Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Russian Empire. The Council of Ministers was established in Russia

October 19 (November 1), 1905 g. according to the decree of NicholasII "On measures to strengthen unity in the activities of ministries and main departments", the activity of the Council of Ministers was resumed. All ministries and main departments were declared parts of a single state administration.

Creation of the Council of Ministers in 1857-1861. did not lead to the emergence of a governing body capable of eliminating fragmentation and inconsistency in the actions of ministers and ensuring at least a relative unity in the activities of central government agencies. Since all power was concentrated in the hands of the emperor, matters were decided mainly by submitting to the highest discretion the most subordinate reports that were objectively incompatible with the principle of collegiality in management.

In 1905 In connection with the formation of the State Duma, the Council of Ministers was transformed. The transformed Council was entrusted with "the direction and unification of the actions of the chief heads of departments on subjects, both legislation and higher state administration."

The Council included the ministers of internal affairs, finance, justice, trade and industry, communications, public education, military, naval, imperial court and appanages, foreign affairs, chief manager of land management and agriculture, state controller and chief prosecutor of the Synod. The heads of other departments participated in the meetings of the Council only when considering cases that directly related to the competence of their departments. The chairman of the Council of Ministers was not the emperor himself, as was the case before, but a person appointed by him from among the ministers.

Chairmen of the Council of Ministers from 1905 to 1917gg. were: S.Yu. Witte (1905-1906); I.L. Goremykin(April-July 1906); P.A. Stolypin(1906-1911); V.N. Kokovtsov (1911-1914); AND. L. Goremykin (1914-1916); B. V. Stürmer (January-November 1916); A. F. Trepov (November-December 1916); N. D. Golitsyn (1916-1917).

The office work of the Council of Ministers was carried out by its permanent office (in the XIXin. office work of the Council of Ministers was conducted by the office of the Committee of Ministers), headed by the manager of the affairs of the Council. Council meetings began to be held regularly, several times a week, and recorded in special journals.

The terms of reference of the Council of Ministers included: the direction of legislative work and the preliminary consideration of the proposals of ministries, departments, special meetings, committees and commissions on legislative issues submitted to the State Duma and the State Council; discussion of proposals of ministers on the general ministerial structure and on the replacement of the main posts of higher and local government; consideration, by special orders of the emperor, of matters of state defense and foreign policy, as well as cases of the Ministry of the Imperial Court and appanages. In addition, the Council of Ministers had significant rights in the field of the state budget and credit.

None having general meaning, a measure of control could not be taken by the heads of departments other than the Council of Ministers, however, the affairs of state defense and foreign policy, as well as the affairs of the Ministry of the Imperial Court and appanages were actually withdrawn from the jurisdiction of the Council - they were submitted to the Council of Ministers only on special orders of the emperor or the heads of these departments. Outside the competence of the Council of Ministers was also the auditing activities of the State Audit Office, Own e. and. in. office and Own e. and. in. office for institutions imp. Mary.

In connection with the abolition of the Committee of Ministers in 1906The Council of Ministers transferred most of the functions remaining to the Committee (introduction, extension and termination of provisions on enhanced and emergency protection, designation of areas for the exiles, strengthening the personnel of the gendarmerie, police, supervision of city and zemstvo self-government, the establishment of companies, etc. ). Later, in 1909The so-called Small Council of Ministers was formed to consider these "committee matters".

The Council of Ministers ceased its activities 27 February (12 March) 1917 in the course of the February Revolution. The functions of the Council of Ministers as the highest body of state administration have been transferred to an educated 2(15) March 1917 Mr. Provisional Government.

Lit.: Witte S. Y. Memories. T.2-3, M., 1960; Higher and central state institutions of Russia. 1801-1917 gg. T. 1. St. Petersburg, 1998; Eroshkin N. P. History public institutions pre-revolutionary Russia. M., 1968; Legislative acts of transitional time ... . St. Petersburg, 1909; MakarovS. V. Special Meeting 17January 1905 (On the problem of unification of ministerial administration in the Russian Empire) // Jurisprudence. 1993. No. 3; Makarov S. V. Transformation of the Council of Ministers of the Russian Empire in 1905city: State-legal problems // Jurisprudence. 1996. No. 1; Council of Ministers // Great Soviet Encyclopedia. T. 24. Book. 1. M., 1977.

See also in the Presidential Library:

On the abolition of the Committee of Ministers, the transfer of its functions to the jurisdiction of the Council of Ministers and the establishment of the procedure for conducting business in the Chancellery of the Council of Ministers for the period from October 10, 1905 to January 7, 1917. RGIA. F. 1276. Op. 1. D. 29 ;

Complete collection of laws of the Russian Empire: Collection 3rd. SPb., 1908. T. 25. No. 26820. S. 759 .

Council of Ministers 19.10.1905-27.02.1917

On October 19, 1905, the Social Museum was reorganized with the aim of “strengthening unity in the activities of ministries and main departments.” The transformed S. m. was entrusted with “the direction and unification of the actions of the chief heads of departments on the subjects of both legislation and higher state administration.”

The emperor appointed one of the ministers or "a special person called to this by royal confidence" as the chairman of the Council of Ministers. In the case of the chairmanship of the S. m. of the emperor, the chairman of the S. m. participated in its work as a member; in the absence of the chairman of the Council of Ministers, he was replaced by one of the members of the Council of Ministers, appointed by the emperor. The chairman of the S. m. had the right to report to the emperor on matters that were subject to the control of the S. m. and required permission from the emperor; he was also granted the right to demand from the heads of departments and parts of the department the necessary information and explanations and "to participate in the affairs of all departments in the State Duma and the State Council." The heads of departments were obliged to inform the Chairman of the Council of Ministers in advance of the most subordinate reports to be submitted to the emperor that were of “general importance” or related to the competence of other departments; these reports could be submitted by the chairman for consideration by the Council of Ministers or, by agreement between the chairman of the Council of Ministers and the heads of departments, reported by the heads of departments directly to the emperor. The “Establishment of the Council of Ministers” provided for “if necessary” the presentation to the emperor of the most submissive reports on such matters by the heads of departments in the presence of the chairman of the Council of Ministers.

The composition of the S. m. included: the ministers of internal affairs, finance, justice, trade and industry, communications, public education, military, naval, imperial court and appanages, foreign affairs, chief administrator of land management and agriculture (from 10/26/1915 - minister of agriculture ), state controller and chief prosecutor of the Synod. The heads of other departments participated in meetings of the Council of Ministers only when considering cases that directly related to the competence of their departments.

According to Art. 13 “Institutions of the Council of Ministers”, “no measure of general significance” could be taken by the heads of departments other than the Council of Ministers. However, affairs of state defense and foreign policy, as well as the affairs of the Ministry of the Imperial yard and destinies; they were submitted for consideration by the Council of Ministers only on special orders of the emperor or the heads of these departments, when they considered it necessary, or in cases where these cases affected the competence of other departments.

The Decree of April 14, 1906 established that “the auditing activities of the State Audit Office are in no way subject to the competence of the Council of Ministers”; this actually removed the activities of the State Audit Office from the scope of the S. m.

Out of the competence of S. m were also Own e. and. in. Office and Own e. and. in. office for institutions imp. Mary.1

The terms of reference of the Council of Ministers included: the direction of legislative work and preliminary consideration of the proposals of ministries, departments, special meetings, committees and commissions on legislative issues submitted to the State Duma and the State Council; management measures of general importance; discussion of ministerial proposals on a general ministerial structure and on filling the main positions of higher and local government (excluding positions in the ministries of the imperial court and appanages, military, naval and foreign affairs); consideration, by special orders of the emperor, of matters of state defense and foreign policy, as well as cases of the Ministry of the Imperial Court and appanages.

S. m. had significant rights in the field of the state budget and credit: he supervised the preparation of estimates of the state budget and the release of funds for the needs of public administration; resolved disagreements on issues of estimates between departments, the Ministry of Finance and the State Audit Office; opened loans to ministries and departments if the state list had not been approved by the beginning of the budget year; allowed the allocation of super-budget loans to ministries and departments for urgent needs.

