Until the revolution of 1917, the so-called Table of Ranks was in force on the territory of the Russian Empire, which was the only law regulating the procedure for carrying out civil and military service by ranks. This law was first applied in January 1722. Its main benefit was to streamline the positions occupied by the nobles, starting from the lowest and ending with the highest ranks.

In total, there were 14 ranks of service, which each nobleman was required to go through from birth to death. For example, it was impossible to get a general's rank without having been in a position of a lower rank, which deprived the nobles of the possibility of promotion due not to their personal merits, but to their names and money. Naturally, there were many loopholes in the law, nevertheless, it still allowed some clarity to be introduced into the relations between various layers of the nobility, civil and military servants. The document made it possible to calm the strife between civilian and military ranks that arise at every personal meeting.

With the advent of the Table of Ranks, the ancient boyar titles were actually abolished. Officially, no one canceled them, but they did not attach much importance to them. During the period of the law, it was reformed more than once, new ranks and positions were introduced.

	Civil ranks	Military ranks	Marine ranks
		Field Marshal, Field Marshal	Admiral General
	Valid Privy Councilor	General-in-Chief, General of the Cavalry, General of the Infantry, General of the Artillery
	Privy Councilor	Lieutenant General	Vice Admiral
	Acting State Councilor	Major General	rear admiral
	State Councillor	Brigadier	Captain Commander
	Collegiate Counselor	Colonel	Captain 1st rank
	Court Advisor	Lieutenant colonel	Captain II rank
	Collegiate Assessor		Captain III rank, Lieutenant commander
	Titular Advisor	Captain, captain	Senior lieutenant, lieutenant
	Collegiate Secretary	lieutenant captain, staff captain, staff captain	Second Lieutenant, Lieutenant
	Ship Secretary, Senate Secretary	Lieutenant, centurion
	Provincial Secretary	Second lieutenant, second lieutenant
	Provincial Secretary, Senate Registrar	Ensign, cornet, cornet	Artillery constable
	Collegiate Registrar

Table of Ranks 1722 (as amended thereafter)

	Civil ranks	Military ranks	Naval ranks	court ranks	Statutory address
	Chancellor Acting Privy Councilor	Field Marshal General General-in-Chief, General of Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery	Admiral General Admiral	Ober chamberlain, chief chamberlain ster, chief marshal, chief schenk, chief stahlmeister, chief jagermeister	Your Excellency
	Privy Councilor Acting State Councilor	Lieutenant General Major General	Vice Admiral Schautbenacht, Rear Admiral	chamberlain, chamberlain, ringmaster, master of ceremonies, master of ceremonies Chamberlain	Your Excellency
	State Councillor	Brigadier	Captain-commander (until 1827) -	Master of Ceremonies, 19th century chamber junker	Your honor
	Collegiate Counselor Court Counselor	Colonel Lieutenant Colonel	Captain 1st rank Captain 2nd rank	camera furier	your honor
	Collegiate Assessor	Major (since 1884 captain)	Captain III rank, lieutenant commander	Titular Chamberlain	your honor
	Titular Advisor	Staff Captain (until 1884 captain)	Lieutenant	gof-furrier
	collegiate	lieutenant captain,
	secretary	until 1884 staff captain, from 1884 lieutenant
	ship secretary				your honor
	Provincial Secretary	Lieutenant, since 1884 second lieutenant	Midshipman (until 1884)	Valet
	Provincial Secretary	Second lieutenant, ensign from 1884 (since 1884 only in wartime)
	Collegiate Registrar	Fendrik, Ensign

These points are attached to the established above-announced table of ranks, on how everyone should act with these ranks.

1. Princes who are descended from our blood, and those who are combined with our princesses: in all cases, they have chairmanship and rank over all princes and high ministers Russian state.

2. The marines with the land in the team are determined as follows: who is of the same rank with whom, although older in rank, command the sea over the land at sea, and the land over the sea on land.

3. Whoever, above his rank, will demand honors for himself, or he himself will take a place above the rank given to him, for each case he will pay a fine of 2 months of salary. And if someone serves without a salary, then pay him such a fine as the salaries of those ranks who are of equal rank with him, and they really receive a salary. Of the fine money, the declarer has a third share to receive, and the rest have to be used in the hospital. But this inspection of each rank is not required on such occasions, when some supposedly good friends and neighbors come together, or in public assemblies, but only in churches during the service of God, at courtyard ceremonies, as if during an audience of ambassadors, solemn tables, at official congresses, at marriages, baptisms, and similar public celebrations and burials. An equal fine should also be given to those who give way to someone below their rank, which should be diligently watched by the fiscal, so that they are willing to submit to the service, and honor them, and not receive impudent and parasites. The above penalty as a man's,
so it is necessary for the female sex for crimes.

4. Under an equal penalty, no one has a rank to claim for himself, as long as he does not have a proper patent for his rank.

5. So no one has a rank to take according to the character that he received in other people's services, until we confirm this character to him, which we will gladly grant confirmation to everyone according to the state of his merits.

6. Without a patent, an apshit does not give a rank to anyone, unless this apshit will be given by our hand.

7. All married wives enter in ranks, according to the ranks of their husbands. And when they act contrary to this, they have a fine to pay the same as her husband should have paid for his crime.

