Collegiums (entry)

Categories / Capital/Superior and Central State Institutions
COLLEGIUMS, central State control facilities, organised on the principle of departments; established by Tsar Peter the Great in 1717-21. Each collegium was headed by a president appointed by the Tsar; each president had a vice-president as a substitute. Formally, all decisions were taken by an assembly of three to seven councillors and assessors. A charter regulating its work was established for each of the collegiums. The most important colleguims were the Collegium of Foreign Affairs, the Military Collegium, the Collegium of Admiraltries, the Chamber Board, the Collegium of State Accounts, the Revision Collegium, the Collegium of Justice, the Berg-Collegium, the Collegium of Manufactories, the Collegium of Commerce, the Collegium of Estates, and the Mayor City Council. The Holy Synod was a kind of collegium as well. The quantity and competence of colleguims changed many times during the 18th century. In 1802-24, collegiums were abolished, and their functions were handed over to ministries. All the collegiums (aside from the Malorussian Collegium governing Ukraine) were situated in St. Petersburg. Peter the Great's intention was to have them located in the building of the Twelve Collegiums (also known as Twelve Colleges), but on account of prolonged construction work, the increase in the number of officials, and alternations in the number of Collegiums, the project was not accomplished and the Collegiums were situated in various buildings all over St. Petersburg.

References: Анисимов Е. В. Государственные преобразования и самодержавие Петра Великого в первой четверти XVIII века. СПб., 1997.

G. V. Kalashnikov. Peter I, Emperor
Анисимов Е. В. Государственные преобразования и самодержавие Петра Великого в первой четверти XVIII века. СПб., 1997 Military Collegium
Head Magistrate
Synod
Twelve Collegiums Building
1717