Burmisterskaia Palata

created in Russia under Peter I in 1699 as a central financial institution and an elective self-government body for the population of the posad (merchants’ and artisans’ quarter). At the same time, it was also a local body that governed the Moscow posad. It was in charge of collecting most taxes that had previously been collected by prikazy (offices). The Burmisterskaia Palata had authority over the local elective posad bodies of other towns (the zemstvo [district assembly] halls); the elders who headed these bodies began to be called burmistry. With the creation of the Burmisterskaia Palata, the town population was removed from the administration and the court of voevody (military governors), which bore witness to the increased importance of merchants and cities. With the formation of provinces (1709-10) the financial functions of the Burmisterskaia Palata and the district assembly halls passed over to province institutions. The Burmisterskaia Palata and the district assembly halls remained as ratushi (city halls)—elective bodies of the posad population.