On A.D. Sheremetev’s fire reform project in Russia

Introduction . One of the directions of the state policy in the fi eld of fi re safety is the improvement of national standards in the fi eld of protection of the population from the fi re threat, which should be developed not only taking into account modern challenges and threats, but also based on the historical traditions of state management of the fi re protection of Russia, including pre-revolutionary ones. The purpose of this article is to eliminate gaps in the history of the development of the fi re protection of the Russian Empire at the end of the 19th century on the basis of archival data; to identify the reasons for the failed attempt of the fi re reform in Russia; show the progressive ideas of Count A.D. Sheremetev to reform the fi re service in Russia: the fi rst attempt to unite fi refi ghting teams of different types into a single fi re-fi ghting organization, the creation of a single governing body for fi refi ghting teams and the inclusion of voluntary fi refi ghting teams in a unifi ed state system of fi re control. Main part . This paper presents the main provisions of the fi re reform project by A.D. Sheremetev. Archival data from A.D. Sheremetev’s papers in the Russian State Historical Archive (RSHA), allowing to explain little-known chapters of the United Russian Fire-Fighting Society history, are introduced into scientifi c expression. The reasons for the need to implement fi re reform in Russia are explained. The discussion on the ways of reforming the fi re protection of the Russian Empire is considered. The role of A.D. Sheremetev is defi ned not only in the formation of national fi refi ghting voluntary work, but also in the development and discussion of reforming the country’s fi refi ghting industry. Conclusions . The fi re reform project presented by A.D. Sheremetev clearly illustrates the process of fi lling the state function on emergency prevention and response with specifi c content and shows the dynamics of such specifi cation after the registration of this function in 1853.