The upper summary court of Yekaterinburg: organisation and functioning in 1781-1797

The article deals with the implementation of Catherine II’s administrative and legal reforms at the Central Urals. Staffing the newly founded institutions with qualified officials and chancery clerks and providing them with regular financing posed a challenge to the local administration, especially in northern and eastern regions of Russia. This is shown by the example of the upper summary court in Yekaterinburg set up in October 1781. Due to social and economic conditions, the court of appeal that dealt with civil and criminal cases involving the free rural population did not only hold the position of the highest court in the Eastern part of the Perm vicegerency (1781-1796), but also became the successor of the Chief Office of Mines and Works. Despite of the well-established infrastructure, the upper summary court went through a severe period in the first years. It suffered constant brain drain since most experienced chancery clerks had moved to Perm and district towns in the Yekaterinburg region experiencing heavy manpower shortage. More serious difficulties, however, were caused by the double burden the upper summary court was inflicted with. Because of its special position, it did not only act as a coordinator between the fourteen subordinated distric t courts, but also was responsible for the two archives, “inherited” from the Chief Office of Mines and Works. Regardless of this, the Yekaterinburg upper summary court was equally staffed and provided with the same budget as its Perm based counterpart playing a far less significant role in the region.