RANKS, RANKS AND TITLES in Russia
Until the 18th century the use of ranks was not widespread, and they themselves were not yet completely separated from the designation of an official position or a noble family origin of a person who was at court or in the service of led. prince (king). In the conditions of localism, each rank (position) occupied a certain place among others, but there was no clear system of awards and it completely depended on the will of the leaders. prince (king). In this case, the degree of generosity - "breed" - was of primary importance. By the 17th century there was a system of higher ranks - duma ranks (by seniority: boyars, roundabouts, duma nobles, duma clerks). They existed at the courts. the prince's peculiar ranks-positions: equerry, butler, steward, treasurer, etc .; in orders - clerk, clerk. In the beginning. 18th century with the creation of a regular army (see. Russian army), the military became widespread in Russia. ranks of the Western European type (see Military ranks), which first appeared in the 17th century. in the "shelves of the new system".
The transformations of Peter I dramatically increased the number of positions (ranks) of officers and state. employees (see Officialdom). In 1722, the Table of Ranks was introduced, which established 14 classes of military, civil. and court officials. Along with the actual ranks, some posts were originally included in the report card (for example, in class III - the prosecutor general; in IV - the presidents of the colleges; in V - the general proviantmeister; in VII - vice-presidents of court courts). Over time, the Report Card has undergone numerous. changes (posts were excluded or turned into ranks, some ranks disappeared, new ones appeared, etc.), but basically acted until 1917. In the beginning. 19th century ranks XI and XIII classes ceased to be used.
Military ranks. were called in I-V classes general (admiral), VI-VIII (after 1884 - VI-VII) - headquarters officers, IX-XIV (after 1884 - VIII-XII) - chief officers (non-commissioned officers were not among the officer ranks). The chief and staff officers of the guard were first listed 2 classes higher than the army ones, from 1884 - one. In the guards, the ranks of major and lieutenant colonel were abolished in 1798. There were special military ranks, ranks above and below the classes of the Table of Ranks. The first included the generalissimo, the second - the ensign (until 1880 the junker belt), in the cavalry - the standard junker, in the Cossack troops - the cadet.
The rank of field marshal general was introduced in 1699; F. A. Golovin was the first to receive it in 1700. The last award of this rank to the person of Rus. service - D. A. Milyutin took place in 1898. There were 64 general field marshals in total (see Field Marshal). The first general-adm. were F. A. Golovin and F. M. Apraksin. In the 18-19 centuries. This rank had 6 people. The last general-admiral was led. book. Alexey Alexandrovich (d. 1908), who received this rank in 1883. The number of people who had military. ranks, continuously grew, especially in the 2nd floor. 19th century So, on the actual military. service (without the border guard corps) was in 1864 generals and admirals - 351, staff officers - 2630, chief officers - 16,495; in 1897, respectively - 1212, 6282 and 35,283 people. In total, officers in 1897 were in the service of 43,720 people. (52% of them were hereditary nobles). In the beginning. 20th century the army had 1,386 generals (Dec. 1902) and 2,668 colonels (May 1903).
In the 18-19 centuries. (until 1867) military. ranks were employees of the mining, railway, telegraph, forestry and land surveying departments.
Civil ranks. The rank of chancellor (state chancellor) was introduced in Russia in 1709 (by G. I. Golovkin), and was last conferred in 1867 (by A. M. Gorchakov). It was given to persons who knew foreign policy(in the 19th century - to the ministers of foreign affairs); those of them, to-rye had the rank of II class, were called vice-chancellors. In total, 11 people had the rank of chancellor. Few civil officials of other departments who rose to the 1st class were called actual Privy Councilors of the 1st class. After 1881, only D. M. Solsky (1906) and I. L. Goremykin (1916) received this rank. The number of persons who had citizenship. ranks also grew steadily. So, officials of the IV class were in 1858 - 674, in 1878 - 1945, to the end. 90s - 2687. As of 1 Jan. 1897 was in the service (without the State Council, Synod, military and naval departments) of persons of class IV and above - 1438 people, V - VIII classes - 50,082, classes IX-XIV - 49,993 people.
Court ranks. The system of these ranks was formed by the end. 18th century (the first court staff was adopted in 1727, then new states were introduced in 1796 and 1801). Previously distributed over almost all classes, they were summarized in two basics. groups: the first ranks of the court (II and III classes) and the second ranks of the court, which then included chamberlains (VI class), titular chamberlains (VIII class) and chamber junkers (IX class), turned in 1809 from ranks into courtiers ranks. Since that time, the court ranks of the III class began to be called the second ranks of the court. The ranks of chief ceremonial master and chief forschneider could be II and III classes (in III class they were called second). Court ranks were considered more honorable than civil ones. Therefore, some officials who rose to the 3rd class were transferred to the second ranks of the court in the form of incentives. Civil officials of the lower classes could be granted "the position of chamberlain" or other positions of the second ranks of the court without, however, receiving the appropriate class. In both cases, chinoproizvodstvo sped up. Persons who received a court rank could continue their civil service. department. In rare cases, a court rank was given while maintaining a civilian of the same or another class (for example, the actual secret advisers K. I. Palen and B. A. Vasilchikov were at the same time - the first chief chamberlain, the second master of the ring). The number of court ranks was determined by the states and in certain periods no awards were made in excess of the set. In general, for the 18th century. there were: 9 chief chamberlains, 11 chief chamberlains, 12 chief chamberlains, 5 chief shenks, 9 chief ringmasters, 5 chief chasseurs, 7 chief ceremonial masters. the number of court officials increased significantly. In the court staff on 1 Jan. 1898 consisted of 16 first and 147 second ranks of the court.
Chinoproizvodstvo. The transfer to each next rank was determined by the stay in the previous a certain number of years, which could be reduced for differences in service. Until 1856, the terms of service in each rank were different for people of different social origins and were divided into 3 categories. The most preferential conditions for chinoproizvodstvo (according to the 1st category) were provided to the nobility. But gradually there was a process of establishing uniform terms of service. In 1906, the terms of civil service: in the XIV, XII, X and IX classes - 3 years, in VIII-VI - 4, in V - 5 and in IV - 10 years. Production in class III and above was not regulated and depended on the discretion of the emperor. Yes, citizen. and court officials of the first three classes in 1916, there were only approx. 800 people Graduation from higher education. institutions (depending on their ranks and the success of graduates) gave the right to receive ranks of XII-VIII classes. Similar order existed for the military. services. However, in con. 19th century to achieve higher military. ranks took more time than to obtain equal civilians. From the rank of captain, promotion to the next ranks in the armies was carried out only if there were vacant positions corresponding to them. Civil and court ranks for special merits could also be granted "out of service", that is, to persons not in public service (in particular, merchants).
Obtaining a rank gave the right to be appointed to a certain range of posts. The staff lists of all departments indicated which rank or ranks each position corresponded to. So, usually the position of a minister corresponded to class II, deputy minister - class III, director of a department (management), governor and mayor - class IV, vice-director of a department and vice-governor - class V, beginning. department and clerk to the Center. institutions - VI class, and the clerk - VII class. There were, however, cases of appointment to a post of a higher class than the existing rank (P. A. Stolypin, for example, was appointed Chairman of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Internal Affairs, being in the IV class). Main posts by elections from the nobility, and after 1890 and 1899 also by the zemstvo and mountains. self-government were equated with certain classes of state positions. service (the provincial marshal of the nobility, for example, received the rank of real state councilor for two three years of service by election).
According to the law of 9 Dec. 1856 only the acquisition of the military. the rank of class VI and civil class IV (not upon retirement) gave the rights of hereditary nobility; personal nobility was given by all other staff and chief officer ranks, as well as civil. ranks from the IX class (in the 18th - 1st half of the 19th centuries, the conditions for obtaining the nobility were more preferential). All other citizens ranks from 1832 gave the rights of hereditary or personal honorary citizenship (see Honorary Citizens). The order of awarding orders was coordinated with the system of ranks (each of the awards was usually determined by the belonging of the recipient to certain classes of ranks). The system of chinoproizvodstva was important in the formation of a closed layer of bureaucracy and was one of the factors that determined the dependence of the latter on the autocracy.
Ranks. In Russia in the 19th-20th centuries. there were honorary titles of senators and members of the State. council, in departments not present, i.e., not participating in meetings, something like honorary members. These ranks were assigned to officials of III-I classes, to-rye, however, could continue their activities in accordance with their rank and position. Since the 1860s the title of senator, as a rule, was received by fellow ministers. In some cases in the 19th century. receiving this title was the end of a career. The title of a member of the State. council after 1810 was considered higher, but with its assignment, the title of senator for those who had it could be preserved. Few senior citizens. and court ranks of I-III classes (in exceptional cases of IV-V classes) received the title of Secretary of State of His Majesty (should be distinguished from the position of Secretary of State of the State Council - the manager of the office of one of the departments). The number of persons who had this title decreased in con. 19 - beg. 20th century (in 1876 - 40 people, in 1900 - 27, in 1915 - 19 people). The military who made up the retinue of the emperor, in addition to the ranks, had the ranks: adjutant general (I-III classes), which was in the beginning. 20th century 60 people; the retinue of the major general or the retinue of the rear admiral (the first rank was introduced in the 18th century, the second - in the 19th century), the adjutant wing (in the 18th century from class IV and below, in the 19th century headquarters and chief officers). The secretaries of state and the general adjutants on duty had the right to announce the emperor's verbal orders. In con. 18 - beg. 19th centuries the court ranks of chamberlain and chamber junker were often given to officials and officers of relatively lower classes, sometimes to representatives of ancient noble families that did not have class ranks at all (in these cases, children often received court ranks). The award of these ranks gave the right to receive IV and V classes of the Table of Ranks. In 1809 the ranks of chamberlain and chamber junker were turned into honorary titles conferred by civil. officials III-V and VI-IX classes (from 1850 III-IV and V-VIII classes). In addition, they could be given to persons of high society. position, not a member of the state. service (especially the leaders of the nobility), without giving them the right to rank.
There were court ranks for ladies: chief chamberlain, chamberlain, lady of state, maid of honor and maid of honor. The first two of them could only belong to persons who held chamberlain positions.
In 1800, the titles of commerce and manufactures-advisers were introduced, equated to the VIII class of citizens. services, to which merchants could be awarded. estates. Since 1824, the right to these titles was granted to all merchants of the 1st guild (after 12 years in the guild). In 1836, those who held these titles, as well as their widows and children, were granted the right to apply for hereditary honorary citizenship.
Titles. Appeal (orally or in writing) to persons with ranks was strictly regulated and was called a title. A private title was the name of a rank or position (for example, "state councilor", "vice-governor"). Common titles for ranks and positions of I-II classes were "Your Excellency"; III and IV classes - "your excellency"; V class - "your highness"; VI-VIII classes (for the military after 1884, including captains) - "your honor" and for the ranks of IX-XIV classes (chief officer ranks) - "your honor". If an official was appointed to a position, the class of which was higher than his rank, he used the general title by position (for example, the provincial marshal of the nobility used the title of III-IV classes - "your excellency", even if he had the title by rank or origin "your honor"). With a written official in the appeal of lower officials to higher ones, both titles were called, and the private one was used both by position and by rank and followed the general title (for example, "His Excellency, Comrade Minister of Finance, Privy Councillor"). From Ser. 19th century private title by rank and surname began to be omitted. With a similar appeal to a lower official, only the private title of the position was retained (the last name was not indicated). Equal officials, on the other hand, addressed each other either as inferiors or by name and patronymic, indicating the common title and surname in the margins of the document. Honorary titles (except for the title of a member of the State Council) were usually also included in the title, and in this case the private title by rank, as a rule, was omitted. Persons who did not have a rank used a common title in accordance with the classes, to which the rank belonging to them was equated (for example, chamber junkers and manufactory advisers received the right to the common title "your honor"). When speaking to higher ranks, a common title was used; to equal and inferior citizens. ranks were addressed by name and patronymic or surname; to the military ranks - by rank with or without the addition of a surname. The lower ranks were supposed to address ensigns and non-commissioned officers by rank with the addition of the word "mister" (for example, "mister sergeant major"). There were also titles by origin (according to "dignity"). Private titles by origin were: emperor, Grand Duke(for children, and in the male generation and for the grandchildren of the emperor; in 1797-1886 also for the great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren of the emperor in the male line), prince of imperial blood, most serene prince, prince, count, baron, nobleman. They corresponded to the general titles (predicates): "your imperial majesty" (sometimes the abbreviated formula - "sovereign" was used); "your imperial highness" (for grand dukes) and "your highness" (for princes of imperial blood below grandchildren of emperors); "your grace" (for the younger children of the emperor's great-grandchildren and their descendants in the male line, as well as the most illustrious princes by award); "your excellency" (for persons who had princely or county titles); "your honor" (for other nobles, including barons). When referring to persons of princely, count and baronial dignity, the title by origin was used in all cases without fail, and replaced all other common titles (for example, when referring to a colonel-prince, the general used the title "prince", and the lieutenant - "your excellency" ).
A special system of private and general titles existed for the clergy. The monastic (black) clergy were divided into 5 ranks: the metropolitan and archbishop were titled - "your eminence", the bishop - "your eminence", the archimandrite and abbot - "your reverend". The three highest ranks were also called bishops, and they could be addressed with the general title "lord". The white clergy had 4 ranks: archpriest and priest (priest) were titled - "your reverend", protodeacon and deacon - "your reverend".
