Home – Home – Jornals – Humanitarian sciences in Siberia 2018 number

The article analyzes a unified image of “chiefs” and characteristics of public officials and officers described in diaries and memoirs of three Cossacks, who were born in Siberia: P.V. Belokopytov, R.K. Bogdanov, A.P. Kazin. The memoirs reflect not only individual opinions of the authors, but also point of view of their social community. The author defines factors influencing the features of these images. Participation in military operations put to the forefront the martial qualities of the officers, the Transbaikalian Cossacks highly appreciated the knowledge of lifestyle, which caused a disfavor towards “strangers” - officers who came from other regions. The direct authorities showed much care about their subordinates lives and safety, lifestyle and property. The high-ranking officials showed accessibility, skilful region management, patronage for the common Cossacks. Taking into account the respect to the particular chiefs and loyalty to the monarch, the memoirs analyzed overall authorities’ characteristics, which were mostly negative. Individual peculiarities of these public officials, changes in memoirs authors’ status and social-political environment, chiefs’ communicative practices and ability to get on with subordinates played very important role.