Functions of the Moscow police of the Russian empire in the first part of the XVIII century

Introduction: the article based on the analysis of the legislation of the Russian Empire examines the main functions of the Moscow city police as a government in the first half of the 18th century. The author studies the activities and tasks of the newly formed structure of the 18th century in the second most important city of the empire - Moscow. Materials and Methods: the material for the study is the laws of the Russian Empire, works of legal scholars on the history of Russian internal affairs bodies. Historical, comparative legal, and documentary methods are applied that made it possible to analyze the organizational legal forms of activity of the Moscow police. Results: the article analyzes the retrospective experience of the Moscow police during the Russian Empire. It is noted that in addition to the tasks of ensuring public safety and the fight against crime the police were assigned functions that were not inherent to them. Discussion and Conclusions: the author concludes that the regular police in Russia was created as a body of wide competence. The maintenance of public order and the fight against crime were not the most important tasks of the first police officers.