Years under the name "Ministry of the Imperial Court and Fate." With the overthrow of the monarchy, the ministry lost its main meaning of existence, but the process of its liquidation dragged on until early 1918.

The ministry united all parts of the court administration outside the control of the Senate or any other higher institution. It was headed by the minister of the court, who was under the direct supervision of the sovereign. The minister of the imperial court received all orders directly from the sovereign and on matters requiring Highest resolution, also had the right to enter with a report directly to the sovereign. This position of the ministry of the imperial court is explained by the fact that the objects of its activity did not have a national character, but concerned exclusively the reigning house.

In 1858, an expedition of ceremonial affairs was joined to the Ministry of the Imperial Court, and in 1859 - the Imperial Archaeological Commission. The ministry underwent significant transformations in all its parts during the reign of Emperor Alexander III: the collegial principle, which until then dominated the institutions of the ministry of the imperial court, was replaced by a single principle. These transformations were completed by the publication of a new institution of the ministry on April 16, 1893. According to the new legislation, the minister of the imperial court is the chief superior over all parts of the court department and at the same time the minister of destinies and the chancellor of the imperial orders. Its main jurisdiction consisted of the Imperial Academy of Arts and the Moscow Art Society.

In 1893, the position of assistant minister of the imperial court was established, with the rights and duties of assistant minister.

Organizational structure of the ministry

The Ministry of the Imperial Court consisted of the following parts:

• council under the minister, convened if necessary and chaired by the minister or another person, at his appointment, from the heads of the establishment of the ministry,
• general regulations,
• special regulations,
• Chapter of the Imperial and Royal Orders,

TO general regulations the ministries of the Imperial Court belonged to:

• Chancellery of the Minister of the Imperial Court and Appanages;
• control of the Ministry of the Imperial Court, which is under the direction of the head of the audit, accounting and technical departments;
• the cash office of the Ministry of the Imperial Court, with branches in Moscow, Barnaul and Nerchinsk;
• General Archives of the Ministry of the Imperial Court
• inspection of the medical department of the Ministry of the Imperial Court, head of the court pharmacy and hospitals of the palace department.

Special provisions ministries of the Imperial Court:

• expedition of ceremonial affairs;
• court musician choir;
• own E. I. V. ("his imperial majesty») Libraries;
• Directorate of the Imperial Theaters;
• management of the Own E. I. V. palace;
• palace administrations of St. Petersburg, Moscow, Tsarskoye Selo, Peterhof, Gatchina, Warsaw;
• management of Pavlovsk;
• the courts of Their Imperial Highnesses, the Grand Dukes and Grand Duchesses;
• electrotechnical department at the Ministry of the Imperial Court;
• management of the principality of Lovichsky;
• Chancery of H. I. V. Empress Empress (by the beginning of the 20th century there were two such offices: the office of Her I. V. Empress Empress Alexandra Feodorovna and the office of the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna.)

In 1826-1917.

Formed by the highest decree of August 22, 1826 by combining a number of different institutions that existed earlier and served the Emperor and members of his family.

The Minister of the Imperial Court and Appanages was directly subordinate to the Emperor, was at the same time the Minister of Appanages (in charge of the Department of Appanages) and the Governor of the Cabinet of E.I. (12).

The ministry included:

• E.I.V.'s office,
• Department of Appanages,
• Chancery,
• Court stable office,
• Jägermeister Office (2),
• Goff Quartermaster's Office,
• Court E. I. the. office,
• Court clergy,
• Court singing chapel,
• Courts of their Imperial Highnesses,
• Theaters of both capitals
• Directorate of the Imperial Porcelain and Glass Factories,
• Palace administrations (Tsarskoye Selo, Peterhof, Oranienbaumanskoe, Gatchinskoe, the city of Pavlovsk).

In 1827, the Control of the Ministry of the Imperial Court was created as a special unit. In 1829, the following were added to the Ministry of the Imperial Court and Appanages:

Imperial Academy Arts, Directorate of the Imperial St. Petersburg Theaters, Peterhof Lapidary Factory; in 1830 St. Petersburg Botanical Garden;

in 1842 the Chapter of the Russian Imperial and Tsarist Orders (the Minister of the Imperial Court became at the same time the Russian Imperial and Tsarist Orders);

in 1843, the Court was allocated medical unit.

