Honored citizenship in the Emperor's Russia: 1890-1917

The Empress Catherine II established the social estate of "distinguished townsmen" by her Letters Patent in 1789. This patent stated that owners of real estate property who served on an elective city post for a definite time could pretend to be registered in this class. In addition, scientists, artists and composers could receive such a title. After being granted the "distinguished townsmen" title, people could not be subjects to corporal punishment, nor draftee duty and had a right to own gardens, factories, as well as sea and river ships. The title was hereditary. After reaching 30 years old, the grandsons of persons granted such a title, could be registered among the nobility in case of irreproachable bearing of the "distinguished townsman" title by their grandfather and father.

The first time, merchants could have such a title, but it became impossible for them after Ukase of January 1, 1807. After this date, only scientists and artists could receive this special status.

On April 10, 1832, Emperor Nicholas I established the official class of honored citizens which replaced the "distinguished townsmen" title. Honored citizenship could be personal or hereditary.
Personal title was granted to a person and his wife.
Children of hereditary honored citizen received such a title since birth according to origin.

As well as the distinguished townsmen before, the honored citizens were liberated of recruitment duty, corporal punishment and poll-tax. Their names were entered in the city inhabitants registers, and not in the simple revision lists.

The following subjects could receive such a hereditary title:
- Children of personal noblemen (since June 11, 1845 they received the title of hereditary honored citizen automatically);
- Children of Orthodox priests in case of graduation the latter from the Religious Academy or Seminary with the corresponding degrees;
- Children of Lutheran and Reformer preachers.

Personal title could receive:
- Children of priests not graduated from Academy;
- Children of the high rank Caucasus Muslim clergy;
- People adopted by the noblemen and hereditary honored citizens (since March 12, 1891).

In addition, the title of hereditary or personal honored citizen could receive:
- The people in rank of commerce or manufactory councilors; the widows and children of such people;
- Merchants registered in the 1st guild for 20 years running or granted an order.
- People granted a scholarly degree of doctor or magister in some Russian
University;
- Actors of the Emperor's theaters and artists (since 1839).
- Pharmacists, engineers-technologists, veterinary physicians (since 1849).

Becides, honored citizenship could be acquired according to service and special statements. People of any social estate could receive such a personal title because of their social activity during a period of ten years. Personal honored citizens engaged in such activity for ten years could ask for hereditary title.

Since children of hereditary honored citizens received such a title according to origin from birth, initiating its confirmation by a specific way was not necessary. In this case, if they wished a certificate anyway, they could apply to the Heraldry Department of Governing Senate for this. This was the only institution that officially granted and confirmed the title.

Files with documents of the cases for granting people with the title of hereditary honored citizenship and issuing certificates about this, are most often found in the Fond of this institution - Fond 1343 RGIA.

Cases of granting people the title of hereditary honored citizen:

- Fond 1343 Inventory 39. 6061 files with documents of the cases for the years 1830-1890;

- Fond 1343 Inventory 40. 6261 files, years 1890-1917;

Files with documents of cases about personal honored citizenship:

- Fond 1343 Inventory 41. 415 files for the years 1890-1917.

The files listed in Inventory 47 of Fond 1343, concern acquiring the rights of honored citizenship. There are 1109 files for the years 1897-1917. In addition, files on this subject are available in Fond 1405 (Justice Ministry) in the same Archive.

Below, we provide surnames listed in Inventory 40, Fond 1343. Some surnames are repeated in the inventory since different people with the same surname received such a title. However, for this list we list the surname just once.
The surname spelling is according to traditional Russian-English transliteration and for searches, we give the possible spelling variants - mostly, for foreign surnames. Anyway, more variants of spelling each surname in foreign languages are possible.

There are some details in the titles of files listed in inventory: name, city or province, occupation of the person. To receive such information and understand if you wish order the files examining, please contact BLITZ
Research provided by BLITZ – Information Center
St. Petersburg, Russia – Elena Tsvetkova rublitz@gmail.com
San Rafael, California – Kristin Nute enute@igc.org