Raznochintsy
Encyclopedia
Raznochintsy was an official term introduced in the Code of Law of the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...

 in the 17th century to define a social estate that included the lower court
Royal court
Royal court, as distinguished from a court of law, may refer to:* The Royal Court , Timbaland's production company*Court , the household and entourage of a monarch or other ruler, the princely court...

 and governmental ranks, children of personal dvoryans, and discharged military, The category of raznochintsy grew significantly during the massive trimming down of the category of "servicemen" (:ru:служилые люди) in the second half of the 17th century. Raznochintsy were of taxable estate, i.e., those who had to pay personal taxes (подушная подать). In the mid-18th century the category was abolished, and significant part of raznochintsy were transferred into peasantry, but many became merchants and various urban categories (urban sosloviya). As a result, raznochinsty of 17th-18th centuries significantly contributed to the urban growth in Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...

 

Later, in the common speech the term acquired a somewhat opposite meaning: raznochintsy became to denote persons of non-noble origin who due to their education were excluded from the taxable status and could apply for the status of personal distinguished citizenship (личное почетное гражданство).

A significant amount of Russian intelligentsia
Intelligentsia
The intelligentsia is a social class of people engaged in complex, mental and creative labor directed to the development and dissemination of culture, encompassing intellectuals and social groups close to them...

of 19th century were raznochintsy.
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