By the highest decree of August 30, 1852, the Ministry of the Imperial Court and Appanages was divided into two departments. The Ministry of the Imperial Court and. By the highest decree of November 24, 1856, the Ministry of Appanages was liquidated, and the Ministry of the Imperial Court and Appanages was restored in its former composition.

On October 29, 1858, the Expedition of Ceremonial Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs became part of the Ministry of the Imperial Court and Fate. In 1882, on the basis of the Jägermeister office, the Imperial Hunt was created, and on the basis of the Court E.I.V. office was created by the Main Palace Board, in 1883 transformed into the Main Palace Board. In 1886, the Moscow Palace Administration (the former Moscow Palace Office (2)) became part of the Ministry of the Imperial Court and Appanages. In 1889, the Court and Stables Office of the Ministry of the Imperial Court and Appanages was transformed into the Court and Stables Office. In 1891, the Ministry of the Imperial Court and Appanages began to be in charge of the Office of the Knights Marshal's unit with allowances. On December 26, 1892, the Department of Appanages was transformed into the Main Directorate of Appanages.

According to the "Institution of the Ministry of the Imperial Court" dated April 16, 1893, the Ministry of the Imperial Court and Appanages included: the Chapter of the Russian Imperial and Tsarist Orders, the Main Directorate of Appanages, as well as "general regulations" (chancellery, Cabinet of E.I.V., Control, Cashier with branches in Moscow, Barnaul and Nerchinsk, General archive, Court medical unit) and "special establishments" (Office of the marshal's unit, Expedition of ceremonial affairs, Court clergy, Court singing chapel, Court music choir, Management of his own E.I. libraries, the Imperial Hermitage, the Directorate of the Imperial St. Petersburg Theaters, the Imperial Academy of Arts, the Imperial Archaeological Commission, the management of his own H.I.V. management: Petersburg, Moscow, Tsarskoye Selo, Peterhof, Gatchinskoe, Warsaw, cities Pavlovsk, the Lovech principality).

In 1897, the Court Music Choir was renamed the Court Orchestra. To control the lighting systems of the Imperial Palaces in 1899, the Electrotechnical Department of the Ministry of the Imperial Court and Fate was founded. In 1902, the Expedition of Ceremonial Affairs of the Ministry of the Imperial Court and Fates was transformed into the Ceremonial Part of the Ministry of the Imperial Court and Fates. To protect the Emperor and his residence in 1905, the Office of the Palace Commandant was created as part of the Ministry of the Imperial Court and Fate.

According to the surviving lists of the 1870s and until 1917, the number of the Ministry of the Imperial Court and Appanages was large and stable: in 1878 1151 officials served here, and in 1914 there were 1157 full-time and 124 freelance officials.

After February revolution The Ministry of the Imperial Court and Appanages was abolished, in March-April 1917, cabinet and appanage estates were declared the property of the state and transferred to the Ministry of Agriculture, industrial enterprises to the Ministry of Trade and Industry, palaces to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. After October revolution the property of the Ministry of the Imperial Court and Appanages went to the People's Commissariat of Property of the Republic.

The ministers of the court were:

Synonym: Ministry of the Imperial Court.

	(2 lower marks) St. Petersburg, workshop of Dmitry Osipov 1882-1898 Size 43 x 43.5 mm Weight 17.3g Gold, enamel Patrikeev, Boynovich I, 4.26. Approved. 03/07/1897 Gold Maltese cross, covered with enamel white... A gold ring covered with green enamel is superimposed on the cross. On the left side of the ring is the gold date 1797, on the right side of the ring is the gold date 1897, and on the bottom is a bunch of golden laurel leaves. Inside the ring are gold combined monograms and of Nicholas II, crowned with a gold Imperial crown, with golden ribbons falling from under it. The right to wear the badge was granted to persons who held regular posts in the Department of Districts on the day of the anniversary, not excluding the clergy.	Badge in honor of the centenary of the Department of Udels (appanages). Gold Maltese cross covered with white enamel. On the cross is superimposed a gold ring covered with green enamel. On the left part of the ring is the gold date 1797, on the right part of the ring is the gold date 1897, and on the lower part is a bundle of gold laurel leaves. Inside the ring are the gold combined monograms of Paul I and Nicholas II topped by a gold Imperial crown with gold ribbons falling from under the latter. The right to wear the badge was given to the officials, including clergymen, who on the day of the jubilee were in the service at the department.

The state body of the Russian Empire, established on August 22, 1826 under the name "Ministry of the Imperial Court and Appanages" to serve the needs of the emperor, members of his family and the imperial court. With the overthrow of the monarchy, the ministry lost its main meaning of existence, but the process of its liquidation dragged on until early 1918. The ministry united all parts of the court administration, outside the control of the Senate or any other higher institution.

The ministry was headed by the Minister of the Court, who was under the direct supervision of the Sovereign. The Minister of the Imperial Court received all orders directly from the Sovereign, and on matters requiring the Highest permission, he also had the right to report directly to the Sovereign. This position of the Ministry of the Imperial Court is explained by the fact that the objects of its activity did not have a national character, but concerned exclusively the Reigning House.

In 1858, an expedition of ceremonial affairs was joined to the Ministry of the Imperial Court, and in 1859 - the Imperial Archaeological Commission. In the past reign, the Ministry of the Imperial Court underwent significant transformations in all its parts, in the sense of replacing the collegial principle, which until then dominated in the institutions of the Ministry of the Imperial Court, with a sole principle. These transformations were completed by the publication of a new institution of the ministry on April 16, 1893. According to the new legislation, the Minister of the Imperial Court is the chief chief over all parts of the court department and at the same time the minister of destinies and the chancellor of the Imperial and Royal Orders. His main jurisdiction consisted of the Imperial academy of arts and the Moscow Art Society. In 1893, the position of Assistant Minister of the Imperial Court was established, with the rights and duties of a Deputy Minister.

The number of the Ministry of the Imperial Court according to the surviving lists of the 1870s and until 1917 was large and stable: in 1878 1151 officials served here, and in 1914 there were 1157 full-time and 124 freelance officials. After the February Revolution, the Ministry of the Imperial Court and Appanages was abolished, in March-April 1917, cabinet and appanage estates were declared the property of the state and transferred to the Ministry of Agriculture, industrial enterprises to the Ministry of Trade and Industry, palaces to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. After the October Revolution, the property of the Ministry of the Imperial Court and Appanages was transferred to the People's Commissariat of Property of the Republic. The structural divisions of the ministry were located in the Winter Palace, on Palace Embankment, 32 and on the Fontanka river embankment, 20.

The Ministry of the Imperial Court consisted of following parts:

1. Council under the minister, convened if necessary and chaired by the minister or another person, according to his appointment, from the heads of the establishment of the ministry;
2. General regulations;
3. Special provisions;
4. Chapter of the Imperial and Royal Orders;
5. Main Directorate of Appanages.

TO general regulations the ministries of the Imperial Court belonged to:

• Chancellery of the Minister of the Imperial Court and Appanages;
• The Cabinet of His Imperial Majesty;
• Control of the Ministry of the Imperial Court, which is under the direction of the head of the audit, accounting and technical departments;
• Cashier of the Ministry of the Imperial Court, with branches in Moscow, Barnaul and Nerchinsk;
• General archive of the Ministry of the Imperial Court
• Inspection of the medical department of the Ministry of the Imperial Court, head of the court pharmacy and hospitals of the palace department.

Special provisions ministries of the Imperial Court:

• Office of the knight marshal's unit;
• Expedition of ceremonial affairs;
• The courtyard stables;
• Imperial Hunt;
• Court clergy;
• Court Singing Chapel;
• Court Musician Choir;
• The Imperial Hermitage;
• His Imperial Majesty's own libraries;
• Management of His Imperial Majesty's Own Palace;
• Directorate of the Imperial Theaters;
• Palace administrations of St. Petersburg, Moscow, Tsarskoye Selo, Peterhof, Gatchina, Warsaw;
• Management of the city of Pavlovsk;
• Imperial academy of arts;
• Imperial Archaeological Commission;
• Courts of Their Imperial Highnesses, Grand Dukes and Grand Duchesses;
• Electrotechnical department at the Ministry of the Imperial Court;
• A company of palace grenadiers;
• Management of the Principality of Lovichsky;
• Office of the Empress Empress (by the beginning of the 20th century there were two such offices: the office of the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna and the office of the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna.)

