Forms of address in the Russian Empire


From the time of Peter the Great, forms of address in the Russian Empire had been well-codified, determined by a person’s title of honor, as well as military or civil rank and ecclesiastical order. One’s position within the clergy was considered most important, followed by title, and then by civil/military rank a prince of the same rank would retain the style of His Highness, while the same prince serving as an archbishop would be referred as His High Eminence. All of these styles are now obsolete and are only used in historical context.
StyleTransliterationTranslationAddressee
Ваше Императорское ВеличествоVashe Imperatorskoye VelichestvoYour Imperial Majestythe Emperor, Empress and Dowager Empress of Russia
Ваше Императорское ВысочествоVashe Imperatorskoye VysochestvoYour Imperial HighnessGrand Dukes and Grand Duchesses
Ваше ВысочествоVashe VysochestvoYour HighnessPrinces and Princesses of the Imperial bloodline
Ваша СветлостьVasha SvyetlostYour Serene HighnessYounger children of Imperial great-grandchildren and their descent; Serene Princes
Ваше СиятельствоVashe SiyatelstvoYour Illustrious HighnessPrinces, Counts
Ваше БлагородиеVashe BlagorodiyeYour Well BornBarons and untitled nobility

StyleTrasliterationTranslationAddressee
Ваше ВысокопревосходительствоVashe VysokoprevoskhoditelstvoYour High ExcellencyTable of Ranks Grades I and II
Ваше ПревосходительствоVashe PrevoskhoditelstvoYour ExcellencyTable of Ranks Grades III and IV
Ваше ВысокородиеVashe VysokorodiyeYour High BornTable of Ranks Grade V
Ваше ВысокоблагородиеVashe VysokoblagorodiyeYour High Well BornTable of Ranks Grades VI to VIII
Ваше БлагородиеVashe BlagorodiyeYour Well BornTable of Ranks Grades IX to XIV