According to Art. 87 of the Fundamental Laws of 1906, S. m. received and widely used the right to take measures during the termination of the State Duma, which required discussion in the usual legislative order. However, these measures were not formally supposed to make changes to the Fundamental Laws, the Institutions of the State Duma and the State Council and the regulations on elections in them. The action of the measures taken by the Council of Ministers during the break in the Duma was terminated if the government did not introduce a bill corresponding to the measure taken into the Duma within two months after the resumption of its occupation, and also after the rejection of this bill by the legislative institutions.

During the transformation of the Council of Ministers on October 19, 1905, part of the competence of the Committee of Ministers was transferred to it, including cases that required “general consideration” or the assistance of various ministries, including those affecting the interests of the Military and Naval Ministries; cases that turned out to be difficult for their resolution by the head of the department; all cases on the military side, involving a new routine and addition to the rules for civil administration, as well as the restriction, extension or cancellation of measures previously taken and received the approval of the emperor; cases on the protection of "public order, peace and security"; affairs on national food; emergency cases; higher administrative affairs on splits; community interdiction cases.

K S. m. also moved - at first partially, and from 04/23/1906 completely - current affairs in all ministries and departments, the solution of which exceeded the limits of the authority of the head of the department, as well as cases that required the approval of the emperor.

In connection with the abolition of the Committee of Ministers on April 23, 1906, most of the functions remaining for the Committee of Ministers were transferred to the Council of Ministers; On May 23, 1906, the so-called Small Council of Ministers was formed to consider "committee affairs".

From the abolished Committee of Ministers to the Council of Ministers, the consideration of the notes of the Finnish Governor-General on matters that required coordination of activities in the administration of the empire and Finland was also transferred to the Council of Ministers; With

On May 20, 1908, draft laws for Finland were subject to discussion by the Council of Ministers.

From 1914 to 1917, the S. m. was entrusted with: determining the procedure for attracting all types of sea and river vessels and floating facilities of government agencies of all departments to military service and keeping records of property and personnel (from 06/28/1914); closure, establishment of a special management procedure and liquidation of cases joint-stock companies, whose leaders were citizens of states at war with Russia (from 07/01/1915), and joint-stock companies formed under the laws of foreign states, for their operations in Russia (from 10/23/1916); consideration of issues on the mandatory sale of shares owned by citizens of states at war with Russia (from 02/08/1917).

During the period of the simultaneous existence of the Committee of Ministers and the Council of Ministers (10/19/1905 - 04/23/1906), the main form of documenting the meetings of the Council of Ministers was memoirs, after the abolition of the Committee of Ministers - magazines of the Council of Ministers, divided into special and general. Special journals documented the consideration of the most important issues in the S. m., general journals - secondary ones.

Office work of the S. m. in the period 10/19/1905 - 04/23/1906 was conducted by the Office of the Committee of Ministers, transformed on 04/23/1906 into the Office of the S. m.

On December 31, 1909, the St. Petersburg Telegraph Agency was transferred from the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance to the Council of Ministers.

The S. m. ceased its activities on February 27, 1917 during the February Revolution. The functions of the S. m. as the highest body of state administration were transferred to the Provisional Government formed on March 2, 1917.

Chairmen of the Council of Ministers:

1905.19.10 - 1906.22.04 - gr. Witte S.Yu.

1906.22.4 - 08.07 - Goremykin I.L.

1906.08.7 - 1911.05.09 - Stolypin P.A.

1911.11.9 - 1914.30.01 - Kokovtsov V.N.

1914.30.1 - 1916.20.01 - Goremykin I.L.

1916.20.1 - 10.11 - Stürmer B.V.

10.11.1916 - 12.27 - Trepov A.F.

1916.27.12 - 1917.27.02 - book. Golitsyn N.D.

3 PSZ. T. 25. No. 26820, 10/19/1905; T. 26. No. 27700, 04/14/1906;

No. 27804, 04/23/1906; No. 27805, 04/23/1906; No. 27929a, May 23, 1906; T. 28.

No. 30379, 05/20/1908; T. 29. No. 32662, 10/27/1909; No. 32871, 12/31/1909;

T. 30. No. 33795, 06/17/1910; T. 34. No. 42295, 07/19/1914; SU. 1909. Dep. one.

No. 15, art. 81; 1915. Det. 1. No. 205, Art. 1609; 1916. Det. 1. No. 115, art. 910;

No. 302, Art. 2376; 1917. Det. 1. No. 39, art. 216; No. 63, Art. 368.

RGIA, f. 1276 (16,022 days).

1 On November 21, 1907, S. M. recognized it necessary that all the most important legislative assumptions on the VUiM, as well as issues related to other parts of the state administration or requiring new expenses of the State Treasury, be submitted for its preliminary consideration (RGIA, f. 1276, op. 20, d. 17, l. 64 - 69 o6.).

Small Council of Ministers1

23.05.1906-27.02.1917

In accordance with the emperor's order on May 23, 1906, on the report of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers, when considering "the affairs of the former Committee of Ministers", the ministers and chief executives of individual units in the Council of Ministers were replaced by their comrades. The Special Conference that arose in this way, which did not receive an official status and name, was an auxiliary body under the Council of Ministers, which considered and resolved relatively unimportant cases of an administrative, financial and economic nature. The chairmanship of the M.S.M. was entrusted to one of the ministers appointed by the emperor. The decisions of the M.S.M. were documented in the general journals of the Council of Ministers.

At the beginning of its activities, the jurisdiction of the MSMS included: cases on the approval of the charters of joint-stock companies that did not require legislative consideration; the appointment of pensions and benefits in amounts exceeding the power of the minister; compiling a list of positions that exempted from conscription into the army; consideration of resolutions of the Central Congress of Steamshipmen and Shipowners, which are of a general nature; consideration of the proposals of the ministers on leaving without consequences the petitions of the provincial zemstvo assemblies; establishment of the procedure, term and form for the submission of governor's reports, affairs for the clarification and development of the Charter of the Orthodox Missionary Society; cases on alienation of houses of the State Bank; consideration of the submissions of the GUZiZ on the subordination and withdrawal of certain areas from the provisions of the Regulations on the conservation of forests.

Subject to a unanimous decision, M.S.M. resolved cases that were of secondary importance, or such cases for which a uniform practice for their resolution was developed. 09/22/1909 for M.S.m. the right to make a final decision on current management issues was secured.2 In the M.S.M.

In the course of the activities of the Council of Ministers, the competence of the M.S.M. also included the consideration of cases on the establishment of enhanced and emergency security in certain areas, the establishment in these areas of special gendarmerie, Cossack and police teams, including draft laws on the staffing of various police institutions; M.S.M. discussed questions of coordinating the tactics of individual departments in relation to the State Duma.

M. S. m. also considered legislative cases in the order of dispensation, i.e. e. exemptions from the law for particular cases, including exemptions from laws relating to the state economy: on the lease of state lands, on changes in lease conditions and the provision of benefits, on the admission of deviations from the Mining Charter in the interests of the gold, mining and oil industries, on providing industrialists with benefits and derogations from the rules established for possessory factories; exemption from fiscal laws: for government contracts and deliveries; on granting benefits to contractors; on the addition and installment of state arrears; on exemptions from the statutes on excise duties, customs and direct taxes; on cases of state-owned sale of drinks; exemptions from civil laws: on the permission and opening of factories and factories and the erection of buildings in areas where they were limited or prohibited by law; on deviations from the rules on majorate or fideikomiss estates.4

Office work of the M.S.M. was conducted by the Chancellery of the Council of Ministers.

Chairmen of the Small Council of Ministers:5

13.13.1906 - 05.1911.09 - Kokovtsov V.N.

1911.05.10 - 1916.25.01 - Kharitonov P.A.

1916.20.2 - 16.09 - Khvostov A.A.

1916.21.9-10.11 - Trepov A.F.

14.11-20.1916 - Makarov A.A.

1917.05.1 - 27.02 - Dobrovolsky N.A.

SU. 1909. Dep. 1. No. 15, art. 81.

