The “`Big Masquerade” of 1740 and Legislative Commission Clerks

The article is dedicated to the principles of recruiting and operating the Masquerade Commission, a temporary government institution that was established specifically for the planning of the “Big Masquerade” of 1740. This topic has been poorly studied in existing historical literature. The case of the Masquerade Commission is interpreted as a representative example of formal and informal ruling practices in early modern Russia. There is no legislative act or another official document that would govern the establishment, structure, and operations of this institution. Meanwhile, as established in the article, clerks of Legislative Commission were involved in Masquerade Commission operations. They were one of the most highly qualified Russian officials responsible for development of legal acts drafts that seemed to be objective of a higher priority than the masquerade. Using the case of the Masquerade Commission as an example, it is concluded that informal ruling practices played a significant role within Russian government system. Such practices didn’t perceive as a deviation, but rather were feature of public administration in early modern period. The case of the Masquerade Commission illustrates flexibility of this system in which people were not just obedient executors but rather actors. It is argued that cases such as the Masquerade Commission raise broader historiographic questions and encourage the reconsideration of the type of authority in early modern Russia.