Approximately 38 people have been head of the Russian government since its establishment in 1905.
The Council of Ministers of the Russian Empire, created in November 1905, was preceded by a number of cabinet-like institutions. Oldest of them was the Supreme Privy Council, created in 1726 by the empress Catherine I. Considering weakness of her and her successor's powers, the Council acted as government of the Russian Empire until 1731. Its successor departments such as the Cabinet of Her Imperial Majesty (1731–41), the Conference at the Highest Court (1756–62), the Imperial Council (1762) and finally the Council at the Highest Court (1768–1801) remained mostly advisory bodies to the monarch.
The ministerial reform of 1802 introduced the Committee of Ministers, which competence was limited to interagency issues. The committee was not responsible for the activities of individual ministries and for the coherence of their policies. Beginning with Count Aleksandr Romanovich Vorontsov, the eldest of the officers was de facto chairman of the committee. Eight years after the inauguration of the manifest, the first de jure office holder was Count Nikolay Rumyantsev. According to the tradition established over time, the chairmanship of the committee was the last honorary position, to which elderly respected officials were appointed.
The Council of Ministers was unofficially formed in October 1857, as a result of Emperor Alexander II's reforms; its first session began on (31) December 1857. Before the actual formation of that body on (24) November 1861, the Emperor himself was in charge. The Council of Ministers consisted of chairmen of the State Council and the Committee of Ministers, as well as high-ranking officers appointed by the Emperor. The first session ended on (23) December 1882, after the number of files to the Council greatly decreased.
The imperial Council of Ministers was re-established in late 1905, as a part of the large-scale government reform caused by the First Russian Revolution. All ministries and departments became parts of a single national administration. The Committee of Ministers functioned simultaneously with the second session of the Council of Ministers for six more months; Count Sergei Witte participated on both entities until the abolition of the committee on April (5 May) 1906.
By the order of Emperor Nicholas II, the second session of the Council of Ministers began on October (1 November) 1905, following the formation of the State Duma. Shortly after the February Revolution and the inception of the Russian Provisional Government on (15) March 1917, Georgy Lvov from the Constitutional Democratic Party became Minister-Chairman, who was succeeded by Alexander Kerensky in July.
In November 1917 the Provisional Government was overthrown by the Bolshevik faction of Russian social democrats led by Vladimir Lenin. The Council of People's Commissars of the Russian Soviet Republic became the new governmental body, which was chaired from 1917 to 1924 by Lenin. That body was renamed Council of Ministers following a decree of the Supreme Council on 23 March 1946. The same was made in other republics of the Soviet Union.
After the fall of the Soviet Union, Boris Yeltsin, as the President of the Russian Federation, was appointed as the extraordinary head of government of the Russian Federation. The latter body took the name "Council of Ministers — Government of Russia", the chairman of which became Viktor Chernomyrdin, replacing acting chairman Yegor Gaidar. According to the new constitution ratified on 25 December 1993, the "Government" () is the official name of the Russian cabinet. Since then, the head of that office takes the formal title "Chairmen of the Government" or colloquially "Prime Minister."
Current Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin took the office on 16 January 2020.
The youngest head of government by his accession to office was Sergey Kiriyenko (1998), at age 35, and the oldest Ivan Goremykin (1914), at age 74.
