speech there. Inspired by the ideas of the nobleman Peresvetov, the tsar set out to build a centralized monarchy (autocracy) based on the nobility, which meant fighting the old (boyar) aristocracy. He publicly accused the boyars of abuse of power and called on everyone to work together to strengthen the unity of the Russian state.
• In 1550 chosen thousand Moscow nobles (1071 people) was posted within 60-70 km around Moscow.
• The Service Code of 1555 actually equalized the rights of the nobility with the boyars, including the right to inherit.
• After the annexation of the Kazan Khanate (mid-16th century) and the eviction of the estates from the oprichnina area, which was declared the property of the tsar, the lands thus liberated were distributed to the nobles under the condition of service.
• In the 80s of the 16th century, protected summers were introduced.
• The Council Code of 1649 secured the right of the nobles to eternal possession and the indefinite search for fugitive peasants.

The strengthening of the Russian nobility in the period of the XIV-XVI centuries occurred mainly due to the acquisition of land under the condition of military service, which actually turned the nobles into suppliers of the feudal militia, by analogy with the Western European chivalry and Russian boyars of the previous era. The local system, introduced with the aim of strengthening the army in a situation where the level of socio-economic development of the country did not yet allow centrally equipping the army (unlike, for example, in France, where kings from the 14th century began to attract knighthood to the army on the basis of monetary payment, first periodically, and from the end of the 15th century - on a permanent basis), turned into serfdom, which limited the influx of labor into the cities and slowed down the development of capitalist relations in general.

Apogee of the nobility

Peter I inherited from his father a society that was divided into classes "taxable", obliged to the state by "tax" (taxes and duties) and "servicemen", obliged to the state by service. In this system, in fact, everyone was enslaved, from top to bottom, and the nobles were attached to the service just like the peasants to the land, which is due to the position of Muscovite Rus', as a constantly mobilized military camp, besieged from three sides.

In 1701, Peter I indicates that all "service people from the lands serve the service, but no one owns the lands for free." In 1721, the tsar held a general review of all the nobles, with the exception of those who lived in remote Siberia and Astrakhan. So that things would not stop in their absence, the nobles had to arrive in St. Petersburg or Moscow in two shifts: the first in December 1721, the second in March 1722.

Already in 1718, during the Tax Reform, Peter I excluded nobles from taxation of the poll tax, and in March 1714 he adopted a decree “On the order of inheritance in movable and immovable property”, which equalized the estate and estate, and introduced the principle of single inheritance.

Peter led a decisive offensive against the old boyar aristocracy, making the nobles his support. In 1722, the Table of Ranks, following the European model, was introduced, replacing the principle of generosity with the principle of personal service. The rank of the lower, XIV class, received in military service, gave all those who received it hereditary nobility (in the civil service - only the rank of VIII class). Initially, the correspondence of the old, pre-Petrine, ranks of Moscow Rus', the Table of Ranks was established, but awards to the old ranks ceased.

• In 1722, Emperor Peter the Great introduced the Table of Ranks - a law on the order of public service, based on Western European models.
• According to the Table, the award of old (boyar) aristocratic titles was terminated, although they were not formally canceled. This was the end of the boyars. The word "boyar" remained only in folk speech as a designation of an aristocrat in general and degenerated to "master".
• The nobility as such was not the basis for occupying the rank: the latter was determined only by personal length of service. “For this reason, we do not allow anyone any rank,” wrote Peter, “until they show us and the fatherland no services.” This aroused the indignation of both the remnants of the boyars and the new nobility. This, in particular, is devoted to the Second satire of Cantemir "On the envy and pride of the malevolent nobles."

In parallel with the establishment of the Table of Ranks, the King of Arms office was created under the Senate, whose task was to record the nobles and cleanse the estate from periodically appearing impostors who arbitrarily produced themselves in the nobles and painted coats of arms. Peter I confirms that “it belongs to no one, except us, and other crowned heads, who should be welcomed to the nobility with the coat of arms and seal”.

In the future, the Table of Ranks underwent numerous changes, but on the whole survived until 1917, which once again proves its viability.

