City Self-Government

Categories / City Administration/Government Bodies
CITY SELF-GOVERNMENT, elected organs responsible for different aspects of city life. The beginning of City Self-Government was laid by Tsar Peter the Great, who set up the Town council in 1710 in St. Petersburg. In 1720, it was replaced with the Main City Council (existed off and on up to 1796). In 1766, the elected position of the City head was established who from 1785 headed the organs of city self-government. City property (different from official property) was first proclaimed in “The Charter for Cities" (1785), giving cities the right to own land, make decisions pertaining to problems of city life, and other rights. In 1786 the General City Duma was elected. The population of St. Petersburg was divided into 6 categories according to their property. The General City Duma dealt with economic problems of the city; its decisions came into force after their approval by the Governor General. Trade deputations and supervisors of the city properties were set up in the city in 1824, to control commercial affairs. In 1846, the Regulations of Public Administration developed by N. A. Milyutin came into force. According to these, the class status was "taken into account in elections of members of the Duma in addition to the property status.” From 1862, the authority of the Duma was limited to economic affairs. In the course of the City reform of 1870 the classless City Duma was established, and the City Council became its executive organ. The reform of 1892 raised the property qualification as the criterion for voter eligibility, and the number of eligible voters reduced sharply, and at the same time the range issues under jurisdiction of the organs of City Self-Government was widened. In March-June 1917, the Central Duma and District Dumas were set up, at the same time the system of District Soviets was being formed. In September 1918, the Central and District Dumas were abolished, functions of the former passed on to Petrograd Soviet (from 1924, Leningrad Soviet) and to its Executive Committee, functions of the latter passed on to District Soviets. The Leningrad Soviet was given considerable authority, being in charge of all the spheres of city economy, although its work was under strict control of party organs. After the victory of the party Democratic Elections 90 in the elections of 1990 the structure of the Leningrad Soviet was completely changed. In 1991, Leningrad City Executive Committee was abolished, and management of city affairs was transferred to city and district administrations. In 1993 the Council of People's Deputies of St. Petersburg was transformed into the City Assembly (from 1994 – the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg).

Reference: Дитятин И. И. Столетие С.-Петербургского городского общества, 1785-1885 гг. СПб., 1885; Петров Г. Ф. Дворец у Синего моста: Мариинский дворец в С.-Петербурге. СПб., 2001.

Y. N. Kruzhnov. Milyutin Nikolay Alexeevich
Peter I, Emperor
Дитятин И. И. Столетие С.-Петербургского городского общества, 1785-1885 гг. СПб., 1885
Петров Г. Ф. Дворец у Синего моста: Мариинский дворец в С.-Петербурге. СПб., 2001
Ерошкин Н. П. История государственных учреждений дореволюционной России. 3-е изд., перераб. и доп. М., 1983 Town Council
Municipal Reform of 1870
City Duma
Administrative board of the city
Leningrad Soviet
Legislative Assembly
1785
1846
1892