Okolnichy (, ) was an old Russian court official position. According to the Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary, directives on the position of okolnichy date back to the 14th century. Judging by the Russian records from the 16th and 17th centuries, okolnichy were entrusted with the same business in administration as boyars, with the only difference that they were placed second to boyars everywhere. While lower than boyars, it was one of the highest ranks (or positions) close to the tsar Encyclopaedic Dictionary, German Academy of Sciences at Berlin, publications of the Slavistics institute by H. H. Bielefeld, 7th unchanged edition 1970; page 507 — «ru: Oко́льничий = Okolnichy» — license number: 202 • 100/242/70. in the courts of the Moscow rulers until the government reform undertaken by Peter the Great.
The word is derived from the Russian word () meaning 'close, near', in this case 'sitting close to the Tsar'. In the mid-16th century the role became second (subordinate) to boyars.Чины в Московском государстве // Энциклопедический словарь Брокгауза и Ефрона : в 86 т. (82 т. и 4 доп.). — СПб., 1890—1907
Description The duties of the first known okolnichies included arranging the travel and quarters of grand princes and tsars, as well as accommodating foreign ambassadors and presenting them to the court.
Okolnichies had a seat in prikazes, were appointed as namestniks and voivodes, served as diplomatic envoys and members of the tsar's council (duma).
Initially the rank of okolnichy was the second highest after that of boyar, while often they performed similar duties. According to the system of mestnichestvo, a person could not be made a boyar unless someone else in his family had recently held the boyar/okolnichy rank. Consequently, a position of okolnichy was a step towards granting the boyar rank to a non-noble. Even Prince Dmitry Pozharsky, though a Rurikid knyaz by birth and the "Saviour of the Motherland" by royal mercy, could not secure a position higher than okolnichy, because neither his parents nor uncles had ever held a rank higher than stolnik.
Under the Romanovs, the 18 noblest families of Tsardom of Russia were given the privilege of starting their official career from the rank of okolnichy, skipping all the lower ranks, such as stolnik. At the same period, the positions of okolnichy were differentiated and some of them (quarters okolnichy or close okolnichy) were of higher rank than that of non-close boyars. The terms derive from a semi-formal ranking based on the proximity to the tsar at the tsar's table.
List of okolnichies Ivan III of Russia +YearNameNotes1462Ivan Glebov-Oschera1476-1522Ivan Vorontsov-Veliaminov SchedraБерх В. Систематический список боярам, окольничим и думным дворянам от 1468 до разрушения этих органов. СПб. 1833 г.1476Andrei Plescheyev1485Jurlo Plescheyev1487-1503Nikifor Basenkov1489Yuriy Kutuzov-Shestak1489-1501Boris Kutuzov1495-1505Petr Zabolotskiy1495-1504Prince Ivan Zvenigorodskiy-Zvenets1495Petr Plescheyev1498-1524Ivan Vorontsov-Veliaminov Oblias1500Grigoriy Mamon1500Ivan Chulkov-Chebot1501-1515Petr Davydov-Khromoy1501Prince Vasiliy Romodanovskiy1501Afanasiy Sakmyshev1503Ivan Mamonov Bolshoy
