Ushakov came from a modest family of minor nobility. His father had been a sergeant in an elite imperial guards regiment whose ranks required noble status. Ushakov nevertheless lacked the documents needed to prove that status when he entered naval training. As a successful vice admiral in 1798, he submitted genealogical evidence to obtain official recognition and arms. His coat of arms entered the general heraldic record in 1807, and his family entered the ancient-nobility section of a genealogical book in 1815.
Notable Point · 44:14-47:12
Ushakov's family status and proof of nobility
Family connections and formal proof of nobility were distinct questions in Ushakov's early naval career.