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Mironov Collection

Archive Collection description: MRN

Pyotr Vasilievich Mironov Collection: The Russian Government Committee in London (1914-1939)

An online catalogue for this collection is available. Please type MRN into the search field to find the catalogue.

Colonel Pyotr Vasilievich Mironov was a military engineer who was seconded to Great Britain to buy arms for the Russian Army particularly during World War One. He served within the Russkago Pravitel´stvennago Komiteta v Londone (Russian Government Committee in London) procuring weapons and military equipment. After the Revolution in Russia he remained in Britain and was employed along with Colonel Belaiew and other officers as part of the Russian Liquidation Committee, set up by HM Treasury to assess the extent of Russian liabilities.

The main aim of the Russian Government Committee was the commissioning, procurement and shipping of supplies of armaments to Russia, especially during World War One. It was closed by its President, General Hermonius on 31 May 1918 after the British War Cabinet suspended the manufacture of ammunitions for Russia on 30 November 1917. At its peak the Committee employed 738 staff. Its successor organisation was the Russian Liquidation Committee, constituted by HM Treasury under the Chairmanship of H G Levick. (Reference: 'Memorandum in regard of claims of British firms against late Russian Government Committee in London' by Mironov MRN/1/4).

Contents

The collection is arranged in fourteen files in two series:

MRN/1 contains five files comprising agreements with the British government on Russian orders for armaments and other supplies, details of the orders placed including quantities, price and producing company, correspondence and communications regarding shipment details, details of sailings of ships between the United Kingdom and Russia. It also includes material regarding the Russian Government's ability to pay for orders placed as well as accounts and general material of the Russian Government Committee in London. The five files are:

  • MRN/1/1 Papers of the Russian Government Committee in London (1914-1918)

  • MRN/1/2 Papers regarding shipments (1916-1920)

  • MRN/1/3 Technical reports and papers (1914-1917)

  • MRN/1/4 Financial reports and papers (1916-1939)

  • MRN/1/5 General papers (1915-1917)
MRN/2 consist of nine files in a series entitled 'Boevoe snabzhenie russkoi armii v´ voinu 1914-1918gg. i rol´ uchastiya v´ nem´ zagranichnago rynka. Po dokumentam´ Russkago Pravitel´stvennago Komiteta v´ Londone', written by Mironov. (Translation: Wartime supplies to the Russian army during the 1914-1918 war and the role played by foreign markets. Based on documents of the Russian Government Committee in London).

(Language) English and Russian

The papers are available subject to the usual conditions of access to Archives and Manuscripts material, after the completion of a Reader's Undertaking.

Photocopies/photographs/microfilm are supplied for private research only at the Archivist's discretion. Please note that material may be unsuitable for copying on conservation grounds, and that photographs cannot be photocopied in any circumstances. Researchers who wish to publish material must seek copyright permission from the copyright owner.


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This page last modified Friday 11 September 2009.