8. To the sons of the Russian state of princes, counts, barons, the noblest nobility, also servants of the noblest rank, although we allow for their noble breed or their fathers of noble ranks in the public assembly where the court is located, free access to other lower ranks, and willingly wish to see so that they differ in dignity from others in all cases; however, for this reason, we do not allow anyone of any rank until they show us and the fatherland any services, and for this they do not receive character.

9. On the contrary, all the girls whose fathers are in the 1st rank, until they are married, have a rank over all the wives who are in the 5th rank, and namely, below the general-maeor, and above the brigadier. And the girls, whose fathers are in the 2nd rank, above the wives, who are in the 6th rank, that is, below the brigadier, and above the colonel. And the girls, whose fathers are in the 3rd rank, are above the wives of the 7th rank, that is, below the colonel, and above the lieutenant colonel. And others, against the way the ranks follow.

10. Ladies and maidens at court have, while they are really in their ranks, receive the following ranks:

The Chief Chamberlain of Her Majesty the Empress has a rank above all ladies.

The real station ladies of Her Majesty the Empress follow the wives of the real privy councillors.

Actual chamber girls have a rank with the wives of presidents from the college.

Hof ladies - with the wives of the brigadiers.

Hof girls - with the wives of colonels.

Hof meisterin and our princesses- with real ladies of the state, who, under Her Majesty the Empress.

The chambers of the maiden under the sovereigns of the princesses follow the gof ladies under her majesty the sovereign empress.

Hof maidens of the sovereign princesses follow the Hof maidens under Her Majesty the Empress Empress.

11. All servants, Russian or foreign, who are of the first ranks, or really were, have their legitimate children and descendants in eternal times, the best senior nobility in all merits and advantages is equally honored to be, even if they were of a low breed, and before from Crowned heads have never been made to the nobility or equipped with a coat of arms.

12. When one of our high and low servants actually has two ranks and more, or has received a higher rank than according to the rank that he really manages, then in all cases he has the rank of his highest rank. But when he sends his work in the lower rank, then he cannot then have his highest rank or title in that place, but according to this rank, which he really sends.

13. After all, the civil ranks were not previously ordered, and for this, honor no one or very little so that someone in the proper order from below deserves his rank of the upper one from the nobles, and now the need now requires the higher ranks: for the sake of taking, who will be fit, even if she had no rank. But after all, this in ranks will be insulting to military people who, for many years, and with what cruel service they received, but they will see without merit their equal or higher: for the sake of who, in which the rank is elevated, will be, then he deserves a rank for years, as follows. Why is it necessary from the Senate, who in what rank in the civil service, out of order from the bottom, will be granted the present, for the sake of need, from now on, to give their names to the fiscal, so that the fiscals can watch that they perform in ranks according to this decree. And so that from now on there will not be enough parties for vacancies, but in order, as in the military ranks of a manufacturer. For this reason, it is now necessary to have 6 or 7 junker colleges in state colleges, or less. And if more necessary, then with a report.

14. It is necessary to produce noble children in colleges from below: namely, the first in the collegium are yunkars, if scientists are certified by the collegium, and are represented in the Senate, and received patents. And those who did not study, but were accepted for the sake of the needs and for the impoverishment of scientists, those are the first to write junkars to the titular colleges, and those years without ranks will be those who have no ranks up to the actual college of the junkars.

	years		months
against corporal		1
against the sergeant		1
against Fendrik		1	6
against the guarantor		2
against the captain		2
against maeor		2
against lieutenant colonel		2
against the colonel		3	6

The years of Karporal and sergeants are to be read to those who have studied and have truly learned what is proper for collegiate boards. Namely, as far as the right court is concerned, also the trades external and internal to the profit of the Empire and the economy, in which they should testify.

Those who teach the above sciences, send those from the college to foreign lands a few at a time, for the practice of that science.

And who will show noble services, they can rank higher for their work as a manufacturer, such as a clerk and in military service, who will show his length of service. But it is only right to fix this in the Senate, and even then with our signing.

15. For military ranks who rise to the rank of chief officer not from the nobility, then when someone receives the above rank, he is a nobleman, and his children, who are parents in the officer corps, and if there are no children at that time, but there is before, and the father will be beaten by the forehead, then the nobility will be given to those, only to one son, about whom the father will ask. The rest of the ranks, both civil and courtiers, who are not in the ranks of the nobility, these children are not the essence of the noble.

16. And it belongs to no one except us, and other crowned heads, whom to honor with a coat of arms and a seal, and on the contrary, it turned out many times that some call themselves nobles, but are not truly a noble, while others willfully accepted the coat of arms, which their ancestors they were not given below from our ancestors, or from foreign crowned heads they were given, and besides, they sometimes take the courage to choose such a coat of arms that the sovereigns and other noble families really have. For this reason, we graciously remind those to whom this concerns, so that everyone should beware of such an obscene act, and from that ensuing dishonor and fine. It is announced to everyone that we have appointed a King of Arms for this matter. And so it is necessary for everyone to come to him for that matter, and submit a report, and demand decisions, as follows: who has the nobility, and on it coats of arms, in order to prove that they or their ancestors had from what grant, or through our ancestors or ours by mercy in this honor are brought. But if someone cannot truly prove it soon: then they will be given a term of one and a half years. And then demand that he truly prove it. And if he does not prove, (but declares for what truly) about that, report to the Senate; and in the Senate, having considered it, inform us.

But if anyone asks for an overt service for a grant, then for the services of that referee. And there will be truly meritorious ones from such, and inform the Senate about it, and represent the Senate to us. And those who have risen to the rank of officers, Russian or foreigner, both from the nobility and not from the nobility, are given coats of arms, depending on their merits. And who, although they were not in the military service, and did not deserve anything, but can prove not less than a hundred years: and give coats of arms to such.

In our service, foreign people who acquire, either with their diplomas or with public certificates from the government of their fatherland, prove their nobility and coat of arms.

17. Also the following ranks, namely: presidents and vice-presidents in court courts, chief landrichters in the residence, president in the magistrate in the residence, chief commissars in colleges, governors, chief rentmeisters and landrichters in the provinces and provinces, treasurers in mint business, directors over duties in ports, chief economy camisars in the provinces, chief camisars in the provinces, assessors in court courts in the provinces, chamberlains at colleges, ratmans in residences, postmasters, camisars at colleges, chamberlains in the provinces, zemstvo camisars, assessors in provincial courts, zemstvo rentmeisters should not be revered for the eternal rank, but for the order, both the above and similar ones: for they are not the essence of the rank: for this they must have a rank, as long as they really acquire their work. And when they change or leave, then they don’t have that rank.

18. Those who are dismissed for serious crimes, publicly punished in the square, or although they were clearly naked, or were tortured, they are deprived of their title and rank, unless they are from us for what length of service packs for our own hand and seal in their perfect honor restored, and it will be publicly announced.

Interpretation of the tortured

In torture, it happens that many villains, out of malice, bring others: for the sake of which he was tortured in vain, he cannot be considered dishonest, but it is necessary for him to give our letter with the circumstance of his innocence.

19. In the same way, the nobility and dignity of the rank of which person is often diminished by the fact that the dress and other deeds do not resemble those, as if, on the contrary, many are ruined when they act in dress above their rank and property: for this reason, we graciously remind that each such he had an outfit, a crew, and a libreu, as his rank and character require.

According to this, everyone has to act, and beware of the announced fines and the highest punishment.

Given with the signing of our own hand, and our state seal in our residence.

Peter

legislative act that determined the procedure for the service of officials. Published by Peter I in 1722. Established 14 ranks (classes, class ranks, 1st - highest) in three types: military (army and naval), civilian and courtiers. Abolished after the October Revolution of 1917 (see Applications).

Great Definition

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TABLE OF RANKS

the law that determined the procedure for the service of officials was issued on January 24, 1722 by the government of Peter I. According to T. o r. all positions were divided into 3 rows: land and naval military, civilian and court, each of which had 14 ranks or classes. The highest (I class) in them were, respectively, the positions of Field Marshal, General Admiral and Chancellor, the lowest (XIV class) - Fendrik, midshipman and collegiate registrar. Instead of generosity in the appointment to the civil service, as well as in the further promotion of an official, a bureaucratic principle of length of service and a consistent climb up the career ladder were introduced, which should have ensured the replacement of all vacancies and the acquisition of the necessary skills. Anyone who held a class position in the civil service was equated with an officer and was called an official (in contrast to those who did not have a rank - “clerical servants”). All appointments in the civil service (except for the first 5 classes) were assigned to the Senate (its first department), and their preparation and execution was to be carried out by the Heraldry Office of the Senate (see Heraldry, Officialdom).

All officials whose posts were included in the T. o r. received the nobility. Initially, the XIV class gave the right to personal, and VIII (for the military XII) - hereditary nobility. The law of December 9, 1856 established the receipt of personal nobility from the IX class, hereditary - from the IV class for civil ranks, and from the VI - for the military. T. o r. opened the "way up" to people from the unprivileged classes, creating an incentive for the service of officials.

T.'s introduction about river. Peter I sought to streamline the entire system public service and ensure a constant influx of personnel. The highest ranks of the T. about r. were assigned to the nobles. T. o r. increased the official burden for representatives of the nobility, supplementing it with the duty of studying. T. o r. abolished in 1917

Classes for military, civil and court ranks:

I. Field Marshal General, Admiral General. Chancellor, Acting Privy Councilor 1st Class.

II, Chief General, Infantry General, Cavalry General, Artillery General, Engineer General, Admiral.

Active Privy Councillor.

Chief chamberlain, chief marshal, chief ringmaster, chief jagermeister, chief schenk, chief master of ceremonies.

III. Lieutenant General (until 1799), Lieutenant General.

Privy Councillor.

Marshal, Master of the Horse, Chamberlain, Jägermeister.

IV. Major General, Rear Admiral. Acting State Councilor.

V. Brigadier (until 1799), captain-commander. State Councillor. Master of Ceremonies.

VI. Colonel, captain of the 1st rank. Collegiate Advisor. Furrier camera.

VII. Lieutenant colonel, military foreman, captain II rank.

Outside Advisor.

VIII. Prime major, second major (until 1799), major (until 1884), captain, captain, captain (since 1884), captain of the III rank.

Collegiate Assessor.

