Ministry of Foreign Affairs

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, central public institution in charge of foreign policy. Established on 8 September 1802 on the basis of the Collegium of Foreign Affairs, which was a part of the ministry until 1832, when the Ministry was reorganized. The Ministry was comprised of the Ministerial Council, Ministerial Office, and several departments, including the Asian Department, the Department for Internal Relations (since 1897, called the First and Second Departments, respectively), the Department of External Relations, the Personnel Department, and the Household Department, was well as the Moscow and St. Petersburg Chief Archives. According to the Establishing Principles of 1914, the ministry was expanded by four political departments, including the Legal Aid Subdivision, and a Printing Department. All of the Ministry's correspondence was conducted in French until 1887. The Collegium was originally situated at 32 Angliiskaya Embankment (the 1750s, architect M.A. Bashmakov), and its office was in the so-called Old Chamberlain's House on Palace Square, opposite the Winter Palace. In 1828, all the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' principal departments were moved to a new building, built specially for the ministry, at 6 Palace Square, near Pevchesky Bridge (for this reason, the Russian Institution for Foreign Policy was called Pevchesky Bridge). After October 1917, the Ministry was abolished, and People's Commissariat for Foreign Affairs was founded on its basis.

References: Очерк истории Министерства иностранных дел, 1802-1902. СПб., 1902; Государственность России: Слов.-справ. М., 2001. Т. 4.

D. N. Shilov. Bashmakov Mikhail Alexeevich
Angliiskaya Embankment/Saint Petersburg, city, house 32
Dvortsovaya Square/Saint Petersburg, city
Dvortsovaya Square/Saint Petersburg, city, house 6
Очерк истории Министерства иностранных дел, 1802-1902. СПб., 1902
Государственность России: Слов.-справ. М., 2001