The article discusses the formal structure of one-two-page printed edicts (ukases) published from 1714 to 1724 in Peter the Great’s reign (104 un.). It’s claimed that the documents of that period had some obligatory and non-obligatory requisite formulas (in titles, place and date of publishing, confirmation of authenticity, signature) and more or less strict composition with the causative, directive and other parts which can be defined through conjunctions, numerals and punctuation marks. Syntactic and verbal features of the directive part of the text (subject - predicate coordination in a modal frame) help to demonstrate the hierarchy of the edicts as a result of the hierarchy of the subjects of power. Educative function of the text and the way of nomination different types of addressee (mass and special ones) are also discussed in the article in their connection with the modern rules of document communication.