IX. Captain, captain, captain (until 1884), staff captain, staff captain, captain, captain-lieutenant, senior lieutenant.

Titular Advisor.

X-XI. Captain-lieutenant (until 1799), lieutenant, centurion, lieutenant, midshipman. Collegiate Secretary.

XII. Second lieutenant, cornet, cornet, midshipman. Governor's Secretary.

XIII. Ensign, midshipman. Senate Registrar, Provincial Secretary.

XIV. Fendrik (XVIII century), midshipman (XVIII century). College Registrar.

Great Definition

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Introduction

The “Table of Ranks” is not just a historical document that was once issued in Russia and served as the basis for the classification and regulation of civil servants, but also the basis for the further development of the most important idea of ​​the rational regulation of the state administrative apparatus.

"Table of Ranks" - the law on the order of public service in the Russian Empire, the ratio of ranks by seniority, the sequence of ranks. Its study for understanding the evolution of the civil service is invaluable. In particular, the appearance of the “Table of Ranks” was an important milestone in the development of the civil service in Russia, since the pernicious system of parochialism was finally abolished and access to high posts was opened for people of humble origin.

The importance of studying the "Table of Ranks" and its role in the Russian Empire is emphasized by the fact that, although it was reformed several times in the light of new trends of the times, it nevertheless existed until 1917.

The purpose of this work is to study the "Table of Ranks" adopted by Peter I.

To achieve this goal, it is necessary to solve the following tasks:

identify the prerequisites for the creation of the "Table of Ranks";

study the history of creation;

consider its features.

1. Prerequisites for the adoption of the "Table of Ranks"

At the beginning of his reign, Peter I was faced with a slow, indecisive bureaucracy - the boyar duma and orders. The activities of the orders and the boyar duma were confusing and ineffective for the productive management of the country. There was a fierce struggle for power between the old, well-born boyars and service people - the nobles. There were continuous uprisings of peasants and urban lower classes in the country, who fought both against the nobles and against the boyars, because. they were all feudal lords. This state of affairs led to the need to strengthen and strengthen the autocratic apparatus in the center and in the localities, centralize management, build a harmonious and flexible system of administrative apparatus, strictly controlled by the highest authorities. It was also necessary to create a combat-ready regular military force to pursue a more aggressive foreign policy and suppress the growing popular movements. It was necessary to consolidate by legal acts the dominant position of the nobility and give it a central, leading place in public life.

To fulfill the above tasks, Peter I carried out many state-administrative reforms (Figure 1).

Figure 1 - State - administrative reforms of Peter I

The most important result and, at the same time, the legislative consolidation of all the reforming activities of Peter in the field of civil, military and judicial administration was the famous "Table of Ranks" (1722).

Thus, the reasons for the publication of the "Table of Ranks" were based on the needs of a socio-political nature. On the one hand, the complication social structure society, in connection with which already at the turn of the XVII and XVIII centuries. it was necessary to separate the civil service into an independent sphere of activity to ensure its relative independence, and at the same time, the creation of a special, professionally, socially and corporately distinguished group of civil servants. On the other hand, the strengthening of state-legal principles in the activities state power(when the legal tools of its policy acquired a backbone value in the creation of state administrative structures) and an increase in the role of laws as acts of registration political will the monarch and the main source of law, which were to be carried out by all subjects, regardless of their position in the estate and service hierarchy.

2. The history of the creation of the "Table of Ranks"

The history of the development of this most important document reflects the experience of the legislative activity of Peter I and his inner circle.

The development of the Table continued for about three years - from the end of September 1719. Until the final version was approved by Peter I on January 24, 1722, S.M. Troitsky, who studied in detail the history of the preparation of this document, identified four stages of work on it:

Preparation of the first edition of the Report Card in the Collegium of Foreign Affairs A.I. Osterman (late September 1719 - October 1720).

Creation of the second edition of the project by Peter I (January 1721).

Discussion of the second edition of the "Table of Ranks" in the Senate, Military and Admiralty Colleges (February - October 1721).

Completion by the Senate of the final edition of the "Table of Ranks" (January 1722).

It is believed that the main developer of the Table was A.I. Osterman.

The sources of the Table were information about the ranks in Austria, England, Venice, Denmark, Spain, the Commonwealth, Prussia, France and Sweden. At the same time, special attention was paid to the ratio of ranks of the military, court and civil services.

Biggest Influence the preparation of the "Table of Ranks" was provided by the legislation of Prussia, Denmark and Sweden. The reason for this was the proximity of the political and socio-economic development of Russia and the Scandinavian states. The system of Swedish ranks was contained in the charters of the king Charles XII 1696 and 1705 These documents contained a list of military, naval and civil ranks, containing 40 ranks. Behind the list were placed 5 articles, which set out the basic principles of chinoproizvodstvo. Only the king had the right to issue a patent for the rank.

The Danish system of ranks was fixed by the regulations of King Christian V in 1699 and his son Frederick IV in 1717. 103 ranks of the Danish kingdom were divided into 9 classes (degrees) of palace, military and state administration. An interesting difference from other European documents was that women's ranks were listed in these regulations. The five articles that followed the list of ranks and ranks contained a fundamentally important decision of the hereditary nobility to persons who had risen to the positions of the three highest degrees.

