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Pg. 216-217
REIGN OF SOVEREIGN EMPEROR NICHOLAS I
1827 yr.
164. - December 2. Named, given to His Imperial Highness the Tsesarevich.
1
On the resettlement of the Jews of the Grodno Province from the villages and to the cities
and mestechko-s.
Having examined the proposals made by Your Imperial Highness about the resettlement
of the Jews from the villages and korčmá-s to the cities and mestechko-s within the Gubernia-s
entrusted to the authority of Your Highness, I approve Your opinion to the full extent and, in
accordance with it, I order: 1) The resettlement of Jews from villages and towns to cities and
mestechko-s should be conducted first in one Grodno Gubernia/ Province. [Executive] Directives
on this subject should begin not earlier than at the ending of the current recruitment season/
Conscription.
2
2) For the convenient implementation of such resettlement, should be established
in the Province of the city of Grodno under the chairmanship of the Civil Governor a special
Committee including the Provincial Marshal, the Vice-Governor, the two Presidents of the Main
Court and the Provincial Prosecutor - with the liability that such Committee would gather
preliminarily on the locations and through the agency of the Police Chiefs - the exact/precise
information about Jewish families, living in villages and korčmá-s, as well as about the
wishes/disposition of every Jewish family, regarding to where and when/by what time they
intend to relocate; thereof/after that, a detailed plan for the resettlement of the Jews should be
made, and submitted first for the approval by Your Highness, and then, with Your
permission/consent/resolution, I would continue/proceed with the resettlement of the Jews upon
these guidelines/regulations, which by reviewing and approving of the overall-plan by Your
Highness will be determined/defined. 3) This Committee should be given the opportunity to
enter into consideration/take under consideration, what kind of privilege to the relocated Jews
should be given regarding payment of the State Taxes, and their conclusion/resolution for that
matter should also be presented for the inspection of Your Highness. 4) For the benefit of the
most destitute/poorest of the relocated Jews, there should be allocated/assigned from the State
Treasury 25,000 rubles, and from this amount should be issued irretrievably/irrevocably from
100 up to 200 rubles for each family according to the nomination/regulation/appointment from
the aforementioned [special] Committee. 5) Moreover/Above that, for the distribution of loans to
Jews who wish to establish factories, should be designated/put at the disposal of the Committee
50,000 rubles from the State Treasury, so that such loans would be made/given upon the rules
that Your Highness will not leave to enjoin/prescribe for this purpose. 6) The resettling Jews who
do not receive from the Treasury monetary (pecuniary) aid/allowance and wishing to settle and
build in cities and mestechko-s, should be given for this the state forest/lumber, if it is convenient
[for their need/intent]. And 7) for these resettling Jews there should be permitted for the purpose
of earning [living] money to travel to all places/locations not only within their residence
Provinces/Gubernias, but also the neighboring Provinces and to the Kingdom of Poland, with the
issuance to them of the poster-passports
3
for free [free of charge], however with the acceptance
of such measures which would assure that without business/work/job they would not be tolerated
anywhere. (V.P. S. Z., Vol. II, No. 1,582).
1 Tsesarevich - [See Wikipedia] was the title of the heir apparent or presumptive in the Russian
Empire. It either preceded or replaced the given name and patronymic. In 1827 Tsesarevich was
Alexander Nikolaevich, later Alexander II, son of Nicholas I and of Charlotte of Prussia (daughter of
Frederick William III of Prussia). Alexander II Nikolayevich, (April 29, 1818 – March 13, 1881), the
Emperor of Russia, the King of Poland and the Grand Duke of Finland, ruled from the 2
nd
of March
1855 until his assassination on 13
th
of March 1881. Alexander II's most significant reform as Emperor
was emancipation of Russia's serfs in 1861.
2 Рекрутский набор/Рекрутская повинность - Conscription - in the Russian Empire it was the
system of "conscript obligation", introduced by Peter I of Russia. (See Wikipedia) The term of service
in the 18
th
century was for life. In 1793 it was reduced to 25 years. Individual conscripts were drawn
from urban and rural men of Russian nationality who paid poll-tax (including serfs) upon reaching the
age of twenty. See more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conscription_in_the_Russian_Empire. Later in
the 19
th
century it was reduced to five years.
3 Плакатный паспорт - Plakatnyy passport – See: Плакатный паспорт - это... Что такое Плакатный
паспорт? https :// dic . academic . ru / dic . nsf / brokgauz _ efron /.../Плакатный
1) плакатный паспорт. Вид на жительство, выдаваемый из уездного казначейства
податному сословию, для отлучек из постоянного места жительства.
Translation by Anastasia SavenkoMoore and Rick Moore, Eugene OR.
Funded by the Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture NYC, http://mfjc.org/.
Copyright easteurotopo.org 2019.