Abstract

The process of the creation of the Fundamental Laws of 23 April 1906 from October 1905 through April 1906 has not been specifi cally studied, despite the fact that it was a development of the first effective constitution in Russian history, which subsequently infl uenced the history of the “Duma monarchy”. There are also some minor gaps in historiography: there is no adequate study of the role of Ivan Ivanovich Tkhorzhevsky, who served in the Office of the Committee of Ministers since 1901, in the creation of the Fundamental Laws of 1906. His bureaucratic career was typical in the sense that it was determined not by family ties, but by friendship ties that were forged in the Law School of Saint Petersburg University (with Baron B.E. Nolde) and the Chancellery of the Committee of Ministers (with M.I. Goremykin). In February and March 1906, Tkhorzhevsky prepared comments on the draft of the new Fundamental Laws on behalf of the Chairman of the Committee and Council of Ministers, Count S.Yu. Witte. This draft was made by the Deputy Secretary of State P.A. Kharitonov at the behest of Nicholas II in November and December 1905, and in January–February 1906 it was revised by senior officials of the State Chancellery under the guidance of the Chairman of the State Council, Count D.M. Solsky, and the Secretary of State, Baron Ju.A. von Uexküll- Güldenband. Tkhorzhevsky’s comments formed the basis of Witte’s remarks on the draft of the State Chancellery, which was prepared by the head of the Office of the Committee of Ministers, Baron E.Yu. Nolde. Thus Tkhorzhevsky substantially influenced the version of the Fundamental Laws, which was discussed at the sessions of the Council of Ministers in March 1906, and their final redaction, which was discussed at the Special Council chaired by Nicholas II in April 1906. It can be argued that Thorzhevsky’s participation in the making of the new Basic Laws was due to his personal talents and extremely successful bureaucratic career.