Thus, it can be seen that the Swedish statutes and Danish regulations had a similar text structure: first, a systematic list of ranks, then articles establishing the fundamental norms of rank production in the state. The structure of the "Table of Ranks" project was similar.

From the "Royal Prussian institution on the degree" 1705 A.I. Osterman borrowed the name of the court ranks, since the life of the royal court was also Europeanized.

In addition to foreign sources, the drafting of the new law took into account already adopted Russian laws. By the time the draft Table was drawn up, the nomenclature of Russian civil ranks had already basically taken shape. The Decree to the Senate of December 11, 1717 “On the staff of colleges and the opening time of them” contained a “Register of people in the colleges”, which named the positions of presidents, vice presidents, advisers, assessors, secretaries, notaries, actuaries, registrars, rentmeisters, translators. In January 1719, the “Instructions or Instructions to Governors” contained a detailed list of the posts of the provincial administration. The General Regulations listed not only the staff of clerical employees, but also determined their job responsibilities. Thus, over 90% of the titles of public administration positions included in the project were already indicated in official documents.

Project compiled by A.I. Osterman, included two parts: "Announcement of ranks" and an explanation of it from 14 articles. The author did not include military and naval ranks in the project. In total, the appointments of 147 positions of the court (44) and civil (103) states were included. At the same time, it is important to note that among the civilized state, positions of the lower and middle levels of bureaucracy prevailed (80 out of 103). The "Announcement" listed in detail the positions of secretaries, actuaries, archivists, translators, notaries, chamberlains, clerks, copyists, sergeants.

The articles largely repeated the content of the Swedish, Danish and Prussian sources, but were clarified and edited.

Peter I himself took an active part in the preparation of the Table. As a result of the work of the tsar in January - February 1721, a new edition arose, which differed significantly from the original draft. First of all, this was due to the need to introduce army and naval ranks into the Table. Peter did not agree that the court states were in the first place in the project, which belittled the civil service. Having included military ranks in the Table, Peter I made civil and court ranks dependent on their system.

Some changes and additions were made to the articles. The most significant addition was the increase in the number of ranks giving the right to hereditary nobility. He extended it to officials of the 7th and 8th grades. Peter sought to attract young people to public service, to make it prestigious. This decision opened up the possibility of joining the privileged class to people from the lower social strata.

In addition, Peter I introduces new article, confirming the nominal Decree of January 16, 1721 on the receipt of hereditary nobility by persons who have risen to the first chief officer rank. This secured the priority of military service over civilian. In the army, hereditary nobility was received from the 14th rank, and in civilian institutions - from the 8th. Officials of the 14th - 9th grades received personal nobility.

The work was completed at the beginning of 1721. On February 1, Peter signed this act, but, giving it great importance, ordered: “This should not be published or printed until September, in order to look around, if anything is changed, added or subtracted, what should the Senate think about during this delay: is it so to be all the ranks or which to change and how? And prepare your own opinion by September, and especially about those ranks, civil and domestic, from the rank of major general and below. Opinions about the Report Card were requested not only from the Senate, but also from the Military and Admiralty Collegia.

In parallel with the discussion in the Senate and collegiums, Peter I continued to work on the draft and prepared several versions of an extremely important article of the law establishing the procedure for the ranks of nobles in civilian service, depending on length of service and education. She logically continued the norms introduced by the General Regulations in the article "On young people for training at the office." Here, the idea of ​​the impossibility of mastering the intricacies of managerial skills was clearly traced, bypassing training in the office. Training in clerical work, subsequent work in public institutions were proclaimed worthy even for representatives of noble noble families. The need to attract qualified personnel to the civil service required the creation of new incentives. This was the reason for the preparation of an article on the organization of the preparation of nobles for public service in civil institutions.

After making the necessary changes, taking into account the opinions of the Senate and the boards, in January 1722 the project was submitted for final discussion in the Senate. Peter actively participated in the discussion. It is likely that it was he who authored the final heading of the law, which is quite lengthy, but reflects its essence as much as possible: military men are higher than others, at least someone in that class was granted the oldest.

So, the publication of the "Table of Ranks" was the result of intense, more than two years of legislative work. It was conducted under the leadership and with the direct participation of Peter I. The most significant figures influencing the internal and foreign policy countries.

3. Description of the "Table of Ranks"

The law of February 4 (January 24), 1722, consisted of a schedule of new ranks in 14 classes or ranks and of 19 explanatory points to this schedule. Each class was separately assigned the newly introduced military ranks (in turn subdivided into land, guards, navy), civil and court ranks.

The princes of the imperial blood have, in all cases, the presidency over all the princes and "high servants of the Russian state." With this exception, the social status of employees is determined by rank and not by breed.

For demanding honors and places above the rank at public celebrations and official meetings, a fine equal to two months' salary of the person being fined is due; one third of the fine money goes to the whistleblower, the rest goes to the maintenance of hospitals. The same fine is due for giving up one's place to a person of lower rank.

Persons who were in a foreign service can receive the appropriate rank only on the basis of their approval of "the character that they received in foreign services." The sons of titled persons and, in general, the most noble nobles, although, unlike others, have free access to court assemblies, they do not receive any rank until “they show no services to the fatherland, and they will not receive character for them.” Civil ranks, like military ranks, are given according to length of service or according to special "noble" service merits.

