Throughout his long life, Dmitry Prokofievich Troshchinsky**, a government official and Prosecutor General (1814–17), witnessed quite a few amusing incidents.
However, there was one amusing incident connected with our city in the early 19th century that, they say, he particularly enjoyed recounting. Thanks to the book *The Memoirs of Stepan Petrovich Zhikharev, 1805–1807**, we can find out exactly what it was about Kharkiv that amused Dmitry Prokofievich.
Perhaps, if one were to indulge in legal wordplay and twisted interpretations of the defendants’ actions, we too would find many cases from which some Russian Shakespeare might be inspired to write a tragedy; and here, for example, is an anecdote told by P.I. Averin*** and heard by him from D.P. Troshchinsky**.
A servant girl stole from a certain landowner in Kharkiv and ran away. The landowner filed a report about her escape and the theft of various items. The girl was caught, placed under guard, and brought to trial. But the girl was pretty, and the judge was a man of tender heart, so he was determined to acquit the beauty; to that end, he drafted the following verdict:
“And since the investigation has shown that the aforementioned woman, Anisya Petrova, did not steal the five silver spoons, the watch, and the snuffbox mentioned above, but simply took them, and did not flee with these items, but merely walked away with them; therefore, Anisya Petrova, having neither confessed to the offense nor been proven guilty, shall be permanently acquitted of further investigation and trial.”
That happens all the time; where’s the tragedy in that?
That’s just how creative the judges in Kharkiv were back then. Although I doubt much has changed since those days.
P.S.
* Stepan Petrovich Zhikharev (February 17, 1787—August 31, 1860) was a Russian writer, playwright, translator, senator, and theater enthusiast, known primarily for his memoirs.
** Dmitry Prokofievich Troshchinsky (October 26, 1749 – February 26, 1829) was a Russian statesman, Senior Cabinet Secretary (1793–98), Prosecutor General (1814–17), Privy Councilor, and senator.
*** Pavel Ivanovich Averin (1775–1849) was governor of Volhynia and later of Bessarabia, and a full state councilor.
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