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Ministries are established instead of Boards in Russia
On September 8 (20), 1802 by the Manifest of Alexander I ‘About the establishment of Ministries’ instead of former boards there were formed 8 ministries in Russia: the Ministry of Military-Land forces, of Military-Navy forces, of Foreign Affairs, of Justice, of Commerce, of Public education, of Finance and of Internal Affairs.
Each ministry had received ‘Order’ (statute) that determined its targets. The Ministry of Internal Affairs has become the biggest and most diversified. It was announced that every minister will have the instruction that will determine precisely his powers. All the issues beyond the minister’s power were solved by the emperor on the basis of minister’s report.
Subdivisions of the ministries were formed on principle of functionality. They were called expeditions, and later - departments. The work of the ministries was controlled by the Committee of Ministers. The emperor Alexander I often assisted its sessions.
The new system, in contrast to the previous collective principle was based on a single power and responsibility: the minister himself ruled his department with the help of the office and subordinate institutions, and he was the only one to answer for all the omissions of his ministry.
To discuss the most important state affairs and laws Alexander I established ‘The Council indispensable’ that consisted of 12 representatives of titled nobles instead of occasional and temporary meetings called up by Catherine II and Paul I.
In 1811 the internal organization, the activity and the rights of ministries were determined by ‘The general founding of ministries’. The ministers had one or several deputies, they were the members of Ministers Committee and State Council and had to assist in Senate. The general office work was done the offices of ministers and its rules stayed immutable until 1917.
The most significant changes in ministries structure, their names and number had been made in the period of 1905 – 1917. After the Soviet rule came to power in 1917 on the basis of the ministries there were established the People’s Commissariats that were reorganized back into ministries in 1946. After a number of transformations the ministries are still an important instrument of executive power in Russian Federation.
Lit.: Высшие и центральные государственные учреждения России. 1801-1917. Т. 3. СПб., 2002; Ерошкин Н. П. История государственных учреждений дореволюционной России. М., 1968; Манифест об «Общем учреждении Министерств» // Российское законодательство X-XX вв. Т.6. М., 1988; То же [Электронный ресурс]. URL.: http://www.hist.msu.ru/ER/Etext/ministry.htm; Приходько М. А. Подготовка и разработка министерской реформы в России (февраль — сентябрь 1802 г.). М., 2002; Справочник по истории дореволюционной России. М., 1971. С. 176—197.
Based on the Presidential Library’s materials:
Довнар-Запольский М. В. Зарождение министерств в России. М., 1906;
Манифест императора Александра I об учреждении министерств [Дело] : 8 сентября 1802 г. 1802;
Общее учреждение министерств. Ч. 1: Общее образование министерств. 1811;
Общее учреждение министерств. Ч. 2: Общий наказ министерствам. 1811;