The social structure

The feature of the social structure in the period of formation absolutism was the trends of legal regulation of the position of each class. Society at that time was divided into four classes:

1) nobility,

2) clergy,

3) townsmen,

4) peasantry.

The legal status of “nobility” was enshrined in legislation. The Law Code 1649 and “The Decree on Single Inheritance” (March 23, 1714) was virtually equalized the legal status of manors and ancestral lands under the general term “real thing”, with right of inheritance. According with these documents noblemen had a monopoly on land ownership.

By the decree of the poll census of 26 January 1718 was enshrined in law the position of the nobility as an exempt class, unlike other classes.

Significant role in strengthening the aristocratic dictatorship played “The Table of Ranks” of January 24, 1722.

The Table of Ranks recognized three fundamental types of service: military, civil and court, dividing each into 14 ranks (grades). It determined position and status of everybody according to service (sluzhba) rather than according to birth or seniority, as mestnichestvo did. Thus theoretically every nobleman, regardless of birthright, started at the bottom and rose to the highest rank that his native ability, education and service devotion to the state's interests would allow. Everybody had to qualify for the corresponding grade to be promoted; however grades 1 through 5 required the personal approval of the Emperor.

Despite the initial resistance from noblemen, many of whom were still illiterate in 18th century and shunned the paper-pushing life of the civil servant, the eventual effect of the Table of Ranks was to create an educated class of noble bureaucrats.

Achieving a certain level in the Table resulted in acquiring that or another grade of nobility. A civil servant promoted to the fourteenth grade was endowed with personal nobility (dvoryanstvo), and holding an office in the eighth grade endowed the office holder with hereditary nobility. Military men first enjoyed the lowest (14th) grade. In 1856, the grades required for hereditary nobility were raised to the fourth grade for the civil service and to the sixth grade for military service.

Under Peter I by his decree nobles began service with the rank of the soldier, and served for life, and from 1730 - 25 years beginning from 20 years.