Privy Chancellery

an organ of administrative and financial control over the work of the state institutions in Russia (1699–1719), founded by Peter I. The privy chancellery was the chancellery of the Boyar Duma. From 1701 it was headed by N. Zotov. From 1708 to 1710 the meetings of the privy chancellery were attended by the chiefs (up to eight people) of the major government departments, who constituted a sort of council of ministers which was a direct forerunner of the Senate. The chancellery received monthly financial reports from government departments and later from provinces, on the basis of which annual balance sheets were drawn up. The privy chancellery was abolished with the establishment of the collegiums, and its functions were transferred to the financial inspecting and auditing collegium.