BruderThe very word “heraldic collection” carries an air of dignity, ancient history, and the sweet scent of dust.
It would be fitting for it to stand in the archive hall of the National Library, next to an encyclopedia printed in Gothic type, containing the name of the compiler of the heraldic collection — with the obligatory prefix “von” to their surname.
However, the author of this book is our contemporary, and his name is Igor Korobov. The book, written by him about the members of the Estland nobility and their family coats of arms, will soon appear on bookstore shelves and in the collections of antique enthusiasts.
There is no doubt, however, that professional historians will also appreciate it: for the simple reason that there has never been a publication in Russian like Korobov’s “Estland Immatriculated Nobility.”
Not Only Barons
Author Igor Korobov and editor Arthur Modebadze during the presentation of the book «Estland Immatriculated Nobility» at the non/fiction intellectual literature fair in Moscow in December of the past year.
It is undeniable: until recently, the history of the Baltic-German nobility, or the Ostsee nobility, had not been a part of major historical studies.
If representatives of local noble families were mentioned in the school history curriculum, it was only in passing and almost exclusively in a negative light: barons as oppressors for the most part.
It was only about thirty years ago that it became known that among them were not only serf-owners and tyrants but also outstanding figures who made significant contributions to both their small homeland and the entire region.
However, many still do not realize — or rather, do not even consider — that barons made up the absolute minority among them, including many who consider themselves experts on the history of the Baltic region.
“Ostsee nobility is often referred to as ‘German barons,’ which is actually incorrect for two reasons,” explains the compiler of the book “Estland Immatriculated Nobility.” “Firstly, in terms of their title and secondly in terms of their national affiliation. It is worth remembering that throughout the long history of the Estland nobility, about one in five families listed in the matriculation was given the title of baron. The rest were counts, princes, dukes, and so on.”
Most barons were actually granted their titles not by German rulers but by Swedish monarchs, which were also recognized by the Russian Empire. That is to say, these barons were, strictly speaking, Swedish and Russian.
When it comes to the very concept of Estland nobility, there is also a common misconception. It is important to understand: it does not mean the entirety of the nobility living on the territory of the Estland province — what is now Northern Estonia.
For example, there were separate parishes that belonged to the Livonian province, but the nobles living in them or owning manors on their territory were, nonetheless, part of the Estland nobility.
In other words, they were included in the matriculation list, a register of noble families whose members had all the rights and privileges, including the right to be elected to the Landtag, the highest local authority in the Estland province.
«Moreover, I should immediately clarify that there were also noble families that were somehow connected to Estland but were not part of the immatriculated nobility, and I do not address them in this work.»
Inevitable Discoveries
Research on the history of the current Estonian and Latvian knightly orders has always been considered the domain of German specialists.
Recently, local experts have started showing interest in this topic, with publications on the Estland nobility and its heraldry appearing in Estonian.
Among authors writing in Russian, both within the Estonian Republic and the Russian Federation, Igor Korobov is an undisputed pioneer. And as a pioneer — this is his essence — inevitable discoveries follow.
“It is not immediately obvious to a non-specialist, especially in our days, that there was a significant difference between the concepts of ‘being admitted to the knighthood’ and ‘being included in the matriculation,’” notes the author of the book. “The difference was, primarily, that a person could be admitted to the knighthood long before the concept of ‘immatriculated nobility’ existed: for example, in Estland, the first matriculation was created in the mid-18th century.”
The subtlety here is that subsequent heraldists, as well as later researchers of Estland noble families, began to separate the so-called “honorary members” from the general list of local nobles.
Currently, on German websites dedicated to the descendants of the Baltic nobility, honorary members are sometimes not even considered part of the local nobility, which, in my opinion, is a clear injustice.
The situation is particularly complicated with representatives of Russian noble families who, at various times, were admitted to the Estland knighthood and received matriculation as honorary members — no one has properly researched them.
Although this category is quite numerous: at least twelve people became part of the Estland nobility during the reign of Catherine II by her imperial decree.
For these, so to speak, “Russian-Estland” nobles, there are still many more mysteries than one would like, sometimes even their names are unknown, let alone their genealogies.
The same is true for their heraldry: for example, the coat of arms of the Passek family never adorned the main hall of the Estland knighthood house in Upper Town.
A Delight for the Connoisseur
Opening Korobov’s book, you involuntarily feel as if you are standing under the vaults of the Dom Cathedral in the Upper Town.
With one difference: the cathedral’s walls surround the visitor with fewer than a hundred knightly coats of arms. Here, there are several times more.
Each of them is accompanied not only by a description of the noble family’s history but also by a note about its most famous representatives — both in Estonia and abroad.
“In reviewing the previous works on the history of the Estland knighthood, I have long noticed a characteristic feature: every researcher attempts to approach the topic from the most familiar perspective,” notes Korobov. “For Baltic-German researchers, it was often most important to trace the past of families that were significant to them. Contemporary Estonian authors naturally focus on connections with the territory of present-day Estonia.”
Perhaps no one has previously attempted to track the legacy left by members of local noble families in the service of the Russian Empire. And yet, this legacy is both deep and vast, and most importantly — it has been studied very little and in a disorganized manner.
Flipping through the directory, you realize: this book, without a doubt, will be helpful not only for those interested in the narrow specialty of noble genealogy and heraldry but also for a much broader circle of researchers and readers.
Yes, indeed, readers: the information gathered and for the first time made available in Russian is presented in such impeccable Russian that at some point, you may forget the publication’s reference nature.
The printing quality is also beyond praise: thanks to it, simply flipping through the book is a genuine pleasure. And examining the fine illustrations of majestic noble coats of arms is a visual delight for any connoisseur.
An academic specialist will certainly appreciate the reference apparatus included in the book: questions about how to properly transcribe Baltic-German surnames in Russian are now definitively resolved once and for all.
We must also thank the author for two important contributions: compiling a list of all the manors of the Estland province in three languages: German, Estonian, and Russian. Also — for the list of heads of the Estland knighthood from the 16th to the 20th century.
Igor Korobov shares: during his research work, he met descendants of Estland noble families who currently live in Germany.
“But I wouldn’t say they were informants,” he clarifies. “Rather, they expressed their gratitude for the fact that in modern Estonia, there are those who continue to explore the history of the Baltic nobility and former Livonia.”
Of course, I responded that I was not actually one of them. And in working with “Estland Immatriculated Knighthood,” many people helped me — I am not exaggerating, but without their help, the book would never have become what it is now.
I especially want to mention the editor, and in many ways, co-author — Arthur Modebadze, companion on manor expeditions Maxim Lugovsky, Yuri Matuzov, who provided the initial collection of coats of arms.
At the initial stage, the book was actively, lively, and importantly — usefully — discussed with Professor Yuri Maltsev, the chairman of the Society for the Preservation of Russian History and Culture in Estonia.
I also express my gratitude to Alexander and Esther Grünbergs, Alexei Gornev, Gerda Korobova, Gustav Korobov, Arthur Laastu, Svetlana Podshivalova, Elena Tamberg, and Toomas Taamla.”
Ilya Kadushin, “Stolitsa”
Source of information: tallinn.cold-time.com
Постоянный адрес статьи: http://livland.org/?p=3444