Committee of Ministers (Russia)
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The Russian Council of Ministers is an executive governmental council that brings together the principal officers of the Executive Branch of the
Russian government The Government of Russia exercises executive power in the Russian Federation. The members of the government are the prime minister, the deputy prime ministers, and the federal ministers. It has its legal basis in the Constitution of the Russia ...
. This includes the chairman of the government and ministers of federal government departments.


Imperial Russia


Committee of Ministers

The Ministries and the Committee of Ministers (Комитет Министров) were created in the early 19th century as part of the Government reform of Alexander I. The Committee was an advisory board for the Emperor but could only consider matters referred to it by the monarch or when details for implementation of policy were brought to it by ministers. However, the Committee had little collective power and did not make decisions, just recommendations. When the monarch presided personally over Committee meetings it was referred to as a council as the monarch had decision/policy making authority that the committee did not possess.


Chairmen of the committee of Ministers (''de facto''), 1802 – 1810

* Alexander Romanovich Vorontsov (1802–1804) as Imperial Chancellor and Foreign Minister * Adam Jerzy Czartoryski (1804–1806) as Foreign Minister * Andreas Eberhard von Budberg (1806–1807) as Foreign Minister *
Nikolay Petrovich Rumyantsev Count Nikolai Petrovich Rumyantsev (; 3 April 1754 – 3 January 1826), born in Saint Petersburg, was Russian Empire, Russia's Foreign Minister and Chancellor of the Russian Empire in the run-up to Napoleon's invasion of Russia (1808–12). He ...
(1807–1810) as Foreign Minister


Chairmen of the committee of Ministers, 1810 – 1905

*
Nikolay Petrovich Rumyantsev Count Nikolai Petrovich Rumyantsev (; 3 April 1754 – 3 January 1826), born in Saint Petersburg, was Russian Empire, Russia's Foreign Minister and Chancellor of the Russian Empire in the run-up to Napoleon's invasion of Russia (1808–12). He ...
(1810–1812) * Nikolay Ivanovich Saltykov (1812–1816) * Pyotr Vasilyevich Lopukhin (1816–1827) *
Viktor Pavlovich Kochubey Prince Viktor Pavlovich Kochubey (); ( – ) was a Russian statesman and close aide of Alexander I of Russia. Of Ukrainian origin, he was a great-grandson of Vasily Kochubey. He took part in the Privy Committee that outlined Government reform of ...
(1827–1834) *
Nikolay Nikolayevich Novosiltsev Count Nikolay Nikolayevich Novosiltsev (Novoselcev) (russian: Граф Никола́й Никола́евич Новосельцев (Новоси́льцев), pl, Nikołaj Nowosilcow) (1761–1838) was a Russian statesman and a close aide t ...
(1834–1838) * Illarion Illarionovich Vasilchikov (1838–1847) * Vasily Vasilyevich Levashov (1847–1848) * Aleksandr Ivanovich Chernyshov (1848–1856) *
Aleksey Fyodorovich Orlov Orlov (russian: Орлóв) is the name of a Russian noble family which produced several distinguished statesmen, scientists, diplomats, and soldiers. The family first gained distinction in the 18th century through the achievements of five ...
(1856–1861) *
Dmitry Nikolayevich Bludov Count Dmitry Nikolayevich Bludov (Russian: Граф Дмитрий Николаевич Блудов; 1785–1864) was an Imperial Russian official who filled a variety of posts under Nicholas I - Deputy Education Minister (1826–28), Minister o ...
(1861–1864) *
Pavel Pavlovich Gagarin Prince Pavel Pavlovich Gagarin (russian: Павел Павлович Гагарин; 4 (15) March 1789 in Moscow – 21 February (4 March) 1872 in Saint Petersburg) was a Russian statesman from the Rurikid Gagarin family. He was the posthumous chi ...
(1865–1872) * Nikolay Pavlovich Ignatyev (1872–1879) * Pyotr Aleksandrovich Valuyev (1879–1881) *
Michael von Reutern Michael Graf von Reutern (russian: Михаи́л Христофо́рович Ре́йтерн, tr. ) was a Baltic German statesman and the Finance Minister of the Russian Empire from 1862 to 1878.Arthur Raffalovich, "Russian Financial Policy ...
(1881–1887) * Nikolai Karl Paul von Bunge (1887–1895) *
Ivan Nikolayevich Durnovo Ivan Nikolayevich Durnovo (russian: Иван Николаевич Дурново, the patronymic is also transcribed as Nikolaevich; – ) was a Russian political figure. He served as Chairman of the Committee of Ministers between 1895 and ...
(1895–1903) * Sergei Yulyevich Witte (1903–1905)


