Little Russia Office

The Little Russia Office (

Collegium of Little Russia and moved to Hlukhiv

. The Little Russia Office was part of the bigger Ambassadorial Office and since 1671 was chaired by the head of the office.

Located in Moscow, since 1707 the agency had its resident general in the hetman's capital. Conditions of the office were expressed in articles (or statutes; Russian: статьи) which were concluded with every newly elected Hetman.

Overview

Noticeable is the fact that the Little Russia Prikase was created about a week later after the official confirmation of Hetman

Treaty of Andrusovo

.

Composition and functions

The prikase consisted of four clerks (

Collegium of Little Russia

suspending next Hetman elections indefinitely.

Primary

maintained ties on the tsar's behalf with the hetman's government and representatives in Moscow
kept the tsar informed of developments
gathered intelligence
supervised and supplied the Muscovite garrisons in several of the Hetmanate's towns
mitigated conflicts between them and the people
oversaw the construction of fortresses and bridges
looked after the interests of Russian merchants in Ukraine
issued travel permits
settled jurisdictional disputes

Additionally

monitored the administrative institutions of the Hetman state
monitored the hetman's correspondence with foreign rulers
reviewed the hetman's appointments
interfered in the affairs of the Orthodox church in Ukraine

Heads

1663–1667 Boyar Pyotr Saltykov, dyak Ivan Mikhailov
1667–1668 Boyar Afanasy Ordin-Nashchokin (part of Ambassadorial Prikaz)
1668–1676 Council Courtier Artamon Matveyev, dyaks Grigoriy Bogdanov and Yakov Pozdyshev
- since 1670 part of Ambassadorial Prikaz

Articles

1654 March Articles
1659
Pereyaslav Articles
Moscow Articles of 1665

External links

Little Russian Office at the Encyclopedia of Ukraine
Little Russian Office at the Encyclopedia of history of Ukraine
Little Russian Office at the Great Soviet Encyclopedia
Little Russia Prikase. Soviet Historical Encyclopedia.