Dvoryanstvo

Dvoryanstvo (Russian: ??????????) refers to a category of Russian nobility. A person of this category was called dvoryanin (it was a status, a social category, but not a title).

Related Topics:
Russian - Russian nobility - Title

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The word is commonly translated as "nobility" or "gentry", but in this and related articles the term "dvoryanstvo" will be used, for a clear distinction from other types of nobility known in Russian history.

Related Topics:
Nobility - Gentry

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Dvoryanstvo didn't have specific prefixes to their names, such as don, von or de. But dvoryans had the right to be styled depended on their rank: Your Nobility (???? ??????????), Your High Nobility (???? ????????????????), Your High Ancestry (???? ???????????), etc.

Related Topics:
Don - Von - De - Style

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The term derives from the Russian word dvor (????) in the meaning of Court (of kniaz and later, of tsar).

Related Topics:
Kniaz - Tsar

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Unlike boyar title of nobility, which was exclusively hereditary, dvoryanstvo could be acquired. A newly designated dvoryanin was usually entitled to landownership. A loss of land did not automatically mean loss of dvoryanstvo. In later Imperial Russia, higher ranks of state service (see Table of Ranks) were automatically granted dvoryanstvo, not necessarily associated with landownership.

Related Topics:
Boyar - Landowner - Imperial Russia - Table of Ranks

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The class originated in 12th-13th centuries basing on military servitude. Land entitlement originates in 14th century, and by 17th century this class constituted the majority of landowners. Peter the Great finalized the status of dvoryanstvo, while abolishing the boyar title. The privileges of dvoryanstvo were legalized in 1875 in Zhalovannaya Gramota (?????????? ???????), (Bestowed Charter).

Related Topics:
Peter the Great - Boyar - 1875

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The Bestowed Charter introduced an organization of the nobility: every guberniya and uyezd had the Dvoryan Assembly (?????????? ????????). The chair of a dvoryan assembly was called Gubernia (Uyezd) Marshal of Dvoryanstvo, or Marshal of Nobility (?????????? (???????) ???????????? ??????????).

Related Topics:
Guberniya - Uyezd - Dvoryan Assembly

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Estateless dvoryanstvo (???????????? ??????????, bespomestnoye dvoryanstvo) was dvoryanstvo gained by state service, but which was not entitled to land ownership.

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

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Personal dvoryanstvo (?????? ??????????) was transferable only to the wife and was of much lower prestige.

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Titled dvoryanstvo (???????????? ??????????) was of highest category: those who had titles of knyaz, count, or baron. The latter two titles were introduced by Peter the Great. A count or baron could be either propriatory (actual) ( ???????????? (??????????????)), i.e., who owned land in the Russian Empire or titular (??????????), i.e., only endowed with the title.

Related Topics:
Knyaz - Count - Baron - Peter the Great - Russian Empire

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Among privileges of dvoryanstvo was the right to have a family coat of arms, introduced by the end of the 17th century.

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Since 1782, a kind of uniform was introduced for civilian dvoryanstvo called uniform of civilian service (?????? ???????? ??????) or simply civilian uniform (???????? (????????) ??????). The uniform prescribed colors that depended on the territory. The uniform was required at the places of service, at the Court and other important public places.

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