Table of Ranks

Table of Ranks (?????? ? ??????; Tabel o rangakh) was a formal list of positions and ranks in military, government, and court of the Imperial Russia. It was introduced by Peter the Great in 1722 in his struggle with the existing hereditary nobility, or boyars.

Related Topics:
Imperial Russia - Peter the Great - 1722 - Nobility - Boyar

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The Table of Ranks determined a person's position and status according to service to the emperor (tsar) rather than to birth or seniority. The Table places every military, civil or court rank in accordance with fourteen grades, ranked from 1 to 14. Every officer of state had to qualify for the corresponding grade in order to be promoted; the grades of 1 to 5 were personal matter of the Emperor.

Related Topics:
Emperor - Tsar - Military - Civil - Court

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Even commoners who achieved a certain level on the Table were ennobled automatically. A civil officer promoted to 14th grade was entitled to personal nobility (dvoryanstvo), while 8th grade created him a hereditary noble; military offices enjoyed hereditary nobility starting right with 14th grade (in 1856, the grades required for hereditary nobility were shifted up to 4th grade for civil service and 6th grade for military service). For example, Vladimir Lenin's father progressed in the management of people's education up to the rank of Actual Civil (State) Counsellor (?????????????? ???????? ????????) (1874), which gave him a privilege of hereditary nobility.

Related Topics:
Dvoryanstvo - 1856 - Vladimir Lenin

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The origins of the Table lie in Russian military ranks, which were extensively modified by Peter the Great with addition of many distinct ranks and specialities. The first variant of the Table included definition and placement of as many as 262 civil and military positions. By the end of 1700s, these were removed in favour of universal grade rank (???????? ???). Svita titles such as General-Adjutant, Fliegel-Adjutant etc. do not belong to the Table; these are personal courtesy titles of Emperor's aide-de-camps.

Related Topics:
Russian military ranks - Peter the Great - 1700s - Svita - General-Adjutant - Aide-de-camp

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The Table of Ranks was in force until the Russian Revolution.

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Collegiate refers to a system of Government Departments (????????, College) created by Peter the Great.

Related Topics:
College - Peter the Great

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For military and Guards ranks, see Russian military ranks and Russian Imperial Guard.

Related Topics:
Russian military ranks - Russian Imperial Guard

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