Legal Status and Social Standing of Teachers in Tobolsk Province in the Late 18th – First Half of the 19th Centuries

A retrospective analysis of the legal status and social standing of the professional group of teachers from the late 18th to the first half of the 19th centuries allows us to understand the root causes of state regulation and identify promising elements of social practice. Based on archival documents, this article characterizes the teaching profession in Tobolsk Governorate: social composition, place in the state system, financial status, awards, professional and non-professional interests, and social status. The author concludes that by the mid-19th century, teachers were finally differentiated according to levels of school education, with a clear internal hierarchy based on class politics. While local administrations viewed teachers as a separate category of civil servants, the perception of society shifted over time, from rejection to gradual recognition of their necessity (“teacher-educator”). The lack of connections between educational levels and the vast Siberian expanses created an information vacuum for educators and hindered their consolidation.