Princely title in Russia. Titles of the highest nobility in the Russian Empire

Noble titles. Middle Ages.

Emperor
Emperor, lat., in republican Rome, an honorary title given to a victorious commander, first Scipio Africanus; from August and especially from the II century - the ruler of the state. The title disappeared in the west with the fall of the west. Roman Empire 476, but preserved in the east. Roman Empire before its fall. It was restored in the west by Charlemagne 800, crowned in Rome. The German kings bore the title of I. of the Holy Roman Empire, at first only when they were crowned in Rome (starting with Otto I 962). In Russia, Peter V. took the title I. 1721, and since then it has been worn by Russian monarchs. 1804 Franz 1 of Austria took the title of "Apostolic I."; it is also worn by his heirs. 1809-89 the empire was Brazil, 1804-14 and 1852-70 France; since 1871 the King of Prussia bears the title of I. Germansky, since 1876 the Queen of Great Britain is at the same time the Empress of India; since 1877, the Turkish sultan has had the title of I. Ottomans. The title of I. is also given to the rulers of China, Japan, Siam, Abyssinia, and Morocco; it did not exist for long on the island of Haiti and in Mexico.
Latin - Imperator, Imperatrix
Greek-Autokrator
English-Emperor, Empress
German - Kaiser, Kaiserin
French - Empereur, Imperatrice
Spanish - Emperador, Emperatriz
Russian - Tsar, Tsarina

King, queen

The very word "king" is relatively young and appeared only after the reign of Charlemagne, the first emperor of the Holy Roman Empire of the German nation. Actually, the word comes from his name: Karl (lat. Carolus). In addition, we can assume that the word goes back to the ancient German "Kuning", which comes from the words "kuni, kunne" (elder of the clan), and even further to the Greek "genos". In addition, the origin uses the Latin rex (female - "regina" = "king and priest", derived from the word "reg" (something from priestly rites). Hence the French "roi".
Title: Your Majesty
Latin - Rex, Regina
Greek - Basileus
English - King, Queen
German-Koenig, Koenigin
French - Roi, Reine
Spanish - Rey, Reina
Portuguese - Rei, Reiha
Romanian - Regele, Raina
Bulgarian-Tsar
Norwegian - Konge, Dronning
Danish-Konge, Dronning
Swedish-Konung, Drotning
Dutch - Koning, Koningin
Irish - Ri, Rigan (High-King = Ard Ri)

Prince, princess

One of the highest titles of representatives of the aristocracy. At present, the correspondence of the term "prince" in Western European languages is used both in a generalized abstract sense ("sovereign", "monarch", and in several specific meanings. The female version of the title is a princess, but the wives of princes are also called princesses.
The etymology of the word is similar to the Latin title "princeps" (princeps - first, chief). Initially, in the European tradition, the heirs of kings / dukes were called so, then “princes of the blood” appeared, and in France the title became a full-fledged title of nobility (princes of Condé and Conti). In a number of states, the heirs to the throne bear not just the title of prince, but the title of prince of a certain province (Prince of Wales in England, Prince of Asturias in Spain). It is curious that in France the heir to the throne bore the title of dauphin, which was associated with the acquisition by the future French king Charles V de Valois in 1349 of the Dauphine region (formed on the territory of the Burgundian kingdom. The center was the county of Viennenoy). The dauphiné became the appanage of the heirs to the throne, who assumed the title and coat of arms of the dauphins of Vienne. The title of Dauphin was given by the Counts of Vienne before the sale of the plot to the French, and the name of the land came from the title.
Title: Your Highness
Latin - Princeps
English - Prince, Princess
French - Prince, Princesse
German - Prinz, Prinzessin; Fuerst, Fuerstin
Italian - Principe, Principessa
Spanish - Principe, Princesa
Portuguese - Principe, Princeza

The head of a feudal monarchical state or a separate political entity (an appanage prince) in the 9th-16th centuries among the Slavs and some other peoples; representative of the feudal aristocracy; later - the highest title of nobility, depending on the importance equated to a prince or a duke in Western and Southern Europe, in Central Europe (the former Holy Roman Empire), this title is called Fürst, and in Northern - king. The term "prince" is used to convey Western European titles descending from princeps and Fürst, also sometimes dux (usually duke).
Grand Duke (Princess) - in Russia, the noble title of members of the royal family.
The princess is the wife of the prince, as well as the actual title of the female person of the nobility, the prince is the son of the prince (only among the Slavs), the princess is the daughter of the prince.

Russian-Knyaz, Knyazhna

Grand Duke

English - Grand Duke
German - Grossherzog, Grossherzogin
French - Grand Duc, Grande Duchesse
Italian - Gran-duca, Gran-duchesa

(old German herizogo "der vor dem Heer zieht" - "going before the army" the dukes were relatives of the royal family, only they could have this title. That is, all the dukes are members of the royal family. It comes from the German herz (lord, master, m.b. . leader) - so the German leaders were called themselves. ; Another row (duc, duke) comes from the Latin word dux, which meant exactly the same thing. in Western Europe in the early Middle Ages - a tribal prince, in the period of feudal fragmentation - a large territorial ruler ( in the system of the military hierarchy, G. occupied the second place after the king); with the elimination of feudal fragmentation, one of the highest titles of nobility. ) and the word Herzog
Title: Your Grace
Latin Dux
English - Duke, Duchess
German - Herzog, Herzogin
French-Duc, Duchesse
Italian - Duca, Duchesa
Spanish - Duque, Duquesa
Portuguese - Duque, Duqueza

marquis

Novolat. marquensis, French marquis, ital. Marchese
1) in the Carolingian Empire, the same as the margrave.
2) In medieval France and Italy (since the 10th century), a large feudal lord, in his position on the hierarchical ladder, was between the duke and the count.
3) Hereditary title of nobility in a number of Western European states (France, Italy, Spain).
The marquis usually became the counts who had served the king.
Title: Your Grace, my lord.
English - Marquess, Marchioness
German - Markgraf, Markgrsfin (in English, Margrave, Margravine)
French - Marquis, Marquise
Italian-Marchese, Marchesa
Spanish - Marques, Marquesa
Portuguese - Marquez, Marqueza

graph; lat. comes (lit.: "companion", French comte, English earl or count) The English earl (from the Scandinavian jarl (earl)) originally denoted the highest official, but from the time of the Norman kings turned into an honorary title.
(German Graf, English Earl, French comte, Latin comes), originally the name of an official in the Frankish state and in England. G. were appointed by the king, but by decree of Charles the Bald (Kersi capitulary 877), the position and possessions of G. became hereditary; G. turned into a feudal owner. (Margrave, Landgrave and Palatine). With the fall of feudalism, the title of G. became an honorary family title. English earl - originally denoted the highest official, but since the time of the Norman kings turned into an honorary title. In Russia, the title of count was introduced by Peter V.; the first G. was B. N. Sheremetiev. Count families enjoy the title of lordship and are brought in. V part of the noble family tree of the book.
Title: my lord
Latin - Comes, Comitissa
English - Earl, Countess
German - Graf, Graefin; Landgraf, Landgraefin (In English, Landgrave, Landgravine); Pfalzgraf, Pfalzgraefin (In English, Count-Palatine, Countess-Palatine)
French - Comte, Comtesse
Italian - Conte, Contessa
Spanish - Conde, Condesa
Portuguese - Conde, Condeza
Swedish - Greve, Grevinde
Danish
Dutch - Graaf, Graafin
Irish - Ard Tiarna, Bantiarna
Hungarian - Groef, Groefin

Actually the viceroy of the count. It first came into use in France, from where the Normans transferred it to England. A member of the European nobility, intermediate between a baron and an earl. A British viscount is higher in rank than a baron, but lower than a British duke. A French viscount is above a baron (baron) but below a French count (comte). The same is true in all countries of the European continent where there is a title of viscount. Viscount was first recorded as a rank in the British Peerage in 1440 when John Beaumont, 1st Viscount Beaumont was made such by Henry VI.
Title: e.g. Viscount Little
English - Viscount, Viscountess
French - Vicomte, Vicomtesse
Italian - Visconte, Viscontessa
Spanish - Vizconde, Vizcondesa
Portuguese - Vizconde, Vizcondeza

(from late Latin baro - a word of Germanic origin with the original meaning - a man, a man), in Western Europe a direct vassal of the king, later a title of nobility (a woman is a baroness). The title of B. in England (where it remains to this day) is lower than the title of viscount, occupying the last place in the hierarchy of titles of the highest nobility (in a broader sense, all English high nobility, hereditary members of the House of Lords belong to B.); in France and Germany, this title was lower than that of a count. In the Russian Empire, the title of B. was introduced by Peter I for the German higher nobility of the Baltic states. the title of baron in England (where it remains to this day) is the title of a junior peer and is located in the hierarchical system below the title of viscount, occupying the last place in the hierarchy of titles of the highest nobility (peers).
Title: Baron.
English - Baron
German - Baron, Baronin; Freiherr, Freifrau
French - Baron, Baronne
Italian - Barone, Baroness
Spanish-Baron, Baronesa
Portugese-Baron, Baroneza
Irish - Tiarna, Bantiarna

Hereditary title of nobility in England. It was introduced in 1611. The nobles occupy a middle position between the higher nobility and the lower nobility. The title of baronet, as already mentioned, arose originally as one of the degrees of knighthood. The title was created by James I in 1611 to raise money for the defense of Ulster by selling patents. Subsequently (under George IV) the title ceased to be knightly. However, its owner has the right to address sir, and to distinguish baronets from knights, the letters Bt are placed after their name: Sir Percival Glyde, Bt. He is not a baronet and a peer, but this title is hereditary.

Esquire (Chevalier)

The youngest son in a noble family who had land. Formally, they were not considered nobility and were not included in high society. However, at the same time they were persons of blue blood and still were nobles.
(English esquire, from lat. scutarius - shield-bearer), in England of the early Middle Ages, a knight's squire, then the holder of a knightly fief, who did not have knighthood. In the late Middle Ages and modern times, E. was an honorary title of nobility. In everyday life, the term "E." often used interchangeably with "gentleman".
Title: lord, chevalier

We will talk about the French title system, that is, the one that was distributed on the territory of the "Kingdom of France" from the Middle Ages to 1871.
It should be noted that the feudal lords can be divided into three categories. Firstly, overlords, i.e. the supreme lords of the territory (state), who possessed all the power on it, sometimes equal to the royal one. These are dukes and major earls. Secondly, the domain owners, ie. land holdings that are in full personal ownership of the feudal lord. Thirdly, the owners of the beneficiaries, i.e. lifetime possessions, granted for service, and the owners of fiefs - hereditary possessions, granted for service.
Moreover, all the feudal lords listed above could be counts, and dukes, and barons, etc. That is, the count could be both a suzerain (county of Flanders), and the owner of his domain (de la Fer), and a feudal lord who received a beneficiation or fief from the king (de Broglie).

