Administrative Reform (2004)

The structure of Government of the Russian Federation from the time the state formed in 1991 underwent several major changes. In the first years governing bodies, primarily different Ministries, were under massive reorganizations in order to adopt the older Soviet governing networks to the new form of state. Many reshufflings and renamings were made.

In July 2004 there was a major reform of the government when some ministries were split and some ministerial offices turned into agencies, some new services were established as government bodies. Resulting in 17 Ministries, 7 Federal Services and over 30 Federal Agencies.

In May 2008, after inaugurating of Dmitry Medvedev as president and Vladimir Putin becoming prime minister, another major reshuffling was made with several ministries being renamed, and agencies re-subordinated.

E. g. the Soviet-time "Ministry of communications of the RSFSR" was through 1990s transformed to "Ministry for communications and informatization" and in 2004 it was renamed to "Ministry of information technologies and communications (Mininformsvyazi)", and in 2008 — "Ministry of connections and mass communications (Minkomsvyaz)".

The "Ministry of press and information of the RSFSR" was in 1990s renamed to "Ministry of Press, Broadcasting and Mass Communications (Minpechati)" and in 2004 it was turned into the "Federal Agency on Press and Mass Communications (Rospechat)" which was no longer a standalone ministry but a subdivision to the "Ministry of Culture and Mass Communications" (originally "Ministry of culture of the RSFSR"). In 2008 it was re-subordinated back to "Minvsyazi".

On 28 November 1991 the President of the RSFSR Boris Yeltsin signed the Presidential Decree № 242 "On reorganization of the government bodies of the RSFSR" (Russian: "О реорганизации центральных органов государственного управления РСФСР"). This ukaz established structure of the Government of the RSFSR, included following structures:

The structure of the Government according to 2004 Administrative Reform was set up in President's ukaz of 28 July 2004 (with later corrections) "About structure of the federal executive bodies".

...
Wikipedia