History of the administrative division of Russia

The modern administrative-territorial structure of Russia is a system of territorial organization which is a product of a centuries-long evolution and reforms.

Early history

The Kievan Rus' as it formed in the 10th century remained a more or less unified realm under the rule of Yaroslav the Wise (d. 1054), but in the later part of the 11th century, it disintegrated into a number of de facto independent and rivaling principalities, the most important of which were Galicia–Volhynia, the Novgorod Republic, and Vladimir-Suzdal.

Following the advance of the Mongols and the establishment of the

Metropolitan of Kiev

.

From the 13th century, the Russian principalities used an administrative subdivision into

uyezds, with each such uyezd being subdivided into several volosts, some areas used division of pyatina. Voivodes

were the officials appointed to administer and defend the uyezds.

By the 15th century, the Grand Duchy of Moscow was recognized as a direct successor of the Grand Duchy of Vladimir. It gradually incorporated all left out adjacent smaller duchies such as the

Principality of Rostov and successfully conquered the Principality of Nizhny Novgorod-Suzdal, the Principality of Tver as well as the Novgorod Republic. Near the end of the 15th century the Golden Horde

fell apart into several smaller khanates and Muscovy for the first time became a sovereign state.

At the start of the 16th century, the Grand Duchy of Moscow managed to annex the

Siberia Khanate, Astrakhan Khanate, Great Nogai Horde and many others. Some of the territorial acquisitions, however, were lost during the Time of Troubles

.

Soon after the Time of Troubles (Treaty of Polyanovka), the Grand Duchy of Moscow was able to recover the Duchy of Smolensk (Smolensk Voivodeship) and later annex territory of Left-bank Ukraine (Truce of Andrusovo).

Prior to the 18th century, the

razryads (literally order of units) as part of military reform of 1680.^[1]

Moscow Razryad
Sevsk Razryad
Vladimir Razryad
Novgorod Razryad
Kazan Razryad
Smolensk Razryad
Ryazan Razryad
Belgorod Razryad, chartered in 1658 out of the Kiev Voivodeship
Tambov Razryad
Tula Razryad
Tobol Razryad, chartered no later than 1587 (first known Voivodeship)
Tom Razryad
Yenisei Razryad

During the 1680s, the Tsardom of Russia acquired a substantial expansion in

Yenisei to the Sea of Okhotsk was secured through colonization. The discovery of the Bering Strait in 1728 confirmed the eastern borders of modern Russia. The eastward advance through Siberia extended the Tobol Razryad transforming it into overstretched territory that was initially in 1708 included into Siberia Governorate

.

Imperial Russia

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

Administrative reforms by Peter the Great

Technically, the territorial-administrative reform started out in the

guberniyas), which replaced the 166 uyezds and razryads which existed before the reform:^[2]

Governorates of the Russian Empire (1708-1726)

1708-1710

Ingermanland

1710-1713

1713-1714

1714-1717

1717-1719

1719-1725

1725-1726

1726

The Governorates of

Siberia

remained constant between 1708 and 1726.

The reform of 1708 established neither the borders of the governorates nor their internal divisions.^[2] The governorates were defined as the sets of cities and the lands adjacent to those cities.^[2] Some older subdivision types also continued to be used.^[2] Between 1710 and 1713, all governorates were subdivided into lots (Russian: доли), each governed by a landrat (ландрат).^[2] Every governorate was administered by an appointed governor, who also headed a board of landrats. The lots' primary purpose was fiscal, and each one was supposed to cover 5,536 homesteads.^[3]

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 (Russian: дистрикты).