RGIA, comp. f. 1276.

1 Unofficial name found in memoirs and accepted in historical literature; in official sources since 1909 it was sometimes called the Council of Ministers of a reduced composition.

2 RGIA, f. 1276, op. 5, d. 3, l. 93-94.

3 Ibid., l. 66 - 69.

4 Ibid., op. 4, d. 12, l. 10-11 about.

5 M.S. m., as a rule, was headed by a member of the Council of Ministers, who was appointed by the emperor to replace the chairman of the Council of Ministers in the event of his absence or illness (RGIA, f.

1276, op. 1, d. 29). In 1909-1911, at the meetings of M. S. m., in addition to V. N. Kokovtsov, P. A. Kharitonov also presided. After the appointment of V. N. Kokovtsov as chairman of the Council of Ministers, P. A. Kharitonov became the permanent chairman of M. S. m.

Office of the Council of Ministers

23.04.1906-10.03.1917

Transformed from the Office of the Committee of Ministers to handle the business of the Council of Ministers.

Initially, the K.S. m included four departments.

The 1st branch was in charge of the affairs of the Caucasus, railway (related to the society of the CER), the affairs of the Committee for the Settlement of the Far East (since 10/27/1909).

2nd department - budget, financial, commercial, industrial and customs affairs; about taxes, duties, taxes and duties; cases relating to national defense; according to the most obedient reports of governors-general, governors, heads of regions and chief atamans of the Cossack troops.

3rd branch - affairs for the scientific and educational parts, religious affairs, peasant, land management, resettlement, national food, road and postal and telegraph parts; The department also initially dealt with city, medical, oil, and installment and accumulation of arrears, which from 1911 were transferred to the jurisdiction of the 4th department.

the 4th department was in charge of political, police, and pension affairs; cases on the application of the Charter on the civil service; on guardianships and on reserved and majorate estates; on acceptance into Russian citizenship and deprivation of it; on the alienation of church property; cases submitted from the Office e. and. in. accepting requests; cases on the rejection of zemstvo petitions; on the consideration of the most subordinate reports of the State Comptroller.

07/01/1909 the 5th department was formed, which was in charge of Finnish affairs, and also compiled reviews of the periodical press.

From 06/17/1910, the 6th department was formed, which was in charge of financial and economic issues, including the financial affairs of Finland;

On June 29, 1914, the 7th department was formed, which was entrusted with the administration of office work for the Romanov Committee.

On January 1, 1917, a temporary 8th department was formed to conduct correspondence of the chairman of the Council of Ministers.

05/03/1916 as part of K. s. m., a Special Records Management was formed to conduct business first of the Special Meeting on Financial and Economic Issues, and from 06/28/1916 - the Special Meeting to unite measures related to the supply of the army, navy and the organization of the rear. All cases related to the circumstances of wartime and which went beyond the normal competence of the C. s. were concentrated in the Special Record Keeping. m.

A special office kept correspondence on behalf of the chairman of the Council of Ministers, compiled his most submissive reports and extracts from the verbatim reports of the State Duma; conducted office work on meetings and commissions formed by the chairman of the Council of Ministers to resolve private issues caused by the war; conducted office work of specially authorized chairmen of the Council of Ministers, appointed in accordance with the Regulations of 07/03/1916.1

B composition K. s. m. also included the Expedition (inspectorate), the Archive, the Pavilion of Ministers at the State Duma (from 12/25/1909), the Economic Committee (from 06/19/1914) .2

03/10/1917 K. s. m. was renamed the Chancellery of the Provisional Government.

Managers of the Council of Ministers:

1905.19.10- 1906.02.04 - bar. Nolde E.Yu.

1910.18.4- 1914.07.03 - Plehve H.B.

1914.24.5 - 1917.14.03 - Lodyzhensky I.N.

Assistants to the Governor of the Council of Ministers:

1906.21.6- 1910.18.04 - Plehve H.B.

1910.17.5 - 1914.24.05 - Lodyzhensky I.N.

1914.29.5 - 1916.10.10 - Yakhontov A.H.

1914.14.7-1917 [...] - Nikitin B.B.

1916.17.10 - 1917.20.03 - Putilov A.S.

3 PSZ. T. 26. No. 27804, 04/23/1906; T. 29. No. 32210, 06/21/1909; No. 32835, 12/25/1909; T. 34. No. 42065, 06/29/1914; No. 42295, 07/19/1914. SU. 1915. Det. 1. No. 139, art. 1071; 1916. Det. 1. No. 193, Art. 1628; 1917. Det. 1. No. 63, Art. 368.

RGIA, comp. f. 1276.

1 The last outgoing document of the Special Office is dated 02/26/1917 (RGIA, f. 1276, op. 15, file 57).

2 In December 1916, there was a redistribution of cases between the structural parts of the K. s. m. (ibid., d. 1, l. 30 - 33).

Institutions under the Council of Ministers

Petrograd telegraph agency 14.06.1902*-07.09.1918

Trade Telegraph Agency (06/14/1902 - 07/21/1904) St. Petersburg Telegraph Agency (07/21/1904-08/19/1914) Petrograd Telegraph Agency (08/19/1914 - 09/07/1918)

06/14/1902 The telegraph department under the Trade and Industrial Newspaper published by the Ministry of Finance was transformed into the Trade and Telegraph Agency, whose tasks included “messaging ... trade, agriculture, industry and credit institutions with the necessary telegraph information related to trade and industrial interests of Russia.2 The agency was opened on 01/01/1903, the duties of the director of the agency were assigned to the editor of time-based publications of the Ministry of Finance.

On July 21, 1904, by agreement of the ministers of finance, internal affairs and foreign affairs, the agency was transformed in order to “without officially attaching ... to the agency the significance of a government establishment, to establish an interdepartmental telegraph agency.”3 At the head of the agency, which remained under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance, a Board of three directors was appointed: a managing director (from the Ministry of Finance) and directors from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The transformed agency, which received the name of the St. Petersburg Telegraph Agency, was instructed to "report inside the empire and abroad political, financial, economic, trade and other information of public interest"; the agency was also entrusted with the dissemination of “news, messages, explanations and refutations” of higher and central government agencies.4

On December 31, 1909, the agency was transferred to the jurisdiction of the Council of Ministers; the overall direction of the agency was entrusted to the Council, which included a managing director, a second director, appointed by the chairman of the Council of Ministers, and the head of the Commercial Department, appointed by the Minister of Finance in agreement with the Minister of Trade and Industry. The direct management of the affairs of the agency was carried out by the managing director.

In 1909-1917, the structure of the agency included the Chancellery, the Commercial Department, the Political Department (until 1916). In 1916 the Department of External Communications and the Department of Internal Communications were formed. The agency had branches and correspondents in many cities of Russia, as well as in foreign countries.

On April 17, 1916, the Regulation on the PTA was changed: the Council of the PTA was headed by the manager of the Council of Ministers, and the Council also included the manager of the Press Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the manager of the Commercial Department of the agency.

After February Revolution The PTA was under the Provisional Government. On April 27, 1917, the PTA was transferred to the jurisdiction of the Special Commission for the Liquidation of the Main Directorate for Press Affairs; at the same time, the staff of the PTA was approved. On September 16, 1917, the PTA came under the jurisdiction of the Chancellery of the Provisional Government.

On November 18 (December 1), 1917, the PTA was transformed into the central information body under the Council of People's Commissars; On 09/07/1918, by a decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, the PTA, merged with the Press Bureau under the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, received the name of the Russian Telegraph Agency under the All-Russian Central Executive Committee (Rosta).

PTA directors:

1903.01.1 - 1903.14.02 - Fedorov M.M.

1903.14.2 - 1904.01.09 - Miller P.I.

PTA Managing Directors:

1904.01.9 - 1906.28.04 - Miller P.I.

1906.03.5 - 1907.13.03 - Trubachev C.S.

1907.14.3- 1909 [...] - Girs A.A.

1909.01.10-1916 [...] - Lamkert O.-F. AND.

1916.15.2 - 1917.01.03 - Gurlyand I.Ya.

1917.01.3-01.07 - Lovyagin A.M.

1917.01.7- [...]10 - Raetsky C.C.

3 PSZ. T. 29. No. 32871, 12/31/1909; SU. 1916. Det. 1. No. 115, art. 910;

1917. Det. 1. No. 109, Art. 598; No. 246, Art. 1748; Decrees of the Soviet power. M., 1957. T. 1. No. 77. S. 109-110.

RGIA, f. 1358 (2104 days).

1 RGIA, f. 1358, op. 1, d. 1, l. one.

2 Ibid., l. 40.

3 Ibid., d. 2, l. one.

4 Ibid., l. 2.

Settlement Committee Far East 27.10.1909-17.08.1915

Formed under the Council of Ministers "for the unification and general direction of government measures for the colonization of the Amur Territory."

The committee included: chairman - one of the members of the Council of Ministers by appointment of the emperor, members - representatives of the ministries:

the imperial court and appanages, foreign affairs, military, maritime, internal affairs, justice, finance, trade and industry and communications, as well as the Main Directorate of Land Management and Agriculture and State Control and, if necessary, the Synod and the Ministry of Public Education; During their stay in St. Petersburg, the Amur and Irkutsk governors-general, the military governors of the Amur, Primorsky and Trans-Baikal regions, as well as the civil governors of Irkutsk, Yakutia and Kamchatka participated in the meetings as members.

Ha committee was entrusted with the overall management of the study and settlement of areas crossed by the Amur railway; promoting the development of industrial and economic activity in these areas; development of steamship communications, dirt roads and access roads in the Amurskaya railway and the implementation of other ancillary activities in connection with the construction of the railway; coordination of resettlement activities of local authorities of the Far East; preliminary discussion and approval, prior to submission to the Council of Ministers, of all estimated and legislative proposals of governors-general and central departments on all matters relating to the settlement of the Far East.

The office work of the committee was conducted by the Chancellery of the Council of Ministers.

The last surviving journals are dated 08/17/1915.1 The exact date of the termination of the committee's activities has not been established.

Chairman of the Committee for Settling the Far East

1909.27.10 -1911.05.09 - Stolypin P.A.2

3 PSZ. T. 29. No. 32662, 10/27/1909.

RGIA, f. 394 (68 days).

1 RGIA, f. 1276, op. 6, d. 153, l. 105 - 106 (Copy of the journal of the committee ... No. 29) and l. 107-108 (Copy of the journal of the committee... No. 30).

2 The chairmen of the committee in 1911 - 1915 have not been established; in 1915 one of the journals was signed by A. V. Krivoshein, who replaced the chairman.

A special meeting formed to unite measures aimed at strengthening people's sobriety1 1S.06.191S- [ 109.19172

Formed in accordance with the special journal of the Council of Ministers dated 04/10/1915, approved by the emperor on 06/18/1915 as a special interdepartmental meeting "for a comprehensive discussion of the necessary, in terms of strengthening the principles of sobriety in the population, measures"; the conclusions of the meeting at the end of its work were to be considered by the Council of Ministers.

Composition of the meeting: chairman (by appointment of the emperor) - managing director of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Prince. N.B. Shcherbatov (01.07 - 26.09.1915), gr. A.A. Bobrinsky (28.01-08.04.1916), book. D.P. Golitsyn-Muravlin (04/08/1916 -[...] 1917), members - representatives of ministries and main departments, as well as "specially invited" V.S. Krivenko (from 05/06/1916); On January 4, 1917, the chairman of the meeting was granted the right to invite persons to the meeting as full members at the invitation of the chairman. In accordance with this right, members of the State Council M. M. Borodkin and A. N. Derevitsky, a member of the State Duma I. V. Godnev, and the chairman of the Moscow Diocesan Society for the Fight against Folk Drunkenness, Protopresbyter N.A. Lyubimov, Professor of Moscow University A. A. Kornilov, Chairman of the Russian Society for the Fight against Alcoholism A. L. Mendelson, Chairman of the Commission for the Fight against Alcoholism of the Society for the Protection of Public Health M. N. Nizhegorodtsev, Chairman of the Russian Medical Society of Teetotal Doctors I. V. Sazhin.3

The office work of the meeting was conducted by the State Chancellery.

The meetings of the meeting took place on 05.05 and 29.10.1916.

During its activity, the meeting gathered general materials o6 strengthening sobriety, information on the provinces on the state of winemaking and the level of consumption of alcoholic beverages by the population, collected and considered proposals from departments on the introduction of measures necessary to combat violations of dry law and the illegal sale of alcoholic beverages. The meeting also tried to involve the public in its activities and held a "preliminary meeting of public figures".

An exact closing date for the meeting has not been set; his last materials are dated September 1917. 4 RGIA, f. 1242 (18 days).

1 In the records (journals) of the meeting, it was called: Special meeting to strengthen sobriety among the people (RGIA, f. 1242, op. 1, d. 6, l. 1, 6).

2 RGIA, f. 1276, op. 5, d. 688, l. 287-289o6.; f. 1242, op. 1,d. 14, l. 112.

3 Ibid., f. 1242, op. 1, d. 4, l. 60, 76.

FORGOTTEN NAMES

Dedicated to the anniversary of the death

Faithful Servant of the Sovereign

The history of writing this article about the outstanding statesman of Russia during the reign, my beloved Holy Sovereign Emperor Nicholas II, began in an amazing way.

AT July 1999 I was invited to visit an apartment in the historical center of St. Petersburg, on Stremyannaya Street, which, as I was told, belonged to a Minister who faithfully served his Emperor.

When I got inside these beautifully restored apartments, I was literally enveloped in extraordinary joy. Delight! The feeling of indescribable Royal grandeur and grace - these were my feelings. But most importantly, I saw and at the same time felt the presence here in these chambers of the Holy Sufferer Tsar Martyr Nicholas. He looked at me, into my heart and said : "Here lived and served Me a faithful servant" ...

My whole body was filled with a kind of joy and tenderness. For a moment, things, books, carpets and utensils appeared in the almost empty chambers, as they were during the owner’s stay here, but most importantly - portraits of the Sovereign Emperor Alexander III and his son, the Holy Tsar Nicholas Alexandrovich ( 1868 - 1918.). In the huge hall, where I saw the bright image of the Holy Tsar Martyr, his portrait appeared invisibly. His Imperial Majesty Nicholas II Alexandrovich appeared in full height, in full dress, white military uniform.

And again it swept through the halls, in the very heart and my body: "He loved Me and was devoted to Me".And in an instant everything disappeared!

For several days I remained under the strong impression of what I saw.

For some time I did not know who exactly owned this apartment. But the Emperor only mentioned him. About the owner, as if foreseeing my questions, doubts, and temptations - who is he, this faithful servant of the Sovereign. The enemy immediately tempted me - on the first day, in response to my question, I heard from the caretaker of the apartment: "It seems that Witte belonged." This name made me sick.

But, a day later, the true owner of the apartment, an educated Orthodox woman, besides the wife of one of the top officials of Lukoil, answered definitely and firmly: "No, no, what are you. It did not belong to Witte, but to Kokovtsov. The Minister of Finance." Alas! This is the first time I've heard this name.

The woman continued and immediately asked: "Find something about him. And write me briefly, citing sources." Without hesitation and remembering the image and words of the Sovereign, I gave my consent. But even then I still did not realize that the image of the Holy Tsar Martyr Nicholas, as it were, indicated to me the same thing - find out, understand and write about him.

The amazing events did not end there. Later, I learned from trusted persons the amazing circumstances associated with these apartments and their owner, who tried to sell them. But unsuccessfully. And not just because he asked for a high price. Just as if someone did not let go, did not give these walls into the hands of wicked and dishonorable gentlemen. Whoever did not cross the threshold of these apartments - both rich Jews, and non-poor Muslims, and pagans weighed down by dollars, respectable foreigners, etc. All of them were here more than once, but ... As if the Holy Sovereign himself did not allow them to become new hosts. All these circumstances prompted me to start looking for materials about the owner of an unusual, extraordinarily beautiful, elegant and, in my own way, majestic dwelling.