The highest title in France was roi (rua). In Russian, the word "roi" is translated as "king" (from the name of Charlemagne).

The highest "non-crowned" title in the kingdom was duce (duke), translated into Russian as "duke". Interestingly, in Italian this word is read as "Duce". Obviously, both words go back to the Latin "ducěre" - "to lead", and the original meaning of the French "duce" is identical to the modern meaning of the same word in Italian. Apparently the title itself arose back in the time of the Carolingians, when the future French, Germans and Italians were subjects of one king (later the emperor), and meant nothing more than the leader of the tribe.

The next title in the French hierarchy was that of marquis (marquis). The word "mark" meant "borderland, frontier land", and later came to mean a frontier administrative unit in the empire of Charlemagne - the mark. Accordingly, this is the imperial / royal viceroy in the March. The German title "markgraf" (margrave) has a similar etymology.

The next in the feudal hierarchy was the comte (count). The word itself comes from the name of the territorial unit. This was the name of an imperial or royal official, endowed with full administrative and judicial power in a certain territory (i.e. in his county). A similar etymology has a term denoting an official of the spiritual and chivalrous order - Komtur.

In addition to the usual counts, there were also their deputies vicomte (vie-comte). Literally, it means "vice count". In the later period, such a title, taking into account the rules of the primacy, was worn by the younger sons of marquises and counts and their descendants.

The next title was the title of baron (baron). This title was worn by feudal lords who had their own domain and had subordinate vassals, themselves being vassals directly to the king. Perhaps this is the most uncommon title in France (more common in Germany - "Freiherr" and early England - "Baron").

However, there were nobles without domains. It was they who, carrying out military service, made up a numerous layer of chivalry. For service, they received from their su-grain a lifelong beneficiation or hereditary fief. The etymology of the French chevalier (chevalier, cavalier) is interesting: the title of a knight goes back to the type of his occupation - serving in the feudal army as a heavily armed horseman. Accordingly, knighthood was originally tantamount to acceptance into such a service. The knights served, as you know, for beneficiaries - most often for the right to conditionally hold land on the rights of a feud - and therefore did not have titles until they received the land in full possession. In addition, the layer of chivalry was heterogeneous, and the actual status of a knight depended on the status of his overlord.

Monsieur De...

In principle, the prefix “de” (from) denoted any nobleman of the kingdom. But there were nobles who did not even have the title of chevalier. It would be unfair not to mention them: equier (ekyuye) - squires. The word originally meant "dressing". This was the name of the personally independent children of the nobility, who did not have the opportunity to equip themselves and equip themselves. The squire had the opportunity, by courage in battle, to win the right to own a benefice or fief. Were squires for one reason or another who did not receive land or a title. They remained simply “Monsieur de ...”. Over time, they merged with the Chevalier. In the English title system, they retained the name "esquire" - Esquire.

Titles of nobility in Germany

Consider now all the titles of nobility in Germany as of the beginning of the 1st World War.
The highest title of the empire was, of course, the title of Kaiser (Kaiser). This word comes from the Latin word "caesar" (Caesar, Caesar), which does not need unnecessary comments. So the title "Kaiser" is quite legitimately translated into Russian as "emperor".
Following the imperial title was König (Konig). In ancient German, the word sounded like the well-known "Kuning" (Kuning, Konung), and meant "noble". In Russian, the word "König" is translated as "king".
The highest "non-crowned" title in the empire was Herzog (Duke). The word comes from the ancient German "Herizogo", meaning "leader". So the ancient Germans called their military leaders. During the time of the empire, the dukes were the military governors of the emperors in large areas (including several counties), and often this was the area of \u200b\u200bsettlement of one tribe.

The German word Fürst (furst) is translated as "prince", which is not entirely true. The word "Fürst" comes from the ancient German "virst", meaning "first" (Anglo-Saxon "first". The title itself arose already in imperial times and denoted the highest nobility of the empire. Subsequently, it was assigned to those of its representatives who were not kings or dukes Thus, the translation "boyar" suggests itself.

There is a derivative of this title - Kurfürst (kufürst), cited in our literature without translation. What "Fürst" means, we already know, and "kur-" means "choice". The fact is that after the fall of the Swabian Staufen dynasty at the end of the 13th century, the emperors of the Holy Roman Empire began to be elected. But only a narrow circle of the highest nobles of the empire (i.e. Fursts), who were endowed with the appropriate right, took part in the elections. In Latin texts (chronicles, etc.), these nobles were called "elector" - "elector". In German, their title was "Kurfürst".

The next in the Germanic feudal hierarchy was the Graf (count). The word itself comes from the Greek "γραθιος" (graphios) - "scribe". This was the name of an imperial or royal employee, endowed with full administrative and judicial power in a certain territory (i.e., in his county). In addition to ordinary counts, there were also Mark and Palatine counts.

The word "Mark" meant "borderland, frontier land", and later came to mean a frontier administrative unit. And Markgraf (margrave), respectively, is the imperial / royal governor in the brand. The French title marquis (marquis) has a similar etymology.

As for the word Pfalz (pfalz), it comes from the Latin "palatium" - "palace", and meant a temporary royal or imperial residence. I must say that the kings of the early Middle Ages, as a rule, did not have permanent residences (states did not have capitals, as such). Instead, the kings preferred to use several temporary residences in turn in different parts of the country - this was justified primarily by considerations of military organization. Accordingly, in the absence of the king (emperor), all affairs in such a residence were managed by his representative, who bore the title of Pfalzgraf (count palatine).

As such, the title of Baron did not exist in Germany. The Russian fashion to call all Germans barons came from Peter the Great, who began to call almost all Baltic Germans barons. In Western Europe in the Middle Ages, this is a direct vassal of the king, and the term is rather collective. This title was worn by feudal lords who had their own fief and had vassals under their control. Met in Austria with the Hungarian nobility.

The lowest in the German feudal hierarchy was the title Freiherr (Freiherr). It is he who is worn by all German nobles, known to us as "barons". Literally "Freiherr" is translated as "free master". The owners of their own patrimony (domain) could have a similar status, in contrast to the holders of estates (fiefs).

With the formation of the feudal system, the concept of "title" necessarily included a relation to a certain inherited landed property. Therefore, any title in the Empire included the preposition "von" (from) and the name of the possession. In France, the preposition "de" served the same purpose.

However, there were nobles without possessions. It was they who, carrying out military service, made up a numerous layer of chivalry. Interestingly, the Russian word "knight" directly comes from the German title Ritter (ritter). That's what they were called in the Empire. The name itself has common roots with the word "Reiter" (reiter) - a rider. Interestingly, the French "chevalier" (chevalier, cavalier) has the same etymology. That is, the title of knights goes back to their occupation - service in the feudal army as heavily armed horsemen. Accordingly, knighthood was originally tantamount to acceptance into such service. Knights served, as you know, for beneficiaries - most often for the right to conditionally hold land on the rights of a feud - and therefore did not have titles until they received the land in full possession. In addition, the layer of chivalry was heterogeneous, and the actual status of a knight depended on the status of his overlord. The greatest honor was enjoyed by the "imperial knights" - vassals directly of the Kaiser. The rest were less respected. But in any case, there were practically no "anyone's" knights, and the title of a knight contained a mention of his overlord: Ritter des Herzog von Bayern - a knight of the Duke of Bavaria, for example. Members of knightly orders were in a special position. On the territory of the Empire, the most significant was the Deutsche Orden (Deutsche Order), known to us as "Teutonic", or "German".

Noble titles of Byzantium

Vasilevs - Emperor
Augusta - the official title of a Byzantine empress
Caesar - in Byzantium until the end of the XI century. the highest secular title after the imperial. Often complained to the prospective heirs to the throne
Vasileopator (lit. "father of the emperor") - the highest title created by the imp. Constantine VII
Curopalate - one of the first titles in terms of meaning in the Byzantine hierarchy, usually complained to the closest relatives of the emperor and high-ranking foreigners
Sinkel - a title that most often complained to the highest spiritual nobility of the capital and provinces, its holders were part of the synclite
Parakimomen - the main sleeping man, a title usually granted to eunuchs
Stratilat - a very ambiguous title denoting a military leader of a very high rank
Master - one of the highest titles of the table of ranks, as a rule, not associated with the performance of certain functions
Patricius - a high title in the Byzantine hierarchy
Zosta patricia - the title of a court lady under the empress, head of the empress's bedroom
Anfipat - a high title in the Byzantine table of ranks
Rector - an honorary title, usually not associated with the performance of any specific functions
Protospafarius - a title of medium dignity, usually complained to the military
Spafarokandidat - visa. title of relatively low rank

England - title seniority system
Since each title is described above, I will only give a hierarchy.
Dukes (of England, then Scotland, Great Britain, Ireland, the United Kingdom and Ireland)
Eldest sons of dukes of royal blood
Marquesses (same seniority)
Elder sons of dukes
Counts
Younger sons of dukes of royal blood
Elder sons of marquesses
Younger sons of dukes
Viscounts
The eldest sons of the counts
Younger sons of marquesses
Bishops
Barons
The eldest sons of the viscounts
Younger sons of counts
Elder sons of the barons
Younger sons of barons
Sons of barons for life
baronets
Cavaliers of orders (except the Order of the Garter - it is higher)
Knights not in Orders
Exquires
Squires

"Ladder" of titles

At the very top is the royal family (with its own hierarchy).
Next, in order of importance of the titles, are:

Princes - Your Highness, Your Grace
The Dukes - Your Grace The Duke/Duchess
Marquises - Milord / Milady, Marquis / Marquise (mention in conversation - lord / lady)
Elder sons of dukes
Dukes' daughters
Counts - My Lord / Milady, Your Excellency (mention in conversation - Lord / Lady)
Elder sons of marquesses
Daughters of marquesses
Younger sons of dukes
Viscounts - My Lord / Milady, Your Grace (mention in conversation - Lord / Lady)
The eldest sons of the counts
Younger sons of marquesses
Barons - My Lord / Milady, Your Grace (mention in conversation - Lord / Lady)
The eldest sons of the viscounts
Younger sons of counts
Elder sons of the barons
Younger sons of viscounts
Younger sons of barons
Baronets - Sir
Elder sons of younger sons of peers
Elder sons of baronets
Younger sons of baronets

The eldest son of the holder of the title is his direct heir.