During this time, territories were frequently reshuffled between the governorates, and new governorates were added to accommodate population growth and territorial expansion.

in 1721 the Russian Empire possessed a multinational population of about 17.5 million population in all administrative districts. Out of the 13.5 million Russians, 5.5 million men were liable to the poll tax; 3 percent of them were townsmen and 97 percent peasants. Of the peasants, 25 percent cultivated church lands, 19 percent state lands, and the remainder worked the estates of some 100,000 families of secular landowners. Russia’s territory of about 4,633,200 square miles (12,000,000 square km) included some recent and valuable acquisitions.^[4]

Subsequent reforms

In 1727, soon after Peter the Great's death, Catherine I enacted another reform, which rolled back many of the 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 Saint Petersburg Governorate to Revel Governorate; Solikamsk and Vyatka Provinces were transferred from Siberia Governorate to Kazan Governorate; and Uglich and Yaroslavl Provinces were transferred from Saint Petersburg Governorate to Moscow Governorate. In addition, Belgorod, Oryol, and Sevsk Provinces of Kiev Governorate were reconstituted as Belgorod Governorate; and Belozersk, Novgorod, Pskov, Tver, and Velikiye Luki Provinces of Saint Petersburg Governorate were reconstituted as Novgorod Governorate.

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

Administrative reforms by Catherine the Great

By 1775, the existing system of administrative divisions proved inefficient, which was further underlined by Pugachev's Rebellion, and Catherine the Great issued a document known as Decree on the Governorates (Russian: Учреждение о губерниях).^[5] The second part of the same decree was issued in 1780, which, however, contained very few significant changes with respect to the first part.^[6]

A major administrative territorial restructuring of the

guberniya) were combined under the office of the Russian viceroy and were called namestnichestvo. Those namestnichestvo were introduced onto the expanded territory as well, the only exclusion were the governments of Moscow and Saint Petersburg. In 1796 all namestnichetvo were officially renamed into general governments. General governments exercised a small degree of autonomy as certain laws varied from general government to another.^[7]

Reforms in the 19th century

After the

self-rule. A number of mirs

were united into a typical volost, which had an assembly consisting of elected delegates from the mirs. The self-government of the mirs and volosts was tempered by the authority of the police commissaries (stanovoy) and by the power of general oversight given to the nominated "district committees for the affairs of the peasants".

Reforms in the 20th century

By the 1910s, 104 administrative governorate units existed.