The possibility of obtaining the nobility through the service creates a massive stratum of landless nobles who are entirely dependent on the service. In general, the Russian nobility was an extremely heterogeneous environment; in addition to rich princely families (by the end of the 19th century, about 250 genera were counted), there was also an extensive layer of small landed nobles (having less than a hundred serfs, often 5-6), who could not provide themselves with a life worthy of their estate, and hoped only for positions . In itself, the possession of estates and serfs did not automatically mean high incomes. There were even such cases when the nobles, having no other means of subsistence, personally plowed the land.

In the future, the nobles receive one benefit after another:

• In 1731 the landowners were granted the right to collect a poll tax from the serfs;
• Anna Ioannovna, with a manifesto of 1736, limits her service to 25 years; the collection of the poll tax of the peasants is transferred to their owners;
• Elizaveta Petrovna in 1746 forbids anyone, except the nobles, to buy peasants and land;
• In 1754, the Noble Bank was established, issuing loans in the amount of up to 10,000 rubles at 6% per year;
• On February 18, 1762, Peter III signs the Manifesto on the Granting of Liberty and Freedom to the Russian Nobility, which freed him from compulsory service; within 10 years, up to 10 thousand nobles retire from the army;
• Catherine II, carrying out the Provincial reform of 1775, actually transfers local power into the hands of elected representatives of the nobility, and introduces the position of district marshal of the nobility;
• The charter granted to the nobility on April 21, 1785 finally frees the nobles from compulsory service, and formalizes the organization of local self-government of the nobility. The nobles are turning into a privileged class, no longer obligated to serve the state, and not paying taxes, but having many rights (the exclusive right to own land and peasants, the right to engage in industry and trade, freedom from corporal punishment, the right to their own class self-government).

A charter granted to the nobility turns the noble landowner into the chief agent of the local government; he is responsible for the selection of recruits, the collection of taxes from the peasants, supervision of public morality, etc., acting on his estate, in the words of N. M. Karamzin, as "the governor-general in a small form" and "the hereditary police chief."

The right to class self-government also becomes a special privilege of the nobles. The attitude of the state towards him was twofold. Together with the support of noble self-government, its fragmentation was artificially maintained - district organizations were not subordinate to provincial ones, and until 1905 there was no all-Russian noble organization.

The actual liberation of the nobles by Catherine II from compulsory service, while maintaining serfdom for the peasants, created a huge gap between the nobles and the people. This contradiction gave rise to rumors among the peasantry that Peter III was allegedly going to free the peasants as well (or “transfer them to the treasury”), for which he was killed. The pressure of the nobles on the peasantry was one of the reasons for the Pugachev uprising. The anger of the peasants was expressed in the mass pogroms of the nobles under the slogan "cut the poles - the fence will fall down by itself", only in the summer of 1774 the peasants killed about three thousand nobles and government officials. Emelyan Pugachev in his "manifesto" explicitly states that “who were previously nobles in their estates and vodchinas — those opponents of our power and rebellions of the empire and despoilers of the peasants, to catch, execute and hang, and act in the same way as they, having no Christianity in themselves, repaired with you, the peasants”.

Obtaining "noble liberty" was the apogee of the power of the Russian nobility. Then the "golden autumn" began: the transformation of the upper nobility into an "idle class" (at the cost of a gradual removal from political life) and the slow ruin of the lower nobility. Strictly speaking, the "lower" nobility did not particularly go bankrupt simply because there was often no one to "ruin" - most of the service nobles were powerless.

Sunset of the nobility

At the beginning of the 19th century (especially after the Patriotic War), part of the nobility was imbued with republican sentiments. Many nobles joined Masonic lodges or secret anti-government organizations. The Decembrist movement had the features of a noble opposition.

Over time, the state begins to limit the massive influx of non-nobles into the nobility, which became possible due to the length of service of the ranks. Especially to satisfy the ambitions of such non-nobles, an "intermediate" class of honorary citizens was established. It was formed on April 10, 1832, and receives such important privileges of the nobility as exemption from poll tax, recruitment duty and corporal punishment.

The circle of people who had the right to honorary citizenship expanded over time - the children of personal nobles, merchants of the 1st guild, commerce and manufactory advisers, artists, graduates of a number of educational institutions, children of Orthodox clergy.

