Ivan Pavlovich Kamenetskiy,
Candidate of Historical Sciences, Institute of History of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
“The Zealous Voivode”. Illarion Sinyavin and his Relatives in Service in Siberia During the Times of Peter the Great’s Reforms
DOI: 10.31518/2618-9100-2021-5-2
This article presents the Siberian service of little-known representatives of a noble family of the Sinyavins – Illarion Akimovich, Boris Akimovich and Alexei Sidorovich. On the basis of various materials their origin, military-administrative and economic activities in Siberia – Narym, Kuznetsk, Irkutsk, Kungur and Bakhmut Province – are examined, and an assessment of their voivode administration is given. It is shown that unlike many Siberian governors the Senyavins did not belong to the category of profit-seekers and embezzlers, but were successful administrators and military leaders. In 1700 and in subsequent years the Senyavin brothers led the defense of Kuznetsk and of the district from warlike nomads. In 1704–1711 they ruled Irkutsk, served in Kamskaya Sol and Kungur, where a copper smeltery was built, and managed the state-owned Bakhmut salt factories. The Irkutsk governor Alexei Sinyavin contributed greatly to the strengthening of Transbaikalia defense in the face of Mongol and Chinese aggression in 1684–1689. His energetic measures ensured that the detachments sent to help the defenders of the Udinsky Ostrog, Selenginsk and Nerchinsk were equipped and supplied with arms and provisions. It is concluded that the appointment of Senyavins to the responsible positions in Siberia was not based solely on the principles of high birth and heredity, but was the government’s attempt to rely on new "not thoroughbred" who had proved to be successful administrators.
Publishing: 28/10/2021
The article has been received by the editor on 20/06/2021
How to cite: Kamenetskiy I.P. “The Zealous Voivode”. Illarion Sinyavin and his Relatives in Service in Siberia During the Times of Peter the Great’s Reforms // Historical Courier, 2021, No. 5 (19), pp. 20–31. [Available online: http://istkurier.ru/data/2021/ISTKURIER-2021-5-02.pdf]
Links: Issue 5 2021
Keywords: Moscow nobleman Akim Sinyavin; Siberia; voivodes Illarion, Boris and Alexey Sinyavin; military and administrative activities