State Holidays in the Inorodtsy Administration of the 19th Century: Working Arrangements for Employees

Abstract

In the early 19th century, the Russian Empire maintained a multivariate management system, among other things, due to incompleteness of integrative processes towards the inorodtsy population. Since Imperial approval of the “Rules for the Administration of the Kalmyk People” (1825; hereinafter referred to as the "Rules") determining legal status of the Kalmyk steppe, a management structure was finally formed that directly regulated the life of the autochthonous population. In accordance with legal norms of the "Rules", a vertical of power was established, powers of officials were designated, and regime of the inorodtsy administration was determined. The article assesses working arrangements of the inorodtsy administration employees in a case-study the Council of the Astrakhan Kalmyk Administration in the period from 1836 to 1847. Despite rich historiographical base on the history of officialdom in Russia, some aspects of it remain outside researchers’ attention. Absence of special works on standing orders regulating service of the representatives of non-Orthodox confessions in the system of inorodtsy administration has determined the relevance of the study. Correspondence chain of comrade of the Chief Bailiff of the Kalmyk people—governor—Minister of Internal Affairs, found in the fond “Lamai Spiritual Administration” of the National Archive of the Republic of Kalmykia, permit to establish working hours of the Kalmyk employees, and also role of the Buddhist clergy (represented by the Lamai Spiritual Administration) in the process of integration of the Kalmyk steppe into the general imperial space. The initiated introduction of state holidays in the system of inorodtsy administration began in gubernias, but was approved by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. State holidays in the system of inorodtsy administration were coordinated with hierarchs of confessional structures, in this case, the Buddhist church. From second quarter of the 19th century, the list of state holidays was sent to the uluses in circular letters, and later printed and distributed across the steppe. The author comes to the conclusion that differences in the religious views of the employed Russian Empire subjects did not derogate their dignity; on the contrary, involvement of clergy, respect for traditions and customs of the inorodtsy population was a means of their integration into general imperial space.