Dvoryanstvo

Dvoryanstvo (Russian: дворянство) refers to a category of Russian nobility. A person of this category was called dvoryanin (it was a status, a social category, but not a title).

The word is commonly translated as "nobility" or "gentry", but in this and related articles the term "dvoryanstvo" will be used, for a clear distinction from other types of nobility known in Russian history.

Dvoryanstvo didn't have specific prefixes to their names, such as don, von or de. But dvoryans had right to the official appellation that depended on the rank: your nobility (ваше благородие), your high nobility (ваше высокоблагородие), your high ancestry (ваше высокородие), etc.

The term derives from the Russian word dvor (двор) in the meaning of Court (of kniaz and later, of tsar).

Unlike boyar title of nobility, which was exclusively hereditary, dvoryanstvo could be acquired. A newly designated dvoryanin was usually entitled to landownership. A loss of land did not automatically mean loss of dvoryanstvo. In later Imperial Russia, higher ranks of state service (see Table of Ranks) were automatically granted dvoryanstvo, not necessarily associated with landownership.

The class originated in 12th-13th centuries basing on military servitude. Land entitlement originates in 14th century, and by 17th century this class constituted the majority of landowners. Peter the Great finalized the status of dvoryanstvo, while abolishing the boyar title. The privileges of dvoryanstvo were legalized in 1875 in Zhalovahaya Gramota (Жалованная Грамота), (Bestowed Charter).

The Bestowed Charter introduced an organization of the nobility: every guberniya and district (уезд, uyezd) had the Dvoryan Assembly (дворянское собрание). The chair of a dvoryan assembly was called Gubernia (District) Marshal of Dvoryanstvo, or Marshal of Nobility (губернский (уездный) предводитель дворянства). Estateless dvoryanstvo (беспоместное дворянство, bespomestnoye dvoryanstvo) was dvoryanstvo gained by state service, but which was not entitled to land ownership.

Hereditary dvoryanstvo (потомственное дворянство) was transferred to wife, children and further direct legal descendants along the male line. In exceptional cases, the emperor could transfer dvoryanstvo along indirect or female lines, e.g., to preserve a notable family name.

Personal dvoryanstvo (личное дворянство) was transferable only to the wife and was of much lower prestige.

Titled dvoryanstvo (титулованное дворянство) was of highest category: those who had titles of kniaz, baron and earl. The latter two titles were introduced by Peter the Great. A baron or earl could be either propriatory (actual) ( владетельный (действительный)), i.e., who owned land in the Russian Empire or titular (титулярный), i.e., only endowed with the title.

Among privileges of dvoryanstvo was the right to have a family coat of arms, introduced by the end of the 17th century.

Since 1782, a kind of uniform was introduced for civilian dvoryanstvo called uniform of civilian service (мундир статской службы) or simply civilian uniform (статский (штатский) мундир). The uniform prescribed colors that depended on the territory. The uniform was required at the places of service, at the Court and other important public places.