pomeshchik

1 9.9

A landowner in old Russia who ran estates and collected taxes from peasants

noun

Archaic

: pomeshchik

During the reforms, many pomeshchiks lost their estates and privileges.

Examples

The pomeshchik managed several villages and collected taxes from the peasants.
The pomeshchik oversaw the entire estate.
As a pomeshchik, he was responsible for providing soldiers to the tsar.
Many pomeshchiki were known for their wealth.
The pomeshchik ensured that the peasants worked diligently on his estate.
As a wealthy pomeshchik, he collected taxes from the hardworking villagers.
Many pomeshchiki played a crucial role in managing agricultural production in historical Russia.

Surface Forms

pomeshchik singular

pomeshchiki plural

Etymology

Pomeshchik comes from Russian roots like pomestye and mesto, which mean 'place' or 'estate'. A helpful way to remember it is that a pomeshchik was someone given a 'place' of land for service to the ruler, so the word came to mean a landowner who managed estates and collected taxes.