Knyazhevich Alexandr M.

(1792 - 1872). He graduated from the course at the Kazan University, began service in the expedition on government revenues. In 1815 he was sent to Vienna to participate in the elimination of settlements between Russia and Austria. At one time he published together with his brothers "Library for Reading. In 1831 he was appointed director of the Office of the Ministry of Finance. Having become acquainted with E.F. Kankrin during his stay in Austria, Knyazhevich has now become his closest collaborator. In 1847 Knyazhevich appointed director of the Department of the Treasury, in 1854 - a senator, an honorary trustee and manager of the St. Petersburg preserved treasury. In 1858 Knyazhevich was called to the post of Minister of Finance. Its share has fallen hard and not always feasible for the elderly, . does not have broad economic views of human problem - the elimination of the financial turmoil of the Crimean War, . of the first and the preparation of further reforms of the new reign,
. If it does not quite successfully held the abolition of credit statutes and the device state bank. Temporary borrowing the previous years were part of a consolidated, at 4% and 5% of commitments, and the missing funds mined by external and internal loans, and special issues of credit cards. Sam Knyazhevich believed the then cash handling and fallen fluctuate course paper money crazy and insisted on a speedy return to their exchanges on the metal. Knyazhevich able to reduce but not eliminate the deficits of previous years largely by raising taxation: the poll tax, postage taxes, stamp duties and serfs - and the reorganization of tobacco, gum and sugar-excise taxes. In contrast Kankrin Knyazhevich finally broke with the system paying off sale pitey, seeing in it a source of ruin and corruption of the people and the local administration, and moved to an excise system, . but introduced a number of deal to facilitate, . mainly, . for Russian machine-building industry (duty-free importation of iron, . iron, . machine parts and accessories, . parts of farm machinery to the southern ports, allowed the export of banknotes abroad to pay for cars and t,
. etc.). In order to make balance more proactive canceled a number of export duties. In the railway policy Knyazhevich was a supporter of the private construction of railroads and gave special privileges in the field of customs and stamp duties. When Knyazhevich opened Riga Polytechnic, . transformed Mining Institute, . expanded Moscow Practical Academy, . improved organization of work at state-owned mining plants, . taken measures to development of gold mining, has concluded a number of treatises, . especially in Asian trade, . the latter gradually lost its exclusive and strictly normalized character; import Cantonese tea was allowed sea, . mainly, . it developed to eliminate contraband,
. Supporter of transparency in financial management, Knyazhevich did not, however, a publication of the budget. At his insistence, a commission to review the system of taxes and charges to invite experts from major cities and some provinces. The growth of taxes and failure to combat deficits gradually created resentment against Knyazhevich, which had hoped to see a successor and disciple Kankrin, his resignation was accepted in 1862, and was appointed a member of the Council of State. - See. V.T. Sudeikin A. M. K. "(" Russian Antiquity ", 1892)," The Ministry of Finance 1802 - 1902 years "(Commemorative Edition).