The title "merchant of the first guild" in Russia belonged to the "third estate". It was considered semi-privileged, going after the nobles and the clergy. All merchants were united in a guild, of which there were three. For admission to one of them it was necessary to make a special fee. The merchant guild is a professional form of organizing trading people.
Who are merchants in Russia until 1785?
It would seem, it is clear who such merchants are. These are people engaged in trade. But in Russia, a small number of trading people belonged to merchants. They recorded those who traded, produced goods. This was due to the fact that they sold produced or mined. They were called "trading peasants", who were supposed to be assigned to the urban suburbs and pay a special fee.
The estate of "trading peasants" was formed in 1718. Entering this estate group gave the right to legally reside in the city and enjoy trade privileges. Until the government carried out guild reform in 1775, according to which everyone who lived in the suburbs was considered merchants. Most of the posad people were counted among the merchants, although they were not as such.
Guild Appearance
The word “guild” appears in Russian sources since 1712, when a class of “trading peasants” taxed by tax is introduced by special decree. In 1721, the Charter of the main magistrate was adopted. According to him, posad people were categorized as “regular people.” They were divided into two merchant guilds, which included the concept of "merchant of the first guild." Separation was carried out according to capital and occupation. The category of “vile people” was also introduced. It included hired workers: day laborers and general laborers.
In 1722, workshops were established, which included craftsmen of certain professions, such as blacksmiths, shoemakers, weavers, potters. Workshops were allocated from the category of “regular people”, which significantly reduced the number of people engaged in trading activities.
In 1742, the concept of "vile people" was excluded, instead a third merchant guild was introduced. In 1755, the Customs Charter was adopted, which allows trading activities not to merchants, and only to those goods that they produced on their own. They had the right to trade all other goods, subject to a special inventory.
Guild Reform of 1775
After its holding, the merchants were divided into three guilds. Joining one of them was possible according to the announced capital. A marginal minimum has been set. To enter a specific guild, he composed:
- Merchants of the first guild - 10 thousand rubles.
- Merchants of the second guild - 1 thousand rubles.
- Domes of the third guild - 500 rubles.
A guild fee of 1% was set. It should be noted that almost every 10 years there was a change in declared capital and guild fees.
Monopoly on trade
The Senate of Russia in 1760 publishes a Decree prohibiting anyone other than merchants from trading in Russian and foreign goods. In 1785, the “Letter of Merit to Cities” was signed, signed by Catherine II, in which a clear border was given between the guilds. It was this document that granted the merchant class a monopoly on trade.
Three guilds were established, as before, the merchants included in them could carry out the following activities and have property:
- Merchants of the first guild could own ships, have their own production (factories, factories), as well as the right to conduct foreign trade, have passport privileges. They were exempted from military service and from corporal punishment.
- Merchants of the second guild could have river vessels. They could also own factories. Corporal punishment was not applied to them; recruitment was abolished.
- Those in the third guild could own shops, taverns and inns. In other words, do retail trade.
The 1807 Merchants' Manifesto proclaims the establishment of a monopoly on the merchants of the first guild to engage in Kyakhta trade (with China and Mongolia).
Privilege
Merchants occupied a significant niche in Russian society. They were granted certain privileges. True, most of them were assigned to trading people with significant capital. The privileges of the nobles and merchants of the first guild differed from each other. In the lists of estates by the number of privileges received, the nobles stood above any other estate.
But the merchants had a special privilege - to become an "honorary citizen." In this case, by the number of privileges, they approached the nobles. But the latter had the right to public service, which other classes did not have, including the highest merchant guild. The title of “honorary citizen” did not give this right. When comparing the privileges of the nobles and merchants of the first guild, one can note the differences between the two estates.
List of privileges of noblemen:
- The main privilege is the possession of land allotments with peasants living on them.
- Not taxable.
- Self-government is class.
- Exemption from the performance of zemstvo duties.
- Exemption from recruitment.
- Exemption from corporal punishment.
- Obtaining education in privileged educational institutions, where representatives of other classes were not allowed.
- The right to enter the civil service.
Merchants of the first guild, a list of privileges:
- Opportunity to have a large turnover (internal and external).
- Exemption from a certain number of taxes.
- Exemption from recruitment and corporal punishment.
- Getting education in decent schools.
- Estate at the estate level.
As can be seen from the above lists, the privileges of the nobles were exemption from any taxes, education at the expense of the state, admission to public service. Merchants of the first guild were exempted only from certain taxes, had the right to receive a good education at their own expense. They could not enter the civil service. Nevertheless, some noble officials registered in the merchant guilds their wives or other close relatives, while being supported by the state.
Contribution of the Russian merchants to the development and prosperity of the country
Some merchants sent accumulated capital to charity. They built schools, hospitals, real schools, churches, museums. The world famous Tretyakov Gallery was built by the merchant Pavel Tretyakov. In Khabarovsk, the Assumption Cathedral, which is the first stone building in the city, was built at the expense of A.F. Plyusnin, a merchant of the first guild.
It is difficult to underestimate the role of merchants in the development of the country. Representatives of this estate built factories, factories, workshops for the production of goods, which were subsequently sold in the markets of the country and the world. They equipped expeditions for mineral exploration, took an active part in the development of Siberia and the Far East. Nikolai Igumnov, a Moscow merchant of the first guild, created a resort area between Gagra and Pitsunda with his own money.
Many cities of Russia have their own identity, recognition thanks to historical centers built up by merchant houses. Until the 19th century, it was rarely possible to meet a literate person in a merchant environment. If the first generation respected all peasant customs, the way of life was fully consistent with that prevailing in rural areas, then subsequent generations lived in large and beautiful city houses, children received education in the best educational institutions in Russia and abroad. By the beginning of the 20th century, it was the ruling class, which replaced the nobility.