The State Council of the Russian Federation celebrated the 25th anniversary of its foundation

The State Council of the Russian Federation has been finding solutions to the most important tasks for the country for the past 25 years. It was on September 29, 2000, that the first meeting of its presidium was held. The history of the State Council stretches back more than two centuries, and its work has been restored after a long-term hiatus.

St. Petersburg, the State Historical Archive — these papers are rarely shown so close. Everything related to the appearance of the State Council of the Russian Empire is here, including the decree on its creation, where it is also called "Indispensable."

The specifics of office work in 1801 were goose quills and ink, but the ideas were cutting—edge. The State Council is the main legislative body of the empire. Later, Alexander I consolidated his status with a manifesto. Reformer Mikhail Speransky outlined the areas of activity, and the Mariinsky Palace was made a residence.

"Before the appearance of the Great Hall, the Rotunda was the most spacious room in the Mariinsky Palace. It was very well suited for State Council meetings both for its size and for its acoustics. The speaker can be heard very well here, and closer to the center, his voice becomes completely special," said Viktor Sineok, a correspondent for Izvestia.

Only the most important state issues were discussed here.

"For example, they voted by standing up. That is, they didn't raise their hand, but whoever is in favor stands up. Sergei Yulievich Witte defended his monetary reform here, and the reforms of Pyotr Arkadyevich Stolypin were institutionalized," explained Dmitry Yurchenko, curator of the Mariinsky Palace.

Unique footage: the first meeting of the Presidium of the revived State Council in the Kremlin exactly 25 years ago. The President announced that the structure will deal with the most important issues of state building.

"The State Council, despite its seemingly modest status, can be a very influential body in this situation. I must say bluntly that I very much hope that the State Council will help me as the head of state," Russian President Vladimir Putin noted in 2000.

A lot has changed over the years, but it is obvious that the State Council has really helped both the head of state and the country as a whole. All the most important issues were discussed.

"It is important that this body did not remain formal, as they say, only on paper, but from the very beginning proved to be lively, creative, capable of offering interesting conceptual approaches, responding to modern realities," said Valentina Matvienko, Chairman of the Federation Council.

It was the State Council that played a key role in the fight against coronavirus and solved the most difficult issues of a large country for decades. Protecting the rights of shareholders, supporting families, developing transport, housing and communal services, and construction — the list is very long.

"Within the framework of today's State Council, we are very actively interacting with the governors, considering legislative initiatives, considering practical financing steps, and problems that exist in the industry," said Marat Khusnullin, Deputy Chairman of the Russian government.

The State Council consists of the President, the Prime Minister, the heads of the Federation Council and the State Duma, and the governors. The main function is to respond to the most important challenges of the time, just as it was two centuries ago.

This is how the work of the State Council looked in the 19th century. With the help of artificial intelligence, the journalists "revived" several photographs from those years. Here are the meetings in the Rotunda, then in the attached great hall of the Mariinsky Palace. The State Council, in fact, formalized and systematized the legislative process of the Russian Empire, and worked on important reforms.

"This is one of the most valuable exhibits of the State Historical Museum, the pen of Lansky. A recording made by his hand. "This pen is used to sign the journal of meetings of the General Assembly of the State Council under the personal chairmanship of the Emperor on the abolition of serfdom. January 28, 1861," the correspondent added.

The pen of that State Council has become one of the symbols of fundamental changes. It's so valuable to history that it's almost not on display now.

The State Council in Russia today is of strategic importance, and its constitutional status is enshrined in the country's main document. The form of work has changed over the 25 years since its revival, visiting commission meetings, meetings with the presidium in the Kremlin and outside the Kremlin — without ties. Any shapes and formats, the main thing is the result.

"We must achieve concrete results not in institutions, but in the territories where people live," the Russian leader noted in 2018.

The State Council continues to change, because the life of the country is constantly changing. There are new challenges ahead, which it was impossible to foresee 25 years ago, but it turned out to be possible to lay the right foundation for their solution.

"The work of the State Council can be a good example of collective work, collective creativity and teamwork," Putin emphasized in 2000.

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Now the State Council plays an important role in determining state policy in the field of support for veterans of special operations. As Alexey Dyumin, Secretary of the State Council and Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation, noted at a meeting on September 29, the state needs to minimize the risks of issues related to a multiple increase in the number of defenders of the Fatherland.. He noted that for this purpose it is important to take into account the successful experience of some regions in the work.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.