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The history of the establishment of the Senate in Russia in 1711

The Senate is a state institution that has historically different functions in different countries. The ruling Senate in Russia, established on February 22, 1711, by Peter I - the main reformer, statesman, under whom Russia entered a new stage of development, was "the supreme place to which, in the civil order of judgment, administration and execution, all places and establishments of the Empire are subordinated. except for those who are excluded from this dependence by a special law.

Prerequisites for the establishment of the Senate

By 1700, it ceased to exist in the form of a permanent state body and was replaced by the close office of Tsar Peter the Great, in which, as before, the boyars sit. At the same time, during the period of frequent absences of the ruler, the conduct of state affairs is entrusted not to the boyars, but to persons close to Peter from the Duma old ranks, as well as other trusted persons.

However, a year later, advancing in the Prut military campaign, the sovereign entrusts the government of the country to a new formed institution - the Senate. The very existence of this body, according to Peter, is the reason for the frequent absences of the king. Thus, initially the work of the Senate was conceived by Peter as a temporary measure. The Senate replaced:

• Duma old commissions, which were appointed to "know Moscow" during the absence of the sovereign;
• the permanent "Razpravny Chamber", which was the judicial department of the Boyar Duma.

Stages of creating the Senate in Russia

At the same time, upon returning from the campaign, the Senate was not disbanded by the tsar, but on the contrary, Peter approves it as a permanent body in the organization of which, during the Petrine period, historians note three phases:

The first stage of the creation of the Senate: in the period from 1711 to 1718, the Senate was a body whose members were appointed to be present in it;

The second stage of the creation of the Senate: from 1718 to 1722 it is an assembly of presidents of the colleges;

The third stage of the creation of the Senate: and since 1722 the body has had a mixed composition, which includes senators and presidents of some colleges.

Functions of the Governing Senate

The actual department of the governing body in question considered cases that went beyond the competence of the collegiums, representing the highest administrative state body. At the end of the reign of Peter the Great, he was endowed with judicial functions, becoming the highest state court.

Legislative activity of the Senate is still controversial. Some historians argue that in the initial period this body not only had legislative power, but even canceled royal decrees! The other party disputes this assertion. At the same time, they all admit that, by changing the situation in 1722, Peter the Great deprives the Senate of legislative power. It is quite reasonable, because not a single ruler wanted to share his own power. Thus, one can only formally recognize the assignment of legislative power to the Senate for a certain period.

From the difference in the views of historians on the competence of the Senate also depends on its significance for the state. Some researchers consider the Senate to be the highest state institution, which united and directed the work of the administration, which does not recognize authority over itself, except for the power of Peter. Others argue that directing and controlling the administration, this body was completely controlled and its decisions actually depended on the orders of the "supreme masters of the ministers" - persons close to the king who controlled foreign affairs, the fleet and the troops. Also, the Senate depended on the decisions of the Prosecutor General.

Composition of the governing Senate

The composition of the members of the Senate was determined personally by the emperor from the civil and military ranks of the first three ranks of the Table of Ranks. At the same time, their positions included ministers and comrades (deputies) of ministers, the chief prosecutor of the Holy Synod. Other persons could also be invited to the Senate - with the right of an advisory vote - on issues that concern them.

The Senate consisted of six departments, including criminal cassation and civil cassation.

With the change of monarchs, the position of the Senate also changed; in an unstable situation, it was in decline; in a stable situation, on the contrary, it had a huge influence on the emperor. The Senate combined all three branches of government, thus doing the most difficult work.

Powers of the Governing Senate

The outstanding Russian historian Vasily Osipovich Klyuchevsky noted in his writings that the Senate was endowed with very extensive powers. The Attorney General of the Governing Senate was granted the right of legislative initiative. Klyuchevsky highlights the following powers of the Senate under Peter: the Senate had great, but only administrative powers; the initiation of legislative questions remained the business of one king. The Senate was left with a rather passive role in the development of laws. The Attorney General, having seen cases not explained by law, suggested that the Senate issue clear decrees on them. The Prosecutor General was given a legislative initiative.

