# List of communications ministers of Russia

This list of ministers of communications of Russia contains the names of the people who held this position in the Russian Empire, the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, the Soviet Union and the modern Russian Federation.

## Russian Empire
### Postal Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs

The Postal Department of the Ministry of the Interior of the Russian Empire was formed by the Highest registered decree on November 9, 1819.
| Name | Date of taking office | Date of removal from office |
| Alexander Golitsyn (1773–1844) | November 9, 1819 | October 22, 1830 |
In 1830, it was transformed into the Postal Department of the Russian Empire.

### Postal Department of the Russian Empire

It was formed as a ministry in 1830 with separation from the Ministry of the Interior.
| Name | Date of taking office | Date of removal from office |
| Alexander Golitsyn (1773–1844) | October 22, 1830 | March 27, 1842 |
| Vladimir Adlerberg (1791–1884) | March 27, 1842 | January 1, 1857 |
| Fedor Pryanishnikov (1793–1867) | January 1, 1857 | January 1, 1863 |
| Ivan Tolstoy (1806–1867) | January 1, 1863 | June 15, 1865 |
On June 15, 1865, it was transformed into the Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs of the Russian Empire.

### Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs

It was established on June 15, 1865, by combining the Postal Department and the Telegraph Unit separated from the Ministry of the Interior (Personal Decree of June 15, 1865).
| Name | Date of taking office | Date of removal from office |
| Ivan Tolstoy (1806–1867) | June 25, 1865 | September 21, 1867 |
| Alexander Timashev (1818–1893) | December 14, 1867 | March 9, 1868 |
On March 9, 1868, it was abolished, the Postal and Telegraph Departments were created as part of the Ministry of the Interior.

### Postal and Telegraph Departments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs

Formed on March 9, 1868, instead of the Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs. Both departments were headed by Ivan Velio, then Gubaidulla Chingizkhan, who was also the director of the Department of Railways of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Empire.
| Name | Date of taking office | Date of removal from office |
| Ivan Velio (1830–1899) | June 21, 1868 | August 6, 1880 |
| Gubaidullah Chingizkhan (1840–1909) | August 1, 1876 | August 6, 1880 |
On August 6, 1880, they were transferred to the reconstituted Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs.

### Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs

It was re-established on August 6, 1880, from the Department of Posts and Telegraphs of the Ministry of the Interior.
| Name | Date of taking office | Date of removal from office |
| Leo Makov (1830–1883) | August 6, 1880 | March 16, 1881 |
On March 16, 1881, it was again divided into the Postal and Telegraph Departments, which became part of the Ministry of the Interior.

### Telegraph Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs

It was founded on March 16, 1881.
| Name | Date of taking office | Date of removal from office |
| Karl Lueders (1815–1882) | March 16, 1881 | 1882 |
| Nikolay Bezak (1836–1897) | August 31, 1882 | May 22, 1884 |
On May 22, 1884, it was merged with the Postal Department of the Ministry of the Interior into the Main Directorate of Posts and Telegraphs of the Ministry of the Interior.

### Postal Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs

It was founded on March 16, 1881.
| Name | Date of taking office | Date of removal from office |
| Stepan Perfiliev (1849–1919) | March 16, 1881 | March 1, 1882 |
| Peter Morozov (18**–19**) | 1883 | May 22, 1884 |
On May 22, 1884, it was merged with the Telegraph Department of the Ministry of the Interior into the Main Directorate of Posts and Telegraphs of the Ministry of the Interior.

### Main Directorate of Posts and Telegraphs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs

It was established on May 22, 1884, at the merger of the Postal and Telegraph Departments of the Ministry of the Interior.
| Name | Date of taking office | Date of removal from office |
| Nikolay Bezak (1836–1897) | May 22, 1884 | July 22, 1895 |
| Nikolay Petrov (1841–1905) | July 31, 1895 | January 3, 1903 |
| Evgeny Andreevsky (1847–1917) | January 3, 1903 | December 1903 |
| Peter Durnovo (1845–1915) | September 16, 1904 | December 5, 1904 |
| Mikhail Sevastyanov (1848–1925) | December 5, 1904 | October 1, 1913 |
| Vladimir Pokhvisnev (1858–1925) | October 1, 1913 | February 28, 1917 |

