Vasily Yershov
Encyclopedia
Vasily Semyonovich Yershov (1672 - after 1729) was a Russia
n statesman, governor
(1711–1712) and vice governor of Moscow guberniya (1712–1719).
of Prince Mikhail Cherkassky. He began to progress up the career ladder owing to his notable work as a pribylshchik (lit. profit man), a person developing projects for increasing government revenues. In 1704-1709, Vasily Yershov headed the Office of Court Affairs (Канцелярия дворцовых дел) and then Horse-and-Carriage Service. Some contemporary evidence suggests that, as head of these two government offices, Yershov managed to increase their total revenue by 90,000 ruble
s.
as the governor of Moscow guberniya. In January 1712, however, he was transferred to the position of vice governor due to his "ignoble" ancestry (Mikhail Romodanovsky was appointed the governor of Moscow). Upon the death of his superior in January 1713, Vasily Yershov headed the gubernatorial office for half a year until the appointment of Alexei Saltykov. Yershov was known for his cussedness, for which the senator
s would often threaten him with administrative punishment or prison. Also, he was in constant disagreement with Alexei Saltykov, who had been the Senate’s appointee. In 1714, the Senate even issued a special decree forbidding the vice governor to make certain decisions without the approval of his immediate superior. In 1715, Vasily Yershov publicly accused Alexei Saltykov of embezzlement
, causing the latter’s removal from the office. Yershov kept his post upon the appointment of the new governor Kirill Naryshkin
. Vasily Yershov is known to have elaborated numerous projects on increasing government revenues, cracking down on the escaping of army recruits, collecting arrears, eliminating extortion in state-run offices etc.
, who had been arrested and then expelled from Moscow in the early fall of the same year. In 1729, Vasily Yershov took monastic vows in Pereyaslavl-Zalessky with the consent of Peter II
.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n statesman, governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
(1711–1712) and vice governor of Moscow guberniya (1712–1719).
Early career
According to some accounts, Vasily Yershov came from a family of serfsRussian serfdom
The origins of serfdom in Russia are traced to Kievan Rus in the 11th century. Legal documents of the epoch, such as Russkaya Pravda, distinguished several degrees of feudal dependency of peasants, the term for an unfree peasant in the Russian Empire, krepostnoi krestyanin , is translated as serf.-...
of Prince Mikhail Cherkassky. He began to progress up the career ladder owing to his notable work as a pribylshchik (lit. profit man), a person developing projects for increasing government revenues. In 1704-1709, Vasily Yershov headed the Office of Court Affairs (Канцелярия дворцовых дел) and then Horse-and-Carriage Service. Some contemporary evidence suggests that, as head of these two government offices, Yershov managed to increase their total revenue by 90,000 ruble
Ruble
The ruble or rouble is a unit of currency. Currently, the currency units of Belarus, Russia, Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Transnistria, and, in the past, the currency units of several other countries, notably countries influenced by Russia and the Soviet Union, are named rubles, though they all are...
s.
Yershov as governor and vice governor
On February 22, 1711, Vasily Yershov replaced Tikhon StreshnevTikhon Streshnev
Tikhon Nikitich Streshnev was a Russian boyar and statesman during the reign of Peter I of Russia, one of the first members of the Governing Senate and the first governor of Moscow after the post was reformed by Peter....
as the governor of Moscow guberniya. In January 1712, however, he was transferred to the position of vice governor due to his "ignoble" ancestry (Mikhail Romodanovsky was appointed the governor of Moscow). Upon the death of his superior in January 1713, Vasily Yershov headed the gubernatorial office for half a year until the appointment of Alexei Saltykov. Yershov was known for his cussedness, for which the senator
State Council of Imperial Russia
The State Council was the supreme state advisory body to the Tsar in Imperial Russia.-18th century:Early Tsars' Councils were small and dealt primarily with the external politics....
s would often threaten him with administrative punishment or prison. Also, he was in constant disagreement with Alexei Saltykov, who had been the Senate’s appointee. In 1714, the Senate even issued a special decree forbidding the vice governor to make certain decisions without the approval of his immediate superior. In 1715, Vasily Yershov publicly accused Alexei Saltykov of embezzlement
Embezzlement
Embezzlement is the act of dishonestly appropriating or secreting assets by one or more individuals to whom such assets have been entrusted....
, causing the latter’s removal from the office. Yershov kept his post upon the appointment of the new governor Kirill Naryshkin
Kirill Naryshkin
Kirill Naryshkin may refer to:* Kirill Poluektovich Naryshkin , Russian boyar and maternal grandfather of Peter the Great* Kirill Alexeyevich Naryshkin , mayor of Moscow from 1716 to 1719...
. Vasily Yershov is known to have elaborated numerous projects on increasing government revenues, cracking down on the escaping of army recruits, collecting arrears, eliminating extortion in state-run offices etc.
Later life
In 1721-1723, Vasily Yershov was in charge of the Monastery Prikaz. In 1727, he fell into disgrace as an associate of Alexander MenshikovAleksandr Danilovich Menshikov
Aleksandr Danilovich Menshikov was a Russian statesman, whose official titles included Generalissimus, Prince of the Russian Empire and Duke of Izhora , Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, Duke of Cosel. A highly appreciated associate and friend of Tsar Peter the Great, he was the de facto ruler of...
, who had been arrested and then expelled from Moscow in the early fall of the same year. In 1729, Vasily Yershov took monastic vows in Pereyaslavl-Zalessky with the consent of Peter II
Peter II of Russia
Pyotr II Alekseyevich was Emperor of Russia from 1727 until his death. He was the only son of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich, son of Peter I of Russia by his first wife Eudoxia Lopukhina, and Princess Charlotte, daughter of Duke Louis Rudolph of Brunswick-Lüneburg and sister-in-law of Charles VI,...
.