Gorodskoi Golova

(city head), in prerevolutionary Russia the chairman of the municipal duma and of the town council.

The office of gorodskoi golova was instituted in 1785. Under the urban reform of 1870 the gorodskoi golova was elected for four years by the municipal duma and confirmed in office either by the minister of internal affairs or by the governor; the Moscow and the St. Petersburg gorodskie golovy were confirmed by the tsar. After 1892 the gorodskoi golova was considered to be in government service.