Say a word for the Poor Dragoon. Recruitment and dismissal of Alexandr Vysokosov the counselor to the Primorskii regional government

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to show the role of friendly patronage in the promotion of fellow students in the Russian Empire at the beginning of the 20 th century. The career of Alexandr Vysokosov, a graduate of the Nikolaev Cavalry School, first a cornet of a dragoon regiment, then an official of Special Assignments in the Vladimir province and the Primorskii region is taken as an example.  Unpublished  documents  from  three  archives  were  used  as  sources. They are the attestation notebook and record of service – from the collection of  the  Russian  State  Military  Historical  Archive  (Moscow),  an  official  list – from the State Archive of the Vladimir Region (Vladimir), cases of recruitment and  dismissal –  from  the  Russian  State  Historical  Archive  of  the  Far  East (Vladivostok). The documents show that Vysokosov studied poorly and after graduation was unable to build either a military or a civilian career, and from 1903 to 1912 he was retired twice.

Thanks  to  the  help  of  a  classmate  and  friend  Vladimir  Lodyzhenskii,  in 1913  he  was  able  to  get  a  position  in  the  Primorsk  regional  administration. But in Vladivostok he was remembered only for his bribery, drunkenness and inappropriate behavior. And even the support of a friend – the vice governor – did not save him from the third dismissal, under Article 788 of the Charter on Service.