Several years have passed, but I still remember with admiration my only visit to the apartment of Vladimir Nikolaevich Kokovtsov. That was the name of this man. This story once again convinced me of the Holiness of the Sovereign Martyr Nicholas II Alexandrovich and that he is now the master of the Russian land, taking care of his subjects.

I dedicate this material to my tragically deceased brother in Christ Alexander Kaloev, who brought me to these apartments and allowed me to get in touch with the miraculous expression of the will of God.

Vladimir Nikolayevich

Kokovtsov

IV.1853 - 16 (29).I.1943)

Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Russian Empire

And a historical portrait of a personality, of course, requires immersion in the era in which every loyal subject of the Russian Empire lived and worked for the benefit of the Fatherland. The man who will be discussed today not only faithfully served his Fatherland, but, by the will of God, in the tragic and fateful moments of its history, found himself in the center of events.

I am deeply convinced that it will be useful for my contemporaries to learn about the unique history of serving the Throne and Fatherland of this statesman. After all, he successfully created in one of the most significant periods of Russian history - in the era of the reign of the Holy Sovereign Emperor Nicholas II ( 1894-1917.) Alexandrovich. The hero of my story was a friend of the Holy Sovereign, and personally took part in meetings and conversations with members of the Holy Royal Family.

The life of Vladimir Nikolaevich Kokovtsov is almost unknown to the Russian reader. Meanwhile, it has many aspects that could be an example to follow. A rare person, and even more so a politician or official, admits to his delusions and mistakes. He admitted. And even more than that - repented. VN Kokovtsov always had his own opinion, his own opinion on everything that happened. Many of them are now, more than ever, modern and accurate, and therefore useful ...

Vladimir Nikolaevich Kokovtsov came from an old noble family who owned the Gorna-Pokrovskoye family estate in the Borovichi district of the Novgorod province, granted to his ancestor by Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. Grandfather of Vladimir Nikolaevich was Yaroslavl conscientious judge. The future Chairman of the Government of the Russian Empire was born in Veliky Novgorod in the family of an official. He was educated at the 2nd St. Petersburg Gymnasium and the Imperial Alexander Lyceum, from which he graduated in December 1872 with a gold medal and the rank of titular adviser. The sudden death of his father prevented him from devoting himself to a scientific career, and he devoted himself entirely to public service, while before the misfortune he had already applied for the law faculty of St. Petersburg University. Thus, by the providence of God, the legal dynasty of the Kokovtsov family was stopped, and a new one began, in which V.N.

I. Beginning of ministry

44 Vladimir Nikolayevich gave years of his life to the public service of the Russian Empire.

He began to serve in 1873-1879. in a full-time position in the Department of the Ministry of Justice, where he held the positions of junior, senior assistant clerk, clerk of the statistical, and then criminal departments. In 1878 he was sent abroad to study the organization of the prison case. Upon his return to St. Petersburg, in 1879 he was transferred to the service of the Ministry of the Interior and was appointed inspector of the 5th class. In 1882, he was appointed assistant to the head of the Main Prison Department of the Ministry of the Interior, and in this position he participated in the preparation of “ Statutes on exiles held in custody».

In August 1888, at the age of 35, Vladimir Nikolayevich was promoted to active state councilor. Since 1890, he was already Assistant Secretary of State of the State Council and Chairman of the Economic Committee of the State Chancellery. In the same year, the Sovereign Emperor Alexander III the Peacemaker granted him the Order of St. Stanislaus, 1st degree. In 1891-1892. - Acting Secretary of State, and in 1892-1895. - State Secretary of the Department of State Economy of the State Council, where he studied in detail the issues of the budget and the state economy. In the same 1895, he was granted by the Holy Sovereign Emperor Nicholas II Alexandrovich with one of the highest state awards in Russia, the Order of St. Anna, 1st degree.

In December 1895 - March 1896. Vladimir Nikolayevich became a Deputy Secretary of State, and in 1896 and until the beginning of the new century (1902) he held the post of Deputy Minister of Finance under S.Yu. Witte. During this period of time, he manages the treasury department. With his active participation, the famous transformation of the drinking system in Russia was developed and carried out, in which the state, after a hundred-year break, took control of the production of alcoholic beverages, which, thereby, significantly replenished the state treasury.

In May 1896, after the Coronation celebrations, Vladimir Nikolaevich Kokovtsov, along with other prominent statesmen of Russia, was granted the rank of Privy Councilor by the Holy Sovereign Emperor Nicholas II Alexandrovich. He served there for 9 years. Three years later, in 1899, the highest award with the Order of St. Vladimir, 2nd degree, followed. Thus ended the 19th century in his life.

In May 1900, at the age of 48, Vladimir Nikolayevich was appointed a senator, and in 1902-1904. he already occupies one of the highest levels in the state - the post of State Secretary of the Russian Empire. Another year will pass and in January 1905, at the height of the Russo-Japanese War and the internal unrest organized by the enemies, Vladimir Nikolayevich will be appointed Secretary of State of His Imperial Majesty.

In his memoirs, his teacher and mentor - a freemason, Minister of Finance, Count Sergei Yulievich Witte ( 1849 - 1915).

From his memoirs we learn some details about the ascent of V.N. Kokovtsov:

“At first he served in the prison administration, and then in the State Chancellery and reached the post of State Secretary of the Department of Economy. The Minister of Finance always had the most dealing with this department. When the post of one of the comrades(Deputies - hereinafter approx. A.R.) Minister of Finance, then Chairman of the Rural Department(D.M. - Count, Secretary of State, Chairman of the State Council in 1905 - 1906) and other members asked me to take Kokovtsov to this post, since it would be most convenient for them to deal with him. I took him, and he served with me for six years (1896 - 1902) ... I made Kokovtsov my comrade ... until I was, not without my strong assistance, appointed Secretary of State, I recommended him to the Sovereign(Holy Tsar Martyr Nicholas II ( 1894 - 1917))for this position"... (S.Yu. Witte, "Selected Memoirs", 233, 462 pages. ).

It must be said that the circumstances recent appointments were tragic.

II. tragic elevation

2 April 1902 on Great Lent, on the day of remembrance of the Holy Martyrs in the monastery of St. Sava of the slain ( 796) in the building of the Mariinsky Palace, where the State Council was located, the 49-year-old Minister of the Interior, Jägermeister (in 1899-1902) Dmitry Sergeevich Sipyagin was hit by a bullet from the Socialist-Revolutionary, Socialist-Revolutionary S. Balmashev. This tragedy, which shook the entire Russian society, led to numerous changes in the composition of the Government of the Russian Empire.

The Holy Sovereign Emperor Nicholas II Alexandrovich does not hesitate to appoint a new servant of the Throne to replace the murdered Minister. His position is occupied by 55-year-old Vyacheslav Konstantinovich von Plehve ( 1846 - 1904.).

Several worthy and experienced men of the Fatherland claim the post of State Secretary he left, however, at the insistence of the youngest son of the Sovereign Emperor Nicholas I the Feat-loving ( 1825 - 1855), Grand Duke, Field Marshal Mikhail Nikolaevich ( 1832 - 1909.) Vladimir Nikolayevich Kokovtsov is appointed Secretary of State of the Empire.

Count S.Yu. Witte writes about this very reservedly:

"It's great that the Chairman of the State Council - Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich, who wanted Kokovtsov to be appointed Secretary of State after Plehve, did not dare to ask the Sovereign about it, and therefore turned to me with a request that I recommend to the Sovereign that Kokovtsov be appointed Secretary of State. I fulfilled the wish of the Grand Duke, and recommended to Emperor Nicholas II to appoint Kokovtsov as Secretary of State, for which the Grand Duke thanked me very much ... "("Selected Memoirs", 233 p..). And continues further:

“When he was my comrade, he dealt only with budgetary and tax matters and had nothing to do with banking and credit matters in general, which my other comrade, Romanov, dealt with.(P.M. - in 1897 - 1905 Deputy Minister of Finance - approx. A. R.). I contributed to this appointment, fearing that much worse would follow ... " (463 pages.). Witte's fears were not destined to come true - Kokovtsov managed at such a difficult moment in history with the duties assigned to him by God and the Sovereign. However, he always did so.

