Ministry of Police of the Russian Empire facts for kids
| Министерство полиции Российской империи Ministerstvo politsii Rossijskoj imperii |
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Ministry emblem
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| Agency overview | |
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| Formed | 1810 |
| Dissolved | 1819 |
| Superseding agency |
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| Jurisdiction | Emperor of All Russia |
| Headquarters | Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire |
| Child agency |
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The Ministry of Police was an important government office in Imperial Russia. It was created in 1810 during a big government change by Emperor Alexander I. This ministry helped manage the country's safety and order for about nine years, until it was closed in 1819.
Contents
What the Ministry of Police Did
The Ministry of Police had many important jobs. Its main goal was to keep things safe and orderly inside Russia.
- Helping the Army: They helped find and gather people to join the army. This was called recruitment.
- Protecting Food: They made sure the country's food supplies were safe.
- Watching Borders: They supervised customs, which means checking goods coming into and out of the country.
- Managing Prisoners: They oversaw prisons and made sure prisoners worked.
- Keeping Roads Safe: They helped keep roads and other ways of travel working well and safe.
- Watching Foreigners: They also watched foreigners in Russia, both openly and secretly.
- Controlling Information: They had a role in censorship. This meant checking books and newspapers before they were published.
Because these jobs were so important, special rules were made for the Ministry of Police. These rules explained how the ministry should work. The minister of police had a lot of power. For example, in very serious situations, the minister could even give direct orders to army commanders. This was unusual because it meant they could bypass the military minister. The rules also said the minister would not be blamed for going beyond their usual power if it was for "general safety."
The Ministry of Police also had the power to check if other government ministries were following the laws. The minister could ask for information from local offices of any ministry. Police officials in the provinces would then make sure these rules were followed. This showed that the police ministry was very powerful and could oversee other parts of the government. For example, the Ministry of Finance's rules said that money used by local offices had to be watched by the Ministry of Police.
Leaders of the Ministry
The first leader of the Ministry of Police was Alexander Balashov. He was a top general and a close helper to Emperor Alexander I. When Napoleon invaded Russia in 1812, Balashov joined the army. He even carried out special missions for the Emperor, like talking with Napoleon.
While Balashov was away, Sergey Vyazmitinov became the acting minister. He was the actual leader until 1819. Vyazmitinov had been the first Minister of Land Forces (like a defense minister). At the same time, he was also the War Governor of Saint Petersburg. People at the time said that Vyazmitinov's experience and kindness saved many innocent people in Saint Petersburg during the 1812 war.
How the Ministry Was Organized
The Ministry of Police had several main parts, called departments:
- Department of Economic Police: This department watched over the supply of food in cities, especially Saint Petersburg and Moscow. They also tried to stop people from unfairly raising prices (profiteering). This department also supervised prisons and workhouses.
- Department of Executive Police: This department was in charge of carrying out police duties. It had three smaller sections:
- First Section: This part hired people for police jobs. It also collected information about the population and recorded births and deaths.
- Second Section: This section supervised criminal investigations. They also made sure the police carried out court orders.
- Third Section: This part helped organize and carry out checks of different regions. They also helped catch soldiers who ran away and managed local defense groups.
- Medical Department: This department was responsible for public health. They organized efforts to prevent diseases from spreading among people (epidemics) and animals (epizootic). They also made sure there were enough medicines.
Besides these departments, there were also general and special offices that helped the minister.
Why the Ministry Was Closed
Many important people in the government and public did not like the Ministry of Police. Nikolai Karamzin, a famous historian, joked about it. He said that after people realized the Ministry of Internal Affairs was too complicated, they created the Ministry of Police, which was also "not clear for Russian."
The "unclear" part was mainly because the Ministry of Police could supervise the local offices of other ministries. This made it seem like it was above all other local government groups. In practice, the ministry's work showed that it didn't help as expected. Instead, it made it harder for local government parts to work together.
After checking how the police worked, the emperor saw that the police administration was weak. So, it was decided to close the ministry. In 1819, Viktor Kochubey became the Minister of Internal Affairs again. He convinced the emperor that the police's jobs should go back to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. He also argued that the unpopular Ministry of Police should be closed.
After Sergey Vyazmitinov died, no new minister was chosen. The ministry was temporarily managed by the head of the Committee of Ministers. The manager of the minister's special office reported directly to the emperor. Most high-ranking officials thought closing the Ministry of Police and moving its jobs to the Ministry of Internal Affairs was the right choice. However, when Emperor Nicholas I began his rule, there was talk again about creating a Ministry of Police.
List of Ministers
- Alexander Balashov 1810 – 1812
- Sergey Vyazmitinov 1812 – 1819
- Alexander Balashov 1819
See also
- Okhrana
- Russian police, current federal police
- Police Department, former Czarist police
- Special Corps of Gendarmes
- MVD
- Anton Devier
- Ministry of Police (disambiguation)