Each must have a crew and livery appropriate to his rank.

Public punishment in the square, as well as torture, entails the loss of the rank, which can be returned only for special merits, by personal decree, publicly announced.

Married wives "walk in the ranks according to the ranks of their husbands" and are subject to the same penalties for offenses against their rank.

Girls are considered several ranks below their fathers.

All those who received the first 8 ranks in the civil or court departments are hereditarily ranked among the best senior nobility, “even if they were of low breed”; on the military service hereditary nobility is acquired by obtaining the first chief officer rank, and the noble rank extends only to children born after the father has received this rank; if, upon receiving the rank of children, he will not be born, he can ask for the grant of nobility to one of his preborn children.

The ranks were divided into chief officers (up to class IX, that is, captain / titular adviser inclusive), headquarters officers and generals; the ranks of the higher generals (the first two classes) stood out especially. They were supposed to be treated accordingly: "your honor" for the chief officers, "your honor" for the staff officers, "your excellency" for the generals and "your excellency" for the first two classes. Ranks V class ( foreman /State Councilor ) stood apart, not ranking either as officers or as generals, and they were supposed to call “your honor”.

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 14th the 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 8th class - collegiate assessor, and the rank of collegiate registrar - 14th class - gave the right only to personal nobility).

The place of the rank in the official hierarchy was associated with the receipt (or non-receipt) of many real privileges. According to the ranks, for example, horses were given at postal stations.

When receiving horses at the stations, there was a strict order: forward, without a queue, courier with urgent state packages were let through, and the rest were given horses according to their ranks: persons of classes I-III could take up to twelve horses, from class IV - up to eight, and so on, up to to poor officials of the VI-IX classes, who had to be content with one carriage with two horses.

According to the ranks, in the 18th century, servants carried dishes at dinner parties, and guests sitting at the “lower” end of the table often contemplated only empty plates.

As an external element, uniting all types of service, there were a uniform and an overcoat (in winter). At the same time, officials of different departments could be distinguished both by buttons, and even “from the inside out”: dignitaries of the first five classes had a colored lining of their overcoats, the color of which depended on the department: in the telegraph - yellow, putiysky - green, internal affairs - red, etc. d. There were seven options for uniforms - summer, travel, everyday, special, ordinary, festive and ceremonial - and a detailed schedule of what days to wear. The wearing of uniforms was mandatory. In addition to the above, Peter I even established that the first five ranks should purchase material for a uniform at four rubles per arshin, the next three at three rubles, the rest at two rubles.

Imagine the "Table of Ranks" in Table 1.

Table 1 - "Table of Ranks"

There were also the following military ranks and ranks:

Military ranks above the table of ranks: generalissimo

Military ranks below the table of ranks:

Lieutenant, lieutenant; harness-ensign (in the infantry), harness-junker (in artillery and light cavalry), fanen-junker (in dragoons), standard-junker (in heavy cavalry).

Feldwebel, sergeant major, conductor.

Senior non-commissioned officer (until 1798 sergeant, boatswain).

Junior non-commissioned officer (until 1798 junior sergeant, corporal, boatswain).

The "Table of Ranks" is a kind of pyramid of ranks, or as it is also called the "ladder of ranks". We show this in Figure 2.

graphic analogy report card rank

Figure 2 - Graphical analogy of the "Table of Ranks"

Figure 2 shows that the pyramid has 14 steps, numerically coinciding with the fourteen levels of civil and military ranks. In general, the "ladder of ranks" reflects the idea of ​​subordination from a single "higher beginning" down to the 14th level down. This corresponds to the levels - from the first highest - Chancellor (civilian position) or Field Marshal (military position) up to the 14th lower level- Collegiate registrar (civilian position) or Fendrik (military position). With the increase in the “number” of the position in the “Table of Ranks”, the number of holders of this position also grows.

4. The evolution of the "Table of Ranks"

The descendants of Peter departed from his plan. After the death of Peter I, the ancient families regained their lost positions, and by the end of the reign of Peter II, nepotism flourished again.

Being a nobleman has become very profitable. In addition to status, the nobility gave many privileges. The right to own an estate and serfs (until 1861). Freedom from compulsory service (in 1762-1874, all-class military service was introduced). Freedom from zemstvo duties (until the second half of the 19th century). The right to receive education in the Corps of Pages, the Imperial Alexander Lyceum, the Imperial School of Law. The right to wear a sword. Title "Your Honor". The right to have a family coat of arms. From 1785 to 1863, nobility could not be subjected to corporal punishment.

Nobles received one benefit after another:

from 1731 the landlords collected a poll tax from the serfs;

the manifesto of Anna Ioannovna of 1736 limited the term of service of the nobles to 25 years;

since 1746, Elizaveta Petrovna forbade everyone, except the nobles, to buy peasants and land;

in 1754, the Noble Bank was established, which issued loans up to 10,000 rubles (huge money at that time) at 6 percent per annum;

On February 18, 1762, Peter III signed the Manifesto on granting liberties and freedom to the Russian nobility - and freed him from compulsory service. Within 10 years after the Manifesto, 10,000 nobles retired from the army;

in 1775, Catherine the Great transferred local power to the nobility, introducing the position of district marshal;

"Charter to the nobility" dated April 21, 1785, finally freed the nobles from compulsory service and formed local self-government of the nobility. The nobles became responsible for recruiting and collecting taxes from the peasants. But, most importantly, local self-government was introduced, and it became class-based.

