M.N. Muravyov’s Administrative Reform in the Ministry of State Properties (1859–1861)

Abstract

The article is devoted to the reorganization of the Ministry of State Properties in 1859–1861 resulting from a series of transformations, united by the concept of M.N. Muravyov’s administrative reforms. In the context of the preparations for the serfdom abolition, previously unknown aspects of administrative reform are revealed, clarifi ed and rethought. The author identifi es three stages of administrative reform of the Ministry of State Properties. The fi rst stage included reorganization of the internal structure of the department, such as amalgamation of the Second and Agriculture departments. The second stage involved disposal of non-core structures, such as the Department of Ship Scaffolding, and reorganization of the Forestry Department. The third stage envisaged separation of the departments of the Second and Agriculture. The author pays particular attention to the attitude towards the reform of the department's bureaucracy, the liquidation of the Ship's Scaffolding Department and the transformation of the Forestry Department.