The eldest son of a duke, marquis or earl receives a "courtesy title" - the eldest from the list of titles belonging to the father (usually the road to the title passed through several lower titles, which "remained in the family" further. Usually this is the next title in seniority (for example , the duke's heir is a marquis), but not necessarily. In the general hierarchy, the place of the sons of the holder of the title was determined by the title of their father, and not by their "title of courtesy".
The eldest son of a duke, marquis, earl or viscount comes immediately after the holder of the title next in seniority to that of his father. (see "Ladder of titles"

Thus, the heir to a duke is always immediately next to the marquis, even if his "courtesy title" is only an earl.

The younger sons of dukes and marquesses are lords.

In the overwhelming majority of cases, the title holder was a man. In exceptional cases, a title could be held by a woman if that title could be passed down through the female line. This was the exception to the rule. Mostly female titles - all these countesses, marquises, etc. - are courtesy titles and do not give the holder the right to the privileges due to the holder of the title. A woman became a countess by marrying a count; a marquise by marrying a marquis; etc.

In the general hierarchy, the wife occupies a place determined by the title of her husband. We can say that she is standing on the same rung of the stairs as her husband, right behind him.

Note: You should pay attention to the following nuance: For example, there are marquises, wives of marquises and marquises, wives of the eldest sons of dukes (who have the "courtesy title" marquis, see section Sons). Now, the former always occupy a higher position than the latter (again, the position of the wife is determined by the position of the husband, and the marquis, the son of the duke, is always inferior to the marquis as such).

Women are title holders "by right".

In some cases, the title could be inherited through the female line. There could be two options here.
1. The woman became, as it were, the keeper of the title, then passing it on to her eldest son. If there was no son, the title, under the same conditions, passed to the next female heiress for transfer then to her son ... At the birth of a male heir, the title passed to him.
2. A woman received the title "by right" ("in her own right". In this case, she became the owner of the title. However, unlike the male holders of the title, the woman did not receive the right to sit in the House of Lords along with this title, and also hold positions associated with this title.

If a woman got married, then her husband did not receive a title (both in the first and in the second case).

Note: Who occupies a higher position, the baroness "in her own right" or the wife of the baron? After all, the title of the first belongs directly to her, and the second enjoys the "title of courtesy."
According to Debrett, a woman's position is entirely determined by the position of her father or husband, except when the woman has the title "in her own right". In this case, her position is determined by the title itself. Thus, of the two baronesses, the one whose barony is older is higher in position. (two title holders are compared).

In the literature, in relation to the widows of titled aristocrats, one can often find a kind of prefix to the title - Dowager, i.e. Dowager. Can every widow be called a "Widowmaker"? No.

Example. The widow of the fifth Earl of Chatham may be called the Dowager Countess of Chatham if the following conditions are simultaneously met:
1. The next Earl of Chatham was the direct heir of her late husband (i.e. his son, grandson, etc.)
2. If there is no other Dowager Countess of Chatham alive (for example, the widow of the fourth Earl, the father of her late husband).
In all other cases, she is Mary, Countess of Chatham (Mary, Countess of Chatham, that is, the name + title of her late husband). For example, if she is the widow of a count, but the widow of her husband's father is still alive. Or if, after the death of her husband, his nephew became a count.

If the current title holder is not yet married, then the previous title holder's widow continues to be called the Countess of Chatham (for example), and becomes "Dowager" (if eligible) after the current title holder marries and a new Countess of Chatham appears.

How is the position of a widow in society determined? - By the title of her late husband. Thus, the widow of the 4th Earl of Chatham is higher in position than the wife of the 5th Earl of Chatham. Moreover, the age of women does not play any role here.

If a widow marries again, her position is determined by the position of her new husband.

The daughters of dukes, marquises and counts occupy the next step in the hierarchy after the eldest of the sons in the family (if any) and his wife (if any). They stand above all other sons in the family.
The daughter of a duke, marquis or earl is given the courtesy title "Lady". She retains this title even if she marries an untitled person. But, by marrying a titled person, she receives the title of her husband.

Y. Pantyukhin "Prince Alexander Nevsky"

But first, let's deal with the very concept of "nobility". "What is nobility? - wrote A.S. Pushkin. “The hereditary estate of the people is higher, that is, awarded with great advantages regarding property and private freedom.”

The emergence of the nobility in Russia

The word "noble" literally means "a man from the prince's court", or "court".

In Russia, the nobility arose in the 12th century. as the lowest part of the military service class, which constituted the court of a prince or a major boyar.

The "Code of Laws of the Russian Empire" says that belonging to the nobility " there is a consequence that flows from the quality and virtue of the men who ruled in antiquity, who distinguished themselves by merit, by which, turning the very service into merit, they acquired a noble name for their offspring. Noble means all those who are born from noble ancestors, or who are granted this dignity by monarchs.

Rise of the nobility

From the 14th century nobles began to receive land for diligent service. So there was a class of landowners - landowners. Later they were allowed to buy land.

