How long did you serve in the tsarist army, what was the length of service before? For the majority of serfs in the Russian Empire, military service was the only way of personal liberation. Tsarist service for 25 years

20.11.2023

Every Cossack prepared for military service from childhood. However, not everyone had to serve. The fact is that the size of each Cossack army was strictly regulated and only a limited number of recruits were drafted into the army, and their number was directly dependent on the population of the entire village. Young people were called up either by lot or voluntarily (“hunters”). The procedure for conscription was determined to be uniform for the entire Cossack society and was strictly observed by everyone.

In each village, metric books were kept, in which the village atamans entered all males without exception - both the sons of privates and the sons of generals. In accordance with the metric books, the village board prepared, for drawing lots, personalized lists of all “young children” from the age of 19, but not older than 25 years. The lists were compiled in the order and sequence corresponding to the entries in the metric books. They also included persons who arrived for permanent residence from other regions. Simultaneously with the compilation of lists of conscripts, the village atamans proposed for discussion at the gathering the lists of all persons who declared themselves incapable of serving military service, and the gathering, after examination, announced a “sentence.” Persons who studied and graduated from secondary and higher educational institutions, rural teachers and others were exempt from conscription.

On the appointed day, the village atamans convened the entire society and the “youngsters” who had reached their 19th birthday on January 1 of the following year. Atamans sent to the villages read out to the public the instructions on military service and the schedule indicating the number of conscripted young men. After this, a list of all the “youngsters” was read out, and missing and new names were added to it immediately.

To conduct the draw, as many blank, absolutely identical tickets were prepared in advance as there were young people on the list. Each ticket had its own serial number, and the person sent to the village for the draw, together with three elected officials, checked the number of tickets with the size of the conscript contingent. On the highest sequential ticket numbers, the inscription “serve” was immediately publicly written. As many tickets were marked as there were recruits to be called up for service. If someone expressed a desire to go into service voluntarily - as a “hunter”, then he did not draw lots, and the number of tickets, including those signed, decreased.

“Signed” and “blank” tickets were uniformly rolled up, mixed and poured into a glass urn on display for all to see. After this, no one except the person drawing the lot had the right to touch the urn. Each young man on the list approached the ballot box, took out one ticket with his bare arm up to the elbow and immediately showed it to the official present. The ticket number was announced publicly, and if it had the inscription “serve” on it, it was noted on the list.

The lot numbers were drawn only once, and re-drawing was not allowed under any pretext. Instead of the absent youth, the ticket was taken out in the same order by his father, grandfather, mother or authorized representative. After drawing lots in all the villages, the atamans of the departments compiled personalized lists of young men enrolled in the Cossacks, and the ataman, by order of the army, enrolled them in the service Cossacks for a period of 15 years. After 15 years of field service, the Cossacks were transferred to the category of internal employees for 7 years, and then retired.

After taking the oath, the young Cossacks spent three years in the preparatory category. For the first year they lived at home, prepared for field service and equipped themselves at their own expense. On the second, they were already trained in military service in the villages, and on the 3rd - in the camp. During these three years, the Cossack had to “be completely prepared and equipped for service.”

For the next 12 years, the Cossack was listed in the combat ranks. For the first 4 years he carried out active service in the so-called units of the 1st line. For the next 4 years he was a member of the 2nd line units (“on benefits”), lived in the village, but had to have riding horses and go to camp training every year. For the last 4 years, the Cossacks were listed in units of the 3rd line, they may not have had riding horses and they were involved in camp training only once.

After 15 years of service in the combat (field) category, the Cossacks were transferred to the category of internal employees, whose service consisted of guards and servants at military institutions. At the same time, the Cossacks dressed up for service one by one, each time for a period of no more than one year. They were allowed to hire other people instead of themselves, with the only condition that those hired were suitable for the service ahead of them. Internal service Cossacks, “dressed up for active service,” received salaries, provisions and welding money on the same basis as combat Cossacks.

It should be noted that the entire Cossack class was provided with significant benefits in Tsarist Russia: a special procedure for serving, exemption from the capitation tax, from recruitment duty, from the state zemstvo tax, the right to duty-free trade within military territories, special rights to use state lands and lands and etc.

But special rights also imposed special responsibilities on the Cossacks. Not a single Cossack was exempt from military service. Young men who drew the lot “not to serve” were only formally released from the duties of military service, but in fact remained part of the army under the name “non-service Cossacks.” For the entire time that they should have spent in field and internal service, i.e. for 22 years, they made certain payments to the military treasury, the amounts of which were established by the tsar, and performed all military and zemstvo duties on an equal basis with the internal service Cossacks. All Cossacks going to serve received “help” from field-grade Cossacks remaining at home, amounting to 350-400 rubles. Non-service Cossacks were exempt from payments only when they received the right to dismissal from field and internal service. In exceptional cases, “if the benefit of the state” required, the entire Cossack population, serving and non-serving, could be called up for service.

Benefits, privileges... Yes, but what heroic dedication at the same time. There was not a single report from the battlefield that did not note the daring, courage, and dedication of the Cossacks. The permanent vanguard of Russia, in modern terms, the tsarist special forces, was sent to the most important and dangerous cases, to risky expeditions, “hot spots”. In peacetime (for everyone else) the Cossacks covered the borders of the Fatherland with a living wall. During the war they conducted searches, reconnaissance in force, carried out raids behind enemy lines, sabotage...

Thus, during the Great Caucasian War of the 19th century, Cossack special forces - plastuns (from the word plast, that is, lying in a layer) - foot teams and units of the Black Sea and then Kuban Cossack troops effectively operated on the communications of the highlanders. The main task of these units was to protect the villages from a sudden attack by the highlanders. For this purpose, they were instructed to continuously monitor the cordon line from secret secret places, to lie as a kind of living trap on the paths of possible enemy penetration into the depths of the Cossack lands.

The tactics of the plastuns have evolved over centuries. During the campaign they were in an advanced reconnaissance patrol, and at a halt they were in an ambush in a combat guard. In the field fortification - in constant search through the surrounding forests and gorges. At the same time, at night, plastuns in groups of 3 to 10 people penetrated deep into the enemy’s location, watched him, and eavesdropped on conversations.

In the interests of secrecy during reconnaissance, plastuns were even allowed to wear a dyed beard. Many of them knew local dialects, manners and customs. In some villages, the Plastuns had friends - kunaks, who informed them of the enemy’s plans. However, information received even from the most bosom Kunak friends was always subject to careful verification.

During a combat encounter during a reconnaissance raid, plastuns were almost never given into the hands of the enemy. It was considered a rule that a plastun would rather lose his life than his freedom. Having skillfully chosen a position and mapped out escape routes in advance, in case of pursuit, the plastuns fired back or silently took cover in the area. In both cases, the enemy was afraid to immediately openly attack a small detachment of scouts, knowing the accuracy of a Plastun shot and the danger of an ambush. Having thus knocked down the “courage” of the pursuers, the plastuns retreated. The wounded were not abandoned in trouble, the dead were buried on the spot or, if possible, taken away with them.

In the old printed publications of pre-revolutionary Russia, many stories about the actions of these units have been preserved. The heroic deeds of the Cossacks became part of oral folk art. A distinctive feature of the Cossack class was that persons who once entered this class remained in it forever, losing contact with the class to which they previously belonged. Leaving the military class was unconditionally prohibited, and Cossacks were even forbidden to “marry with strangers.” Cossacks were also not allowed to transfer to serve in outside departments or in regular troops.

At the same time, officers of the regular troops were sometimes transferred to Cossack regiments. At the same time, their ranks were renamed as follows: majors - into military sergeants; captains and captains - to centurions; second lieutenants, ensigns and cornets - into cornets. The lower ranks served in the positions of sergeant majors, constables, buglers, clerks, clerks, paramedics and baggage Cossacks. The rights and responsibilities of privates, non-commissioned officers and officers were strictly regulated and strictly observed.

Thus, the disciplinary charter was approved by the tsar and declared an order by the military department. For example, the following penalties were imposed on privates and corporals: “1. Prohibition to leave the barracks or the yard for a period of more or less duration. 2. Assignment to work that occurs within the company, no more than eight squads. Z. Appointment not in line for service, for a period of no more than eight days. 4. Simple arrest, for a period of not more than a month. 5. Strict arrest, for a period of no more than twenty days. 6. Enhanced arrest, for a period of no more than eight days. 7. Deprivation of the corporal rank and displacement to lower grades and lower salaries. 8. Disqualification from awarding stripes.”

In addition, by court decision, lower ranks could be punished with canes of up to 50 strokes.

High demands on personnel, combined with the mutual responsibility of the Cossack society and centuries-old historical traditions, made it possible to turn the Cossack troops into the most combat-ready and at the same time loyal part of the Russian army. They served in the royal convoys, guarded the grand-ducal palaces, pacified the rebellious, and dispersed the demonstrators.

They had to do a lot of things, but they bore the title of defender of the Russian land with dignity and honor, strictly fulfilling the oath they had once taken...

As a result of the military reform, the regular army, formed on the basis of regular recruitment, was strengthened. The reorganization of the army began in 1698, when the Streltsy began to disband and regular regiments were created. A recruitment system was established, according to which the soldiers of the field army and garrison troops began to be recruited from the tax-paying classes, and the officer corps from the nobles. The decree of 1705 completed the formation of the “recruitment”. As a result, from 1699 to 1725, 53 recruitments into the army and navy were carried out (23 main and 30 additional). They gave more than 284 thousand people called up for lifelong military service. By 1708 the army had been increased to 52 regiments. The new report card of 1720 determined the army to include 51 infantry and 33 cavalry regiments, which by the end of Peter’s reign provided an army of 130,000 from 3 branches of the military - infantry, cavalry and artillery. Also, ok. 70 thousand were in the garrison troops, 6 thousand in the land militia (militia) and over 105 thousand in the Cossack and other irregular units. Since the 30s. heavy cavalry (cuirassiers) appears, which dealt a decisive blow to the enemy in battle. Cuirassiers were armed with long broadswords and carbines, and had protective equipment - metal cuirasses (armor) and helmets. Light cavalry - hussars and lancers - played a significant role.