Council of Ministers

After
Nicholas II Nicholas II or Nikolai II Alexandrovich Romanov; spelled in pre-revolutionary script. ( 186817 July 1918), known in the Russian Orthodox Church as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer,. was the last Emperor of Russia, King of Congress Pola ...
issued the
October Manifesto The October Manifesto (russian: Октябрьский манифест, Манифест 17 октября), officially "The Manifesto on the Improvement of the State Order" (), is a document that served as a precursor to the Russian Empire's fi ...
of 1905 granting civil liberties and a national legislature (
Duma A duma (russian: дума) is a Russian assembly with advisory or legislative functions. The term ''boyar duma'' is used to refer to advisory councils in Russia from the 10th to 17th centuries. Starting in the 18th century, city dumas were for ...
and a reformed
State Council State Council may refer to: Government * State Council of the Republic of Korea, the national cabinet of South Korea, headed by the President * State Council of the People's Republic of China, the national cabinet and chief administrative auth ...
), the Committee was replaced with a Council of Ministers. Unlike the Committee of Ministers, this council was presided over by a Chairman (Совет министров) besides the Emperor, and functioned as a policy making
cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filing ...
with its
Chairman The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the grou ...
acting as
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
(head) of the government. As a result, from 1905-1917 the Council of Ministers collectively decided the government's policy, tactical direction, and served as a buffer between the Emperor and the national legislature. The meetings of the Council were in two parts, "official and secret". The first followed a printed agenda; the second was devoted to the discussion of confidential questions, basic issues of policy and so forth. * Sergei Yulyevich Witte (1905-1906) * Ivan Logginovich Goremykin (1906) * Pyotr Arkadyevich Stolypin (1906-1911) *
Vladimir Nikolayevich Kokovtsov Count Vladimir Nikolayevich Kokovtsov (russian: Влади́мир Никола́евич Коко́вцов; – 29 January 1943) was a Russian politician who served as the Prime Minister of Russia from 1911 to 1914, during the reign of Emper ...
(1911-1914) * Ivan Logginovich Goremykin (1914-1916) * Boris Vladimirovich Shtyurmer (1916) * Alexander Fyodorovich Trepov (1916) * Nikolay Dmitriyevich Golitsyn (1916-1917) Nicholas's hostility to
parliamentarism A parliamentary system, or parliamentarian democracy, is a system of democratic governance of a state (or subordinate entity) where the executive derives its democratic legitimacy from its ability to command the support ("confidence") of the ...
emerged at the very beginning of his reign in 1894; to him, it would cause Russia to disintegrate.Sergei V. Kulikov (2012) Emperor Nicholas II and the State Duma Unknown Plans and Missed Opportunities, p. 48-49. In: Russian Studies in History, vol. 50, no. 4 According to S. Kulikov: "Nicholas was pursuing the entirely specific idea of gradually replacing absolutism with
dualism Dualism most commonly refers to: * Mind–body dualism, a philosophical view which holds that mental phenomena are, at least in certain respects, not physical phenomena, or that the mind and the body are distinct and separable from one another ** ...
, rather than with parliamentarism." On July 1, 1914, the Tsar suggested that the Duma - half of the deputies were nobles - should be reduced to merely a consultative body. On 24 August 1915 the
Progressive Bloc The Progressive Bloc () is an electoral alliance in the Dominican Republic. The alliance is led by the Dominican Liberation Party The Dominican Liberation Party ( Spanish: Partido de la Liberación Dominicana, referred to here by its Spanis ...
, including the entire membership of the Duma, except the extreme right and the extreme left, was formed. It had the support of the press, the public opinion and, to a considerable extent, most of the Council of Ministers as well. The deputies tried to bring the Council "uninterested in reform" under control of the Duma, but their demands for a "ministry of confidence" were not received by the Tsar."P.N. Milyukov (1921) The Russian Revolution. Vol I: The Revolution divided, p. 15 In late 1915, there was a shortage of food and of
coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal is formed when dea ...
in the big cities; Alexander Trepov was appointed as crisis manager in the Minister of Railways. Five key ministries would gather on a more regular basis to solve the transport question. In November 1915 Rasputin told Goremykin (or the obstinate Tsar) it was not right not to convene the Duma as all were trying to cooperate; one must show them a little confidence. In January 1916, Rasputin was opposed to the plan to send the old Goremykin away.
