Count Ivan Matveyevich Tolstoy (russian: Ива́н Матве́евич Толсто́й; ) was a Russian nobleman,
diplomat
A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or internati ...
,
senator
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
, grand master of court ceremonies, and
minister
Minister may refer to:
* Minister (Christianity), a Christian cleric
** Minister (Catholic Church)
* Minister (government), a member of government who heads a ministry (government department)
** Minister without portfolio, a member of government w ...
of
postal service
The mail or post is a system for physically transporting postcards, letters, and parcels. A postal service can be private or public, though many governments place restrictions on private systems. Since the mid-19th century, national postal syst ...
.
Biography
Count I. M. Tolstoy worked in the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the government department responsible for the state's diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral relations affairs as well as for providing support for a country's citizens who are abroad. The entit ...
until 1860. For a brief interval, he served as Chief Steward of the Imperial Household and was grand master of court ceremonies. In 1863, he became
Feodor Pryanishnikov
Feodor Ivanovich Pryanishnikov (russian: Фёдор Иванович Прянишников; 2 February 179328 April 1867) was a Russian actual privy councillor and postal administrator. At the height of his career (1857–1863), F. I. Pryanishn ...
's immediate successor as Head of the Postal Department.
In 1865, he was appointed to the first Minister of Posts and
Telegraph
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas p ...
s. An attempt to merge the postal and telegraph services was not successful. Only in 1884, during the reign of
Alexander III, were the two services amalgamated. This resulted in the depiction of
thunderbolt
A thunderbolt or lightning bolt is a symbolic representation of lightning when accompanied by a loud thunderclap. In Indo-European mythology, the thunderbolt was identified with the 'Sky Father'; this association is also found in later Hell ...
s and
post horn
The post horn (''also'' post-horn) is a valveless cylindrical brass instrument with a cupped mouthpiece. The instrument was used to signal the arrival or departure of a post rider or mail coach. It was used especially by postilions of the 18th ...
s on
Russian postage stamps.
[
Tolstoy died in 1867. He was replaced by General (1818–1893) as the Minister of Posts and Telegraphs.][
]
See also
* Feodor Pryanishnikov
Feodor Ivanovich Pryanishnikov (russian: Фёдор Иванович Прянишников; 2 February 179328 April 1867) was a Russian actual privy councillor and postal administrator. At the height of his career (1857–1863), F. I. Pryanishn ...
* Postage stamps and postal history of Russia
A Russian Empire postman.
This a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union and the modern Russian Federation.
Postal history
Early history
Records mention a system of messengers in the 10th ...
* Samuel Polyakov
Samuel (Shmuel) Polyakov (also Poliakoff, Poliakov, russian: Самуил Соломонович Поляков) was a Russian businessman, informally known as the "most famous railroad king" of the Russian Empire, the senior member of the Polyak ...
* Tolstoy (family)
The House of Tolstoy, or Tolstoi (russian: Толстой), is a family of Russian gentry that acceded to the high aristocracy of the Russian Empire. The name Tolstoy (Russian "Толстой") is itself derived from the Russian adjective "тол ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tolstoy, Ivan Matveyevich
1806 births
1867 deaths
Ivan Matveyevich
Counts of the Russian Empire
Government ministers of Russia
Diplomats of the Russian Empire
Senators of the Russian Empire
Russian postmasters