Therefore, being a nobleman was beneficial in every way. By the end of the reign of Catherine the Great, the idea of ​​a “Table of Ranks” was brought to naught. The manifesto of June 11, 1845 made an amendment to the Report Card: only the 8th rank (major, which was very difficult to reach) could give the military hereditary nobility.

The decree of December 9, 1856 made it practically impossible to obtain hereditary nobility by personal achievements: now only one who rose to the 6th class of military service became a hereditary nobleman (colonel, common man it was unrealistic to become one) or up to the 4th class of a civilian (a real state councilor: he could not become a nobleman). In 1917, the Table ceased to exist.

In 2003, the Federal Law "On the system of public service in the Russian Federation" was adopted. It also includes three types of "government service": military, law enforcement, federal state civil.

In the modern Russian army, there are also 14 ranks - an unspoken tradition of the Petrine Table of Ranks. AT Soviet army in 1943, shoulder straps and military ranks were introduced - there were also 14 of them.

In the law enforcement service (in its various departments) - from 10 to 16 ranks.

In the federal state civil service (since 2005) - 15 ranks.

So that in our time there is the Russian "Table of Ranks", which inherited the form of the law of Peter the Great.

Conclusion

"Table of Ranks" is a special legal phenomenon in the history of Russia. When creating the document, the developers relied on Russian practice, petitions (requests and proposals from various bodies and persons) and foreign legislation. If the Sudebniks of 1497 and 1550 were a purely Russian creation, based on traditions coming from Russian Pravda and more ancient sources, the Tabel presents a document compiled on the basis of studying and borrowing the experience of the legislation of European absolutist states. However, it was precisely the analysis of the Russian experience in organizing the civil service that was in the first place when compiling the "Table of Ranks".

The adoption of the "Table of Ranks" had the following consequences:

in the formation of the state apparatus, the bureaucratic principle was established, the priority was professional qualities, personal devotion, length of service, the incorporation of each official into a clear hierarchical structure of power and leadership in activities by precise prescriptions of the law, regulations, instructions;

requirements for professionalism, specialization, normativity appeared in the work of state bodies; the principle of length of service took shape as the foot of an employee's career;

military, civil and court services were allocated, while everyone was obliged to serve the emperor, and even court service, caused solely by the needs of the emperor and members of his family, was considered as a service to the Fatherland .;

training of personnel for the new state apparatus began to be carried out in special schools and academies in Russia and abroad, the degree of qualification of employees was determined not only by rank, but also by special education.

The formation of a unified civil service contributed to the strengthening of the Russian state, became a condition and factor for its further existence, strengthening and development.

Thus, it is difficult to exaggerate the importance that the "Table of Ranks" had on the formation of civil administration as a whole. Currently, there are tariff scales that, in terms of the form and content of information, echo the documents created almost three hundred years ago.

List of sources used

1. Administrative Reforms of Peter I: ote4estvo.ru

History of the development of civil service in Russia: panov.in

How Peter I planted a pig for the boyars: pravda.ru

Krechetnikov A. "Verticals of power" - 290 years: bbc.co.uk

. "Table of Ranks" and its meaning: 0zd.ru

. "Table of Ranks" of Peter I: teachpro.ru

. "Table of Ranks" of Tsar Peter I in the matrix of the Universe: amenra.ru

04.02 - Peter I introduced the "Table of Ranks": e-teatch.ru

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From the time of Peter I until 1917, when a radical revolution in life took place in our country, the Russian Empire had a complex system official ranks, which were assigned to civil and military employees. In classical Russian literature, there are often such words as titular adviser, collegiate assessor, without understanding the essence of which it is difficult for a modern reader to figure out which social status is occupied by a particular character. The many years of existence of ranks in tsarist Russia just ended.

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Edition of the Table of Ranks

Back in 1713 in my head king the idea of ​​creating an apparatus of official ranks was born. Borrowings came from countries such as France, Sweden, Denmark and Prussia. What explained the need for such a step as the adoption of the Table of Ranks? Tsar Peter the Great sought to create ranking system of court official ranks by positions held.

So, on January 24, 1722, the Table of Ranks began to operate on the territory of Russia. It regulated the approval of military, civil and court titles, the holders of which could receive various privileges from the state.

Important! There were economic and political prerequisites for the introduction of such a system. The Tableau system itself has changed several times over the course of 195 years.

Position system

Today it is known for certain that Peter's Table of Ranks was complex structural mechanism, which could only be modified during the reforms. The nobles, regardless of their positions, were now divided into ranks from the first to the fourteenth. The first one was the highest. Only representatives of the highest nobility could belong to it. The report card was important to officials who were the face of the state and performed a representative function.

The transfer of the noble rank along the line of closest kinship was legalized. For example, the wife of a nobleman who had the status of an official of the eighth rank also acquired his social position during her husband's lifetime. In this case, it did not matter what her social background was.

by the most the fourteenth was considered a low class rank. He belonged to all categories of employees of Russia, then the Russian Empire. That is, these fourteen ranks extended to the military, civil and courtiers.