Frank Alfred Golder Frank Alfred Golder (August 11, 1877 – January 7, 1929) was an American historian and archivist specializing in the history of Russia. Golder is best remembered for his work in the early 1920s building the seminal collection of Slavic language mat ...
(1927
''Documents of Russian History 1914–1917''
Read Books. .
who had persuaded the Tsar to reject the proposals of the Progressive Bloc for a government of confidence. On 20 January 1916 Boris Stürmer was appointed as Prime Minister "to the surprise of everyone, and most of all Goremykin, who, as was usual with the Emperor, had never been given the idea that he was even in danger." According to B. Pares, Stürmer was prepared to pose as a semi-liberal and would try in this way to keep the Duma quiet. The new chairman of the Council was not opposed to the convening of the Duma, as Goremykin had been, and he would launch a more liberal and conciliatory politic. The Duma gathered on 9 February, on the condition not to mention Rasputin.P.N. Milyukov (1921), p. 16 The deputies were disappointed when Stürmer made his indistinct speech. For the first time in his life, the Tsar made a visit to the
Taurida Palace Tauride Palace (russian: Таврический дворец, translit=Tavrichesky dvorets) is one of the largest and most historically important palaces in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Construction and early use Prince Grigory Potemkin of Tauride ...
, suggesting he was willing to work with the legislature. According to Milyukov Stürmer would keep his further dealings with the Duma to a minimum. Boris Stürmer was also appointed on the Ministry of Interior, the most powerful of all, which had under its control governors, police, and a Special Corps of Gendarmes, the uniformed secret police. He had risen to the status of virtual dictator. In the same month, Minister of War
Alexei Polivanov Alexei Andreyevich Polivanov (russian: Алексей Андреевич Поливанов) (March 16, 1855 – September 25, 1920) was a Russian military figure, infantry general (1915). He served as Russia's Minister of War from June ...
, who in his few months of office had brought about a recovery of the efficiency of the Russian army, was removed and replaced by
Dmitry Shuvayev Dmitry Savelyevich Shuvayev (; – 19 December 1937) was a Russian military leader, Infantry General (1912) and Minister of War (1916). Life Dmitry Shuvayev graduated from Alexander Military School in 1872. Between 1873 and 1875, he participa ...
. According to Victor Chernov, the campaign of the party of the Empress and Rasputin was waged steadily against the eight ministers who "had resisted the removal of the commander in chief ( Grand Duke Nikolai), and one after the other they were discharged." Early July,
Aleksandr Khvostov Aleksandr Alekseevich Khvostov (russian: Александр Алексеевич Хвостов; 8 January 1857 – 23 November 1921) was an Imperial Russian politician. After graduating from the Imperial Alexander Lyceum, he entered the Ministr ...
, Alexei's uncle, not in good health, was appointed as Minister of the Interior and Makarov as Minister of Justice. Foreign Minister Sazonov, decisive when the war started, pleaded for an independent and autonomous
Russian Poland Congress Poland, Congress Kingdom of Poland, or Russian Poland, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland, was a polity created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna as a semi-autonomous Polish state, a successor to Napoleon's Duchy of Warsaw. It w ...
. He was demoted on 10 July and the office given to Stürmer. On 21 July, the minister of agriculture Naumov refused to participate any longer in the government. According to Vladimir Gurko, the Council of Ministers as a whole declined continually in importance. Around 6 September, Alexander Protopopov had been invited as Minister of the Interior. Placing the vice-president of the Duma in a key post might improve the relations between the Duma and the throne.P.N. Milyukov (1921), p. 19 Protopopov made himself ludicrious when he expressed his loyalty to the Imperial couple, and his contacts on peace and credit in Stockholm (without being authorized) became a scandal. When Protopopov raised the question of transferring the food supply from the Ministry of Agriculture to the Ministry of the Interior, a majority of the
zemstvo A ''zemstvo'' ( rus, земство, p=ˈzʲɛmstvə, plural ''zemstva'' – rus, земства) was an institution of local government set up during the great emancipation reform of 1861 carried out in Imperial Russia by Emperor Alexander ...
leaders announced that they would not work with his ministry. His food plan was universally condemned by the Council of Ministers.


