Tsarist bureaucracy
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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"In passing, it may be remarked that his fellow tchinovniks were a peculiarly plain, unsightly lot, some of them having faces like badly baked bread, swollen cheeks, receding chins, and cracked and blistered upper lips. Indeed, not a man of them was handsome." --Dead Souls by Gogol |
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The Tsarist bureaucracy, alongside the military, the judiciary and the Russian Orthodox Church, played a major role in solidifying and maintaining the rule of the Tsars in the Tsardom of Russia (1547–1721) and in the Russian Empire (1721–1917). In the 19th century, the forces of change brought on by the Industrial Revolution propelled many countries, especially in Europe, to significant social changes. However, due to the conservative nature of the Tsarist regime and its desire to maintain power and control, social change in Russia lagged behind that of Europe.
Russian-speakers referred to bureaucrats as chinovniki (чиновники) because of the rank or chin (чин) which they held. Contrary to popular imagination, the Russian Empire was an under-governed country compared to the rest of Europe.
See also
- Tsarist bureaucracy