From June 11, 1845, civil ranks of the X-XIV classes, instead of personal nobility, began to give only honorary citizenship. Since 1856, personal nobility began with the IX class, hereditary - from the VI in military service (colonel) and from IV in civil service (actual privy councilor).

A wave of peasant riots during the Crimean War (the peasants signed up for the militia during the war, hoping to be freed from serfdom, but this did not happen) leads Alexander II to the idea that “It is better to abolish serfdom from above than to wait for the time when it will automatically begin to be abolished from below”.

After the peasant reform of 1861, the economic position of the nobility weakened. As capitalism developed in Russia, the nobility lost its position in society. After the abolition of serfdom in 1861, the nobles retain about half of the land, receiving generous compensation for the other half; however, by the beginning of the 20th century, the landowners already owned only 60% of the land that belonged to them in 1861. As of January 1915, the landowners in the European part of Russia owned 39 out of 98 million acres of usable land. By the beginning of 1917, this number dropped sharply, and about 90% of the land was already in the hands of the peasants.

By the beginning of the 20th century, the hereditary nobility, which was officially perceived as “the first pillar of the throne” and “one of the most reliable instruments of the government,” was gradually losing its economic and administrative dominance. In 1897, the share of hereditary nobles among the military is 52%, among civil civil servants 31%. In 1914, from 20 to 40% of the nobles live in the villages, the rest move to the cities.

After the October Revolution of 1917, all estates in the RSFSR were liquidated by the decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee "On the destruction of estates and civil ranks" of November 10, 1917. Such an act, issued by the usurper power of a state that was not recognized at that time, does not entail legal consequences in relation to the rights of the state of the estates of the Russian Empire, and is void. Therefore, we can only talk about the non-recognition of estates in Soviet Russia and further - in the USSR, but no more.

Classification

During its heyday, the nobility was divided into:

• ancient nobility- descendants of ancient princely and boyar families (births were entered in the VI part of the genealogical books).
• Titled nobility- princes, counts, barons (births were entered in the fifth part of the genealogical books).
• Foreign nobility- births were entered in the IV part of the genealogical books.
• Hereditary nobility- the nobility, transferred to the legitimate heirs (births were entered in the I, II and III parts of the genealogical books):
• clans of the nobility of the military - in the II part
• clans of the nobility acquired in the civil service or by order - in part III
• Personal nobility- nobility received for personal merits (including when reaching the 14th grade in the civil service), but not inherited and therefore not included in genealogical books. It was created by Peter I in order to weaken the isolation of the nobility and give access to it to people of the lower classes.
• Stateless nobility- the nobility received without endowment and fixing of lands (estates).

The Russian nobility was made up of heterogeneous elements - its environment included: boyar children in provinces and counties, Great Russian Moscow nobility, Ukrainian Cossack nobility, Baltic nobility, Polish and Lithuanian gentry, gentry in provinces and counties Russia XVIII centuries (for example, the Galich gentry), Bessarabian nobility, Ossetian, Georgian, Armenian, and finally foreign nobility.

In 1858 there were 609,973 hereditary nobles, 276,809 personal and employees; in 1870 there were 544,188 hereditary nobles, 316,994 personal and employees; noble landowners, according to official data for 1877 - 78, it was considered in European Russia 114,716.

In the Great Russian provinces, the nobles in 1858 made up 0.76% of the population, which was significantly less than in countries such as England, France, Austria and Prussia, where their number exceeded 1.5%. In the Commonwealth, nobles made up more than 5% of the population.

Acquisition of nobility

Hereditary nobility

Hereditary nobility was acquired in four ways:

• awarding it at the special discretion of the autocratic power;
• ranks in active service;
• as a result of awards for "service distinctions" by Russian orders;
• descendants of especially distinguished personal nobles and eminent citizens

One of the main ways of acquiring nobility is the acquisition of nobility by service. Previously, a professional military man who entered the service of one or another prince automatically became a nobleman.