Recruiting the army in the 18th century

Since 1703, a unified principle of recruiting soldiers for the army was introduced, which would exist in the Russian Army until 1874. Recruitment was announced irregularly by decrees of the tsar, depending on the needs of the army.

The initial training of recruits was carried out directly in the regiments, but from 1706 training was introduced at recruiting stations. The length of military service was not determined (for life). Those subject to conscription could nominate a replacement for themselves. Only those completely unfit for service were fired. Quite a significant number of soldiers were recruited into the army from among soldiers’ children, all of whom were sent to “cantonist” schools from an early age. From among them, the units received barbers, doctors, musicians, clerks, shoemakers, saddlers, tailors, blacksmiths, forges and other specialists.

The army was staffed with non-commissioned officers by promoting the most capable and efficient soldiers to non-commissioned officer ranks. Later, many non-commissioned officers attended cantonist schools.

The army was initially filled with officers for money (voluntary principle) from among foreign mercenaries, but after the defeat at Narva on November 19, 1700, Peter I introduced the forced recruitment of all young nobles into the guard as soldiers, who, after completing training, were released into the army as officers. The Guards regiments thus also played the role of officer training centers. The length of service of officers was also not determined. Refusal to serve as an officer entailed deprivation of the nobility. 90% of the officers were literate.

Since 1736, the service life of officers was limited to 25 years. In 1731, the first educational institution for training officers was opened - the Cadet Corps (however, for the training of artillery and engineering officers, the “School of the Pushkar Order” was opened back in 1701). Since 1737, it has been prohibited to produce illiterate officers as officers.

In 1761, Peter III issued a Decree “On the Liberty of the Nobility.” Nobles are exempt from compulsory military service. They can choose military or civilian service at their discretion. From this moment on, the recruitment of officers into the army becomes purely voluntary.

In 1766, a document was published that streamlined the army recruitment system. It was “The General Institution on the collection of recruits in the state and on the procedures that should be followed during recruitment.” Recruitment, in addition to serfs and state peasants, was extended to merchants, courtyard people, yasak, black sowing, clergy, foreigners, and persons assigned to state-owned factories. Only artisans and merchants were allowed to make a cash contribution instead of a recruit. The age of the recruits was set from 17 to 35 years old, height not lower than 159 cm.

The nobles entered the regiments as privates and after 1-3 years received the ranks of non-commissioned officers, and then when vacancies opened (vacant officer positions) they received the ranks of officers. Under Catherine II, abuses in this area flourished. The nobles immediately enrolled their sons in the regiments as privates upon birth, received leave for them “for education,” and by the age of 14-16 the minors received officer ranks. The quality of the officer corps has sharply declined. For example, for 3.5 thousand privates in the Preobrazhensky Regiment there were 6 thousand non-commissioned officers, of whom no more than 100 were actually in service. Since 1770, cadet classes were created under the Guards regiments to train officers from among the young nobles who actually served.

After ascending the throne, Paul I decisively and cruelly broke the vicious practice of fake service for noble children.

Since 1797, only graduates of cadet classes and schools, and non-commissioned officers from the nobility who had served for at least three years, could be promoted to officer. Non-commissioned officers from non-nobles could receive officer rank after 12 years of service.

Numerous instructions were prepared for the training of soldiers and officers: “Leading in battle”, “Rules for military battle”, “Military Charter” was published (1698), summarizing 15 years of experience in continuous armed struggle. For training officers in 1698-1699. A bombardment school was founded at the Preobrazhensky Regiment, and at the beginning of the new century, mathematical, navigation (naval), artillery, engineering, foreign languages and surgical schools were created. In the 20s 50 garrison schools operated to train non-commissioned officers. In order to learn military skills, nobles practiced internships abroad. At the same time, the government refused to hire foreign military specialists.

Active construction of the navy was underway. The fleet was built in both the south and north of the country. In 1708, the first 28-gun frigate in the Baltic was launched, and 20 years later the Russian fleet in the Baltic Sea was the most powerful: 32 battleships (from 50 to 96 guns), 16 frigates, 8 shnafs, 85 galleys and other small vessels. Recruitment into the navy was carried out from recruits (since 1705). For training in maritime affairs, instructions were drawn up: “Ship Article”, “Instructions and Articles, Military for the Russian Fleet”, “Marine Charter” and, finally, “Admiralty Regulations” (1722). In 1715, the Naval Academy was opened in St. Petersburg, training naval officers. In 1716, officer training began through the midshipman company.

In 1762, the General Staff was organized. The army creates permanent formations: divisions and corps, which included all types of troops and could independently solve various tactical tasks. The main branch of the army was infantry. It was divided into a linear one, which operated in columns and delivered a bayonet strike to the enemy, and a light one - the Jaeger one. Jaegers were used to encircle and bypass the enemy and cover their flanks, and were armed with rifles, daggers and knives. They fought in loose formation and conducted aimed fire. In the 2nd half. XVIII century The troops received more advanced smoothbore percussion flintlock and rifled (“screw”) guns, which were used by the rangers. New artillery systems and howitzer guns - unicorns - are being created.

The number and proportion of cavalry in the troops increased. The ratio of infantry and cavalry was approximately this: one cavalry regiment to two infantry regiments. The bulk of the cavalry were dragoons.

In con. century, the Baltic Fleet had 320 sailing and rowing ships of various classes, and the Black Sea Fleet consisted of 114 warships.

Recruiting the army in the 19th century

In the first half of the 19th century, the army recruitment system did not undergo significant changes. In 1802, the 73rd recruitment was carried out at the rate of two recruits from 500 people. Depending on the needs of the army, there may be no recruitment at all per year, or maybe two recruitments per year. For example, in 1804 the recruitment was one person per 500, and in 1806, five people per 500.

In the face of the danger of a large-scale war with Napoleon, the government resorted to a previously unused method of forced recruitment (now called mobilization). On November 30, 1806, the manifesto “On the Formation of the Militia” was published. With this manifesto, the landowners exposed the maximum possible number of their serfs capable of bearing arms. But these people remained in the possession of the landowners, and after the dissolution of the police in 1807, the warriors returned to the landowners. More than 612 thousand people were recruited into the police. This was the first successful experience of mobilization in Russia.

Since 1806, reserve recruit depots have been created in which recruits were trained. They were sent to the regiments as the regiments needed replenishment. Thus, it was possible to ensure the constant combat effectiveness of the regiments. Previously, after battles and losses suffered, the regiment dropped out of the active army for a long time (until it received and trained new recruits).

Planned recruitments were carried out in November of each year.

1812 required three recruitments, with the total number of recruits being 20 from 500.

In July 1812, the government carried out the second mobilization in this century - the manifesto “On the collection of the zemstvo militia.” The number of militia warriors was about 300 thousand people. The warriors were commanded either by the landowners themselves or by retired officers. A number of large aristocrats formed several regiments from their serfs at their own expense and transferred them to the army. Some of these regiments were later assigned to the army. The most famous are the cavalry squadron of V.P. Skarzhinsky, the Cossack regiment of Count M.A. Dmitriev-Mamonov, the hussar regiment of Count P.I. Saltykov (later the Irkutsk Hussar Regiment), and the battalion of Grand Duchess Ekaterina Pavlovna.

In addition, there were special units that in the first half of the 19th century were not included in the army, but participated in all the wars waged by Russia. These were Cossacks - Cossack units. The Cossacks were a special way of the compulsory principle of recruiting the armed forces. The Cossacks were not serfs or state peasants. They were free people, but in exchange for their freedom they supplied the country with a certain number of ready-made, armed cavalry units. The Cossack lands themselves determined the order and methods of recruiting soldiers and officers. They armed and trained these units at their own expense. The Cossack units were highly trained and combat efficient. In peacetime, Cossacks carried out border service in their places of residence. They closed the border very efficiently. The Cossack system would continue until 1917.

Recruitment of officers. By 1801, for the training of officers there were three cadet corps, the Corps of Pages, the Imperial Military Orphanage, and the Gapanem Topographical Corps. (The navy, artillery, and engineering troops had their own educational institutions since the beginning of the 18th century).

Since 1807, noblemen 16 years of age and older were allowed to enter regiments as non-commissioned officers to train as officers (called cadets), or to complete the senior classes of cadet corps. In 1810, a training regiment of the Nobles was created to train young nobles as officers.

After the end of the war and the foreign campaign, recruitment was carried out only in 1818. There was no recruitment in 1821-23. During this period, up to several thousand people were recruited into the army by capturing vagabonds, runaway serfs, and criminals.

In 1817, the network of military educational institutions for training officers expanded. The Tula Alexander Noble School began to train officers, and the Smolensk Cadet Corps opened. In 1823, the School of Guards Ensigns was opened at the Guards Corps. Then similar schools were opened at army headquarters.

Since 1827, Jews began to be recruited into the army as soldiers. At the same time, a new charter of conscription was issued.

Since 1831, conscription was extended to the children of priests who did not follow the spiritual line (that is, who did not study in theological seminaries).

The new Recruitment Charter significantly streamlined the recruiting system. According to this charter, all taxable estates (categories of the population obliged to pay taxes) were rewritten and divided into thousandth plots (the territory where a thousand people of the taxable estate live). Recruits were now taken in an orderly manner from the sites. Some wealthy classes were exempt from fielding a recruit, but paid a thousand rubles instead of a recruit. A number of regions of the country were exempted from conscription duties. For example, the region of the Cossack troops, the Arkhangelsk province, a strip of one hundred miles along the borders with Austria and Prussia. The recruitment deadlines were determined from November 1 to December 31. The requirements for height (2 arshins 3 inches), age (from 20 to 35 years), and health status were specifically specified.

In 1833, instead of general recruitment, private ones began to be practiced, i.e. recruitment of recruits is not uniformly from the entire territory, but from individual provinces. In 1834, a system of indefinite leave for soldiers was introduced. After 20 years of service, a soldier could be discharged on indefinite leave, but if necessary (usually in the event of war) could be recruited into the army again. In 1851, the period of compulsory service for soldiers was set at 15 years. Officers were also allowed indefinite leave after 8 years of service in the chief officer ranks or 3 years in the staff officer ranks. In 1854, the recruitment was divided into three types: ordinary (age 22-35, height not less than 2 arshins 4 inches), reinforced (age not determined, height not less than 2 arshins 3.5 inches), extraordinary (height not less than 2 arshins 3 top). A fairly significant influx of quality soldiers into the army was provided by the so-called “cantonists”, i.e. children of soldiers who were sent to study in cantonist schools from an early age. In 1827, the cantonist schools were transformed into half-companies, companies and battalions of cantonists. In them, cantonists studied literacy and military affairs, and upon reaching conscription age they were sent to the army as musicians, shoemakers, paramedics, tailors, clerks, gunsmiths, barbers, and treasurers. A significant part of the cantonists were sent to training carabinieri regiments and, after graduation, became excellent non-commissioned officers. The authority of the schools of military cantonists became so high that the children of poor nobles and chief officers often enrolled in them.

After 1827, the bulk of non-commissioned officers were recruited from training carabinieri regiments, i.e. The quality of non-commissioned officers has steadily increased. Things got to the point that the best of the non-commissioned officers were sent to officer schools, the Noble Regiment, and cadet corps as teachers of combat and physical training, and shooting. In 1830, 6 more cadet corps were opened to train officers. In 1832, the Military Academy was opened for officers to receive higher education (artillery and engineering officers received higher military education in their two academies, opened much earlier). In 1854, it was allowed to admit young nobles into regiments as volunteers (with the rights of cadets), who, after training directly in the regiment, received officer ranks. This order was established only for wartime.

In 1859, it was allowed to release soldiers on indefinite leave (what is now called “discharge”) after 12 years of service.

In 1856, the military cantonist system was abolished. Children of soldiers were freed from a previously obligatory military future. Since 1863, the age of recruits was limited to 30 years. Since 1871, a system of long-term servicemen was introduced. Those. A non-commissioned officer, after completing a mandatory service period of 15 years, could remain to serve beyond this period, for which he received a number of benefits and increased pay.

In 1874, the conscription obligation, which had existed for almost two centuries, was abolished. A new method of recruiting an army is being introduced - universal conscription.

All young men who turned 20 by January 1 were subject to conscription into the army. The conscription began in November of each year. Priests and doctors were exempted from military service, and a deferment of up to 28 years was given to persons undergoing training in educational institutions. The number of those subject to conscription in those years far exceeded the needs of the army, and therefore everyone who was not exempt from service drew lots. Those who were drawn by lot (about one in five) went to serve. The rest were enlisted in the militia and were subject to conscription in wartime or when necessary. They were in the militia until they were 40 years old.

The period of military service was set at 6 years plus 9 years in reserve (they could be called up if necessary or in wartime). In Turkestan, Transbaikalia and the Far East, the service life was 7 years, plus three years in reserve. By 1881, the period of active military service was reduced to 5 years. Volunteers could join the regiment from the age of 17.

Since 1868, a network of cadet schools has been deployed. Cadet corps are being transformed into military gymnasiums and pro-gymnasiums. They lose the right to produce their graduates as officers and become preparatory educational institutions, preparing young people for entry into cadet schools. Later they were renamed again into cadet corps, but their status did not change. By 1881, all newly recruited officers had a military education.

The military reform of 1874 was designed to reduce the size of the army and at the same time increase its combat effectiveness. On January 1, 1874, universal conscription was established. All men who had reached the age of 21 were involved in the service, no matter what class they belonged to. The required number of conscripts (approx. 20%) were selected by lot, the rest were enlisted in the militia (in case of war). The service life was determined - 6 years and after that 9 years in reserve (fleet 7 years and 3 years). Servants of religious worship, doctors, teachers, representatives of the peoples of Central Asia and Kazakhstan, the Far North and the Far East were exempt from military service. Benefits were provided to conscripts with education: higher education - 6 months, gymnasiums - 1.5 years, city schools - 3 years, primary schools - 4 years. This made it possible to reduce the number of personnel in the army in peacetime.

The system of higher military education has not undergone major changes. Curricula and programs were partially changed to make military training more practical. Two new academies were opened: Military Legal and Naval (by the end of the century there were only 6 academies. The number of students in them was 850). The secondary military school underwent reorganization. Instead of children's buildings, military gymnasiums were created, which provided general secondary education and prepared for entry into military schools and pro-gymnasiums with a 4-year period of study in preparation for entry into cadet schools. The duration of training in military schools was determined to be 3 years. The schools trained officers for infantry and cavalry and provided them with the knowledge necessary to command a regiment. Junker schools were intended to train officers from persons who did not have a general secondary education, from the lower ranks of the army, who came from noble and chief officer families. Special schools were created to train technical specialists. Representatives of other classes had limited access to military educational institutions, but nobles made up 75% of the students there. In 1882, military gymnasiums were liquidated and the Cadet Corps were restored as closed educational institutions for the nobility.

The country's armed forces were divided into standing troops (cadre army, reserves, Cossack regiments, “foreign” units) and a militia, which included those who were exempt from military service and had served their due term.

A Central Directorate was created - the Ministry of War, which included the Military Council, the Chancellery, and the General Staff. Main Directorate: quartermaster, artillery, engineering, medical, judicial, educational institutions and Cossack troops. The territory of Russia was divided into 15 military districts, which provided for: Commander, Military Council, headquarters, departments. This ensured operational control of troops and rapid deployment of the army.

In 1891, the 5-round magazine rifle (7.62 mm) of S.I. Mosin, which had high combat qualities, was adopted into service in the army. Artillery is armed with steel rifled guns loaded from the breech. Inventor V.S. Baranevsky creates a 76 mm rapid-fire field gun.

The transition to an armored fleet is underway.

Military reforms of the 60-70s. had progressive significance, they increased the combat effectiveness of the Russian army, which was confirmed by the Russian-Turkish war, in which Russia won.

In the Russian state, starting from the 30s of the 17th century. Attempts were made to create a more advanced military system. Archers and local cavalry were no longer reliable means of strengthening borders.

The regular Russian army arose under Emperor Peter I (1682-1725).

His Decree “On the admission to service as soldiers from all kinds of free people” (1699) marked the beginning of recruitment into the new army. In the Decree of February 20, 1705, the term “recruit” was mentioned for the first time, the service life of which was established by Peter I - “as long as strength and health allow.” The recruiting system firmly established the class principle of army organization: soldiers were recruited from peasants and other tax-paying layers of the population, and officers were recruited from nobles.

Each rural or petty-bourgeois community was obliged to provide the army with a man aged 20 to 35 from a certain number (usually 20) of households.

In 1732, the favorite of Empress Anna Ioannovna (1730-1740) was B.Kh. Minich (President of the Military Collegium) approved the recruitment of recruits aged 15 to 30 by lot.

Lifetime service was replaced by 10 years; moreover, peasant military personnel could be promoted to officers, i.e. become a nobleman. In addition, in 1736, an order was issued allowing the only sons in the family not to serve in the army, and one of the brothers to avoid conscription.

In 1762, Emperor Peter III (1761-1762) established the period of military service at 25 years.

In 1808-1815

Under Emperor Alexander I (1801-1825), military settlements were organized - special volosts inhabited by state peasants, who were transferred to the category of military villagers. Soldier regiments were settled here, their families were assigned to the soldiers, and the soldiers were married (often not by their choice). Military villagers served lifelong military service and performed agricultural work to support themselves.

shaved into the tsarist army for 25 years

All boys from the age of 7 became cantonists, dressed in uniform and carried out both soldier and peasant service for life. The State Archive of the Chuvash Republic contains books on the registration of cantonists. In the 50s of the 19th century. settlers, cantonists, dismissed from the military department, were included in rural societies of state and appanage peasants, as evidenced by audit tales and other documents.

Since 1834, under Emperor Nicholas I (1825-1855), soldiers were sent on indefinite leave (“reserve”) after 20 years of service.

From 1839 to 1859, the service life was reduced from 19 to 12 years, the maximum age for a recruit was from 35 to 30.

From the formal (conscription) list of the Cheboksary district presence for 1854:

Mikhailo Vasiliev (Note: this recruit entered the hunt for his brother Kozma Vasilyev), age - 20 years, height - 2 arshins 3 inches, features: dark brown hair and eyebrows, blue eyes, ordinary nose and mouth, round chin, In general, the face is pockmarked. Special features: there is a spot on the right side of the back due to illness. From what class was he admitted, according to what set: Kazan province, Cheboksary district, Sundyr volost, village.

Bolshaya Akkozina, from the state peasants, according to the 11th private set, Orthodox, single. He doesn’t know how to read, write or have any skills.

