Di Festzetzung Vegen Yehudim [regulations governing all aspects of Jewish life in Russia]

Endorsed by Czar Nicholas I and issued in St. Petersburg, these government regulations set out under what terms Jews are permitted to reside in various provinces (“Gubernias”) of Russia. Rules pertaining from inheritance and marital laws to the limitations on Christians working for Jews. Internal communal stipulations determine the permissibility of erecting a synagogue, the duties of the rabbi, terms upon which Jews from overseas may visit, etc. Nicholas I regarded the Jews as a harmful alien group whose unity should be destroyed so that they become assimilated within the Russian people. As a tool toward this end, his government supported the Maskilim in their struggle against Orthodoxy.