Table of ranks in Imperial Russia
Table of Ranks (Табель о рангах; Tabel o rangakh) was a formal list of positions and ranks in military, government, and court of the
Imperial Russia. It was introduced by
Peter the Great in
1722 in his struggle with the existing hereditary
nobility, or
boyars.
The Table of Ranks determined a person's position and status according to service to the
emperor (
tsar) rather than to birth or seniority. The Table places every
military,
civil or
court rank in accordance with fourteen grades, ranked from 1 to 14. Every officer of state had to qualify for the corresponding grade in order to be promoted; the grades of 1 to 5 were personal matter of the Emperor.
Even commoners who achieved a certain level on the Table were ennobled automatically. A civil officer promoted to 14th grade was entitled to personal nobility (
dvoryanstvo), while 8th grade created him a hereditary noble; military offices enjoyed hereditary nobility starting right with 14th grade (in
1856, the grades required for hereditary nobility were shifted up to 4th grade for civil service and 6th grade for military service). For example,
Vladimir Lenin's father progressed in the management of people's education up to the rank of Actual Civil (State) Counsellor (действительный статский советник) (1874), which gave him a privilege of hereditary nobility.
The origins of the Table lie in
Russian military ranks, which were extensively modified by
Peter the Great with addition of many distinct ranks and specialities. The first variant of the Table included definition and placement of as many as 262 civil and military positions. By the end of
1700s, these were removed in favour of universal
grade rank (классный чин).
Svita titles such as
General-Adjutant, Fliegel-Adjutant etc. do not belong to the Table; these are personal courtesy titles of Emperor's
aide-de-camps.
The Table of Ranks was in force until the
Russian Revolution of 1917.
| Grade (класс) | Civil ranks (чины статские) | Court ranks (чины придворные) | Style of address | | I | Канцлер (Chancellor)
"ействительный тайный советник 1-го класса (Actual Privy Counsellor, 1st class) | none | Его/'аше высокопревосходительство (His/Your High Excellency) |
| II | "ействительный тайный советник (Actual Privy Counsellor) | Обер-камергер (Chief Chamberlain)
Обер-гофмаршал (Chief Steward Marshal)
Обер-шталмейстер (Chief Stable Master)
Обер-егермейстер (Chief Hunt Master)
Обер-гофмейстер (Chief Staff Master)
Обер-шенк (Chief Vine Master)
Обер-церемониймейстер (Chief Ceremonial Master) (since 1844)
|
| III | Тайный советник (Privy Counsellor) (also spelled: Councillor) | "офмаршал (Steward Marshal)
Шталмейстер (Stable Master)
Егермейстер (Hunt Master)
"офмейстер (Staff Master)
Обер-церемониймейстер (Chief Ceremonial Master) (1801-1844)
Обер-форшнейдер (Chief Portion Steward) (since 1856) | Его/'аше превосходительство (His/Your Excellency) |
| IV | "ействительный статский советник (Actual Civil Counsellor / Actual State Counsellor) | Камергер (Chamberlain) (1737-1809 |
| V | Статский советник (Civil Counsellor / State Counsellor) | Церемониймейстер (Ceremonial Master) | Его/'аше высокородие (His/Your High Ancestry) |
| VI | Коллежский советник (Collegiate Counsellor) | Камер-фурьер (Chamber Farrier) (until 1884)
Камергер (Chamberlain) (until 1737) | Его/'аше высокоблагородие (His/Your High Nobleness) |
| VII | Надворный советник (Court Counsellor) (since 1745) | - |
| VIII | Коллежский асессор (Collegiate Assessor) | "оф-фурьер (Steward Farrier) |
| IX | Титулярный советник (Titular Counsellor) | - | Его/'аше благородие (His/Your Nobleness) |
| X | Коллежский секретарь (Collegiate Secretary) | - |
| XI | Корабельный секретарь (Ship Secretary) | Камер-юнкер (Chamber Junker) |
| XII | "убернский секретарь (Gubernial Secretary | - |
| XIII | Кабинетский регистратор (Office Registrar)
Провинциальный секретарь (Provincial Secretary)
Сенатский регистратор (Senate Registrar) (since 1764)
Синодский регистратор (Synod Registrar) (since 1764) | - |
| XIV | Коллежский регистратор (Collegiate Registrar) | - |
Collegiate refers to a system of Government Departments (коллегия,
College) created by
Peter the Great.
For military and Guards ranks, see Russian military ranks and Russian Imperial Guard.*
Dvoryanstvo*
Offices in Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth*
Table of Ranks (in Russian)*
Peter I's Table of Ranks*
Table of Ranks through Russian history
