Customs revenues constituted a very important part of the budget receipts of the Romanov monarchy... more Customs revenues constituted a very important part of the budget receipts of the Romanov monarchy in the 18th century. Therefore, from the beginning of the reign of Tsarina Catherine II, the search for a suitable model of the customs collection management apparatus began. Work on building a modern customs administration coincided with Russia’s acquisition of further territorial acquisitions at the expense of the Commonwealth. This fact became one of the most important catalysts for the changes taking place in the organisation of the Russian customs administration and led to its final formation. This model survived until the beginning of the 20th century.
The Duchy of Warsaw is considered to be the first modern state that was established on the former... more The Duchy of Warsaw is considered to be the first modern state that was established on the former territories of the Polish‑Lithuanian Commonwealth. One of the signs of its modernity were the central and local structures of general and special administration. The first offices that were created, even before the announcement of the creation of the Duchy of Warsaw, were the customs administration authorities. It was not accidental, because customs duties constituted an important part of the non‑permanent income of this state organism. On the basis of handwritten and printed sources as well as studies, the process of creating customs administration structures, the scope of their competences and the procedure for appointing officials to the created positions were analysed.
On the basis of archival sources, the process of deportation of people of German origin and the E... more On the basis of archival sources, the process of deportation of people of German origin and the Evangelical faith to Russia in the years 1914-1915 is presented.
The main objectives of this article is to present: genesis and political position authorities: Go... more The main objectives of this article is to present: genesis and political position authorities: Governor and Vice-Governor in the Polish Kingdom after the unification reform of local administration in 1867, review of their powers, statistics of the group and nominations for these posts and verified by source a list of persons occupying these positions.
Rocznik Instytutu Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej, 2023
The aim of the article is to present the modernization processes taking place in the organization... more The aim of the article is to present the modernization processes taking place in the organization of customs and border supervision on the western border of the Russian Empire, with particular emphasis on the territory of the Kingdom of Poland. On the basis of sources and studies, it was possible to identify the factors that determined the appearance of modernization activities in these structures. In addition, it was possible to determine the stages of introducing innovations. The changes introduced significantly modernized the structures of the civil customs administration and the structures of the border guard operating in the Kingdom of Poland at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Peter I, ruler of Russia, is regarded as the father of the modern administrative apparatus create... more Peter I, ruler of Russia, is regarded as the father of the modern administrative apparatus created in order to effectively administer the empire. The then introduced system of personnel selection and promotions became an inherent part of the practice applied during the reign of successive Romanovs until the end of the functioning of absolute rule in Russia. On the basis of preserved source materials of government origin, the fact of the service of customs officials on the borders of the empire was analyzed, as was its influence on appointments to positions within the central administrative authorities that managed the customs revenues of the Romanov Empire in the 19th and early 20th centuries. For some officials, the necessity of serving on the borders of the empire was only a stage in their civil service career, which ultimately ended in the offices operating in the capital city of St. Petersburg. However, many failed to find employment in the capital, pursuing their careers on the borders of the vast Romanov Empire.
Since 1851 Russian customs administration operated on the territory of the Kingdom of Poland. In ... more Since 1851 Russian customs administration operated on the territory of the Kingdom of Poland. In the local structures of the Customs Duties Department of the Ministry of Finance there appeared many clerks of Russian origin and Orthodox denomination. First Russian local communities started to emerge and they were frequently centred around newly erected Orthodox churches. Throughout the whole period when this administration was present in the Kingdom of Poland, between mid-1800s and 1914, customs officers and border guards became willingly involved in numerous projects related to the operation of the Orthodox church. Tsarist administration was highly supportive of such bottom-up initiatives. They eagerly accepted clerks’ engagement in church building committees, in establishment and operation of church-parish charity committees or religious fraternities. The willingness to help one’s own church or poor parishioners had a mobilizing effect on the representatives of Russian clerical int...
The article examines the evolution of the Russian bureaucratic elite of the Kingdom of Poland in ... more The article examines the evolution of the Russian bureaucratic elite of the Kingdom of Poland in 1815–1918. The basis of the prosopographic analysis was the database created by the authors, which included information about the service of 770 leading imperial officials of all institutions established on the territory of the Kingdom from the moment the former Duchy of Warsaw was incorporated into Russia until their evacuation during the First World War and complete liquidation in 1918. The authors analyzed the principles of personnel policy of St. Petersburg in the region. Political loyalty based on ethnic and religious affiliation was a priority when appointing to leadership positions in the region. Preference was given to candidates from the Russian and German-Baltic nobility, Orthodox and Protestants, but not Poles and not Catholics, which guaranteed the depolonization of the regional state apparatus. Over time, the number of persons of non-noble origin in the corps of Russian offi...