All persons who had ranks (military, civil, courtiers) wore uniforms, according to the type of service and class of rank. The ranks of classes I-IV had a red lining on their overcoats. Special uniforms relied on persons with honorary titles (secretary of state, chamberlain, etc.). The ranks of the imperial retinue wore shoulder straps and epaulettes with the imperial monogram and aiguillettes.
The assignment of ranks and honorary titles, as well as appointment to positions, awarding orders, etc., was formalized by orders of the tsar for military, civil. and court departments and was noted in the formulary (track record) lists. The latter were introduced as early as 1771, but received their final form and began to be conducted systematically from 1798 as a mandatory document for each of the persons who were in the state. service. These lists are important historical. source when studying the official biography of these persons. Since 1773, lists of citizens began to be published annually. ranks (including courtiers) I-VIII classes; after 1858, the publication of lists of ranks I-III and separately IV classes continued. Similar lists of generals, colonels, lieutenant colonels and army captains were also published, as well as the "List of persons who were in the naval department, and the fleet to admirals, headquarters and chief officers ...".
After February Revolution 1917 the title system was simplified. Ranks, titles and titles were abolished by the decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars of November 10. 1917 "On the destruction of estates and civil ranks".
Lit .: Code of Laws Russian Empire, vol. 3, part 3, St. Petersburg, 1832; Karavanov P.F., Lists of remarkable Russian faces, "CHOIDR", 1860, book. one; his own, Chamberlains, ladies of state and maids of honor of the Russian court of the 18th and 19th centuries, St. Petersburg, 1872; Karnovich E.P., Generic nicknames and titles in Russia and the merging of foreigners with Russians, St. Petersburg, 1886; Miloradovich G. A., List of persons of the retinue of their majesties from the reign of Emperor Peter I to 1886, according to the seniority of the day of appointment, K., 1886; his, Additions and changes to the editions of 1886 and 1891 on 6 Dec. 1895, Chernihiv, 1895; Glinoetsky N., Historical sketch of the development of officer ranks and the system of ranks in Russian. army, "Military collection", 1887, No 4; List of awards of the count and princely Russian Empire merits for the time from Peter the Great to 1881, St. Petersburg, 1889; Lists of titled families and persons Ross. empires, St. Petersburg, 1892, Continued ... from 1 Jan. 1892 to Jan 1 1894, St. Petersburg, 1894; Polyansky A. M., Uniforms of civil ranks of all departments and institutions, M., 1898; Volkov N. E., Yard Rus. emperors in his past and present, St. Petersburg, 1900; General schedule of class positions in the empire, vols. 1-4, St. Petersburg, 1900-10; List of persons of the retinue of the sovereign emperor, St. Petersburg, 1901-15; Rezhepo P. A., Statistics of generals, St. Petersburg, 1903; Troitsky S. M., Materials of the census of officials in 1754-1756. as a source for socio-political. And cultural history Russia XVIII in., in the book: Archeographic Yearbook for 1967, M., 1969; his, Russian absolutism and nobility in the 18th century, M., 1974; Korelin A.P., The nobility in post-reform Russia (1861-1904), "IZ", vol. 87, M., 1971; Zayonchkovsky P.A., Autocracy and Russian. army at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries. 1881-1903, M., 1973; History guides pre-revolutionary Russia. Bibliography, M., 1971. See also lit. under the articles Nobility, Genealogy.
Admiral - (from Arab, emir - sovereign, chief, later - commander of the fleet). In Europe, the word appeared as early as the 12th century, in Russia - in 1699, in the Table of Ranks this rank belonged to class II, which was equal to the rank of a full general or a real privy councillor.
Baron is the oldest European title of nobility, known since the early Middle Ages. Introduced in Russia by Peter I. Of the Russian subjects, this title was mainly owned by the nobles of the Baltic lands and immigrants from Germany
Boyar - the highest service rank in the Russian state in the XIV-XVII centuries. This title gave the holder the right to participate in the meetings of the Boyar Duma. With the beginning of the reforms of Peter I (the beginning of the 18th century), it was no longer assigned
Brigadier - a military rank of V class in the Table of Ranks, which existed from 1722 to 1799 and occupied an intermediate position between a colonel and a major general. In the civil service, he corresponded to the rank of State Councilor
Grand Duke - title, from the 9th century. the owners of which became the eldest princes in the family. Later sovereign princes of large principalities. With the introduction of the royal title, it was used as an addition to it. In the XVIII - early XX century. - the title given to the children and grandchildren of the emperor in the male line
Grand Duchess- title of wife or widow of the Grand Duke
Grand Duchess - the title of the unmarried daughter of an emperor or grand duke
Vice admiral - naval rank III class in the Table of Ranks, introduced by Peter I in 1699 and corresponding to the rank of lieutenant general of the army or privy councilor
Vice-Chancellor - the name of the civil rank II class in the Table of Ranks for persons heading the foreign affairs agency
Voivode - in pre-Petrine Russia, the head of the city administration with the county. Regimental governors led each of the regiments or detachments of the Russian army. The chief governor of the Big Regiment corresponded to the rank of Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army
The military foreman is one of the ancient Cossack ranks. As the military administration of the Cossack troops was streamlined, the foremen gained more and more influence, becoming the closest assistants to the military atamans. Since 1754, it was forbidden to produce foremen without special representation about that to the Military Collegium. In the second half of the XVIII century. the foremen appeared in the role of commanders of the Cossack regiments or headed the civil command and control bodies of the troops
When in 1798 the ranks of the Cossack troops were compared with the army, the rank of military foreman was equated with the major. In 1885, with the abolition of the rank of major in the army, the rank of foreman was retained and equated to the rank of lieutenant colonel of the 7th class in the Table of Ranks.
Military comrade - a rank in Little Russia in the 18th century, corresponding to the rank of cornet in the cavalry
General - highest degree military officials. For the first time this title began to be used in France, and from the beginning of the 17th century. was borrowed by Germany and Austria. In Russia, the rank of general appeared under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, but at first only foreigners possessed it. Aggey Alekseevich Shepelev became the first Russian to have a general's rank. The rank of general was divided into several degrees. At one time, the rank of brigadier also belonged to the general ranks.
Admiral General is the highest rank in the navy. On December 22, 1708, Count Fyodor Matveyevich Apraksin, who led the young Russian fleet, became the first general-admiral in Russia. In Russia, this rank was worn by six people, belonging mainly to ruling dynasty Romanovs
With the death of General-Admiral Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich on November 1, 1908, this title was no longer awarded in the Russian Navy.
Adjutant General - an honorary rank in the retinue of the emperor, granted to the highest military ranks - full generals and lieutenant generals. This title was given quite rarely. For example, on January 1, 1911, 34 full generals and 26 lieutenant generals held this title. They had the right to transmit oral orders of the emperor
General-anshef - a general rank of II class in the Table of Ranks, introduced at the very beginning of the 18th century. and standing below the rank of Field Marshal. In 1796-1797. this rank has been replaced by general ranks according to the types of troops: general of infantry, cavalry, artillery, engineer-general
Generalissimo - for the first time this title as a title was given by the French king Charles IX to his brother, later King Henry III. This rank was usually given to persons of royal blood or commanders-in-chief of several armies. In Russia, for the first time, this rank is mentioned in the military regulations of Peter I, which says: “This rank is only due to crowned heads and great ruling princes, and especially to those who have an army.” In Russia, only three people had this rank: A. D. Menshikov, Prince Anton of Brunswick and A. V. Suvorov
Lieutenant General - a military rank of III class in the Table of Ranks, introduced in the army in 1798 instead of the rank of lieutenant general. Corresponded to the ranks of Vice Admiral and Privy Councilor
Major General - a military rank known in Russia since the end of the 17th century. In the Table of Ranks corresponded to the IV class
Infantry general, artillery general, cavalry general, engineer-general - general rank of II class in the Table of Ranks, replacing in 1796-1797. rank of General-in-Chief. Corresponded to the ranks of admiral and real privy councillor.
Lieutenant General - military rank III class in the Table of Ranks, which existed in the Russian army until 1798 and was replaced by the rank of lieutenant general
Prosecutor General - the highest official of the civil administration, who oversaw the legality of the activities of the state apparatus. The position was established in 1722 by Peter I to oversee the activities of the Senate. With the formation of ministries in 1802, the prosecutor general became at the same time the minister of justice
Field Marshal General - the highest general rank in the ground forces. Introduced in Russia by Peter I in 1699 instead of the position of Chief Governor of the Big Regiment that existed until that time. According to the military charter of Peter I: "A field marshal general or an chief is the commander of the chief general in the army." In the history of Russia, this rank was worn by 64 people. The last of the Russian generals was awarded it to Count D. A. Milyutin
King of Arms - the position of the head of the Heraldry, created in 1722. His duties included compiling lists of nobles, making sure that the nobles did not evade service, adding military ranks not from the nobles who had reached the rank of chief officer to the noble lists, compiling coats of arms and noble genealogical books
Duke - one of the highest titles of nobility in most European countries. in Russia at the beginning of the 18th century. A. D. Menshikov used the title of Duke of Izhora. Beginning with Emperor Peter III, the common title of Russian tsars also included the title of dukes of Holstein-Gottorp, since the Russian emperors were their direct descendants in the male line. In Russia, the title of duke was carried by the closest relatives of the Romanovs, the Dukes of Oldenburg, Württemberg and Leuchtenberg.
City nobleman - a title denoting the category of the best of the provincial nobles, who was promoted on personal merit or thanks to family ties
Secretary of State - an official, as a rule, II-III classes in the Table of Ranks, who headed the State Chancellery, which was in charge of office work State Council. The position has existed since 1810.
Chamberlain Marshal - introduced in 1726, the court rank of an official of the III class, who was in charge of providing for the court, arranging receptions and travels. He was in charge of the court servants
Chamberlain - a court rank of the III class, introduced in 1727. Managed the palace economy and the staff of the courtiers
Chamberlain - a court position for ladies, whose duties included managing the maids of honor and the offices of empresses and grand duchesses
Hoff Junker - court rank XII class in the Table of Ranks
Count is an old European title of nobility, introduced in Russia by Peter I at the very beginning of the 18th century.
Butler - the court position of the manager of the royal household, which was the order of the Grand Palace with hearty, grain and nutritious yards
Active state councilor - civil rank IV class in the Table of Ranks, corresponding to the rank of major general
Active Privy Councilor Class I - civil rank I class in the Table of Ranks, corresponding to the ranks of chancellor, field marshal general and admiral general
Boyar children are nobles, the bulk of the service class, which forms the core of the army - the local cavalry. For their service received estates
The stuffy nobleman is the third senior rank of the Boyar Duma. Basically did not belong to the titled aristocracy. This rank was most often awarded to the favorites of the king or the closest relatives of the queens.
Stuffy clerk - the lowest stuffy rank of an official who was part of the Boyar Duma. Compiled and ruled the projects of the Boyar Duma and the most important royal decrees, was in charge of the office work of the Duma
Dyak - an official who was in charge of the clerical work of state or local government and diplomatic negotiations and served for a salary
Residents - the lowest rank of the capital's nobility, recruited from the district nobles, appointed in turn to Moscow to guard the royal palace and occupy administrative positions
Yesaul - first a rank or position, and later a rank in the Cossack troops. Yesauls were general, military, regimental, hundreds, stanitsa, marching, artillery. The very title of Yesaul was first introduced in 1578 for the Ukrainian Cossacks by the Polish King Stefan Batory. The title of Yesaul was considered in the Cossack troops the second after the ataman. In 1775, at the suggestion of Prince Potemkin, it was instructed that the captains of the regiments be considered "decently an officer's rank." In 1798-1800. the rank of Yesaul was compared with the rank of hussar captain, and from that time on he gave its owner hereditary nobility. In the future, yesaul - the chief officer rank in the Cossack troops, corresponding to the rank of captain or captain
Emperor - the title adopted in Russia by Tsar Peter I on October 22, 1721, during celebrations to celebrate the conclusion of peace with Sweden. Prior to this, the imperial title existed in Europe only for the head of the Holy Roman Empire. Since the time of Peter I, all his successors on the Russian throne were called emperors, although the royal title was still used according to tradition.
Empress - the title of the wife or mother of the emperor, as well as the woman who rules the Russian Empire autocratically. This title had, as it were, three meanings: autocratic empress; the empress is the wife of the emperor; empress mother
Cabinet Minister - the rank of the Cabinet of His Imperial Majesty, the highest state institution in 1731-1741, created as a council under the empress "for the better and decent administration of all state affairs." By decree, the signatures of the three cabinet ministers since 1735 were equal to the signatures of the empress
Chamberlain - a court rank introduced in Russia in 1711. From 1737 he was in the VI class of the Table of Ranks, in 1809 he was transferred to the IV class, and later this title acquired the character of an honorary award
Chamber-page - a special court title for young men who studied in the senior classes of the Corps of Pages. Their duties included duty under the emperor, empress and grand duchesses, as well as participation in court ceremonies.
Chamber maid of honor is a senior court rank for unmarried women, introduced in 1742.
Chamber junker - originally a court rank of the IX class in the Table of Ranks, from 1737 - the VI class, and from 1742 - the V class. Since 1809 - junior court rank. The duties of the chamber junkers included duty with the empresses and other members of the imperial family, as well as special duties with them during court ceremonies.
Chancellor - in the Middle Ages, the highest official at the court, whose duties included writing state, mainly diplomatic acts. In Russia, for the first time in 1709, the rank of chancellor was received by Count G. I. Golovkin. In total, this title in Russia is different time worn by 11 people. In the civil service, the rank of chancellor corresponded to the rank of actual privy councilor, class I, and was equal to the military rank of field marshal general. The last holder of the rank of Chancellor was His Serene Highness Prince A. M. Gorchalov, who died in 1882.