KKlyuchevsky believed that other powers of the Senate were also constrained. Under him, at the same time as the prosecutor's office, the positions of racketmaster and king of arms were also established. The first was in charge of the "administration of the affairs of the petitioners", received and considered complaints about the slow or wrong decision of their cases in the boards, forced them to resolve cases within the specified time frame, and he himself investigated the judicial bias, interceding for the offended.

The Senate was the supreme guardian of justice; but the appeal to the collegium went by the Senate, through the racket master directly to the sovereign, and only by his inscription on the appeal did it pass to the Senate. The King of Arms was the successor to the Order of the Order, which later became part of the Senate Chancellery as one of its tables, and was in charge of the nobility and its service; among other things, he was supposed to represent the nobles for business, “when asked”, to fill positions and fulfill orders. The Senate occupied many positions, beginning with very high ones, but only choosing from two or three candidates who were presented to each seat of the nobility by the king of arms as worthy.

Thus, the institutions attached to the Senate, as if with the significance of its auxiliary tools, actually hampered it and shielded it from society, served for it as ramparts that defended this "fortification of truth", but at the same time hindered its expansion.

Introduction of the post of Prosecutor General

The new position of Prosecutor General, which was established in 1722, was supposed, according to the plans of Peter the Great, to serve as a real link between the central government and the tsar's entourage. At the same time, the ruler repeatedly tested other methods of control, gaining strength in the Senate. At first (in 1715), the auditor-general supervised the organ, after which (in 1721) the staff officers of the guard were on duty in the Senate, who were supposed to guard and help speed things up. In addition, mandatory minutes of meetings also acted as a means of control of the Senate. At the end of such experiments, the tsar finally established a prosecutor's office.

The duties of the Prosecutor General included communication between the tsar and the Senate. That is, he had to tell the ruler about the conduct of the affairs of the Senate and convey the will of Peter. At the same time, he had the right to stop the decision made by the Senate. In general, most of the decisions received force only after their consideration and approval by the king. Also, the Attorney General was in charge of the senatorial office.

Under the direct command of this official, other agents of government supervision also acted (for example, prosecutors and chief prosecutors, fiscals and chief fiscals). Such powers made the Prosecutor General the most powerful person in the administration. For example, Yaguzhsky, who assumed the position of Prosecutor General, was the first to be generally considered the head of the Senate, and many represented him as the first person in the state after Tsar Peter.

This view of the situation is shared by those historians who are accustomed to belittling the power and importance of the Senate. Even more, for example, in his writings, the historian Gradovsky argues that the prosecutor general, merging into one with the Senate itself, only raised the state significance of this state body and its significance for the country as a whole!

Governing Senate and its seats in the system of state bodies (diagram)

The Governing Senate was established - the highest body of state power and legislation, subordinate to the emperor.

Peter's constant absences I from the country prevented him from doing the current affairs of government. During his absence, he entrusted the conduct of business to several trusted persons. 22 February (5 March) 1711 d. these powers were entrusted to a new institution called the Governing Senate.

The Senate exercised full power in the country in the absence of the sovereign and coordinated the work of other state institutions.

The new institution included nine people: Count Ivan Alekseevich Musin-Pushkin, boyar Tikhon Nikitich Streshnev, Prince Pyotr Alekseevich Golitsyn, Prince Mikhail Vladimirovich Dolgoruky, Prince Grigory Andreevich Plemyannikov, Prince Grigory Ivanovich Volkonsky, Krigsalmeister General Mikhail Mikhailovich Samarin, Quartermaster General Vasily Andreevich Apukhtin and Nazariy Petrovich Melnitsky. Anisim Shchukin was appointed chief secretary.

In the early years of its existence, the Senate took care of state revenues and expenditures, was in charge of the attendance of the nobles for service, and was a body of supervision over an extensive bureaucratic apparatus. A few days after the establishment of the Senate on March 5 (16), 1711, the posts of fiscals were introduced in the center and in the regions, who reported on all violations of the laws, bribery, embezzlement and similar actions that were harmful to the state. By the decree of the emperor of March 28, 1714, "On the position of fiscals," this service was finalized.

In 1718-1722 gg. The Senate included all the presidents of the colleges. The position of Prosecutor General was introduced, which controlled all the work of the Senate, its apparatus, the office, the adoption and execution of all its sentences, their protest or suspension. The Prosecutor General and Chief Prosecutor of the Senate were subordinate only to the sovereign. The main function of the prosecutor's control was to ensure the observance of law and order. Pavel Ivanovich Yaguzhinsky was appointed the first prosecutor general.

