Service class people

Service class people (Russian: служилые люди) were persons bound by obligations of service, especially military service, to the Muscovite Russian state. In early Siberia, service-men and promyshleniks were the two main classes of the Russian population. Service-men were nominally servants of the tsar, had certain legal rights and duties and could expect pay if they were lucky. Promyshleniks were free men who made their living any way they could. A minor group were sworn-men (tseloval'niki, literally [cross or bible] 'kissers').

Service class people

Service class people (Russian: служилые люди) were persons bound by obligations of service, especially military service, to the Muscovite Russian state. In early Siberia, service-men and promyshleniks were the two main classes of the Russian population. Service-men were nominally servants of the tsar, had certain legal rights and duties and could expect pay if they were lucky. Promyshleniks were free men who made their living any way they could. A minor group were sworn-men (tseloval'niki, literally [cross or bible] 'kissers').