Capital

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CAPITAL. St. Petersburg was the capital of Russia from the 1710s until 10-11 March 1918. The city's status as capital came quite spontaneously, and was mostly due to Tsar Peter the Great's having settled there, as well as the transfer of most of the supreme and central public institutions from Moscow to St. Petersburg. The status of Capital was determined by the fact that, from 1802, the Imperial residences, along with the Imperial Court, all supreme bodies of State authority, all collegiums and ministries, as well as diplomatic missions, were situated in St. Petersburg. After the February Revolution of 1917, Petrograd came to house the Provisional Government. After October 1917, the Soviet of People's Commissars functioned here, was did the People's Commissariats. The move of the Capital to Moscow in March 1918 was caused by the fear that German troops might capture Petrograd, and by anti-Bolshevik activity within the city and the presence of opposition groups.

References: Санкт-Петербург - столица Российской империи / Авт.-сост. Ю. Шелаев. М.; СПб., 1993; Высшие и центральные государственные учреждения России, 1801-1917 гг. СПб., 1998-2002. Т. 1-3; Раскин Д. И. Империя столоначальников // Родина. 2003. №1. С. 61-65.

G. V. Kalashnikov. Peter I, Emperor
Санкт-Петербург - столица Российской империи / Авт.-сост. Ю. Шелаев. М.; СПб., 1993
Раскин Д. И. Империя столоначальников // Родина, 2003
Высшие и центральные государственные учреждения России, 1801-1917 гг. СПб., 1998-2001 February Revolution of 1917
Provisional Government of 1917
1712
1918