The Siberian Order is a special governing body that existed on the territory of Russia in the 17th-18th centuries. It was a special government central institution that had certain rights and had regional competence. We will tell about the history of this order and its most famous leaders in this article.
Establishment of governing body
The Siberian order played a key role in the management of this part of the country. In general, as a governing body, the order in Russia was responsible for the implementation of special government orders in certain areas of the state.
The very concept of "order", which implies a bureaucratic institution, is first found in documents relating to 1512 (under the Grand Duke of Moscow and Vladimir Vasily III Ioannovich). Orders were developed under Ivan the Terrible, when Petition, Zemsky, Posolsky, Streltsy, Local, Bronny, Pushkarsky, Printed, Robbery and Sokolnichiy operated immediately in Russiaorders.
Under Peter I, orders were actually replaced by collegiums, but at the same time they did not completely disappear into oblivion. Some of them have been preserved under their own names, including the Siberian and Little Russian orders. Others began to be called offices - for example, the Yamskaya office appeared. In this form, they continued to exist even after Peter the Great died and other rulers took his place.
Definitively in the past orders left only in 1775, when Empress Catherine II established the province. At the same time, some institutions still retained the name of the orders. For example, there was an order of public charity. However, it is worth noting that both the very nature of these institutions and their functional duties have become completely different, so that, apart from the name, nothing of those old orders has been preserved.
Siberian region
From 1599 to 1637, all Siberian affairs in Russia were handled by the order of the Kazan Palace. He was in charge of all the eastern outskirts of the state at that time.
Officially, the Siberian order became a separate governing body in 1637. Almost all Siberian territories, which by that time had already managed to become part of Russia, passed into his control. From that moment until 1663, the official who led the Siberian order, at the same time headed the order of the Kazan Palace.
The need to separate orders arose for the reason that Siberia at that time began todevelop intensively. In order to manage them prudently and efficiently, it was decided to organize a separate governing body, giving it the full breadth of powers in matters relating to Siberia.
Circle of questions
The Siberian order appeared in the year when Mikhail Fedorovich, the first tsar of the Romanov dynasty, reigned in Russia, who remained in power for the next three hundred years. In the same year, the ruler’s daughter Evdokia was born, a decree was issued to increase the search term for fugitive peasants to nine years, the Cossacks took the Azov fortress after a two-month assault, and several hundred Dutch craftsmen with their families arrived in Moscow to start working in Russian factories and to teach the craft of local craftsmen. In such conditions and at such a time, the establishment of the Siberian order took place.
Its functions included issues of administration, finance, trade. The order was supposed to solve military, mining and pit problems, in part it even transferred functions for embassy relations with foreign states that bordered Siberia. First of all, it was about China. Also, the functions of the Siberian order included control over local administrations, collecting yasak and compiling the corresponding yasak salary books.
First chapter
The first head of this order was the Russian governor and boyar, whose name was Boris Mikhailovich Lykov-Obolensky. He was one of the participants of the Seven Boyars. In some way, he achieved a high position due to being the son-in-law of the patriarchFilaret. At the same time, representatives of his family belonged to the Rurikovich. Under Fyodor Ioannovich, he often received ambassadors, in 1602 he was sent to Belgorod as a governor.
It is interesting that in the Time of Troubles he went over to the side of False Dmitry I, and after his overthrow he swore allegiance to Vasily Shuisky. Lykov-Obolensky took part in the suppression of the Bolotnikov uprising, in 1608 he defeated Lisovsky at the Bear Ford, and then took part in the battle on Khodynka, which did not allow the Poles to take Moscow. When Shuisky was overthrown, he entered the Seven Boyars.
Rise of Lykov-Obolensky
It was under Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich that Lykov-Obolensky rose to prominence. The tsar recognized his boyar rank, granted to him by False Dmitry I. He continued to actively suppress the speeches of those dissatisfied with the tsarist government. For example, he participated in the confrontation between gangs of thieves, and in 1615 he defeated the army of Ataman Balovnev.
Became the head of orders in 1619. At first he headed the Rogue Order, then he was sent to Kazan as a governor - he led the Detective, Kazan, and then the Siberian orders. Lykov-Obolensky was at the head of the latter until 1643, until boyar Nikita Ivanovich Odoevsky replaced him in this post.
Odoevsky remained at the head of the order until 1646, then he was replaced by Prince Alexei Nikitich Trubetskoy, in 1663 Rodion Matveyevich Streshnev became the new head of the order, and from 1680 - boyar Ivan Borisovich Repnin, who stayed in this post for 17 years. He left the post only after his death.
The Duma clerk Andrei Andreevich became the new head of the order in 1697Vinius, and from 1704 to 1705 it was led by Prince Fyodor Yuryevich Romodanovsky.
The creation of the Siberian Order played a big role in the development of this region, allowing the construction of a large number of cities to begin here. Many large industrial enterprises appeared. This largely predetermined the significant role that Siberia began to play in the country's economy.
Establishment of provinces
The role of the Siberian order gradually began to fade away at the beginning of the 18th century. In 1706, Prince Matvey Petrovich Gagarin began to lead it. In parallel, he was appointed governor of Siberia, while remaining in charge of the order.
After Peter I carried out the first regional reform, which took place in 1708, the order was transformed into the Moscow Chancellery of the Siberian province. As a result, in 1710, the order actually ceased to exist, turning into the Moscow office of the Siberian province. Besides, it was no longer a central government agency. The functions that were previously performed by the order were transferred to the Siberian governor and the local office, which were based in Tobolsk.
Depending on the Senate
In 1708, Prince Gagarin was appointed general president and Moscow governor. After that, all decisions related to the Siberian order were signed by Daniil Nikitin.
In 1718, Gagarin was dismissed, and the order became subordinate to the state colleges, being indirect dependence on the Senate.
However, it soon became necessary to restore it. The restoration of the Siberian order was taken care of after there was a significant decrease in income received by the royal treasury. Therefore, in 1730, it was finally decided to re-establish it. This time, his functions included additional issues of diplomatic relations with countries bordering Siberia, as well as the direct management of various manufacturing enterprises, primarily metal mining. Also, the order began to manage the pit service, and since 1748 - military teams. In full, he remained in charge of financial, administrative, customs and trade issues.
Final abolition
In 1743, the Siberian Orders became subordinate to the Chamber College at the State Office, and it was to this body that they now submitted full financial accountability.
The order was finally abolished in 1763. After that, the management of Siberia and most of the large industrial enterprises located there passed into the direct subordination of the corresponding provinces. This decision was made already during the reign of Empress Catherine II.
Documents that relate to the decisions and activities of orders are currently stored in the Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts (RGADA). It is here that you can get acquainted with these unique historical documents.
However, the archive contains many documents,related to other orders, but not to the Siberian. But with regard to the order, to which our article is devoted, there is information that about 90 percent of the decrees have not yet been introduced into scientific circulation.
Orders of the Ministry of Emergency Situations
When searching for information contained in this material, do not confuse data related to the administration of Russian territories in the 17th-18th centuries with the orders of the Siberian Regional Center of the Russian Emergencies Ministry.
These orders are mainly devoted to the organization of work to prevent various emergencies and incidents that may occur in the region. Additional orders are issued when there is an increased likelihood of any emergency situations, such as the threat of forest fires or floods.