Analogues of the ministry in other countries.

In Western European states, separate ministries of the Court do not exist everywhere. In England there is no institution in which all the court administration would be concentrated; it splits into three separate parts - the knight marshal (lord steward of the household), chamberlain (lord chamberlain) and equestrian (master of the horse)... The lord chamberlain is ruled by the ladies of the court, with the mistress of the robes at the head. With the change of cabinet, the persons occupying the most important court positions also change. In Italy, the head of the royal court is also entrusted to three persons: the minister of the court, the head of the actual economic section, the prefect of the palace and the first adjutant general; these positions are usually appointed by persons completely alien to politicians. In Austria-Hungary, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also the Ministry of the Court. In Prussia, since 1819, there has been a special ministry of the royal court, which is also in charge of the rights of the noble state, for which there is a special institution under it - heraldry (Heroldsamt).

Ministry of the Imperial Court (Historical background)

MINISTRY OF THE IMPERIAL COURT.

In 1826-1917. Formed by the highest decree of August 22, 1826 by combining a number of different institutions that existed earlier and served the Emperor and members of his family. The Minister of the Imperial Court and Fates was directly subordinate to the Emperor, was at the same time the Minister of Fates (in charge of the Department of Fates) and the governor of the Cabinet of the Emperor. (12).

The ministry included:

E.i.v. cabinet,
Department of Appanages,
Chancery,
Court stable office,
Jägermeister Office (2),
Goff Quartermaster's Office,
The courtier e.i.v. office,
Court clergy,
Court singing chapel,
Courts of their Imperial Highnesses,
Theaters of both capitals
Directorate of the Imperial Porcelain and Glass Factories,
Palace administrations (Tsarskoye Selo, Peterhof, Oranienbaumanskoe, Gatchinskoe, the city of Pavlovsk).

In 1827, the Control of the Ministry of the Imperial Court was created as a special unit. In 1829, the following were added to the Ministry of the Imperial Court and Appanages:

The Imperial Academy of Arts, the Directorate of the Imperial St. Petersburg Theaters, the Peterhof Lapidary Factory; in 1830 St. Petersburg Botanical Garden;

in 1842 the Chapter of the Russian Imperial and Tsarist Orders (the Minister of the Imperial Court became at the same time the Chancellor of the Russian Imperial and Tsarist Orders);

in 1843, the Court Medical Unit was allocated.

By the highest decree of August 30, 1852, the Ministry of the Imperial Court and Appanages was divided into two departments: the Ministry of the Imperial Court and the Ministry of Appanages. By the highest decree of November 24, 1856, the Ministry of Appanages was liquidated, and the Ministry of the Imperial Court and Appanages was restored in its former composition.

On October 29, 1858, the Expedition of Ceremonial Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs became part of the Ministry of the Imperial Court and Fate. In 1882, on the basis of the Jägermeister office, the Imperial Hunt was created, and on the basis of the Court E.I.V. office was created by the Main Palace Board, in 1883 transformed into the Main Palace Board. In 1886, the Moscow Palace Administration (the former Moscow Palace Office (2)) became part of the Ministry of the Imperial Court and Appanages. In 1889, the Court and Stables Office of the Ministry of the Imperial Court and Appanages was transformed into the Court and Stables Office. In 1891, the Ministry of the Imperial Court and Appanages began to be in charge of the Office of the Knights Marshal's unit with allowances. On December 26, 1892, the Department of Appanages was transformed into the Main Directorate of Appanages.

