Around-the-clock warden - a city police officer in the Russian Empire

A ward warder is a lower-level official in the city police of tsarist Russia. Such a position arose in 1867 and was abolished in 1917, with the coming to power of the Bolsheviks.

Suborder guards were only in major cities, such as Moscow, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, etc. They were subordinate directly to the district police officer, they also had subordinates as policemen.

Requirements for candidates for percents

Persons in the age of 21-40 years were taken to the civil service as a district guard. Applicants must have previously served in the army or have experience of civil work.

The future custodial must have a good education, be physically developed and, in addition, have a pleasant appearance.

Candidates suitable for all parameters were enrolled in the super reserve, where they were trained and, at the end of the exam, held the exam. After the successful passage of the commission, the ward supervisors were transferred to the main staff and received the supervised territory (parish).

Granting

The warder of the capital police, while in reserve, received a salary of 20 rubles. When he moved to an open vacancy in the police station, the annual income was calculated in three categories and amounted, respectively, to 600, 660 and 720 rubles.

To better understand the salary level of this official, you can transfer tsarist rubles into the equivalent of the modern Russian currency. Thus, the per- sonal constant of the lowest category received 59,431 rubles. monthly.

Obligatory supervisor duties

The fine official of the city police, which was considered to be the district police officer, carried out a whole range of various duties. He had to bypass the area entrusted to him, within which 3000-4000 townspeople lived and monitor compliance with the rules of public conduct. A detailed instruction developed by the Moscow authorities included more than 300 pages.

The policeman needed to know everything about his site. His work was to identify on the territory of "strangers" citizens, drafting protocols in the case of various kinds of offenses.

As well as to the modern district police, everyone was lazy about complacency. The janitor has poorly cleaned the snow - the warden is guilty (he did not see it properly). The dog was bitten by someone - it was necessary for the circumscribed person to find out whose dog it was and take measures to its owners.

The ward warder had no right to call the population to his place or apartment. All inquiries, drawing up of necessary papers, delivery of subpoenas, passed, as they say, "in the fields".

Form parish inspector in tsarist Russia

A uniform supervisor relied on the ward supervisor, who was worn by class ranks. If he had an officer's rank, then his form was appropriate. However, he usually had the rank of sergeant major or senior non-commissioned officer, in this case his uniform was different.

The police of the Russian Empire, in the person of the district guard, wore black trousers with red rims and the same coloring, a double-breasted uniform fastened to hooks. The collar, cuffs and side were also decorated with red trim.

The ceremonial version was completely like the everyday, except for the bars of the silver galloon on the cuffs.

Shoes consisted of lacquer boots, but it was also the parachute that allowed to put on galoshes, on the backs of which there were holes for spurs, lined with plates of copper.

The perimeter guard of the epaulettes wore green, decorated in the center with a wide silver strip.

Weapons and other attributes of perimeter

As a minister of the law, a member of the tsarist police was supposed to carry weapons. They wore an officer's checker with a silver sash, a revolver in a black lacquer holster, or a Smith & Wesson revolver.

You can not imagine a police officer without his famous whistle. He was fastened to the right side of his uniform and had a long metal chain. With the help of a prolonged whistle, the guardian of order could provoke reinforcements and call for the tranquility of the roused citizens.

The portfolio is also an integral part of the image of this official. All sorts of agendas and protocols, which were written about and without it, implied the constant wearing of this accessory. Sometimes he did not have enough time to spread all these papers to the addressees.

Interesting facts from the life of the percents

The ward warder did not have the right to attend folk festivities and festivities as a private person. He was forbidden to go to pubs and restaurants in his spare time and rest at the tables of pubs in a circle of friends.

He could even marry only with the permission of the mayor, this rule was distributed, by the way, to the policemen.

Each time, leaving the police station, the ward warder had to inform his superiors where he was going and where he could be quickly found if necessary.

Until 1907 the policeman moved only on foot, and after the highest decree of the mayor, the percents could use bicycles, which greatly facilitated their uneasy service life.

Police officials, among other things, had to attend the theater and understand the fiction. Since 1876, at each performance, a police officer was present without fail, sitting in a specially reserved armchair for him. He not only watched the order during the performance, but also acted as a censor.

The image of a corrupt official

Being a connecting link between the population and the state machine, the policeman was highly respected. Before him, the merchants from numerous shops, and holders of state houses, and ordinary townspeople began to curry favor.

This attitude is provoked by bribery on the part of these authorities. While conducting inquiries, many police officers hinted softly that in case of material gratitude from the suspect, the policeman could close his eyes to many undesirable facts and details.

The introduction of the dry law during the First World War served as another reason for receiving bribes. Covering the clandestine activity of the taverns, the percussive ones had a stable additional source of income, albeit not very legal.

In fiction, this petty official is often represented as narrow-minded, lazy and biased. This stereotype of a police officer is alive to this day. Although, if you think about it, the work in law enforcement and under the tsar, and nowadays - a colossal work that is rarely appreciated.