719. Vasily Fedorov, age 21/2 years, height - 2 arshins 5 vershoks, features: hair on the head and eyebrows - black, eyes brown, nose - wide-sharp, mouth - ordinary, chin - round, generally clean face. Special features: a birthmark on the lower back. From what class was he admitted, according to what set: Kazan province, Cheboksary district, Lipovskaya volost, village.

Bagildina, from state peasants, according to the 11th private set, Orthodox, married to Elena Vasilyeva, no children. He doesn’t know how to read, write or have any skills.

In the family recruitment list of the Cheboksary district of the Alymkasinsky volost of the Alymkasinsky rural society for 1859, there is information about the entry of peasants into recruits since 1828, there is no data on the return of recruits.

The latest changes in terms of service are associated with the head of the War Ministry D.A. Milyutin (1861-1881), who in 1873

carried out the reform. As a result, on January 1, 1874, the conscription system was replaced by universal conscription. The entire male population who had reached the age of 20, without distinction of class, served directly in the ranks for 6 years and was in the reserve for 9 years (for the navy - 7 years of active service and 3 years in the reserve).

Those who served their terms of active service and in the reserve were enlisted in the militia, in which they remained for up to 40 years. The following were exempted from active service: the only son, the only breadwinner in the family with young brothers and sisters, conscripts whose older brother is serving or has served his term of active service.

The rest fit for service, who did not have benefits, drew lots. All fit for service, incl. and beneficiaries were enlisted in the reserves, and after 15 years - in the militia. Deferments were given for 2 years based on property status. The duration of active military service was reduced depending on the educational qualification: up to 4 years for those who graduated from primary school, up to 3 years for city school, up to one and a half years for those with higher education.

If a person who received an education entered active service voluntarily (“volunteer”), the service period was halved.

During the service, soldiers were taught to read and write. The clergy were exempt from military service.

From the draft list. Yandashevo, Alymkasinsk volost, Cheboksary district for 1881:

... D. Chodina

No. 2. Nikita Yakimov, b. May 24, 1860, marital status: sister Ekaterina, 12 years old, wife Oksinya Yakovleva, 20 years old.

Decision of the Presence on military service: “Has first-class benefits as the only employee in the family.

Enlist in the militia";

village Oldeevo - Izeevo

No. 1. Ivan Petrov, b. January 4, 1860, marital status: mother - widow, 55 years old, sisters: Varvara, 23 years old, Praskovya, 12 years old, wife Ogafya Isaeva, 25 years old.

Decision of the Presence on military service: “A first-class benefit was given as the only worker in the family with a widowed mother.

Enlisted in the militia."

From the report of the assistant foreman of the Alymkasinsky volost administration to the Cheboksary district police officer dated August 17, 1881: “... in the village. Yurakovo is a now retired soldier Porfiry Fedorov, a musician of the choir of the 66th Butyrsky Infantry Regiment, who entered military service on December 16, 1876, due to weakness, he was enrolled in the Arzamas reserve battalion, in which he took part in the Turkish War...”

Under the Minister of War P.S.

Vannovsky (1882-1898), according to the new military regulations of 1888, new reductions in service life took place: 4 years in the foot forces, 5 years in the cavalry and engineering troops. The service life in the reserve increased from 9 to 18 years. Those fit for service were listed in the militia until the age of 43, the conscription age for active service increased from 20 to 21 years, the service life for persons who graduated from secondary and higher educational institutions, as well as for volunteers, increased by 2-4 times.

From the draft list of the Ishley-Sharbashevsky society of the Syundyr volost of the Kozmodemyansky district for 1892:

Markov Lavrenty Markovich, b. August 4, 1871 Marital status: brother Nikolai, 11 years old, sister Daria, 16 years old.

Decision of the Presence on military service: “He has the right to the first category benefit under Article 45.

as the only capable brother with a brother and sister who are orphans... Enlist as a warrior of the 2nd category in the militia.”

Nikolaev Philip Nikolaevich, b. November 2, 1871 Marital status: father Nikolai Fedorov, 45 years old, mother Agrafena Stepanova, 40 years old, brothers: Peter, 17 years old, Ivan, 13 years old, Kuzma, 10 ½ years old, Nikifor, 6 years old.

Decision of the Presence: “He has the right to a second category benefit under Article 45. as the only son capable of working with a capable father and brothers under 18 years of age. Enlist as a warrior of the 1st category in the militia.”

From the conscription list of the Syundyr volost for 1895:

Elakov Roman Evdokimovich, b. November 12, 1873 Marital status: father Evdokim Ivanov, 50 years old, mother Nastasya Petrova, 45 years old, siblings: Grigory, 23 years old, entered the draft in 1892 and is in the service, Philip, 18 years old, sisters: Nadezhda, 15 years old, Tatyana, 12 years old; Orthodox, single, by education belongs to the fourth category (certificate of the Kozmodemyansk district school council dated August 17, 1888), drawn lot number No. 230, height 1.7 1 , is entitled to third-class benefits as immediately next in age to a brother in active service.

Solution: enlist in the militia, 1st category warrior.

The last change in the length of service in the tsarist army occurred in 1906: in the infantry they began to serve for 3 years, in the rest of the troops - 4 years.

Military conscription in Tsarist Russia - who was taken into the army and for how long

Although, according to the “Charter on Universal Military Conscription” in Imperial Russia, all 21-year-olds were drafted into the army, with the exception of clergy of all religions, not everyone completed military service. Since there were more conscripts each year than were required, conscripts were selected by lot in the order of the number that fell to each.

In addition, only sons, eldest sons and necessary workers in the family were exempt from military service.

Educational benefits were given - deferment of conscription and reduction of service life to 1 year instead of the normal 3.5 years.

How long did you serve in the tsarist army, what was the length of service before?

Those with a 6th grade of secondary school education and above served military service as “volunteers.” Having refused the lot, they served for a year (with higher education for 9 months), with the obligation to pass the exam for the rank of reserve officer. This also applied to Jews, with the only difference being that they did not receive officer rank.

All teachers were exempt from military service.

The Imperial Army was a means of educating the people.

The soldier was required to learn to read and write, acquire good manners, cultivate himself and assimilate the concept of duty.

source: , July 1983

Additionally:

MILITARY SERVICE

Muscovy, Russian Empire, Russian Historical Dictionary, Terms, Specific (Horde) Rus'

MILITARY SERVICE, established by Russian law, is the obligation of men to perform military service in defense of the Motherland.

Certificate of attendance for military service, 1884

In Ancient Rus' before

XV century Conscription was carried out mainly in the form of people's militia. In subsequent centuries, the main place was occupied by the militias of small and medium-sized landowners (nobles), who received estates and money for military service.

The regiments of the “new order” created in the 1630-50s, which gradually replaced the noble militia, from the 1640s were staffed by a forced recruitment of datochny people, for whom from the present day. By the 1650s, military service became lifelong.

“Army of the Russian Empire: composition, officer salaries, allowance standards”

In the period 1699-1705, a system of conscription military service developed, formalized by the decree of 1705 and the “Articles given to the stewards on the collection of Danish soldiers or recruits” attached to it.

Military service remained lifelong and permanent for soldiers, while the service of the nobility was limited to 25 years in 1732, and in 1762 they were completely exempted from military service. According to the Recruitment Regulations of 1831, all peasants, philistines and soldiers' children served military service. The service life of soldiers in 1793 was reduced to 25 years, in 1834 - to 20, after the Crimean War of 1853-56 - to 12 and by 1874 - to 7 years.

Since 1854, a “draw of lots” was introduced (the conscription queue number was drawn by lot) of three categories according to marital status. At the same time, paid substitution was widely allowed, and then redemption from military service, for which the government issued “credit” and “redemption” receipts. With publication 1 Jan. 1874 of the Charter on Military Service, which introduced universal military service, replacement and redemption were abolished, but exemptions, benefits and deferments were established based on physical condition, marital status, education, rank, occupation, property status and, finally, on national grounds ( "foreigners"); In this way, at least 10% of conscripts were legally exempted from military service.

The Charter of 1874 established the conscription age at 21 years, consolidated the existing system of drawing lots, and determined the total service life at 15 years, of which active service - 6 (in the navy 7) and in the reserve - 9 years. In 1876, the period of active military service was reduced to 5 years, in 1878 - to 4 and in 1905 - to 3. Russia entered the First World War with the following principles of military service: conscription age - 20 years (by January 1 of the year of conscription), total service life - 23 years (age limit 43 years); active service in the infantry and foot artillery - 3 years, in other branches of the military - 4 years; in the reserve - 15 (13) years, the remaining 4-5 years - in the 1st category militia (to replenish the wartime field army), where, in addition to old soldiers, all surplus annual conscripts fit for service were enlisted for 23 years; the 2nd category militia (auxiliary and rear units during wartime) enrolled for the same period the surplus of those limitedly fit for military service and released due to marital status.

Military reform: changing the system of military administration, recruitment and support of the Armed Forces. Charter on military service of 1874. Military judicial reform of 1867.

Improve officer training

Re-equip the army with modern weapons

Improve the military management system

Eliminate the gap between the Russian army and Western European

Create an army with trained reserves

The reason for the introduction of this reform was the defeat of the Russian Empire in the Crimean War.

Main provisions of the reform:

15 military districts established to improve army management

The network of military educational institutions for training officers has been expanded (academies, military gymnasiums, cadet schools)

New military regulations were introduced

Rearmament of the army and navy was carried out

Abolition of corporal punishment

And in 1874, the recruitment system was abolished, and universal (all-class) military service was introduced.

The following terms of service in the army were established: in the infantry - 6 years, in the navy - 7, 9 years in the reserve, for those who graduated from district schools - 3 years, for those who graduated from gymnasiums - 1.5 years, for those who graduated from universities - 6 months, i.e.

e. The length of service depended on education.

