Chairman of the State Duma Chairman of the State Duma The Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation (), also called "Speaker" (), is the presiding officer of the lower house of the Russian parliament. His responsibilities include overseeing the day-to-day business of the State Duma presiding and maintaining order at the regular sessions of the parliament. The Speaker also chairs the Council of the Duma which includes representatives from all the parliamentary parties and determines the legislative agenda. The Speaker of the Duma may intervene and express his views but is supposed to be unbiased in his activities
Duma junior boyars collectively within the Russian Tsardom. In 1721 Peter the Great transferred its functions to the Governing Senate. Contemporary sources always refer simply to "the boyars" or to "the duma", but never to the "boyar duma". Originally there were ten to twelve boyars and five or six "paddu". By 1613 the duma had increased to twenty boyars and eight "okol'nichii". Lesser nobles, "duma gentlemen" ("dumnye dvoriane") and secretaries, were added to the duma and the number of "okol'nichii" rose in the latter half of the 17th century. In 1676 the number of boyars increased to 50 - by then