Recruitment and Service in the Ranks 157
introduced by a secret decree in 1738.^73 It evidently replaced the branding
ordered by Peter I and served the same purpose. Minayev, whose donor had
bribed the barber to spare him this indignity, but in vain, writes that he was
'gn:ady shaken when 1 woke up the next day, as it happened opposite a mirror,
and saw myself with my forehead shorn.'^74 From 1808 recruits were dressed in
an unattractive off-white or prison-grey uniform.^75 This measure, designed as
an amelioration, may not have been perceived as such, especially as the
material used gave less protection. Hitherto recruits had been required to
attend the induction ceremony in regular peasant attire and footwear, which it
was their donor's responsibility to provide. These items of clothing were
specified in detail and even included a fur coat (shuba).^76 Official records do
not state what happened to these articles once the soldier had joined his regi-
ment and been issued with a uniform, except that he was not allowed to sell
them;^77 probably most items had by then worn out, especially if the recruit had
been obliged to cover a great distance on foot-in mid-winter.
He also received from his donor a cash grant and a prescribed quantity of
foodstuffs (proviant) for this initial period. The receiving officer was supposed
to check that these supplies were indeed handed over-for cases came to official
notice of donors collecting food for this purpose from their peasants and then
keeping it themselves.^78 The cash grant amounted to 1.50 roubles per man. It
was taken over by the squad officer, who was supposed to issue it in three
monthly instalments, along with the food, which consisted of 6 chetveriki of
flour, 3 garntsy of grits, and 6 funty of salt. Each recruit was allocated to an
artel, or association of eight to ten men, who among other things learned how
to prepare food in common as they would have to do later as soldiers.^79 This
arrangement also had a disciplinary aspect, for artel members were bound by
mutual guarantee (krugovaya poruka). In practice recruits often went short of
food, or so at least we are told by a French observer of Catherine's first war
with the Turks: 'a poor boy is taken from home, marches for two to three hun-
dred miles, and all he gets for his support is some flour, which is often
mildewy, and some milled barley; often he has to sell it or to carry it for more
than a fortnight ... It seems to me that such brave soldiers would deserve to be
treated differently.' 80
The squad officer and the members of the escorting party were supposed to
be chosen for their honesty, reliability, and experience. They gave recruits
elementary instruction in marching, handling rifles, and so on, but were under
73 Beskrovnyy, Russkaya armiya, p. 39.
74 [Minayev] 'Vosp. I. Men'shago', p. 53.
75 Shchepetil'nikov(SVMiv) p. 168; PSZxxx. 23275, 23297, § 132, 23848, § 10(3 Sept., IOOct.
1808, 19 Sept. 1809).
76 PSZ vii. 4845 (5 Mar. 1726), § 4, xiv. 10326 (21 Nov. 1754), § 2. The norms were slightly
raised in 1757: xiv. 10786 (23 Dec. 1757), § 8.
77 PSZ xxx. 23297 (10 Oct. 1808), § 134.
78 PSZ vii. 4845 (5 Mar. 1726), § 5, viii. 5749 (27 Apr. 1731), § 3.(^79) PSZ xiv. 10786 (23 Dec. 1757), II,§§ 4-5.
so Warnery, Remarques, pp. 131-2.