The Empire's legal architect who tamed the Duma with the "shameless" electoral law of 1907
Of the three drafts he prepared, Kryzhanovsky called the adopted second version "shameless": it allotted seats to worker and peasant curiae but was designed so that landowners would pick who filled them.
Sergey Kryzhanovsky was a jurist and state official of the Russian Empire who designed the electoral laws for the State Duma in 1905 and 1907. As Assistant Minister of the Interior, he drafted three versions of the 1907 electoral law and himself called the adopted one "shameless": it guaranteed seats to worker and peasant curiae but let the landowner-dominated provincial assemblies pick the actual deputies from their electors. He served as the last State Secretary of the Empire from 1911 until its collapse, and after the revolution emigrated to Paris, where he edited a monarchist memoir journal until the end of his life.
Activities and affiliations
Career Timeline
- 1885Graduated in law from St. Petersburg University
- 1896Head of section, Economic Department, MVD
- 1904–1906Assistant head, Main Administration for Local Economy, MVD
- 1906–1911Assistant Minister of Internal Affairs (Stolypin's right hand)
- 1907Senator and Privy Councillor
- 1911–1917State Secretary of the Russian Empire (last holder)
- 1917Member of the State Council
Related historical events
Emigration and historical editing
After the Empire collapsed in 1917, Kryzhanovsky went into emigration in 1918 and lived in Paris from 1920. From 1921 to 1925 he edited the historical collection Russkaya letopis (Русская летопись, “Russian Chronicle”). This work in emigration shows his involvement in recording and editing material on Russia’s past after his career as an imperial official.