| Cabinet of Ministers of the Russian Empire | |
| Native Name: | Кабинет министров |
| Seal: | Russian_Emperor_Standard_1720.gif |
| Formed: | November 4, 1731 |
| Preceding1: | Supreme Privy Council |
| Preceding6: | --> |
| Dissolved: | December 23, 1741 |
| Superseding1: | Conference at the Highest Court |
| Superseding6: | --> |
| Headquarters: | Saint Petersburg |
| Minister8 Name: | --> |
| Deputyminister8 Name: | --> |
| Chief1 Name: | Emperor of All Russia |
| Chief9 Name: | --> |
| Child25 Agency: | --> |
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The Cabinet of Ministers was the supreme state body established on November 4, 1731, by the decree[1] of Empress Anna Ioannovna. On December 23, 1741,[2] after the accession of Elizabeth Petrovna, it lost its powers and was transformed into the Personal Office of the Empress. In 1756, its functions were transferred to the Conference at the Highest Court.
Having come to power in 1730, Anna Ioannovna, instead of the Supreme Privy Council, restored the Senate. Shortly after the abolition of the Privy Council, Anna Ioannovna, by a decree[1] of November 17, 1731, established the Cabinet of Ministers.
In 1735 a decree was issued, which the signature of the three cabinet ministers equated to the Imperial signature.
During the reign of Anna Leopoldovna, under the influence of Minich, the Cabinet was divided into 3 departments:
Separate cabinet ministers, in charge of their departments, single-handedly decided matters in them, communicating only "for coordination" their opinion to other ministers. Only particularly important matters should be decided by the general council. In its new form, the Cabinet did not exist for long: following the accession of Elizaveta Petrovna to the Throne, it was abolished by a decree: "On the restoration of the internal state bodies; on the composition of the register, the decree of the former kingdoms, which the use of the State is repugnant of; the destruction of the former Cabinet, and the installation of the new at the Court of Her Imperial Majesty; the establishment in the Governorate Prosecutor, the scope of which is defined for management by the foreign staff of the Chancellor" of December 23, 1741.
The Cabinet consisted of three cabinet ministers (of two — from April 17, 1736, to February 14, 1738, from April 23, 1740, to August 29, 1740, after December 6, 1741, and of the four from November 1741 to March 14, 1741). It constantly included Andrey Osterman and Alexey Cherkassky, and also, replacing each other, Gavriil Golovkin, Pavel Yaguzhinsky, Artemy Volynsky, Alexey Bestuzhev-Ryumin, Mikhail Golovkin and Burkhard von Münnich (the last — the fourth cabinet minister).
Cabinet Ministers alphabetically: