HEREDITARY SERVICEMEN IN THE BORDER TOWN ON THE VOLGA AT THE END OF THE TIME OF TROUBLES

Abstract

The article shows the results of studying the composition and activities of hereditary servicemen in the Samara fortress at the end of the Time of Troubles. The analysis was based on methods of modern “new social history” and “new biographic history”. These methods were applied within the selected chronological and local frameworks of the southeastern borders of Russia at the beginning of the 17th century without ego-sources, and the necessary biographical information has been extracted from office documents and acts. Hereditary servicemen were transferred to Samara mainly from the towns and uezds of the Upper Volga. They had to participate in the struggle against internal enemies — supporters of impostors, in repelling attacks by nomads and Cossacks, in ensuring diplomatic contacts and customs service, in establishing ties with the capital, other towns and regions. They made a contribution into construction new fortresses on the Volga, because Samara remained the only Russian fortress between Kazan and Astrakhan during the Time of Troubles. The privileged status of hereditary servicemen in the Samara was due to the performance of responsible military and administrative duties, relatively high salaries, since the majority of them owned only small estates if at all, did not have serfs or owned a tiny number of them. Experienced soldiers and managers sent to serve in Samara contributed to the strengthening of the authorities in the border town and the further colonization of the outlying lands in the southeast of European Russia.