This article discusses the dismantling of the customs administration in 1917–1919, evacuated from... more This article discusses the dismantling of the customs administration in 1917–1919, evacuated from the Kingdom of Poland further inland into Russia in 1914. On the basis of archival and published sources the author presents the process of the slow break-up of the structure of the customs offices. This process initiated by the Provisional Government was continued by the Bolshevik authorities. Some offices were closed down while some of them were absorbed by the Soviet structure of customs administration agencies.
Na przełomie lipca i sierpnia 1914 r. w głąb Rosji ewakuowano struktury administracji celnej z te... more Na przełomie lipca i sierpnia 1914 r. w głąb Rosji ewakuowano struktury administracji celnej z terenu Królestwa Polskiego z powodu groźby wybuchu wojny. Do wewnętrznych guberni Imperium Rosyjskiego wywieziono personel administracyjny wraz z rodzinami oraz majątek urzędów celnych. Władze rosyjskie zakładały, że przymusowy pobyt poza Królestwem Polskim będzie krótkotrwały licząc na sukcesy militarne armii carskiej. Jednak z powodu utracenia inicjatywy strategicznej przez armię rosyjską urzędy te nigdy nie powróciły do Królestwa Polskiego. Na podstawie zachowanych materiałów źródłowych przedstawiono proces ewakuacji w 1914 r. i zjawisko funkcjonowania rosyjskich struktur administracji celnej przebywającej na ewakuacji do chwili upadku monarchii Romanowów w marcu 1917 r.
Customs revenues constituted a very important part of the budget receipts of the Romanov monarchy... more Customs revenues constituted a very important part of the budget receipts of the Romanov monarchy in the 18th century. Therefore, from the beginning of the reign of Tsarina Catherine II, the search for a suitable model of the customs collection management apparatus began. Work on building a modern customs administration coincided with Russia’s acquisition of further territorial acquisitions at the expense of the Commonwealth. This fact became one of the most important catalysts for the changes taking place in the organisation of the Russian customs administration and led to its final formation. This model survived until the beginning of the 20th century.
The Duchy of Warsaw is considered to be the first modern state that was established on the former... more The Duchy of Warsaw is considered to be the first modern state that was established on the former territories of the Polish‑Lithuanian Commonwealth. One of the signs of its modernity were the central and local structures of general and special administration. The first offices that were created, even before the announcement of the creation of the Duchy of Warsaw, were the customs administration authorities. It was not accidental, because customs duties constituted an important part of the non‑permanent income of this state organism. On the basis of handwritten and printed sources as well as studies, the process of creating customs administration structures, the scope of their competences and the procedure for appointing officials to the created positions were analysed.
On the basis of archival sources, the process of deportation of people of German origin and the E... more On the basis of archival sources, the process of deportation of people of German origin and the Evangelical faith to Russia in the years 1914-1915 is presented.
The main objectives of this article is to present: genesis and political position authorities: Go... more The main objectives of this article is to present: genesis and political position authorities: Governor and Vice-Governor in the Polish Kingdom after the unification reform of local administration in 1867, review of their powers, statistics of the group and nominations for these posts and verified by source a list of persons occupying these positions.
Rocznik Instytutu Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej, 2023
The aim of the article is to present the modernization processes taking place in the organization... more The aim of the article is to present the modernization processes taking place in the organization of customs and border supervision on the western border of the Russian Empire, with particular emphasis on the territory of the Kingdom of Poland. On the basis of sources and studies, it was possible to identify the factors that determined the appearance of modernization activities in these structures. In addition, it was possible to determine the stages of introducing innovations. The changes introduced significantly modernized the structures of the civil customs administration and the structures of the border guard operating in the Kingdom of Poland at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Peter I, ruler of Russia, is regarded as the father of the modern administrative apparatus create... more Peter I, ruler of Russia, is regarded as the father of the modern administrative apparatus created in order to effectively administer the empire. The then introduced system of personnel selection and promotions became an inherent part of the practice applied during the reign of successive Romanovs until the end of the functioning of absolute rule in Russia. On the basis of preserved source materials of government origin, the fact of the service of customs officials on the borders of the empire was analyzed, as was its influence on appointments to positions within the central administrative authorities that managed the customs revenues of the Romanov Empire in the 19th and early 20th centuries. For some officials, the necessity of serving on the borders of the empire was only a stage in their civil service career, which ultimately ended in the offices operating in the capital city of St. Petersburg. However, many failed to find employment in the capital, pursuing their careers on the borders of the vast Romanov Empire.