Captain - the highest chief officer rank in the infantry, artillery, engineering troops and special branches of the military. The word "captain" appeared in France, where in the Middle Ages this term was used to refer to the highest commanders of troops in individual districts. Since 1558, company commanders have been called captains. In Russia, the rank of captain appeared under Tsar Boris Godunov, when the first hired foreigners were invited to his service. Until 1642, only foreign officers had the rank of captain. Since 1647, this rank has already become the usual rank of company commander. In the table of states of February 19, 1711, among other ranks, captains of infantry and cavalry are everywhere indicated. In the staff of artillery, announced in 1712, the ranks of captain and captain-lieutenant are indicated. Peter's "Military Regulations" of 11716 says: "the captain is the head of the company and has the most to command." In the Table in the ranks of a military rank, equated to the VIII class
Captain 1st rank - the highest staff officer rank in the Navy, corresponding to the rank of army colonel. Introduced by Peter I in 1713. Basically, those captains of the 2nd rank were promoted to this rank, who were elected by special attestation commissions in ports and at a special attestation meeting at the Naval Ministry for the position of commander of a ship of the 1st rank. In the Table of Ranks rank VI class
Captain of the 2nd rank - a headquarters officer rank in the navy, existing in Russia since 1713 and corresponding to the rank of army lieutenant colonel. Officers with the rank of lieutenant were promoted to captains of the 2nd rank, and from 1907 - senior lieutenant. In the table of ranks, the rank corresponding to class VII
Captain of the 3rd rank - a naval officer rank that existed in the Russian fleet from 1713 to 1737.
Captain of the 4th rank - a naval officer rank that existed in the Russian fleet from 1713 to 1717.
Captain-commander - an officer rank in the navy, equal to the rank of brigadier in the army, introduced by Peter I in 1707. It is equated to class V in the Table of Ranks. Canceled 1827
Captain-lieutenant - former junior staff officer rank of the fleet, corresponding to the rank of army major. Introduced in 1713 and existed in the Navy until 1884. It was restored on June 9, 1907 and abolished again on December 6, 1911.
Prince is the oldest Russian title, which, according to some sources, has existed since the 8th century. In the XIV-XVII centuries. the meaning of this title weakened, and only from the end of the 18th century. he began to be considered the highest title of the Russian nobility
Prince of Imperial blood - a title introduced in 1797 for the great-great-grandchildren of the emperor, and since 1886 - for the great-grandchildren of the emperor. In reality, this title arose at the end of the 19th century, when the grandchildren of the emperor along the younger lines had descendants
Princess - the title of the wife of a prince
Princess - the title of an unmarried woman whose father had a princely title
Princess of Imperial blood - a title introduced in 1797 for the great-great-granddaughters of the emperor, and since 1886 - for the great-granddaughters of the emperor
Collegiate assessor - civil rank of VIII class in the Table of Ranks, corresponding to the major's chip
Collegiate Secretary - civil rank X class in the Table of Ranks, corresponding to the rank of an army lieutenant
Collegiate registrar - the lowest rank, equal to class XIV in the Table of Ranks
Collegiate adviser - civil rank VI class in the Table of Ranks, corresponding to the rank of army colonel
Rear Admiral - rank IV class in the Table of Ranks, introduced in the fleet by Peter I in 1699. Originally called shautbe-nakht. Corresponded to the ranks of major general and real state councilor
Konyushy - a courtier who was originally in charge of the grand duke's stables. Later acquired the value of an honorary title, denoting a primacy among the boyars.
Cornet - military rank XII class in the Table of Ranks for cavalry officers, corresponding to the rank of second lieutenant
Kravchiy is a courtier who was in charge of organizing royal feasts, during which he served the king. His duties also included the distribution on solemn days of treats granted by the tsar to ambassadors, boyars and persons of other ranks.
Lieutenant - an obsr-officer rank in the navy, established for the first time in France in 1444. Since 1907, a lieutenant who has served in the rank for at least five years, with the approval of the meeting of flag officers and captains, could be promoted to the rank of senior lieutenant. According to the Table of Ranks, the lieutenant corresponded to the IX class. In the army, the military rank is XII class, X class in artillery and IX in the guard. In 1730 he was replaced by the rank of lieutenant
Huntsman - a courtier whose duties included managing the royal animal hunt
Major - an officer rank that first appeared in the Spanish and German troops around 1560. Usually a major was appointed to help the regiment commander and sometimes commanded a battalion. In the Russian army, the rank of major became the first staff officer rank, established by Peter I in 1711. PPE 1 year The rank of major was divided into two levels - prime major and second major. By a decree of Paul I in February 1797, this division was abolished and it was prescribed from now on "to write them simply as majors." Gradually, in some branches of the military, the rank of major was abolished, and in 1884 it was finally abolished
Minister - with the creation of ministries in 1802, the highest official, the head of the ministry, appointed personally by the emperor. As a rule, the minister had the rank of II or III class in the Table of Ranks
Midshipman - the first chief officer rank in the Russian fleet, corresponding to the lieutenant of the army. In navigation, midshipmen usually acted as watch officers
Moscow nobleman - a title that was considered higher than a city nobleman, but lower than court ranks. In the 17th century the title of Moscow nobleman was given as a reward to those nobles who did not have estates near Moscow
Court adviser - civil rank of VII class in the Table of Ranks, corresponding to the rank of lieutenant colonel of the army
Chief Marshal - court rank II class in the Table of Ranks, introduced in 1726.
Chief chamberlain - court rank II class, introduced in 1722. His duties included managing the staff and finances of the imperial court
Ober-Hofmeisterina - the highest court rank and position for ladies. She was in charge of the court ladies' staff and the office of the empresses. For the first time, the Chief Hofmeisterina was appointed at the Russian court in 1727.
Ober-Jägermeister - court rank II class in the Table of Ranks, introduced in 1736. His duties included managing the imperial hunt
Chief chamberlain - court rank of class II, introduced in 1727. He led the court cavaliers and represented the members of the imperial family of persons who received the right to an audience
Master of Ceremonies - court rank III class in the Table of Ranks. Introduced in 1727. He was in charge of the procedural side of court ceremonies
Ober-shenk - court rank II class, introduced in 1723. He had at his disposal palace supplies
Ober-stealmaster - a court rank of the II class, introduced in 1726. He headed the imperial court stables and the economy related to them
Okolnichiy - a court rank and position in the Russian state that existed until the beginning of the 18th century. The second rank after the boyar in the Boyar Duma
Gunsmith - a courtier responsible for the storage and manufacture of the royal ceremonial military and hunting weapons
Page - a special court rank for young men who studied in the Corps of Pages
Lieutenant colonel - a staff officer rank corresponding to class VII in the Table of Ranks. Originally designated assistant colonel position as regimental commander
Second lieutenant - obsr-officer rank, introduced in Russia by Peter I in 1703 and corresponding to the XII class in the Table of Ranks. With the abolition in 1884 for peacetime, the rank of ensign became the first officer rank in all troops, except for the cavalry and Cossack troops, where he corresponded to the ranks of cornet and cornet
Podesaul - officer rank in the Cossack troops, equal to the officer rank of staff captain IX class in the Table of Ranks
Clerk - an official who is subordinate to the clerk and is engaged in office work
Colonel - commander of the regiment, and later on the senior staff officer rank, corresponding to class VI in the Table of Ranks
Lieutenant - chief officer rank corresponding to class X in the Table of Ranks
Ensign - junior obsr-officer rank, equal to class XIII in the Table of Ranks. Originally meant the position of a standard-bearer. In Russia, this rank was established by Peter 1. In 1884, the rank of ensign was abolished and left only for wartime
Bed clerk - an old position of a courtier, whose duties included monitoring the cleanliness, decoration and safety of the royal bed. Boyars close to the tsar were usually appointed as bed wardens.
Marshal of the nobility - a representative of the nobility of the province or county, elected by the relevant Nobility Assembly for 3 years, who was in charge of the estate affairs of the nobility and occupied an influential position in the local administration and self-government bodies. For the duration of his duties, the provincial marshal of the nobility enjoyed the rights of an official of the IV class in the Table of Ranks, and the county - V class
Rotmistr - senior officer rank in the cavalry, until 1884 IX class, and then VIII class in the Table of Ranks, corresponding to the rank of captain
Rynda - royal squire, bodyguard appointed from stewards and solicitors, honorary guard at the royal throne when receiving ambassadors
A senator is a member of the ruling Senate, established in 1711 as the highest state institution, and in the 19th - early 20th centuries. acting as the highest judicial instance and the highest body of administrative supervision. Senators were appointed personally by the emperor and had ranks not lower than class III in the Table of Ranks
Sotnik - the commander of a hundred in the Russian army until the beginning of the 18th century, and in the Cossack troops from 1798 to 1884 - the chief officer rank of the XII class, from 1884 - the X class in the Table of Ranks
Sleeping bag - a court rank in the Russian state, existing > before the start of the reforms of Peter I; was subordinate to the bedkeeper. His duties included being on duty in the rooms of the sovereign and accompanying him during his trips.
State lady - a court rank, was assigned mainly to spouses of major civil and military ranks, most of them belonged to well-born noble families, many of which were cavalry ladies of the Order of St. Catherine. They did not have any specific duties at court, could not take part in court ceremonies and appeared at court only on solemn occasions.
State Councilor - civil rank V class in the Table of Ranks
Secretary of State - in the XVIII century. this title was worn by people who acted as personal secretaries of the emperor, and from the middle of the 19th century. an honorary title bestowed personally by the emperor on major dignitaries of the civil service with a rank of at least III class. They had the right to transmit oral orders of the emperor
Stolnik - the rank of a courtier, whose duties included serving at the table during feasts and carrying out personal assignments for the king. Almost all representatives of aristocratic families began their service in the stolniks, later advancing to the boyar ranks, and also the nobles served, for whom the rank of stolnik was the pinnacle of their career. The stewards, who were part of the king's inner circle, were called room stewards
Solicitor - the rank of a courtier, whose duties included watching the king's dress and serving it at the sovereign's vestments. Solicitors carried out various assignments of the king, served as city and regimental governors, a lawyer with a key served as a palace housekeeper
Sainy adviser - civil rank III class in the Table of Ranks, corresponding to the rank of lieutenant general
Titular adviser - civil rank IX class in the Table of Ranks, corresponding to the rank of army captain or lieutenant of the navy
Adjutant wing - the title assigned to the headquarters and chief officers of the army and navy, who were in the retinue of the emperor. For the adjutant wing, there were preferential conditions for production and ranks, regardless of vacancies. During the production to the general ranks, the adjutant wing was removed, but these generals were enrolled in the emperor's retinue
Maid of honor is a junior court rank for unmarried women. When they got married, this title was removed from them, but they retained the right to be presented to the Empress and receive invitations to balls in the Great Hall of the Winter Palace along with their husbands, despite the rank of the latter.
Tsar - the title officially adopted in Russia by the Grand Duke Ivan IV in 1547, which he adopted from the ancient Roman title of Caesar
The queen is the title of the wife of the king, which was retained by her even after the death of her husband. Anastasia Romanovna Zakharyina-Yuryeva became the first Russian tsarina after her wedding with Tsar Ivan IV
Tsarevich - a title introduced by Emperor Paul I for the eldest son of the emperor, who was the heir to the throne. In October 1799, the second son of Emperor Constantine received this title as an honorary award, and he retained it until his death.
Tsesarevna - the title of the wife of the emperor's eldest son - heir to the throne, although it was first introduced by Emperor Peter I on December 23, 1721 for his daughters Anna and Elizabeth on the day their mother Catherine was proclaimed empress
Master of Ceremonies - court rank of the V class in the Table of Ranks, introduced in 1743. actor during official court ceremonies
Chalenik - an official of the royal administration, who led a special palace institution, which was in charge of drinking affairs, as well as beekeeping. They served the king at dinner parties and festive feasts and were among the closest advisers to the sovereign
Shlyakhtich - borrowed from Poland, the name of the nobility, used in Russia for the Russian nobility throughout the XVIII century.
Headquarters captain - an officer rank in the cavalry in 1797-1884. V class in the Table of Ranks, and from 1884 - IX class. Corresponded to the rank of staff captain and titular adviser
Staff captain - an officer rank in the infantry, artillery and engineering troops in 1797-1884. X class, and from 1884 - IX class in the Table of Ranks
Ringmaster - court rank III class in the Table of Ranks, introduced in 1778. The duties of the ringmaster included managing the court stables, grooms and carriages
On January 24, 1722, Peter I approved the Law on Order public service in the Russian Empire (ranks by seniority and sequence of rank production). The preparation of this law - the Table of Ranks - began as early as 1719 and was a natural continuation of the reform activities of Peter I, which resulted in an increase in the number of positions in the army and the state apparatus. The "Table of Ranks" was based on similar acts that already existed in Western European countries, especially in Denmark and Prussia. When drafting the law, the ranks that already existed in Russia were also taken into account. The "Table of Ranks" in addition to the table itself had eighteen more points of explanatory text and establishing penalties for its violation. All the ranks of the "Table of Ranks" were divided into three types: military, civilian (civil) and courtiers and were divided into fourteen classes. It is interesting that the law did not explain the very concept of "rank", which is why some historians considered the latter literally and only in the system of rank production, while others - as a particular position. In our opinion, the "Table of Ranks" included both those and other concepts. Gradually, positions from the "Table" are excluded and in late XVIII centuries disappear altogether (Peter's "Table of Ranks" numbered 262 positions). Petrovskaya "Table", determining a place in the hierarchy of the civil service, to some extent made it possible for talented people from the lower classes to advance. "In order to give them the desire to serve and honor them, and not to receive impudent and parasites"- read one of the descriptive articles of the law.
Military ranks were declared higher than their corresponding civil and even court ranks. Such seniority gave advantages to military ranks in the main thing - the transition to the highest nobility. Already the 14th class of the "Table" (fendrik, from 1730 - ensign) gave the right to hereditary nobility (in the civil service, hereditary nobility was acquired by the rank of 8th class - collegiate assessor, and the rank of collegiate registrar - 14th class, gave right to personal nobility). According to the Manifesto on June 11, 1845, hereditary nobility was acquired with promotion to the headquarters officer rank (8th grade). Children born before the father received the hereditary nobility were special category chief officer children, and one of them, at the request of his father, could be given hereditary nobility. Alexander II, by decree of December 9, 1856, limited the right to receive hereditary nobility to the rank of colonel (6th class), and according to the civil department - to the rank of 4th class (actual state councilor). The above tables of ranks show that the Petrovsky "Table of Ranks" has changed over the course of almost two centuries as a result of major reforms.
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
FEDERAL AGENCY FOR EDUCATION
STATE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION OF HIGHER PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION
TYUMEN STATE UNIVERSITY
BRANCH IN ISHIMA
TITLES, RANKS AND RANKS IN THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE
student Chertanova A.A.
Scientific adviser:Kuchak L.L.
Introduction
Chapter 1. Titles, ranks and ranks as a historical and cultural phenomenon
Chapter 2. The system of titles, ranks and ranks in the Russian Empire
1 Noble titles, coats of arms and uniforms
1 Military and retinue titles and ranks
3 Ranks and titles of civil servants
4 Ranks and titles of court cavaliers and ladies
Chapter 3. Liquidation of titles, ranks and ranks in 1917
Conclusion
List of used literature
Introduction
Today, when the process of transformation of the Russian statehood continues in Russia, reforms of the state apparatus and restructuring of various levels are being carried out. government controlled, significant relevance is acquired not only by the centuries-old experience in the formation of the state apparatus throughout the history of Russia as a single state, but also by the folding and development of a system of positions and titles, and in connection with the peculiarities of the state system of Russia - positions, titles, ranks and titles inherent in various state structures in different historical eras, their mutual succession and difference. The historical experience of the formation, development and transformation of the state apparatus of Russia can be used in the process of modern reform public institutions, folding in them a certain hierarchy of positions and titles.
This circumstance necessitates the study and creation of a scientifically substantiated system of qualification ranks and ranks based on an effectively operating system of legal norms. Ongoing civil service reforms in Russian Federation entail the need for scientific study of the system of titles, ranks and ranks.
Petrovsky Table of Ranks, revived in a somewhat impoverished form today, can also serve as a guiding rod in the personnel policy of the state. Career advancement must be accompanied by tangible changes in financial position and social status official. But the transition from one level to another should not be automatic, but determined by participation in competitions for positions, passing serious exams, receiving awards, etc. It is necessary to legislate for the various ranks the appropriate amount of privileges. One should not be afraid of this word, denoting only a publicly recognized assessment of the merits of a statesman. It is bad when encouragement is distributed in secret, then there really is something shameful in them. If the system of privileges is once and for all fixed by law, accessible for inspection, it can also serve as a good incentive for the development of bureaucratic ambition - in a normal, not a caricature sense.
All these provisions should receive a fundamentally new theoretical and applied coverage in a comprehensive monographic study. This course work is an attempt to solve this problem, at least partially.
The object of this study is an organized set of officials serving in state institutions that had a certain significance in the government of the country, belonging to the three systems of state administration in Russia and functioning for five centuries national history: clerk (XVI-XVII centuries), collegiate (XVIII century), ministerial (XIX - early XX century). The work highlights the system of titles, ranks and ranks as a phenomenon of the public service of the Russian Empire.
The subject of our study was the ranks, titles, ranks of persons constituting the state apparatus. Presented in a systematic way, they allow us to recreate the model of the Russian state apparatus as a whole.
The purpose of this study is to reveal the history of the emergence and content of such a phenomenon as title, rank and rank in the Russian Empire.
These goals are specified by the following tasks:
- Expand the concepts: title, rank and rank.
- Establish an internal relationship between these concepts.
- Determine the place of titles, ranks and ranks in the public service system of the Russian Empire.
- To reveal the structure of titles, ranks and ranks of the Russian Empire.
- To reveal the system of noble titles, coats of arms and uniforms.
- Conduct a historical analysis of the development of the system of military and retinue ranks.
- Determine the meaning of the ranks and titles of civil servants.
- Show the structure of the ranks and titles of court ladies and gentlemen.
- To investigate the reasons for the elimination of the system of titles, ranks and ranks in 1917.
When writing the work, both general scientific methods were used: system analysis, the correlation of historical and logical, modeling, as well as private scientific legal methods of research: comparative legal, technical and legal method, etc.
The scientific basis of the course work are works on common history, the history of public administration, the history of titles, uniforms and orders. During the study, the author relied on the scientific work of B.I. Antonova, A.V. Viskovatova, E.P. Karpovich, A.P. Korelina, V.N. Singaevsky, L.E. Shepelev and others. These authors, to one degree or another, touched upon the problems of organizing the system of titles, ranks and ranks in the Russian Empire.
At the same time, studies of a monographic nature on this topic have not been carried out at all. These works have not lost their scientific value, however, the conclusions and proposals contained in them need to be critically evaluated and rethought, taking into account the state-legal, political and economic changes that have taken place.
The course work was completed in the amount that meets the established requirements. The structure of the course work is determined by the goals and objectives, as well as the logic of the study. The course work consists of an introduction, three chapters, a conclusion and a list of references studied in preparation for this work.
Chapter 1. Titles, ranks and ranks as a historical and cultural phenomenon
title of nobility rank rank
The concepts listed in the title are internally related. Titles are statutory verbal designations of the official and estate-generic position of their holders, briefly defining their legal status. In general, the system of titles, ranks and ranks was one of the foundations of the imperial state machine and an important element of the social life of Russia in the 18th - early 20th centuries.
The core of this system was the rank - the rank of each civil servant according to the fourteen-class "Table of Ranks of all ranks ..." established by Peter I and which existed for almost 200 years. More than a hundred years ago, in 1886, Secretary of State A. A. Polovtsov, one of the organizers and leaders of the Russian historical society, wrote Alexander III: "The time will come when it will be difficult for the historian to explain what the rank was, this one and a half hundred years of being formed, grown into the habits of Russian ambition," a phenomenon with which it was "impossible to reckon with." The validity of the prediction is now beyond doubt. Further, the author will consider in more detail the history of the emergence and content of this phenomenon, and here we will only note that the rank gave the right to fill civil service positions, as well as to a set of rights, without which, according to the authoritative testimony of a contemporary V. Ya. developed and educated, it was unbearable to live in society ”(especially before the abolition of serfdom).
It can be said that titles, and especially ranks, along with uniforms and orders, were the most noticeable sign of the era, so they penetrated into public consciousness and life of the propertied classes. Along with this, they were reflected in historical sources, memoirs and fiction, in the visual arts: sometimes these are arguments that directly affect the problems of public service and social relations; more often - private mentions of titles, ranks and ranks of specific persons in order to indicate their legal status or simply name them.
Faced with the mention of titles, ranks and ranks, the modern reader, and sometimes a specialist historian, often finds it difficult to understand their meaning. And this is natural, since the system of titles, ranks and ranks that existed in the Russian Empire was abolished as early as 1917 and has since been thoroughly forgotten. There are no special reference books about them, with the exception of encyclopedias and dictionaries, in which the corresponding terms are given separately, in a general alphabetical order. Before the revolution, the need for such reference books was not great, since there were departmental instructions, and the very tradition of using titles, ranks and ranks was alive. The difficulties are aggravated by the fact that the mention of titles, ranks and ranks in literature is not always formally correct and can be replaced by the bureaucratic or high-society jargon accepted at that time. So, in different contexts, we can talk about “bestowing lordship”, about granting a court or other uniform, key or cipher, about receiving “white buttons” or “cavalry”, about rewarding “cranberries” for a saber, etc. In this In this case, reference to directories is generally impossible for obvious reasons.
In a number of publications, including those of specialists seriously involved in the history of military ranks, the term rank is periodically used instead of the term rank. However, the following circumstances must be taken into account:
Until the beginning of the 20th century, the word rank in the Russian language was ambiguous, it denoted both a certain “order” in general (hence the words to be repaired, decorously, etc.), and a person subordinate to this order, and the position occupied by this person.
In many cases, in documents of the 17th-19th centuries regulating the ranks of various departments, the word ranks actually means not ranks, but their bearers, for example, “ranks of the military department”.
In the 19th century, the concept of rank and rank was already clearly separated in official documents, which is easy to verify by simply reading the orders by departments. At the same time, in everyday life, especially among the poorly educated strata of the population, these concepts are identified.
By the beginning of the 19th century, both ranks and titles existed in a number of departments, there was a clear division between them. Some ranks officially turned into titles. So, for example, it happened with the court ranks of the chamber junker, chamberlain, page and chamber-page, which became honorary and court titles.
With the already clear separation of the concepts of rank and rank, in the practice of office work, well-established archaic formulations such as “seniority in rank”, “chief production”, “in the same rank”, “against rank”, etc., which have remained unchanged since Peter the Great, continued to be used. .
Until the beginning of the 20th century, holders of court ranks were called “ranks of the Court”, despite the fact that they were assigned ranks, not ranks, by decrees.
In addition to the “ranks of the Court”, the imperial court consisted of “employees of the Court”, who, at the same time, had court ranks.
Since the middle of the 19th century, society has considered it disrespectful or even directly insulting for an officer to congratulate him on the assignment of the next rank, and not the rank. Conversely, the assignment of military or court ranks to officials (even several classes below their rank, for example, the assignment of the rank of major general to a real privy councilor or honorary guardian) was seen as a form of encouragement, royal favor.
In modern Russian, including in legislation, the concept of a title (honorary, military, special, scientist, etc.) and the concept of rank are clearly separated. The concept of rank is considered as an officially assigned name, determined by the degree of merit, qualifications in the field of any activity, official position, rank - as an official rank or class. Class ranks are currently assigned exclusively to civil service officials, and only if the civil servant does not have the right to receive a military or special rank in the service. Thus, to use the term rank instead of the term rank is not only illiterate, but can also be misleading.
An accurate knowledge of the titles, ranks and titles that existed in the past is especially important for those who, due to their professional duties, turn to historical research: historians, local historians, archivists, historians of natural history, art historians, directors and other artists. Very often, such knowledge is important for the very understanding of the research topic and for the attribution of historical sources: to find out their author or addressee, the person portrayed, to establish the approximate date of the document. In all cases, of course, the historian must understand the relevant terms and understand what is hidden behind them, and be able to distinguish the norm from the exception. For a historian, it is necessary to be aware of the significance of this or that title, rank or rank, what rights and obligations were associated with them, to whom they could be given, at what time they existed. During historical research In the biographical genre, the knowledge of titles, uniforms and orders naturally acquires special importance.
Chapter 2. The system of titles, ranks and ranks in the Russian Empire
.1 Noble titles, coats of arms and uniforms
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 in charge in ancient times, who distinguished themselves by merit, by which, turning the very service into merit, they acquired noble offspring. Noble means all those who are born from noble ancestors, or who are granted this dignity by monarchs. The vagueness of this definition was quite consistent with the vagueness of the very concept of "nobility" in the minds of contemporaries.
Making an attempt to explain in a general way what the nobility is, one should first of all define it as an estate, i.e. a special legal layer of feudal society, historically established in Russia by the beginning of the 18th century. and finally legally issued by the Charter to the nobility of 1785. In the ideal case, a nobleman is a landowner, i.e. the owner of land and serfs - the main productive force of feudal society. It was in this capacity that the nobleman-landowner was the main social pillar of tsarism. On his estate, he acted partly as an agent of the supreme power, responsible for the receipt of taxes from the peasants, the execution of recruitment duties, the well-being of the population, for maintaining public peace, etc.
A modern scholar of the history of the nobility, A.P. Korelin, rightly notes that “the acquisition of the nobility by service was partly in the interests of the autocracy, since it increased the bureaucratic stratum in the upper class, which was entirely dependent on the supreme power” .
Both local and service nobility were hereditary, i.e. passed on to the wife, children and distant descendants in the male line (daughters who got married received the estate status of the husband).
A special group consisted of personal (not hereditary) nobles. The prestige of the personal nobility, which first appeared with the Table of Ranks, was minimal (they were not even considered "real" nobility). With a few exceptions, personal nobles did not have the right to own serfs. In addition to the usual length of service of the hereditary nobility, personal nobles could apply for it if their fathers and grandfathers served for 20 years in the ranks of chief officers. Personal nobility extended only to the wife. Children of personal nobles enjoyed the status of "chief officer children", and since 1832 - hereditary honorary citizens.
