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Russian Imperial Palace Guards

The bodies of state security and their modern structure - the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation - have deep historical roots. From the inception of the state, with the first emergence of the elites in the society, there is a conflict between them. The first written evidence of the existence of the grand divisions of the royal guard relate to the reign of Ivan IV (the Terrible). So, the verdict of the Boyar Duma in August 1555 featured the decision on allotment of land next to the Moscow Kremlin two thousand archers of the palace, which was explained by the necessity of their permanent location near the royal palace.

In the XVII century 200 people were permanently assigned as bodyguards for the person of the sovereign. At night, near the royal bed chambers, their main duty (among relatives of boyars) was with one or two approximate courtiers. In the next room were six bodyguards, and another forty people were located in the following areas. In addition, at every gate and door of the palace were the choicest archers. By the constant guard of the palace belonged also some 2000 aspiring archers who alternately stood day and night with loaded musket and lighted wicks - 250 per shift at the Kremlin Palace, in the yard and in front of the Treasury.

For details on the security of the state functions attributed to the activities of historians Matveev Matveev (XVII century), which justified the need to allocate individual military, police and security (palace) functions to musketeer regiment. At the same time they were named in official documents for the protection of the royal person and the family, the royal palace and the diplomatic corps, as individual tasks, allocated from other musketeer Affairs.

Artamon Matveev, on behalf of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, took an active part in the most important "sovereign matters", and, being a multi-talented, distinguished himself not only as the founder of the state security system, but also as a talented counterintelligence and intelligence. Some of the tasks and functions of state protection on the initiative of Matveeva were reflected in the first Russian constitutional arch - "Council Code" Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich (1649).

Streltsy (Russian: literally "shooters") were the units of Russian guardsmen from the 16th to the early 18th centuries, armed with firearms. In pursuance of the work of conciliation, and in order to acquire a better influence over them, the Government had given to the Streltsi the honorary appellation of the "Palace Guard." They had been complimented for their loyalty and fidelity by Sophia herself, and had been feasted in the courts and corridors of the palace at the rate of two regiments a day.

'The Princess Sophia herself had even handed round cups of vodka to the men. But in spite of the feasts and honors given to them, the Streltsi did not feel quite easy in conscience. Although they had made a change in the Government, yet the Government was carried on by the same sort of people as before. Certain boyars had been killed, but their places had been taken by others in all respects like them. While the Streltsi felt safe in Moscow, where the population, if not sympathetic to them, was at least afraid of them, they knew that it would be comparatively easy for the boyars to raise an army of their adherents in the more distant provinces, lead them to Moscow and obtain the upper hand.

In 1694 Peter had discovered a fresh conspiracy, having for its object the deliverance of Sophia; and at the very moment of his departure from Russia he had to put down a plot of streltsi and Cossacks. On 30 October 1694 there arrived at the Red Place the first instalment of two hundred thirty prisoners: they came in carts, with lighted torches in their hands, nearly all already broken by torture, and followed by their wives and children, who ran behind chanting a funeral wail. Their sentence was read, and they were slain, the Czar ordering several oflicers to help the executioner. Seven other days were employed in this way; a thousand victims were put to death. Some were broken on the wheel, and others died by various modes of torture. The removal of the corpses was forbidden: for five months Moscow had before its eyes the spectacle of the dead bodies hanging from the battlements of the Kremlin and the other ramparts.

The process of creation and functioning of a specialized structure of the protection of top officials in Russia had its own peculiarities. During the XVIII and early XIX century the protection of the emperor, members of the royal family and residences inhabited by representatives of the Supreme Court, was carried out by army methods - the guard of the Guards regiments of the Russian army (Preobrazhensky, Semenov, and during the reign of Anna Ivanovna Empress added to them, and Izmailovsky Guards regiment). This led to the intervention of the military elite in government policy and to participate in a palace coup.

The active role of the guards in the palace coups of the XVIII century, the murder of Emperor Paul I (1801) and their participation in the uprising of the Decembrists (1825) led to strong questions of creating a professional civil service. The first permanent military special unit designed to protect the emperor-Emperor - Own His Majesty the convoy - it was created May 18, 1811, on the eve of the war of 1812.

In January 1827, shortly after the accession to the throne, Emperor Nicholas I for the first time created a stand-alone security professional military (commandant) of the structure (the palace guards battalions from the Transfiguration, and Semenovski Izmailovsky Guards regiments). "Rota the Palace Grenadiers" was established October 2, 1827, of the personnel of which were created by the team in St. Petersburg, Tsarskoye Selo and Moscow Kremlin.

In connection with the emergence and spread of revolutionary terror, the emergence of real threats of His Imperial Majesty, members of the royal family, December 8, 1861 was a special police guard for the protection of the imperial residences, and May 2, 1866 in the III Department of His Imperial Majesty's Own Chancellery established a special (secret) watchdog team.

After the terrorist attack March 1, 1881, when the Emperor Alexander II was killed, The state protection system in Russia was radically reformed. August 11, 1881, in the framework of the "Regulation on the protection of His Majesty", the state security structures were approved, and on 3 September of the same year nominal decree took appointment "superior Guard" Major General of His Majesty Suites P.A.Cherevina. Thus, September 3, 1881 for the first time in the history of Russia special departments were created dealing with the protection of top officials.

The structure of "His Imperial Majesty's protection" before March 1917 included:

1. Guards infantry company (also referred to His Imperial Majesty's Infantry Regiment);
2. His Imperial Majesty's Own Convoy;
3. Palace police command (later the court police, which was part of the secret police);
4. The Railway Inspectorate (converted in the 1st Railway Regiment);
5. Battalion of palace grenadiers (performed not only individual security, and often, and executive function).

The last head of the guard of Emperor Nicholas II (1896 - Palace commander) wa Major-General V.N.Voeikov. The final, pre-revolutionary stage of development of the State Guard was held during the reign of Nicholas II, who all his life remembered the assassination attempt during his visit to Japan.

Over the next decades, security service improved, but pledged at the time the basic principles and methods of forecasting, identifying potential threats, cooperation with other law enforcement agencies of Russia, the security of protected persons serviced facilities, vehicles have changed slightly and touched in the first place, the new security equipment. Between February and October 1917 the protection of the Interim Committee of the State Duma (the Tauride Palace), the Provisional Government (Mariinsky and the Winter Palace), Petrograd Soviet (Tauride and Smolny palace), other important government facilities was carried out in parts of the Petrograd garrison.