Witte became the first Prime Minister of Russia. Reformed Council of Ministers of the Russian Empire

On November 1, 1905, Count Sergei Witte was appointed the first chairman of the Council of Ministers of Russia. Prior to this, the tsar personally was the chairman of the Council of Ministers.

Nicholas II went to the appointment of Witte to this position against the will of his wife Alexandra Feodorovna of the palace environment. “The constitution and parliament are not so terrible as Count Witte as chairman of the Council of Ministers. He will outshine you!" the Empress said to her husband.

Nevertheless, fear of the revolution and Western creditors (Witte had a good reputation among European bankers) forced Nicholas II to appoint the count as chairman of the Council of Ministers.

Witte's first step in this post was to invite the editors of all major St. Petersburg newspapers to his dacha on Kamenny Island in order to announce the creation of a coalition cabinet through the media. However, nothing came of this venture. The editors told Mr. Witte that they "didn't trust the government" and demanded that the troops be withdrawn from St. Petersburg.

As a result, Witte did not receive love and recognition from either the liberal part of Russian society or the tsar's entourage. After five months as chairman of the Council of Ministers, Witte asked the tsar to resign. Nicholas II accepted it with ease.

The post of Chairman of the Council of Ministers lasted until the February Revolution of 1917, it was occupied by seven people.

7 Chairmen of the Council of Ministers of the Russian Empire

Sergei Yulievich Witte (1849-1915)

Witte began his career in the administration of the Odessa railway. Participated in the work of the Commission for the study of railway business in Russia. In 1889 he was appointed director of the Department of Railways under the Ministry of Finance, and at the end of 1892 - Minister of Finance. Witte actively promoted railway construction, including the Trans-Siberian Railway and the Chinese Eastern Railway. In 1897, he carried out a monetary reform, introducing the gold standard of the ruble, which contributed to the influx of foreign investment.

In the summer of 1905, Witte was sent to Portsmouth to conclude a peace treaty with Japan, where he was able to achieve minimal losses for Russia. For this he was elevated to the rank of count.

Under Witte's leadership, a manifesto was drawn up on October 17, 1905, proclaiming "freedom of conscience, speech, assembly and association" and introducing a representative body - the State Duma. Simultaneously with the promulgation of the manifesto, Witte was appointed the first chairman of the Council of Ministers. He was a supporter of tough measures to suppress revolutionary sentiment, but at the same time tried to cooperate with the liberals.

Ivan Logginovich Goremykin (1839-1917)

In 1895 Goremykin was appointed Minister of the Interior. Under him, in 1897, the first general census of the population was held. Goremykin opposed the policy of the Witte government, believing that it undermined the foundations of the state.

Five days before the start of the session of the First State Duma, Goremykin was appointed chairman of the Council of Ministers, after which he fought with the parliament for all 72 days of its existence. After the dissolution of the first convocation of the Duma on July 8, 1906, Goremykin was replaced by Pyotr Stolypin.

In January 1914, Goremykin returned to the post of Chairman of the Council of Ministers, which he held for another two years. In February 1917 he was arrested and gave evidence to the Extraordinary Investigation Commission of the Provisional Government. He died during an attack on his estate in the summer of 1917.

Pyotr Arkadyevich Stolypin (1862-1911)

From 1884 he served in the Ministry of the Interior. In February 1903, Stolypin was appointed leader of the Saratov province, where he led the suppression of peasant unrest. In April 1906, Stolypin was appointed Minister of the Interior, and in July he assumed the position of Chairman of the Council of Ministers. Stolypin proclaimed a course of socio-political reforms, began to carry out agrarian reform. Under his leadership, a number of other bills were developed: on the reform of local self-government, on universal primary education, on religious tolerance, etc.

There were 11 attempts on Stolypin's life. After the first of these, in August 1906, the Council of Ministers adopted a decree on courts-martial. Within nine months, more than a thousand death sentences were handed down.

June 3, 1907 3 Nicholas II signed a decree on the dissolution of the II State Duma. The procedure for elections to the State Duma was changed in favor of right-wing parties. The June 3 coup is considered the end of the revolution of 1905-1907.