The introduction by the manifesto on April 10, 1832 of a new class of honorary citizens (hereditary and personal) pursued two goals: first, to reduce the increase in the number of personal nobles by replacing in some cases the title of personal noble with the title of honorary citizen; secondly, to provide at least a minimum of rights (the main ones are exemption from recruitment, head wages and corporal punishment) to such categories of the population as merchants of the 1st guild (after 10 years, and since 1863 - 20 years of stay in guilds), commerce and manufactories - advisers, persons who received degrees, artists, graduates of universities and a number of other higher educational institutions, children of personal nobles and Orthodox clergy, etc. Since 1892, it became possible to apply for the title of honorary citizen for socially useful activities: for the first 10 years in this case, personal honorary citizenship was given, and for 20 years - hereditary. In 1858 there were more than 21,000 honorary citizens in Russia.
A.P. Korelin came to a reasonable conclusion that “on the one hand, the upper class, as the most educated and wealthy, produced many prominent figures in the field of science, literature and art. and on the other hand, it absorbed a fairly significant part of talented people from other classes.
The noble origin of a hereditary nobleman is his belonging to a noble family, i.e. to the clan, whose merits to the fatherland are officially recognized (good-kind), expressed by the common title of all nobles - your nobility. It was not customary to use the private title of a nobleman (so they did not introduce themselves and did not call anyone when addressing) [23,15].
The title of nobility in the distant past was used among others when magnifying the king. In the XVIII and XIX centuries. it was preserved in one of the church services, when, after a big exit at the court, the bishop addressed the present emperor with the words: “May the Lord God remember your nobility in his kingdom.”
When referring to a nobleman, the replacement for a private title was the predicate mister (lady). There are different versions of the origin of this word. According to one of them, it comes from the word "lord" - the head of the family, the lord, god and meant "master, owner". In Russia, the nobles enjoyed the preemptive right to be called this predicate, but it could also be applied (and more and more over time) to any other free (not serf) person. Among serfs and servants, the predicate master was usually replaced by the word master, which comes from the word boyar, according to one of the versions, in ancient times it meant “warrior” (participant in a battle, battle). In an unofficial situation, the predicate mister was often replaced by the predicate sovereign (sovereign), but only in the phrases gracious sovereign or my sovereign NN, or was used in an abbreviated form sir (madam). The predicate mister was usually not used without a surname (this was possible only in plural); the formula dear sir could be nameless; the predicate sir was used only as a nameless one.
It should be noted that along with the official general titles in pre-revolutionary Russia, some arbitrary titles not established by law, such as your degree, your grace, your honor, etc., were also used for complementary purposes in everyday life. Most often, this was addressed to representatives of the merchant class, if they did not have official titles.
Upper layer the noble estate was the titled nobility, i.e. noble families who had baronial, county, princely and other generic titles. in Russia until the beginning of the 18th century. there was only a princely title, exclusively as a hereditary one, denoting belonging to a clan that in ancient times enjoyed the right to reign (government) in a certain territory of the country. In connection with the creation of the Russian centralized state and the impoverishment of many of the princely families, the prestige of the title fell. This was facilitated by the permission to use the princely title of the heads of the Tatar and Mordovian clans when they adopted Orthodoxy. E. P. Karnovich came to the conclusion that the hereditary princes "not only did not represent the Russian aristocracy ... but they did not even constitute unconditionally the highest service nobility, with the exception of a few genera" and "remain in obscurity and squalor".
In ancient Europe, the baronial title was the most important and honorary. It was a general designation of both the highest state ranks and feudal lords directly subordinate to the supreme overlord. IN Ancient Russia this term was translated from German as "free master". With the spread of this title and the increase in the number of its bearers (in many cases who did not have any estates), he "lost all respect in public opinion." In fact, the title of baron began to simply indicate noble affiliation. .
Unlike ordinary nobles who did not use their private title, the barons were called by this title: Mr. Baron and Mrs. Baroness. Their common title did not differ from the noble one (your honor). Only once, when the baronial title was granted to Privy Councilor I. A. Cherkasov, was he called noble, and this common title passed to his descendants. The formula of treatment was the only difference between Russian barons and ordinary nobles.
Under the successors of Peter I, "comparatively very few" were awarded count titles, mainly favorites of Catherine II.
In the XVIII century. the count's title was regarded as no less, and sometimes even more honorary, than the prince's. This was facilitated by the fact that the Russian counts began to use the common title your high nobility (the princes did not yet have a common title), and then your excellency (under Peter I, only senators used this title).
Under Paul I, the title of Russian prince with the title of lordship was granted to Vice-Chancellor Count A. A. Bezborodko; at the beginning of 1799, Procurator General P.V. Lopukhin received the title of Most Serene Prince; in August 1799, the title of Russian prince with the title of Italian was given to Field Marshal Count A.V. Suvorov-Rymniksky (with the right to transfer to his descendants “male and feminine gender”) in connection with the granting to him by the Sardinian king Victor Emmanuel “the dignity of a prince with the title of his cousin”; finally, the princely title was given to the Armenian Patriarch Joseph of Argutinsky. Awarding the title of the Most Serene Prince to hereditary princes began to be practiced only in the second quarter of the 19th century. - under Nicholas I.
The most serene princes had the common title your lordship, in contrast to them, hereditary princes from the end of the 18th century. began to be called (like the counts) "shining" with the common title your excellency. Under Nicholas I, the number of princely titles increased.
Most often, the award of tribal titles was made in the order of gradualness: first, junior, then higher, which replaced the previous ones. In particular, princely titles complained to persons who already had a count's title, and the titles of the most serene princes - to those who had a princely one. Only in exceptional cases was it possible to have two generic titles at the same time - subject to doubling the surname due to the granted honorary or inherited surname of a different kind.
The highest (third) degree of the princely title was the title of Grand Duke, which could only belong to members of the royal (imperial) family. The title of the Grand Duke (i.e., the eldest among others) has been known in Russia since ancient times. From the 15th century due to the fall of the Byzantine Empire Russian state became known as king and grand duke. The word "king" comes from the name of the ancient Roman emperor Gaius Julius Caesar, which was adopted by his successors, becoming an element of their title.
In October 1721, Peter I assumed the imperial title. This act was supposed to once again confirm the succession of power from the heads of the Roman and Byzantine empires and raise the political status of Russia. In Western Europe, the imperial title usually belonged to the head of the largest and most powerful monarchy, and its receipt was sanctioned papal authority. TO beginning of VIII in. it was used only by the head of the Holy Roman Empire of the German nation. With the adoption of the imperial title, the Russian monarchs (this term, which can be translated as a single rightist, was brought to Russia from the West in the 18th century) did not completely abandon the titles tsar and grand duke - both of them began to be used as the so-called big title to designate them political (“ownership”) rights to certain parts of the empire (for example, the Russian emperor was considered the king of Kazan, Astrakhan and Siberia and the Grand Duke of Smolensk, Tver, Vyatka and “other lands”).
In December 1721, it was decided that the emperor's wife should be called Tsar's Majesty, and daughters - Tsar's. On some especially solemn occasions, the emperor himself is the emperor's majesty. However, under the closest successors of Peter, these names were gradually abandoned.
A special statute on the imperial family was developed and adopted only in 1797. According to him, the imperial family consisted of the emperor, the empress (wife), the dowager empress (mother) and the grand dukes: sons, daughters, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren of a living or deceased emperor. The Grand Duke - the heir to the throne (usually the eldest son of the emperor) had, in addition, the title of crown prince.
Of all the tribal titles, only the titles of the Grand Duke and the Prince of Imperial Blood, according to the law, informed their holders of substantial rights. The very first explanatory paragraph to the Table of Ranks said: “The princes who come from our blood, and those who are combined with our princesses, in all cases have the chairmanship and rank over all the princes and high servants of the Russian state.”
Due to the rather frequent and not always justified awards and often material insecurity of titled families, these titles themselves did not enjoy authority in society, especially in the second half of the 19th - early 20th centuries. More than a title by origin, the very generosity and merits of the family were valued.
Legal basis for the indisputable transmission to descendants of both tribal titles and honorary names, there was a direct descending relationship through the male line. In cases where there were no such descendants, titles (together with family names) and honorary names could be passed on to other lines of kinship and even property, each time on the basis of special permission from the emperor. This took into account, on the one hand, the desirability of preserving an old or famous titled surname in Russian history, and on the other hand, the presence of worthy successors.
The transfer of titles of terminated births through the female line began to be practiced only in the Pavlovian reign. Actually, it was not the title that was transmitted, but the titled surname. When transferring a family title and surname to another genus, restrictions were sometimes made regarding the fact that only one person by birthright would use this title and surname.
One of the important rights that were given exclusively to the nobles was the right to have a family coat of arms. Such a coat of arms can be defined as a composition of symbols (emblems) explaining the origin, merits and modern status of the clan. The coat of arms, as it were, secured the right to hereditary noble dignity and family titles and made them visible.
The first family emblems appeared in Russia only in the last decades of the 17th century. In 1686-1687. a collection of such coats of arms was compiled. Attention to family coats of arms intensified and their compilation intensified in connection with the approval of the Table of Ranks, which established in a general manner the possibility of length of service for hereditary nobility.
In order for the clan coat of arms to take legal effect, it was necessary to comply with the following conditions: 1) the legend of the origin and merits of the clan had to be proven or at least officially recognized; 2) the coat of arms had to be drawn up in compliance with the strict rules of heraldic science; 3) the coat of arms had to be approved by the authorities and formally registered. In accordance with this, a colorful drawing of the coat of arms, its description with interpretation and information on the history of the family were usually prepared and submitted for approval. To organize all activities for the development of coats of arms and their approval in 1722, the King of Arms office was created under the Senate.
The very phenomenon of family coats of arms was perceived not in isolation, but taking into account the practice of Western European countries, where family coats of arms were widespread since the Middle Ages, as well as the fact that at the same time coats of arms of provinces and cities began to be created in Russia. The ancient noble families, which had not yet acquired a coat of arms, sought to keep up with others and record their history and merits. The new clans were primarily interested in establishing themselves and strengthening their position among all others. But at the same time, a significant difficulty arose for them in the design of the coat of arms, especially in the choice of significant symbols. In fact, one should not place the image of an inkwell and a pen in the coat of arms, namely, for most of the new families, they were a means of achieving nobility.
According to the rules of heraldry, the family coat of arms consisted of a combat shield, helmet, crown, mantle, baptism (colored decorations that form the background of the coat of arms), shield holders, a motto (not indicated in all coats of arms) and other less significant elements. When depicting them, eight colors could be used: gold, silver, red, blue (azure), green, purple, black and white (when depicting a person, it was allowed to use flesh color). The first two denoted metals, the rest - enamel (finift). One of the rules of heraldry forbade metal on metal and enamel on enamel. This meant that on the metal field there could only be images from enamel (and vice versa).
The shield, which was the main part of the coat of arms, could have several forms: quadrangular with a pointed bottom (French); the same with a rounding at the bottom (Spanish); triangular with arched sides (Varangian); oval (Italian); triangular with curly cutouts on the sides (German), etc. In Russia, the French shield was more often used. The shield in the coat of arms could be divided in half vertically (dissected), horizontally (crossed), diagonally (beveled) and in another more complex way with different colors of parts. The image on the shield of crosses was widespread - straight and beveled (Andreevsky). Various kinds of images could be placed in the center of the shield or on its parts distinguished by sections.
An important role in the coat of arms was played by the crown (usually placed above the shield) and the mantle. Depending on the number of prongs, the crowns were princely, county, baronial and noble. The mantle (coming out from under the crown) was a sign of either the princely coat of arms, or the origin of the family from specific princes.
The motto is a short saying (sometimes in Latin), characterizing the life principles and goals of the representatives of the genus, - usually placed on a ribbon under the shield.
2.2 Military and retinue titles and ranks
The military ranks of those names that were recorded by the Table of Ranks appeared in Russia earlier than others, and long before the introduction of the Table of Ranks. Partly they belonged to the military, invited to serve in Russia from the countries Western Europe. However, in the last third of the XVII century. these ranks, following the example of the armies of Western countries, began to be given to the commanders of units of the Russian army. In 1672, the following ranks were already known, common to all branches of the military: colonel, lieutenant colonel (assistant colonel), captain (company commander), lieutenant (officer for instructions, assistant captain), ensign (standard bearer) and ensign (assistant ensign, not an officer). The rank of general was first assigned to a Russian in 1667.
For the first time, an attempt to streamline the system of military ranks was made in 169 by General A. A. Veide. Based on the study of the "Caesar" (Austrian) military regulations, he presented Peter I with a draft "Military Regulations". According to him, all the "initial people" were divided into "upper" and "lower" (later called non-commissioned officers).
The "higher" included generals, as well as regimental and company officer ranks. The generals were made up of combat command ranks and ranks of non-combatant management. The first included the generalissimo or full voivode, the general over the infantry, the general over the cavalry, the feldzeugmeister general, the major general and the brigadier. The highest non-combatant ranks included the commissar general (he was in charge of the entire financial part of the army), his assistants - the high commissar with the rank of colonel and two or three "simple commissars", the quartermaster general (the prototype of the chief general staff), adjutant general under the generalissimo, auditor general (highest military judicial official), general engineer.
A clear distinction has not yet been established between the ranks of major general and brigadier: the duties of both ranks included commanding a brigade (of two to four regiments).
The regimental and company ranks included those already existing by 1698 and the combat ranks mentioned by us from colonel to ensign.
The system of ranks provided for by the Charter of Weide may not have been fully implemented, but it reflected the already emerging trend in the development of military ranks and influenced the composition of these ranks in the Table of Ranks.
Already in 1699, instead of the rank of generalissimo and the post of "chief governor of the Big Regiment," the rank of field marshal came into use. It was established that “the general-field marshal, or an chief, is the commander-in-chief general in the army. The whole army and the real intention of the sovereign are entrusted to him.