III. By the will of God

O Assuming high positions, V.N. Kokovtsov takes an active part in resolving the most acute "peasant crisis" in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century.

November 12, 1901 The Supreme Decree announced the establishment of an extensive Commission, which was entrusted with special powers. The essence was expressed by the words of the Highest Decree:

"For a comprehensive discussion of the issue of the economic decline of the center, in connection with the conditions of the economic life of other parts of the Empire ...".

Chairman of this Commission, as the outstanding historian and chronicler S.S. Oldenburg writes in his unsurpassed work "History of the Reign of Emperor Nicholas II", Deputy Minister of Finance V.N. Kokovtsov was appointed.

Representatives of departments, theoreticians and zemstvo figures from among the rural owners were invited to participate in it. Commission, - "... the purpose of which was a comprehensive examination of the agricultural problem, could not give a quick answer to the questions posed; she began to collect extensive material: and only two years later - in October 1903 - she gathered for a plenary session to summarize her work ..."(S.S. Oldenburg, pp. 174-175).

FROM 10 to 24 October 1903 under the Chairmanship of V.N. Kokovtsov, the Commission completed its work by expressing several "harmless" wishes: about financial assistance to zemstvos, about handicraft industry, about streamlining the resettlement business, about reducing redemption payments. All the recommendations of the Kokovtsov Commission, by the will of God, due to circumstances and under revolutionary pressure, vague events, have been fulfilled. Thus, the subsequent appointment of Vladimir Nikolayevich as the State Secretary of the Russian Empire was not accidental.

Even enemies recognized his talent as a leader who felt the pulse of his time. According to Count Witte, V.N. Kokovtsov, - "... one of the most outstanding financiers in the banking sector ... who, due to his nature, swims more easily in various currents ...",- and is, - "...with a more characteristic face..." (S.Yu. Witte, "Memoirs", 233, 413 pages.). Many of his contemporaries also considered Kokovtsov the most worthy contender for the post of Minister of Finance of the Russian Empire.

The Lord was pleased to place a heavy burden of responsibility on him at the most tragic moment for the Russian Empire.

IV. Appointment during the war

27 On January 1904, with a sudden attack on the Russian squadron, which was stationed on the outer roadstead of Port Arthur, the war with Japan began:

"The news of the beginning of the war struck, stirred up Russia ... everywhere they felt: Russia was attacked ... In the first period of the war, this mood prevailed: Russia was attacked and the enemy must be repulsed" ... (S.S. Oldenburg, 230 pp.).

In the very first days of the war, the Holy Sovereign Emperor Nicholas II appointed Kokovtsov Minister of Finance with the words:

"Remember, Vladimir Nikolaevich, the doors of this office are always open for you, any time you want to come"...

Holy Empress Alexandra Feodorovna ( 1872-1918.) was also well located to Kokovtsov. After the appointment, during their first conversation, she said:

"I wanted to see you to say that both the King and I ask you to always be completely sincere with Us and tell Us the truth without hesitation, no matter how unpleasant it may be for Us. Believe Me that, despite this , We will thank you for it in time ... " (R. Massey, "Nicholas and Alexandra", pp. 202-203).

The Minister, devoted to the Sovereign and the Fatherland, fully justified the high royal trust placed in him. The chronicler of the Sovereign S.S. Oldenburg wrote:

"The new Minister of Finance V.N. Kokovtsov successfully issued external loans in the French and partly in the German market to cover military expenses, without introducing new taxes and maintaining the free exchange of bank notes for gold ..." (249 pages.). Moreover, in a difficult period of external aggression and internal rebellion, he managed to place a number of internal loans. The highest trust of the Holy Royal Family decisively changes his whole life.

The establishment of this department followed in 1861 due to the impossibility of properly organizing the coordination of the activities of individual ministers, who continued the practice of submitting reports to the Emperor, bypassing the Committee of Ministers. Functionally, this institution exists in Russia to this day, having undergone significant changes in 1906. Soviet period from 1917 to 1946 it existed as the Council of People's Commissars (SNK), then it was renamed again into the Council of Ministers, then into the Cabinet of Ministers (1990 - 1991), and now simply the Government of Russia.

Of course, it is hardly correct to compare the Council of Ministers of pre-revolutionary Russia with the current government; if this is done formally, in fact, strictly functionally between the Council of Ministers of the Russian Empire and the Government Russian Federation there is much more in common than one might imagine. It is also important for such a functional comparison that the status and powers of the Emperor according to the Main. state zak. dated April 24, 1906 are a striking resemblance to the status and powers of the President of the Russian Federation.

So, the Government of the Russian Empire as a single corporation of ministers has existed since 1861. In total, researchers in the history of this institution distinguish several periods during its existence: 1857 - 1861. - time of formation; 1861 - 1881 - active work of ministers in the Council; 1881 - 1905 - the era of the nominal existence of this body; 1906 - 1914 - becoming new organization and practices of an already unified government: 1914 - 1917. - the era of war, which demanded from the Council of Ministers a new organization that met the requirements of wartime. Each of these periods has its own characteristics, which led to changes in one direction or another of the role of the Council.

The composition of the Council of Ministers in the first period of its existence was entirely determined by the functional purpose of this body: the Emperor is the chairman, all ministers and chief departments are members. However, the Emperor could appoint other persons to be present in it. In the event that the Council discussed legislative measures, it included the State Secretary, the head of the State Chancellery, a structural subdivision of the State Council.

A radical change in the composition and competence of the Council of Ministers took place during the broad constitutional reform of 1905-1906. The need to renew the role and place of the Council was very clearly and succinctly expressed by Baron B.E. Nolde: "On the one hand, the general recognition that it is necessary to somehow guarantee the unity of actions of the heads of individual departments, and, on the other hand, that such unity is made an urgent demand political life, since strictly separate legislative authorities are created next to the administration " [Nolde. 1911. S. 121 - 122]. Characteristically, this radical reform of the Soviet coincided with the publication of manifesto dated October 17, 1905, as expressed by the published The highest command dated October 18, 1905: "The Sovereign Emperor has deigned to order the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers, State Secretary Count Witte, to take measures to unite the activities of the ministers until the approval of the bill on the Council of Ministers" ( PV. N 222. October 18, 1905). In fact, this Command approved the draft of a new Regulations on the Council of Ministers, which was approved as a law (by personal decree) October 19, 1905, which later became the source of Ch. 5 Main state zak. dated April 23, 1906, with further codification - ch. eleven St. main. state zak. T. I St. Law. ed. 1906

Meaning Institutions of the Council of Ministers 1905 under the conditions of that time is difficult to overestimate, since this act was a very detailed law that regulated the status and powers unified Government of Russia. The most important innovation of the law was the establishment of a permanent head of government - the Chairman of the Council of Ministers and a significant narrowing of the practice of all-subject reports of ministers, bypassing the Council itself. Finally, the practice of such reports could not be eradicated. In particular, this was due to the fact that the department was given three ministers: foreign affairs, the Court and appanages of military status, which is rather determined by the provisions of Art. Art. 8, 12 - 14 Main state zak. dated April 23, 1906 and Art. fourteen Decree dated October 19, 1905 as departments directly subordinate to the Emperor. For the rest, only the Chairman of the Council of Ministers could now come in with the most humble reports, which required the resolution of the Sovereign (Article 7 Decree dated October 19, 1905); ministers, if necessary, to obtain such a resolution, were obliged to submit their report in advance to the Council: "Such all-subject reports are submitted for consideration by the Council by its Chairman or, by agreement with the relevant minister or the head of a separate part, are reported by these subsequent ones directly to the Sovereign Emperor , moreover, if necessary, in the presence of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers "(Article 17 section I Decree dated October 19, 1905). However, after the calm of the country, the Emperor de facto resumed the former practice of hearing the most subordinate reports. However, it was not commensurate with the former, in addition, it should always be remembered that the legislation granted such a right to the Emperor under the department of the three above-mentioned ministers. In addition to the three ministers, further practice established the right of an independent report to the Sovereign, bypassing the Council of Ministers of the State Comptroller, the chief prosecutor of the Synod, the chairmen of non-Soviet bodies also enjoyed the same right: the Defense Council, the Admiralty Council, the Finance Committee and some others.

