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             THE REIGN OF SOVEREIGN EMPEROR ALEXANDER I 
1823 yr.
111. - April 11. Named, given to the Mogilev Civil Governor. - 
On the inconsistency of the upkeeping of leases, šinók-s, kabák-s,
1 
 taverns/inns and
mail/post stations by the Jews in any settlements in Mogilev and Vitebsk Gubernias; about the
resettlement of them to the cities and Mestechko-s
2
 by January 1
st
 of 1825; about settling of the
Jews, if they agree to turn into Khlebopashtsy [grain-growers, farmers], on landlords’ free lands.
Along with the discovered difficulties in the food-supplies of the inhabitants/population
of the Governorates in Byelorussia, and having confirmations through the local authorities and
the reports from the dispatched to these Governorates Senator Baranov, stating that the main
reason for the disorder among the Byelorussian peasants was recognized as the presence of the
Jews in the villages and the sale there of wine produced by them, and that the Jews not only did
not get engaged in any occupation or work, which was tendered/proposed for them for their own
benefit in 1804 Provision *), but on the contrary, they strengthen themselves in inhabiting
settlements, and their number there is even increased for the detriment/devastation of
peasants/khlebopashtsy/; by this discretions, and taking into consideration the requests submitted
from the Byelorussian nobility, I recognized as being appropriate for the benefits of that region
to rule/order, so that on the basis of the Provisions about the Jews, published in 1804, there
should be enforced the following measures: 
1. In the Governorates of Mogilev and Vitebsk, in any settlements/villages Jews can not contain
any leases of šinók-s, kabák-s, and taverns/inns neither under their own nor under another's
name, nor sell there their wine and even live in them, under whatever pretense unless on
temporary circumstances/in transit. This prohibition also applies to all šinók-s, inns, or other
establishments, situated on the big roads, to whomsoever they belong - to communities or to
private individuals. 
2. Villages or other stations/establishments given to Jews on a legal basis by lease
contracts/agreements, concluded/signed up to this day/date, must remain in their
keeping/management until the end of their [contracts] terms if they do not extend/continue
beyond January 1
st
 of 1824; If the terms are set for longer than this timeframe, then the Treasury
and landlords must pay off
 120
the Jews by the expiration of this term, and from then on should not allow the Jews to be keepers
[of leases] in the areas of villages and taxed/tributary settlements/establishments. Whereupon, the
Treasury will assign in proper time other solicitous to manage establishments which are currently
given by it to the Jews.

3. Wherever in the settlements Jews might be upkeeping/managing mail/post-stations given to
them directly by the state/Treasury under contracts or passed from others, there they [Jews]
cannot continue to keep them and even be/serve as proctors, stewards/countermen, scribes and
coachmen, likewise beyond January 1
st
 of 1824. Consequently, at the end of this term, for the
maintenance of those stations, which are now given to Jews by the Treasury, there should be
appointed on legal basis [by the legalized order] other interested workers/candidates; If the
maintenance of the stations was given to Jews by others [not the treasury], then those who
signed/made contracts directly with the Treasury/state must themselves assume responsibilities
or pass them to others [not Jews]. 4. All sale of wine by Jews in villages and in general in places
discussed in Article 1 [of this document], should be prohibited equally from January 1
st
 of
1824.5. Jews should not be allowed to travel to villages and along big roads with the purpose of
selling there merchandise/goods. 6. The Jews must move by January 1
st
 of 1825 from the villages
to towns/cities and mestechko-s. 7. In towns and mestechko-s Jews can engage in trade and crafts
based on common state laws. They can also sell wine there, on the basis of Articles 40 and 41 of
the 1804 Provision [Set of Laws] about Jews. 8. With these directives, those Jews who would
agree to turn into grain-growers/farmers [khlebopashtsy], may for this reason settle in the
Mogilev and Vitebsk Provinces on vacant/unoccupied lands of the landlords, by mutual consent
with the land-owners, but not at all in those villages in which peasants already live. For these
purposes, the land-owners must apply for the permission to establish on their lands new
settlements of the Jews-farmers/grain-growers, sending requests through the Provincial Marshal
to the Civic Governor, applying mutual efforts for presenting such requests with an opinion of
the Civil Governor - to the Ministry of Internal Affairs for review and approval. The permission
of such new settlements should not give the right to the Jews to engage in wine-selling and other
illicit [prohibited for them] activities/trades, except for farming within their settlements, so that
they themselves can exercise it. 9. As defined by the Provisions of 1804, fines for failure to
comply with the rules established there and now confirmed, must be enforced/exacted without
any relief.
You [Mogilev Civil Governor] will not leave without attention to bring to execution these
measures within the provinces given under your governing and give proper directives.
The Decree of the same content was sent to the name of the Vitebsk Civil Governor.
(P.P. S. Z., vol. XXXVIII, No. 29,420).
*) See M 59, p. 53.
1.Kорчма
а [pl. корчмыа] (korčmá); Шиноак [pl. шинкиа] - (šinók) - tavern, inn 
where spirits were served (in pre-revolutionary Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, etc.);
bar, pub. Historically, there was a legal distinction between a private шино
ак 
(šinók) or корчма
а (korčmá) serving tax-free spirits, and a taxed, government-
licensed Каба
ак (kabák). (See Wikipedia)
2.Mestechko or mistechko; Polish: miasteczko -   a rural locality type, a place 
located within Pale of Settlement in the Russian Empire with predominantly 
Jewish population; shtetl (see Wikipedia).

Translation by Anastasia Savenko-Moore and Rick Moore, Eugene OR.
Funded by the Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture NYC, http://mfjc.org/
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