Granvilles' description of the Russian Navy Department during his visit in the years 1827-1828

Granville made an extended account of the economic, political and cultural life during his visit to St. Petersburg. One of the things he described was the Russian Navy Department at St. Petersburg. His book was published in 1829.

P. 43: "Minster of the Marine

1. The Ministers's personal Office

2. Admiralty College (1)

Under his denomination are classed together what in England are called the Board of Admiralty, The Navy, Vic-

p. 44: talling, Sick and Hurt, and Pay offices, as well as the superintendance of Naval Architecture and Ship-building.

3. Cadets Corps (Naval Academy)

4. Department for the Naval Affairs in the Black Sea

5. The Comptroller's Office

6. The Naval Artillery Department

Admiral Moller has recently been appointed Minister of the Marine. He is, I am told, the eldest brother of the officer who was Governor and Commander-in-Chief at Cronstadt when Captain Jones, of the Royal Navy, visited that establishment in 1822, and to whose courteous manner, as well as abilities in keeping that great Naval Depot of Russia in excellent order, the Captain bears testimony in his account of Cronstadt. The above arrangement of the Marine has very lately undergone some alterations; or, as it is called, a new organization. There are now permanent members of the Council of Admiralty; an Hydrographer General; a President of the Scientific Committee; an Intendant General; an Inspector of the Artillery and Director of that Department; lastly, a Director of the Department of Naval construction. There is also a Chief of the Staff of the Navy who is the Minister de facto. This important office is at present filled by Prince Menchikoff, who is said to be one of the best informed and cleverest men not only in Russia, but in Europe. The Board of General Intendance consists of the Directors of each department, who, when occasion requires, hold general meetings. The Department of the Admiralty publishes, from time to time, a volume of Memoirs under the superintendance of the Scientific Committee, in which among other papers and documents, a report is given of the progressive Scientific operations of the Department. The tenth volume appeared at the close of 1826.

Source

A.B. Granville. St. Petersburgh. A journal of travels to and from that capital; through Flanders, the Rhenish provinces, Prussia, Russia, Poland, Silesia, Saxony, the Federated States of Germany, and France. London, 1829. Digitized by Google

Note

1. See for the Admiralty an earlier note on this weblog: "Granvilles' description of the buildings and their content of the Admiralty at St. Petersburg during his visit dated around end 1827".