Mr. Peirce to Mr.
Sherman.
Legation of the United States,
St. Petersburg
,
August 18, 1897
.
(Received Sept. 3.)
No. 604.]
Sir: Referring to legation’s No. 546, of May 5,
1897, in the case of Emma Klein, I have the honor to inclose herewith
copy and translation of the note of the imperial foreign office giving
the law defining the status of widows of foreigners in Russia who were
Russian subjects before marriage.
It appears that such widow has the option of remaining of the nationality
of her deceased husband or of reverting to her original allegiance.
I have, etc.,
Herbert H. D. Peirce,
Chargé d’Affaires ad
interim.
[Inclosure in No.
604.—Translation.]
Count Lamsdorff
to Mr. Breckinridge.
Imperial Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Department of
Interior Relations,
St.
Petersburg
,
July 31 / August 12,
1897
.
No. 9117.]
Mr. Minister: By the note of May 31/June 12
you have kindly expressed to me a desire to know the text of the
Russian law on the civil status of widows of foreign subjects.
In reply to this note I have the honor to inform you that the
dispositions of the Russian law relative to the subject in question
are defined in article 1026 of the civil law (Collection of Laws of
the Russian Empire, Vol. IX, edition 1876), the text of which is as
follows:
Art. 1026. Every Russian subject
who has married a foreigner and thereby will be considered
as a foreigner, has the right after the death of her
husband, or after a formal divorce, to resume Russian
allegiance, and in this case it will suffice for her [Page 446] to present to the
governor of the Province in which she may have chosen
domicile a special certificate proving her widowhood or
divorce. The document delivered by the governor stating that
the above certificate has been presented to him will be
available to the person in question as proof of her
resumption of Russian allegiance.
Please receive, etc.,