Russian Empire (1721–1917) Early collegial institutions without a single leader Since the 18th century, a modern system of public administration was going to be created in Russia, including the formation of bodies such as the Supreme Privy Council and the Committee of Ministers whose powers are similar to the powers of the modern Russian Government. In the period from 1726 to 1905 there was no official title for the leader of the government. The chief ministers (principal ministres) of certain Emperor of Russia nonetheless led the government de facto, but de jure the head of government was a monarch.7 царских председателей Совета министров
PortraitName(birth–death)Term of officeMonarchMembers of the Supreme Privy Council of the Russian Empire (1726–1730) Count and Prince Alexander Danilovich Menshikov(1673–1729) 8 February1726 8 September1727Catherine I(1725–1727)Peter II(1727–1730)Anna(1730–1740) Count Fyodor Matveyevich Apraksin(1661–1728) 8 February1726 10 November1728 Count Gavriil Ivanovich Golovkin(1660–1734) 8 February1726 6 May1727 Count Andrey Ivanovich Osterman(1686–1747) 8 February1726 6 May1727 Prince Dmitry Mikhaylovich Golitsyn(1665–1737) 8 February1726 6 May1727 Count Pyotr Andreyevich Tolstoy(1645–1729) 8 February1726 6 May1727 Count Karl-Fridrikh Golshteyn-Gottorpsky(1700–1739) 8 February1726(or March 1726) 25 July1727 Prince Alexey Grigoryevich Dolgorukov(?–1734) 3 February1728 4 March1730 Prince Vasily Lukich Dolgorukov(1670–1739) 6 April1729 4 March1730 Prince Vasily Vladimirovich Dolgorukov(1667–1746) 19 January1730 4 March1730 Prince Mikhail Mikhailovich Golitsyn(1675–1730) 19 January1730 4 March1730Cabinet ministers of the Russian Empire (1731–1741) Count Gavriil Ivanovich Golovkin(1660–1734) 10 November1731 20 January1734Anna(1730–1740) Count Andrey Ivanovich Osterman(1686–1747) 20 January1734 10 November1740 Count Khristofor Antonovich Minikh(1683–1767) 10 November1740 3 March1741Ivan VI(1740–1741) Count Andrey Ivanovich Osterman(1686–1747)(2nd time) 3 March1741 25 November1741Conferency ministers at the Highest Court of the Russian Empire (1756–1762) Stepan Fyodorovich Apraksin(1702–1758) 14 March1756 1 October1757Elizabeth(1741–1762)Peter III(1762) Count Mikhail Petrovich Bestuzhev-Ryumin(1688–1760) 14 March1756 2 October1757 Prince Mikhail Mikhaylovich Golitsyn(1684–1764) 14 March1756 17 December1757 Count Alexey Petrovich Bestuzhev-Ryumin(1693–1768) 14 March1756 14 February1758 Count Alexander Borisovich Buturlin(1694–1767) 14 March1756 17 October1760 Count Peter Ivanovich Shuvalov(1711–1762) 14 March1756 4 January1762 Count Mikhail Illarionovich Vorontsov(1714–1767) 14 March1756 20 January1762 Prince Nikita Yuryevich Trubetskoy(1699–1767) 14 March1756 20 January1762 Count Alexander Ivanovich Shuvalov(1710–1771) 14 March1756 20 January1762 Grand Duke Peter Fyodorovich Romanov(subsequently Emperor Peter III)(1728–1762) 14 March1756 28 January1762 Prince Yakov Petrovich Shakhovskoy(1705–1777) 16 September1760 25 December1761 Ivan Ivanovich Neplyuev(1693–1773) 16 September1760 20 January1762 Count Roman Illarionovich Vorontsov(1707–1783) 28 December1761 20 January1762Members of the Imperial Council of the Russian Empire (1762) Prince Georg-Ludwig Golshteyn-Gottorpsky(1719–1763) 28 January1762 28 June1762Peter III(1762) Count Pyotr August Friedrich Golshteyn-Beksky(1696–1775) 28 January1762 28 June1762 Count Khristofor Antonovich Minikh(1683–1767) 28 January1762 28 June1762 Prince Nikita Yuryevich Trubetskoy(1699–1767) 28 January1762 28 June1762 Count Mikhail Illarionovich Vorontsov(1714–1767) 28 January1762 28 June1762 Aleksandr Nikitich Vilboa(1713–1788) 28 January1762 28 June1762 Prince Mikhail Nikitich Volkonsky(1713–1788) 28 January1762 28 June1762 Aleksey Petrovich Melgunov(1722–1788) 28 January1762 28 June1762Heads of Council Affairs at the Highest Court (Highest Council) of the Russian Empire (1768–1801) Stepan Fyodorovich Strekalov(1728–1805) 17 November1768 1776Catherine II(1762–1796) Count Alexander Nikolayevich Samoylov(1744–1814) 1776 1787 Ivan Andreyevich Weydemeyer(1752–1820) 1787 18 November1796 Gavriil Romanovich Derzhavin(1743–1816) 18 November1796 22 November1796Paul I(1796–1801) Ivan Andreyevich Weydemeyer(1752–1820)(2nd time) 18 November1796 26 March1801
Committee of Ministers (1802–1905) The Committee of Ministers was established on 20 September 1802 in the course of Alexander I's ministerial reform. All the ministers were independent from each other and were responsible for the activities of their departments individually. The committee was not responsible either for the activities of individual ministries, or for the coherence of their policies. During the first years of the existence of the committee, its meetings were chaired by the Emperor, and in his absence - by the ministers alternately, starting with the senior in rank, each for 4 sessions. In 1810, the chairmanship was given to the chancellor and chairman of the State Council Count N.P. Rumyantsev.
PortraitName(birth–death)Term of officeMonarchChairmen of the Committee of Ministers of the Russian Empire (1802–1905) CountNikolay Petrovich Rumyantsev(1754–1826) 1810 1812Alexander I(1801–1825) Count and PrinceNikolay Ivanovich Saltykov(1736–1816) 29 March1812 9 September1812 (disputed)16 May1816 CountSergey Kuzmich Vyazmitinov (disputed)(1744–1819) 9 September1812 15 October1816 PrincePyotr Vasilyevich Lopukhin(1753–1827)25 May18166 April1827 PrinceViktor Pavlovich Kochubey(1768–1834) 29 April1827 3 June1834Nicholas I(1825–1855) CountNikolay Nikolayevich Novosiltsev(1761–1838) 11 July1834 8 April1838 PrinceIllarion Vasilyevich Vasilchikov(1776–1847) 9 April1838 21 February1847 CountVasily Vasilyevich Levashov(1783–1848) 31 December1847 23 September1848 PrinceAlexander Ivanovich Chernyshyov(1785–1857) 1 December1848 5 April1856 PrinceAlexey Fyodorovich Orlov(1787–1862) May1857 January1861Alexander II(1855–1881) CountDmitry Nikolayevich Bludov(1785–1864) 12 November1861 19 February1864 PrincePavel Pavlovich Gagarin(1789–1872) 24 February1864 21 February1872 CountPavel Nikolayevich Ignatyev(1797–1879) 21 February1872 20 December1879 CountPyotr Aleksandrovich Valuyev(1815–1890) 25 December1879 4 October1881 CountMikhail Khristoforovich Reytern(1820–1890) 4 October1881 30 December1886Alexander III(1881–1894) Nikolay Khristianovich Bunge(1823–1895) 1 January1887 3 June1895 Ivan Nikolayevich Durnovo(1834–1903) 15 October1895 29 May1903Nicholas II(1894–1917) CountSergei Yulyevich Witte(1849–1915) 16 August1903 6 November1905
Prime Minister of the Russian Empire (1905–1917) The modern government type in Russia came after the establishment of the Council of Ministers on 1 November 1905, created for the "management and union action principal chiefs of departments on subjects like law and senior public administration", and modelled on the relevant institutions within the constitutional states, when all the ministries and directorates have been declared part of the unified state management. The first Prime Minister was Count Sergei Witte, who was appointed on 6 November 1905.Преобразован Совет министров Российской империи
Portrait Name(birth–death) Term of office Political party Monarch 1CountSergei Yulyevich Witte(1849–1915)•6 November 19055 May 1906IndependentNicholas II(1894–1917) 2Ivan Logginovich Goremykin(1839–1917)15 May 190621 July 1906Independent 3Pyotr Arkadyevich Stolypin(1862–1911)•21 July 190618 September 1911(Assassinated)Independent 4CountVladimir Nikolayevich Kokovtsov(1853–1943)•22 September 191112 February 1914Independent (2)Ivan Logginovich Goremykin(1839–1917)212 February 19142 February 1916Independent 5BaronBoris Vladimirovich Shtyurmer(1848–1917)•2 February 191623 November 1916Russian Assembly 6Alexander Fyodorovich Trepov(1862–1928)•23 November 19169 January 1917Russian Assembly 7PrinceNikolai Dmitriyevich Golitsyn(1850–1925)•9 January 191712 March 1917Independent