Military service began at the age of 20. The following were not called up for military service: the only son in the family, the breadwinner, the clergy, the peoples of the North, Wed. Asia, part of the Caucasus and Siberia

The first Russian revolution of 1905-1907: its prerequisites and main stages.

Creation of Soviets as bodies of revolutionary power.

The Highest Manifesto on the improvement of state order (October Manifesto)

Legislative act of the Supreme Power of the Russian Empire, promulgated on October 17 (30), 1905.

It was developed by Sergei Witte on behalf of Emperor Nicholas II in connection with the ongoing “turmoil”. In October, a strike began in Moscow, which spread throughout the country and grew into the All-Russian October political strike.

On October 12-18, over 2 million people went on strike in various industries. This general strike and, above all, the strike of railway workers, forced the emperor to make concessions.

First of all, the Manifesto of October 17, 1905 outlined the fundamental rights and freedoms of man and citizen, which were discussed in more detail in
Code of Basic State Laws. This was a significant step towards the development of the principles of constitutionalism in the country.

In addition, the Manifesto reflects the foundations of the state structure, the foundations of the formation and activities of the State Duma and
Governments, which also received their development in the Code.

The code, in turn, covered a wider range of issues.

In addition to these issues, this normative legal act reflects such important issues as the issue of state power, legislative initiative and the legislative process as a whole, the position of this Code in the legislative system that existed at that time, and much more.

Basic state laws of the Russian Empire as amended on April 23, 1906: form of government, legislative procedure, rights and obligations of subjects

A few days before the opening of the first Duma, on April 23, 1906, Nicholas II approved the text of the edition of the Basic State Laws of the Russian Empire.

Such haste was associated with the desire to prevent their discussion in the Duma, so that the latter would not turn into the Constituent Assembly. The Basic Laws of 1906 established the state structure of the Russian Empire, the state language, the essence of the supreme power, the order of legislation, the principles of organization and activities of central government institutions, the rights and obligations of Russian subjects, the position of the Orthodox Church, etc.

The first chapter of the basic laws revealed the essence of the “supreme autocratic power.”

Until the last moment, Nicholas II resisted removing from the text the provision on the unlimited power of the monarch in Russia. In the final edition, the article on the scope of royal power was formulated as follows: “ The Supreme Autocratic power belongs to the All-Russian Emperor...” From now on, the Russian emperor had to share legislative power with the Duma and the State Council.

However, the prerogatives of the monarch remained very broad: he owned “ initiative on all subjects of legislation"(only on his initiative could the Basic State Laws be revised), he approved laws, appointed and dismissed senior dignitaries, directed foreign policy, and was proclaimed “ sovereign leader of the Russian army and navy,” was endowed with the exclusive right to mint coins, war was declared in his name, peace was concluded, and legal proceedings were carried out.

The ninth chapter, which established the procedure for the adoption of laws, determined that “ no new law can follow without the approval of the State Council and the State Duma and take force without the approval of the Sovereign Emperor.”

Bills that were not passed by both houses were considered rejected. Bills rejected by one of the chambers could be reintroduced for its consideration only with the permission of the emperor.

Bills not approved by the emperor could be considered again no earlier than the next session.

Basic state laws laid the foundations for a new political system, which later became known as the June Third monarchy.

The main state laws of 1906 were the constitution. They were considered as such by both government officials and liberal historians of state law.

Thus, we can conclude that a dualistic monarchy has been established in Russia.

A characteristic feature of this form in Russia was the incomplete separation of powers, which gave rise to a synthesis of elements of absolute and constitutional monarchy, with a clear predominance of the former.

State Duma

The system of representative institutions was introduced in Russia by a number of state acts, starting with the Manifesto of August 6, 1905.

and ending with “Basic state. laws” April 23, 1906. According to the original draft (August 6, 1905), the State Duma was intended to be a “legislative institution” elected on the basis of qualification representation from three curiae.

The aggravation of the political situation soon required a revision of the project.

On December 11, 1905, after the defeat of the armed uprising in Moscow, a decree “On changing the regulations on elections to the State Duma” was issued, cat. The circle of voters is significantly expanding.

Almost the entire male population of the country over the age of 25, except for soldiers, students, day laborers and some nomads, received voting rights. The right to vote was not direct and remained unequal for voters of different categories (curiae).

Deputies were elected by electoral assemblies consisting of electors from each province and a number of large cities.

Electors were chosen by four separate curiae of voters: landowners, city dwellers, peasants and workers.

State Duma in the period from 1905–1907. was a representative body of power that for the first time limited the monarchy in Russia.

The reasons for the formation of the Duma were: the revolution of 1905–1907, which arose after Bloody Sunday, and general popular unrest in the country.

The procedure for the formation and establishment of the Duma was established by the Manifesto on the establishment of the State Duma.

The State Duma was supposed to work together with the Council of Ministers.

Universal conscription in Russia in 1913.

The Council of Ministers was a permanent highest government institution headed by a chairman.

The Council of Ministers headed all departments on issues of legislation and higher government. management, i.e. he to some extent limited the activities of the State. Duma.

Basic principles of work of the State. Dumas:

1. freedom of conscience;

2. participation in elections by broad sections of the population;

3. mandatory approval by the Duma of all laws issued.

All men over 25 years of age had active voting rights to the State Duma (with the exception of military personnel, students, day laborers and nomads).

The State Institution came out. Duma.

The competence of the Duma on the Establishment: development of laws, their discussion, approval of the country's budget. All bills passed by the Duma had to be approved by the Senate, and later by the Emperor. The Duma did not have the right to consider issues beyond its competence, for example, issues of state payments.

debts and loans to the Ministry of the Household, as well as for state. loans.

Term of office State. Duma - 5 years.

The State Duma was bicameral: the upper house was the State Duma. council (it was headed by a chairman and vice-chairman, appointed by the emperor annually); lower house - representatives from the population.

During the period 1905–1907.

3 different Dumas were convened. compositions. The First Duma lasted 72 days. It was the most liberal-minded, since its convening was a consequence of the revolutionary movement in Russia; there were no representatives from the monarchist movement.

After the dissolution of the Third Duma (when popular uprisings were suppressed by the tsarist army), significant changes were made to the laws on the State. Duma, for example:

2. the number of representatives from Poland, the Caucasus and Central Asia was limited.

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How was conscription carried out into the army of Imperial Russia at the beginning of the 20th century. Who was subject to it? Those who had conscription benefits, monetary rewards for military personnel. Collection of statistics.

"Of all the subjects of the Russian Empire who had reached conscription age (20 years), about 1/3 - 450,000 out of 1,300,000 people - were called up for active military service by lot. The rest were enlisted in the militia, where they were trained at short training camps.

Call once a year - from September 15 or October 1 to November 1 or 15 - depending on the timing of the harvest.

Duration of service in the ground forces: 3 years in infantry and artillery (except cavalry); 4 years in other branches of the military.

After this, they were enlisted in the reserves, which were called up only in case of war. The reserve period is 13-15 years.

In the navy, conscript service is 5 years and 5 years in reserve.

The following were not subject to conscription for military service:

Residents of remote places: Kamchatka, Sakhalin, some areas of the Yakut region, Yenisei province, Tomsk, Tobolsk provinces, as well as Finland. Foreigners of Siberia (except for Koreans and Bukhtarminians), Astrakhan, Arkhangelsk provinces, Steppe Territory, Transcaspian region and the population of Turkestan. Some foreigners of the Caucasus region and Stavropol province (Kurds, Abkhazians, Kalmyks, Nogais, etc.) pay a cash tax instead of military service; Finland deducts 12 million marks from the treasury annually. Persons of Jewish nationality are not allowed into the fleet.

Benefits based on marital status:

Not subject to conscription:

1. The only son in the family.

2. The only son capable of working with an incapacitated father or widowed mother.

3. The only brother for orphans under 16 years of age.

4. The only grandchild with an incapacitated grandmother and grandfather without adult sons.

5. Illegitimate son with his mother (in his care).

6. Lonely widower with children.

Subject to conscription in the event of a shortage of suitable conscripts:

1. The only son capable of working, with an elderly father (50 years old).

2. Following a brother who died or went missing in service.

3. Following his brother, still serving in the army.

Deferments and benefits for education:

Receive a deferment from conscription:

up to 30 years of age, government scholarship holders preparing to take up scientific and educational positions, after which they are completely released;

up to 28 years of age, students of higher educational institutions with a 5-year course;

up to 27 years of age in higher education institutions with a 4-year course;

up to 24 years of age, students of secondary educational institutions;

students of all schools, upon request and agreement of ministers;

for 5 years - candidates for preaching of Evangelical Lutherans.

(In wartime, persons who have the above benefits are taken into service until the end of the course according to the Highest permission).

Reduction of active service periods:

Persons with higher, secondary (1st rank) and lower (2nd rank) education serve in the military for 3 years;

Persons who have passed the exam for reserve warrant officer serve for 2 years;

doctors and pharmacists serve in the ranks for 4 months, and then serve in their specialty for 1 year 8 months

in the navy, persons with an 11th grade education (lower educational institutions) serve for 2 years and are in the reserve for 7 years.

Benefits based on professional affiliation

The following are exempt from military service:

Christian and Muslim clergy (muezzins are at least 22 years old).

Scientists (academicians, adjuncts, professors, lecturers with assistants, lecturers of oriental languages, associate professors and private assistant professors).

Artists of the Academy of Arts sent abroad for improvement.

Some academic and educational officials.

Privileges:

Teachers and academic and educational officials serve for 2 years, and under the temporary 5-year position from December 1, 1912 - 1 year.

