The book describes the machinery of government and its branches, their responsibilities and clerical work, as well as of other civil services in the Russian empire of the 18th - beginning of 20th centuries. Special attention is paid to ministries, a demographic portrait of government officers, the ranking system, uniforms, reward system, ranks and titles of the nobility, court service. The work is based on archive materials of pre-Revolutionary governments, old laws, and memoirs. Richly illustrated (color and black-and-white).