The Imperial Corps of Pages. The Corps of Pages was a privileged military school reserved for sons of noblemen and high-ranking officers. It was founded in October 1802 by Alexander I in St. Petersburg. Except by personal appointment of the Emperor or as a son of a Major-General killed in action, admission was only by a difficult competitive examination. Only the sons or grandsons of those in the top three levels of the Table of Rank were eligible to apply. All graduates were assigned to the imperial regiment of their choice. A small percentage of graduates entered the diplomatic or civil services.
From its inception until 1917, the Corps graduated 4,505 officers. An additional 200 were unable to complete their education because of the revolution. The school was disbanded on the order of Alexander Kerenskii, War Minister of the Provisional Government, in June 1917. |
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About the Exhibition.
This online exhibition catalog contains selections from the Columbia
University Libraries exhibition on view in Butler Library from December
1, 2002 to February 28, 2003, timed to coincide with celebrations
of the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg.
The exhibition featured objects drawn from the Imperial Corps
of Pages collection held by Columbia's Bakhmeteff
Archive of Russian and East European History and Culture,
one of the world's most extensive repositories of Russian materials
outside Russia.
The exhibition was prepared by Tanya Chebotarev,
curator of the Bakhmeteff Archive, and Marvin Lyons, Executive
Secretary of the Vorontsov Palace and Corps of Pages Memorial
Trust.
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Imperial Corps of Pages Building, St. Petersburg, ca. 1858. Lithograph
after a drawing by J. Charlemagne.