Governorates of the Russian Empire was created by the edict (ukase) of Peter the Great on 18 December 1708 "On the establishment of the gubernias and cities assigned to them", which divided Russia into eight guberniyas. Peter appointed Governors-General only in the St. Petersburg and Azov governorates. The heads of the other six governorates were named by Peter as governors. Initially, the titles Governor-General (генерал-губернатор - general-gubernator) and Governor (губенатор - gubernator) were no different. The title was only an honorific title.
Tikhon Streshnev was the first governor of Moscow in 1709–1711. In 1712–1714, the capital of the Tsardom of Russia was moved to St. Petersburg.
The higher chief (главный начальник - glavny nachal'nik) was the head of the Moscow governorate since 1727. It was appointed by the Emperor. From time to time, the Emperor sometimes voluntarily called this position as "Governor-General" or "commander-in-chief".
In 1780s, older Moscow governorate was disestablished. The territory of former Moscow province becomes the new subdivision with the name "Moscow governorate". On 5 October 1781, Catherine II signed ukaz "On the Establishing of Moscow governorate". The title of the head was defined in this ukaz.
On 30 October 1816, the title "chief" (начальник - nachal'nik) was renamed "military governor-general" (военнный генерал-губернатор - voyenny general-gubernator). Vladimir Dolgorukov was appointed governor-general of the Moscow Military District for the first time without the word "military" in 1865.
During the existence of both the Moscow Governorate and the Moscow Governorate-General (with Moscow Governorate-General consisted only of the Moscow Governorate) as two administrative units in the same time, there were simultaneously two posts of heads of Moscow in the same time. The responsibilities between the Military Governor and the Civil Governor were divided in a very complex way.
In 1905, the Moscow gradonachalnik and Moscow Civil governor were subordinated to the Moscow Governor-General. Therefore, there were three offices of heads of Moscow in the same time.
See also: Moscow City Duma. Gorodskoy golova (городской голова, literally "City's head"), the head of the Moscow Executive body, was appointed by Moscow City Duma. This office is roughly equals the post of speaker of regional or municipal parliament with executive powers.
The post was established by Empress Catherine II in 1767. Gorodskoy golova was elected for a term of three years, and was confirmed in office by the Governor. In accordance with the city regulations of 1862 and 1870, Gorodskoy golova was elected for 4 years and approved by the Emperor. Gorodskoy golova was subordinate to the Governor-General. He presided over meetings of the Moscow city Duma.
| Image | Name | In office | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demid Demidovich Meshchaninov | 6 October 1782 — 15 January 1786 | ||
| Semyon Dmitrievich Sitnikov | 15 January 1786 — 1789 | ||
| Yegor Emelyanovich Emelyanov (acting) | 1789 | ||
| Mikhail Pavlovich Gubin | 1789 — 1792 | ||
| Afanasy Ivanovich Dolgov | 1792 — 1795 | ||
| Vasily Yakovlevich Zhigarev | 1795 — 1798 | ||
| Vladimir Yegorovich Emelyanov | January 1798 — 4 April 1799 | ||
| Mikhail Pavlovich Gubin | March 1802 — December 1803 | ||
| Dmitry Fedorovich Faleev | December 1803 — December 1806 | ||
| Gregory Abramovich Kiryakov | before 30 July 1807 — after May 1810 | ||
| Ivan Stepanovich Nasonov | January 1810 — 21 July 1811 | ||
| Aleksey Alekseyevich Kumanin | 21 July 1811 — March 1813 | ||
| Peter Ivanovich Nakhodkin | September — the beginning of October 1812 | ||
| Shelaputin P. D. (acting) | October 1812 — after 21 January 1813 | ||
| Fyodor Ivanovich Kozhevnikov | March 1813 — 12 September 1814 | ||
| Mikhail Ivanovich Titov | 1814 — 1819 | ||
| Andrey Yakovlevich Saveliev | 23 January 1819 — 13 December 1821 | ||
| Alexey Gavrilovich Popov | 13 December 1821 — 20 December 1824 | ||
| Konstantin Alekseevich Kumanin | 20 December 1824–1828 | ||
