The third branch of His Imperial Majesty's own Chancellery was the highest organ of the political police in Russia. He acted from 1826 to 1880. During this period of time, Nicholas I reigned, and then his son Alexander II. The jurisdiction of this authority was overseeing persons who were considered unreliable, and investigation.
The separate body of the gendarmes acted as the executive body of the Third Division. And it was headed by the so-called chef of the gendarmes, who was called the chief manager. The third branch of the imperial office, like everyone else, was equated with the ministry.
Reasons for education
The reasons for creating the Third Division of the Imperial Chancellery were as follows:
- The tense political situation of that time, primarily related to such an important event as the Decembrist uprising.
- The conviction of Tsar Nicholas I that a skilful administrative influence can become a powerful lever of influence not only on the work of the state apparatus, but also on the life of society.
From the history of creation
After the events on Senate Square in St. Petersburg and the accession to the throne of Nicholas I, a number of changes took place in the state apparatus. The domestic policy of the emperor was aimed at strengthening it. Among these changes is the establishment of the Third Division of the Imperial Chancellery. It, among others, occurred as a result of the division of the office into separate departments.
06.25.1826 the emperor signed a decree on the creation of a new post of head of the gendarmerie. The head of the Second division of cuirassiers, Adjutant General Alexander Khristoforovich Benkendorf, was appointed to her. Subsequently, he received the title of Count. All gendarmes arrived at his submission . These are the Gendarme regiment (gendarmes that were with the troops) and the Gendarme teams (gendarmes listed in the Internal Guard Corps).
On 03/03/1826, the Tsar converted the Special Chancellery of the Ministry of the Interior by a high decree into the Third Division of His Imperial Majesty’s Chancellery. It was given to the chief authorities of Benckendorf. Thus, the gendarme unit and the high police merged together under the leadership of one person.
The building, located on the embankment of the Moika River, at number 58, was transferred as the place of stay of the new organization. Until today it has not been preserved. A.H. Benckendorf was the permanent chief of the Third Division of the Imperial Chancellery until his death in 1844. Prince A.F. Orlov became his successor, having served in this position until 1856.
What did the department do?
The activities of the Third Division of the Imperial Chancellery were very diverse. Here are its main directions:
- Search activities.
- Investigative actions in political affairs.
- The exercise of caesura until 1865.
- The fight against sectarianism and the Old Believers.
- Management of political prisons.
- Investigation of cases concerning the cruel treatment of landlords with serfs.
- Oversight of revolutionaries and public figures who were anti-government in the late stages of work.
- Compilation of annual reviews of socio-political life for presentation to the emperor.
Branch Structure
The third branch of the imperial chancellery from 1838 was located on the embankment of the Fontanka River, in house 16, the former mansion of V.P. Kochubey. There were several departments - expeditions. At first there were four. In 1828, a new position was established - the censor, and in 1842 a new, fifth expedition - censorship.
In 1826, only 16 employees served in the Third Division. In 1829, there was an expansion of the staff to 20 people, and in 1841 to 28. In the last years of the reign of Emperor Alexander II, 72 people already worked in the department, excluding secret agents.
The organizational structure became more complex in 1839. This happened due to the fact that the Gendarmerie Corps was attached to the Third Division. Both of these departments, which were under the authority of A.H. Benckendorf, were subordinate to Major General Dubelt, who was in the retinue of the emperor.
At the department there was a special part, called the legal advisory. In 1847, an archive was organized in the III Division, in which there were files of each of the expeditions, reports for the emperor, annexes to the cases (for example, material evidence).
Next, we consider in more detail what the individual expeditions did.
I expedition
She was engaged in all matters related to politics, "subjects of the highest police." Collected information about persons under police surveillance. This expedition considered cases of great political importance. Even regardless of the fact that they could belong to the field of activity of some other expedition.
The employees of this department studied public opinion - “state of mind”, compiled reviews (general and private) of the most important events that took place in the country - “all-presenting reports”. They watched the revolutionary as well as the social movement, the actions of some revolutionaries, scientists, culture, literature, society.
Their duties included the organization of political investigation and investigative actions, the implementation of various kinds of repressive measures. Among them could be: detention in a fortress, exile to distant parts of the country for settlement, deportation for admission under police supervision.
Also, the expedition carried out: supervision of the content of places of detention, collection of information about abuses in the bureaucracy, the progress of the noble elections, the process of recruitment. Until the middle of 1866, information was collected on the attitude of other states to the Russian Empire. At the late stage of activity in the I expedition, only those cases were carried out that concerned insulting members of the imperial family.
II expedition
She dealt with cases of sectarians, schismatics, criminal murders, counterfeiters, places of detention and the "peasant question". She supervised the life of various religious faiths in Russia, the emergence of sects and religious cults, as well as the administrative management of state prisons. These places of detention included:
- Alekseevsky ravelin.
- Peter-Pavel's Fortress.
- Shlisselburg fortress.
- Monastery of Saint Euthymius.
- Schwarzholm house.
Also the duties of the staff of this expedition included:
- Organization of the fight against criminal offenses - especially dangerous and official.
- Collection of information on the functioning of public organizations, various societies, among which - cultural, educational, economic, insurance. Obtaining information about discoveries, inventions, improvements, the circulation of counterfeit coins and notes, fake documents.
- Consideration of petitions, complaints, denunciations and reporting on them.
- Supervision of how civil cases are resolved regarding the division of property and land, adultery.
- The staffing of the Third Division of the Imperial Chancellery, the distribution of functions among structural divisions.
III expedition
Its employees were in charge of monitoring foreign citizens living in the territory of the Russian Empire, as well as the expulsion of suspicious and unreliable persons.
Beginning in 1826 and ending in mid-1866, the expedition supervised the stay of foreigners in Russia, their entry and exit, actually performing counterintelligence functions.
In the subsequent period of this expedition, the functions of the first expedition were transferred, concerning the observation of the revolutionary and social movement and the production of an inquiry on political matters.
In connection with the abolition of Expedition IV in 1873, it assumed responsibility for collecting information on incidents (in particular, in railway transport), which she shared with Expedition III.
IV expedition
Its employees corresponded about “all incidents in general”, they were in charge of personnel, awards, and oversight of the press. And they also collected information about important events in the state, such as peasant uprisings, urban unrest, government events related to the peasant question.
This expedition gathered information about crop forecasts, the supply of food to the Russian population, the state of trade, and fairs. Also here came reports during the period of military operations from the army, about skirmishes and other incidents at the border and in border areas.
The duties of the employees also included the management of the fight against smugglers, the collection of data regarding abuses of local officials, criminal offenses, various incidents (floods, fires). It was eliminated in 1873.
V expedition
This department was created in 1842 in order to specifically deal with the affairs of censorship. Its employees:
- Engaged in theater censorship.
- Supervised book sellers.
- We monitored the work of printing houses.
- Banned books were seized.
- Controlled the publication and circulation of public notices (posters).
- Compiled catalogs of books arrived from abroad.
- Allowed the publication of new works, translations.
- Watched periodicals.
Abolition
In 1878, the chief of the gendarmes Mezentsov was killed by terrorists, revolutionary activity was gaining momentum. Since the Third Division could not cope with its curbing, 02/12/1880 the High Commission was created to protect order and maintain public peace. It was headed by Count Loris-Melikov, under whose control the Third Division and the Gendarmes Corps were temporarily given.
Then, in accordance with the decree of 08/08/1880, the commission, like the Third Division, was closed, and all cases were transferred to the Police Department, established under the Ministry of the Interior.
The third branch of the Imperial Chancellery did not achieve its initial goals. It could not cope with bribes, nor with embezzlement, nor with lawlessness. Although Count Benckendorff really hoped for this, because he believed that the criminal elements would cease their activity, having seen that the sovereign himself patronized the "innocent victims of their greed".
Due to its tough actions, often associated with arbitrariness, distrust of manifestations of independent judgments expressed in oral or written form, this body aroused fear and condemnation in society.