After Peter's death I the position of the Senate, its role and functions in the public administration system gradually changed. The Senate instead of the Governing One became known as the High. In 1741 d. empress Elizaveta Petrovna issued a Decree “On the Restoration of the Power of the Senate in the Board of Internal State Affairs”, but the real significance of the Senate in matters of internal administration was small.

March 5, 2011 marks the 300th anniversary of the establishment of the Senate - the highest body of state power and legislation of the Russian Empire.

On March 5 (February 22 old style), 1711, by decree of Peter I, the Governing Senate was established - the highest body of state power and legislation, subordinate to the emperor.

The need to create such a body of power was due to the fact that Peter I often left the country and therefore could not fully deal with the current affairs of government. During his absence, he entrusted the conduct of business to several trusted persons. On March 5 (February 22), 1711, these powers were assigned to the Governing Senate. Initially, it consisted of 9 members and a chief secretary and acted exclusively on behalf of the king and reported only to him.

After the Table of Ranks was adopted (the law on the order of public service in the Russian Empire, which regulates the ratio of ranks by seniority and the sequence of promotion to ranks), members of the Senate were appointed by the tsar from among civil and military officials of the first three classes.

In the early years of its existence, the Senate dealt with state revenues and expenditures, was in charge of the attendance of the nobles for service, and was an oversight body for the bureaucratic apparatus. Soon, fiscal positions were introduced in the center and in the regions, who reported on all violations of laws, bribery, embezzlement and other similar actions. After the creation of collegiums (central bodies of sectoral management), all the heads of collegiums entered the Senate, but this order did not last long, and subsequently the heads of collegiums were not included in the Senate. The Senate oversaw all colleges, except for the foreign one. The post of Prosecutor General was introduced, which controlled all the work of the Senate, its apparatus, the office, the adoption and execution of all its sentences, their appeal or suspension. The Prosecutor General and the Chief Prosecutor of the Senate were subordinate only to the sovereign. The main function of the prosecutor's control was to ensure the observance of law and order.

From 1711 to 1714 the seat of the Senate was Moscow, but sometimes for a while, as a whole or in the person of several senators, he moved to St. Petersburg, which from 1714 became his permanent seat. Since then, the Senate has moved to Moscow only temporarily, in the case of Peter's trips there for a long time. A part of the Senate office remained in Moscow.

In April 1714, a ban was issued to bring complaints to the tsar about the unfair decisions of the Senate, which was an innovation for Russia. Until that time, the sovereign could complain about every institution. This prohibition was repeated in a decree on December 22, 1718, and the death penalty was established for filing a complaint against the Senate.

After the death of Peter I, the position of the Senate, its role and functions in the system of state administration gradually changed. Other supreme state bodies were created, to which the functions of the Senate were transferred. Under Catherine II, the Senate was removed from the main legislative functions of political importance. Formally, the Senate was the highest court, but its activities were greatly influenced by the decisions of the Prosecutor General and the admission of complaints against him (despite the formal ban). Catherine II preferred to entrust the functions of the Senate to her proxies.

In 1802, Alexander I issued a decree on the rights and obligations of the Senate, which, however, had almost no effect on the real state of affairs. The Senate had the formal right to develop bills and subsequently submit them to the emperor, but he did not use this right in practice. After the establishment in the same year of the ministries, the Senate retained the functions of the highest judicial body and supervisory authority, since the main managerial functions remained with the Committee of Ministers (which became the highest executive body).

In 1872, a "Special Presence for the Judgment of State Crimes and Unlawful Communities" was created as part of the Senate - the highest political court in Russia.

By the beginning of the XX century. The Senate finally lost its significance as the highest body of state administration and turned into a body of supervision over the legality of the actions of government officials and institutions and the highest cassation instance in court cases. In 1906, the Supreme Criminal Court was established, which considered the crimes of mainly officials.

In 1917, the Special Presence and the Supreme Criminal Court were abolished.