According to the "Establishment of the Ministry of the Imperial Court" dated April 16, 1893, the Ministry of the Imperial Court and Appanages included: the Chapter of the Russian Imperial and Tsarist Orders, the Main Directorate of Appanages, as well as "general regulations" (chancellery, Cabinet of I.I. Control, Cashier with branches in Moscow, Barnaul and Nerchinsk, General archive, Court medical unit) and "special establishments" (Office of the marshal's unit, Expedition of ceremonial affairs, Court clergy, Court singing chapel, Court musical choir, Property management. libraries, the Imperial Hermitage, the Directorate of the Imperial St. Petersburg Theaters, the Imperial Academy of Arts, the Imperial Archaeological Commission, the Administration of the Imperial Palace, the Imperial Hunt, the Court Stables, the Company of the Palace Grenadiers, the Chancery of the Empress Mother and the Empress Reigning Empress princes and princesses, palace administrations: Petersburg, Moscow, Tsarskoye Selo, Pe Tergofskoe, Gatchinskoe, Varshavskoe, the city of Pavlovsk, the Lovech principality).

In 1897, the Court Music Choir was renamed the Court Orchestra. To control the lighting systems of the Imperial Palaces in 1899, the Electrotechnical Department of the Ministry of the Imperial Court and Fate was founded. In 1902, the Expedition of Ceremonial Affairs of the Ministry of the Imperial Court and Fates was transformed into the Ceremonial Part of the Ministry of the Imperial Court and Fates. To protect the Emperor and his residence in 1905, the Office of the Palace Commandant was created as part of the Ministry of the Imperial Court and Fate.

According to the surviving lists of the 1870s and until 1917, the number of the Ministry of the Imperial Court and Appanages was large and stable: in 1878 1151 officials served here, and in 1914 there were 1157 full-time and 124 freelance officials.

After the February Revolution, the Ministry of the Imperial Court and Appanages was abolished, in March-April 1917, cabinet and appanage estates were declared the property of the state and transferred to the Ministry of Agriculture, industrial enterprises to the Ministry of Trade and Industry, palaces to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. After the October Revolution, the property of the Ministry of the Imperial Court and Appanages was transferred to the People's Commissariat of Property of the Republic.

The ministers of the court were:
1. P.M. Volkonsky (August 22, 1826 August 27, 1852);
2. V.F. Adlerberg (30 August 1852 17 April 1870)
3. A.V. Adlerberg (April 17, 1870 August 17, 1881);
4. I.I. Vorontsov-Dashkov (August 17, 1881 May 6, 1897);
5. V. B. Fredericks, bar. (May 6, 1897 February 28, 1917).

By the end of the 18th century. In the Russian Empire, a motley mosaic of colleges, expeditions of the Senate, speakers to the monarch on a certain range of issues on a personal assignment and, finally, governors-general and simply governors who were in charge of almost all issues within the territory entrusted to them developed. This archaic structure in 1802-1811. was replaced by a system of sectoral management in the form of ministries and departments. In 1826, instead of numerous orders - the Grand Palace, feed, bread, falconer, stables, bedding and others, the Ministry of the Imperial Court (MFA) was established. Of the institutions that became part of the new ministry, the earliest was the Cabinet of His Imperial Majesty, which arose back in 1704 as the personal office of Peter I. Since 1741, the Cabinet was in charge of the personal property of the emperors, including lands, mining plants and mines. He was subordinate to the Imperial Porcelain and Glass factories, the Kiev-Mezhygorsk faience factory, the Vyborg mirror factory, the Peterhof and Yekaterinburg lapidary factories, the Peterhof and Ropsha paper factories, the Gornoshitsky marble factory, and the Tivdia marble quarries.

Through the e.i.v. Cabinet there was a correspondence about buying and receiving as a gift works of art, awards, grants and pensions to artists, sculptors, artists, composers, on the manufacture of artistic objects (dishes, carpets, furniture) for members of the imperial family, gifts to foreign monarchs and ambassadors; In the Cabinet, gifts of the emperor (gold and gem-studded rings, snuff boxes, watches, etc.) were prepared, stored and handed out to state dignitaries and officials, as well as non-employees for official and non-official distinctions (for example, for literary or artistic activities). These gifts were not state awards, but rather a sign of personal gratitude or favor of the emperor, but were highly valued, records of such a gift were entered into the official lists of employees.

