The blue uniform in the mirror of Venus: interactions between personal life and professional career of the separate gendarme corps officials

The article, based on a wide range of archive documents kept in the State Archives of the Russian Federation, analyzes episodes from Russian gendarmerie officials’ privacy. The research reveals the regularities of gender relations in the gendarmerie environment, their relationships with their brides, wives and mistresses. Particular attention is paid to the causes of conflicts in gendarme officer’s personal lives, as well as the consequences of these conflicts for their career. Finally, it reveals the Separate Gendarme Corps Command’s motivation in evaluation of the moral qualities of its subordinates. The conclusion is that social realities and official moral requirements made gendarme officers vulnerable to complaints and slanderous accusations by women. A failed marriage was very likely to lead to the career destruction.