Ministry of War of the Russian Empire, (Russian: Военное министерство, Military Ministry) was an administrative body in the Russian Empire from 1802 to 1917.
It was established in 1802 as the Ministry of ground armed forces (Russian: Министерство военно-сухопутных сил) taking over responsibilities from the College of War during the Government reform of Alexander I. It was renamed to the Ministry of War in 1815.
At the end of 19th century Ministry of war had following structure.
Military Council
War Ministry Chancellery
Grand Staff - personal matters, organization, instruction and economy of the army
His Imperial Majesty's Retinue
Departments:
Commissariat department
Artillery department
Engineer (Military Technical) department
Military Medical department
Military Education department
Military Justice department
Department of Cossack troops
Committees
Committee on military Codification - legislative questions
Committee on Military Sanitation
The Ministry was initially accommodated in Count Zakhar Chernyshyov's former palace on Moika River Embankment, which was bought by the State Treasury for the Military Collegium in 1795 (later it was rebuilt and transformed into the Mariinsky Palace).
In 1824, the mezzanine and the first floor of the Lobanov-Rostovsky Residence (12 Admiralteysky Avenue) were rented for the Ministry of War for 63,000 roubles a year. On 23 June 1828, the entire building was bought by the State Treasury for one million roubles, and in 1829-1830 it was renovated to meet the Ministry's needs. It housed the principal establishments of the Ministry until its dissolution in 1918. The main entrance is guarded by white marble Medici lions.
Ministers of Land Forces
Count Sergey Vyazmitinov 8 September 1802 – 13 January 1808
Count Aleksey Arakcheyev 13 January 1808 – 1 January 1810
Prince Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly 20 January 1810 – 24 August 1812
Prince Aleksey Gorchakov 24 August 1812 – 12 December 1815 acting
Count Pyotr Konovnitsyn 12 December 1815 – 6 May 1819
Baron Pyotr Meller-Zakomelskiy 6 May 1819 – 14 March 1823
Count Aleksander Tatischev 14 March 1823 – 26 August 1827
Prince Alexander Chernyshyov 26 August 1827 – 26 August 1852
Prince Vasily Dolgorukov 26 August 1852 – 17 April 1856
Nikolay Sukhozanet 17 April 1856 – 16 May 1861
Count Dmitry Milyutin 16 May 1861 – 21 May 1881
Pyotr Vannovskiy 22 May 1881 – 1 January 1898
Aleksey Kuropatkin 1 January 1898 – 7 February 1904
Viktor Sakharov 11 March 1904 – 21 June 1905
Aleksandr Roediger 21 June 1905 – 11 March 1909
Vladimir Sukhomlinov 11 March 1909 – 13 June 1915
Alexei Polivanov 13 June 1915 – 15 March 1916
Dmitry Shuvayev 15 March 1916 – 3 January 1917
Mikhail Belyaev 3 January 1917 – 28 February 1917
Alexander Guchkov 1 March 1917 – 30 April 1917