Since 1851 Russian customs administration operated on the territory of the Kingdom of Poland. In ... more Since 1851 Russian customs administration operated on the territory of the Kingdom of Poland. In the local structures of the Customs Duties Department of the Ministry of Finance there appeared many clerks of Russian origin and Orthodox denomination. First Russian local communities started to emerge and they were frequently centred around newly erected Orthodox churches. Throughout the whole period when this administration was present in the Kingdom of Poland, between mid-1800s and 1914, customs officers and border guards became willingly involved in numerous projects related to the operation of the Orthodox church. Tsarist administration was highly supportive of such bottom-up initiatives. They eagerly accepted clerks’ engagement in church building committees, in establishment and operation of church-parish charity committees or religious fraternities. The willingness to help one’s own church or poor parishioners had a mobilizing effect on the representatives of Russian clerical int...
The article examines the evolution of the Russian bureaucratic elite of the Kingdom of Poland in ... more The article examines the evolution of the Russian bureaucratic elite of the Kingdom of Poland in 1815–1918. The basis of the prosopographic analysis was the database created by the authors, which included information about the service of 770 leading imperial officials of all institutions established on the territory of the Kingdom from the moment the former Duchy of Warsaw was incorporated into Russia until their evacuation during the First World War and complete liquidation in 1918. The authors analyzed the principles of personnel policy of St. Petersburg in the region. Political loyalty based on ethnic and religious affiliation was a priority when appointing to leadership positions in the region. Preference was given to candidates from the Russian and German-Baltic nobility, Orthodox and Protestants, but not Poles and not Catholics, which guaranteed the depolonization of the regional state apparatus. Over time, the number of persons of non-noble origin in the corps of Russian offi...
This article discusses the dismantling of the customs administration in 1917–1919, evacuated from... more This article discusses the dismantling of the customs administration in 1917–1919, evacuated from the Kingdom of Poland further inland into Russia in 1914. On the basis of archival and published sources the author presents the process of the slow break-up of the structure of the customs offices. This process initiated by the Provisional Government was continued by the Bolshevik authorities. Some offices were closed down while some of them were absorbed by the Soviet structure of customs administration agencies.
Na przełomie lipca i sierpnia 1914 r. w głąb Rosji ewakuowano struktury administracji celnej z te... more Na przełomie lipca i sierpnia 1914 r. w głąb Rosji ewakuowano struktury administracji celnej z terenu Królestwa Polskiego z powodu groźby wybuchu wojny. Do wewnętrznych guberni Imperium Rosyjskiego wywieziono personel administracyjny wraz z rodzinami oraz majątek urzędów celnych. Władze rosyjskie zakładały, że przymusowy pobyt poza Królestwem Polskim będzie krótkotrwały licząc na sukcesy militarne armii carskiej. Jednak z powodu utracenia inicjatywy strategicznej przez armię rosyjską urzędy te nigdy nie powróciły do Królestwa Polskiego. Na podstawie zachowanych materiałów źródłowych przedstawiono proces ewakuacji w 1914 r. i zjawisko funkcjonowania rosyjskich struktur administracji celnej przebywającej na ewakuacji do chwili upadku monarchii Romanowów w marcu 1917 r.
Sources relating to the issue of the presence of Polish refugees in Russia during the First World... more Sources relating to the issue of the presence of Polish refugees in Russia during the First World War.
Based on archival and printed sources and studies, people and institutions helping Polish refugee... more Based on archival and printed sources and studies, people and institutions helping Polish refugees from the Kingdom of Poland during World War I in Russia were presented.
