Sergey Yulyevich Vitte

Prime minister in Imperial Russia, one of the key figures in the political arena at the end of 19th and at the beginning of the 20th century.

Witte served under the last two emperors of Russia, Alexander III and Nicholas II. As Minister of Finance Witte presided over extensive industrialization and the management of various railroad lines. He framed the October Manifesto of 1905, and the accompanying government communication, but was not convinced it would solve Russia's problem with the Tsarist autocracy.

On 20 October 1905 he became the first Chairman of the Russian Council of Ministers (Prime Minister). Assisted by his Council he designed Russia's first constitution. Within a few months, he fell into disgrace within court circles as a reformer. He resigned before the First Duma assembled.

Witte, was a highly influential econometrician. He has been described as the 'great reforming finance minister of the 1890s', 'one of Nicholas's most enlightened ministers', and the architect of Russia's new parliamentary order in 1905.