The Office of the Court of His Imperial Majesty, which was formed in 1786 and then took over the affairs of the governed Palace Chancellery, also became a part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Her functions included managing the maintenance of the St. Petersburg imperial palaces, the Hermitage, gardens and parks of the court department. The office was also in charge of the food for the imperial family, the court staff and the arrangement of court ceremonies.

The Gough-Indentant office, which was transformed in 1797 from the former Office of the buildings of Her Imperial Majesty's houses and gardens, was also included in the ministry. This office was in charge of construction and renovation, as well as the interior decoration and furnishings of the imperial palaces.

Since 1842, he was included in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and became one of its most important structural parts of the Chapter of the Russian Imperial and Tsarist Orders. It concentrated the management of the entire reward system of the empire. The Chapter was headed by the Chancellor of the Orders, this position was held concurrently by the Minister of the Imperial Court.

Since 1843, the Court Medical Unit was formed to manage the medical and pharmaceutical personnel of the institutions of the Ministry of the Imperial Court, sanitary supervision over the state of palaces and palace cities, which existed until 1918. (from 1888 to 1898 it was called the Inspection of the Medical Unit).

In 1857, a Construction Office was established as part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which considered projects and estimates for construction and repair work on the buildings of the court department. In 1882 it was abolished with the transfer of part of the functions to the Control of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In the same year, the Court e.i.v. was abolished. office. In 1882, to manage the palace buildings, gardens and parks, the Main Palace Administration was formed, abolished in 1891 with the transfer of part of the functions to the Petersburg Palace Administration.

Other functions of the Main Palace Administration were transferred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, formed at the same time at the Hoffmarshal's part, which was in charge of the contentment of the imperial court, the management of the palace storerooms (service, bathroom, linen), as well as the preparation of various ceremonies. The main concern of the Hoffmarshal's unit was the daily maintenance of the "highest table" and numerous "small tables".

One of the most important functions of the Ministry of the Imperial Court was the maintenance of the so-called chamber-furrier journals, in which, in 1734, records were made daily about all court ceremonies and official actions of members of the imperial family (including dinners, receiving visitors, etc.), a kind of diary of the life of the crowned heads. These journals were originally kept at the Court Household Office in the office, then at the Main Palace Administration, and from 1891 to 1917 (up to the record of the abdication of Nicholas II) at the Hoffmarshal's unit.

When the Ministry of the Imperial Court was created, the Department of Appanages, formed in 1797 to manage the lands and estates allocated for the maintenance of members of the imperial family, was included in its composition, since 1892 - the Main Directorate of Appanages. Numerous court offices and offices of various grand dukes and princesses, who were in charge of their palaces, real estate and other property, were also subordinate to the appanage department.

Thus, in the activities of the Ministry of the Imperial Court, purely court functions (economic support for the life of the imperial family, the construction and maintenance of palaces belonging to it, etc.), representative (organization of official ceremonies) and even the most important state functions (management of the system state awards, receptions of foreign heads of government and states, ambassadors), as well as cultural and educational (head of the Hermitage, the Academy of Arts, imperial theaters, the Court Chapel and the Court Orchestra, etc.).

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had a special system of court ranks and titles. Court ranks - from chief chamberlain to goff furrier, were assigned to persons belonging to the court staff. At the highest levels public service the presence of a court rank was considered more honorable than a civil one equal to him in the table of ranks. For example, for a minister to be listed as Jägermeister or Ober-Stallmeister was more prestigious than just a secret or actual secret adviser. Since 1809, chamberlain and chamberlain were not ranks, but honorary court titles, but the presence of such a title greatly facilitated access to the imperial court.

It is characteristic that over the entire 90-plus years of the existence of the Ministry of the Imperial Court, only 5 ministers have been replaced, less than in any other department.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs employees, down to the lowest, were in a relatively better position than officials of other departments. They had pension benefits, received numerous benefits and bonuses, had good medical care, and were provided with state-owned apartments.

After the overthrow of the monarchy, the Ministry of the Imperial Court lost its main meaning of existence. But since his department included both cultural and educational institutions of national value, palaces, parks, etc., and significant property (specific estates), the process of liquidation of the department lasted until the beginning of 1918.