The correspondence of ranks to positions was soon violated by the addition of ranks that were not associated with certain positions: for example, from 1703 the rank of second lieutenant or second lieutenant was introduced (standing in the service hierarchy between the ranks of lieutenant and ensign), and somewhat later in the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky regiments was the rank of captain-lieutenant was established (between the ranks of captain and lieutenant). In artillery, where there were no standard bearers, and consequently, the rank of warrant officer, the rank of bayonet junker was introduced according to the state of 1712, which, although it was correlated with the rank of warrant officer of other branches of the military, was not initially considered an officer rank.
The new Military Regulations of 1716, drawn up with the direct participation of Peter I, provided for three higher ranks at once: generalissimo, field marshal general and field marshal lieutenant general.
The charter of 1716 subdivided military ranks into four groups: generals, staff officers, chief officers and non-commissioned officers. The generals included ranks from generalissimo to brigadier, the headquarters officers (the ranks of the “regimental headquarters”) included ranks from colonel to major (moreover, the rank of major was divided into two degrees: prime minister and second major), to chief officers (i.e. e. to senior officers) - ranks from captain to warrant officer. Among the non-commissioned officers (i.e., junior officers who were not actually officers) or sergeants belonged to a sergeant (in the cavalry - a sergeant major), a furier (a quartermaster), a captain, a lieutenant, a corporal (a corporal was not considered a non-commissioned officer).
The system of military land ranks was finally fixed in the Table of Ranks of 1722. Three lines of rank production were envisaged: 1 - army infantry and cavalry; 2 - army artillery and engineering troops; 3 - guard.
Some of the names of generals and other ranks established by the Table of Ranks did not take root or did not take root immediately and were in practice replaced by names that were more known in Russia by that time.
According to the Table of Ranks, guard officers received an advantage of two ranks over army officers, i.e. were listed in the Table two classes above the army. Due to the lack of vacancies for staff officers in the guard, the officers of the guard, having risen to the rank of captain, in the majority went over to the army with a rank one or two classes higher, i.e. colonels and even brigadiers (Fonvizinsky's "brigadier from the army" was, by the way, just such a brigadier). At the same time, guards officers could retain their former ranks (for example, colonel of the army and captain of the Life Guards). Continuing their service in the army and having received the ranks of generals, some of them could again be appointed to the guard as majors or lieutenant colonels. Since the empress was listed as the commander of all the guards regiments, such an appointment was considered very honorable. In this case, again there was a doubling of military ranks (army + guards). The replacement of headquarters officers in the guard by generals lasted until the end of the 18th century.
Artillery officers received an advantage of one class over other army troops. This was due to the fact that service in the artillery required officers who were literate and knowledgeable in mathematics, and education among officers was rare. Since the engineering troops at that time were not separated from the artillery, in 1724 the engineering ranks were equated in ranks with the artillery. The separation of engineering units into a separate branch of the armed forces with the abandonment of these advantages occurred in 1728.
In 1730-1731. with the creation of heavy cavalry according to the German model (cuirassier), new titles of ranks appeared: captain (IX class), cornet (XIV class) and corporal corporal (equal to ensign). In a number of other ranks of the guard, the ranks of captain-lieutenant and second-captain, who were in the VIII class, were, as it were, superfluous, since they did not correspond to a combat position. Their existence is explained by the fact that all the staff officers of the guards were nominally listed as chiefs in the guards companies and squadrons assigned to them. Such companies and squadrons were called headquarters, and their command was entrusted to lieutenant captains and second captains. Other companies were commanded by "real captains" (VII class).
In 1731, the rank of army major (except for artillery and engineering troops) was also divided into two degrees - prime major and second major. It remained, however, unclear whether they belonged to different classes of the Table of Ranks or to one, being, as it were, two of its steps. .
In 1751, the rank of captain-lieutenant was introduced in the artillery and engineering troops. In 1786, the rank of second lieutenant was abolished in the cuirassier and carabinieri (created in 1765) regiments. In 1796, the rank of second lieutenant was also abolished in the hussar regiments, and warrant officers became known as cornets. The dragoons retained the rank of second lieutenant, but the rank of major was absent.
The Pavlovian reign includes a number of changes in the system of military ranks, which aimed, in particular, to achieve greater conformity in this respect between the individual branches of the military. The ranks of warrant officer and bayonet junker that existed in the engineering troops and artillery were abolished in 1796, and the rank of second lieutenant became the first officer rank. In 1797, in all troops, the division into prime and second majors was eliminated and one major rank was again established. In the same year, the guards infantry and cavalry were captain-lieutenants and seconds-captain. were renamed staff captains and staff captains; at the same time this rank was introduced in all army troops (X class), where before it was not. In 1798 artillery lieutenant captains were also renamed staff captains. In 1797-1798. cadet corps, artillery and engineering troops lose the advantage of one rank over the army, but this right was returned to them in the reign of Alexander I. At the end of the 18th century. the rank of brigadier gradually ceased to be used, and in the fifth class there were no military ranks. The names of the highest military ranks provided for by the Table of Ranks are introduced: the rank of lieutenant general is replaced by the rank of lieutenant general, and the general-generals begin to be called generals from infantry and cavalry, as well as engineer-generals. The position of general feldzeich-meister, which was listed in the II class of the Table of Ranks, was abolished in 1796; as if instead of it, the rank of general from artillery (II class) appeared, which had not previously existed in the Russian army. But already in 1798, on the birthday of Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich, the youngest son of Paul I, this position was restored, and the title of Feldzeugmeister General was granted to the baby for life. After the death of Mikhail Pavlovich, this position was not filled for some time, but in 1852 Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich (youngest son of Nicholas I) was appointed Feldzeugmeister General, who entered the post in 1856 and held it until his death (1909) Since 1909, the post of Feldzeugmeister General has not been replaced.
In 1798, for the promotion of non-commissioned officers and ensigns from the nobility, special ranks (ranks) of the standard junker (in heavy cavalry regiments), fanen junker (in dragoon regiments), junker belt (in light cavalry and artillery) were established ) and a sword belt ensign (in the infantry). All of them were considered below the XIV class and were not part of the chief officer ranks.
Let us pay attention to the peculiarity of terminology and the logic of building a system of military ranks, which were fully recognized by more educated contemporaries. Here is the meaning (meaning) of the main ranks: general - chief; major - senior; the captain is in charge. There were at least seven different ways to designate the junior degree of rank: under (ensign), seconds (seconds captain), headquarters (headquarters captain), vice (vice admiral), lieutenant (lieutenant commander), lieutenant (general) lieutenant), non-commissioned officer (non-commissioned lieutenant). Six names existed in different branches of the military to designate ranks and ranks that had the general meaning of a standard bearer: ensign, cornet, cornet, fendrik, estandart-junker and fanen-junker.
The origin of the word headquarters in the title of the rank of staff captain (captain captain) deserves clarification. Whereas the word headquarters (headquarters officer ranks) meant a higher rank of ranks, the word staffs, on the contrary, meant a lower one. It began to be officially used from 1797 instead of the words lieutenant, and seconds when designating the junior degrees of ranks (captain and captain). But even earlier it was used to designate lieutenant captains and second captains who commanded "headquarters", nominally sponsored headquarters officers, companies and squadrons. In other words, even before 1797 captain-lieutenants and second-captains were called staff captains and staff captains in everyday life.
In the middle of the XIX century. Several attempts were made to streamline military rank production, mainly to reduce the number of ranks and establish their correspondence to posts. As found out by N. P. Glinoetsky, in 1847 it was planned to introduce the rank of senior colonel, with his assignment to the V class of the Table of Ranks in place of the previously abolished rank of brigadier. In this regard, Nicholas I spoke in favor of abolishing the ranks of staff captain (headquarters captain) and second lieutenant. All considerations on these issues were developed in the War Department, but not implemented. The completion of the streamlining of the system of military ranks was carried out in the 1880s.
In 1882, the hussars and lancers were reorganized into dragoon regiments, and in order to establish uniformity in ranks throughout the cavalry, dragoon captains were renamed captains, staff captains - captains, and warrant officers - cornets.
In 1884, a general reform of the military bureaucracy, which had been prepared for a long time, was carried out. By order of the military department of May 6, "for the army's unwavering devotion to duty and its valiant merits in battles," officers of the army troops were equated in advantages with officers of special units. In this regard, the rank of major was excluded from the category of army headquarters officers, and the majors who served in the army were promoted to lieutenant colonels. At the same time, all the chief officer ranks of the army were raised by one class (the ranks of the XII class were immediately transferred to the X, since there were no military ranks in the XI class; XIII and XIV classes were exempted from military ranks). The rank of captain (and equals) ended up in the VIII class along with the collegiate assessor, while he continued to be considered the chief officer rank, but received the right to the general staff officer title, your honor. From now on, the difference between the chief officers of the old guard and other branches of the military was only one class. On August 30 of the same year, "in the form of establishing greater unity and correctness in the system of junior chief officers" and following the example of foreign armies, the rank of ensign was excluded from a number of ranks of permanent service, leaving henceforth this rank only in the reserve of army troops of all types of weapons (not except for the cavalry) and on war time; the rank of cornet in the cavalry was equated to the rank of second lieutenant of other troops (raised by one class). Ensigns who were in the army were given a choice: to go into the reserve or pass an exam for the rank of second lieutenant. At the same time, the rank of podesaul was introduced in the Cossack troops, corresponding to the rank of staff captain (IX class), and the rank of lieutenant colonel was abolished.
As a result of these transformations, the nomenclature and the system of military ranks in the VI-XIII classes received the form that was preserved until 1917.
At the beginning of the XIX century. the concept of "His Imperial Majesty's Retinue" was formed, uniting all the generals and the adjutant wing. In 1827, special ranks were established for the military ranks of the IV class: His Majesty's Suite, Major General and His Majesty's Suite, Rear Admiral (their first awards took place in 1829). Since that time, the rank of adjutant general has been awarded only to military II and III classes. It was also retained by field marshals (for example, in 1830-1840, Field Marshal I.F. Paskevich had the rank of adjutant general). Finally, since 1811, another honorary retinue rank appears - a general, who is attached to the person of the emperor (existed until 1881). Usually it was given to full generals (II class). By the end of the XIX century. the generals who were under the emperor began to be called adjutant generals to the person of his majesty (in contrast to the adjutant generals of his majesty), who in the "Regulations on the Imperial Main Apartment" were listed above just the adjutant general. The resignation or achievement of the ultimate (for the two lowest groups of retinue ranks) rank entailed expulsion from the Retinue. To get more high rank a new award was required.
According to the law, the award of retinue titles was carried out “at the direct discretion of the sovereign emperor”, and the number of retinue persons was not limited.
The persons who made up the Retinue, in the majority, occupied some positions outside it along military or civil lines. But some of them consisted exclusively "at the person of his majesty", that is, in the Retinue. It is not known whether they had any special retinue duties.
The duties of the "ranks" of the Retinue included the fulfillment of special assignments of the emperor, mainly in the provinces (observation of recruitment sets, investigation of peasant unrest, etc.), escort of "foreign eminent persons" and military delegations arriving in Russia, presence (in the absence of others office hours) “at all exits, parades, reviews ... where his majesty deigns to be present”, as well as duty with the emperor in the palace or at ceremonies outside the palace. However, it is clear that this phenomenon could not be massive, but concerned only the most capable and persistent civil servants. For the bulk of officials, an obstacle to promotion up the official ladder was the fact that the number of lower posts significantly exceeded the number of higher ones. As a means of rewarding service, simulating a real career, promotion to the next rank (rank) without promotion has become increasingly common. The legislation of the 18th and the very beginning of the 19th century after the adoption of the Table of Ranks, in addition to resolving the issue of the legality and conditions of promotion to ranks separately from promotion, tried to determine the procedure for the production of persons of non-noble origin to the first class rank (XIV class), in other words, the procedure for their entry into the civil service, as well as clarified the rank of individual civil ranks and established their common common names in each of the classes.
December 1790, Catherine II signed a decree to the Senate "On the rules for the production of civil ranks", which actually summed up the previous legislation in this area. Obtaining a lower class rank could only take place upon appointment. For those who already had the rank of XIV class, two ways were established to move up the ladder of ranks (regardless of the availability of vacancies): awarding the rank for special merits and a certain number of years of service in the previous rank. Concerning the second way, the decree said: “... to the approval of worthy and capable people, and in order not to block the path to superior exaltation over others. .. give ranks to those of those awarded who really serve at least three years in one rank, meaning up to VIII class. To be transferred to the rank of VIII class (which gave hereditary nobility) from the previous one, non-nobles were required to serve not three years, but 12 years.
April 1797, the decree of Paul I "On the observation, when electing officials to positions, the seniority of places and ranks" once again not only confirmed the right given by the rank to occupy a position in general, but also determined the direct correspondence of this right to the seniority of the production of ranks. And the decree of December 9, 1799 established the terms of service in ranks from IX to V classes (4, 5, 6 and 4 years). It was understood that the award to higher ranks is made generally outside the rules, at the personal discretion of the emperor. Again, the possibility of chinoproizvodstvo for special merits was envisaged.
