Recent Articles

Dvoryanstvo

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

Unlike boyar title of nobility, which was exclusively hereditary, dvoryanstvo could be acquired (and could be made hereditary). 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 asiciated with landownership, giving rise to estateless dvoryanstvo (беспоместное дворянство, bespomestnoye dvoryanstvo).

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

The class riginated in 12th-13th centuries basing on military servitude. Land entitlement originates in 14th century, and by 17th century this class constitued 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).