Everyone knows that, like most countries of the world, there was such a thing as "court rank", and in Russia. An interesting fact is that the names of the ranks have undergone changes. The ubiquitous Peter the Great did not leave this niche unchanged during his reforms - it was he who replaced the names with foreign ones. However, few people know what the meaning of this phrase is, when it appeared and what these very court officials were.
Historical background
The court rank is a kind of position that appeared in antiquity. during the formation of certain groups of people under monarchs and major rulers. These groups were entrusted with some functions in the field of state administration or the provision of the ruler and his family with everything necessary (maintenance and formation of the court). In different countries, court ranks differed not only in their names, but also in the field of activity, the specifics of the functions performed. However, what was common was that these people were invariably part of the so-called elite (the state elite). Gradually, there was a division of ranks into state and court proper. ATas an encouragement, holders of a national rank could also receive a courtier, but this did not mean assigning additional duties to a person or performing any specific functions at the ruler's court.
Definition
The very phrase "court rank" implies the presence of a person who has this same court, that is, an environment, a circle of close associates. Therefore, the definition of this phrase is closely related to the presence of a ruler, a high-ranking person (so important that he has his own court, separate from the ruling person). So, the court rank is a retinue close to an important (high-ranking) person who performs certain functional duties assigned to her, and also adds the appearance of the significance of the ruler (high-ranking person), a certain gloss, shows we alth and security.
Service ranks and titles in Russia
Even during the reign of the princes, court staffs were formed at their courts, whose members were involved in the performance of various duties (both directly at court, and administrative, judicial and military). Members of the court staff were called courtyard people. There were quite a few ranks of courtyard people (we can say that these are the names of court ranks), including boyars, stewards, butlers, okolniki, solicitors, trappings, falconers, etc. Of course, the highest ranks were received by those closest to the ruler. Initially, they served as a kind of advisers, without officialranks and positions.
Courtyard people: the main top ranks
Boyarin is the highest official rank, which was originally given to people closest to the ruler, and over time it became hereditary, i.e. the rank was inherited.
Voevoda is the rank of military leader, the head of a regiment or detachment (in the sense of a military commander). Over time, they ousted the clerks, taking the place of the heads of the city government.
Vicar - a rank awarded directly by the prince. His authority was to head the local government in the cities.
Okolnichiy - a court rank and position, whose duties included organizing and further ensuring the comfort of the prince's travels, as well as providing a proper reception to ambassadors from other countries and negotiating with the latter.
The system of nationwide officials
As mentioned earlier, over time, in many countries of the world, court ranks were divided into general civil and proper court ranks. In Russia, the formation of these two branches of the ranks took place in parallel, and already in the Middle Ages. By the beginning of the 16th century, there was already a clear system of nationwide ranks (ranks):
- Duma ranks - officials, holders of the right to participate in meetings of the Boyar Duma.
- Servant ranks of Moscow - officials who did not have the right to participate in the work (sessions) of the Boyar Duma.
- Serving city or provincial ranks - were the so-calledprovincial nobility.
Hairman, bed keeper, armorer and butler
The highest court officials in Russia were a collection of officials who complained mainly to the boyars. These are such ranks as a stableman, a bed keeper, a gunsmith (gunsmith) and a butler. Often it was the equestrian who headed the Boyar Duma and the government. Such an ex altation of the rank of head of the Stable Order occurred during the reign of Ivan IV Ivanovich, better known as Ivan the Terrible. The bed-keeper was practically the closest person to the ruler, as he was responsible for his and his family's property, for security, and accompanied him personally on trips. The gunsmith was responsible for state and royal weapons, for financing the weapons department, and headed the Arms Order. The butler headed the order of the Grand Palace, was the chief judge.
Table of Ranks
As you know, Peter I was a great reformer who did not leave almost any sphere of life and activity of the state, the people unchanged. The ranks and ranks did not remain unchanged either. By decree of the first Russian emperor, Peter the Great, dated January 24 (February 4), 1722, a special table of correspondences between ranks in 14 classes was established. This table is called "Table of Ranks". It contained 263 positions, the ranks were divided into 14 classes. The court ranks of the Russian state, or rather their names, were changed to foreign ones. What has remained unchanged is that the military ranks occupy the dominantplace among others. The report card was abolished only after the revolution of 1917, until that time it functioned, changes and amendments were regularly made to it.
First five grades of the table of ranks
In the first class there was no court rank of senior, highest rank. The civil rank (civilian) in the first class was the chancellor, the military rank was field marshal general, the marine rank was admiral general.
The second class included the following titles: actual Privy Councilor (civilian rank); generals from cavalry, artillery, infantry, general-general (military ranks); admiral (naval rank); Chief Chamberlain, Chief Chamberlain Marshal, Chief Stealmaster, Chief Jägermeister, Chief Chamberlain Master, Chief Shenk, Chief Ceremonial Master, Chief Forschneider (court rank of senior rank).
The third class consisted of a privy councilor (civilian), a lieutenant general (military), a vice admiral (naval), a chamber marshal, a ringmaster, a jagermeister, a chamberlain (the last four are court ranks).
As part of the fourth class, the civil rank was called "actual state councilor", the military rank was called "major general", the sea rank was called "rear admiral", and the court rank was called "chamberlain".
The fifth class consisted of a civilian state councilor, a military brigadier, a naval captain-commander.
Second top five of the table of ranks
The sixth grade included such a Russian court rank as chamber furier. Civil ranks included collegiate and military advisers. A military rank was considered a colonel, and a naval- captain of the first rank.
The seventh class as a courtier still kept a camera-furier, a civil rank was a court adviser, a colonel and a captain of the second rank - military and naval ranks, respectively.
A collegiate assessor (civilian), a major (military) and a lieutenant commander (naval) were part of the eighth grade of the "Table of Ranks".
In the ninth grade, the captain and captain made up the category of military ranks, the lieutenant - naval, the chamber junker acted as a courtier, and the titular adviser - a civilian rank.
The tenth grade was reserved for the collegiate secretary, staff captain and staff captain. The first is a civilian rank, the second and third are military.
Last four of the Report Card
The last four grades (from eleventh to fourteenth) were quite meager:
- In the eleventh there was a place only for a civilian rank - ship secretary.
- The twelfth consisted of a provincial secretary, who was a representative of civil ranks, a lieutenant (military rank), a midshipman in the role of a naval rank.
- Provincial Secretary, Senate Registrar, Synod Registrar, Cabinet Registrar - representatives of civilian ranks of the thirteenth grade. Second lieutenant and cornet are military ranks, and midshipman is naval.
- College registrar and warrant officer - civil and military ranks of the fourteenth class, respectively.
"Table of Ranks" allowed not only to put things in order in ranks and positions, but also provided an opportunity for promotion to persons who did notbelonging to the upper classes.
Female court ranks according to the Table
The "Table of Ranks" touched not only the male part of the population of the royal court - women's ranks were also introduced. Such court ranks were introduced (in Russia, the state of the queen also took place, but there was no strict order), such as chief hofmeisterins (highest rank), wives of real privy councillors, real state ladies and chamber maids, gof-ladies, gof- girls. The former ranks of court ladies were purely Russian: boyars (wives of boyars or older unmarried virgins in the family), mothers (the same as a nanny), nurses (hired workers who fed children and often took care of their upbringing), bed-maker (court position, whose duties included keeping the bed of the ruler's wife clean and tidy), etc.