Another major novelty in relation to the Council of Ministers was the establishment of the post of Chairman of the Council of Ministers - the formal prime minister, the head of the government board of the country. Despite the obvious novelty of this organ, the absence of direct analogies, as Baron B.E. Nolde, "the chairman is not pimus inter pares like the chairmen of many of our administrative boards; his position is not an honorable removal from business, brightened up by external honor and the right to lead the debate of an authoritative collegium, which was, for example, the position of the pre-reform chairman of the Committee of Ministers. On the contrary, the Chairman of the Council of Ministers enjoys such rights in relation to the other members of the Council, which put them in a subordinate position in relation to him, and, armed with these rights, he is the representative of the Council before the Supreme Power, on the one hand, and before the legislative institutions - with another" [Nolde. 1911: 175]. It seems to us possible to see in this administrative figure the cumulation of the competence and rights of some of the highest officials of the Empire.

First of all, it seems possible to point to the position of the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers, whose formal position of the head of the collegium and the procedural rights arising from this (leading the meeting, etc.) were inherited by the head of government; it is also possible to point to the sphere of competence of the Minister of the Interior, who, according to contemporaries, before the constitutional reform was the actual prime minister - the person who bore full responsibility for the formation and implementation of the internal policy of the Empire. At the same time, we can refer to a clear legal formula derived by Baron B.E. Nolde in his excellent study, with which he tried to explain the nature of the power of the Presovmin: "If the law is general rule does not impose on the Monarch the obligation to govern with the participation of the Council of Ministers, on the contrary, the duty of referring to the Council of Ministers in matters of government is most categorically and definitely assigned to the ministers. This is the main source of the authority and influence of this collegium on the affairs of government. This authority and influence is drawn by the Council not from above, not by delegating to it part of the rights of the Monarch, but from below, by delegating to it part of the powers of individual ministers. [Ibid. S. 193].

So, the Chairman of the Council of Ministers, as the head of the Government of the Empire, carried out the general management of the activities of the Council: he received the right of all-subject reports, which was previously used by every minister (Article 7, section I Decree dated October 19, 1905); represented the Council and any of the ministries for general administration in the Duma and the State Council (art. 6 sec. I. Ibid); he demanded that the ministers subordinate to him provide all the necessary information (Article 8, section I. Ibid); invited to meetings of the Council by his authority required amount experts; authorized the implementation by the ministers of measures on legislative projects and on matters of general administration (art. 13. Ibid). At the same time, the vesting of the Council of Ministers with wide disciplinary power, which was supposed in previous drafts, for example, it was supposed to give him the only right to present candidates for this or that ministerial post to the Emperor, the right to initiate the resignation of this or that minister before him, did not take place. Instead, an article of indefinite content was adopted: "Assumptions of the heads of departments belonging to the ministerial structure on the replacement of the main positions of higher and local government are submitted for discussion by the Council of Ministers" (Article 15, section I Decree dated October 19, 1905). At the same time, appointments by departments were exclusively under the jurisdiction of the Emperor: military, foreign affairs, the Court and appanages. The chairman was not endowed with the right of a decisive vote in the event that the opinions of the members of the Council of Ministers were equally divided (Article 16. Ibid).

According to the composition of the Council of Ministers of the period 1906 - 1917. did not undergo major changes, the only innovation is the abolition of the Emperor's presidency in it, although Art. 5 sec. I Decree dated October 19, 1905 provided for cases when "It is pleasing to the Imperial Majesty to preside over the Council of Ministers, the Chairman of the Council participates in it as a member." Members of the Council were all ministers and chief executives of departments, consisting of the rights of ministries, the heads of other institutions were present at meetings of the Council of Ministers "only on the subjects of their department" (Article 2 Section I. Ibid). As we indicated above, the Presovmina could invite experts to meetings of the Council.

The further practice of the existence of the Council of Ministers as a collegiate government body was subject to diverse, sometimes opposing influences and directions. Of great importance for the position of the Council of Ministers were personal qualities its Chairman. In this regard, the history of the government board after 1906 can be divided into two periods: under P.A. Stolypin and after him. The power and statesmanship of Pyotr Arkadyevich Stolypin, his plans for reforms to transform the state administration of Russia, if they were realized, who knows, the "red wheel" would not have passed through the country. Another sum of influences was expressed in the intensification of management various industries state life. In this regard, attention is drawn to the practice of creating interdepartmental committees under the auspices of the Council of Ministers: the small Council of Ministers (as it is called in the literature), dedicated to the consideration of technical and minor cases under the jurisdiction of the Council; A special meeting on the affairs of the Grand Duchy of Finland, created in 1907 in connection with a change in the status of the Emperor - the Grand Duke: after 1906, the State Duma became between him and this province (we examined this issue in detail above); The Committee for the Settlement of the Far East, formed in 1909 as part of the general Stolypin agrarian reform, and etc.

At the same time, the expansion of the general state policy aimed at state intervention in the economy set before the government the task of broader and deeper regulation of various areas of society. We would be sinning against the truth if we did not mention the opposite tendencies, headed by the Emperor; they were directed towards a gradual revision of all constitutional acts of 1905-1906. Quite a lot was written about this before the revolution and after. If we leave aside the impermissible tone that was a hallmark of Soviet historiography on this issue, then on the whole we have to agree that Soviet historians were right in many respects. But in many ways - does not mean that in everything. The personality of Nicholas II, who was killed by the Bolsheviks along with his children, obliges us to see in his attempts to "restor" the pre-constitutional order only steps towards improving the far from ideal order of governing Russia after 1906. He understood these steps as well as he could, but this is not at all a reason for biased obstruction of his policies; it is obvious that in this case we can only talk about the system of values ​​by which he was guided, and the one by which his detractors are guided.

Germany's attack on Russia in August 1914 set before her the task of organizing the management of the army and the rear, managing the entire national economy. An important role in the reorganization of the country's industry on a war footing was played by the system of so-called special meetings - unique governing bodies of individual industries. The meetings were set up under the leadership of the relevant ministry, including at the same time representatives of industry and workers. Total for Law on August 17, 1915, four special meetings were created: on defense; for transportation; food and fuel. The system was headed by the Special Conference on Defense and acted in close cooperation with the military and civilian authorities.

90 years ago, on July 2, 1925, Prince Nikolai Dmitrievich Golitsyn was shot. Nikolai Golitsyn was last chairman Council of Ministers of the Russian Empire. In the context of the growing political and economic crises in Russia, this was a frankly weak figure, not ready for the role of prime minister. Golitsyn, according to contemporaries, was a good man, but did not have the abilities of a great statesman.

Nikolai Golitsyn was born on March 31 (April 12), 1850 in the village of Porechye, Mozhaysky district, Moscow province. He came from an ancient family of princes Golitsyn, who originated from the Grand Duke of Lithuania and Russia Gediminas. The Golitsyn family gave Russia many famous military men, politicians and statesmen.

The childhood and youth of the prince passed on the estate of his parents Dmitry Borisovich Golitsyn and Sofya Nikolaevna (Pushchina), in the villages of Vladimir and Lytkin, Dorogobuzh district, Smolensk province. Nicholas was educated at the Imperial Alexander (Tsarskoye Selo) Lyceum. He graduated from the lyceum in 1871 and with the rank of collegiate secretary entered the service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Served in the Kingdom of Poland.

Golitsyn gradually climbed the career ladder. Since 1873, Nikolai Golitsyn was in the position of Commissar for Peasant Affairs of the Kolnensky district of the Lomzhinsky province (province of the Kingdom of Poland). In 1874 he received the rank of titular councilor, in 1876 - collegiate assessor. In January 1879 he was promoted to court adviser, in November 1879 he became Arkhangelsk vice-governor. In 1881 he received the rank of collegiate adviser. From June 1884 he was vice director of the Economic Department of the Ministry of the Interior. He was a member of various commissions of the ministry. Since 1885 he received the rank of State Councilor and began to fulfill the position of the Arkhangelsk governor. In August 1887, he was approved as governor and promoted to the rank of real state councilor. From 1893, he ruled Kaluga province. In 1896, Nikolai Golitsyn was granted the rank of Privy Councilor. Since November 1897, the head of the Tver province.

