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Humanitarian sciences in Siberia

2016 year, number

THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE PROVISIONAL REGULATION ON PEASANT AND INDIGENOUS OFFICIALS IN SIBERIA IN 1898-1917

L.M. Dameshek, I.L. Dameshek
Irkutsk State University, 1, Karla Marxa Str., Irkutsk, 664003, Russia
Keywords: Европейская Россия, Сибирь, крестьянские начальники, сословный состав, имущественное положение, образовательный уровень, вероисповедание, испытания на должность, отношение к службе, временное правительство, European Russia, Siberia, peasant officials, estates, property status, educational status, religion, examinations for the post, attitude towards service, Russian Provisional Government

Abstract

The provisional regulation of 1898 on peasant and indigenous officials was implemented in Siberia in 1898-1917. The attempts to apply the law in the northern territory of Asian part of Russia, were rejected by the government. The analysis of service records proves that 35,5 % of peasant officials in the governorates of Western Siberia were from commoners, in Irkutsk - 65 %, in Eniseysk - 68 %, in Transbaikal area - 96 %. The officials holding university degrees comprised 32 % in Western Siberia, and 25 % in Eastern Siberia. The peasant officials owned neither immovable nor acquired property. According to the Table of ranks 50 % of the peasant officials held ranks from the 14 to 8. The peasant officials’ average salary was 1500 rubles in Western Siberia and 2000 rubles in Transbaikal area. 91 % of them were Christians. There was a high turnover among the peasant officials in Siberia. Their subordinate areas differed in size. Prior to their appointment to the new position they were engaged in a wide range of professional activities (from military and police officers to medical attendants and teachers), or did not have any profession at all. The work of peasant officials was characterized by abuse of position, corruption, and forced conversion of non-Russians to Christianity. In 1912 a program of examinations was introduced for the candidates running for the post of peasant official. This program had been developed for the purpose of improving the “qualitative composition” of the newly appointed officials. It was not implemented because of the First World War. Even under these circumstances the government took measures to improve the qualitative composition of the peasant officials, exempting them from military service etc. However all these attempts were unsuccessful. By 1917 the share of nobles among the Siberian peasant officials had not only failed to increase but actually decreased. The number of Orthodox officials reduced as well. The number of officials with higher education remained at the same level as in 1914. After the fall of the monarchy the situation radically changed. On July 29, 1917 the Provisional government decided to abolish the institution of peasant officials.