The paper explores the evolution of the Russian communications regulation system from the middle of the 1860s up to the early 1880s. It observes the main stages of reorganization of the postal and telegraph service during that period, with a special focus on formation of the united communications service during the middle of the 1860s. The next matter it deals with is the period of temporary suspension of trying to integrate the governmental management of the two means of communications. To be precise, it was formed by dissolution of the Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs in 1868 and abandoning the measures to join postal and telegraph offices in 1874. Thereafter the paper concerns such an aspect of the reform as repeated formation and liquidation of the Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs in 1880-1881. Special attention is devoted to identification and analyses of the purposes of the postal and telegraph reform and the reasons of its failure.