The publication presents the history of schools operating in the Podedwórze commune in the 19th a... more The publication presents the history of schools operating in the Podedwórze commune in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Wydawnictwo Towarzystwa Nauki i Kultury "Libra", 2023
Customs administration always played a highly significant role for the
Russian Empire since it co... more Customs administration always played a highly significant role for the Russian Empire since it controlled revenue collected from the Western land border of the Empire. Most of all, it was crucial for the state budget. This is a sufficient reason to investigate customs administration and its local authorities – customs district chiefs. Until 1851 the Kingdom of Poland had been an independent customs area, separated by the border from the rest of Russia. The induction of Russian administration into this territory was a considerable organisational challenge, which is why we focused on this part of the border. The present book is another contribution in our research into the history of bureaucracy, putting together administration history and social history. The positions of customs district chiefs are presented in the perspective of the whole system of customs administration, together with its origin and detailed changes taking place in the researched period. Focusing on a human person in the bureaucratic apparatus enables one to better understand both his significance for administration and the specific nature of the clerical body. This is the reason why the bionotes contain so much data on ancestors, siblings, spouses and children of the examined persons. In general, we believe that examination of the clerical elite should be conducted with the use of a variety of methods: biographic, genealogic and prosopographic ones. The extent and format of bionotes should address fundamental questions related to circumstances of candidates’ promotion to the social status and the clerical post as well as their social and political significance, which arise as an interrelation of their preferences and higher-level authorities’ policy.
Wydawnictwo Towarzystwa Nauki i Kultury "Libra", 2023
Customs administration always played a highly significant role for the Russian Empire since it co... more Customs administration always played a highly significant role for the Russian Empire since it controlled revenue collected from the Western land border of the Empire. Most of all, it was crucial for the state budget. This is a sufficient reason to investigate customs administration and its local authorities – customs district chiefs. Until 1851 the Kingdom of Poland had been an independent customs area, separated by the border from the rest of Russia. The induction of Russian administration into this territory was a considerable organisational challenge, which is why we focused on this part of the border. The present book is another contribution in our research into the history of bureaucracy, putting together administration history and social history. The positions of customs district chiefs are presented in the perspective of the whole system of customs administration, together with its origin and detailed changes taking place in the researched period. Focusing on a human person in the bureaucratic apparatus enables one to better understand both his significance for administration and the specific nature of the clerical body. This is the reason why the bionotes contain so much data on ancestors, siblings, spouses and children of the examined persons. In general, we believe that examination of the clerical elite should be conducted with the use of a variety of methods: biographic, genealogic and prosopographic ones. The extent and format of bionotes should address fundamental questions related to circumstances of candidates’ promotion to the social status and the clerical post as well as their social and political significance, which arise as an interrelation of their preferences and higher-level authorities’ policy.
Based on the civil status records of Roman Catholic parishes in Russia, the presence of Polish re... more Based on the civil status records of Roman Catholic parishes in Russia, the presence of Polish refugees from the Kingdom of Poland during World War I.
Based on archival and printed sources, the authors analyze the forms of Polish presence in the Po... more Based on archival and printed sources, the authors analyze the forms of Polish presence in the Poltava Governorate at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Marii Curie-Skłodowskiej, 2015
The book presents the organs of the Russian special administration in the Kingdom of Poland in th... more The book presents the organs of the Russian special administration in the Kingdom of Poland in the years 1839-1918, based on archival, printed and studies.
Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Marii Curie-Skłodowskiej, 2020
The book presents the profiles of the heads of Russian administrative bodies of the Ministry of C... more The book presents the profiles of the heads of Russian administrative bodies of the Ministry of Communications, the Ministry of the Imperial Court, the Ministry Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs in the Kingdom of Poland in the years 1839-1918.
Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Marii Curie-Skłodowskiej, 2018
The book presents the profiles of the heads of Russian administrative bodies of the Ministry of F... more The book presents the profiles of the heads of Russian administrative bodies of the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry of State Goods in the Kingdom of Poland in the years 1839-1918.
Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Marii Curie-Skłodowskiej, 2016
The book presents the profiles of the heads of the Russian administrative bodies of the Ministry ... more The book presents the profiles of the heads of the Russian administrative bodies of the Ministry of Finance in the Kingdom of Poland in the years 1839-1918.
Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Marii Curie-Skłodowskiej, 2015
The book presents the profiles of the heads of the Russian administrative bodies of the Ministry ... more The book presents the profiles of the heads of the Russian administrative bodies of the Ministry of Enlightenment in the Kingdom of Poland in the years 1839-1918.