On September 1, 1911, Stolypin was mortally wounded by an agent of the Kyiv security department Dmitry Bogrov. The ultimate goals of his reform were never achieved.

Vladimir Nikolaevich Kokovtsev (1853-1943)

After the assassination of Stolypin, Vladimir Kokovtsev was appointed Chairman of the Council of Ministers, who since 1904 served as Minister of Finance. He believed that until the end of the Stolypin agrarian reform, industry should be a priority. Over the 11 years of managing Kokovtsev's finances, state revenues have increased significantly.

At the end of January 1914, he was forced to resign due to disagreements with the right-wing parties and Rasputin. In compensation, he received the title of count. In June 1918, Kokovtsev was under arrest for several days, and after his release, he and his wife emigrated to France.

Boris Vladimirovich Shturmer (1848-1917)

Stürmer was appointed Chairman of the Council of Ministers on January 20, 1916. From March to July, he was also Minister of the Interior, and from July - Minister of Foreign Affairs. Stürmer supported the monarchists, was a member of the Russian Assembly and the Russian Border Society. In 1915 he was elected an honorary member of the Patriotic Union. He fought against the revolutionary movement and the opposition in the State Duma. Upon his retirement on November 10, 1915, he received the rank of chief chamberlain. During February Revolution was arrested and died in the prison hospital.

Alexander Fedorovich Trepov (1862-1928)

In 1915, Trepov became head of the Ministry of Railways. Under him, the Murmansk railway was built, the Vologda-Arkhangelsk branch was transferred to the broad gauge. Trepov established the Department of Highways as part of the ministry. He tried to fight the influence of Rasputin, to achieve the resignation of the Minister of Internal Affairs A. Protopopov. He himself was dismissed on December 27, 1916. After October revolution emigrated, became one of the leaders white movement. Died in Nice.

Nikolai Dmitrievich Golitsyn (1850-1925)

From 1871, he held various positions in the Ministry of the Interior. Since 1914 - a real Privy Councilor. In 1915, Golitsyn was appointed chairman of the Committee for Assistance to Russian Prisoners of War, which was patronized by the Empress. At her request, on December 27, 1916, Golitsyn was appointed chairman of the Council of Ministers. He also tried to achieve the resignation of Protopopov, but was against the dissolution of the State Duma.

During the February Revolution, Golitsyn was arrested along with other ministers, testified to the Extraordinary Investigation Commission of the Provisional Government. After these events, he remained in Russia, but stopped working political activity working as a shoemaker and guarding public gardens. In the early 1920s, Golitsyn was arrested three times on suspicion of counter-revolutionary activities, and for the third time, by order of the United State Political Administration (OGPU), he was shot.

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 government controlled».

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 S. m. general meaning» 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 S. m. However, cases of state defense and foreign policy, as well as the affairs of the Ministry of the Imperial Court and appanages; 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 memoir sources and adopted 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 “message ... to trade, agriculture, industry and credit institutions of the necessary telegraphic information relating to the commercial and industrial interests of Russia.

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 internal messages. 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 the February Revolution, the PTA was attached to 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 sidings in the area of ​​the Amur railway and the implementation of other auxiliary measures 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 Exact date 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.

COUNCIL OF MINISTERS, the highest government body of the Russian Empire. Initially (October 1857) the Council of Ministers was established informally. From 12 Nov. In 1861 it existed officially, along with the State Council and the Committee of Ministers. The Council of Ministers consisted of ministers and equivalent chief executive departments, the chairman of the State Council and the chairman of the Committee of Ministers, as well as, by special appointment of the tsar, other senior officials. The tsar was the chairman of the Council of Ministers, and he also had the initiative to submit all issues for consideration by the Council of Ministers. The Council of Ministers discussed matters of a national nature, materials and annual reports on the activities of departments, ministerial reports with proposals for changes and reforms, etc.

Most of the meetings of the Council of Ministers took place in 1858-64. In the 1870s, its meetings were held rarely, and from 11 December. 1882 stopped altogether. At the penultimate meeting of the Council of Ministers (March 8, 1881), the projects of M. T. Loris-Melikov were rejected. The work of the Council of Ministers resumed only in January. 1905. In June-July 1905, the Council of Ministers discussed the drafts of a new legislative institution prepared by the commission of A. G. Bulygin, which was called the State Duma in the council.

