The article is devoted to the informal relations between the president of the Berg-Manufactories-Collegium Ya. V. Bruce and his subordinate captain V. N. Tatishchev in 1720-1721 in the context of Tatishchev’s state activity. It is shown that In March 1720, Tatishchev was headed the Collegium’s expedition to the Urals, and in addition to official reports, he simultaneously sent letters to Bruce. Tatishchev preferred not to record the letters in the official paperwork of the expedition. At the same time, Bruce considered it possible to transfer these letters to the Collegium. As a comparative analysis of reports and letters shows, about the part of his controversial decisions Tatishchev preferred to report in private correspondence with Bruce, and not at the reports to the Collegium. In addition, in the letters of Bruce, he more fully and openly explained his decisions. This was possible due to the fact that between Bruce and Tatishchev, there existed not only formal relations between the head and subordinate, but also established informal relations between the patron and the client, within the framework of which Tatishchev could count on additional support from Bruce in management decisions. As a result, Tatishchev made more courageous decisions, and also put forward extraordinary ideas. Thus, informal relations contributed to the implementation of the reforms of Peter I in the Urals. In the annex to the article published two letters sent by Tatishchev to Bruce from Moscow on April 6 and 14, 1720.