Municipal Magistracies

estate elective bodies of municipal administration and justice in Russia from 1721 to 1728 and from 1743 to 1864. The municipal magistracies were under the jurisdiction of the chief magistracy, but often they were only nominally independent of the local administration. They consisted of the mayor and councillors, who were elected from among prosperous posadskie liudi (merchants and artisans) at town meetings. Members of the municipal magistracies were approved by the chief magistracy and were considered to be in the civil service. After the provincial reforms of 1775 the municipal magistracies retained only their judicial functions.