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Events on Thursday 21 April 1785 1
1785Charter to the Nobility issued in RussiaCatherine the Great codifies the privileges of the Russian nobilityEmpress Catherine II of Russia issued the Charter to the Nobility, formally codifying and expanding the rights and privileges of the Russian aristocracy, including exemption from taxation and corporal punishment. The charter strengthened the nobility's control over serfs and local administration. It remained a cornerstone of Russian social structure until the 1917 revolution.