Paramedics who have graduated from special naval and military schools serve for 1.5 years.

Graduates of the schools for soldiers' children of the Guard troops serve for 5 years, starting from the age of 18-20.

Technicians and pyrotechnicians of the artillery department serve for 4 years after graduation.

Civilian seamen are given a deferment until the end of the contract (no more than a year).

Persons with higher and secondary education are accepted into service voluntarily from the age of 17. Service life - 2 years.

Those who pass the exam for the rank of reserve officer serve for 1.5 years.

Volunteers in the navy - only with higher education - service life is 2 years.

Persons who do not have the above education can voluntarily enter the service without drawing lots, the so-called. hunters. They serve on a general basis.

Cossack conscription

(The Don Army is taken as a model; other Cossack troops serve in accordance with their traditions).

All men are required to serve without ransom or replacement on their own horses with their own equipment.

The entire army provides servicemen and militias. Servicemen are divided into 3 categories: 1 preparatory (20-21 years old) undergoes military training. II combatant (21-33 years old) is directly serving. III reserve (33-38 years old) deploys troops for war and replenishes losses. During the war, everyone serves without regard to rank.

Militia - all those capable of service, but not included in the service, form special units.

Cossacks have benefits: according to marital status (1 employee in the family, 2 or more family members are already serving); by property (fire victims who became impoverished for no reason of their own); by education (depending on education, they serve from 1 to 3 years in service).

2. Composition of the ground army

All ground forces are divided into regular, Cossack, police and militia. — the police are formed from volunteers (mostly foreigners) as needed in peacetime and wartime.

By branch, the troops consist of:

infantry

cavalry

artillery

technical troops (engineering, railway, aeronautical);

in addition - auxiliary units (border guards, convoy units, disciplinary units, etc.).

The infantry is divided into guards, grenadier and army. The division consists of 2 brigades, in the brigade there are 2 regiments. The infantry regiment consists of 4 battalions (some of 2). The battalion consists of 4 companies.

In addition, the regiments have machine gun teams, communications teams, mounted orderlies and scouts.

The total strength of the regiment in peacetime is about 1900 people.

Guards regular regiments - 10

In addition, 3 Guards Cossack regiments.

b) cavalry is divided into guards and army.

- 4 - cuirassiers
- 1 - dragoon
- 1 - horse grenadier
- 2 - Uhlan
- 2 - hussars

The Army Cavalry Division consists of; from 1 dragoon, 1 uhlan, 1 hussar, 1 Cossack regiment.
Guards cuirassier regiments consist of 4 squadrons, the remaining army and guards regiments consist of 6 squadrons, each of which has 4 platoons. Composition of the cavalry regiment: 1000 lower ranks with 900 horses, not counting officers. In addition to the Cossack regiments included in the regular divisions, special Cossack divisions and brigades are also formed.

3. Fleet composition
All ships are divided into 15 classes:
1. Battleships.
2. Armored cruisers.
3. Cruisers.
4. Destroyers.
5. Destroyers.
6. Minor boats.
7. Barriers.
8. Submarines.
9. Gunboats.
10. River gunboats.
11. Transports.
12. Messenger ships.
14. Training ships.
15. Port ships.

Source: Russian Suvorin calendar for 1914. St. Petersburg, 1914. P.331.

Composition of the Russian Army as of April 1912 by branch of service and departmental services (by staff/lists)

Source:Military statistical yearbook of the army for 1912. St. Petersburg, 1914. P. 26, 27, 54, 55.

Composition of army officers by education, marital status, class, age, as of April 1912

Source: Military Statistical Yearbook of the Army for 1912. St. Petersburg, 1914. P.228-230.

Composition of the lower ranks of the army by education, marital status, class, nationality and occupation before entering military service

Source:Military statistical yearbook for 1912. St. Petersburg, 1914. P.372-375.

Salary of officers and military clergy (rub. per year)

(1) - Increased salaries were assigned in remote districts, in academies, officer schools, and in the aeronautical troops.

(2)- No deductions were made from the additional money.

(3) - Additional money was given to staff officers in such a way that the total amount of salary, canteens and additional money did not exceed 2520 rubles for colonels, 2400 rubles for lieutenant colonels. in year.

(4) - In the guard, captains, staff captains, and lieutenants received a salary 1 step higher.

(5) - The military clergy received a salary increase of 1/4 of their salary for 10 and 20 years of service.

Officers were issued the so-called when transferring to a new duty station and on business trips. passing money for hiring horses.

When on various types of business trips outside the unit limits, daily allowance and ration money are issued.

Table money, in contrast to salaries and additional money, was assigned to officers not by rank, but depending on their position:

corps commanders - 5,700 rubles.

heads of infantry and cavalry divisions - 4200 rubles.

heads of individual teams - 3,300 rubles.

commanders of non-individual brigades and regiments - 2,700 rubles.

commanders of individual battalions and artillery divisions - 1056 rubles.

commanders of field gendarmerie squadrons - 1020 rubles.

battery commanders - 900 rubles.

commanders of non-individual battalions, heads of economic units in the troops, assistants of cavalry regiments - 660 rubles.

junior staff officers of the artillery brigade department, company commanders of fortress and siege artillery - 600 rubles.

commanders of individual sapper companies and commanders of individual hundreds - 480 rubles.

company, squadron and hundred commanders, heads of training teams - 360 rubles.

senior officers (one at a time) in batteries - 300 rubles.

senior officers (except one) in artillery batteries in companies, heads of machine gun teams - 180 rubles.

official officers in the troops - 96 rubles.

Deductions were made from salaries and table money:

1% per hospital

1.5% on medicines (regimental pharmacy)

1% from canteens

1% of salary

to pension capital

6% - to the emeritus fund (for increases and pensions)

1% of canteen money in disabled capital.

When awarding orders, an amount is paid in the amount of:

St. Stanislaus 3 art. — 15 rub., 2 tbsp. — 30 rub.; 1 tbsp. - 120.

St. Anne 3 art. — 20 rub.; 2 tbsp. — 35 rub.; 1 tbsp. — 150 rub.

St. Vladimir 4 tbsp. — 40 rub.; 3 tbsp. — 45 rub.; 2 tbsp. — 225 rub.; 1 tbsp. — 450 rub.

White eagle - 300 rub.

St. Alexander Nevsky - 400 rubles.

St. Andrew the First-Called - 500 rubles.

No deductions are made for other orders.

The money went into the order capital of each order and was used to help the gentlemen of this order.

Officers were given apartment money, money for the maintenance of stables, as well as money for heating and lighting apartments, depending on the location of the military unit.

The settlements of European Russia and Siberia (1) are divided into 9 categories depending on the cost of housing and fuel. The difference in payment for apartments and fuel prices between settlements of the 1st category (Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kyiv, Odessa, etc.) and 9th category (small settlements) was 200% (4 times).

Military personnel taken prisoner and who were not in the enemy's service, upon returning from captivity, receive a salary for the entire time spent in captivity, except for table money. The family of a captive has the right to receive half of his salary, and is also provided with housing money, and, if anyone is entitled, an allowance for hiring servants.

Officers serving in remote areas have the right to a salary increase depending on the length of service in these areas for every 5 years of 20-25% (depending on the location), and for every 10 years a lump sum allowance.

On February 23, Russia celebrates Defender of the Fatherland Day. During Soviet times, it was established as a holiday in honor of the Red Army created after the revolution. The new Red Army completely renounced continuity with the old pre-revolutionary army. Shoulder straps and titles were abolished, and the institution of commissars appeared.

Only years later did the Soviet army begin to vaguely resemble the pre-revolutionary one.

In pre-Petrine times, the military class was the Streltsy, who spent their entire lives in public service. They were the most trained and almost professional troops. In peacetime, they lived on land that was granted to them for their service (but lost it if for some reason they left the service and did not pass it on), and performed a lot of other duties. The archers were supposed to maintain order and participate in putting out fires.

In the event of a serious war, when a large army was required, a limited recruitment was carried out from among the tax-paying classes.

The service of the archers was for life and was inherited. Theoretically, it was possible to resign, but to do this you had to either find someone to replace you or earn it through diligent service.

Shackles for the conscript

At the same time, the nobles found themselves in the most disadvantageous position. Full service was provided for them, although they almost always served in officer positions.

Peasants and townspeople recruited only a few people from the community. On average, only one man out of a hundred was recruited. Already in the 19th century, the entire territory of the country was divided into two geographical stripes, from each of which 5 recruits per thousand men were recruited every two years. In force majeure situations, an emergency recruitment could be declared - 10 or more people per thousand men.

The community determined who to recruit. And in the case of serfs, as a rule, the landowner decided. Much later, towards the end of the existence of the recruitment system, it was decided to draw lots between candidate recruits.

There was no conscription age as such, but, as a rule, men between the ages of 20 and 30 became recruits.

It is very interesting that the first regiments in the regular army were named after the names of their commanders. If the commander died or left, the name of the regiment had to change in accordance with the name of the new one. However, fearing the confusion that such a system invariably generated, it was decided to replace the names of the regiments in accordance with Russian localities.

Being recruited was perhaps the most significant event in a person’s life. After all, this practically guaranteed that he would leave his home forever and never see his family again.

In the first years of the existence of the recruitment system under Peter, escapes of recruits were so frequent and widespread that on the way to the “recruitment stations”, which simultaneously played the role of assembly points and “training”, the recruits were accompanied by escort teams, and they themselves were shackled at night. Later, instead of shackles, recruits began to get a tattoo - a small cross on the back of the hand.

A curious feature of Peter's army was the existence of the so-called. full money - compensation paid to officers and soldiers for the hardships they endured while in enemy captivity. The reward differed depending on the enemy country. For being a prisoner of war in European countries, compensation was half as much as for captivity in the non-Christian Ottoman Empire. In the 1860s, this practice was abolished due to concerns that soldiers would not show due diligence on the battlefield and would be more likely to surrender.

Since the time of Peter the Great, the army has widely practiced paying bonuses not only for individual feats in battle, but also for victories in important battles. Peter ordered to reward each participant in the Battle of Poltava. Later, during the Seven Years' War, for victory in the battle of Kunersdorf, all lower ranks who participated in it received a bonus in the form of a six-month salary. After the expulsion of Napoleon's army from Russian territory in the Patriotic War of 1812, all army ranks, without exception, received a bonus also in the amount of six months' salary.

No cronyism

In addition, Peter's army became a real social elevator. Approximately a third of the officer corps of the army of Peter the Great's times were made up of ordinary soldiers who had risen to the top. All of them received hereditary nobility.

After Peter's death, a gradual easing of service conditions began. The nobles received the right to exempt one person from the family from service so that they would have someone to manage the estate. Then their period of compulsory service was reduced to 25 years.

Under Empress Catherine II, nobles received the right not to serve at all. However, most of the nobility were landless or small-scale and continued to serve, which was the main source of income for these nobles.

A number of categories of the population were exempted from conscription. In particular, honorary citizens - the urban stratum somewhere between ordinary townspeople and nobles - were not subject to it. Representatives of the clergy and merchants were also exempted from conscription duty.

Anyone who wanted (even serfs) could quite legally buy their way out of service, even if they were subject to it. Instead, they had to either purchase a very expensive recruiting card, issued in exchange for contributing a significant amount to the treasury, or find another recruit in their place, for example, promising a reward to anyone who wanted it.

"Rear Rats"

After lifelong service was abolished, the question arose of how to find a place in society for people who spent most of their adult lives away from society, in a closed army system.

In Peter's times such a question did not arise. If a soldier was still capable of at least some kind of work, they found a use for him somewhere in the rear; as a rule, he was sent to train new recruits; at worst, he became a watchman. He was still in the army and receiving a salary. In case of decrepitude or severe injuries, soldiers were sent to the care of monasteries, where they received a certain allowance from the state. At the beginning of the 18th century, Peter I issued a special decree, according to which all monasteries had to equip almshouses for soldiers.

During the time of Catherine II, the state took over the care of the needy, including old soldiers, instead of the church. All monastic almshouses were dissolved, in return the church paid the state certain amounts, to which were added government funds, for which there was an Order of Public Charity, which was in charge of all social concerns.

All soldiers injured in service were entitled to a pension, regardless of their length of service. Upon leaving the army, they were provided with a large one-time payment for building a house and a small pension.

The reduction of service life to 25 years has led to a sharp increase in the number of disabled people. In modern Russian, this word means a person with disabilities, but in those days any retired soldiers were called disabled, regardless of whether they had injuries or not.

Under Paul, special disabled companies were formed. With these words, the modern imagination pictures a bunch of unfortunate cripples and decrepit old people, but in fact only healthy people served in such companies. They were staffed either by veterans of combat service who were close to the end of their service life, but at the same time healthy, or by those who, due to some illness, became unfit for combat service, or by those transferred from the active army for any disciplinary offenses.

Such companies were on duty at city outposts, guarded prisons and other important facilities, and escorted convicts. Later, on the basis of some disabled companies, escorts appeared.

A soldier who served his entire term of service could do whatever he wanted after leaving the army. He could choose any place of residence and engage in any type of activity. Even if he was called up as a serf, after his service he became a free man. As an incentive, retired soldiers were completely exempt from taxes.

Almost all retired soldiers settled in cities. It was much easier for them to find work there. As a rule, they became watchmen, constables or “uncles” for boys from noble families.

Soldiers rarely returned to the village. Over the course of a quarter of a century, people managed to forget him in his native land, and it was very difficult for him to once again adapt to peasant labor and the rhythm of life. Apart from this, there was practically nothing to do in the village.

Beginning with Catherine's times, special homes for the disabled began to appear in provincial cities, where retired soldiers unable to provide for themselves could live on full board and receive care. The first such house, called Kamennoostrovsky, appeared in 1778 on the initiative of Tsarevich Pavel.

In general, Pavel was very fond of soldiers and the army, so after becoming emperor he ordered the Chesme Palace, one of the imperial travel palaces, to be converted into a home for the disabled. However, during Pavel’s lifetime this could not be done due to problems with the water supply, and only two decades later it opened its doors to veterans of the Patriotic War of 1812.

Retired soldiers became one of the first categories of people to receive the right to a state pension. Soldiers' widows and young children also received the right to it if the head of the family died during service.

"Soldiers" and their children

"Soldiers" after their husband's conscription for service automatically became personally free, even if they had previously been serfs. At first, recruits were allowed to take their family with them into service, but later this rule was abolished and the recruits' families were only allowed to join them after they had served for some time.

All male children automatically fell into a special category of soldiers' children. In fact, from birth they were under the jurisdiction of the military department. They were the only category of children in the Russian Empire who were legally obliged to study. After studying in regimental schools, “soldiers’ children” (from the 19th century they began to be called cantonists) served in the military department. Thanks to the education they received, they did not very often become ordinary soldiers, as a rule, having non-commissioned officer positions or serving in non-combatant specialties.

In the first years of its existence, the regular army usually lived in field camps in the summer, and in the cold season went to winter quarters - billeting in villages and villages. Huts for housing were provided to them by local residents as part of the housing obligation. This system led to frequent conflicts. Therefore, from the mid-18th century, special areas began to emerge in cities - soldiers' settlements.

Each such settlement had an infirmary, a church and a bathhouse. The construction of such settlements was quite expensive, so not all regiments received separate settlements. In parallel with this system, the old billet, which was used during military campaigns, continued to function.

The barracks we are accustomed to appeared at the turn of the 18th–19th centuries, and at first only in large cities.

By call

Throughout the 19th century, the service life of recruits was repeatedly reduced: first to 20 years, then to 15 and finally to 10. Emperor Alexander II carried out a large-scale military reform in the 70s: conscription was replaced by universal military service.

However, the word “universal” should not be misleading. It was universal in the USSR and is in modern Russia, but then not everyone served. With the transition to the new system, it turned out that there were several times more potential conscripts than the needs of the army required, so not every healthy young man served, but only the one who drew the lot.

It happened like this: the conscripts cast lots (pulled pieces of paper with numbers from a box). According to its results, some of the conscripts were sent to the active army, and those who did not draw lots were enlisted in the militia. This meant that they would not serve in the army, but could be mobilized in case of war.

The conscription age was somewhat different from the modern one; one could not be drafted into the army before the age of 21 and after the age of 43. The conscription campaign took place once a year, after the completion of field work - from October 1 to November 1.

All classes were subject to conscription, with the exception of the clergy and Cossacks. The service life was 6 years, but later, at the beginning of the twentieth century, it was reduced to three years for infantry and artillery (in other branches of the military they served for four years, in the navy for five years). At the same time, those who were completely illiterate served a full term, those who graduated from a simple rural parochial or zemstvo school served for four years, and those who had a higher education served for a year and a half.

In addition, there was a very extensive system of deferments, including those based on property status. In general, the only son in the family, the grandson of a grandfather and grandmother who had no other able-bodied descendants, a brother who had younger brothers and sisters without parents (that is, the eldest in a family of orphans), as well as university teachers were not subject to conscription.

A deferment on property status for several years was provided to business owners and migrant peasants to organize their affairs, as well as to students of educational institutions. Part of the foreign (i.e., non-Christian) population of the Caucasus, Central Asia and Siberia, as well as the Russian population of Kamchatka and Sakhalin, were not subject to conscription.

They tried to recruit regiments on a territorial basis, so that conscripts from the same region would serve together. It was believed that the joint service of fellow countrymen would strengthen cohesion and military brotherhood.

The army of Peter the Great became a difficult test for society. Unprecedented conditions of service, lifelong service, separation from their native land - all this was unusual and difficult for the recruits. However, in Peter’s times this was partly compensated for by excellent working social elevators. Some of Peter's first recruits laid the foundation for noble military dynasties. Subsequently, with the reduction of service life, the army became the main instrument for the liberation of peasants from serfdom. With the transition to the conscription system, the army turned into a real school of life. The length of service was no longer so long, and conscripts returned from the army as literate people.

In the event of a serious war, when a large army was required, a limited recruitment was carried out from among the tax-paying classes. The service of the archers was for life and was inherited. Theoretically, it was possible to resign, but to do this you had to either find someone to replace you or earn it through diligent service.