The decrees of Catherine II and Paul I, which fixed, in particular, the possibility of promotion to the next rank subject to simple length of service, finally turned the next civil rank into the right of civil servants, for the implementation of which they could claim (if they were not under investigation and were not discredited by court). Only receiving a rank outside the prescribed period for special merits made him a reward. In practice, in connection with the new expansion at the beginning of the XIX century. of the state apparatus and the lack of suitable candidates to fill vacant positions, the Senate appointed persons with a rank of a lower class than the position class, while raising the class of their rank to the position class. This practice was put to an end by the decree of June 2, 1808, which prescribed "in no case henceforth, the Senate itself should not promote anyone to the ranks before the length of service of the legal years." At the same time, the requirement was confirmed to submit petitions for awarding ranks for special merits at the discretion of the emperor himself.
With the emergence of civil ranks proper, that is, their separation from positions into an independent legal category, the need for uniform names for these ranks increased - in the general designations of civil service classes. Initially, in the "points" to the Table of Ranks and subsequent legislation on ranks, the names of military ranks began to be used as already quite established. However, it was not possible to introduce them into wide use, although civil officials were very keen on this, since military service enjoyed greater honor than civil service, and the desire of officials to equate themselves with officers played a role. During the XVIII century. the government had to repeatedly issue decrees forbidding civilian employees to be called military ranks. But the attraction of the latter turned out to be so great that even under Nicholas I, officers who entered the civil service continued to be called their former ranks. Preference was given to military ranks at the end of the 19th century, when, according to contemporaries, "many ranks of the highest civil hierarchy" ordered "servants to call themselves generals."
The formation of the nomenclature of civil ranks went in two directions. First of all, the classes of ranks began to be called the names of ranks that appeared in them, which were not associated with service in any particular institution and did not imply the performance of certain duties of various kinds of advisers. Then, on the contrary, the names of the most famous and constantly existing positions were assigned to other classes of ranks: collegiate adviser, collegiate assessor, collegiate secretary, etc. Legally, these names were finally fixed by the mentioned law of 1790.
At the very end of the reign of Paul I (decree of August 3, 1800), an attempt was made to completely abandon the special names of civil ranks, replacing them with an indication of the position and class of rank (for example, chief secretary of the 7th class). The ranks, however, have already become so firmly established in official life and their names have become so widely used that the innovation aroused dissatisfaction among the employees and was abandoned a year later.
The publication of the chinoproizvodstvo rules of 1801 basically completed the structuring of the civil chinoproizvodstvo system in Russia.
Some features of the civil service, as it were, aggravated the role of ranks and chinoproizvodstvo in it. First of all, it should be borne in mind that the civil bureaucracy was staffed to the greatest extent at the expense of non-noble elements. The government saw the danger of this practice. That is why in the civil service practical value received regulation of the composition of officials. The system of civil chinoproizvodstva to a decisive extent determined the composition of the bureaucracy, and due to its involvement in power, it could influence the activities of the government apparatus, and sometimes government policy. Since in the civil service, unlike in the military, promotion to rank was not limited by the number of vacancies, the number of persons in relatively high ranks could be arbitrarily large. Because of this, when opening vacancies for higher positions, several candidates who had the corresponding ranks usually applied. The eldest in rank had the preferential right to the position, and if the rank was equal, the eldest in terms of time of production in it. Naturally, in such conditions, attention to the formalities of chinoproizvodstvo was increased and, so to speak, painful. The significance of the rank in the civil service was also enhanced by the fact that officials acquired hereditary nobility only in the course of their service, as a result of rank production. Finally, civil officials of the lower and middle classes had less access to the court than others. All the more important for them was the achievement of those classes that gave them this much-desired right. Since civil ranks were acquired mainly by seniority, their acquisition became almost automatic. It was believed that this ensured a certain independence of the holder of the rank from his immediate superiors. There was even a belief that officials who were at opposite ends of the career ladder were the same servants of the king, equally placed by them.
At the beginning of the XIX century. the importance of the problem of civil chinoproizvodstva increased as a result of the new reform of the central state institutions, which replaced the collegiums with ministries. The task was to raise the level of public administration in general.
In this regard, the issue of general and special educational training of officials has come to one of the main places. His decision was outlined by the decree of Alexander I to the Senate of August 6, 1809 “On the rules for the production of ranks in the civil service and on tests in the sciences for the production of collegiate assessors and state advisers” (the first staff officer and the first general's rank). The rationale of this decree was to provide the various parts of the civil service with capable and educated officials; so that labor and success in the sciences open the way to activity, preference and rewards associated with service.
It was specifically stipulated that “civilian ranks, in the department of both military colleges and places subordinate to them, as well as in regiments and various military commands, employees fit the above-described order; the transition of the ranks of the military for wounds and illnesses into the civil service and the appointment to the posts of police chiefs, governors and the like, remains in the same position; but their presentation for production in the ranks of the 8th grade should be in accordance with Article 3 of this decree, and always on the most reliable evidence of excellent diligence and deeds, especially the approval of the boss who deserved it.
For officials of the medical service and mountaineers, there were special rules for chinoproizvodstva.
Such a drastic measure caused both in general and in details an unfavorable response from contemporaries. In particular, the examination program was condemned. One of those who criticized it was the famous historian N. M. Karamzin.
The decree of 1809 did not become a sufficient incentive to raise the educational level of the bureaucracy. Moreover, it soon became necessary to make exceptions to the established rules, because ministers complained of difficulties in filling posts, and each of them sought to prove that in the work of his ministry, experience for employees took precedence over general education. As a result, the granting of permission not to comply with the order prescribed by the decree in relation to certain categories of officials and entire departments has become so widespread that, already three years after the publication of the law, compliance with its requirements became an exception.
April 1812, at the direction of Alexander I, a special committee of four ministers was created, which was entrusted with “drawing up general rules for all parts of the civil service, for what kind of service, what kind of sciences knowledge is needed in order, having determined that, to subject it to ranks during production exam, with this consistent.
The system of civil ranks was supplemented by several higher honorary titles: His Majesty's Secretary of State, member of the State Council, senator and honorary guardian. All these ranks were not provided for by the Table of Ranks and did not formally belong to any of its classes, although a certain correspondence between rank and rank was nevertheless implied. All of them were descended from the positions of the same name.
The title of a member of the State Council arose shortly after the emergence of this body in 1810. For the majority of the members of the Council (about 40 people), this was a position that usually belonged to the II class. But it could also be that several persons (not of ministerial rank) were appointed members of the Council, occupying a completely different position or not holding any, but were not included in the annually announced composition of the members of the Council present at the meetings of the departments or the General Meeting and did not bear the corresponding duties. For them, the position of a member of the State Council became an exclusively honorary title. All members of the Council "had the indisputable right to appear before the emperor without any advance."
The rank of senator was equated with the title of guardian or honorary guardian, established in 1798 to reward members of the boards of trustees - bodies in charge of charitable institutions. Often this title was given for large donations to charitable purposes. The titles of secretary of state and honorary guardian (in most cases) were given to civilians; the titles of a member of the State Council and a senator - also to the military. These ranks (except for Secretary of State) were awarded for life. They could be combined. For example, I. L. Goremykin, on the eve of the February Revolution, was at the same time a real privy councilor of the first class, a secretary of state, a member of the State Council and a senator.
2.4 Ranks and titles of court cavaliers and ladies
Court ranks and titles denoted the official position of persons who were at the Court Russian emperors; in everyday life, these persons were called courtiers. They constituted the smallest, but also the most elite part of the civil bureaucracy (the military, as a rule, could not have court ranks and titles). Their assignment to the composition of civil servants was justified by the fact that the imperial court was the residence of the head of state.
Under the imperial court was meant the court of the emperor himself, or a large court. There were also several small courtyards - the courtyards of individual representatives of the imperial family. However, they did not have official significance and their system of court ranks and titles. Although each of the small courts had its own staff (usually numbering only a few people), it was made up of persons who either did not have court ranks and titles at all, or who had them in the imperial court and were seconded to small courts. There is no precise definition of what an imperial court is. But when this term is used in legislation and other sources, it is usually meant, on the one hand, the imperial residence, and on the other hand, three groups of persons: court ranks, court cavaliers (persons who had court ranks) and court ladies (ladies and maidens, who had special "ladies'" court titles).
The management of the imperial court and its complex economy was carried out by several offices and offices. The first information about their existence dates back to the 1730s. The main role among them belonged to the Palace Chancellery (it was mainly a financial body) and the Court Office. In 1786, the office was abolished, and its affairs were transferred to the office. According to the charter of 1841, the Court Office was in charge of the maintenance of the imperial palaces, parks and gardens of the court department, the food of the royal family, the organization of court ceremonies and the court staff, and from 1854, the construction and repair of palace buildings. For some time she was also in charge of the quartermaster and chamberlain-master parts - the decoration and furnishing of the palaces. In 1883, the office was transformed into the Main Palace Administration, which existed until 1891. The so-called Chamber of the Marshals, which was part of it, from this year stood out as an independent institution.
The marshal's part was in charge of the provision of the imperial court, the economy of the palaces and the organization of various kinds of festivities and ceremonies. In the 19th century she was the most important part of the court department. One of the most important duties of the Chamber of Marshals was the maintenance of the dining table of the imperial family. Imperial, the table was served exclusively by court servants. In addition to the above, the Marshal's Department was in charge of three more classes of tables, the service of which was rented out from a contract. Tables belonged to the first class: marshal's (or cavalier's) - for gentlemen on duty and guests of the court; the table of the Chief Hofmeisterina - for the court maidens living at the court; table of the head of the cavalry guard companies. The court staff of 1796 stipulated that "everyone for whom a table is assigned is allowed to have guests, and the landlord is obliged to serve the table according to the number of them." The second class included tables for guard officers, duty secretaries and adjutants, duty cameras-pages and pages, and for some other persons. The third class ("general dining room") included tables for senior servants of the court.
The palace stables and carriages were managed by the Stable Office, reorganized in 1786 into the Court Stables Office, and in 1891 into the Court Stables. The imperial hunting was under the jurisdiction of the Ober-Jägermeister Chancellery, which was transformed in 1796 into the Jagermeister Office. Since 1882, the latter became known as the Imperial Hunt.
The court department also included a number of important cultural institutions: the Hermitage, the Academy of Arts, some theaters, a choir with a school, a porcelain factory, etc.
Analyzing the composition of the court ranks, originally included in the Table of Ranks, N. E. Volkov, who studied them most carefully in the 19th century, comes to the conclusion that “many of them were never paid at all, and even to determine what they were duties, it does not seem ... possible ". The information that has come down to us about the first appointments to court ranks is perhaps incomplete. As far back as 1711, awards to chamberlains and chamber junkers, who at that time were the main figures at court, belong. After the introduction of the Table of Ranks into action and until 1727, appointments were made to the ranks of the chief chamberlain of the imperial court (1722), to the chief schenks (1723), marshals and chamberlains (1726), to chief chamberlains and chamberlains (1727). On December 14, 1727, Peter II approved the first court staff, which provided for the positions of chamberlain, 8 chamberlains, 7 chamber junkers, chamber marshal and master of the horse.
In 1736, the first award to the rank of Ober-Jägermeister took place. In 1743, the ranks of master of ceremonies and master of chivalry were introduced. Finally, in 1773, equality was established in the rank of Jägermeister with the rank of ringmaster.
The court ranks indicated in the Table of Ranks, which retained their practical significance, changed their rank (class) over time. Only in some cases this was reflected in the legislation. Thus, in 1737 the ranks of actual chamberlain and chamber junker were transferred from classes VI and IX to classes IV and VI, and in 1742 they were established in classes IV and V. In 1743, the rank of chief master of ceremonies was assigned to class IV, while the rank of master of ceremonies was assigned to class V. Accurate data on belonging to classes of the Table on the ranks of other court ranks for the 18th century. no. However, it is known that gradually they (excluding the chamberlain, the chamber junker and the master of ceremonies) ended up in the II (senior ranks, with the prefix ober-) and in the III (others, including the chief master of ceremonies) classes. In this order, they were fixed by the court staff of December 30, 1796, and the ranks of the II class were supposed to be one of each name, the ranks of chamberlain, chamberlain, master of ceremonies and master of ceremonies - two each, the ranks of the Jägermeister and chief master of ceremonies - one each, and chamberlains - 12 *. The rank of chamber junker was not provided for by the state in 1796, but on December 18, 1801 it was established again (12 people).
Thus, almost all court ranks ended up in the ranks of generals ( I-Sh classes), where the right of promotion to the rank depended entirely on the discretion of the emperor. From what has been said, it is clear that it was possible to rise to the rank of court only along a different (not court) line - civil or military. There was another way to obtain this rank - an extraordinary award by the emperor. Since the court ranks were included in the Table of Ranks and belonged to the corresponding classes in it, the possession of a court rank made it unnecessary and, it would seem, impossible to simultaneously possess a civil or military rank.
Both in the 18th century and subsequently, it was considered the norm if the holder of a court rank occupied a court position of the same name (for example, chief chamberlain) or a court position corresponding to the “profile” of the rank (for example, if chief jagermeister was in charge of imperial hunting).
The chief chamberlain was in charge of the court staff and finances of the court.
The chief marshal was in charge of the entire household of the court and court servants. In particular, his functions included the organization of various kinds of court celebrations and the maintenance of the imperial table and other tables at the court.
The management of the wine cellars and the supply of the court with wine was entrusted to the ober-schenk.
August 1856, in connection with the coronation of Alexander II, a new court rank is introduced - Ober-Vorschneider. His duties were not explained. The law only stated that “according to the long-established procedure, at ceremonial dinners in the Faceted Chamber on the day of the coronation and other festivities at the court, one of the court cavaliers is elected for these occasions to perform the duties of a forschneider.” With this in mind and taking into account the etymology of this word, it should be concluded that the duties of the Ober-Vorschneider included laying out the dishes of the imperial couple during ceremonial dinners. .