In 1722-1845, hereditary nobility was given for the length of service of the first chief officer rank (fendrik, then ensign, cornet) in military service (and in general the title assigned to the XIV class and above - for example, the rank of bayonet junker was not chief officer, but the nobility gave) and the rank of collegiate assessor in civil and when awarded with any order of the Russian Empire, since 1831 - with the exception of the Polish order of Virtuti Militari.

In 1845-1856 - for the seniority of the rank of major and state adviser, and for awarding the orders of St. George, St. Vladimir of all degrees and the first degrees of other orders.

In 1856-1900 - the nobility was given to those who rose to the rank of colonel, captain of the 1st rank, real state councilor.

It was permissible to apply for the award of hereditary nobility in the event that the father and grandfather of the applicant had personal nobility, having served him in the chief officer ranks. The right to acquire hereditary nobility by the descendants of personal nobles and eminent citizens was preserved until the beginning of the 20th century. The article of the law on the receipt of hereditary nobility by a son upon reaching the age of majority and entering the service if his grandfather and father were "immaculately" in the service in the ranks that brought personal nobility, for at least 20 years each, was canceled by the Decree of May 28, 1900. The laws on the states of 1899 edition did not contain the previously existing provision that if eminent citizens - grandfather and father - "immaculately preserved eminence", then their eldest grandson could ask for hereditary nobility on condition of his impeccable service and reaching 30 years of age.

In 1900-1917, the qualification for orders increased - hereditary nobility by the Order of St. Vladimir could only be obtained starting from the 3rd degree. This restriction was introduced due to the fact that the Order of St. Vladimir of the 4th degree complained en masse about length of service and for charitable donations. By 1917, there were about 1,300,000 hereditary nobles in the Russian Empire, or 1% of the population.

Personal nobility

A special position is occupied by personal nobles, who appeared simultaneously with the Table of Ranks. Unlike hereditary nobles, their noble dignity is not inherited, and their children receive a special status of "chief officer's children." Personal nobles receive the right to achieve hereditary nobility by length of service; also, until May 28, 1900, they had the right to apply for it if their fathers and grandfathers had served twenty years without blame in the ranks of chief officers.

Personal nobility was acquired:

• by award, when a person was elevated to the nobility personally, not by order of service, but by special supreme discretion;
• ranks in the service - in order to receive personal nobility according to the Manifesto of June 11, 1845 "On the procedure for acquiring nobility by service" it was necessary to rise in active service: civil - to the rank of 9th class (titular adviser), military - the first chief officer rank ( 14th grade). In addition, persons who received the rank of 4th class or colonel not in active service, but upon retirement, were also recognized as personal, and not hereditary nobles;
• awarding the order - when awarding the Order of St. Anna II, III or IV degree at any time after July 22, 1845, St. Stanislav II or III degree at any time after June 28, 1855, St. Vladimir IV degree at any time after May 28 1900 Persons of the merchant rank, granted by Russian orders between October 30, 1826 and April 10, 1832, and the Order of St. Stanislav from November 17, 1831 to April 10, 1832, were also recognized as personal nobles. In the future, for persons of merchant rank, the path to obtaining personal nobility through the award of orders was closed, and only personal or hereditary honorary citizenship was recognized for them.

Personal nobility was passed by marriage from husband to wife, but was not communicated to children and offspring. The rights of personal nobility were enjoyed by the widows of clergymen of the Orthodox and Armenian-Gregorian confessions who did not belong to the hereditary nobility. The largest number of personal nobles was among mid-level officers and officials. By 1917, there were more than 6 million officials in the Russian Empire, a considerable part of the total number of which were personal nobles.

Transfer of hereditary nobility by inheritance

Hereditary nobility was inherited and as a result of marriage through the male line. Each nobleman communicated his noble dignity to his wife and children. A woman noblewoman, marrying a representative of another class, could not transfer the rights of nobility to her husband and children, but she herself remained a noblewoman.

The extension of noble dignity to children born before the award of the nobility depended on the "highest discretion". The question of children born before their fathers received the rank or order, which gave the right to hereditary nobility, was resolved in different ways. By the highest approved opinion of the State Council dated March 5, 1874, restrictions on children born in a taxable state, including those born in a lower military and working rank, were canceled.