The Senate was abolished by a decree of the Soviet government of December 5 (November 22), 1917.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources

THE SENATE INSTEAD OF THE BOYAR DUMA

Following the organization of the provinces in 1711, the Senate was established, replacing the Boyar Duma. Aristocratic in composition, the Boyar Duma began to die off from the end of the 17th century: it was reduced in its composition, since the award of duma ranks was no longer carried out, non-duma ranks, persons of humble origin, but enjoyed the confidence of the tsar. The Middle Office, which arose in 1699, became of paramount importance - an institution that exercised administrative and financial control in the state. The nearest chancellery soon became the seat of meetings of the Boyar Duma, renamed the Council of Ministers.

Going on the Prut campaign, Peter established the Senate as a temporary institution "for our regular absences in these wars." All persons and institutions "under cruel punishment or death" are ordered to unquestioningly carry out the Senate decrees. The Senate turned into a permanent institution with very broad rights: it controlled justice, managed spending and tax collection, "because money is the artery of war", was in charge of trade, and the functions of the Discharge Order were transferred to it.

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SENATE

The features learned under Peter by the Boyar Duma were also transferred to the government agency that replaced it. The Senate came into being with the character of a temporary commission, such as were separated from the Duma at the time of the tsar's departure, and into which the Duma itself began to turn during Peter's frequent and long absences. Going on a Turkish campaign, Peter issued a short decree on February 22, 1711, which read: "Determined to be for the absence of our Governing Senate for management." Or: "For our regular absences in these wars, a Governing Senate was appointed," as stated in another decree. So, the Senate was established for a time: after all, Peter did not expect to live in eternal absence, like Charles XII. Then, the decree named the newly appointed senators in the number of 9 people, very close to the then usual composition of the once populous Boyar Duma […]. By one decree on March 2, 1711, Peter, during his absence, entrusted the Senate with the highest supervision of the court and expenses, concern for multiplying incomes and a number of special instructions for recruiting young nobles and boyar people into the officer reserve, for examining government goods, for bills and trade , and by another decree he determined the power and responsibility of the Senate: all persons and institutions are obliged to obey him, as the sovereign himself, under pain of death for disobedience; no one can even declare the unjust orders of the Senate until the return of the sovereign, to whom he gives an account of his actions. In 1717, reprimanding the Senate from abroad for unrest in government, “what is impossible for me to see at such a distance and during this difficult war,” Peter inspired the senators to strictly watch everything, “you have nothing else to do, just one thing government, which if you act imprudently, then before God, and then you will not escape the court here.” Peter sometimes called senators from Moscow to his place of temporary residence, to Revel, Petersburg, with all the statements for the report, "what was done according to these decrees and what was not completed and why." No legislative functions of the old Boyar Duma are visible in the initial competence of the Senate: like the council of ministers, the Senate is not a state council under the sovereign, but the highest administrative and responsible institution for current affairs of administration and for the execution of special assignments of the absent sovereign, a council that met "instead of the presence of His Majesty himself." The course of the war and foreign policy were not subject to his conduct. The Senate inherited two auxiliary institutions from the council: the Punishment Chamber, as a special judicial department, and the Near Chancellery, which was attached to the Senate to account and audit income and expenses. But the temporary commission, which is the Senate in 1711, is gradually being transformed into a permanent supreme institution […].