In 1903, Golitsyn was appointed senator. In 1912 he was appointed a present member of the State Council. According to his political views, Nikolai Golitsyn belonged to the right-wing figures. In 1914, he received the rank of real privy councilor - a civil rank of II class in the Table of Ranks, which corresponded to the ranks of general-general (full general) and admiral. Actual Privy Councilors were included in the circle of the highest elite of the empire and occupied the highest public office. Since May 1915, Golitsyn was appointed chairman of the Committee for Assistance to Russian Prisoners. This committee was under the auspices of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. Nikolai Golitsyn entered the inner circle of the Empress. On December 17, 1916 (January 9, 1917), at the suggestion of the Empress, he was appointed head of government, replacing Alexander Trepov.

Golitsyn had a heavy fate. The war led to a severe internal crisis in Russia. The decisive feature of the position of Russian society was war weariness, which spontaneously spread among the masses. People were irritated by the government, which waged a war incomprehensible to the broad masses. The army, where the old cadres were knocked out, and they were replaced by wartime officers - young people from the intelligentsia and semi-intelligentsia, who hastily graduated from military schools, indifferent or opposed to the monarchy, still held on old tradition. The spirit of the old tsarist army was strong enough to keep discipline among the many millions of soldiers. Cases of desertion and disobedience at the front were still the rarest exception. But in the metropolitan environment, the prestige of power was completely destroyed. Socialists were popular among the workers. But the main threat was the liberal-minded upper strata, who worked with suicidal zeal to destroy the royal power. Representatives of the upper classes spread rumors, inflated shortcomings, repeated gossip and slander, set an example of disrespect for the authorities.

This milieu, generally wealthy and well-established people, was seized with a passionate desire to achieve a change in the system. The line between patriots, "defencists" and "defeatists" in the winter of 1916-1917. erased. Everyone wanted change. On the one hand, there were rumors in society about "dark forces" (Rasputin, the Empress and their supporters), which surrounded the tsar and prevented the victory over Germany. Although it wasn't true. There were no dark forces. The "dark forces" were the product of slander or a diseased imagination. The legend about the "omnipotent" Rasputin, rumors about the "traitor empress", slander against individual ministers - all these were just masks behind which the true goal was hidden - the elimination of the Russian autocracy, which interfered with the enemies of Russia.

On the other hand, many believed in the success of the "people's trust" government. Although the future will show that the Provisional Government in as soon as possible will lead Russia to a complete catastrophe. Only the sacred royal power still restrained the forces of decay. The limitation of the autocracy during the dangerous years of the war was a dangerous adventure that led to further radicalization of the situation and catastrophe, which eventually happened.

The supreme power understood the need for centralization, limiting the activities of bourgeois public institutions and parties. However, the authorities did not dare to take tough actions, limiting themselves to half measures. Several governments changed during the war years. The elderly Ivan Goremykin was replaced in January 1916 by Boris Stürmer. Stürmer, simultaneously with the post of chairman of the Council of Ministers, headed the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He actively fought against the revolutionary movement and the Duma opposition, and during foreign policy persistently and resolutely defended Russian interests. For this, he was extremely disliked by the allied representatives and Duma leaders, who waged real persecution against Sturmer. The weak supreme power succumbed to this pressure. In November 1916, Stürmer was dismissed.

Alexander Trepov was appointed Chairman of the Council of Ministers. However, the position continued to advance. After Stürmer's resignation, it seemed to many that power was already passing into other hands. On November 22, the State Duma adopted a resolution that "the influence of dark irresponsible forces must be eliminated" and that "by all means it is necessary to ensure that a cabinet is formed that is ready to rely on the State Duma and implement the program of its majority." In secular and court circles, up to members of the imperial family, they talked about "dark forces" and about the "ministry of trust." Things got to the point that some members of the imperial family spoke openly with the French ambassador about the desirability of a palace coup. And Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolayevich (the former Supreme Commander) was offered to carry out a military coup and take the throne.

Things escalated in December. The Duma held a meeting on the question of banning Moscow congresses of public organizations. The question of congresses was accepted, although the right resisted. On the night after the closing of the Duma session - from December 16 to 17, Grigory Rasputin was brutally murdered. There were rumors of conspiracies among the highest representatives of society, among the officers of the guard. The tsar immediately left for Tsarskoye Selo. It was decided to form a new government of dedicated people to exclude the possibility of a palace coup. Under the new conditions, Trepov asked for his resignation, and his request was granted. The new government was headed by Nikolai Golitsyn. Taking into account the hesitations that were found among the State Council, the emperor transferred 16 old members to the category of non-present. All the new appointees were on the right. As a result, right-wing figures gained predominance in the State Council.

In the context of the growing crisis, Golitsyn advocated a dialogue with the State Duma, petitioned Emperor Nicholas II for the resignation of Interior Minister Alexander Protopopov. On February 27, 1917, together with Rodzianko, Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich and other figures, he took part in the discussion of a telegram to the emperor, which reported on the seriousness of the situation in Petrograd. It was proposed to appoint an authoritative public figure as head of government.

During the February Revolution, Prince Golitsyn did not show the qualities of a leader. When the head of the Ministry of the Interior, Protopopov, and the Minister of Justice, Dobrovolsky, proposed dissolving the Duma because of harsh speeches, as Trepov suggested, other ministers stood for concessions and negotiated with the Duma majority. As a result, they agreed that the Duma session should be adjourned for several weeks. Prince Golitsyn informed the Tsar about this. When the sovereign received news of unrest in the capital only on February 25, he telegraphed to the commander of the troops, General Khabalov: “I order tomorrow to stop the unrest in the capital, unacceptable in the difficult time of the war against Germany and Austria.” However, the Council of Ministers expressed doubts about the seriousness of the unrest and the need for tough action.

On February 27, the State Duma ceased to exist as a legal body. A "Provisional Committee" was formed, which sent out telegrams throughout the country that distorted the real state of affairs. In the evening, the Council of Ministers met at the Mariinsky Palace. The ministers, not yet understanding what was happening, decided to “appease” the crowd by the fact that Protopopov “due to illness” surrendered his powers to the senior comrade of the minister (as the deputies were then called). The emperor, in response to a message about this, telegraphed Prince Golitsyn: “Changes in personnel Under the circumstances, I consider it unacceptable. The dismissal of the Minister of the Interior Protopopov against the backdrop of the unrest that began in the capital was for the authorities only completely useless and senseless self-humiliation, which could not change anything. Since then, the Council of Ministers has lost its significance. The uprising in Petrograd spread to the surrounding area, it could only be suppressed from the outside.

After the victory of the revolution, Golitsyn withdrew from political life. The prince testified to the Extraordinary Investigation Commission of the Provisional Government. In April, when the investigation was completed, he was released with permission to leave, with an obligation on his part not to participate in political activity. He stayed with his family in the capital, engaged in shoemaking.

After the October Revolution, he was arrested twice by the Cheka-OGPU on suspicion of counter-revolutionary activities. On February 12, 1925, he was arrested for the third time in connection with the Lyceum Students Case. A group of graduates of the Alexander Lyceum, as well as graduates of the School of Law and former officers of the Semyonovsky Life Guards Regiment, gathered to formalize the liquidation of the lyceum funds that no longer exist. The meeting coincided with the anniversary of the murder of the Romanov family (July 17, 1918). Some old lyceum students decided to commemorate the former ruler. They were accused of "monarchist conspiracy".

Prince Nikolai Dmitrievich Golitsyn was ill in prison. Due to paralysis in prison, he was taken out of the cell to be shot, supporting him by the arms. The last words of the prince in the cell were: “I am tired of life. Thank God!" July 2, 1925 he was shot.