Passport of Rybakova

3 Names: Ribakovs, Ruts, Simanovičs (Simanowicz)

This is a Placard passport of the time when some migration to other parts of the Empire and from rural to urban regions began. The Passport was issued in 1868 to Avdotja Rybakova from Jēkabpils [Jakobstadt].

The general view of the front side in Russian also shows some parts of the passport form printed on the backside in German, because the paper sheet was a bit translucent for the scanner. The backside was not filled up, however.

The text and the general pattern of the passport was quite similar to the passport of E.Ruth described in another Page. The only difference is the name of the Tzar, because then Alexander II reigned. The view of the State Emblem printed on this passport was also different. It was the following now:

This picture also informs that this kind of passports could be handed to the petty-bourgeois and the peasants. The passports were valid no longer than for 6 months and the fee for them was 85 Kopecks in silver. The price was not very high in this case, especially if compared with 5 Roubles that was the price of Ruth's passport 30 years ago.

The bearer of the passport was Avdotja Rybakova daughter of Fedot. She was a petty-bourgeois by estate and unmarried. The passport was issued on November 11, 1868 for 6 months. The passport said nothing about her religious confession and ethnicity, but she was a Russian and quite probably an Old believer, because in that time a lot of Old believers lived in Jēkabpils.

The Mayor (Bürgermeister) of the town was Simanowicz. The name is of Polish pattern and could also be used by a Jewish person, but I do not believe that the Mayor of this town ever was a Jew, though at that time Jews were allowed to be elected in the local governments.

The left side of the Passport brings the description of Avdotja. She was 21, 2 arshins 4 vershoks (160 cm) tall, her hair was light brown, her eyes were blue, the nose and the mouth were of moderate size, the chin was round and the face was clear.