Iamskoi Prikaz

(Communications and Transportation Prikaz), a central state institution in Russia from the 16th to early 18th centuries that was in charge of regular postal and transportation service (iamskaia gon’ba). It was separated in the mid-16th century from the Princely Treasury.

Usually headed by a boyar, the Iamskoi Prikaz oversaw the construction and maintenance of iamy (post stations), exercised administrative and judicial control over iamskie slobody (settlements where the iamshchiki, or post drivers, lived), and supervised the issuance of podorozhnye (post horse authoriza’ions). Beginning in 1613 it collected the tax known as the bol’shie iamskie den’gi (see); in the 1670’s and 1680’s it also collected a number of other taxes. The Iamskoi Prikaz was abolished in 1711.