Ministry of the Navy

Categories / Army. Navy/Military Administration
Categories / Capital/Superior and Central State Institutions
MINISTRY OF THE NAVY, one of the Russian Navy Administration's central public institutions, responsible for naval units and facilities, recruitment, logistics and maintenance, and combat activity. The Ministry was established on 8 September 1802 on the basis of the Admiralty Collegium as the Ministry of Naval Forces, adopting its final name in 1815. In 1836, the Ministry merged with the Chief Naval Staff, the head of which assumed administration of all naval policy. The post of Minister of the Navy was thus cancelled, and the Ministry Manager was then in charge of all ministerial matters. In 1860, the Chief Naval Staff was abolished (restored in 1884); in 1853-1905, actual command of the Navy was executed by Admiral Generals (Grand Princes Konstantin Nikolaevich and Alexey Alexandrovich); management of the Ministry of the Navy was subordinated to them as well. In 1905, the position of Minister of the Navy was re-established, and in 1906, the Naval General Staff was instituted and put under his control. By 1917, the Minister gained direct authority over the Chief Naval Staff, the Chief Hydrographic Board and Chief Vessel Board, the Naval Medical Administration, and the Office of the Navy Minister, together with its Archives. The Deputy Minister (position existed in 1802-21 and from 1906) ran the Chief Shipbuilding Administration and Chief Naval Economic Board. The Ministry of the Navy in St. Petersburg was primarily located in the Chief Admiralty building. In 1918, the Ministry of the Navy served as the basis for the People's Commissariat for Naval Affairs.

References: Огородников С. Ф. Исторический обзор развития и деятельности Морского министерства за сто лет его существования (1802-1902 гг.). СПб., 1902; Государственность России: Слов.-справ. М., 2001. Т. 3.

D. N. Shilov. Alexey Alexandrovich, Grand Prince
Konstantin Nikolaevich, Grand Prince
Огородников С. Ф. Исторический обзор развития и деятельности Морского министерства за сто лет его существования (1802-1902 гг.). СПб., 1902
Государственность России: Слов.-справ. М., 2001 Admiralty