The Zimninsky Family of Nobility: Mysteries and Twists of Fate
Petr S. Kabytov, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor, Honored Worker of Science of the Russian Federation
Samara National Research University, don.kabytov2012@yandex.ru, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2359-2155
Ekaterina P. Barinova, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor
Samara National Research University, rfnz25@yandex.ru, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2514-9421
Abstract
The article presents a reconstruction of the family history of the Zimninsky noble family, who were related to the Samara noblemen the Plemyannikovs and the Bulgakovs. Attention is focused on the difficulties that researchers encountered when writing family histories of noblemen during the reforms of the second half of the 19th century, as well as during the wars and revolutions of the first quarter of the 20th century. The geographic location of the Zimninsky family’s land holdings is established, brief biographical portraits of the most famous representatives of the clan are presented, matrimonial connections are traced. The successful career of V. A. Zimninsky in zemstvo self-government is highlighted. Attention is paid to the composition of the Zimninsky family. A comparative analysis of genealogical data, office documents, memoirs and oral family history materials revealed contradictions in the personal data of F. V. Zimninsky. It is proven that these were due to the desire of the “former” to adapt to the conditions of the new society. The tragic fates of noblemen are revealed amidst wars, revolutions, and during the period of socialist construction. The need for further genealogical research is noted.
Keywords
Nobility, Buzuluk, Samara, Orenburg, Simbirsk, Tomsk, Great Russian Revolution, White Army, repressions.
For citation:
Kabytov P. S., Barinova E. P. The Zimninsky Family of Nobility: Mysteries and Twists of Fate. Vestnik of Orenburg State Pedagogical University. Electronic Scientific Journal, 2026, no. 2 (58), pp. 99—111. DOI: https://doi.org/10.32516/2303-9922.2026.58.6.
1. Barinova E. P. Rossiiskoe dvoryanstvo v nachale XX veka: ekonomicheskii status i sotsiokul’turnyi oblik [The Russian nobility at the beginning of the 20th century. Economic status and sociocultural appearance]. Moscow, ROSSPEN Publ., 2008. 351 p. (In Russian)
2. Barinova E. P., Kabytov P. S. Buzulukskie dvoryane Plemyannikovy v vospominaniyakh A. E. Fridrikhs [The Buzuluk nobles, the Plemyannikovs, in the memoirs of A. E. Friedrichs]. Dvenadtsatye Bol’shakovskie chteniya. Orenburgskii krai kak istoriko-kul’turnyi fenomen: sb. statei mezhdunar. nauch.-prakt. konf.: v 2 t. [The Twelfth Bolshakov readings. The Orenburg region as a historical and cultural phenomenon. Collection of articles of the Internat. sci. and pract. conf. In 2 vols]. Orenburg, Izd-vo OGPU Publ., 2024, vol. 2, pp. 15—18. (In Russian)
3. Barinova E. P., Kabytov P. S. Vospominaniya A. E. Fridrikhs kak istochnik o povsednevnoi zhizni dvoryanskogo roda Plemyannikovykh [Memoirs of A. E. Friedrichs as a source on the daily life of the Plemyannikov noble family]. Vestnik arkhivista — Herald of an Archivist, 2023, no. 2, pp. 602—615. DOI: 10.28995/2073-0101-2023-2-602-615. (In Russian)
4. Barinova E. P., Kabytov P. S. Povsednevnaya zhizn’ provintsial’noi dvoryanskoi sem’i v poreformennyi period na stranitsakh vospominanii A. E. Fridrikhs [Daily life of a provincial noble family in the post-reform period in the memoirs of A. E. Friedrichs]. Istoriya povsednevnosti — History of Everyday Life, 2023, no. 1, pp. 8—25. DOI: 10.35231/25422375_2023_1_8. (In Russian)
5. Beisov P. S. Minaev i Simbirsk: ocherk [Minaev and Simbirsk. Essay]. Monomakh, 2005, no. 4, pp. 44—45. (In Russian)
