250 YEARS AGO

Materials prepared by Svetlana Kuznetsova and Evgeny Zhirnov

Her Imperial Majesty, motherly condoling for the residents and subjects who suffered from the last fire here and Most Highly deigning to combine Her royal mercy towards them with the benefit of the entire city and with possible precautions in the face of such adventures, indicated: 1) since the structure was already ordered to be made of stone, then so that the owners who have endured these places are brought into a position to make a stone structure, then the Chief of Police, having taken a plan for the burnt places, must immediately take subscriptions from the owners who want to build on them themselves, or sell them later, or at the same time create he and plans for the future building... 2) And the Governing Senate, on the contrary, will stop all Palace and other government buildings, except for Her Majesty’s new Winter House, where very little work and materials are needed, or where the necessary extreme demands it. 3) Then set a reasonable price for all materials, as well as for craftsmen and working people. 4) Having stopped all government work, you must immediately take the list of all government materials suitable and needed for the building: and having taken them, set the price for them, what they only cost, and distribute them not to those who only want them, but to all those who were burned, if They signed up to build, not only at the price that these materials cost the treasury, but also to pay for them for a certain period of time, and to appoint people of proven honesty and selflessness to sell these government materials, so that, instead of help, there would be no oppression. 5) Moreover, it is expected that many will be in need of money for the speedy construction, for which sake the mercy of Her Imperial Majesty extends to this, so that possible assistance will be available, whether from Banks or other nearby means, mainly before others, especially from Merchant Bank was served.

Personal decree of Elizabeth Petrovna, 1761

Magazine "Kommersant Vlast" No. 22 dated 06.06.2011, p. 54

Authors:

About assistance to the owners of houses that burned down in St. Petersburg