Metadata: Land Captain of the 1st area in the Ukmerge (Vilkomir) district
Collection
- Country:
- Lithuania
- Holding institution:
- Lithuanian State Historical Archives
- Holding institution (official language):
- Lietuvos valstybės istorijos archyvas
- Postal address:
- Mindaugo g. 8, 03107 Vilnius
- Phone number:
- +370 5 219 5320
- Email:
- istorijos.archyvas@lvia.lt
- Reference number:
- 1550
- Title:
- Land Captain of the 1st area in the Ukmerge (Vilkomir) district
- Title (official language):
- Kauno gubernijos Ukmergės apskrities 1-ojo skyriaus zemskinis viršininkas
- Creator/accumulator:
- Land Captain of the 1st area in the Ukmerge (Vilkomir) district
- Date(s):
- 1904/1917
- Language:
- Russian
- Extent:
- 145 files
- Type of material:
- Textual material
- Physical condition:
- good
- Scope and content:
- The collection contains materials of the Land Captain of the 1st area in the Vilkomir (Ukmerge) district including various court registers and decisions, proceedings in civil matters and criminal cases. The Land Captain was an agent of the Russian central authorities and was intended to limit the powers of the Zemstvo institution. He intervened in all aspects of peasant affairs and had extensive jurisdiction over the peasants’ commune activities. Since some Jews lived in the rural areas of the Vilkomir district, the collection comprises some Jewish-related records from 1915. These materials deal with civil or criminal offences and shed light on relationships between the Jews and gentiles. The files that deal with civil legal inquiries include monetary claims. The collection includes a claim by Iakov Elper against Amos Simovich for about 54 rubles (inventory 1, file 377). An additional case includes a lawsuit filed by a gentile resident, Anton Stantsel, against Iosel Videtsky and Mordkhel Fain for 7 rubles (inventory 1, file 381). Another case deals with a demand of a municipal judge in Vilkomir to interrogate witnesses in connection with the lawsuit filed by Evdokia Matrosova against Itsik Goland for 78 rubles (inventory 1, file 386). Stanislav Dudzel's claim deals with the refund of 300 rubles that Shmuel Ginzburg had guaranteed to honour via a promissory note (veksel) (inventory 1, file 408). Promissory notes discounting was a common financial transaction during the early 20th century. In case of the debtors’ insolvency, the guarantors had to replace the debtor. In case of final non-return of the money, debtor bankruptcy procedure began. The average tenor of the promissory notes was from three to six months. Files dealing with criminal law offences include the case against Haim Vainer who was charged in 1915 under section 104 of the Criminal Code, i.e. illegal healing (inventory 1, file 275). Criminal prosecution under this article asserted that the health of the patient was harmed or strong substances were used by the healer. The defendant was threatened with arrest for up to 3 months or a fine up to 300 rubles. Another criminal case deals with the interrogation of witnesses at the request of the Land Captain regarding charges against Maria Satkunas regarding theft of timber from Meilakh Burshtein (inventory 1, file 344).
- Archival history:
- Information on the history of the collection is unavailable.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- The office of Land Captain (Zemskii nachalnik) was established in the Russian Empire by Alexander III in 1889. The main aim of the reform was to strengthen state control at the local level in village areas. The Land Captain was appointed by the Minister of the Interior from the ranks of local landowners. The law granted him administrative and judicial power in civil and criminal cases. All elected local officials had to be confirmed by the Land Captain. He could impose penalties and punishments, to control peasant self-government institutions, to resolve land disputes, to deal with appeals against local court judgments and to approve local judges. In 1917 the office of the Land Captain was abolished.
- Access points: locations:
- Vilkomir
- Subject terms:
- Crime
- Financial matters
- Financial matters--Moneylending
- Legal records
- System of arrangement:
- The collection consists of one inventory that is arranged in thematic-chronological order.
- Finding aids:
- Detailed inventories are available on the website on the Lithuanian Chief Archivist Service.
- Yerusha Network member:
- Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People
- Author of the description:
- Ilya Vovshin; Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People; 2020