Prikaz Tainykh Del

Prikaz Tainykh Del 

(Bureau of Secret Affairs), a central administrative office in Russia in the second half of the 17th century; it was also the private office of Tsar Aleksei Mikhailovich.

Established in 1654, the Prikaz Tainykh Del supervised other central government offices, ambassadors, and military governors of cities and regimental military commanders. It directed important political investigations, organized expeditions to seek out valuable mineral resources throughout Russia, and administered the manufacture of weapons and cannons. Beginning in 1663, the Prikaz Tainykh Del took over some of the functions of the Palace Prikaz (Prikaz Bol’shogo Dvortsa) connected with the administration of the tsar’s household. After the death of Aleksei Mikhailovich (1676), the Prikaz Tainykh Del was abolished.

REFERENCES

Gurliand, I. Ia. Prikaz velikogo gosudaria tainykh del. Yaroslavl, 1902.
Platonov, S. F. “K voprosu o Tainom prikaze.” In his book Stat’i po russkoi istorii (1883–1912), 2nd ed. St. Petersburg, 1912.
Zaozerskii, A. I. Tsarskaia votchina XVII v., 2nd ed. Moscow, 1937.