Complaint by the nobility after 1917

The award of nobility and titles of the Russian Empire was continued after 1917 by the heads of the Russian Imperial House in exile. For such awards, see the article Awarding titles and orders of the Russian Empire after 1917.

Privileges of the nobility

The nobility had the following privileges:

• the right to own populated estates (until 1861),
• freedom from compulsory service (in 1762-1874, later all-class military service was introduced),
• freedom from zemstvo duties (until the 2nd half of the 19th century),
• the right to enter the civil service and to receive education in privileged educational institutions (children of nobles from 5 and 6 parts of the genealogical book and children of persons who had a rank of at least 4 classes were admitted to the Corps of Pages, the Imperial Alexander Lyceum, the Imperial School of Law),
• corporate law.

Each hereditary nobleman was recorded in the genealogical book of the province where he had real estate. By the Highest Decree of May 28, 1900, the inclusion of landless nobles in the provincial genealogical books was granted to the assembly of leaders and deputies of the nobility. At the same time, those who did not have real estate were entered in the book of the province where their ancestors owned the estate.

Those who received the nobility directly through a rank or award with an order were entered in the book of the province where they wished, even if they did not have any estate there. This provision existed until the Decree of June 6, 1904 "On the procedure for maintaining genealogical books for nobles who are not recorded in genealogical books in the provinces", according to which the King of Arms was entrusted with maintaining a genealogical book common for the entire empire, where they began to enter nobles who did not own real estate or those who owned it in the provinces where there were no noble institutions, as well as those who acquired the rights of hereditary nobility of Jews who, on the basis of the Decree of May 28, 1900, were not subject to inclusion in the provincial noble family books.

Personal nobles were not included in the genealogical book. Since 1854, they, along with honorary citizens, were recorded in the fifth part of the city's philistine book.

The nobles had the right to wear a sword. Common to all nobles was the title "your honor". There were also generic titles of nobility - baronial (baron), count (your high nobility), princely (your excellency), as well as other titles. If the serving nobles had titles and uniforms that corresponded to their ranks of a civil or military department, then a non-serving nobleman retained the right to wear the uniform of the province where he had an estate or was registered, as well as the right "by his nickname to be written as a landowner of his estates, and as a patrimony of family , hereditary and granted his fiefdoms".

One of the privileges that belonged exclusively to hereditary nobles was the right to have a family coat of arms. Coats of arms were approved for each noble family by the highest authority and then remained forever (changes could only be made by special royal command). The general coat of arms of the noble families of the Russian Empire was created by the Decree of January 20, 1797. It was compiled by the Department of Heraldry and contained drawings and descriptions of the coats of arms of each family.

A number of legalizations from April 21, 1785 to April 17, 1863 hereditary, personal, foreign nobles could not be subjected to corporal punishment both in court and during detention. However, as a result of the gradual liberation from corporal punishment of other segments of the population, this privilege of the nobles in the post-reform period became simply a right for them.

The Laws on the States of 1876 edition contained an article on the exemption of nobles from personal taxes. However, in connection with the abolition of the poll tax under the Law of May 14, 1883, this article turned out to be unnecessary and was already absent in the 1899 edition.

Nobility in Russia- an estate that arose in the XII century in Rus', and then, gradually changing, continued to exist in the Russian kingdom and the Russian Empire. In the XVIII-beginning of the XX century, representatives of the nobility determined the development trends Russian culture, socio-political thought, made up the majority of the country's bureaucracy. After the February Revolution, the nobility in Russia disappeared forever as an estate and completely lost its social and other privileges.

Nobility in Rus'

The nobility in Russia arose in the XII century. By the beginning of the century, the princely squad, which had previously been a single service corporation, broke up into regional communities. Constantly in the service of the prince was only a part of the warriors. In the XII century, they began to organize themselves into princely courts. The yard, like the squad in former times, consisted of two groups: the older (boyars) and the younger (nobles). The nobles, unlike the boyars, were directly connected with the prince and his household.