The Council of Ministers met randomly and in a random composition, despite the prescriptions that precisely regulated its clerical work. According to the list of 1705, there were 38 duma people, boyars, roundabout and duma nobles, and at the beginning of 1706, when Charles XII, with an unexpected movement from Poland, cut off messages from the Russian corps near Grodna, when it was necessary to discuss and take decisive measures, under the tsar in Moscow there were only two ministers, thoughtful people: the rest were "at work", in official dispersal. Of the orders in Moscow, only those requiring and spending remained, like the Military, Artillery, Admiralty, Ambassadorial. Financial consumption was concentrated in the capital, and the provincial administration mined it; but in Moscow there was no institution left for the supreme disposal of financial gain and for the supreme supervision of financial consumers, that is, there was no government. Among his military-strategic and diplomatic operations, Peter did not seem to notice that, establishing 8 provinces, he created 8 recruiting and financial offices for recruiting and maintaining regiments in the fight against a dangerous enemy, but left the state without a central internal administration, and himself without direct closest interpreters and conductors of their sovereign will. Such a conductor could not be a ministerial congress in the Near Chancellery without a definite department and a permanent composition, from administrators busy with other matters and obliged to sign the minutes of the meeting in order to reveal their "stupidity". Then Peter needed not a State Duma, deliberative or legislative, but a simple state council of a few smart businessmen who could guess the will, catch the tsar’s obscure thought hidden in the laconic charade of a hastily sketched nominal decree, develop it into an understandable and executable order, and authoritatively look after by its execution, the government is so powerful that everyone is afraid of it, and so responsible that it is afraid of something itself. Alter ego of the tsar in the eyes of the people, every moment feeling the royal quos ego over him - such is the original idea of ​​the Senate, if only any idea participated in its creation. The Senate had to decide cases unanimously. So that this unanimity would not be squeezed out by someone’s personal pressure, none of Peter’s top employees was introduced into the Senate: neither Menshikov, nor Apraksin, nor Sheremetev, nor Chancellor Golovkin, etc. […] : Samarin was a military treasurer, Prince Grigory Volkonsky was the manager of the Tula state-owned factories, Apukhtin was a quartermaster general, etc. n. Such people understood the military economy, the most important subject of the Senate, no worse than any principal, and they could probably steal less than Menshikov, but if the senator Prince M. Dolgoruky did not know how to write, then Menshikov was a little ahead of him in this art, with difficulty drawing the letters of his last name. So, the needs of management were created by two conditions, which caused the establishment of the Senate as a temporary commission, and then strengthened its existence and determined its department, composition and significance: this is the breakdown of the old Boyar Duma and the constant absences of the tsar.

Klyuchevsky V.O. Russian history. Full course of lectures. M., 2004.

DECREE ON THE OFFICE OF THE SENATE

Section VI. 1. In the Senate it is necessary to say the ranks, which are shown below,

2. to give decrees to the whole state and to decide immediately those sent from us;

3. and others, the like, but specifically: to the ranks of speaking, from the military - to the entire generals, from the state and civil government - to the minister, in the collegium - to the president, in the province and in the province - to the governor, governor and commandant, assessor, chamberlains, rentmaster and zemstvo and court kamisar, also - to collegiate members, including the secretary, and protchim; and in the provinces - by the president, to court courts, obor lantrichters and zemstvo secretaries.

Decree on the position of the Senate on April 27, 1722 // Russian legislation of the X–XX centuries. In 9 vols. T.4. Legislation of the period of formation of absolutism. Rep. ed. A.G. Mankov. M., 1986. http://www.hist.msu.ru/ER/Etext/senat2.htm

SENATE AND NOBILITY

The entire mass of service nobles was put under direct subordination to the Senate instead of the former Order of the Order, and the Senate was in charge of the nobility through a special official "master of arms".

THE MOST IMPORTANT TASK OF THE SENATE

The Senate, as the supreme guardian of justice and the state economy, disposed of unsatisfactory subordinate bodies from the very beginning of its activity. That was in the center a bunch of old and new, Moscow and St. Petersburg, orders, offices, offices, commissions with confused departments and uncertain relationships, sometimes with random origins, and in the regions - 8 governors, who sometimes did not obey the tsar himself, not only the Senate . The Senate consisted of the Reprisal Chamber, inherited from the ministerial council, as its judiciary department, and the Accounts Near Office. Among the main duties of the Senate was "it is possible to collect money" and consider public expenditures in order to cancel unnecessary ones, but meanwhile no money bills were sent to him from anywhere, and for a number of years he could not draw up a statement of how much there was in the whole state in the parish, in expenditure, in balance and in milking. […] The most important task of the Senate, most revealed by Peter at its establishment, was the supreme command and supervision of the entire administration. The near office joined the Senate office for budget accounting. One of the first acts of government equipment of the Senate was the establishment of an organ of active control. By a decree of March 5, 1711, the Senate was instructed to choose a chief fiscal, a smart and kind person, no matter what rank he may be, who should secretly supervise all affairs and check on the wrong court, "also in the collection of the treasury and other things." The Chief Fiscal brought the accused, "of whatever high degree" he was, to account before the Senate, and there he convicted him. Having proved his accusation, the fiscal received half the fine from the convicted person; but even an unproven accusation was forbidden to blame the fiscal, even to be annoyed at him for this "under cruel punishment and the ruin of the whole estate."

Klyuchevsky V.O. Russian history. Full course of lectures. M., 2004.

THE ADMINISTRATION CREATED BY PETER

In a systematic presentation, the administration created by Peter will be presented in this form.

Since 1711, the Senate has been at the head of the entire administration. Around 1700, the old Boyar Duma disappears as a permanent institution and is replaced by the near office of the sovereign, in which, as in the old days, a meeting of the boyars sometimes takes place. During his incessant trips, the conduct of state affairs in Moscow, Peter entrusted not to an institution, but to several trusted persons from the old Duma ranks (Peter did not give these ranks to anyone, but he did not take them away from those who had them) and to persons of new ranks and titles. But in 1711, setting out on the Prut campaign, Peter entrusted the state not to individuals, but to a newly founded institution. That institution is the Senate. Its existence, as Peter himself declared, was caused precisely by the "absences" of the sovereign, and Peter ordered everyone to obey the Senate, as he himself. Thus, the mission of the Senate was initially temporary. It replaced with itself: 1) the old Duma commissions, appointed in order to be in charge of "Moscow" in the absence of the sovereign, and 2) the permanent "Rashny Chamber", which was, as it were, the judicial department of the Boyar Duma. But with the return of Peter to affairs, the Senate was not abolished, but became a permanent institution, in the organization of which, under Peter, three phases are noticed. From 1711 to 1718 the Senate was an assembly of persons specially appointed to be present in it; from 1718 to 1722 the Senate becomes an assembly of presidents of the colleges; Since 1722, the Senate has received a mixed composition, it includes some presidents of the colleges (military, naval, foreign), and at the same time it has senators who are alien to the colleges.

The department of the Senate consisted in control over the administration, in resolving cases that were beyond the competence of the collegiums, and in the general direction of the administrative mechanism. The Senate was thus the highest administrative body in the state. He, in the last years of Peter, was assigned a judicial function: the Senate became the highest judicial authority. As to whether the Senate was inherent in legislative activity, there are different shades of views. Some (Petrovsky "On the Senate in the reign of Peter the Great") believe that the Senate at first had legislative power and sometimes even canceled the decrees of Peter himself. Others (Vladimirsky-Budanov in his critical article "The Establishment of the Governmental Senate") argue that the Senate never had a legislative function. But everyone admits that Peter, by changing the position of the Senate in 1722, deprived him of legislative power; it is clear that Peter could not place assemblies with legislative rights next to him, as with the only source of legislative power in the state. Therefore, if the Senate is recognized as having a legislative function, then it should be considered an accidental and exceptional phenomenon.

The difference in ideas about the state significance of it also depends on the difference in ideas about the competence of the Senate. Some consider the Senate to be unquestionably the highest institution in the state, uniting and directing the entire administration and not knowing any other authority over itself than the sovereign (Gradovsky, Petrovsky). Others believe that, while controlling and directing the administration, the Senate itself was subject to control and depended on the "supreme ministers" (that is, persons close to Peter who control the troops, fleet and foreign affairs) and on the prosecutor general, the representative of the sovereign's person in Senate.

Platonov S.F. A complete course of lectures on Russian history. SPb., 2000

http://magister.msk.ru/library/history/platonov/plats005.htm#gl6

V.O. KLYUCHEVSKY’S ASSESSMENT OF PETER’S ADMINISTRATIVE REFORM

“A metropolitan clerk, a passing general, a provincial nobleman threw out the decrees of a formidable reformer and, together with a forest robber, did not worry much about the fact that a semi-powerful Senate and nine, and then ten Swedish-style collegiums with systematically delineated departments operate in the capitals. Impressive legislative façades were used as a cover for general lack of dress. Klyuchevsky V.O. Russian history. Full course of lectures. M., 2004.

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The system of state authorities under Peter I

Formation of a new management system under Peter I

Until the end of the Northern Won, the state administration under Peter the Great in Russia did not have any special differences. However, after the end of hostilities against Sweden and the victory, the Russian state took its place of honor in the international arena. Given these events, in 1721 the Senate proclaims Tsar Peter the Emperor, as well as the "Father of the Fatherland" and "Great".

