Anastasia Shteinert, Michael Perekrestov

Russian emperors were generous with gifts to their close associates, and these gifts often extended beyond monetary rewards or promotions in rank. Prior to the abolition of serfdom in the Russian Empire, distinguished nobles were regularly granted entire villages and estates with souls—that is, serfs—who were legally bound to these lands.

One recipient of the tsar’s favor was Colonel Feodor Feodorovich von Schatz (born circa 1750), who, by decree of Emperor Paul I (1754–1801), was granted hundreds of serfs, two villages, and an estate near Saint Petersburg. The gifts are recorded in a document (gramota) bearing Paul I’s personal signature, which was donated by a generous donor to the Russian History Museum in August of this year.

Luxury in Every Detail

What first captures one’s attention is a massive gilt silver circular canister emblazoned with the imperial double-headed eagle. Inside the canister is the original wax seal, also featuring the state coat of arms. The seal and protective canister are connected to the document’s silk-covered cover with a cord and tassels of metallic thread. 

The document itself is handwritten in gold lettering on vellum—high-quality parchment. The first page, all twenty-three lines of it, consists entirely of Paul I’s titles. The text is edged with a sumptuously decorated border, surmounted by the Emperor’s cypher and imperial eagle. Golden pilasters, topped with symbols of military might and autocratic authority, are bedecked with medallions featuring coats of arms of the Russian Empire’s provinces. The bottom is graced with rose garlands and a finely painted seascape, replete with sailing ships.  

The next two pages get to the meat of the matter, detailing the endowment of property to Feodor von Schatz. Here, too, the document is embellished with decorative borders with foliate motifs, golden ornamentation, and rose garlands. Most importantly, the final page bears Paul I’s original signature, followed by that of his chancellor, Ivan Andreyevich Osterman.

The gramota is an example of the benefits enjoyed by an individual who incurred royal favor. Specifically, Colonel von Schatz was granted 500 male serfs, the village of Kaporskoye with 246 souls, the village of Vysotskoye with 270 souls, and an estate (myza) with 8 souls. The properties were located near Oranienbaum, an imperial palace near Saint Petersburg, originally built in the 18th century for Prince Alexander Menshikov, a close associate of Peter the Great. The gramota specifies that all the above-listed properties, as well as fishing rights, fields, buildings, etc., are transferred to von Schatz in “perpetual and hereditary ownership.” Schatz and his heirs were allowed to sell them on the condition that taxes be paid. 

Burdens of Serfdom

From an aesthetic standpoint, the gramota is undoubtedly a stunning specimen of an 18th century decorated imperial document. However, a careful reading of the text underscores the harsh realities of serfdom, which remained central to the Russian Empire’s agrarian economy and aristocratic structure during Paul’s reign. 

Russia’s serfs were essentially bound to the land and under the control of landowners, a condition that extended to millions of peasants. This is evident in the terms set forth in the gramota, which states that the newly minted landowner von Schatz has a claim not only to the serfs inhabiting his villages and estates, but even to runaway serfs who are legally bound to his land. While systems of serfdom were gradually being abolished in Eastern and Central Europe, in Russia the practice continued until the emancipation of serfs by Alexander II in 1861.

The Mysterious Beneficiary… and a Hint of Nepotism?

But who was Colonel Feodor von Schatz, the recipient of such a generous “bonus” from the Emperor? Little is known about him apart from the fact that he served in the Life-Guard Cuirassier Regiment and later attained the rank of State Councillor (статский советник in Russian). A State Councillor was a high civil rank in the Russian Empire, awarded to senior civil servants and granting the right to hereditary nobility.

Here is where the story gets interesting. In his memoirs, Prince Ivan Mikhailovich Dolgorukov—a poet, politician, and contemporary of Paul I—refers to von Schatz as the half-brother of Empress Maria Feodorovna (1759–1828), Paul I’s second wife [1]. Born Princess Sophia Maria Dorothea Augusta Louise, she was the daughter of Friedrich Eugen, Duke of Würtemberg. In addition to twelve children (including the future Russian empress) by his wife Frederieke, the Duke is known to have had at least one illegitimate son. Based on Dolgorukov’s description of von Schatz’s relationship to Maria Feodorovna, is it possible that he was the offspring of another one of the Duke’s liaisons?  

Despite the lack of definitive evidence about the colonel’s parentage, Dolgorukov’s account suggests that von Schatz may have had more than just military prowess to thank for his newfound fortune. Did his familial connection play a role in his generous reward from Paul I? While the full extent of von Schatz’s family ties remains a mystery, the possibility of royal favoritism offers an intriguing layer to the gramota’s story.

More information is known about von Schatz’s wife, Varvara Nikolaevna, née Aksakova (born circa 1765). Upon graduation from the Smolny Institute of Noble Maidens in 1782 she became a lady-in-waiting to Maria Feodorovna, the future empress. It is possible that the future spouses met thanks to their connections to the court. Dolgorukov describes Aksakova in his memoirs as “quite attractive and amiable,” noting that he “had to exercise considerable caution not to fall prey to her charms.” The von Schatzes’ son, Alexander, took part in the War of 1812 under Emperor Alexander I and was awarded the Order of Saint Anna, 4th class [2]. 

The memory of the von Schatz family is preserved to this day on the property that was granted to Feodor Feodorovich. In the village of Russko-Vysotskoye stands the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, built in the 1770s by order of Catherine the Great’s favorite, Grigory Orlov. Upon acquiring the village, Feodor von Schatz ordered the construction of a brick expansion to house a chapel dedicated to Saint Dmitry of Rostov. The church became the resting place of Varvara Shatz upon her death in 1808 [3].

More Images

Notes: 

[1] I. M. Dolgorukov, Капище моего сердца или словарь всех тех лиц, с коими я был в разных отношениях в течение моей жизни [The Temple of My Heart, or a Dictionary of All Those Persons with Whom I Was in Various Relationships Throughout My Life] (Moscow: Nauka, 1997), 11.

[2] “Grave of Colonel A. F. Schatz,” Crimean Monuments. URL: https://crimean-monuments.ru/monument/2977-mogila-polkovnika-a-f-shacza.

[3] “Детище фаворита Екатерины Великой. История храма Николая Чудотворца в Русско-Высоцком” [The Creation of Catherine the Great’s Favorite: The History of St. Nicholas Church in Russko-Vysotskoye], LOMOLENOBL. URL: https://dzen.ru/a/XmQPusewsywJIAlh.