Oct 19 1905 The Council of Ministers approved the draft law “On Measures to Strengthen Unity in the Activity of the Ministries and Main Directorates” prepared by the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers, S. Yu. Witte, approved by the Council of Ministers. Under this law, the Council of Ministers was transformed, and it was entrusted with the "direction and unification of the actions of the chief heads of departments in the subjects of both legislation and higher state administration." The Council of Ministers, in addition, considered the preliminary proposals of the heads of departments, meetings and commissions on issues of legislation before submitting them to the State Duma and the State Council; "most subject" reports of ministers; discussed the orders of the heads of departments that were of national importance, the proposals of the heads of departments on common device ministries and the replacement of chief officials; approved the charters of joint-stock companies.

The Council of Ministers included ministers, chief executives, the state controller, the chief prosecutor of the Synod, as well as the chairman of the State Council and the governor of the Caucasus. The chairman of the Council of Ministers was appointed by the tsar from among the highest officials who enjoyed his special confidence. The office work of the Council of Ministers was carried out by the permanent office of the Council of Ministers (in the 19th century the office of the Committee of Ministers was in charge of the office work of the Council of Ministers), headed by the manager of the Council of Ministers. The Chairman of the Council of Ministers received huge rights of the first official in the state, the closest employee of the king. Relatively independent in the Council of Ministers were the ministers: military, naval, court and state controller, who had the right to submit to the Council of Ministers only those measures that they found necessary to discuss jointly. Meetings of the Council of Ministers were held regularly 2-3 times a week and recorded in special journals. Since 1906, the competence of the Council of Ministers has expanded. According to Art. 87 of the Basic Laws of the Russian Empire of 23 April. In 1906, in the event of termination of meetings of the State Council and the State Duma, the Council of Ministers discussed the bills and, through the chairman, submitted them for approval by the king as “highest decrees”, which came into effect without considering them in the legislative order. This ensured the adoption of any law without discussion in the State Duma and the State Council. Only between the 1st and 2nd State Dumas (July 1906 - February 1907), 59 emergency "decrees" under Art. 87. After the abolition of the Committee of Ministers on 24 April. 1906 most of his administrative functions(introduction, extension and termination of provisions on enhanced and emergency protection, designation of areas for the placement of exiles, strengthening of the personnel of the gendarmerie, police, supervision of city and zemstvo self-government, establishment of companies, etc. - a total of 42 categories of cases in 1909) was transferred to the Council ministers.

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.

No measure of general significance could be taken by the heads of departments other than the Council of Ministers, however, matters 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 occasions. 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 of 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 .

Duma monarchy in faces. Chairmen of the Council of Ministers.

On October 17, 1905, the Manifesto of Emperor Nicholas II was issued, which marked the actual end of the Autocratic Monarchy in Russia. According to the new edition of the Fundamental State Laws, the Emperor retained full executive power, but his legislative rights were limited. Laws could be adopted only after their approval by the State Duma and the State Council.
This is new state structure was named " Duma monarchy».
On October 19, 1905, a reform of the executive power was carried out - the Supreme Decree was issued to the Governing Senate "On measures to strengthen unity in the activities of ministries and main departments." Established Council of Ministers- in the composition of ministers and chief executives of separate parts, “belonging to the general ministerial structure”, with the right of other chief commanders to participate in the Council “on the subjects of their department”. Chairman of the Council of Ministers was appointed by the emperor and had the right:
1. Participate in the affairs of all departments in State Duma and the State Council and to replace in these institutions any minister or chief executive.
2. To enter the emperor with the most humble reports on cases considered in the Council of Ministers and requiring Highest Resolution, as well as on other matters at its own discretion.
3. Request the necessary information and explanations from the heads of individual departments and departments.
4. To invite to meetings of the Council persons who do not have the status of a member of the Council of Ministers.
5. Submit cases to the Council of Ministers.
6. To control the most subordinate reports of ministers and chief executives, to be present at such reports to the emperor.
During the existence of the Duma Monarchy, there were 7 Chairmen of the Council of Ministers, one of whom (I.L. Goremykin) was twice appointed to this post.

