• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Baron

The titles of Prince and Count in Russia are objects of the most vehement cupidity and ambition to the high functionaries of the Empire, but that of Baron has no social value. The title of a Russian Baron even carries with it a ludicrous notion, which is to be chiefly ascribed to the custom of conferring it on the Court Bankers, in a country where the industrious class enjoys no consideration whatever.

That the industrious class is found to be disdained in Russia is owing to the facility given to the sons of rich merchants to be nobilitated through the service, either military or civil. The order of nobility in Russia incessantly absorbs all the chiefs of the industrious class. There is not a single Russian merchant of opulence who would bring up his son with a view to make him one day an heir to his business, and to render him capable to maintain honourably the name of his father; he instructs him rather how to become an hereditary nobleman, and as soon as the latter has arrived at his object, he is eager to shew the most base scorn for the profession his father had exercised, and by which he had perhaps acquired the esteem and confidence of his fellow-men.

In the year 1726 one of the Court dwarfs was seen adorned with the title of Baron. Out of the twenty families of the Russian Barons created by Peter I. four rose to the dignity of Counts, and a few still existed in the mid-19th Century.

1. Barons Solovieff. Descendants of two brothers, Russian merchants, who had established a factory in Holland, and upon whom Catherine I. conferred the title of Barons in the year 1727, January 1st.
2. Barons Cherkassoff. John Cherkassoff, private secretary of Peter I. was created Baron by the Empress Elizabeth, in the year 1742, April 25th. His son, Baron John, was a distinguished admiral.
3. Barons Fredericks. John Frederichs, a Courtbanker, received from Catherine II. the title of Baron in the year 1773, April 5th.
4. Barons Mestmacher. John Mestmacher, an upper clerk of the private closet of Catherine, was sent by her to Vienna, in order to solicit from Joseph II. on behalf of Count Gregory Potemkine, the title of Prince of the Holy Roman Empire. In the way of reward for the success of that mission, he was created a Russian Baron in the year 1777, July 6th.
5. Barons De Meller Zakomelsky. John de Meller, General-in-chief under the reign of Catherine II., a distinguished soldier, got from that Princess the title of Baron with the name of Zahomelshy, in the year 1789, June 30th.
6. Bakons Velho and Bakons Rali,. Messrs. Velho and Rail, the Court-bankers under the reign of Paul, got from that Prince the title of Barons in the year 1800.
7. Baeons Stieglitz. Mr. Louis Stieglitz, a Courtbanker, received the title of Baron from the Emperor Nicolas in the year 1826, August 24th.

Whilst Arakcheieff most despotically scourged the whole Empire, the chairman of the Academy at St. Petersburg proposed him to be elected a member of that learned body. Mr. Labzin, perpetual Secretary of the Academy, begged the chairman to explain for what sort of scientific merit this honour was to be conferred on the new candidate. The chairman gravely stated that "he is the nearest nobleman to the Emperor Alexander himself." "Such qualification being competent," rejoined the interpellator, "I have the pleasure to propose for a member of the Academy, Ilin Ba'ikoff, the coachman; he is not only the nearest to the Emperor, but he has a seat before his Majesty." This witty joke procured its author an exile to Symbirsk.

The Russian Barons, whose male descent is extinct, were as follows: Schafiroff, a celebrated diplomatist and Vice-chancellor of the Empire under the reign of Peter I. (created in the year 1710); the Chamberlain Coustons, (in 1725) ; Chetigine, one of the Court dwarfs, (in 1726); the Chamberlain Pospeloff, (in 1728); the English physician, Sir Thomas Dimsdale, (in 1769), the same who had vaccinated Catherine II. and Paul; General Arakcheieff, (in 1797), who at a later period was created Count, and died without legitimate posterity, (he was an unworthy favourite of the Emperor Alexander, and the name of Arakcheieff in Russian history has become an emblem of cruelty and wickedness);! Boghovikoff, a merchant who used to lend money to the Grand-Duke Paul, and upon whom that Prince, at his accession to the throne, conferred the title of Baron; lastly, the senator Kolokoltsoffwas nominated Baron in the year 1801.