## Provisional Government
### Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs

| Name | Date of taking office | Date of removal from office |
| Irakli Tsereteli (1881–1959) | May 5, 1917 | July 24, 1917 |
| Alexey Nikitin (1876–1939) | July 24, 1917 | October 25, 1917 |

## Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic
### People's Commissariat of Posts and Telegraphs

| Name | Date of taking office | Date of removal from office |
| Nikolay Avilov (1887–1937) | October 26, 1917 | December 9, 1917 |
| Prosh Proshyan (1883–1918) | December 9, 1917 | March 18, 1918 |
| Vadim Podbelsky (1887–1920) | April 11, 1918 | February 25, 1920 |
| Artemy Lyubovich (1880–1938) | March 24, 1920 | May 26, 1921 |
| Valerian Dovgalevsky (1885–1934) | May 26, 1921 | July 6, 1923 |

### Ministry of Communications

It was founded on January 3, 1955.
| Name | Date of taking office | Date of removal from office |
| Alexey Cherenkov | January 18, 1955 | April 18, 1963 |
It was abolished in 1963 (Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic of April 18, 1963 "On the Abolition of the Union–Republican Ministry of Communications of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic" and the Law of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic of December 25, 1963 "On the Approval of Decrees of the Presidium Supreme Council of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and on Amendments and Additions to Articles 47, 54 and 55 of the Constitution (Basic Law) of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic").
It was re-formed in 1979 (Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic of July 13, 1979 "On the Establishment of the Ministry of Communications of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic" and the Law of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic of August 3, 1979 "On the Council of Ministers of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic").
| Name | Date of taking office | Date of removal from office |
| Gleb Baytsur (b. 1927) | September 17, 1979 June 15, 1990 (acting) | June 15, 1990 July 14, 1990 (acting) |
On July 14, 1990, it was transformed into the Ministry of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic for Communications, Informatics, and Space. However, no amendment was made to the Law of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic "On the Council of Ministers of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic".

### Ministry of Communications, Informatics and Space

It was established on July 14, 1990, on the basis of the Ministry of Communications of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (Law of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic "On Republican Ministries and Committees of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic" of July 14, 1990).
| Name | Date of taking office | Date of removal from office |
| Vladimir Bulgak (b. 1941) | July 14, 1990 | November 10, 1991 |
On November 10, 1991, the Ministry of Communications of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic was restored.

### Ministry of Communications

Established on November 10, 1991, on the basis of the Ministry of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic for Communications, Informatics and Space (Decree of the President of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic of November 10, 1991, No. 181).
| Name | Date of taking office | Date of removal from office |
| Vladimir Bulgak (b. 1941) | November 10, 1991 | December 25, 1991, or May 16, 1992 |
On December 25, 1991, the Supreme Council of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic adopted a law on the renaming of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic into the Russian Federation. On April 21, 1992, the Congress of People's Deputies of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic approved the renaming, introducing corresponding amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, which entered into force on May 16, 1992.

## Soviet Union
### People's Commissariat of Posts and Telegraphs

It was founded on July 6, 1923.
| Name | Date of taking office | Date of removal from office |
| Ivan Smirnov (1881–1936) | July 6, 1923 | November 12, 1927 |
| Artemy Lyubovich (1880–1938) | November 12, 1927 | January 16, 1928 |
| Nikolay Antipov (1894–1938) | January 16, 1928 | March 30, 1931 |
| Alexey Rykov (1881–1938) | March 30, 1931 | January 17, 1932 |
On January 17, 1932, it was renamed the People's Commissariat of Communications of the Soviet Union.

### People's Commissariat of Communications

It was formed on January 17, 1932, by renaming the People's Commissariat of Posts and Telegraph of the Soviet Union.
| Name | Date of taking office | Date of removal from office |
| Alexey Rykov (1881–1938) | January 17, 1932 | September 26, 1936 |
| Genrikh Yagoda (1891–1938) | September 26, 1936 | April 3, 1937 |
| Innokenty Khalepsky (1893–1938) | April 5, 1937 | August 16, 1937 |
| Matvey Berman (1898–1939) | August 16, 1937 | December 24, 1938 |
| Victor Yartsev (1904–1940) | December 24, 1938 | May 10, 1939 |
| Ivan Peresypkin (1904–1978) | May 10, 1939 | July 22, 1944 |
| Konstantin Sergeychuk (1906–1971) | July 22, 1944 | March 15, 1946 |
On March 15, 1946, it was transformed into a ministry of the same name.

