Appearance of such self-governing body as zemstvo (country council) was driven by historical factors. In 1861 after, the abolition of serfage, it was necessary to create a different form of control over the territories of the Russian Empire.

Alexander II allocated responsibilities for this matter to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The Special commission valid from 1858 was created. Primarily development of the new reform weighed on Nikolay Milyutin’s (1818-1872) conscience, later on Pyotr Valuev (1815-1890) went into the question.

As a result the Decree on Provincial and County Institutions was created and affirmed by the Emperor in 1864. Its first article said, “For managing the affairs referring to the local administrative profits and needs of each governorate and each uyezd, The Governorate and Uyezd County Institutions are formed. Their structure and conditions are defined by the following Decree.”

County Institutions consisted of governorate, county gatherings, and county members chosen to be members of the county gatherings.

The election system was based on three curias. The first one consisted of prosperous landlords. The second one consisted of merchantry, tradespeople, and manufacturers. The third curia consisted of the nobility, clergy, and peasantry. In the main two curias material position was considered, the third one had elections in three stages based on the certain procedure.

Number of the county members varied, the uyezd territory and its social structure was considered. The county assemblies along with the governorate ones were the regulatory authorities within the frame of local government. They had large powers from budget authorization to construction of the city buildings, roads, and other social institutions. The county assemblies controlled the county councils as well.

The head of nobility or the head appointed by the territorial administration had the managing functions in the county assembly. The county assemblies chose the governorate members from their own members. The governorate heads of the nobility administered them.

Borisoglebsk County Assembly Journal consists of a number of documents on all kinds of county activities in Borisoglebsk uyezd of Tambov Governorate.