Shackles for the conscript

A regular army appeared in Russia under Peter I. Wanting to create a regular army on a European model, the tsar issued a decree on conscription. From now on, people were recruited into the army not for individual wars, but for permanent service. Recruitment was universal, that is, absolutely all classes were subject to it. At the same time, the nobles were in the most disadvantageous position. General service was provided for them, although they almost always served in officer positions. Peasants and townspeople recruited only a few people from the community. On average, only one man out of a hundred was recruited. Already in the 19th century, the entire territory of the country was divided into two geographical stripes, from each of which 5 recruits per thousand men were recruited every two years. In force majeure situations, an emergency recruitment could be declared - 10 or more people per thousand men. The community determined who to recruit. And in the case of serfs, as a rule, the landowner decided. Much later, towards the end of the existence of the recruiting system, it was decided to draw lots between candidates for recruits. There was no conscription age as such, but, as a rule, men between the ages of 20 and 30 became recruits. It is very interesting that the first regiments in the regular armies were named after the names of their commanders. If the commander died or left, the name of the regiment had to change in accordance with the name of the new one. However, fearing the confusion that such a system invariably generated, it was decided to replace the names of the regiments in accordance with Russian localities.
Being recruited was perhaps the most significant event in a person’s life. After all, this practically guaranteed that he would leave his home forever and never see his relatives again. In the first years of the existence of the recruiting system under Peter, escapes of recruits were such a frequent and widespread occurrence that on the way to the “recruitment stations”, which simultaneously played the role of assembly points and "training", the recruits were accompanied by escort teams, and they themselves were shackled at night. Later, instead of shackles, recruits began to get a tattoo - a small cross on the back of the hand. A curious feature of Peter the Great’s army was the existence of the so-called. full money - compensation paid to officers and soldiers for the hardships they endured while in enemy captivity. The reward differed depending on the enemy country. For being a prisoner of war in European countries, compensation was half as much as for captivity in the non-Christian Ottoman Empire. In the 60s of the 18th century, this practice was abolished, as fears arose that soldiers would not show due diligence on the battlefield, but would more often surrender. Starting from Peter the Great’s times, the army widely practiced paying bonuses not only for individual feats in battle, but also for victories in important battles. Peter ordered to reward each participant in the Battle of Poltava. Later, during the Seven Years' War, for victory in the battle of Kunersdorf, all lower ranks who participated in it received a bonus in the form of a six-month salary. After the expulsion of Napoleon's army from Russian territory in the Patriotic War of 1812, all army ranks, without exception, received a bonus also in the amount of six months' salary.

No cronyism

Throughout the 18th century, the conditions of service for both soldiers and officers were gradually relaxed. Peter was faced with an extremely difficult task - to literally create a combat-ready regular army from scratch. We had to act by trial and error. The tsar sought to personally control many things, in particular, almost until his death, he personally approved every officer appointment in the army and vigilantly ensured that connections, both family and friendly, were not used. The title could be obtained solely on one’s own merits. In addition, Peter’s army became a real social elevator. Approximately a third of the officer corps of the army of Peter the Great's times were made up of ordinary soldiers who had risen to the top. All of them received hereditary nobility.
After Peter's death, a gradual easing of service conditions began. The nobles received the right to exempt one person from the family from service so that they would have someone to manage the estate. Then their period of compulsory service was reduced to 25 years. Under Empress Catherine II, the nobles received the right not to serve at all. However, most of the nobility were homeless or small and continued to serve, which was the main source of income for these nobles. A number of categories of the population were exempt from conscription. In particular, honorary citizens - the urban stratum somewhere between ordinary townspeople and nobles - were not subject to it. Representatives of the clergy and merchants were also exempted from conscription duty. Anyone who wished (even serfs) could quite legally buy their way out of service, even if they were subject to it. Instead, they had to either purchase a very expensive recruiting card, issued in exchange for contributing a significant amount to the treasury, or find another recruit in their place, for example, promising a reward to anyone who wanted it.

"Rear Rats"

After lifelong service was abolished, the question arose of how to find a place in society for people who spent most of their adult life away from society, in a closed army system. In Peter’s times, such a question did not arise. If a soldier was still capable of at least some kind of work, they found a use for him somewhere in the rear; as a rule, he was sent to train new recruits; at worst, he became a watchman. He was still in the army and receiving a salary. In case of decrepitude or severe injuries, soldiers were sent to the care of monasteries, where they received a certain allowance from the state. At the beginning of the 18th century, Peter I issued a special decree, according to which all monasteries had to equip almshouses for soldiers.
During the time of Catherine II, the state took over the care of the needy, including old soldiers, instead of the church. All monastery almshouses were dissolved, in return the church paid certain amounts to the state, to which were added government funds, for which there was an Order of Public Charity, which was in charge of all social concerns. All soldiers who were injured in service received the right to a pension, regardless of the period of their services. Upon leaving the army, they were provided with a large one-time payment for building a house and a small pension. The reduction of service life to 25 years led to a sharp increase in the number of disabled people. In modern Russian, this word means a person with disabilities, but in those days any retired soldiers were called disabled, regardless of whether they had injuries or not. Under Pavel, special disabled companies were formed. With these words, the modern imagination pictures a bunch of unfortunate cripples and decrepit old people, but in fact only healthy people served in such companies. They were staffed either by veterans of combat service who are close to the end of their service life, but are healthy, or by those who, due to some illness, became unfit for combat service, or by those transferred from the active army for any disciplinary offenses. Such companies were on duty at city outposts, guarded prisons and other important facilities, and escorted convicts. Later, on the basis of some disabled companies, guards arose. A soldier who had served his entire service life could do whatever he wanted after leaving the army. He could choose any place of residence and engage in any type of activity. Even if he was called up as a serf, after his service he became a free man. As an incentive, retired soldiers were completely exempt from taxes. Almost all retired soldiers settled in cities. It was much easier for them to find work there. As a rule, they became watchmen, constables, or “uncles” for boys from noble families. Soldiers rarely returned to the village. Over the course of a quarter of a century, people managed to forget him in his native land, and it was very difficult for him to once again adapt to peasant labor and the rhythm of life. Apart from this, there was practically nothing to do in the village. Starting from Catherine’s times, special homes for the disabled began to appear in provincial cities, where retired soldiers who were not capable of self-sufficiency could live on full board and receive care. The first such house, called Kamennoostrovsky, appeared in 1778 on the initiative of Tsarevich Pavel.
In general, Pavel was very fond of soldiers and the army, so after becoming emperor he ordered the Chesme Palace, one of the imperial travel palaces, to be converted into a home for the disabled. However, during Paul’s lifetime this was not possible due to problems with the water supply, and only two decades later he opened his doors to veterans of the Patriotic War of 1812. Retired soldiers became one of the first categories of people entitled to a state pension. Soldiers' widows and young children also received the right to it if the head of the family died during service.

"Soldiers" and their children

Soldiers were not forbidden to marry, including during service, with the permission of the commander. Soldiers' wives and their future children were included in a special category of soldiers' children and soldiers' wives. As a rule, most of the soldiers' wives got married even before their chosen ones entered the army.
"Soldiers" after their husband's conscription for service automatically became personally free, even if they had previously been serfs. At first, recruits were allowed to take their family with them to serve, but later this rule was abolished and the families of recruits were allowed to join them only after they had served for some time. All male children automatically fell into a special category of soldiers' children. In fact, from birth they were under the jurisdiction of the military department. They were the only category of children in the Russian Empire who were legally obliged to study. After studying in regimental schools, “soldiers’ children” (from the 19th century they began to be called cantonists) served in the military department. Thanks to the education they received, they did not very often become ordinary soldiers, as a rule, having non-commissioned officer positions or serving in non-combatant specialties. In the first years of its existence, the regular army usually lived in field camps in the summer, and in the cold season went to winter quarters - being stationed to stay in villages and villages. Huts for housing were provided to them by local residents as part of the housing obligation. This system led to frequent conflicts. Therefore, from the mid-18th century, special areas began to emerge in cities - soldiers' settlements. Each such settlement had an infirmary, a church and a bathhouse. The construction of such settlements was quite expensive, so not all regiments received separate settlements. In parallel with this system, the old billet, which was used during military campaigns, continued to function. The barracks we are accustomed to appeared at the turn of the 18th–19th centuries and at first only in large cities.

By call

Throughout the 19th century, the service life of recruits was repeatedly reduced: first to 20 years, then to 15 and finally to 10. Emperor Alexander II in the 70s carried out a large-scale military reform: conscription was replaced by universal conscription. However, the word “universal” "should not be misleading. It was universal in the USSR and is in modern Russia, but then not everyone served. With the transition to the new system, it turned out that there were several times more potential conscripts than the needs of the army required, so not every healthy young man served, but only the one who drew the lot.
It happened like this: the conscripts cast lots (pulled pieces of paper with numbers from a box). According to its results, some of the conscripts were sent to the active army, and those who did not draw lots were enlisted in the militia. This meant that they would not serve in the army, but could be mobilized in case of war. The conscription age was somewhat different from the modern one; they could not be drafted into the army before the age of 21 and after the age of 43. The conscription campaign took place once a year, after the end of field work - from October 1 to November 1. All classes were subject to conscription, with the exception of the clergy and Cossacks. The service life was 6 years, but later, at the beginning of the twentieth century, it was reduced to three years for infantry and artillery (in other branches of the military they served for four years, in the navy for five years). At the same time, those who were completely illiterate served a full term, those who graduated from a simple rural parochial or zemstvo school served for four years, and those who had a higher education served for a year and a half. In addition, there was a very extensive system of deferments, including based on property status. In general, the only son in the family, the grandson of grandparents who had no other able-bodied descendants, the brother who had younger brothers and sisters without parents (that is, the eldest in a family of orphans), as well as university teachers were not subject to conscription. property status was provided to business owners and migrant peasants for several years to organize their affairs, as well as to students of educational institutions. Part of the foreign (i.e., non-Christian) population of the Caucasus, Central Asia and Siberia, as well as the Russian population of Kamchatka and Sakhalin, were not subject to conscription. They tried to recruit regiments on a territorial basis, so that conscripts from the same region would serve together. It was believed that the joint service of fellow countrymen would strengthen cohesion and military brotherhood.

***
The army of Peter the Great became a difficult test for society. Unprecedented conditions of service, lifelong service, separation from their native land - all this was unusual and difficult for the recruits. However, in Peter’s times this was partly compensated for by excellent working social elevators. Some of Peter's first recruits laid the foundation for noble military dynasties. Subsequently, with the reduction of service life, the army became the main instrument for the liberation of peasants from serfdom. With the transition to the conscription system, the army turned into a real school of life. The length of service was no longer so long, and conscripts returned from the army as literate people.