Color photograph taken by Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii of a Russian noblewoman in 1905.

The Russian nobility (Russian: Дворянство Dvoryanstvo) arose in the 1300s and essentially governed Russia until the October Revolution of 1917. Sergei Prokudin-Gorski. ... For other uses, see 1905 (disambiguation). ... Nobility is a traditional hereditary status (see hereditary titles) that exists today in many countries (mainly present or former monarchies). ... For other uses, see October Revolution (disambiguation). ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar (see: 1917 Julian calendar). ...

The Russian word for nobility, Dvoryanstvo (дворянство), derives from the Russian word dvor (двор), meaning the Court of a prince or duke (kniaz) and later, of the tsar. A noble was called dvoryanin (pl. dvoryane). As in other countries, nobility was a status, a social category, but not a title. Kniaz’ or knyaz (князь in Russian and Ukrainian; cneaz in Romanian fem. ... Tsar (Bulgarian, Serbian and Macedonian цар, Russian  , in scientific transliteration respectively car and car ), occasionally spelled Czar or Tzar and sometimes Csar or Zar in English, is a Slavonic term designating certain monarchs. ... A title is a prefix or suffix added to a persons name to signify either veneration, an official position or a professional or academic qualification. ...

Categories

Countess Maria Beck, by Franz Xaver Winterhalter. 1859.

Nobility was transferred by inheritance or was bestowed by a fount of honour. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (796x1000, 180 KB) Summary Artist: Franz Xaver Winterhalter Title: Countess Alexander Nikolaevitch Lamsdorff Year: 1859 145,4 x 114,9 cm Oil on canvas Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art New York Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (796x1000, 180 KB) Summary Artist: Franz Xaver Winterhalter Title: Countess Alexander Nikolaevitch Lamsdorff Year: 1859 145,4 x 114,9 cm Oil on canvas Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art New York Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia... The Empress Eugenie Surrounded by her Ladies in Waiting Franz Winterhalter was a famous Victorian, German speaking artist. ... This article or section is missing references or citation of sources. ...

• Ancient nobility—which the descendants of Rurik and Gediminas and boyars inherited: e.g., the Galitzins, Gorchakovs, and Chelyadnins.
• Titled nobility—there were three titles:
  • Prince (knyaz Князь): e.g., Prince Potemkin or Prince Felix Yusupov
  • Count (graf Граф): e.g., Count Tolstoy
  • Baron (baron Барон): e.g., Baron Pahlen
• Hereditary nobility— routinely inherited by heirs
• Personal nobility—granted for the personal merits of the recipient.
• Unpropertied nobility—was obtained without the allotment and securing of a landed estate.

Unlike the ancient nobility, which was exclusively hereditary, the remaining classes of nobility could be acquired. A newly designated noble was usually entitled to landownership. A loss of land did not automatically mean loss of nobility. In later Imperial Russia, higher ranks of state service (see Table of Ranks) were automatically granted nobility, not necessarily associated with landownership. Rurik or Riurik (Russian: , Old East Norse Rørik, meaning famous ruler) (ca 830 – ca 879) was a Varangian who gained control of Ladoga in 862 and built the Holmgard settlement (Ryurikovo Gorodishche) in Novgorod. ... Gediminas, duke of Lithuania - engraving of XVII ct. ... A boyar (also spelled bojar, Romanian: ) was a member of the highest rank of the feudal Bulgarian, Romanian, and Russian aristocracy, second only to the ruling princes, from the 10th century through the 17th century. ... Peter I permitted the Galitzines to incorporate the emblem of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania into their coat of arms. ... Coat of arms of the Gorchakov family Gorchakov, or Gortchakoff (Russian: Горчаков) is a Russian princely family of Rurikid stock, descended from Michael Vsevolodovich, prince of Chernigov, who, in 1246, was assassinated by the Mongols in Karakorum. ... Kniaz’ or knyaz is a word found in some Slavic languages, denoting a nobility rank. ... His Serene Highness Prince Potemkin of Tauride Knyaz Grigori Alexandrovich Potyomkin (Potemkin) (Russian: Григо́рий Алекса́ндрович Потёмкин) (September 13, 1739 (NS: September 24) – October 5, 1791 (NS: October 16)) was a Russian general-field marshal, statesman, and favorite of Catherine II the Great. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Coat of arms of the Tolstoy family Tolstoy, or Tolstoi (Russian: ) is a prominent family of Russian nobility, descending from one Andrey Kharitonovich Tolstoy (i. ... Landed property or landed estates is a real estate term that usually refers to a property that generates income for the owner without himself having to do the actual work at the estate. ... Landowner or Landholder is a holder of the estate in land with considerable rights of ownership or, simply put, an owner of land. ... Imperial Russia is the term used to cover the period of history from the expansion of Russia under Peter the Great, through the expansion of the Russian Empire from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean, to the deposal of Nicholas II of Russia, the last tsar, at the start... Table of Ranks (Табель о рангах; Tabel o rangakh) was a formal list of positions and ranks in military, government, and court of the Imperial Russia. ...

Titled nobility (титулованное дворянство) was the highest category: those who had titles such as prince, count and baron. The latter two titles were introduced by Peter the Great. A baron or count could be either proprietary (actual) ( владетельный (действительный))—i.e., who owned land in the Russian Empire—or titular (титулярный), i.e., only endowed with the title. The term prince, from the Latin root princeps, is used for a member of the highest ranks of the aristocracy or the nobility. ... Coronet of a count This article is about the style or title of nobility. ... For other uses, see Baron (disambiguation). ... Peter I Emperor and Autocrat of All Russia Peter I (Pyotr Alekseyvich) (9 June 1672–8 February 1725 [30 May 1672–28 January 1725 O.S.1]) ruled Russia from 7 May (27 April O.S.) 1682 until his death. ... The subject of this article was previously also known as Russia. ...

Hereditary nobility (потомственное дворянство) was transferred to wife, children, and further direct legal descendants along the male line. In exceptional cases, the emperor could transfer nobility along indirect or female lines, e.g., to preserve a notable family name.

Personal nobility (личное дворянство) was transferable only to the wife and was of much lower prestige.

Unpropertied nobility (беспоместное дворянство) was nobility gained by state service, but which was not entitled to land ownership.

In addition, the ancient nobility (Древнее дворянство) was recognized, descendants of historical boyars and knyazes. A boyar (also spelled bojar, Romanian: ) was a member of the highest rank of the feudal Bulgarian, Romanian, and Russian aristocracy, second only to the ruling princes, from the 10th century through the 17th century. ... Kniaz’ or knyaz is a word found in some Slavic languages, denoting a nobility rank. ...

Russian did not employ a nobiliary particule (as von in German or de in French) before a surname, but Russian noblemen were accorded an official salutation that varied by their ranks: your nobility (ваше благородие), your high nobility (ваше высокоблагородие), your high ancestry (ваше высокородие), etc. Von (generally in small case only as von) is a German preposition which approximately means of or from. ... Look up de, dé, dè in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

History

The nobility arose in the 12th and 13th centuries as the lowest part of the feudal military (военно-служилого) class, which composed the court of a prince or an important boyar. From the 14th century land ownership by nobles increased, and by the 17th century it composed the bulk of feudal lords and constituted the majority of landowners. Peter the Great finalized the status of the nobility, while abolishing the boyar title. Fürst (plural Fürsten) is a German title of nobility, usually translated into English as Prince; however this translation can be misleading, since a Fürst usually ranks below a Duke. ... A boyar (also spelled bojar, Romanian: ) was a member of the highest rank of the feudal Bulgarian, Romanian, and Russian aristocracy, second only to the ruling princes, from the 10th century through the 17th century. ... Fief depiction in a book of hours Under the system of feudalism, a fiefdom, fief, feud, feoff, or fee, often consisted of inheritable lands or revenue-producing property granted by a liege lord, generally to a vassal, in return for a form of allegiance, originally to give him the means... Peter I Emperor and Autocrat of All Russia Peter I (Pyotr Alekseyvich) (9 June 1672–8 February 1725 [30 May 1672–28 January 1725 O.S.1]) ruled Russia from 7 May (27 April O.S.) 1682 until his death. ... A boyar (also spelled bojar, Romanian: ) was a member of the highest rank of the feudal Bulgarian, Romanian, and Russian aristocracy, second only to the ruling princes, from the 10th century through the 17th century. ...

From 1782, a kind of uniform was introduced for civilian nobles called uniform of civilian service (мундир статской службы) or simply civilian uniform (статский (штатский) мундир). The uniform prescribed colors that depended on the territory. The uniform was required at the places of service, at the Court, and at other important public places. The privileges of the nobility were fixed and were legally codified in 1785 in the Bestowed Charter (Zhalovannaya Gramota Жалованная Грамота). The Bestowed Charter introduced an organization of the nobility: every province (guberniya, губе́рния) and district (uyezd, уезд) had an Assembly of Nobility (дворянское собрание). The chair of an Assembly was called Province/District Marshal of Nobility (губернский/уездный предводитель дворянства). 1782 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1785 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Guberniya (Russian: ) (also gubernia, guberniia, gubernya) was a major administrative subdivision of the Imperial Russia, usually translated as governorate or province. ... Uyezd or uezd (Russian: ) was an admistrative subdivision of Rus, Muscovy, and Russia used from the 13th century, originally describing groups of several volosts formed around the most important cities. ... Assembly of Nobility or Dvoryan Assembly (Дворянское Собрание) was the self-government body of the social class (сословие) of dvoryanstvo in Imperial Russia during 1785-1917. ...

By 1805, the various ranks of the nobility had become confused, as is apparent in War and Peace. Here, we see counts who are wealthier and more important than princes. We see many noble families whose wealth has been dissipated, partly through lack of primogeniture and partly through extravagance and poor estate management. We see young noblemen serving in the Army, but we see none who acquire new landed estates that way. (This refers to the era of the Napoleonic Wars. Tolstoy reported some improvement afterwards: some nobles paid more attention to estate management, and some, like Andrey Bolkonsky, freed their serfs even before the tsar did so in 1861.^[1]. For other uses, see War and Peace (disambiguation). ... Coronet of a count This article is about the style or title of nobility. ... The term prince, from the Latin root princeps, is used for a member of the highest ranks of the aristocracy or the nobility. ... Primogeniture is the common law right of the first born son to inherit the entire estate, to the exclusion of younger siblings. ... Combatants Austria[a] Portugal Prussia[a] Russia[b] Sicily[c] Sardinia  Spain[d]  Sweden[e] United Kingdom French Empire Holland[f] Italy Etruria[g] Naples[h] Duchy of Warsaw[i] Confederation of the Rhine[j] Bavaria Saxony Westphalia Württemberg Denmark-Norway[k] Commanders Archduke Charles Prince Schwarzenberg Karl Mack... Tsar (Bulgarian, Serbian and Macedonian цар, Russian  , in scientific transliteration respectively car and car ), occasionally spelled Czar or Tzar and sometimes Csar or Zar in English, is a Slavonic term designating certain monarchs. ...

After the peasant reform of 1861 the economic position of the nobility was weakened. After the October Revolution of 1917 all classes of nobility were legally abolished. Many members of the Russian nobility who fled Russia after the Bolshevik Revolution played a significant role in the White Emigre communities that settled in Europe, in North America, and in other parts of the world. In the 1920s and 1930s, several Russian nobility associations were established outside Russia, including groups in France, Belgium, and the United States. In New York, the Russian Nobility Association in America was founded in 1938. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, there has been a growing interest among Russians in the role that the Russian nobility has played in the historical and cultural development of Russia. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... For other uses, see October Revolution (disambiguation). ... Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois Russian Cemetery near Paris, the foremost necropolis of White Russians. ... The Russian Nobility Association in America is a charitable organization and one of a number of genealogical societies located in New York City. ...

Acquisition of nobility

There were several methods by which nobility might be acquired. One of them was the acquisition of nobility by military service.

Between 1722 and 1845 hereditary nobility was given for long military service at officer rank (ensign, cornet), for civil service at the rank of Collegiate Assessor and with any order of the Russian Empire. // Events Abraham De Moivre states De Moivres theorem connecting trigonometric functions and complex numbers Publication of the first book of Bachs Well-Tempered Clavier Fall of Persias Safavid dynasty during a bloody revolt of the Afghani people. ... 1845 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Ensign is a junior rank of commissioned officer in the militaries of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. ... Cornet was the third and lowest grade of commissioned officer in a British cavalry troop, after the Captain and Lieutenant. ... Assessor as evaluator An assessor is an expert that calculates the amounts to be paid or assessed for tax or insurance purposes. ...

Between 1845 and 1856 nobility was bestowed for long service at the rank of Major and State Counsellor, to all holders of the Order of Saint George and the Order of Saint Vladimir, and with the first degrees of other orders. Between 1856 and 1900, nobility was given to those rising to the rank of Colonel, captain of the first rank, and Actual State Counsellor. The qualification of nobility was further restricted between 1900 and 1917 - only someone rewarded with the order of Saint Vladimir of the third class (or higher) could become a hereditary noble. 1845 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1856 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The Order of Saint George (Орден Святого Георгия in Russian, or Orden Svyatogo Georgiya) was introduced by Catherine the Great on November 26, 1769. ... The Order of Saint Vladimir was an Imperial Russian Order established in 1782 in memory of the deeds of Saint Vladimir, the Kniaz (Prince) and the Baptizer of the Kievan Rus. ... 1856 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Äž: For the film, see: 1900 (film). ... For other uses, see Colonel (disambiguation). ... Äž: For the film, see: 1900 (film). ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar (see: 1917 Julian calendar). ... Detail of the Millenium of Russia monument in Novgorod (1862) representing St Vladimir and his family. ...

Privileges of the nobility

Russian nobility possessed the following privileges:

• The right of possession of populated estates (until 1861), including virtual ownership of the serfs who worked on the estates.
• Freedom from required military service (1762-1874; later an all-estate compulsory military service was introduced)
• Freedom from zemstvo duties (until the second half of 19th century)
• The right to enter civil service and privileged educational institutions (such as the imperial School of Jurisprudence)
• Freedom from corporal punishment.
• The right to have a family coat of arms, introduced by the end of the 17th century.

Year 1861 (MDCCCLXI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Costumes of Slaves or Serfs, from the Sixth to the Twelfth Centuries, collected by H. de Vielcastel, from original Documents in the great Libraries of Europe. ... 1762 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Year 1874 (MDCCCLXXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link with display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Zemstvo was a form of local government instituted during the great liberal reforms performed in Imperial Russia by Alexander II of Russia. ... Hall of the School of Jursiprudence, a 1840 painting by Sergey Zaryanko. ... Corporal punishment is the deliberate infliction of pain and suffering intended to change a persons behavior or to punish them. ... A modern coat of arms is derived from the medi val practice of painting designs onto the shield and outer clothing of knights to enable them to be identified in battle, and later in tournaments. ...

See also

• Table of Ranks
• Assembly of Nobility

Table of Ranks (Табель о рангах; Tabel o rangakh) was a formal list of positions and ranks in military, government, and court of the Imperial Russia. ... Assembly of Nobility or Dvoryan Assembly (Дворянское Собрание) was the self-government body of the social class (сословие) of dvoryanstvo in Imperial Russia during 1785-1917. ...

References

1. ^ Tolstoy, Leo.War and Peace. (Translated by Richard Pavear and Larissa Volokonsky, 2007)

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