The article concerns Poles - lower officials of the administration of the Russian Empire in the nineteenth century. The initial thesis of the sketch is the belief that work in administration has a fundamental impact on family relationships, deconstruction of activities, and family separation of officials lasting many years. The source of the article is manuscript epistolography and memorial sources of impoverished noble families: Doliński and Łazarowicz. In the article, I analyze reasons for choosing work in administration, the reality of office work; I also ask about the identity of family members who have dispersed as a result of choosing to work in the Russian administration.