Tax-free and duty-free (obel’nye) peasants of Olonets province (gubernija) and their social and juridical status in 17th - early 20th centuries (case study of Grigorii Merkuljev, Ivan Rjaboev and their progeny)

In the pre-1917th Russia there were eight small peasant groups, which were exempt from taxes and duties for their outstanding doings. They were called obel’nye (tax-free and duty-free) peasants. The article introduces information on two groups of such peasants - Grigoriy Merkuljev, Ivan Rjaboev and their descendants. G. Merkuljev was the first to receive his privileged status during the Time of Troubles in 1601, and I. Rjaboev was the last one to receive the status during the period of Pertine reforms in 1720. G. Merkuljev and I. Rjaboev’s progeny kept this status up to the early 20 th century. Their status was registered in Imperial Russian acting legislation. The goal of the research work is to trace the history of the origin and existence of these small groups of privileged peasants, which lived in Russian Karelia from the early 17 th century up to the 1917. The research is based on the case study of two such groups. The legislative measures dealing with this issue were analyzed, relations of obel’nye peasants with central and local authorities were studied, and their social and economic development were researched. The article concludes that received privileges deactivated obel’nye peasants and deprived them of the stimuli for social mobility and economical activity. By the early 20 th century the privileged status of obel’nye peasants transformed into a social relic and resulted in the social and economic degradation of this peasant group. Such deprecation can be vied as a sign of degradation of the autocratic power itself.