Chairmen of the Council of Ministers of the Russian Empire:

1. gr. Witte Sergey Yulievich (1849 - 1915)
son of Yul.Fed.Witte (1814-1868) and Ekat. Andr. Fadeeva (1819-1898).
married 1st marriage to Nad.Andr.Ivanenko (d.1890), 2nd marriage to Matilda Iv. Nurok (1863-1924), had no children.
Minister of Railways in 1892
Minister of Finance 1892 - 1903
Chairman of the Committee of Ministers 1903-1905
Chairman of the Council of Ministers from 10/19/1905 to 04/22/1906
last rank - actual Privy Councilor (1899)

2. Goremykin Ivan Logginovich(1839-1917)
son of Logg. Iv. Goremykin (1809-1864) and Cap. Iv. Mankosheeva (1818-1856)
married to Alex.Iv. Kapger (1845-1917) and had children: Alexandra (1817-1917), Tatiana (1872-1965) and Mikhail (1879-1927)
Minister of the Interior in 1895-1899
Chairman of the Council of Ministers from 22.04. until 08.07. 1906 and from 01/30/1914 to 01/20/1916
last rank - real Privy Councilor 1st class (1916)
Killed along with his wife and daughter during a robbery.

3. Stolypin Petr Arkadievich(1862-1911)
son of Ark. Dm. Stolypin (1822-1899) and Prince Nat. Mikh. Gorchakova (1827-1889),
married to Ol.Bor. Neidhardt (1859-1944) and had children: Maria (1885-1985), Natalia (1891-1949), Elena (1893-1985), Olga (1895-1920), Alexandra (1897-1987) and Arcadia (1903-1990) ).
Minister of the Interior in 1906 -1911
Chairman of the Council of Ministers from 07/08/1906 to 09/11/1911
last rank - chamberlain of the court (1906).
Killed by a terrorist.

3. gr. Kokovtsev Vladimir Nikolaevich(1853-1943)
son Nick.Vas. Kokovtsev (1814-1873) and Agl. Nick. Insurance, married to Anna Fed. Oom (1860-1950), had a daughter, Olga (1881-after 1945).
Minister of Finance in 1904-1905 and 1906-1914
Chairman of the Council of Ministers from 09/11/1911 to 01/30/1914
last rank - actual Privy Councilor (1905)
Died in exile.

4. Shtyurmer Boris Vladimirovich(1848-1917)
son of Vl. Wilg. Stürmer (1819-1890) and Erm. Nick. Panina (1830-1874), married to Eliz.Vas.Strukova (1865-1917), and had sons: George (1880-after 1917) and Vladimir (1883-after 1917).
Chairman of the Council of Ministers from 20.01. by 10.11. 1916
Minister of the Interior in 1916
Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1916
last rank - chief chamberlain of the court (1916)
Died in custody.

5. Trepov Alexander Fyodorovich(1862-1928)
son of Fed. Fed. Trepov (1809-1889) and Vera Vas. Lukashevich (1821-1866), married to Sof. Dm. Kazina (1863-1941), had daughters: Sophia (1884-1947) and Elena (1885-1960).
Minister of Railways in 1915-1916
Chairman of the Council of Ministers from 10.11. to December 27, 1916
the last rank is the Jägermeister of the court (1905).
Died in exile.

6. book. Golitsyn Nikolay Dmitrievich(1850-1925)
son of Prince Dm.Bor.Golitsyna (1803-1864) and Sof.Nik.Pushchina (1827-1876), married to Evg.Andr.Grunberg (1864-1934) and had children: Dmitry (1882-1928), Nikolai (1883-1931 ), Alexandra (1885-1974), Sophia (1886-1891), Eugene (1888-1928), Olga (1891-1892).
Chairman of the Council of Ministers from 12/27/1916 to 03/02/1917
last rank - real Privy Councilor (1914).
Repressed by the Bolsheviks.