6. Bessmertnyi polk: sait [Immortal regiment: website]. Available at: https://www.moypolk.ru/soldier/babakov-aleksey-kirillovich?ysclid=mkr3ra5u8u581821532. Accessed: 20.01.2026. (In Russian)
7. Volkov S. V. Baza dannykh “Uchastniki Belogo dvizheniya v Rossii” [Database “Participants of the white movement in Russia”]. Available at: https://swolkov.org/2_baza_beloe_dvizhenie/2_baza_beloe_dvizhenie_abc-08.htm#7. Accessed: 20.01.2026. (In Russian)
8. Volkov S. V. Vysshee chinovnichestvo Rossiiskoi imperii: kratkii slovar’ [Higher officialdom of the Russian Empire. A brief dictionary]. Moscow, Russkii fond sodeistviya obrazovaniyu i nauke Publ., 2016. 800 p. (In Russian)
9. Volkov S. V. Ofitsery flota i morskogo vedomstva: opyt martirologa [Naval and marine officers. A martyrology study]. Moscow, Russkii put’ Publ., 2004. 557 p. (In Russian)
10. Vorob’ev V. K. Nash rodnoi Veshkaimskii krai. Stranitsy istorii selenii Veshkaimskogo raiona Ul’yanovskoi oblasti [Our native Veshkaimsky region. Pages of history of the villages of the Veshkaimsky district of the Ulyanovsk region]. Ulyanovsk, Tsentr kommunikatsii Povolzh’ya Publ., 2021. 207 p. (In Russian)
11. Gosudarstvennyi arkhiv Novosibirskoi oblasti [State archives of the Novosibirsk region]. F. R-204. Op. 2. D. 363.
12. Grazhdanskaya voina v Sibiri: sait [Civil War in Siberia: website]. Available at: https://wap.siberia.forum24.ru/?1-9-0-00000172-000-0-1. Accessed: 20.01.2026. (In Russian)
13. Derzhavin N. A. “Korol’ rifmy” (D. D. Minaev i ego literaturnaya deyatel’nost’) [“The King of Rhyme” (D. D. Minaev and his literary work)]. Istoricheskii vestnik, 1914, vol. 138, no. 7—8, pp. 182—216. (In Russian)
14. Drobnitsa Lyudmila. Sotsial’naya set’ Odnoklassniki [Drobnitsa Lyudmila. Social network ‘Odnoklassniki’]. Available at: https://m.ok.ru/profile/578668414415. Accessed: 20.01.2026. (In Russian)
15. Latviiskii gosudarstvennyi istoricheskii arkhiv. Veb-sait “Liniya”. Rizhskii politekhnicheskii institut [Latvian state historical archives. “Line” website. Riga polytechnic institute]. Available at: https://www.raduraksti.arhivi.lv/about. Accessed: 20.02.2026. (In Russian)
16. Logacheva P. A. Moi vospominaniya [My memories]. Yekaterinburg, Ural’skii rabochii Publ., 2024. 96 p. (In Russian)
17. Martynov P. L. Seleniya Simbirskogo uezda: (Materialy dlya istorii simbirskogo dvoryanstva i chastnogo zemlevladeniya v Simbirskom uezde) [Villages of the Simbirsk district. (Materials for the history of the Simbirsk nobility and private land ownership in the Simbirsk district)]. Simbirsk, Simbir. gub. uchen. arkh. komis. Publ., 1903. 619 p. (In Russian)
18. Mitin A. V., Fedotova N. Yu. Buzulukskie istorii. Kn. 1: Rodzevichi, Zagorskie, Boltunovy [Buzuluk stories. Book 1. Rodzevichs, Zagorskys, Boltunovs]. Yekaterinburg, Ural’skii rabochii Publ., 2020. 106 p. (In Russian)
19. Mitin A. V., Fedotova N. Yu. Buzulukskie istorii. Kn. 2: Zhizn’ uezdnogo goroda [Buzuluk stories. Book 2. Life of a county town]. Yekaterinburg, Ural’skii rabochii Publ., 2023. 351 p. (In Russian)
20. Mishanina E. V. Orenburgskoe pomestnoe dvoryanstvo: istoriya, byt, kul’tura [Orenburg landed nobility: history, life, culture]. Orenburg, Universitet Publ., 2017. 335 s. (In Russian)
21. Otkrytyi spisok: sait [Open list: website]. Available at: https://ru.openlist.wiki/Zimninskii_Fedor_Vladimirovich_(1883). Accessed: 20.01.2026. (In Russian)
22. Otkrytyi spisok: sait [Open list: website]. Available at: https://ru.openlist.wiki/Зимнинский_Владимир_Владимирович_(1895). Accessed: 20.01.2026. (In Russian)
23. Ob’’edinennyi gosudarstvennyi arkhiv Orenburgskoi oblasti [United state archives of the Orenburg region] (OGAOO). F. 389. Op. 1. D. 540. L. 175.