Subdivisions of the Russian Empire, c. 1914
Russian		Anglicisation	Alternative Name(s)
Russian Cyrillic	Romanisation	Anglicisation	Alternative Name(s)
European Russia or Ruthenia
Great Russia
Muscovite Russia
Московская губерния	Moskovskaya guberniya	Moscow Governorate
Калужская губерния	Kaluzhskaya guberniya	Kaluga Governorate
Смоленская губерния	Smolenskaya guberniya	Smolensk Governorate
Тверская губерния	Tverskaya guberniya	Tver Governorate
Ярославская губерния	Yaroslavskaya guberniya	Yaroslavl Governorate
Костромская губерния	Kostromskaya guberniya	Kostroma Governorate
Нижегородская губерния	Nizhegorodskaya guberniya	Nizhny Novgorod Governorate
Владимирская губерния	Vladimirskaya guberniya	Vladimir Governorate
Рязанская губерния	Ryazanskaya guberniya	Ryazan Governorate
Тульская губерния	Tul'skaya guberniya	Tula Governorate
Орловская губерния	Orlovskaya guberniya	Oryol Governorate
Курская губерния	Kurskaya guberniya	Kursk Governorate
Воронежская губерния	Voronezhskaya guberniya	Voronezh Governorate
Тамбовская губерния	Tambovskaya guberniya	Tambov Governorate
Far North or Novgorodian Russia
Архангельская губерния	Arkhangel'skaya guberniya	Arkhangelsk Governorate
Олонецкая губерния	Olonetskaya guberniya	Olonets Governorate
Санкт-Петербургская губерния	Santk-Peterburgskaya guberniya	Saint Petersburg Governorate	Petrograd; formerly Swedish Ingria
Псковская губерния	Pskovskaya guberniya	Pskov Governorate
Новгородская губерния	Novgorodskaya guberniya	Novgorod Governorate	Veliky Novgorod
Вологодская губерния	Vologodskaya guberniya	Vologda Governorate
Little Russia or the Zaporizhian Host
Черниговская губерния	Chernigovskaya guberniya	Chernigov Governorate
Полтавская губерния	Poltavskaya guberniya	Poltava Governorate
Харьковская губерния	Khar'kovskaya guberniya	Kharkov Governorate
Northwestern Krai
Ковенская губерния	Kovenskaya guberniya	Kovno Governorate	Kaunas, Kowno
Виленская губерния	Vilenskaya guberniya	Vilna Governorate	Vilnius, Wilno
White Russia
Витебская губерния	Vitebskaya guberniya	Vitebsk Governorate	Vitebskas, Witebsk
Могилевская губерния	Mogilevskaya guberniya	Mogilev Governorate	Mogiliauas, Mohylaw
Black Russia
Минская губерния	Minskaya guberniya	Minsk Governorate	Minskas, Mińsk
Гродненская губерния	Grodnenskaya guberniya	Grodno Governorate	Gardinas
Right-Bank Ukraine )
Холмская губерния	Kholmskaya guberniya	Kholm Governorate	Chelmas, Chełm
Red Russia
Волынская губерния	Volynskaya guberniya	Volhynian Governorate	Volyn, Voluinė, Wołyń
Киевская губерния	Kiyevskaya guberniya	Kiev Governorate	Kyiev, Kijevas, Kijów
Подольская губерния	Podol'skaya guberniya	Podolia Governorate	Podolya, Podolien, Padole
Golden Horde
Khanate of Kazan
Пермская губерния	Permskaya guberniya	Perm Governorate
Вятская губерния	Vyatkskaya guberniya	Vyatka Governorate
Казанская губерния	Kazanskaya guberniya	Kazan Governorate
Уфимская губерния	Ufimskaya guberniya	Ufa Governorate
Оренбургская губерния	Orenburgskaya guberniya	Orenburg Governorate
Самарская губерния	Samarskaya guberniya	Samara Governorate
Симбирская губерния	Simbirskaya guberniya	Simbirsk Governorate
Пензенская губерния	Penzenskaya guberniya	Penza Governorate
Саратовская губерния	Saratovskaya guberniya	Saratov Governorate
Астраханская губерния	Astrakhanskaya guberniya	Astrakhan Governorate
New Russia or Little Tartary
Область Войска Донского	Oblast' Voiska Donskogo	Don Cossack Host
Екатеринославская губерния	Yekaterinoslavskaya guberniya	Ekaterinoslav Governorate
Херсонская губерния	Khersonskaya guberniya	Kherson Governorate	Yedisan
Таврическая губерния	Tavricheskaya guberniya	Taurida Governorate
Бессарабская губерния	Bessarabskaya guberniya	Bessarabian Governorate	Moldavia
Grand Principality of Finland (Swedish Österland)
Улеаборгская губерния	Uleaborgskaya guberniya	Uleaborg Governorate	Uleåborg, Oulu
Ва́заская губерния	Vázaskaya guberniya	Vaasa Governorate	Vaasa
Або-Бьернеборгская губерния	Abo-Byerneborgskaya guberniya	Abo-Byerneborg Governorate	Åbo och Björneborg, Turku ja Pori
