Finnish Minister Secretary of State
Encyclopedia
The Minister–Secretary of State for Finland (in Finnish
Ministerivaltiosihteeri; in Swedish
Ministerstatssekreterare) represented Finnish interests in the Imperial Court
in Saint Petersburg
. Before 1834 the title was secretary of state. The Russian Tsar
was represented in Helsinki
, the capital of the Grand Duchy of Finland
by the Governor General.
After Speransky (whose term had yet the Committee for Finnish Affairs
as another actor in same matters), this State Secretary was required, as were Senators and so forth, to be a subject of the grand duchy.
This secretary of state was an official who, and whose office (there were deputy and assistants) had the monopoly to present Finnish affairs to the Emperor. All acts of the Emperor concerning the grand duchy, were to be countersigned by this State Secretary, or deputized officials. When the Finnish autonomy was establishing, other Finnish-related officials generally supported, and helped to build this monopoly (to mention, Governor-General Alexander Sergeyevich Menshikov
was a supporter of this particularism and although he resided in St Petersburg and was in close contact with the emperor as simultaneous Russian Minister of Navy, he consistently had Finnish affairs to go through the Minister State Secretary). The tradition, endorsed by conservative Emperors such as Nicholas I, created a strong precedent. Russian general government was effectively kept out of Finnish affairs, this Minister having the benefit of the channel, and many possibilities to stall Russian ministers. Only in last two decades of the grabd duchy, those periods of russification, the system was attempted to be broken in some regards, but it created counteroffensives based on illegality arguments. Plehwe's appointment was criticized as illegal, because he was not Finnish citizen. Afterwards, russified Finnish citizens were occasionally used in this office and as members of the senate in Helsinki.
Finnish language
Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
Ministerivaltiosihteeri; in Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
Ministerstatssekreterare) represented Finnish interests in the Imperial Court
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
in Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
. Before 1834 the title was secretary of state. The Russian Tsar
Tsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
was represented in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, the capital of the Grand Duchy of Finland
Grand Duchy of Finland
The Grand Duchy of Finland was the predecessor state of modern Finland. It existed 1809–1917 as part of the Russian Empire and was ruled by the Russian czar as Grand Prince.- History :...
by the Governor General.
After Speransky (whose term had yet the Committee for Finnish Affairs
Committee for Finnish Affairs
The Committee for Finnish Affairs was a committee in the Grand Duchy of Finland that assisted the Minister–Secretary of State for Finland with various issues regarding Finland for the years from 1811 to 1826 and then from 1857 to 1891....
as another actor in same matters), this State Secretary was required, as were Senators and so forth, to be a subject of the grand duchy.
This secretary of state was an official who, and whose office (there were deputy and assistants) had the monopoly to present Finnish affairs to the Emperor. All acts of the Emperor concerning the grand duchy, were to be countersigned by this State Secretary, or deputized officials. When the Finnish autonomy was establishing, other Finnish-related officials generally supported, and helped to build this monopoly (to mention, Governor-General Alexander Sergeyevich Menshikov
Alexander Sergeyevich Menshikov
Prince Aleksandr Sergeyevich Menschikov was a Finnish-Russian nobleman, military commander and statesman. He was made adjutant general in 1817 and admiral in 1833....
was a supporter of this particularism and although he resided in St Petersburg and was in close contact with the emperor as simultaneous Russian Minister of Navy, he consistently had Finnish affairs to go through the Minister State Secretary). The tradition, endorsed by conservative Emperors such as Nicholas I, created a strong precedent. Russian general government was effectively kept out of Finnish affairs, this Minister having the benefit of the channel, and many possibilities to stall Russian ministers. Only in last two decades of the grabd duchy, those periods of russification, the system was attempted to be broken in some regards, but it created counteroffensives based on illegality arguments. Plehwe's appointment was criticized as illegal, because he was not Finnish citizen. Afterwards, russified Finnish citizens were occasionally used in this office and as members of the senate in Helsinki.
- 1809 - 1811 count Mikhail SperanskyMikhail SperanskyCount Mikhail Mikhailovich Speransky was probably the greatest of Russian reformers during the reign of Alexander I of Russia. He was a close advisor to Tsar Alexander I of Russia and later to Tsar Nicholas I of Russia, he is sometimes called the father of Russian liberalism.-Early life and...
- 1811 - 1841 baron, later count Robert Henrik RehbinderRobert Henrik RehbinderCount Robert Henrik Rehbinder was the Secretary of State for the Grand Duchy of Finland between 1811 and 1841...
- 1841 - 1876 count Alexander Armfelt (Aleksandr GustavovichGustaf Mauritz ArmfeltCount Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt was a Finnish and Swedish courtier and diplomat. In Finland, he is considered one of the great Finnish statesmen. Born in Tarvasjoki, Finland, he was the great grandson of Charles XII of Sweden's general, Carl Gustaf Armfeldt...
) (1794 - 1876) - 1876 - 1881 baron Carl Knut Emil Stjernvall-Walleen
- 1881 - 1888 baron Theodor Bruun (1821-1888)
- 1888 - 1891 Johann Casimir Ehrnrooth (1833-1913)
- 1891 - 1898 Woldemar Carl von Daehn
- 1898 - 1899 Victor Napoleon Procopé (1839-1906)
- 1899 - 1904 Vyacheslav von PlehveVyacheslav von PlehveVyacheslav Konstantinovich von Plehve , also Pléhve, or Pleve was the director of Imperial Russia's police and later Minister of the Interior.- Biography :...
(1846-1904) - 1904 - 1905 Edvard Oeström (Andreievich) (1862-1922)
- 1905 baron Constantin Linder (1836-1908)
- 1905 - 1906 Edvard Oeström (Andreievich)
- 1906 - 1913 baron Carl Frederik August Langhoff (1856-1929)
- 1913 - 1917 Vladimir Ivanovich MarkovVladimir Ivanovich MarkovVladimir Ivanovitch Markoff was a Finnish Lieutenant General who was also the vice-chairman of the economic division of the Senate of Finland from 1909 to 1913 and the last Finnish Minister Secretary of State in Saint Petersburg from 1913 to 1917.- Biography :His parents were the Viborg merchant...
(1859-1919)