Streltsy Department

Streltsy Department (Стрелецкий приказ in Russian), one of the main governmental bodies in Russia in 16th and 17th centuries.

The first reference to the Streltsy Department (SD) appears in 1571 (in the mid-1550s, it was called Streletskaya izba (Стрелецкая изба), or the Streltsy Hut).

SD was in charge of the Moscow and Municipal Streltsy, their lands and other property, disbursement of their salary and bread allowances, and their cases in court. In 1672-1683, SD also collected Streltsy's taxes. After the Streltsy Uprising in 1698, SD was engaged in regular administrative and managerial matters. In 1701, SD was transformed into the Department on the Matters of the Zemstvo (Приказ земских дел, or Prikaz zemskikh del), inheriritng the functions of the Zemstvo Police Department in Moscow.