TheProcurator (Russian:прокурор,tr.prokuror) was an office initially established in 1722 byPeter the Great, the firstEmperor of theRussian Empire, as part ofthe ecclesiastical reforms to bring theRussian Orthodox Church more directlyunder his control.
The Russian word also has the meaning ofprosecutor but in this case the right translation is Delegate (having theprocuration for religious affairs).
The Chief Procurator (alsoOver-Procurator; обер-прокурор, tr.ober-prokuror) was the official title of the Crown official who oversaw the validity of the acts of theMost Holy Synod (he wasn't a member of the Most Holy Synod but effectively he was the most important lay in the administration of the Russian Orthodox Church, not to be confused with thePrimus or "Prime member", the legal chairman of the Most Holy Synod, always a Metropolitan or an Archbishop), and a member of the Tsar's cabinet.Konstantin Pobedonostsev, a former tutor both ofAlexander III and ofNicholas II, was one of the most powerful men to hold the post, from 1880 to 1905.
The General Procurator (Procurator General) and the Chief Procurator were major supervisory positions in the RussianGoverning Senate, which functioned from 1711 to 1917, with their meaning changing over time. Eventually Chief Procurator became the title of the head of a department of the Senate.
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