page_title: Boyar
section_title: Hierarchy
hierarchical_section_title: Boyar / Boyars in Wallachia and Moldavia / Hierarchy
caption_attribution_description: Русский: Ожидают выхода царя English: Tsar's entry awaited
context_page_description: A boyar or bolyar was a member of the highest rank of the feudal Bulgarian, Russian, Serbian, Wallachian, Moldavian, and later Romanian, Lithuanian and Baltic German nobility, second only to the ruling princes from the 10th century to the 17th century. The rank has lived on as a surname in Russia, Romania, Finland, Lithuania and Latvia where it is spelled Pajari or Bajārs/-a.
context_section_description: The close alliance between the boyar condition and the military-administrative functions led to a confusion, aggravated by the Phanariots: these functions began to be considered as noble titles, like in the Occident. In fact, this was not at all the case. Traditionally, the boyars were organized in three states: boyars of the first, second, and third states. For example, there was a first or a grand postelnic, a second postelnic, and a third postelnic, each one with his different obligations and rights. The difference of condition was visible even in the vestimentation or physical aspect. Only the boyars of the first state had the right, for example, to grow a beard, the rest being entitled only to a mustache. Within the class of the boyars of the first state, there was the subclass of the "grand boyars". Those were great landowners who also had some very high functions, such as the function of great vornic. Above those grand boyars was only the prince.
caption: Boyars with gorlatnaya hats in a painting by Andrei Ryabushkin. The higher hats indicated higher social status.
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