Who was at the head of local self-government in monarchical Russia (legal aspect)

In the modern sense, the institution of local self-government began to develop in Russia from the time of Catherine the Great, when she approved the City Regulations (1785), but in fact local government functioned much earlier, starting with the Moscow State, although at a less systemic level. But in any case, at the local level there were authorities and administration bodies that were headed by specific individuals. The article reveals the status of local government leaders in monarchical Russia. Since this period covers a very long time (on a centuries-long scale: from the 16th to the 19th centuries), the author identifies only the main trends in regulating the organizational and legal status of the head of local government. The regulatory legal acts that determined the status of these officials are analyzed, as well as also scientific works that touch upon the stated topic. It is noted, in particular, that the election of local government officials (headmen of zemstvo and labial huts, chairmen of zemstvo and city councils) was envisaged, however, the principle of democracy in the conditions of absolutism and serfdom was at a very low level, and the heads of self-government in the system of strict vertical public authority were under strict control of higher authorities.