Wydawnictwo Towarzystwa Nauki i Kultury "Libra", 2023
Customs administration was of great significance for the whole Russian Empire since it controlled... more Customs administration was of great significance for the whole Russian Empire since it controlled all the revenue collected from the Western land border of the Empire. Its importance was the greatest for the state budget, however, it also contributed much to maintaining internal security (preventing the smuggling of people, arms and forbidden publications). All these factors call for thorough examination of this administration. Until 1851 the Kingdom of Poland had been an independent customs area, separated by the state, customs and sanitary border from Russia. The induction of Russian administration into this territory was a considerable organisational challenge, which is why we focused on this part of the border. The present book concludes our series of monographs devoted to Russian customs administration in the Kingdom of Poland. This time the lowest-level clerks employed in this administration, namely those working in customs sub-chambers, communication points and customs posts, are taken under scrutiny. In the years 1851-1914 all these small units were directed by 454 persons, who were in charge of 104 offices: 53 customs sub-chambers, 39 communication posts and 12 customs posts. Apart from describing these units and the reforms they were subjected to over the period of 65 years, we also include bionotes of their chiefs. Similarly to the monograph about customs chamber chiefs, a detailed prosopographic analysis of this whole corpus of clerks will be the subject of a separate study.
Wydawnictwo Towarzystwa Nauki i Kultury "Libra", 2023
Customs administration was of great significance for the whole Russian Empire since it controlled... more Customs administration was of great significance for the whole Russian Empire since it controlled all the revenue collected from the Western land border of the Empire. Its importance was greatest for the state budget, however, it also contributed much to maintaining internal security (preventing the smuggling of people, arms and forbidden publications). All these factors call for thorough examination of this administration. Until 1851 the Kingdom of Poland had been an independent customs area, separated by the state, customs and sanitary border from Russia. The induction of Russian administration into this territory was a considerable organisational challenge, which is why we focused on this part of the border. The present book takes under scrutiny middle-level customs administration, namely, customs chambers and their chiefs. In the years 1851-1914 there were 314 customs chamber chiefs in the Kingdom of Poland, who were in charge of 45 Russian customs chambers. Our research comprised only the officials appointed by the personal order of the Director of Customs Tariffs Department of the Ministry of Finance, the Minister of Finance or the very Emperor. This group was mainly composed of Russians (more than 74%), which was the consequence of the staffing policy of the ministry’s authorities after the fall of the January Uprising. Apart from Russians, he clerks were also of Polish (more than 15%) and German origin (almost 10%). A detailed prosopographic analysis of the whole corpus of clerks will be the focus of separate study.
Wydawnictwo Towarzystwa Nauki i Kultury "Libra", 2023
Customs administration always played a highly significant role for the Rus¬sian Empire since it c... more Customs administration always played a highly significant role for the Rus¬sian Empire since it controlled revenue collected from the Western land border of the Empire. Most of all, it was crucial for the state budget. This is a sufficient reason to investigate customs administration and its local authorities – customs district chiefs. Until 1851 the Kingdom of Poland had been an independent customs area, separated by the border from the rest of Russia. The induction of Russian administration into this territory was a considerable organisational challenge, which is why we focused on this part of the border. The present book is another contribution in our research into the history of bureaucracy, putting together administration history and social history. The posi¬tions of customs district chiefs are presented in the perspective of the whole system of customs administration, together with its origin and detailed changes taking place in the researched period. Focusing on a human person in the bureaucratic apparatus enables one to better understand both his significance for administration and the specific nature of the clerical body. This is the reason why the bionotes contain so much data on ancestors, siblings, spouses and children of the examined persons. In general, we believe that examination of the clerical elite should be conducted with the use of a variety of methods: biographic, genealogic and prosopographic ones. The extent and format of bionotes should address fundamental questions related to circumstances of candidates’ promotion to the social status and the clerical post as well as their social and political significance, which arise as an interrelation of their preferences and higher-level authorities’ policy.
Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Marii Curie-Skłodowskiej, 2015
Opracowania zawiera omówienie pozycji ustrojowej, kompetencje i obsadę instytucji gubernatora ora... more Opracowania zawiera omówienie pozycji ustrojowej, kompetencje i obsadę instytucji gubernatora oraz wicegubernatora w Królestwie Polskim w latach 1867-1914
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the beginning of the 20th century.
territory of the Kingdom of Poland. On the basis of sources and studies, it
was possible to identify the factors that determined the appearance of
modernization activities in these structures. In addition, it was possible to
determine the stages of introducing innovations. The changes introduced
significantly modernized the structures of the civil customs administration
and the structures of the border guard operating in the Kingdom of Poland at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.
down while some of them were absorbed by the Soviet structure of customs administration agencies.
the beginning of the 20th century.
territory of the Kingdom of Poland. On the basis of sources and studies, it
was possible to identify the factors that determined the appearance of
modernization activities in these structures. In addition, it was possible to
determine the stages of introducing innovations. The changes introduced
significantly modernized the structures of the civil customs administration
and the structures of the border guard operating in the Kingdom of Poland at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.
down while some of them were absorbed by the Soviet structure of customs administration agencies.
Russian Empire since it controlled revenue collected from the Western land border of the Empire. Most of all, it was crucial for the state budget. This is a sufficient reason to investigate customs administration and its local authorities – customs district chiefs. Until 1851 the Kingdom of Poland had been an independent customs area, separated by the border from the rest of Russia. The induction of Russian administration into this territory was a considerable organisational challenge, which is why we focused on this part of the border. The present book is another contribution in our research into the history of bureaucracy, putting together administration history and social history. The positions of customs district chiefs are presented in the perspective of the whole
system of customs administration, together with its origin and detailed changes taking place in the researched period. Focusing on a human person in the bureaucratic apparatus enables one to better understand both his significance for administration and the specific nature of the clerical body. This is the reason why the bionotes contain so much data on ancestors, siblings, spouses and children of the examined persons. In general, we believe that examination of the clerical elite should be conducted with the use of a variety of methods: biographic, genealogic
and prosopographic ones. The extent and format of bionotes should address fundamental questions related to circumstances of candidates’ promotion to the social status and the clerical post as well as their social and political significance, which arise as an interrelation of their preferences and higher-level authorities’ policy.
The present book is another contribution in our research into the history of bureaucracy, putting together administration history and social history. The positions of customs district chiefs are presented in the perspective of the whole system of customs administration, together with its origin and detailed changes taking place in the researched period. Focusing on a human person in the bureaucratic apparatus enables one to better understand both his significance for administration and the specific nature of the clerical body. This is the reason why the bionotes contain so much data on ancestors, siblings, spouses and children of the examined persons. In general, we believe that examination of the clerical elite should be conducted with the use of a variety of methods: biographic, genealogic and prosopographic ones. The extent and format of bionotes should address fundamental questions related to circumstances of candidates’ promotion to the social status and the clerical post as well as their social and political significance, which arise as an interrelation of their preferences and higher-level authorities’ policy.
The present book concludes our series of monographs devoted to Russian customs administration in the Kingdom of Poland. This time the lowest-level clerks employed in this administration, namely those working in customs sub-chambers, communication points and customs posts, are taken under scrutiny. In the years 1851-1914 all these small units were directed by 454 persons, who were in charge of 104 offices: 53 customs sub-chambers, 39 communication posts and 12 customs posts. Apart from describing these units and the reforms they were subjected to over the period of 65 years, we also include bionotes of their chiefs. Similarly to the monograph about customs chamber chiefs, a detailed prosopographic analysis of this whole corpus of clerks will be the subject of a separate study.
The present book takes under scrutiny middle-level customs administration, namely, customs chambers and their chiefs. In the years 1851-1914 there were 314 customs chamber chiefs in the Kingdom of Poland, who were in charge of 45 Russian customs chambers. Our research comprised only the officials appointed by the personal order of the Director of Customs Tariffs Department of the Ministry of Finance, the Minister of Finance or the very Emperor. This group was mainly composed of Russians (more than 74%), which was the consequence of the staffing policy of the ministry’s authorities after the fall of the January Uprising. Apart from Russians, he clerks were also of Polish (more than 15%) and German origin (almost 10%). A detailed prosopographic analysis of the whole corpus of clerks will be the focus of separate study.
The present book is another contribution in our research into the history of bureaucracy, putting together administration history and social history. The posi¬tions of customs district chiefs are presented in the perspective of the whole system of customs administration, together with its origin and detailed changes taking place in the researched period. Focusing on a human person in the bureaucratic apparatus enables one to better understand both his significance for administration and the specific nature of the clerical body. This is the reason why the bionotes contain so much data on ancestors, siblings, spouses and children of the examined persons. In general, we believe that examination of the clerical elite should be conducted with the use of a variety of methods: biographic, genealogic and prosopographic ones. The extent and format of bionotes should address fundamental questions related to circumstances of candidates’ promotion to the social status and the clerical post as well as their social and political significance, which arise as an interrelation of their preferences and higher-level authorities’ policy.