Vasiliy III of Russia +YearNameNotes1506-1515Konstantin Zabolotskiy1506Prince Konstantin Ushaty1510Prince Vasiliy Zvenigorodskiy Nozdrovaty1510-1511Mikhail Bezzubtsev1510-1516Petr Zhitov1510-1520Ivan Zhulebin1510-1522Petr Zakharyin-Yakovlev1510Ivan Morozov-Poplevin1510Andrei Saburov1510Ivan Dobrynskiy-Simskiy Khabar1512-1515Ivan Kolychyov LobanKilled1513-1535Andrei Buturlin1514-1528Vasiliy Zakharyin-Yakovlev1514-1538Mikhail Zakharyin-Yuryev1514-1520Dmitriy Kitayev1514Ivan Liatskiy1516Vasiliy Morozov-Poplevin1516Fedor Peshkov-Saburov Musa1517Fedor Karpov1518Mikhail Tuchkov-Morozov1522Mikhail Plescheyev1522Prince Semen Serebriany1522Prince Ivan Telepnev-Obolenskiy, the Mute1522Prince Ivan Ushaty-Liapun1523-1529Andrei Velikoy1523Prince Mikhail Kubenskiy1524Prince Ivan Paletskiy1525-1534Fedor Bezzubtsev1530Fedor Karpov1532Yakov Morozov-Poplevin1532Prince Vasiliy Ushaty-Chulok
Ivan the Terrible +YearNameNotes1535Ivan Briukhovo-Morozov1535Semen Shestunov-Krivoy1536-1561Ivan Vorontsov-Foka1538-1554Ivan Zhulebin Bolshoy1538-1543Dmitriy Ivanov-Slepoy1539Fedor Nagoy1539-1545Semen Bezzubtsov Yepanchin1540Prince Ivan Riapolovskiy Strigin1542Fedor Plescheyev1543-1547Ivan Bezzubtsov1544Ivan Shein1547-1551Ivan Kolychyov-Rudakov1547Danila ZakharyinOkolnichy and Dvoretsky (1547)Богуславский В., Бурминов В. В. Древняя Русь. Рюриковичи. Иллюстрированный исторический словарь. Второе издание. Профит Стайл. — М. 2009. стр. 205. 1548-1555Ivan Kolychyov Umnoy1548-1556Fedor Adashev1548Grigoriy Morozov-Poplevin1548Mikhail Morozov-Poplevin1548Danila Zakharyin1549-1557Andrei Kvashin1549-1571Dolmat Karpov1549Ivan Sheremetev Bolshoy1549Grigoriy Yakovlia1550-1554Ivan Karpov1550Semen Zabolotskiy1550Vladimir Morozov-Poplevin1550Petr Morozov-Poplevin1550Semen Peshkov-Saburov1550Yakov Saltykov1552-1567Ivan Vorontsov1552-1562Ivan Golovin1552Semen Morozov-Poplevin1552Aleksei Basmanov? (died 1566)Mikhail GolovinExecuted1552Lev Saltykov1552Ivan Chobotov1554Prince Ivan Khvorostinin1554Ivan Alferyev1555-1560Vasiliy Borisov1555-1561Aleksei Adashev1555Dmitriy Chebotov1555Mikhail Yakovlia1556Dmitriy Plescheyev1556Vasiliy Danilov1557Semen Yakovlev155?Ivan Yakovlev1557Nikita Sheremetev1558Ivan Sheremetev Menshoy1558Dmitriy Shastunov1559Daniil AdashevExecuted1559Fedor Kolychyov-Umnoy1559Prince Vasiliy Sitskiy1559Mikhail Yuryev1559Vasiliy Yakovlia? (died 1561)Prince Dmitriy Paletskiy1563-1575Petr Zaitsov1563Zakhariy Plescheyev1563-1567Petr Golovin1565-1575Vasiliy Kolychyov-Umnoy1565-1571Mikhail Lykov1565Mikhail Tuchkov-Morozov1565Ivan Chulkov1567-1571Mikhail KolychyovExecuted1567-1576Nikita BorisovСистематические списки боярам, окольничим и думным дворянам с 1408 года до уничтожения сиих чинов. СПб. Изд: тип. Х. Гинце. 