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History of the administrative division of Russia
1708–1710
1710–1713
1713–1714
1714–1717
1717–1719
1719–1725
1725–1726
1726–1727
1727–1728
1728–1744
1744–1764

This article covers the history of the administrative division of Russia from 1708 to 1744.

Contents 1 Administrative reform of 1708 2 1710–1726 3 Administrative reform of 1727 4 1728–1744 5 External link

Prior to the administrative division reform of 1708, the territory of Russia was subdivided into uyezds (districts, from Russian уезд) and volosts (small rural districts, from Russian волость). In 1708, in order to improve the manageability of the vast territory of the Russian Empire, Tsar Peter the Great issued an ukase (edict) dividing Russia into eight administrative divisions, called governorates (guberniyas).

The reform of 1708 did not set the borders of the governorates. Instead, the governorates were defined as the sets of cities and the lands adjanced to those cities. Some older subdivision types also continued to be used. Between 1710 and 1713, all governorates were subdivided into lots (Russian: доли). In 1719, Peter enacted another administrative reform to fix the deficiencies of the original system, as the governorates were too big and unmanageable. This reform abolished the system of lots, dividing most of the governorates into provinces (провинции), which were further divided into districts (дистрикты).

During this time, territories were frequently reshuffled between the governorates, and new governorates were added to accommodate population growth and territorial expansion. These changes are summarized by the following table:

Governorates of the Russian Empire (1708-1726)

1708-1709

Kazan

Ingermanland

Azov

Smolensk

1710-1712

Saint Petersburg

1713

Moscow

Riga

1714-1716

N. Novgorod

1717-1718

Astrakhan

1719-1724

Nizhny Novgorod

Reval

1725

Voronezh

1726

Smolensk

The Governorates of Arkhangelsk, Kiev and Siberia remained constant between 1708 and 1726.

In 1727, soon after Peter I's death, Catherine I enacted another reform, which cancelled a lot of previous reform's developments. The system of districts was abolished, and the old system of uyezds was restored. A total of 166 uyezds was re-established; together with the newly created uyezds, the Russian Empire had approximately 250.

The reform also reshuffled some territories. Narva Province was transferred from St. Petersburg Governorate to Revel Governorate; Solikamsk and Vyatka provinces were transferred from Siberian Governorate to Kazan Governorate; and Uglich and Yaroslav provinces were transferred from St. Petersburg Governorate to Moscow Governorate. In addition, the Belgorod, Oryol, and Sevsk provinces of Kiev Governorate were reconstituted as Belgorod Governorate; and Belozersk, Novgorod, Pskov, Tver, and Velikiye Luki provinces of St. Petersburg Governorate were reconstituted as Novgorod Governorate.

The following years saw few changes. In 1728, Ufa Province was transferred from Kazan Governorate to Siberian Governorate, and in 1737, Simbirsk Province was created within Kazan Governorate.

• (Russian) "Administrative territorial division of Russia in the 18th-20th centuries" («Административно-территориальное деление России XVIII—XX веков») "Otechestvennye Zapiski", No.6, 2002.