Soviet Russia

The
Sovnarkom The Councils of People's Commissars (SNK; russian: Совет народных комиссаров (СНК), ''Sovet narodnykh kommissarov''), commonly known as the ''Sovnarkom'' (Совнарком), were the highest executive authorities of ...
of the
RSFSR The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Russian SFSR or RSFSR ( rus, Российская Советская Федеративная Социалистическая Республика, Rossíyskaya Sovétskaya Federatívnaya Soci ...
was the basis for all Soviet governments, including both Union and republican levels, until 1946, when all of the Sovnarkoms were renamed "Councils of Ministers". With the leading role of the
Communist Party of the Soviet Union "Hymn of the Bolshevik Party" , headquarters = 4 Staraya Square, Moscow , general_secretary = Vladimir Lenin (first) Mikhail Gorbachev (last) , founded = , banned = , founder = Vladimir Lenin , newspaper ...
(CPSU) fixed by law in the
1936 Soviet Constitution Events January–February * January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King ...
, the governments were little more than the executive bodies of the Central Committee of the CPSU. The CPSU's leading role was also stated in the
1977 Soviet Constitution The 1977 Constitution of the Soviet Union, officially the Constitution (Fundamental Law) of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, was the constitution of the Soviet Union adopted on 7 October 1977 until its dissolution on 21 December 1991. ...
, and was not abolished until 1990.


Russian Federation

After the fall of the
Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
the Russian Council of Ministers became the chief body of administration for the President of the Russian Federation. At times it consisted of as many as 60 ministries and state committees and up to 12 Vice-Premiers. After the 2004 reform, Government duties were split between 17 Ministries, 7 Federal Services and over 30 governmental Agencies. The
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
is appointed by the
President of Russia The president of the Russian Federation ( rus, Президент Российской Федерации, Prezident Rossiyskoy Federatsii) is the head of state of the Russian Federation. The president leads the executive branch of the federal ...
and confirmed by the
State Duma The State Duma (russian: Госуда́рственная ду́ма, r=Gosudárstvennaja dúma), commonly abbreviated in Russian as Gosduma ( rus, Госду́ма), is the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia, while the upper house ...
. The Chairman is second in line to succeed to the Presidency of Russia if the current President dies, is incapacitated or resigns.


See also

*
Premier of the Soviet Union The Premier of the Soviet Union (russian: Глава Правительства СССР) was the head of government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). The office had four different names throughout its existence: Chairman of the ...
*
Prime Minister of Russia The chairman of the government of the Russian Federation, also informally known as the prime minister, is the nominal head of government of Russia. Although the post dates back to 1905, its current form was established on 12 December 1993 fo ...


Notes


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Russian Council Of Ministers Government of Russia Government of the Russian Empire 1810 establishments in the Russian Empire