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 (see Table of Ranks) and ecclesiastical order. One’s position within the clergy was considered most important, followed by title, and then by civil/military rank (e.g., a commoner in rank of Privy Councilor would be styled His Excellency) 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.
Aristocratic styles[1]
| Style
|
Transliteration
|
Translation
|
Addressee
|
| Ваше Императорское Величество |
Vashe Imperatorskoye Velichestvo |
Your Imperial Majesty |
the Emperor, Empress and Dowager Empress of Russia
|
| Ваше Императорское Высочество |
Vashe Imperatorskoye Vysochestvo |
Your Imperial Highness |
Grand Dukes and Grand Duchesses (i.e. Imperial children and grandchildren; from 1797 to 1886 the title applied to great- and great-great-grandchildren as well)
|
| Ваше Высочество |
Vashe Vysochestvo |
Your Highness |
Princes and Princesses of the Imperial bloodline
|
| Ваша Светлость |
Vasha Svyetlost |
Your Serene Highness |
Younger children of Imperial great-grandchildren and their descent; Serene Princes
|
| Ваше Сиятельство |
Vashe Siyatelstvo |
Your Illustrious Highness |
Princes, Counts
|
| Ваше Благородие |
Vashe Blagorodiye |
Your Well Born |
Barons and untitled nobility
|
Ecclesiastical styles[1]
| Style
|
Transliteration
|
Translation
|
Addressee
|
| Ваше Святейшество |
Vashe Svyateyshestvo |
Your Holiness |
the Patriarch[1]
|
| Ваше Высокопреосвященство |
Vashe Vysokopreosvyaschenstvo |
Your Eminence |
Metropolitan Bishops and Archbishops
|
| Ваше Преосвященство |
Vashe Preosvyaschenstvo |
Your Grace |
Bishops
|
| Ваше Высокопреподобие |
Vashe Vysokoprepodobiye |
The High Reverend |
Archimandrites, Hegumens (Abbots), Protopresbyters and Archpriests
|
| Ваше Преподобие |
Vashe Prepodobiye |
The Reverend |
Hieromonks and Priests
|
| Ваше Высокоблаговестие
|
Vashe Vysokoblagovestie
|
Your High Evangelism
|
Archdeacons, Protodeacons
|
| Ваше Благовестие |
Vashe Blagovyestiye |
Your Evangelism |
Deacons
|
| Ваше Боголю́бие
|
Vashe Bogolubie
|
Your Beloved of God
|
Subdeacons, Readers, Cantors, Canonarchs, Candle-bearers
|
Bureaucratic styles[1]
| Style
|
Trasliteration
|
Translation
|
Addressee
|
| Ваше Высокопревосходительство |
Vashe Vysokoprevoskhoditelstvo |
Your High Excellency |
Table of Ranks Grades I and II
|
| Ваше Превосходительство |
Vashe Prevoskhoditelstvo |
Your Excellency |
Table of Ranks Grades III and IV
|
| Ваше Высокородие |
Vashe Vysokorodiye |
Your High Born |
Table of Ranks Grade V
|
| Ваше Высокоблагородие |
Vashe Vysokoblagorodiye |
Your High Well Born |
Table of Ranks Grades VI to VIII
|
| Ваше Благородие |
Vashe Blagorodiye |
Your Well Born |
Table of Ranks Grades IX to XIV
|