1833 г. Список Окольничим. стр. 48-601568-1571Prince Vasiliy Viazemskiy1569Prince Dmitriy Khvorostinin1571Prince Ivan Khvorostinin1572Grigoriy Sobakin1572Vasiliy Sobakin Menshoy1572Prince Osip Scherbatov1573Prince Petr Tatev1573Vasiliy Kolychyov1573-1578Vasiliy VorontsovExecuted1573-1605Dmitriy Godunov1573Prince Yuriy Tokmakov1573Prince Boris Tulupov1576-1605Stepan Godunov1576Boris Shein1577Prince Petr TatevВыписка из Разрядного и Челобитного приказов. 1577 г. Список бояр, окольничих и дворян, которые служат из выбора 85 г.1577Prince Dmitriy Khvorostinin1577Fedor Nagoy1577Mikhail Petrov1577Fedor Sheremetev1577-1580Prince Timofei Dolgorukov1563-1571Afanasiy Buturlin1563Ivan Buturlin1568-1575Dmitriy Buturlin1581Prince Ivan Velikogagin Menshoy1581-1602Ivan Godunov1581Prince Fedor Troyekurov15??Dolmat Dalmatov-KarpovЛ. М. Савёлов. Родословные записи Леонида Михайловича Савелова: опыт родословного словаря русского древнего дворянства. М. 1906—1909 г. Изд: Печатня С. П. Яковлева. Вып: № 3. Далматовы-Карповы. стр. 13.At times of Ivan the Terrible
Feodor I of Russia, the Blessed +YearNameNotes1584-1586Prince Dmitriy Yeletskiy Boroda1584Prince Fedor Khvorostinin1584Ivan Saburov-Peshko1584Prince Ivan Ganin1584-1613Ivan Golovin1585Prince Ivan Kolychev-Kriuk1585-1589Prince Boris Zasekin1585-1604Ivan Buturlin1587-1600Andrei Kleshnin1587Nikita Ochin-Plescheyev1587Prince Petr Lobanov-Rostovskiy1590Mikhail Saltykov1591Semen Saburov Peshko1592-1607Yakov Godunov-Tolstoy1593Prince Ivan Turenin1596-1604Dmitriy Veliaminov-Obenekov
Boris Godunov +YearNameNotes1598-1610Bogdan Belskiy1598-1605Semen Godunov1598-1639Matvei Godunov1598Stepan Godunov1598-1622Nikita Godunov1598Prince Vasiliy Khvorostinin1598Mikhail Saltykov1598Mikhail Romanov1598-1603Foma Buturlin1601Vasiliy Morozov1601-1606Petr Basmanov1603Prince Ivan Khvorostinin1603-1611Prince Aleksandr Zasekin-ZhyrovoyАвтор-сост. В. В. Богуславский. Славянская энциклопедия XVII век. (в 2-х томах). Том. I. Изд: ОЛМА-Пресс. Красный пролетарий. М. 2004 г. А. Ф. Жировой-Засекин. стр. 450. .1604Ivan Basmanov1604-1610Ivan Godunov1604Prince Vasiliy Terenin1604Petr Sheremetev
False Dmitry I +YearNameNotes1605-1613Prince Grigoriy DolgorukovKilled1605Andrei Nagoy1605Grigoriy Nagoy1605Prince Dmitriy Turenin-Obolenskiy
Vasili IV of Russia Shuiskiy +YearNameNotes1606-1612Vasiliy Golovin1606Prince Vladimir Klubkov-Mosalskiy1606Aleksei Plescheyev1606Prince Grigoriy Romodanovskiy1607Mikhail Tatischev1607-1654Semen Golovin1607Vasiliy Schelkalov1607-1634Artemiy Izmailov1610Prince Vasiliy Litvinov-Mosalskiy
Michael of Russia +YearNameNotes1613Boris Saltykov1619-1620Aleksei Zyuzin1620-1640Fedor Buturlin1622-1628Prince Fedor Lykov1623-1627Prince Daniil Dolgorukov1623Mikhail Saltykov1626-1643Lev Dolmatov-Karpov1627-1634Prince Алфавитный указатель фамилий и лиц, упоминаемых в Боярских книгах, хранящихся в I-ом отделении московского архива министерства юстиции, с обозначением служебной деятельности каждого лица и годов состояния, в занимаемых должностях. М., Типогр: С. Селивановского. 