courtiers

The article is devoted to the biography of one of the ordinary serving people of the XVII century Mikhail Fedorovich Oznobishin. The life path of the courtier is considered through the prism of his personal perception of such a moral concept as generic “honor”, which is reflected in the family pedigree compiled by Oznobishin in 1686. For the first time, information is given about some stages of his official career, as well as about the previously unknown voivode of Saratov, who became Oznobishin’s successor at the voivodeship.

This article deals with the problem of frivolities («nugae») in social and political life of England in the twelfth century. According to John of Salisbury’s «Policraticus of the frivolities of courtiers and the footprints of philosophers» («Policraticus sive de nugis curialium et vestigiis philosophorum», 1159) frivolities are the most significant part of «vita tyranni». Not only courtiers, but also kings, live without understanding of their great role in the state.

The article is devoted to the role of the imperial court in the «personnel reserve» formation for high governmental and military posts during the reign period of Catherine the Great. Comparative study of courtier’s and Page Corps graduates career development was held for this research by the means of two specially created prosopographical databases. The obtained results give us an opportunity to evaluate the impact of a court rank granting on the nobles career development and on receiving an appointment to the important governmental and military posts.