In the era of Peter the Great, the Governing Senate appeared in Russia. Over the next two centuries, this state authority was reformatted many times according to the will of the next monarch.
The appearance of the Senate
The Governing Senate was created by Peter I as a "safety cushion" in case the sovereign left the capital. The tsar was known for his active character - he was constantly on the road, because of which the state machine could stand idle for months in his absence. These were the visible costs of absolutism. Peter really was the only embodiment of state power in the vastness of the empire.
The original Governing Senate (1711) included the closest associates and assistants of the king, who had his many years of trust. Among them are Pyotr Golitsyn, Mikhail Dolgorukov, Grigory Volkonsky and other high-ranking nobles.
The creation of the Governing Senate under Peter 1 took place in an era when Russia did not yet have a clear separation of powers (judicial, executive and legislative). Therefore, the terms of reference of this body constantly changed depending on the situation andexpediency.
In his first instruction, Peter announced to the senators that they should pay special attention to the state of the treasury, trade and courts. The important thing is that this institution has never been in opposition to the king. In this, the Russian Senate was the exact opposite of the body of the same name in neighboring Poland or Sweden. There, such an institution represented the interests of the aristocracy, which could oppose the policies of their monarch.
Interaction with provinces
From the very beginning of its existence, the Governing Senate worked a lot with the regions. Huge Russia has always needed an effective system of interaction between the provinces and the capital. Under Peter's successors, there was a complex network of orders. In connection with large-scale reforms in all spheres of the country's life, they have ceased to be effective.
It was Peter who created the provinces. Each such administrative entity received two commissioners. These officials worked directly with the Senate and expressed the interests of the province in St. Petersburg. With the help of the reform described above, the emperor expanded the scope of self-government in the provinces.
Fiscals and prosecutors
Of course, the creation of the Governing Senate could not do without the establishment of new posts related to its work. Fiscals appeared along with the new body. These officials were the king's overseers. They controlled the work of institutions and ensured that all the instructions of the monarch were carried out exactly to the last remark.
The existence of fiscals led to abuses. A person with such power could use his position for selfish purposes. At first, there was not even a regulated punishment for false denunciation. In connection with the ambiguous service of fiscals in Russian, this word received a second negative lexical meaning of informer and sneak.
Nevertheless, the creation of this position was a necessary measure. The chief fiscal (chief fiscal) could demand an explanation from any official in the Senate. Thanks to this state of affairs, every nobleman, no matter how high his position, knew that his own abuses of power could ruin him. Fiscals existed not only in St. Petersburg, but also in the provinces (provincial-fiscals).
Very quickly, the creation of the Governing Senate showed that this state body cannot work effectively due to internal strife between senators. Often they could not come to a common opinion, went over to personalities in their disputes, etc. This interfered with the work of the entire apparatus. Then Peter in 1722 established the position of Prosecutor General, who became the main person in the Senate. He was a "bridge" between the sovereign and the metropolitan institution.
In the era of palace coups
After the death of the autocrat, the functions of the Governing Senate were seriously curtailed for the first time. This happened due to the fact that the Supreme Privy Council was established, in which the favorite aristocrats of Catherine I and Peter II sat. He became an alternative to the Senate andgradually took over from him powers.
Elizaveta Petrovna, after her accession to the throne, restored the old order. The Senate again became the main judicial institution of the empire, the military and naval colleges were subordinate to it.
Reforms of Catherine II
So, we figured out what functions the Governing Senate carried out. It should be noted that Catherine II did not like this position. The new empress decided to reform. The institution was divided into six departments, each of which was responsible for a specific area of the life of the state. This measure helped to more accurately define the powers of the Senate.
The first department de alt with internal political affairs, the second with judicial affairs. The third - provinces that had a special status (Estland, Livonia, and Little Russia), the fourth - military and maritime issues. These institutions were located in St. Petersburg. The two remaining Moscow departments were in charge of court and administrative affairs. These are the functions that the Governing Senate was endowed with under Catherine II.
Also, the Empress significantly increased the influence of the Prosecutor General on the work of all departments. During the era of palace coups, this position lost its former importance. Catherine preferred to keep everything under control and, thus, restored the Petrine order of autocracy.
During the short reign of her son Paul, the Senate again lost most of its rights. The new emperor was extremely suspicious. He did not trust the nobles who hadat least some influence and trying to contribute to the decision-making of government.
In the 19th century
The way it was at the very end of its existence (on the eve of the revolution), the Governing Senate was created during the reign of Alexander I. It was then that the political system of the empire stabilized. Palace coups have stopped, and the inheritance of the royal title has ceased to be a lottery.
Alexander was probably the most democratic Russian emperor. He got into his hands the state, which worked on outdated mechanisms that urgently needed to be changed. The new king understood that the creation of the Governing Senate (year 1711) was dictated by good goals, but believed that over the years this body had lost its significance and turned into a pathetic imitation of itself.
Immediately after his appearance on the throne, Alexander I in 1801 issued a decree in which he invited the officials who worked in this institution to give him their projects for the upcoming reform for consideration. For several months, active work was underway to discuss the reformatting of the Senate. The discussion was attended by members of the Unspoken Committee - young aristocrats, friends and associates of Alexander in his liberal endeavors.
Progress of work
Senators were personally appointed by the Emperor. They could only be officials of the first three classes (according to the Table of Ranks). In theorythe senator could combine his main office with some other. For example, this amendment was often used in the case of the military.
Direct decisions on this or that issue were made within the walls of a certain department. At the same time, general meetings were periodically convened, which were attended by all members of the Senate. The decree adopted in this state body could only be canceled by the emperor.
Functions
Let's remember in what year the Governing Senate was created. That's right, in 1711, and since then this institution of power has regularly participated in legislation. In the course of his reforms, Alexander I created a special institution for this purpose - the State Council. However, the Senate was still able to develop draft laws and submit them for higher consideration through the Minister of Justice, who also combined the old position of Attorney General with the new one since the 19th century.
At the same time, ministries were created in place of the collegiums. At first, there was some confusion in the relationship between the new executive bodies and the Senate. The powers of all departments were finally defined by the end of the reign of Alexander I.
One of the most important functions of the Senate was its work with the treasury. It was the departments that verified the budget, and also reported to the supreme authority about arrears and lack of money. In addition, the Senate was put above the ministries in resolving interdepartmental property disputes. This state body regulated internal trade, appointed justices of the peace. The senators kept the coat of arms of the empire (a specialdepartment).
The importance of the Senate and its abolition
Peter I needed a state institution that could replace him during his absence from the capital. The creation of the Governing Senate helped the emperor in this. The date of the appearance of the post of Prosecutor General (1722) is also considered the birthday of the Prosecutor's Office in modern Russia.
However, over time, the functions of the Senate have changed. The executive power of officials was small, but they remained an important layer between numerous boards (and later ministries).
The Senate had a notable importance in judicial matters. Appeals poured in from all over the country. Dissatisfied provincial prosecutors, as well as governors, wrote to the Senate. This order was established after the judicial reform of Alexander II in the 1860s.
When the Bolsheviks came to power in Russia, one of their first laws banned the activities of the Senate. It was Decree No. 1 on Court, adopted on December 5, 1917.
