Podiachii

Pod’iachii 

the lowest rank in the Russian administration from the 16th to the early 18th century. Supervised by the d’iaki (administrative clerks), the pod’iachie carried out most of the clerical work of government institutions in the capital and the provinces. They constituted a special service group among the nontaxable population and were divided into senior, middle, and junior ranks. They were paid in money, food, and sometimes with grants of land. In the 1720’s, the pod’iachie were replaced by clerks, minor clerks, and copyists.