Since the XIV century, the nobles received land for their service. In the XIV-XVI centuries, the strengthening of the positions of the Russian nobility occurred primarily due to the receipt of land under the condition of military service. A stratum of landowners-landowners appeared. At the end of the 15th century, after the annexation of the Novgorod land and the Tver principality, the vacant lands of the local estates were distributed to the nobles on condition of service. With the introduction of the local system, the legal foundations of which were enshrined in the Sudebnik of 1497, the nobles turned into suppliers of the feudal militia, which the boyars had previously been.

In the 16th century, nobles were often referred to as "service people in the fatherland." At that time, the nobility in Russia had not yet developed, so the nobles were only one of the privileged strata of Russian society. The upper stratum of the ruling class was the boyars. The boyar stratum included members of only a few dozen aristocratic families. A lower position was occupied by the "nobles of Moscow", who were part of the sovereign's court. During the 16th century, the size of the court and its role increased. The lowest rung of the hierarchical ladder was occupied by the “boyar city children”. They united in the county noble corporation and served "from their county." The tops of the emerging nobility were united by the sovereign's court - a single nationwide institution, which finally took shape by the middle of the 16th century. The court included "children of the boyars" - "nobles", they were appointed to military and administrative positions. Middle and second half XVI century these were the "children of the boyars" only in North-Eastern Rus'. Thus, in different territories, the position of the "children of the boyars" varied.

In February 1549, speaking at the first Zemsky Sobor, Ivan IV the Terrible outlined a course towards building a centralized autocratic monarchy based on the nobility as opposed to the old boyar aristocracy. IN next year a select thousand Moscow nobles were endowed with estates in a zone of 60-70 km around Moscow. The Service Code of 1555 actually equalized the rights of the nobles with the boyars, including the right to inherit.

The Council Code of 1649 secured the right of the nobles to eternal possession and the indefinite search for fugitive peasants. This inextricably linked the nobility with the emerging serfdom.

Russian nobility inXVIIIcentury

In 1722, Emperor Peter I introduced the Table of Ranks - a law on the order of public service, based on Western European models. The award of old aristocratic titles was discontinued - this put an end to the boyars. Since that time, the word "boyar", later changed to "master", began to be used only in common parlance and denoted any aristocrat in general. The nobility ceased to be the basis for conferring a rank - priority was given to serviceability. “For this reason, we do not allow anyone any rank,” Peter I emphasized, “until they show us and the fatherland no services.” Back in 1721, the emperor granted the right to nobility to all officers and their children. The table of ranks gave the right to public service, and therefore to receive the nobility, representatives of the merchant class, townspeople, raznochintsy, state peasants. A division into hereditary and personal nobility was introduced. The number of nobility fit for service was determined with the help of reviews for adult nobles and undergrowths, which often took place under Peter I. Geroldia, established in 1722, was in charge of counting the nobles and their service.

Under Peter I, most of the nobles were illiterate. Under the threat of a ban on marriage and entry into the soldiers, the emperor sent them to study abroad. At the same time, a system of domestic noble educational institutions was taking shape. The School of Engineering in Moscow and the Artillery School in St. Petersburg (1712), the Naval Academy (1715), the Engineering School in St. Petersburg (1719), the Cadet Corps (1732, since 1752 - the land gentry cadet corps), the Naval gentry cadet corps were established (1752), Corps of Pages (1759), Artillery and Engineering Cadet Gentry Corps (1769). In the second half of the 18th century, the nobles began to send their children to be raised in noble pensions. To prepare for civil service in 1811, the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum (since 1844 - Alexandrovsky), the School of Law (1835) and other institutions were opened. Many children continued to study at home with tutors.

For some time, nobles were required to serve for life from the age of 15. In 1736, the term of service was limited to 25 years, in 1740 the nobles were given the opportunity to choose between civil and military service. In 1762, the Manifesto on the Liberty of the Nobility of Peter III abolished the obligation to serve, however, the very next year it was restored by Catherine II, who came to power. In 1785, with the adoption of the "Letter of Letters to the Nobility", this obligation was again abolished. Freed from compulsory civil service, the nobles, in fact, freed themselves from any obligations to the state and the monarch. At the same time, the nobles received the right to leave Russia and enter the foreign service. The formation of a layer of the local nobility began, permanently residing in their estates. The nobles began to gradually move away from participation in political life, many were engaged in industry and trade, contained various enterprises. By decree of 1766, the institute of leaders of the nobility was established.