From that day on, the emperor acquired more extensive powers than the king of the period of the so-called estate-representative monarchy had previously had. There was not a single state governing body left in the state that could at least somehow limit the imperial will and power. Only Peter the Great himself had the right to legislate, completely forming the legislative basis of the state at his own discretion, and only the emperor could exercise court through the Synod. Thus, every decision and sentence of the court was made on behalf of the sovereign. The emperor deprived the Russian Church of autonomy and completely subordinated it to the state, abolishing the position of patriarch.

Absolutism of Peter I

The power of the emperor was so undeniable in the state that Peter easily managed to change the order of succession to the throne in the Russian Empire. Prior to this, the right to govern the country passed from the son to the father, and in the absence of a legitimate heir, the future ruler could be elected by the Zemsky Sobor. However, Peter himself believed that this outdated order does not correspond to the ideas of an absolute monarchy, and if the heir is not a good candidate, then the emperor should have the right to deny him the right to take the throne, choosing a new ruler on his own. Naturally, under the “unworthy heir”, Peter, first of all, meant his own son, who dared to oppose his father’s reforms.

Establishment of the Governing Senate in 1711

In the same period, the Governing Senate acted as the highest institution of the Petrine administration, with which the sovereign replaced the former ineffective Boyar Duma. On February 27, 1711, before setting out on the Prut military campaign, the tsar signed a decree according to which, at the time when Peter was not in the capital, all state control passed into the hands of the Governing Senate. The Senate was attended by nine members and the chief secretary.

Functions and Powers of the Senate

The Senate had the following functions:

• consideration of cases as the highest court;
• resolving issues that were related to the conduct of hostilities on the territories belonging to the Russian state;
• listening to reports of commissions;
• consideration of various kinds of complaints, as well as the removal and appointment of chiefs of various categories, etc.

Together with this governing body, the Russian monarch established fiscals in the provinces and installed a chief fiscal in the Senate. The duties of these officials included supervision over the observance of the rule of law in provincial and central institutions. Later, all these duties were included in the actual activities of the Prosecutor General, who, by decree of the king, had to be present and keep order at every meeting of the Governing Senate. The tsar appointed Pavel Yaguzhinsky as the very first chief prosecutor.

And although the Senate was established as a temporary solution for the administration of the state during the absence of the king in the country, this institution continued to exist even after the return of Peter the Great from the Prut campaign, representing the highest state - control, judicial and administrative.

Establishment of the Prosecutor's Office in 1722

1722 is considered the beginning of the Russian prosecutor's office. In the same period, a special position was established for the reketmeister, who considers complaints and makes decisions on the unfair decision of the boards. About all such cases, the racketmaster had to report to the Senate, demanding an early resolution of the issue, and sometimes his duties included a report on this to the emperor himself.

The above position was completely abolished only in 1763 with the reorganization of this governing body. In addition, the Governing Senate was also subordinate to the King of Arms, who was an official in charge of all the affairs of the upper nobility. For example, the duties of this official included registration of the nobles, their appointment to the public service, control of their military service, etc.

In 1731, the so-called Office of Secret Investigations appeared under the Governing Senate, investigating and prosecuting all state crimes. Thirty years later, it was abolished and replaced by a secret expedition of the Senate, investigating the most important cases of a political nature.

After the death of Peter the Great, the political importance and power of the Senate dried up. Formally, remaining the highest authority after the monarch, he was completely subordinate to the Supreme Privy Council.

Table: reforms of Peter I in the field of state administration

Table: state-administrative reforms of Peter I

Video lecture: public authorities under Peter I

Test on the topic: The system of state authorities under Peter I Time limit: 0 Navigation (job numbers only) 0 of 4 tasks completed Information Check yourself! Historical test on the topic: authorities under Peter I You have already taken the test before. You cannot run it again. Test is loading... You must login or register in order to start the test. You must complete the following tests to start this one: results Correct answers: 0 out of 4 Your time: Time is over You scored 0 out of 0 points (0 ) With an answer Checked out Task 1 of 4 1 . In what year was the order to establish the Governing Senate signed? Correctly Not right Task 2 of 4 2 . In what year was the Russian prosecutor's office established?