City police team at the late XIX - the early XX centuries: structure, composition, activity (on the materials of the Simbirsk province)

The article contains an attempt to characterize the structure and activities of senior and junior policemen of the general police of Simbirsk province in the 1880s - the 1910s on the basis of archival sources which have not been yet introduced to scholarly community. In 1887, the post of a policeman was established in the general police system, which became the junior executive rank. The policemen were obliged to oversee the observance of public order and security in the territory entrusted. The policemen also carried out open and secret surveillance, were in charge of the implementation of the requirements of the legislation on passports and registration, and suppressed crimes and offenses.