Ranks in Tsarist Russia

As mentioned above, the categories of citizens were divided into different classes. This was the case until the revolutionary events of 1917, when the Bolsheviks abolished the classes that had been used under tsarist rule.

During royal rule there were positions such as:

1. Titular Advisor.
2. State Councillor.
3. Collegiate Secretary.
4. Governor's Secretary.
5. Outside Advisor.

Let's take a look at what functions the entire apparatus of the above-mentioned officials included and what persons could be included in this estate system.

Table of ranks

Titular Counselor is a ninth-class civil rank. By the words "titular adviser" it should be understood that this official occupies an intermediate position between the adviser and the secretary. The introduction of this service category was personally approved by Tsar Peter I on January 24, 1722, and canceled on November 11, 1917. Since 1845 titular councilor could have personal nobility, which was previously received only from the fourteenth grade.

By analogy with the military sphere, an employee of this level in our country corresponded to such positions as the staff captain of the infantry since 1884, Cossack podsaul, as well as a lieutenant of the Russian Navy. Thus, a qualitatively new system of relations was required for the effective management of state affairs. It was she who created the prerequisites for the expansion of the Russian state up to Pacific Ocean, because without the introduction of ranks according to the Western model, it would be impossible to create such a powerful and rapidly developing empire.

Like the titular councilor, the state councilor was a civilian. His duties were not military activity, he was not responsible for the religious sphere of life. Until 1917, he held the civil rank of the fifth class. It was considered high social position. The appeal to an official of this level was "Your Honor." It emphasized the high status of this official.

Since the middle of the nineteenth century, the state and titular councilor have occupied an important social position and belong to the first group of officials. It was this layer that determined the foreign policy of Russia and belonged to the highest nomenclature.

The official salaries of this group of officials were considered among the highest, they had special rights in the field of obtaining estates. The serfs became their property, since until 1861 they did not have personal freedom.

According to the Decree of Peter the Great of February 22, 1722, state councilors were ranked among the best senior noble family. This provision was fixed by legislative acts of the Russian state. Hereditary nobles could receive the rank of state councilor at the end of the term of service allotted by law.

Collegiate Secretary

In Russia there was also such a category of officials as collegiate secretary. What were its functions? Persons who belonged to such a social status occupied low position. Wages were also not the highest in the state. This is a non-military rank of the tenth rank. From 1884 to 1917 he corresponded to an army lieutenant, as well as a naval midshipman.

The title of collegiate secretary was worn by many famous people and literary characters:

• Poet and writer Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin.
• Writer and writer Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev.
• The brightest character of the Russian writer I.A. Goncharova - Ilya Ilyich Oblomov.
• The widow of the collegiate secretary Korobochka Nastasya Petrovna is the character of N.V. Gogol.
• Alena Ivanovna (college secretary), that is, the widow of a collegiate secretary, from the work of Dostoevsky F.M. "".

The next important link in the system of hierarchy among officials in the Russian Empire is the provincial secretary. What powers did he have, and what was this position?

Police in Tsarist Russia

Provincial Secretary

The provincial secretaries existed for 195 years: from the spring of 1722 until February Revolution 1917. It was originally mentioned in the Table as a rank of the twelfth grade. Below we can present the powers of this administrative employee using the example of a table. They are directly related to the Table of Ranks of the Russian Empire:

Thus, already from the middle of the XIX century, many ranks in the Russian Empire could do without title of nobility in order to be able to excel in public service.

Under Peter, not all the inhabitants of the empire had such a privilege, but only those who had the right to receive a hereditary title of nobility. For the lower social strata, the road to noble society and all the special rights that it promised was closed.

This official had a civil rank of the seventh order. This position was fixed on the basis of the rules of the Table of Ranks. Subordinates could refer to him only as "Your Excellency."

Attention! Until 1745, all persons who had this social status had the right to receive hereditary nobility. The reform of 1856 abolished it. The state rank of court adviser was received by doctors of sciences, teachers of higher educational institutions.

The civil rank of the seventh class in tsarist Russia corresponded to the rank of lieutenant colonel, and also captain of the second rank on a ship of the Russian fleet.

by the most a prime example from Russian classics, which shows in practice the significance of this position, is Andrei Ivanovich Stolz - one of the main characters of the novel by I.A. Goncharov "Oblomov". Also, Pyotr Petrovich Luzhin, one of Dostoevsky's characters in Crime and Punishment, had the official status of a court adviser.

The main military ranks in Russia from 1722 to 1917:

• The lower military estates: private, corporal, ordinary ensign and others.
• Officers of the highest echelon: warrant officer, second lieutenant, lieutenant, captain.
• Staff officers: major, lieutenant colonel, colonel.
• High command of the Russian army: major general, lieutenant general, field marshal general.

History of Russian Goverment. Series 395. Petrovsky Table of Ranks. StarMedia

Aty-baty. Issue 48. Military ranks and ranks

Conclusion

Majority military ranks The Russian Empire was formed on the basis of such a step by Peter I as the adoption of the Table of Ranks, which was almost completely borrowed from the experience of European states. The above ranks in Russia could be obtained for a valiant military service Fatherland, subject to noble origin.