Ober-stallmaster headed the court stables. Ober-jägermeister was in charge of the imperial hunt. Finally, the chief master of ceremonies was in charge of organizing various kinds of court ceremonies (the chief master of ceremonies of the court was at the same time the chief master of ceremonies of the imperial and royal orders, and the masters of ceremonies were the masters of ceremonies of individual orders).
Not always, however, the holders of court ranks were appointed to their “profile” court positions. There are cases when not court officials, but military ranks (even those who did not have additional court ranks) were appointed to such positions.
Court ranks had the right to an honorary form of address, which was due to all class ranks. However, at the beginning of the XIX century. special court ranks appeared, which did not give their holders the right to a class, but, on the contrary, could only complain to persons who already had classes of civil ranks defined by law. In 1881, the total number of persons who had these titles was 590, and by 1914 it had reached 897.
The first court ranks in Russia were the ranks of chamberlain and chamber junker, which were transformed from court ranks. The duties of their owners were reduced mainly to "duty with her imperial majesty", but many were actually exempted from this. Awards usually significantly exceeded the norms set by the court states. It was possible to combine chamberlain and chamber junker duties with other service, in particular with the military. Under Catherine II, even full-time actual chamberlains and chamber junkers began to differ, actually performing the established duties and receiving a salary (according to the court staff, 12 chamberlains and 12 chamber junkers were provided for in 1775), and supernumerary chamberlains and chamber junkers who had this rank , but who served outside the court or were not in the service at all. From June 1800, it became possible for actual chamberlains (IV class) to receive the rank of Privy Councilor (III class); in this case, the court title of the actual chamberlain was retained as a rank, but its holders were exempted from duty.
In the "Court Calendar" reference books, the ranks in the positions of the second ranks of the court are assigned to these ranks and seem to be generally equated to the III class of the Table of Ranks. The specified uncertainty reflected, apparently, a real situation. However, unlike the actual second ranks of the court, all persons who held the position of second ranks had civil ranks of the corresponding classes.
What were the specific court duties of persons in the position of the second ranks of the court is unclear. It is only known that they took part in court ceremonies. Once again, we note the important circumstance that the receipt of court ranks gave persons in relatively low ranks the right to be accepted to the court.
By the nature of the duties performed at the court, chamber-pages and pages adjoined the court cavaliers. Sources mention them from the beginning of the 18th century. In the Table of Ranks in the XIV class, the chamberlain of the pages was listed, from which we can conclude that the rank of the pages themselves was even lower.
In 1826, Nicholas I installed a set of ladies-in-waiting - 36 people. Some of the "complete" ladies-in-waiting were appointed to "consist" with the empresses, grand duchesses and grand duchesses (these ladies-in-waiting were called sweeps). Many of them were constantly at the court (and often lived there). Several ladies-in-waiting had a higher rank - cameras-maids of honor. In the court hierarchy, they were quite equated with ladies of state. Many of them were on vacation and appeared at court only on solemn occasions.
Neither the ladies-in-waiting nor the ladies of state had any specific duties at court; they were not even obliged to take part in court ceremonies.
Chapter 3. Liquidation of titles, ranks and ranks in 1917
Immediately after the overthrow of the monarchy, late in the evening of March 1, 1917, the Petrograd Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies adopted Order No. 1, addressed to all soldiers of the Petrograd garrison. They were instructed to create committees in all military units "of elected representatives from the lower ranks." One of the central provisions of the order was that "in all their political actions" military units were subordinate to the "Council of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies and their committees." Paragraph 6 of the order provided that “in the ranks and in the performance of official duties, soldiers must observe the strictest military discipline, but outside the service and in formation in their political, general civil and private life, soldiers cannot be diminished in any way in the rights enjoyed by all citizens . In particular, getting up to the front and the obligatory salute outside the service are canceled. However, next paragraph the appeal of the lower ranks to officers with the use of common titles (your excellency, your nobility, etc.) was canceled. From now on, instead of them, only private titles by rank with the addition of the word lord were to be used. In other words, the appeal to the officers had the following form: Mr. Colonel, Mr. Lieutenant, etc.
March, by orders for the military and naval departments, the provisions of Order No. 1 of the Petrograd Soviet extended to the entire army and navy. At the same time, the name "lower rank" was replaced by the names "soldier" and "sailor". By order of the Maritime Department of April 16, shoulder straps were canceled in the fleet, and symbols associated with the tsarist regime (crown, imperial monograms, etc.) were removed from uniforms.
Already during the formation of the Provisional Government, the Ministry of the Imperial Court was considered abolished - a new minister was not appointed to this department. But we could not find any legislative act on the liquidation of the court department. Apparently, along with the liquidation of the Ministry of the Court, court ranks and titles were also abolished. As for court officials, most likely they were classified as civilians.
More certainty regarding the elimination of retinue ranks: on March 21, 1917, by order of the military department, all “military-court” (as they were called in the order) ranks of generals of the retinue, adjutant generals and adjutant wing were abolished.
All these changes, especially the abolition of titles in the army, inevitably had an impact on the practice of honoring rank in the civil department: it was simplified, the importance of ranks fell sharply, and the use of general titles became unfashionable. A.F. Kerensky, who was appointed Minister of Justice, asked, for example, to address him not by the class of position (Your Excellency), but simply “Mr. Minister”. However, the Provisional Government did not dare to raise its hand against the system of civil chinoproizvodstva for a long time. Only in August, the Ministry of Justice prepared a draft resolution "On the abolition of civil ranks, orders and other insignia." In mid-September, such a project was ready and even printed in a typographical way. They envisaged that ranks and orders would be reserved only for the military. The rights and privileges of civil servants should henceforth be determined exclusively by the position they hold. Moreover, the division of the latter by class was preserved, as well as the calculation of seniority by the time of appointment to a position of a given class. Nothing was said about the abolition of the right of officials to move to the nobility. The title was canceled altogether. However, the project never received approval. Honorary civil titles and tribal titles were not abolished either. This was done only after the October Revolution.
On November 1917, the All-Russian Central Executive Committee decided to abolish the estates and civil ranks. On November 10, the corresponding decree was approved by the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, and on the 11th it was approved by the Council of People's Commissars and, signed by V. I. Lenin and Ya. M. Sverdlov, it was published. Here is the text of the main articles of the decree:
"St. 1. All estates and class divisions of citizens that existed in Russia until now, class privileges and restrictions, class organizations and institutions, as well as all civil ranks, are abolished.
Art. 2. All titles (nobleman, merchant, tradesman, peasant, etc.), titles (princely, county, etc.) and the names of civil ranks (secret, state, etc. advisers) are destroyed and one common name for the entire population of Russia is established for the name of citizens Russian Republic".
It should be noted that the abolition of civil ranks (Article 2 speaks of the destruction of “names of civil ranks”, but of course, the abolition of the ranks themselves is meant) and tribal titles was carried out along with the abolition of estates and was accompanied by the abolition of all privileges that previously existed for them. Nothing was said about uniforms and orders, but they, of course, were abolished along with the ranks. The timeliness of this act and its consistency with the entire system of legislative measures Soviet power determined that its implementation did not encounter any serious difficulties.
On November 1917, the Military Revolutionary Committee at the Headquarters sent out a telegram in which it ordered all military units and institutions "to be guided by" the "obligatory principles" listed later, until the development and approval of the regulations on the army by the central government. The seventh paragraph abolished all "officer and class ranks, ranks and orders." A few days later - on December 3, 1917 - by order of the Petrograd Military District No. 11, all military "ranks and ranks" were abolished. Only job titles were retained. All "external insignia" (that is, shoulder straps, cockades, aiguillettes, etc.), as well as orders, were also canceled. In justification for this measure, it was indicated that it was sanctioned at a meeting of the Central Executive Committee on November 10, 1917.
Two weeks later, the abolition of military ranks and orders was confirmed on an all-Russian scale by a decree of the Council of People's Commissars "On the equalization of all military personnel in rights" dated December 15, 1917. The decree was adopted, as indicated in the preamble, in the implementation of the will of the "revolutionary people for the speedy and decisive destruction all remnants of the former inequality in the army. The decree provided for the abolition of "all ranks and ranks in the army, from the corporal to the general." As explained in the preamble of the decree, the abolition of military ranks was dictated by political considerations: the people hated the very words “officer” and “general”, associated with the idea of the times of tsarism, and the strict hierarchy of ranks made it difficult to democratize relations in the army. The use of private titles with the address "sir" was also abolished. "All orders" were abolished. On December 16 (29) the decree entered into force.
Finally, we note that the titles of senator and member of the State Council were abolished by decrees of the Council of People's Commissars on November 22 and December 14, 1917, respectively, along with the liquidation of the Senate and the State Council.
Thus, by mid-December 1917, the liquidation of the titles, uniforms and orders of Imperial Russia, which had existed for more than two centuries, was completed. However, the actual refusal of titles was not without difficulty, and even in official documents of 1918 one can find signatures like “former captain of the 1st rank, former count NN”. It took time for this inherently complex, played important role in the life of the country, the state-legal and socio-psychological phenomenon has gone into the historical past.
Conclusion
In Russia, the social position of a person from time immemorial was determined by his proximity to the supreme power and the attention that this person enjoyed from the authorities. Expressing favor to his subordinate, the ruler favored him with a title and rank. In general, the system of titles, uniforms and orders was one of the foundations of the tsarist state machine and an important element of the social life of Russia in the 18th - early 20th centuries. The core of this system was the rank - the rank of each civil servant (military, civilian or courtier) according to the fourteen-class "Table of Ranks of all ranks ..." established by Peter I and which existed for almost 200 years.
Title - appeal in oral and written form to persons with ranks, was strictly regulated. A private title was the name of a rank or position (for example, state councilor, vice-governor). General titles for ranks and positions of the 1st-2nd classes of the "Table of Ranks" were "your excellency", 3rd-4th classes - "your excellency", 5th class - "your highness", 6-8th classes - "your high nobility" and for the ranks of the 9th-14th grades - "your nobility".
In the written official appeal of the lower officials to the higher ones, both titles were called, and the private one was used both by position and by rank and followed the general title. From the middle of the XIX century. private title by rank and surname began to be omitted. With a similar appeal to a lower official, only the private title of the position was retained (the last name was not indicated). Equal officials, on the other hand, addressed each other either as inferiors or by name and patronymic, indicating the common title and surname in the margins of the document. Persons who did not have a rank used a common title in accordance with the classes of the "Table of Ranks", to which the honorary title belonging to them was equated.
When speaking to higher ranks, a common title was used; equal and lower civil ranks were addressed by name and patronymic or surname; to military ranks by rank with or without the addition of a surname. The lower ranks in the army had to address ensigns and non-commissioned officers by rank with the addition of the word "master".
There were also titles by origin. Private titles were emperor, grand duke, prince of imperial blood, most illustrious prince, prince, count, baron, nobleman. They corresponded to the general titles: “your imperial majesty”, “your imperial highness” (for grand dukes), “your highness” (for princes of imperial blood below the grandchildren of emperors), “your lordship” (for the younger children of the emperor’s great-grandchildren, as well as the most illustrious princes by award), “your excellency” (for princes and counts), “your nobility” (for other nobles, including barons).
An important feature of military production was that the number of all officer ranks was limited by staffing, and therefore the promotion to the next rank (in the army - starting from the rank of captain) was carried out not only according to the length of service of a certain number of years, but only if there were vacancies. As a result, to reach the highest ranks in the army, for example, at the end of the 19th century, it took more time than in the civil service.
The military ranks of those names that were recorded by the Table of Ranks appeared in Russia earlier than others, and long before the introduction of the Table of Ranks. Partially they belonged to the military, invited to serve in Russia from the countries of Western Europe. However, in the last third of the XVII century. these ranks, following the example of the armies of Western countries, began to be given to the commanders of units of the Russian army.
An analysis of civil bureaucracy in Russia led to the conclusion that the result of a “significant number of civil positions” was “more frequent opening of vacancies, and by the very nature of these very positions, which require certain knowledge and abilities, talented individuals could quickly move up the hierarchical career ladder and , starting at the same time serving with persons who entered the troops, had to rise in ranks and enjoy special advantages incomparably sooner than their military peers. However, it is clear that this phenomenon could not be massive, but concerned only the most capable and persistent civil servants. For the bulk of officials, an obstacle to promotion up the official ladder was the fact that the number of lower posts significantly exceeded the number of higher ones. As a means of rewarding service, simulating a real career, promotion to the next rank (rank) without promotion has become increasingly common. The subsequent (after the adoption of the Table of Ranks) legislation of the 18th and the very beginning of the 19th century, in addition to resolving the issue of the legality and conditions of promotion to ranks separately from promotion, tried to determine the procedure for the promotion to the first class rank (XIV class) of persons of non-noble origin, otherwise speaking, the order of their entry into the civil service, and also specified the rank of individual civil ranks and established their common common names in each of the classes.
Analyzing the composition of the court ranks, originally included in the "Table of Ranks", the researchers who studied them most carefully in the 19th century come to the conclusion that "many of them have never been paid at all and it is not even possible to determine what their duties were. seems possible."
Faced with the mention of titles, uniforms and orders, the modern reader, and sometimes a specialist historian, often finds it difficult to understand their meaning. And this is natural, since the system of titles, uniforms and orders that existed in the Russian Empire was abolished as early as 1917 and has since been thoroughly forgotten.
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