The Sudebnik of 1497 limited the right of peasants to move and thereby strengthened the position of the nobles.

In February 1549, the first Zemsky Sobor took place in the Kremlin Palace. Ivan IV (the Terrible) delivered a speech there. The tsar took a course towards building a centralized monarchy (autocracy) based on the nobility, which meant fighting the old (boyar) aristocracy. He accused the boyars of abuse of power and called on everyone to work together to strengthen the unity of the Russian state.

G. Sedov "Ivan the Terrible and Malyuta Skuratov"

In 1550 chosen thousand Moscow nobles (1071 people) was placed within 60-70 km around Moscow.

In the middle of the XVI century. the Kazan Khanate was annexed, and the estates were evicted from the oprichnina region, which was declared the property of the tsar. The vacated lands were distributed to the nobles under the condition of service.

In the 80s of the XVI century. introduced reserved summers(the period during which in some regions of the Russian state a peasant exit was prohibited on the autumn St. George's Day, provided for in the Sudebnik of 1497. Protected years began to be introduced by the government of Ivan IV (the Terrible) from 1581.

The "Cathedral Code" of 1649 secured the right of the nobles to eternal possession and an indefinite search for fugitive peasants.

But Peter I began a decisive struggle with the old boyar aristocracy, making the nobles his support. In 1722 he introduced Table of ranks.

Monument to Peter I in Voronezh

The table of ranks replaced the principle of generosity with the principle of personal service. The table of ranks influenced the official routine and the historical fate of the nobility.

The only regulator of service was personal length of service; "Paternal honor", the breed has lost all meaning in this regard. Under Peter I, the rank of the lower XIV class in military service gave the right to hereditary nobility. Civil service in the rank up to VIII class gave only personal nobility, and the right to hereditary nobility began with the rank of VIII class. “For this reason, we do not allow anyone any rank,” wrote Peter, “until they show us and the fatherland no services.”

The table of ranks was subjected to numerous changes, but in general it existed until 1917.

After Peter I, the nobles receive one privilege after another. Catherine II actually freed the nobles from compulsory service while maintaining serfdom for the peasants, which created a real gulf between the nobles and the people. The pressure of the nobles on the peasantry and their anger became one of the reasons for the Pugachev uprising.

The apogee of the power of the Russian nobility was the receipt of "noble liberty" - a letter of Catherine II, which freed the nobles from compulsory service. But with this began the decline of the nobility, which gradually turned into an "idle class", and the slow ruin of the lower nobility. And after the peasant reform of 1861, the economic position of the nobility weakened even more.

By the beginning of the XX century. the hereditary nobility, "the first pillar of the throne" and "one of the most reliable instruments of the government", is gradually losing its economic and administrative dominance.

titles of nobility

In Muscovite Russia there was only one aristocratic title - "prince". He came from the word "prince" and meant that his ancestors once ruled any part of Russia. Not only Russians possessed this title - grants to princes and foreigners who converted to Orthodoxy were allowed.

Foreign titles in Russia appeared under Peter I: "baron" and "count". There is the following explanation for this: in the territories annexed by Peter there were already people with such titles, and these titles were also worn by foreigners whom Peter attracted to Russia. But the title "count" was first burdened with the words "Holy Roman Empire", i.e. this title was assigned at the request of the Russian monarch by the German emperor. In January 1776, Catherine II intercedes with the "Roman Emperor" Grigory Orlov " give the Roman Empire princely dignity, for which the post».

Golovin (1701) and Menshikov (1702) become the first counts of the Holy Roman Empire in Russia, and under Catherine II, four of her favorites receive the titles of princes of the Holy Roman Empire: Orlov, Potemkin, Bezborodko and Zubov. But the assignment of such titles ceases in 1796.

Title "Count"

Count's heraldic crown

Graph(German graph) - a royal official in the Early Middle Ages in Western Europe. The title originated in the 4th century. in the Roman Empire and was originally assigned to the highest dignitaries.

During the period of feudal fragmentation graph- feudal lord of the county, then becomes the title of the highest nobility. Female - countess. As a title, it still formally continues to be preserved in most European countries with a monarchical form of government.

Sheremetiev became the first Russian count in 1706.

Boris Petrovich Sheremetiev (1652-1719)

Russian commander during the Northern War, diplomat, one of the first Russian field marshals.

Born in an old boyar family Sheremetevs.

In 1681 he commanded troops against the Tatars. He proved himself in the military and diplomatic fields. In 1686, he participated in the conclusion of the "Eternal Peace" with the Commonwealth, and then was sent to Warsaw to ratify the concluded peace.

Protected Russia from the Crimean raids. In 1695, he participated in the first Azov campaign of Peter I.

In 1697-1699. visited Poland, Austria, Italy, the island of Malta, carrying out diplomatic missions of Peter I. During the Northern War of 1700-1721. proved to be a cautious and talented commander who earned the trust of Peter I. In 1701, he inflicted a defeat on the Swedes, from which they were “for a long time unreasonable and not corrected”, for which he was awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called and granted the rank of Field Marshal. Subsequently, he won several victories over the Swedes.

In 1705-1706. Sheremetyev suppressed the rebellion of the archers in Astrakhan, for which he was the first in Russia to be awarded the title of count.

