In Russia, the village has always been a limited territory. Here life flows in a different direction. And often, authorities pay very little attention to rural infrastructure. And to help in solving various issues, a responsible position appeared - the village headman.
History
In 1861, many peasants withdrew from serfdom. It was a landmark event in the country. It was February of that year, and on the 19th a document was issued on the new rights of the peasants. In this position, the village headman was consolidated as a new official.
His election took place at a rural gathering. His service period was also regulated - 3 years.
Depending on various issues, he was subordinate to one or another official:
- In solving administrative issues, he was led by the foreman of the volost and the zemsky head.
- In police matters, the leaders were a police officer, a bailiff and a district police officer.
Then the village headman was dependent on the college that elected him. She followed his labors and set a salary for them.
The powers of the elders of that time
In the XIX century, the person holding this position had the following rights and duties:
- Convocation and dissolution of the descent.
- Announcement Agenda.
- Approval and execution of the verdicts.
- Tracking the condition of roads and various structures on its site.
- Collection of contributions.
- Control over the implementation of duties and the implementation of contracts.
- Tracking compliance.
- Organization of resistance to fires, floods, epidemics, etc.
Then the head of the rural settlement was entitled to punish for minor misconduct with such methods:
- Two day arrest.
- Fine - 1 ruble.
- Two-day social work.
External differences
The person holding this position had to somehow stand out from other citizens. And the emperor issued a special decree on the badge of the village headman.
The material of this sign is light bronze. In the middle of the front side was the coat of arms of the province in which this or that village was located.
On the extreme sides of the sign was the engraving "village headman." On the other side of this plate was an imperial monogram.
The sign was attached with a special pin to the chest or worn around the neck like a medal.
Abolition
This position was associated with great responsibility and troubles. Few wanted to receive it. And the headman’s salary was only 3 rubles a month. However, in almost all villages, his headman worked.
At the beginning of the century there was a lot of peasant unrest. The elders could not cope with their duties. Gradually, this position began to be replaced by guards. And before the revolution, it has outlived itself. However, this did not happen in all villages.
There are known cases of work of elders in occupied villages in the 40s. But in fact they were replaced by collective farm chairmen.
Rebirth
The village headman must be revived. Some local authorities came to this verdict 8–9 years ago.
And by 2014, this institute again began to operate in the following areas:
- Leningrad.
- Vologda.
- Nizhny Novgorod.
- Orenburg.
In August of the same year, a historical event took place in Vologda: a meeting of rural elders from all over the region.
In April 2016, a plan appeared in the State Duma to assign the village headman federal status. About a month later, a regional law was issued in the Kemerovo region. He regulated the work of the elders.
And in 2018, in April, the Russian president approved the law on securing the designated institution. The law governs:
- The appointment scheme and the rights of the village headman.
- A meeting of the gathering, at which the headman is appointed and removed.
Today's situation
The village headman today is a well-organized manager. It combines the wishes of the villagers with the potential of the administration.
The elder in a modern village should:
- Avoid conflicts and crowds.
- Listen carefully to all questions and divide them into categories. Then they are discussed with the head of the village.
- Well versed in various issues: from small household and to administrative workers. The headman advises people in which authority and on which topic you need to contact.
- To defend the interests of problem families, pensioners, people with disabilities and other complex social categories.
- Help organize subbotniks, elections, celebrations and other events.
- Promote pavement repair.
- In winter, coordinate snow removal operations.
- Notify villagers about potential and emerging emergencies.
The village headman can recruit helpers for himself. True, they work on a voluntary basis, that is, for free. And the elder himself actually works without a salary or for mere pennies. Although officially the salary is due to him.