Already in the 18th century, the nobility began to play a key role in the development of secular society. national culture. By order of the nobles, palaces and mansions were built in large cities, architectural ensembles in estates, works of painters and sculptors were created. Theaters and libraries were under the care of the nobles. Most of the prominent writers and composers of the Russian Empire came from the nobility.

Russian nobility inXIX- earlyXXcentury

In the first half of the 19th century, the nobles played a leading role in the development of social thought and the activities of social movements in the Russian Empire. The range of their views was extremely wide. After the Patriotic War of 1812, republican sentiments began to spread among the nobility. The nobles joined Masonic and secret anti-government organizations, in 1825 they made up the majority among the Decembrists, then they dominated the ranks of the Westerners and Slavophiles.

IN XIX century the nobles continued to lose touch with the land, the most important and often the only source of income for the nobility was salary. In local governments and zemstvos, the nobles retained their leading positions - for example, the district marshals of the nobility actually headed the district administrations. After the peasant reform of 1861, the socio-economic position of the nobility weakened. The area owned by the nobility decreased by an average of approximately 0.68 million acres per year. Agrarian crisis late XIX century and the development of capitalism in Russia exacerbated the position of the nobility. The counter-reforms of the 1880s-1890s once again strengthened the role of the nobility in local government. Attempts were made to support the economic situation of the nobles: in 1885, the Noble Bank appeared, which provided them with loans on favorable terms. Despite this and other supportive measures, the number of landowners among the nobility was declining: if in 1861 landowners accounted for 88% of the entire estate, then in 1905 - 30-40%. By 1915, the small landownership of the nobility (and it constituted the vast majority) had almost completely disappeared.

In 1906-1917, the nobles took an active part in the work of the State Duma, while being in different political parties. In 1906, the local nobles united in the United Nobility political organization, which defended the historically established privileges of the nobility and land ownership.

After the February Revolution, the nobility ceased to play an independent political role, despite the fact that its representatives were part of the Provisional Government. After the October Revolution of 1917, the estates in the RSFSR were liquidated by the decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee "On the destruction of estates and civil ranks" of November 10, 1917. The Decree on Land, adopted on November 8 of the same year, deprived the nobles of their ownership of land. A significant part of the nobles during the years of the Revolution and civil war emigrated from the country. Under Soviet rule in the 1920s and 1930s, many people from the nobility were persecuted and repressed.

Classification and abundance

The nobility was subdivided into ancient (descendants of ancient princely and boyar families), titled (princes, counts, barons), hereditary (nobility passed on to legitimate heirs), columnar, benevolent (received without allotment and consolidation of land) and personal (received for personal merit, including upon reaching the 14th grade in the civil service, but not inherited). Personal nobility was introduced by Peter I in order to weaken the isolation of the nobility.

Among the hereditary nobility, differences remained between titled and non-titled nobles (the latter constituted the majority). The "pillar" nobles, who could prove more than a century of antiquity of their kind, enjoyed honor. Most of the titles did not formally give the holders of special rights, but in fact they contributed to their promotion.

In 1782, there were over 108 thousand nobles in Russia, which accounted for 0.79% of the population. After the adoption of the “Letter of Letters to the Nobility”, their number increased significantly: in 1795, there were 362,000 nobles in the Russian Empire, or 2.22% of the population. In 1858, there were 609,973 hereditary nobles and 276,809 personal and serving nobles in the country, in 1870 - 544,188 and 316,994 respectively. Noble landowners, according to the data of 1877-1878, in the European part of Russia, there were 114,716 people. In 1858, hereditary nobles made up 0.76% of the population of the Great Russian provinces of the Russian Empire. It was two times less than in the then Great Britain, France, Austria and Prussia.

As the borders of the Russian Empire expanded, the nobility grew in an increasing number of heterogeneous elements. The Ostsee nobility, the Ukrainian Cossack nobility of the annexed provinces, the Polish and Lithuanian gentry, the Bessarabian nobility, the Georgian, Armenian, foreign nobility, the Finnish knighthood, and the Tatar murzas joined the Moscow Great Russian nobility. In terms of property, the nobility was also not homogeneous. In 1777, 59% of the estate was made up of small landed nobility (20 male serfs each), 25% - middle landed (from 20 to 100 souls), 16% - large landed (from 100 souls). Some nobles owned tens of thousands of serfs.

Acquisition of nobility

The hereditary nobility was acquired in four ways: 1) by granting at the special discretion of the autocratic power; 2) ranks in active service; 3) as a result of awards for "service distinctions" by Russian orders; 4) descendants of particularly distinguished personal nobles and eminent citizens. Basically, the nobility was acquired by service. In 1722-1845, hereditary nobility was given for the length of service of the first chief officer rank in military service and the rank of collegiate assessor in civil service, as well as when awarding any of the Russian orders (since 1831 - except for the Polish order Virturi Militari); in 1845-1856 - for the length of service of the rank of major and state adviser, and for awarding the orders of St. George, St. Vladimir of all degrees and the first degrees of other orders; in 1856-1900 - for the length of service, the rank of colonel, captain of the 1st rank, real state adviser. Since 1900, according to the Order of St. Vladimir, hereditary nobility could only be obtained starting from the 3rd degree.

The personal title of nobility was conferred at the special highest discretion. It extended to the spouse, but was not transmitted to offspring. The rights of personal nobility were enjoyed by the widows of clergymen of the Orthodox and Armenian-Gregorian confession who did not belong to the hereditary nobility. To obtain personal nobility, it was necessary either to rise in civilian active service to the rank of 9th class (titular adviser) or in the military - to the rank of 14th class, that is, the first chief officer, or to receive the Order of St. Anne II, III and IV degree (after 1845), St. Stanislav II and III degree (after 1855), St. Vladimir IV degree (1900).

The descendants of personal nobles who had been “immaculately” serving in the ranks for at least 20 years had the right to apply for hereditary nobility until May 28, 1900, when the corresponding article of the law was repealed.

Hereditary nobility was inherited and as a result of marriage through the male line, but a noblewoman who married a non-nobleman could not transfer noble rights to her spouse and children born in marriage, although she herself continued to remain a noblewoman. The extension of noble dignity to children born before the award of the nobility depended on the "highest consideration". In 1874, all restrictions on children born in a taxable state were abolished.

Privileges of the nobility

IN different periods time, the Russian nobility had the following privileges: 1) the right to own populated estates (until 1861); 2) freedom from compulsory service (until the introduction of all-class military service in 1874); 3) freedom from zemstvo duties (until the second half of the 19th century); 4) the right to enter the civil service and to study in privileged educational institutions; 5) the law of corporate organization. Each hereditary nobleman was entered in the genealogical book of the province where he had real estate. Those who did not have real estate were entered into the books of the provinces, where their ancestors owned the estates. Those who received the nobility through a rank or award with an order chose the province themselves, in the book of which they will be included. This could be done until 1904. Personal nobles were not included in the genealogical book - in 1854 they were recorded in the fifth part of the city philistine book along with honorary citizens.

Common to all nobles was the title "your honor." There were also generic titles: baronial (baron), count (“your high nobility”), princely (“your excellency”) and so on. Serving nobles had titles and uniforms that corresponded to their ranks of civil or military departments, non-serving nobles wore the uniforms of the provinces where they had estates or were recorded. Every nobleman had the right to carry a sword. The privilege of hereditary nobles was the right to the family coat of arms. The coat of arms of each noble family was approved by the highest authority, its appearance could not be changed without a special supreme command. In 1797, the General Armorial of the noble families of the Russian Empire was created, which contained drawings and descriptions of the coats of arms of different families.

Until 1863, one of the privileges of the nobles was the inability to subject them to corporal punishment either in court or during detention. In the post-reform period, this privilege became simply a right. The Laws on the States, issued in 1876, contained an article on the exemption of nobles from personal taxes. In 1883, after the abolition of the poll tax under the Act of May 14, 1883, this article was no longer needed, and it was no longer in the 1899 edition.