Ivan Fyodorovich Romodanovsky was the only son of Prince F.Yu. Romodanovsky, head of the Secret Political Office and in charge of all matters relating to political investigations. In 1698, Ivan Fyodorovich already had the rank of stolnik and, together with his father, attended sessions of the commission of enquiry into the Streltsi uprising. Following the death of his father in 1717, he was placed in charge of the Secret Political Office and given the title of Caesar-Prince.
Ivan Romodanovsky enjoyed the particular trust of Peter the Great, and he took part in the trial of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich (his signature is to be found on the death sentence) on the personal order of the Tsar. In 1725 he was made a full privy counsellor, and in 1726 he was granted the order of St Andrew.
As the head of the Secret Political Office, he in fact acted as the "eyes and ears of the Tsar" in the old capital. However, he was officially appointed governor-general by a decree of the Supreme Privy Council on 8 May 1727.
Romodanovsky was the chief executive of the city and had quite definite political powers. He was answerable only to the Supreme Privy Council.
The first measure undertaken by the new governor-general was to receive the oath of allegiance to the new emperor, Peter II, from the population of Moscow and the Moscow gubernia. On 2 October 1727, a decree was issued placing him in charge of the Moscow police. When Peter II came to Moscow to celebrate his wedding to Princess Dolgoru-kova, the governor organised a splendid reception worthy of the old capital. During his governorship, work began to introduce town planning.
In 1729, Romodanovsky submitted his resignation due to ill health. He was buried in the Monastery of St George in Moscow.
|