Egor Vyacheslavovich Miroshkin,
Laboratory Research Assistant, Institute of History of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia; Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Foreign Officers of Regular Regiments of the Siberian Inspectorate at the end of the 18th Century
DOI: 10.31518/2618-9100-2025-5-2
The administration of the Russian Empire, a multiethnic state, pursued a multi-vector policy toward foreign peoples, combining Russification and assimilation with the establishment of differences. Based on pragmatic and integrationist considerations, the authorities of the Russian Empire recruited representatives of foreign elites into administrative and military service. The study is based on an analysis of periodic reports on the personnel composition of units, service records, and officers of regular regiments of the Siberian Inspectorate for 1796−1801. Of the 578 officers of Siberian regiments whose service records are collected in the Russian State Military Historical Archive (RSMA), 78 (approximately 13 %) were of foreign origin. The social composition of the foreign officers was quite diverse. Fifty-three officers belonged to the nobility, and most of them did not own serfs, which was explained by the absence of serfdom in most European countries. Twenty-five officers represented underprivileged social classes, including the children of doctors, clergy, and volunteers. The ethnic composition of the foreign officers included representatives of virtually all European nations. Germans (23 Baltic Germans and 17 people of German descent) served in Siberia, as did Poles (13), French (8), Greeks, Hungarians, English, Italians, and others. The circumstances of their entry into service varied: some foreigners acquired only temporary citizenship, while others acquired permanent citizenship. Many foreign officers entered Russian service during international conflicts involving the Russian Empire or as a result of political emigration. Many foreign officers came from military dynasties for whom service in Siberia had become a family affair. Such dynasties included, for example, the Skalon, Winkler, Treiblut, and Degarrighi officer families. The educational level of foreign officers significantly exceeded that of Russian officers. Of the 78 foreigners, 20 (26 %) had more than a basic education, including knowledge of fortification, geometry, drawing, foreign languages, and so on. The study shows that military service was part of the migration process, during which foreigners could both maintain their identity and fully assimilate, adopting the norms and values of Russian society. Their service contributed to the integration of various ethnic groups into the imperial space.
Publishing: 28/10/2025
The article has been received by the editor on 03/10/2025
How to cite: Miroshkin E.V. Foreign Officers of Regular Regiments of the Siberian Inspectorate at the end of the 18th Century // Historical Courier, 2025, No. 5 (43), pp. 18−28 [Available online: http://istkurier.ru/data/2025/ISTKURIER-2025-5-02.pdf]
The article was carried out within the framework of the state assignment “Siberian Society as a Factor of Territorial Growth and Unity of Russia (Late 16th − Early 20th Centuries)” (FWZM-2024-0007).
Links: Issue 5 2025
Keywords: Officer corps; foreigners; late 18th century; Siberian Corps; army