1853 г. Фамилии по алфавиту.1627-1629Vasiliy Akhamashukov-Cherkasskiy1627-1640Feodor Buturlin1627-1640Lev Dalmatov-Karpov1627-1640Grigoriy Pushkin1628-1629Prince Aleksei Lvov1629 и 1636—1658Prince Andrei Litvinov-Mosalskiy1629-1640Prince Semen Prozorovskiy1629-1640Stepan Proyestev1630Lukian Streshnev1634Vasiliy Streshnev1634-1635Vasiliy Korobyin1634-1665Prince Fedor Volkonskiy1635Prince Andrei Masalskiy1636-1646Fedor Volynskiy1636-1640Mikhail Saltykov1636-1640Fedor Streshnev1637Nikolay Veliaminov-Obenekov1640Miron Veliaminov-Zernov1640Prince Dmitriy Lvov1640Nikifor Sobakin1640-1658Boris Pushkin
Alexis of Russia +YearNameNotes1645Grigoriy Pushkin1646Prince Dmitriy Volkonskiy1646Prince Vasiliy Romodanovskiy Menshoy1646Mikhail Buturlin1646Petr Trakhaniotov1646Fedor Karpov-Dolmatov1647Prince Semen Pozharskiy1647Prince Ivan Khilkov1648Prince Ivan Romodanovskiy Menshoy1649Prince Ivan Khilkov1649Stepan Pushkin1649-1651Timofei Buturlin1650-1673Fedor Buturlin1650-1655Vasiliy Buturlin1650Mikhail Rtischev1650Vasiliy Choglokov(?) died 1650Prince Petr Volkonskiy1651Stepan Streshnev1651-1674Prince Dmitriy Dolgorukov1652-1654Petr Golovin1652-1659Prince Semen Lvov1653Prince Aleksei Dolgorukov1654Prince Boris Troyekurov1655Andrei Buturlin1655Daniil Velikogagin1655Prince Timofei Scherbatov1655-1667Zhdan Kondyrev1655Fedor KriukovВ.И. Чернопятов. Род Крюковых. М. 1915 г. стр. 30.Дополнение к историческим актам. Т. 1. стр. 118.received feoffment as yaselnichy1656Nikita Boborykin1656Fedor Rtischev1658-1664Fedor Yelizarov1658-1667Vasiliy Yeropkin1658Ivan Gavrenev1658-1661Aleksei Kolychyov1658Fedor Miloslavskiy1658Prince Ivan Lobanov-Rostovskiy1658Prince Vasiliy Lvov1658Prince Semen Lvov1658Prince Lobanov-Rostovskiy1658Prince Semen Pozharskiy1658-1664Prince Fedor Dolgorukov1658Prince Grigoriy Romodanovskiy1658Prince Ivan Pozharskiy1658Prokofiy Sokovnin1658Ivan Streshnev Menshoy1658Prince Fedor Khilkov1658Bogdan Khitrovo1658Vasiliy Choglokov1658Osip Shusherin1658Timofei Shusherin1658-1668Prince Nikita Lvov1658-1668Prince Dmitriy Dolgorukov1658-1668Prince Petr Dolgorukov1658-1668Prince Danila Veliko-Gagin1658-1668Andrei Buturlin1658-1668Fedor Buturlin1658-1673Semen Izmailov1658-1668Prince Ivan Pozharskiy1658-1668Fedor Rtischev1658-1668Osip Sukin1658-1676Prince Ivan Bariatinskiy1658-1676Nikita Boborykin1658-1676Mikhail Volynskiy1658-1676Vasiliy Volynskiy1658-1676Ivan Miloslavskiy1658-1676Ivan Streshnev Bolshoy1658-1676Rodion Streshnev1659Mikhail Volynskiy1660Prince Osip Scherbatov1665Ivan Miloslavskiy1665Afanasiy Ordin-Naschokin(?) died 1667Vasiliy Choglokov1668Prince Yuriy Bariatisnkiy1668-1675Prince Vasiliy Volkonskiy-Verigin Liubka1668-1676Prince Vladimir Dolgorukov1668-1676Prince Grigoriy Kozlovskiy1668-1676Matvei Pushkin1668-1686Petr Skuratov1670-1676Konstantin ShusherinBoyar (1682—1692).1671-1675Prince Vasiliy Volkonskiy-Verigin Liubka1672Artamon Matveyev1672Kirill Naryshkin1675Ivan Khitrovo
Feodor III of Russia