24. OGAOO. F. 389. Op. 1. D. 784.
25. OGAOO. F. 389. Op. 1. D. 889.
26. OGAOO. F. 389. Op. 1. D. 913.
27. OGAOO. F. 389. Op. 1. D. 1884.
28. OGAOO. F. 389. Op. 2. D. 290.
29. OGAOO. F. 389. Op. 3. D. 24.
30. OGAOO. F. 389. Op. 3. D. 47.
31. OGAOO. F. 389. Op. 3. D. 48.
32. OGAOO. F. 8381. Op. 1. D. 360.
33. OGAOO. F. 8381. Op. 1. D. 367.
34. Ofitsery RIA: sait [RIA officers: website]. Available at: https://www.ria1914.info/index.php/Zimninskii_Sergei_Nikolaevich. Accessed: 20.01.2026. (In Russian)
35. Ofitsery RIA: sait [RIA officers: website]. Available at: https://www.ria1914.info/index.php?title=Зимнинский_Борис_Николаевич. Accessed: 20.01.2026. (In Russian)
36. Pamyatnaya knizhka Samarskoi gubernii na 1911 g. [Commemorative book of the Samara province for 1911]. Samara, Gub. tip. Publ., 1911. 459 p. (In Russian)
37. Pamyatnaya knizhka Samarskoi gubernii na 1916 god [Commemorative book of the Samara province for 1916]. Samara, Gub. tip. Publ., 1916. 210 p. (In Russian)
38. Protopopov I. A. Spisok naselennykh mest Samarskoi gubernii, sostavlen v 1900 godu sekretarem Samarskogo gubernskogo statisticheskogo komiteta I. A. Protopopovym [List of populated areas of Samara Governorate, compiled in 1900 by I. A. Protopopov, Secretary of the Samara Provincial Statistical Committee]. Samara, Gub. tip. Publ., 1900. 520 p. (In Russian)
39. Rossiiskii gosudarstvennyi arkhiv drevnikh aktov [Russian state archive of ancient documents]. F. 1355. Op. 1. D. 1075.
40. Rossiiskii gosudarstvennyi voenno-istoricheskii arkhiv [Russian state military historical archive] (RGVIA). F. 409. Op. 1. D. 54716.
41. RGVIA. F. 409. Op. 1. D. 73716.
42. Rukopisnyi otdel Instituta russkoi literatury (Pushkinskii dom) [Manuscript department of the Institute of Russian literature (Pushkin house)]. F. 321. Op. 1. D. 6. (In Russian)
43. Samarskie gubernskie vedomosti, 1879, no. 22. March 28. (In Russian)
44. Sytin S. L. Dom A. P. Yazykova na Pokrovskoi ulitse Simbirska [A. P. Yazykov’s house on Pokrovskaya street in Simbirsk]. Materialy vtoroi nauchnoi konferentsii, posvyashchennoi uchenomu i kraevedu S. L. Sytinu. Oktyabr’ 2004 g. [Proceedings of the second scientific conference dedicated to the scholar and regional historian S. L. Sytin. Oct. 2004]. Ulyanovsk, Korporatsiya tekhnologii prodvizheniya Publ., 2005, pp. 14—29. (In Russian)
45. Trofimov Zh. A. D. D. Minaev i Simbirsk [D. D. Minaev and Simbirsk]. Saratov, Privolzhskoe kn. izd-vo. Ul’yanovskoe otdelenie Publ., 1989. 50 p. (In Russian)
46. Ul’yanovskaya — Simbirskaya entsiklopediya: v 2 t. T. 1: A—M. [Ulyanovsk-Simbirsk Encyclopedia. In 2 vols. Vol. 1: A—M]. Ed. and comp. by V. N. Egorov. Ulyanovsk, Simb. kn. Publ., 2000. 397 p. (In Russian)
47. Geni — interaktivnyi genealogicheskii servis [Geni — an interactive genealogical service]. Available at: https://www.geni.com/people. Accessed: 30.01.2026. (In Russian)