### Ministry of Communications

It was founded on March 15, 1946, from the People's Commissariat of the same name.
| Name | Date of taking office | Date of removal from office |
| Konstantin Sergeychuk (1906–1971) | March 19, 1946 | March 30, 1948 |
| Nikolay Psurtsev (1900–1980) | March 30, 1948 | September 3, 1975 |
| Nikolay Talyzin (1929–1991) | September 3, 1975 | October 24, 1980 |
| Vasily Shamshin (1926–2009) | October 24, 1980 | July 11, 1989 |
| Erlen Pervyshin (1932–2004) | July 11, 1989 | December 26, 1990 |
| Gennady Kudryavtsev (b. 1941) | March 2, 1991 August 28, 1991 (acting) | August 28, 1991 November 26, 1991 (acting) |
It was liquidated on December 26, 1991, in connection with the termination of the existence of the Soviet Union.

## Russian Federation
### Ministry of Communications

| Name | Date of taking office | Date of removal from office |
| Vladimir Bulgak (b. 1941) | December 25, 1991 | March 17, 1997 |
On March 17, 1997, it was transformed into the State Committee of the Russian Federation for Communications and Informatization.

### State Committee of Communications and Informatization

It was established on March 17, 1997, on the basis of the Ministry of Communications of the Russian Federation (Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of March 17, 1997, No. 249).
| Name | Date of taking office | Date of removal from office |
| Alexander Krupnov (b. 1941) | March 25, 1997 | May 25, 1999 |
On May 25, 1999, it was transformed into the State Committee of the Russian Federation for Telecommunications.

### State Committee of Telecommunications

It was formed on May 25, 1999, on the basis of the State Committee of the Russian Federation for Communications and Informatization (Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of May 25, 1999, No. 651).
| Name | Date of taking office | Date of removal from office |
| Alexander Ivanov (b. 1940) | June 1, 1999 | August 27, 1999 |
| Leonid Reiman (b. 1957) | August 27, 1999 | November 12, 1999 |
On November 12, 1999, it was transformed into the Ministry of the Russian Federation for Communications and Informatization.

### Ministry of Communications and Informatization

It was established on November 12, 1999, on the basis of the State Committee of the Russian Federation for Telecommunications (Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of November 12, 1999, No. 1487).
| Name | Date of taking office | Date of removal from office |
| Leonid Reiman (b. 1957) | November 12, 1999 | March 9, 2004 |
On March 9, 2004, it was merged with the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation into the Ministry of Transport and Communications of the Russian Federation.

### Ministry of Transport and Communications

It was established on March 9, 2004, when the Ministry of the Russian Federation for Communications and Informatization and the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation merged (Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of March 9, 2004, No. 314).
| Name | Date of taking office | Date of removal from office |
| Igor Levitin (b. 1952) | March 9, 2004 | May 20, 2004 |
On May 20, 2004, it was divided into the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Information Technologies and Communications of the Russian Federation.

### Ministry of Information Technologies and Communications

Established on May 20, 2004, under the division of the Ministry of Transport and Communications of the Russian Federation (Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of May 20, 2004, No. 649).
| Name | Date of taking office | Date of removal from office |
| Leonid Reiman (b. 1957) | May 20, 2004 | May 12, 2008 |
On May 12, 2008, it was transformed into the Ministry of Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation.

### Ministry of Communications and Mass Media

It was established on May 12, 2008, on the basis of the Ministry of Information Technologies and Communications of the Russian Federation (Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of May 12, 2008, No. 724).
| Name | Date of taking office | Date of removal from office |
| Igor Shchegolev (b. 1965) | May 12, 2008 | May 21, 2012 |
| Nikolay Nikiforov (b. 1982) | May 21, 2012 | May 15, 2018 |
On May 15, 2018, it was renamed the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media (Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of May 15, 2018, No. 215).

### Ministry of Digital Development, Telecommunications and Mass Media

Formed on May 15, 2018, by renaming the Ministry of Communications and Mass Communications of the Russian Federation (Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of May 15, 2018, No. 215).
| Name | Date of taking office | Date of removal from office |
| Konstantin Noskov (b. 1978) | May 18, 2018 | January 21, 2020 |
| Maksut Shadaev (b. 1979) | January 21, 2020 | Present |