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Issue of the Manifesto on Freedoms of the Nobility
February 18 (March 1), 1762 Peter III issued a Manifesto "granting the freedoms and liberties to Russian nobles". The Act expanded the rights and privileges of the Russian nobility, and abolished the compulsory civil or military service, introduced by Peter I.
Main provisions of the Manifesto were confirmed by Charter to the Nobility of 1785.
According to the Manifesto of Peter III, all nobles were exempted from compulsory military and civil service; those working in public service could retire, except for the officers in war time (the military men could not ask for the resignation during a campaign or three months before it). Nobles got the right to freely travel abroad, but were obliged to return to Russia on the government's request, "when the need requires”.
The Manifesto contained certain limitations that concerned the nobles who were in military service but had not received an officer rank: the leave could obtain only those who had served on active duty for at least 12 years.
The only duty of nobles was proclaimed a decent education which they could receive at home, in Russian or European institutions.
The manifesto declared the service an honorable duty of the nobility, and encouraged to continue to serve. However, immediately after the promulgation of the document many nobles handed in their resignation, taking advantage of the authorization. Within the ten years since the publication of the manifesto about 7,5 thousand people resigned from the public service, the majority of the retired were military.
Lit.: Вернадский Г. В. Манифест Петра III о вольности дворянской и законодательная комиссия 1754-1766 гг. // Историческое обозрение. 1915. Т. 20; Марасинова Е. Н. Вольность российского дворянства (Манифест Петра III и сословное законодательство Екатерины II) // Российская история. № 4. 2007. C. 21-33; Семевский В. И. Очерк царствования Петра III // Отечественные записки. 1867. № 8; Соловьев С. М. История России с древнейших времен. Т. 25. М., 1994; Фаизова И. В. «Манифест о вольности» и служба дворянства в XVIII столетии. М., 1999.
Based on the Presidential Library’s materials: