Social Characteristics of the Ural Policemen in the 1st Half of the 19th Century (According to the Service Records of Officers in the Perm Province for 1845)

Up until now Russian and foreign researchers have been studying various aspects of servicemen for more than a century and a half. However, the problem of pre-reform police bureaucracy in the Ural has stayed out of the focus of academic discussion. Therefore, the author chose this subject for the research project. The study is based on the database compiled by the author from service records of 164 police officers of the Perm province for 1845 preserved in the State Archives of the Perm region. For a more objective approach to the social and service characteristics of police officers, the author sequentially built three collective portraits using the information from database: the chief of police, an executive officer, and a clerical officer. Although representatives of the nobility predominated among the police officers of local governments (zemstvo), mayors and police chiefsusually did not possess estates or serfs. Officials of a lower rank came, predominantly, from clerks, chief officers, and clergy children. Service practices also differed: police officers, mayors and police chiefs of local governments usually belonged to army officers incapable of further military service. Executive officials often began their career, albeit not in the police, but still in the civil service. An analysis of the demographic characteristics of the bureaucratic staff showes that the average age of police chiefs was 47 years, the rest of the executive ranks - about 39 years old, clerical officials - 27 years. According to the “Table of Ranks”, the executive ranks more rapid and successful career growth. At the same time, every third bailiff and quarterly overseer had a criminal record. And every fifth clerical official had negative attestation. This allows the conclusion about the low level of professionalism of the class police officers during the reign of Nicholas I. Against the background of an ever-growing range of law enforcement and administrative tasks of the police, the situation on the ground was problematic. Ultimately, this was one of the reasons for the reorganization of the police in 1862.

database, mayor, zemstvo police chief, zemstvo court, chancellery, class ranks of the police, offense, prosopography, police officer, bailiff

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