In recent years, he expressed a desire to be tonsured as a monk of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, but the tsar did not allow this, just as he did not allow the execution of Sheremetyev’s will to bury him in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra: Peter I ordered Sheremetev to be buried in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, forcing even the dead to serve the state associate.

At the end of the XIX century. in Russia there were over 300 count families. The title of count in Soviet Russia was abolished by the Decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars of November 11, 1917.

Title "Baron"

English baronial crown

Baron(from late lat. baro with the original meaning "man, man"). In medieval feudal Western Europe, a large sovereign nobleman and feudal lord, later just an honorary title of nobility. Female - baroness. The title of baron in England is preserved to this day and is located in the hierarchical system below the title of viscount. In Germany, this title was below the count.

In the Russian Empire, the title of baron was introduced by Peter I, the first to receive it in 1710 was P.P. Shafirov. Then A. I. Osterman (1721), A. G., N. G. and S. G. Stroganovs (1722), A.-E. Stambken (1726). The families of the barons were divided into Russian, Baltic and foreign.

Pyotr Pavlovich Shafirov (1669-1739)

Diplomat of the time of Peter the Great, Vice-Chancellor. Knight of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called (1719). In 1701-1722. actually supervised the Russian post. In 1723 he was sentenced to death on charges of abuse, but after Peter's death he was able to return to diplomatic activity.

He came from a family of Polish Jews who settled in Smolensk and converted to Orthodoxy. He began his service as an interpreter in 1691 in the same embassy office where his father also served. Accompanying Peter the Great during his travels and campaigns, he took part in the conclusion of an agreement with the Polish king August II (1701) and with the ambassadors of the seven-grad prince Rakoczi. In 1709 he became a Privy Councilor and was promoted to Vice-Chancellor. In 1711, he concluded the Prut peace treaty with the Turks and himself, together with Count M. B. Sheremetev, remained a hostage to them. He concluded agreements with Denmark, Prussia, France on the preservation of peace in Europe.

In 1723, Shafirov quarreled with the powerful prince A. D. Menshikov and the chief prosecutor Skornyakov-Pisarev, convicting them of embezzlement. In response, he himself was accused of embezzlement and sentenced to death, which Peter I replaced with exile to Siberia, but on the way there he allowed him to stop "for residence" in Nizhny Novgorod "under a strong guard."

Empress Catherine I, upon accession to the throne, returned Shafirov from exile, restored him to the baronial title, conferred the rank of real state councilor, made him president of the College of Commerce and entrusted the compilation of the history of Peter the Great.

The barons enjoyed the right to appeal "your honor"(like untitled nobles) or "Mr. Baron".

At the end of the XIX century. in Russia there were about 240 baronial families (including extinct ones), mainly representatives of the Baltic (Baltic) nobility. The title was abolished by the Decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars of November 11, 1917.

Baron P.N. Wrangel

Title "prince"

Prince- the head of a feudal monarchical state or a separate political entity (specific prince) in the 9th-16th centuries. among the Slavs and some other peoples; representative of the feudal aristocracy. Later it became the highest title of nobility, equivalent to a prince or a duke in Western and Southern Europe, in Central Europe (the former Holy Roman Empire), this title is called Fürst, and in Northern Europe - king.

In Russia Grand Duke(or princess) - a noble title of members of the royal family. Princess also called the prince's wife, knyazhych(among the Slavs) - the son of a prince, princess- The daughter of a prince.

Y. Pantyukhin "Prince Alexander Nevsky" ("For the Russian Land!")

Princely power, at first most often elective, gradually becomes hereditary (Rurikovich in Russia, Gediminoviches and Jagiellons in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Piasts in Poland, etc.). With the formation of a centralized state, the appanage princes gradually became part of the grand ducal (since 1547 - royal) court in the Moscow principality. in Russia until the 18th century. the title of prince was only generic. From the beginning of the XVIII century. the title of prince also began to be complained by the tsar to the highest dignitaries for special merits (the first prince granted was A. D. Menshikov).

Russian princes

Before Peter I, there were 47 princely families in Russia, some of which originated from Rurik. Princely titles were divided into "His Excellency" and "his lordship" which was considered higher.

Until 1797, new princely families did not appear, with the exception of Menshikov, granted in 1707 the title of Prince of Izhora.

Under Paul I, this title began to be awarded, and the annexation of Georgia literally “blew up” the Russian nobility - 86 clans recognized the princely title.

By the end of the XIX century. in the Russian Empire there were 250 princely families, 40 of which were descended from Rurik or Gediminas. 56% of the princely families in the empire were Georgian.

In addition, there were about 30 Tatar, Kalmyk and Mordovian princes; the status of these princes was considered below the baronial.

Did you know?

Portrait of A.V. Suvorov. Unknown artist of the 19th century.

Did you know that Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov, the national hero of Russia, the great Russian commander, who did not suffer a single defeat in his military career (more than 60 battles), one of the founders of Russian military art, had several titles at the same time: prince Italian (1799), graph Rymniksky (1789), graph of the Holy Roman Empire, Generalissimo of the Russian land and sea forces, Field Marshal of the Austrian and Sardinian troops, grandee of the Kingdom of Sardinia and prince of royal blood (with the title "cousin of the king"), holder of all Russian orders of his time, awarded to men, as well as many foreign military orders.

Previously, even the child knew whom to call Your Excellency, whom Your Grace.
And now Go and figure out how the prince differs from the count.
There were many great princes in Russia - Ryazan, Smolensk, Tver and Yaroslavl, but with the subordination of these principalities to Moscow, only the "grand princes of Moscow" remained.
After the Grand Duke Ivan IV assumed the royal title, the royal sons began to bear the title of "princes" and "grand dukes", and the daughters - the title of "princesses" and "grand duchesses". "Tsar" in Russia was supplemented with the title "autocrat", which historically meant the independence of royal power from the Golden Horde

In 1721, Peter I took the title of "emperor". In Western Europe, this title usually belonged to the ruler of a powerful monarchy, and its acquisition was sanctioned by the authority of the pope.
With the introduction of the title of emperor in Russia, the title of "tsarevich" remained with the royal sons, and the daughters began to be called not "tsarevnas", but "tsesarevnas". Subsequently, Emperor Paul I abolished these titles, and granted the titles of "Grand Dukes" and "Grand Duchesses" along with "Imperial Highness" to all his descendants up to the fifth generation.

A special estate category included titles of nobility - the most serene princes, princes and count and baronial ranks introduced by Peter I. Historically, each title meant a degree of feudal independence. The family title could only be granted by the monarch, and it was passed on to descendants only through the male line. When a woman married, she joined the family name of her husband and became a princess, baroness or countess. Their daughter, getting married, lost her title, since it was impossible to transfer it to her husband.

In Russia, there were only three titles of nobility: prince, count and baron.

The highest degree of princely title was the title of "Grand Duke", which belonged only to members of the imperial family.

At the turn of the 17th-18th centuries, a new title of nobility appeared in Russia - count. At first, the meaning of this title was not very clear to Russian people.
COUNT (German: Graf), in the early Middle Ages in the West. Europe an official representing the power of the king in the county. During the period of feudal fragmentation, the counts turned into independent large feudal lords.

soon this title became very honorable, as prominent nobles, noble dignitaries and people close to the sovereign began to wear it.

The most honorable in medieval Europe was the title of baron, where "baron" meant not only the highest state ranks, but in general all feudal lords, even if they had other titles (ducal, princely, margravial, etc.)
In Russia, the word "baron" was translated as "free master", but before the reign of Peter I, there were no "Russian" barons at all. In 1710, this title was first granted to the sub-chancellor P.P. Shafirov.
Of the Russian subjects, this title was mainly possessed by the nobles of the Baltic lands and immigrants from Germany.
In many cases, the award of the barony meant at the same time the award of the nobility. This was the first step of the titled nobility.

In Russia, the titles are in descending order for the tsar:
1) Tsesarevich (the first heir to the throne)
2) Grand Duke
3) Prince of imperial blood
4) Prince
5) Duke
(complained only to foreign rulers, and also once to A.D. Menshikov)
6) Count
7) Baron
8) landowner,
.
When referring to persons who had certain ranks, persons equal in rank or inferior should have used the following titles:
"Your Imperial Majesty" - to the emperor, empress and empress dowager;

"Your Imperial Highness" - to the grand dukes (children and grandchildren of the emperor), and in 1797-1886 to the great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren of the emperor;

"Your Highness" - to the princes of imperial blood;

"Your Grace" - to the younger children of the emperor's great-grandchildren and their male descendants, as well as to the most serene princes by grant;

"Your Excellency" - when referring to princes, counts, dukes and barons.

About "Your Honor" and "Your Excellency" is a separate song.

Y. Pantyukhin "Prince Alexander Nevsky"

The emergence of the nobility in Russia

The word "noble" literally means "a man from the prince's court", or "court".

In Russia, the nobility arose in the 12th century. as the lowest part of the military service class, which constituted the court of a prince or a major boyar.

Rise of the nobility

From the 14th century nobles began to receive land for diligent service. So there was a class of landowners - landlords. Later they were allowed to buy land.

The Sudebnik of 1497 limited the right of peasants to move and thereby strengthened the position of the nobles.

G. Sedov "Ivan the Terrible and Malyuta Skuratov"

In 1550 chosen thousand Moscow nobles (1071 people) was placed within 60-70 km around Moscow.

In the 80s of the XVI century. introduced reserved(the period during which in some regions of the Russian state a peasant exit was prohibited on the autumn St. George's Day, provided for in the Sudebnik of 1497. Reserves began to be introduced by the government of Ivan IV (the Terrible) from 1581.

The "Cathedral Code" of 1649 secured the right of the nobles to eternal possession and an indefinite search for fugitive peasants.

But Peter I began a decisive struggle with the old boyar aristocracy, making the nobles his support. In 1722 he introduced Table of ranks.

Monument to Peter I in Voronezh

The table of ranks replaced the principle of generosity with the principle of personal service. The table of ranks influenced the official routine and the historical fate of the nobility.

The only regulator of service was personal length of service; "Paternal honor", the breed has lost all meaning in this regard. Under Peter I, the rank of the lower XIV class in military service gave the right to hereditary nobility. Civil service in the rank up to VIII class gave only personal nobility, and the right to hereditary nobility began with the rank of VIII class. “For this reason, we do not allow anyone any rank,” Peter wrote, “until they show us and the fatherland no services.”

The table of ranks was subjected to numerous changes, but in general it existed until 1917.