| Alexey Alekseevich Mazurin | 1 January 1828 — 31 December 1831 | ||
| Ivan Matveevich Yartsov | 17 January 1831–1834 | ||
| Ivan Alekseevich Kolesov | 7 February 1834–1837 | ||
| Valentin Alexeyevich Kumanin | 1 January 1837–1840 | ||
| Alexander Vasilyevich Alekseyev | January 1840 — 2 October 1841 | ||
| Kondratiy Karpovich Shaposhnikov | October 1841–1843 | ||
| Andrey Petrovich Shestov | 1843 — 1845 | ||
| Semyon Loginovich Lepeshkin | 1846 — 1849 | ||
| Klavdiy Afanasievich Kiryakov | 1 January 1849 — 10 August 1849 | ||
| Ilya Afanasievich Shchekin | 1849 — 31 December 1851 | ||
| Pyotr Ivanovich Kumanin | 26 November 1851 — 10 December 1851 | ||
| Kirill Afanasievich Kukin | January 1852 — 1855 | ||
| Efim Fedorovich Guchkov | November 1858 — 29 September 1859 | ||
| Sergey Dmitrievich Shiryaev | 27 October 1859 — 1861 | ||
| Mikhail Leontievich Korolev | 1 January 1861 — 10 April 1863 | ||
| Alexander Alekseevich Shcherbatov | 10 April 1863 — 18 February 1869 | ||
| Vladimir Cherkassky | 4 April 1869 — 13 March 1871 | ||
| Ivan Artemyevich Lyamin | 13 March 1871 — 19 March 1873 | ||
| Sergey Alexandrovich Ladyzhensky (acting) | 19 March 1873 — 16 October 1873 | ||
| Daniil Danilovich Schumacher | 16 October 1873 — 16 April 1876 | ||
| Sergey Alexandrovich Ladyzhensky (acting) | 16 April 1876 — 7 January 1877 | ||
| Sergei Tretyakov (arts patron) | 7 January 1877 — 5 December 1881 | ||
| Boris Chicherin | 22 December 1881 — 11 August 1883 | ||
| Mikhail Fedorovich Ushakov (acting) | 11 August 1883 — 9 April 1885 | ||
| Stepan Alekseevich Tarasov | 28 March 1885 — 19 September 1885 | ||
| Mikhail Fedorovich Ushakov (acting) | 23 October 1885 — 9 November 1885 | ||
| Nikolay Alekseyev | 9 November 1885 — 11 March 1893 | ||
| Mikhail Fedorovich Ushakov (acting) | 11 March 1893 — 13 April 1893 | ||
| Konstantin Vasilievich Rukavishnikov | 13 April 1893 — 19 April 1897 | ||
| Vladimir Mikhailovich Golitsyn | 19 April 1897 — 25 October 1905 | ||
| Nikolay Ivanovich Guchkov | 17 November 1905 — 18 December 1912 | ||
| Viktor Diodorovich Bryansky | 19 December 1912 — November 1914 | ||
| Mikhail Vasilyevich Chelnokov | 29 September 1914 — 28 March 1917 | ||
| Nikolay Ivanovich Astrov | March – June 1917 | ||
| Vadim Viktorovich Rudnev | 11 July 1917 – 2 November 1917 [1] |
See main article: Gradonachalstvo and Gradonachalnik. On 1 January 1905 Nicholas II established Moscow City Authority (московское градоначальство - moskovskoye gradonachal'stvo), largely independent of the Moscow Governorate. Moscow City Authority was headed by gradonachalnik (градоначальник, literally "city's chief").
Both state and communist officeholders were called heads of Moscow.
See main article: Moscow City Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Until March 1990, the first secretaries of the Moscow City Committee of the CPSU were the de facto real influential leaders of Moscow
Chairmen of the Presidium of the executive committee of Moscow Council of Workers' Deputies:
Chairmen of the Presidium of the Moscow Council of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies:
Chairmen of the Presidium of the Moscow Council of Workers' and Red Armymen's Deputies:
Chairmen of the Presidium of the Moscow Council of Workers', Peasants' and Red Armymen's Deputies:
Chairmen of the executive committee of the Moscow Council of Workers', Peasants' and Red Armymen's Deputies:
Chairmen of the executive committee of the Moscow Regional Council of Workers', Peasants' and Red Armymen's Deputies:
Chairmen of the executive committee of the Moscow City Council of Workers', Peasants' and Red Armymen's Deputies:
Chairmen of the executive committee of the Moscow City Council of Labourers' Deputies:
Chairmen of the executive committee of the Moscow City Council of People's Deputies:
See main article: Mayor of Moscow. Mayor of Moscow is the holder of the highest office of subject of the Russian Federation. The separate office of the Premier of the Government of Moscow existed from 1991 to 2001.
Mayors: