Assembly of Nobility

Categories / Social Life/Social Organizations and Unions
ASSEMBLY OF NOBILITY, St. Petersburg provincial corporate social class organisation of St. Petersburg Province nobility, founded on the basis of the Charter of Nobility dated 21 April 1785; its aim was to ensure class unity and rights of nobility. The Assembly enjoyed the powers of a legal entity, and dealt with the establishment and application of charitable funds, etc., arranged business meetings of noblemen, balls, concerts, masquerades, etc. The self-governing class authority was represented by the Delegate Assembly of Nobility, consisting of delegates elected by Assemblies of Nobility of district towns. It was headed by an elected Provincial Marshal of Nobility. The right to vote was exercised by hereditary noblemen over the age of 25, having a rank and income-generating property. The scope of activities of the Delegate Assembly of Nobility included elections of officials, authorisation of government proposals, petitions on the needs of nobility, keeping of books of noble genealogy, guardianship cases, etc. A civil governor and provincial prosecutor (without voting rights) took part in the work of the Delegate Assembly of Nobility. The solution of extraordinary problems demanded the convocation of emergency sittings of the Assembly. After the enthronement of Emperor Paul I (1796), the Charter of Nobility was cancelled, and the provincial Assembly of Nobility ceased to exist (re-established in 1801 by emperor Alexander I). Since 1790, the Assembly of Nobility occupied alternately Vorontsovsky Palace (25 Sadovaya Street) and the house of Lion (later the house of V.V. Engelgardt; 30 Nevsky Prospect). In 1834-39, the house for the Assembly was built at 2 Mikhaylovskaya Street – 9 Italyanskaya Street on the funds of the state treasury (1,000,000 roubles) (architect P.P. Jacot after the project design by architect C.I. Rossi). After October 1917, the Assembly of Nobility was dissolved; at present, its building houses Shostakovich Philharmonic Hall.

References: Яблочков М. Т. История дворянского сословия в России. СПб., 1876; Фрадкина Э. А. Зал Дворянского собрания: Заметки о концертной жизни С.-Петербурга. СПб., 1994.

Y. N. Kruzhnov. Alexander I, Emperor
Engelgardt Vasily Vasilievich
Jacot Pavel Petrovich
Paul (Pavel) I, Emperor
Rossi Carl Ivanovich (Carlo Giovanni)
Shostakovich Dmitry Dmitrievich
Italyanskaya Street/Saint Petersburg, city, house 9
Mikhailovskaya St./Saint Petersburg, city, house 2
Nevsky prospect/Saint Petersburg, city, house 30
Sadovaya St./Saint Petersburg, city, house 26
Яблочков М.Т. История дворянского сословия в России. СПб., 1876
Фрадкина Э. А. Зал Дворянского собрания: Заметки о концерт. жизни С.-Петербурга. СПб., 1994 Vorontsov Palace
Philharmonic named after D.D. Shostakovich
1839