Project of moving governorate administration from Petrozavodsk to Vytegra in 1820s

For the first time, the causes that impelled Olonets Governor T. E. Van-der-Vliet to submit this project proposal to the government were established fully. The degree of Arkhangelsk Governor General S. I Minitsky’s involvement was revealed. The discussion procedure and the process of final decision-making on the project were also determined. A conclusion was drawn that the main causes for promoting this project were not as much dictated by the interests of the people as by another escalation in the relations between the governorate and mining authorities. These relationships were complicated by the power struggle between rival “parties” within the governorate administration. Governor General defended the proposal of his protege Van-der-Vliet to the end by exploiting all existing advantages of his administrative offices. It was only on the level of the Committee of Ministers that the opinion of the Minister of Finance E. F. Kankrin on the inexpediency and expensiveness of the project execution prevailed.