Video: What did the okolnichy, steward, kravchy do, and what court ranks and dignities were still in Russia
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
Today we are accustomed to a bloated state apparatus that includes hundreds of posts and divisions at various levels. In the old days, the Tsar's court was the key state institution of the Russian kingdom. It was here, not far from the sovereign, that all the main important ranks were concentrated. However, since the king needed food, bed and horses at the same time, there were people responsible for these daily vital needs of the sovereign.
"Noblemen" were once just "courtyard people" of the sovereign, and this is where the name comes from. All of them had to serve the monarch and his family in one way or another. Moreover, they were equally engaged in taking care of public affairs, and carried out personal assignments. Therefore, among the ranks, even very high ones, one can find, for example, a person who organized the sovereign's overnight stay on trips. Such a rank was called - Ocolnic … In fact, these people were the emissaries of the sovereign, but at the same time they were in charge of the organization of recreation. Judging by the name, the okolnichy was “near the sovereign”, although he could have been sent as governors to cities, governors in volosts and regions. The rank was very high, second in rank after the boyars and belonged to the so-called. They also took part in the work of the Boyar Duma Thoughtful nobles and Thought clerks.
Further in rank they were. This included Moscow nobles, Boyar children and Tenants (the basis of the royal guard), but above them were the ranks Stolnikov and Solicitors … The first, as the name implies, were engaged in serving the sovereign's meal. Kings often sent food to their homes as a separate favor: to ambassadors or to those guests who could not attend the feast. In this case, the steward rode along with the gift and observed the order. There was also, by the way, a separate post Of the cupwho served drinks to the sovereign. Supervised the Stewards and Chashniki Kravchy, who himself served the Moscow sovereign at the dinner table on solemn occasions.
The word "solicitor" comes from the Old Russian "to cook" - to work, to settle. The concerns of the solicitors at the court were very diverse: they had to monitor a lot of household details, and bring dishes from the kitchen to the doors of the sovereign's dining room. The solicitor with the key was essentially the tsar's housekeeper, and the solicitor with the dress kept track of the tsar's outfits and served them in time for changing.
The next group of courtiers no longer wore ranks, but dignities. All these positions were also very responsible, because sometimes these people were much closer to the king and saw him much more often than family members.
The Butler was appointed from the boyars, since in fact this person was in charge of the work of the Palace order and all the "palace people". Tsarsky was considered one of the most important figures at the court. Equestrian, which, in accordance with the name, was in charge of the Konyushenny order. This economy was then not only huge, but also strategically important, as it concerned the fighting elite - the horse troops. That is why the position of Konyushoy was very important. Under Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich, it was occupied, for example, by Boris Godunov. Together with this rank, he received the title of the Great Middle Boyar and Viceroy of the Kazan and Astrakhan kingdoms - in general, he was showered with royal favors. It is known that the annual income of Boris Godunov as a groom was 12 thousand rubles a year (for comparison, the annual income of an ordinary boyar was no more than 700 rubles). By the way, analogues of this position in other countries are the equestrian in the German states, the lord constable in England and the constable in France.
Positions Gunsmith and Treasurer were engaged, respectively, in the royal arms and the treasury. Job responsibilities are also clear The printer, who was the keeper of the royal seals and was responsible for the preparation of official state documents and the conduct of correspondence. One of the closest people to the king was Bedclothes … He traditionally accompanied the king on official visits and private trips, went to the bathhouse with him, was responsible for his safety, even slept in the same room with the monarch or stayed all night in the next one.
The following positions were also considered very enviable: Hunter, Falconer, Manger and Tent, because these people provided the king's favorite amusement - hunting. The hunters organized the hunt and accompanied the king during this entertainment. They differed, depending on the type of hunting: hunters, hounds, beavers, fishermen, podgodchikov (in charge of winter fishing), seine nets. Since of all types of noble fun, falconry was the most beloved, it was on it that huge sums were spent in ancient times, therefore the Tsar's Falconers wore a separate dignity. Manger watched the royal horses, and Shaternichy, accordingly, accompanied the sovereign on hunting and other trips and was in charge of the royal tents. The position was important and responsible, since in addition to this, his duties included keeping the treasury.
The royal court in many ways also shaped the personality of the future sovereign: Polish language, the acts of the apostles and games in German armor: How Russian tsars were brought up in the "dark" times
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