Hiérarchie et préséances : le cas de la Russie au XVIIe siècle

Résumé En

Hierarchy Versus Precedence : The Russian Case Whereas the importance of hierarchy in traditional society is widely recognized, little has been written, as yet, on the way it was implemented in practice. This article tries to demonstrate that the gap between the ideal order of oratores, bellatores, laboratores, and social reality, was filled by the rules of precedence. The Muscovite hierarchie order is infered from the Confirmed Charter (1613), in which the global picture of society occurs sixty-six times. But even the most detailed descriptions (twenty-nine terms) are still unable to dictate, e.g., the actual order of signature for the Zemskij Sobor members. The order of precedence is more in keeping with everyday realities: thus, important noblemen like the bojare rank higher even than the abbots of the five or six best convents. The ideal hierarchy is still less effective when it cornes to the sorting out of noblemen of identical rank: most of the precedence disputes (1613-1620) at the Russian Court, are fought over that very issue. Last but not least, precedence order and conflicts are used, by the Russian nobles, as means to vindicate a parallel order, which is at odds with the official hierarchy.