138 Peter decided already in 1722 to let a large number of foreigners go, and he explained this measure in the following manner: Die russische Rathe in den collegiis, wann sie auch ihres Vaterlandes Angelegenheiten verstunden, konnten sich dennoch von der neuen Methode nicht zugleich einen deutlichen Begriff machen, und die Teutschen waren selten im Stande, sie dariiber zurecht zu weisen, theils well sie die russische Sprache nicht verstunden, theils auch well die schwedischcn Anstalten wenigen unter ihnen bekannt waren. The Swedish minister at St. Petersburg, Herman Cedercreutz, wrote the same thing in his “Berättelse om Ryssland” (“Account of Russia”) in 1729: The other colleges, such as the Admiralty, Commerce, Revenue, and Mines Colleges, are all organized on the Swedish model, in spite of the fact that they still have not brought any complete clarity in their work, since they do not have a good foundation, and no able men who understand the duties, although there is such a division in each college that the councillors or assessors are half of them Russians, and the other half foreigners. 402 When it comes to the language problem, the poor knowledge of Russian demonstrated by the foreigners meant that interpreters and translators always had to be available in the colleges, even for dealing with routine matters. This circumstance interfered considerably with administrative functions and made the colleges inefficient. To many it must also have seemed an almost hopeless task to introduce and establish an administrative system with which they themselves had had no direct or practical experience. N. F. Demidova states that an inspection in Moscow in 1722 showed the foreigners in the central administration numbering “precisely twenty Demidova relies for this piece of information on Gradovskii, ” 404 persons. who in turn relied on the Holstein diplomat. Count H. Fr. von Bassewho noted concerning the year 1722 that: 406 405 Witz, II ne se trouve qu’une vingtaine d’etrangers dans I’etat civil. Appelles devant le souverain, il se fait lire la liste de leur noms et de leurs emplois, et ne leur dit que ce peu de mots: “Retournez tous en paix ches vous, a nom de Dieu.” Johann Gotthilf Vockerodt, “Russland untcr Peter dem Grossen,” ZB, I, 33. Vockerodt’s description is confirmed by treasury secretary Stefan Kochius; see below, p. 176. RA, Muscovitica 155. Demidova, 228. A. D. Gradovskii, Vysshaia administratsiia Rossii 18-ogo stolctiia i generalprokurory (St. Petersburg, 1899), 129 note 1. Anton Friedrich Busching, ed., Magazin fiir die neue Historic und Geographic, Theil 9 (Halle, 1775), 347. 402 404 405 406
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjYyNDk=