President of The Council of State
Back in St. Petersburg, Konstantin devoted all his attention to the navy. He spent seven years reforming the Naval Department, altering laws and reorganizing trainings on recruits, and successfully managed to transform the previous often-grim conditions on board most vessels to meet modern standards and expectations. Corporal punishment was abolished in 1863 and the traditional system of naval recruitment was drastically altered.
Alexander II, who appreciated his brother's work, made Konstantin Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, where he presided over long sessions and recommended revolutionary measures to bring the laws of the Russian Empire in line with the other leading countries. In recognition of his services, Alexander II appointed him Chairman of the Council of Ministers in 1865. In all Konstantin was President of the Council of State for sixteen years. Though lacking in tact, he always had the Tsar's ear and defended the council's view. This also made him many enemies.
Konstantin presided over many Russian institutions; he was Chairman of the Russian Geographic Committee and president of several educational institutions, including the Russian Musical Society. A promoter of Slavic causes, he saw Russia's future in the East, nevertheless perceiving Russia's continued hold on Alaska as a burden to the Empire. He was instrumental in persuading his brother to sell it to the United States in 1867.
Read more about this topic: Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich Of Russia
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