THE STAFF OF THE PIDKOMORIOUS COURTS OF THE RIGHT-BANK UKRAINE (1797–1832)

Abstract

The article analyzes the staff of the pidkomorious courts of the Right-bank Ukraine after the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth’s court tradition was restored by Pavel I. In an effort to centralize the state, strengthen its power and establish order, the ruler went for the restoration of certain elements of the previous judicial system in order to receive support from the regional elites. It is established that the return to the previous staff was declared. However, earlier the szlachta of the povit chose only the pidkomoriy, which held the position for the life term and independently formed the composition of the court, appointing a komornyk, a scrivener, a measurer and diggers, but this time, in Russian reality, the magistrates were the first who were elected for the life term in the noble elections. Soon enough, under the reign of Alexander I according to the “Institutions for the Management of the Provinces” (1775) they were elected for a three-year term. Apart from the pidkomoriy, a komornyk and a voznyi (who were not present in the composition of the court before) were elected as well. The supreme power tried to bring the composition of the noble voters in accordance with the all-Russian laws but due to the specific characteristics of the region they constantly faced problems, in particular, some of the nobles did not have the necessary property, others were not recorded in the noble books etc. One of the main things that influenced the composition of the court was the approval of the positions of a pidkomoriy, a komornyk and a voznyi by the governor. Being on elected positions in the judiciary was a sign of loyalty on the part of the local gentry to the Russian authorities who in turn met legal financial needs of such officials, even at the expense of the treasury as it was with the sequestrated mansions after T. Kosciuszko’s uprising. A great amount of work combined with the control by the Russian authorities led to the loss of the prestige value of the position. Well-off Polish landowners preferred to run their own farming and make a profit of this rather than abandon their mansions and serve the Russian authorities. Some elected officials carried out their official duties negligently, ignoring the orders of the county and provincial authorities, violating the rules of clerical work and refusing to go to the delimitation. After the suppression of the Polish uprising in 1830-1831 pidcomorian courts were abolished and their functions were forwarded to povit courts.