The Golden Age of the Russian nobility is the period adopted in historiography from 1762 to 1796, when the nobility of the Russian Empire experienced its highest prosperity. It is generally accepted that the period began with the reign of Catherine II , however, some historians claim [1] that the period began with the reign of Peter III, since he declared the nobles free from compulsory military service by his manifesto of February 18, 1762 .
Privileges for Nobles by Catherine II
To strengthen the role of the nobility on the ground in 1775, the "Institution for the Administration of the Provinces of the All-Russian Empire" was adopted. The country was divided into 50 provinces of 300-400 thousand male souls. The provinces were divided into counties of 20-30 thousand souls. Provinces were led by government-appointed governors. Subordinate directly to the Empress, the most important provinces were united from 2-3 under the authority of the Governor General. Governor-generals were also appointed in the capitals. Provincial institutions were based on the separation of administrative, financial and judicial functions. The general affairs of the province were governed by the provincial government. The Treasury Chamber was in charge of finance. The courts of law were the Chambers of the Criminal and Civil Courts, the Supreme Zemsky Court and the Joint Court, and in the counties the Lower Zemsky Court. The judicial system was estate. The county was controlled by the commander . The city was governed by a mayor appointed by the government, and was divided into parts led by a private bailiff and quarters led by a supervisor. The center of gravity in control moved to places. The colleges thus ceased to function, with the exception of the Foreign, Military and Admiralty.
A further act to strengthen the position of the Russian nobility was the so-called “ Order ”, written by Catherine II in 1767, developed the provisions of the Manifesto of Peter III “ On granting liberties to the Russian nobility ”. It stated that the nobility has a “natural” right, given upon birth, to be the elite of society.
In 1785, the "Granted Charter on the Rights, Liberties and Benefits of the Noble Russian Nobility" was published. In the letter, the privileges of the nobility were significantly expanded: freedom from compulsory military and civil services, payment of taxes, the right to own serfs and land bowels within their possessions. The nobles could organize manufactories, engage in industrial production and trade, were exempted from standing troops. The diploma consisted of an introductory manifest and four sections (92 articles). It installed:
- The principles of organization of local noble self-government.
- Personal rights of nobles.
- The procedure for compiling pedigrees of civilian books.
Sunset Era
In 1796, Catherine II died, and Paul I Petrovich ascended the throne. From the very beginning of his reign, he destroyed or subjected to a significant change everything created by his mother. Struggling with the "noble freemen", Paul canceled a number of provisions of the Charter. So, the provincial noble assemblies were abolished. In 1797, Paul forbade the nobles to personally make requests to the emperor. In the same year, corporal punishment for persons of noble origin was restored. Only after the accession to the throne of Alexander I were returned to the nobles almost all the liberties granted even by Catherine II and Peter III.
Notes
- ↑ A. S. Mylnikov . Temptation by a miracle: “The Russian Prince”, its prototypes and impostor counterparts
Literature
- A. S. Mylnikov: Temptation by a miracle: “The Russian Prince”, its prototypes and impostor counterparts
- . A. S. Mylnikov: Peter III, narration in documents and versions.
- R.V. Pazin: History. 170 historical figures. Directory.
- P. A. Baranov, S. V. Shevchenko: History of Russia, a complete guide to preparing for the exam.