Нюландская губерния	Nyulyandskaya guberniya	Nyland Governorate	Uusimaa
Тавастгусская губерния	Tavastgusskaya guberniya	Tavastehus Governorate	Häme
Санкт-Михельская губерния	Sankt-Mikhelskaya guberniya	Saint Michel Governorate	Mikkeli
Выборгская губерния	Vyborgskaya guberniya	Vyborg Governorate	Viipuri
Куопиоская губерния	Kuopioskaya guberniya	Kuopio Governorate
Baltic Governorates
Эстляндская губерния	Estlyandskaya guberniya	Estonia Governorate	Eestimaa, Estland; formerly Swedish Estonia
Лифляндская губерния	Liflyandskaya guberniya	Livonia Governorate	Liivimaa, Livland; formerly Swedish Livonia
Курля́ндская губерния	Kurlyandskaya guberniya	Courland Governorate	Kuršo, Kurzemes; formerly the Duchy of Courland
Vistula Krai or Congress Poland
Калишская губерния	Kalishskaya guberniya	Kalisz Governorate	Kalisz
Келецкая губерния	Keletskaya guberniya	Kelets Governorate	Kielce
Ломжинская губерния	Lomzhskaya guberniya	Lomzh Governorate	Łomża
Люблинская губерния	Lublinskaya guberniya	Lublin Governorate
Петроковская губерния	Petrokovskaya guberniya	Petrokov Governorate	Piotrków
Плоцкая губерния	Plotskaya guberniya	Plotsk Governorate	Płock
Радомская губерния	Radomskaya guberniya	Radom Governorate
Сувалкская губерния	Suvalkskaya guberniya	Suvalki Governorate	Suwałki
Варшавская губерния	Varshavskaya guberniya	Warsaw Governorate	Warszaw
Asian Russia or Great Tartary
Caucasus Viceroyalty
North Caucasus
Кубанская о́бласть	Kubanskaya oblast	Kuban Oblast
Черноморская губерния	Chernomorskaya guberniya	Black Sea Governorate	Circassia
Терская о́бласть	Terskaya oblast	Terek Oblast
Ставропольская губерния	Stavropol'skaya guberniya	Stavropol Governorate
Дагестанская о́бласть	Dagestanskaya oblast	Dagestan Oblast
South Caucasus
Сухумская округ	Sukhumskaya okrug	Sukhum Okrug	Abkhazia
Кутаисская губерния	Kutaisskaya guberniya	Kutais Governorate	formerly the Kingdom of Imereti
Батумская о́бласть	Batumskaya oblast	Batum Oblast
Тифлисская губерния	Tiflisskaya guberniya	Tiflis Governorate	Tbilisi; formerly the Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti
Закатальская округ	Zakatal'skaya okrug	Zakatal Okrug	Zaqatala
Бакинская губерния	Bakinskaya guberniya	Baku Governorate	Shirvan
Елизаветпольская губерния	Yelizavetpol'skaya guberniya	Elisavetpol Governorate	Ganja
Карсская о́бласть	Karsskaya oblast	Kars Oblast	Erzurum
Эриванская губерния	Erivanskaya guberniya	Erivan Governorate	Yerevan
Steppes Krai (Kazakh Khanate)
Уральская о́бласть	Ural'skaya oblast	Ural Oblast	formerly the Nogai Horde
Тургайская о́бласть	Turgayskaya oblast	Turgay Oblast
Акмолинская о́бласть	Akmolinskaya oblast	Akmolinsk Oblast	Akmola
Семипалатинская о́бласть	Semipalatinskaya oblast	Semipalatinsk Oblast
Russian Turkestan
Закаспийская о́бласть	Zakaspiyskaya oblast	Transcaspian Oblast	Transoxiana
Хивинское ханство	Khivinskoye khanstvo	Khanate of Khiva
Бухарский Эмират	Bukharskiy Emirat	Emirate of Bukhara
Самаркандская о́бласть	Samarkandskaya oblast	Samarkand Oblast
Ферганская о́бласть	Ferganskaya oblast	Fergana Oblast
Семиреченская о́бласть	Semirechenskaya oblast	Semirechye Oblast	"Seven Rivers"
Сырдарьинская о́бласть	Syrdar'inskaya oblast	Syr-Darya Oblast
Siberia
Тобольская губерния	Tobol'skaya guberniya	Tobolsk Governorate
Томская губерния	Tomskaya guberniya	Tomsk Governorate
Енисейская губерния	Yeniseyskaya guberniya	Yeniseysk Governorate
Иркутская губерния	Irkutskaya guberniya	Irkutsk Governorate
Забайкальская о́бласть	Zabaykal'skaya oblast	Transbaikal Oblast	Transbaikalia, Dauria
Якутская о́бласть	Yakutskaya oblast	Yakutsk Oblast	Yakutia, Sakha
Урянхайская край	Uryankhayskaya krai	Uryankhay Krai	Tuva
Russian Far East
Амурская о́бласть	Amurskaya oblast	Amur Oblast	Priamurye, Russian Manchuria
Приморская о́бласть	Primorskaya oblast	Primorskaya Oblast	"Maritime"
Камчатская о́бласть	Kamchatskaya oblast	Kamchatka Oblast
Сахалинская о́бласть	Sakhalinskaya oblast	Sakhalin Oblast

Soviet Russia

The

Russian SFSR comprised 16 autonomous republics, 5 autonomous oblasts, 10 autonomous okrugs, 6 krais, and 40 oblasts.^[when?

]

Uyezds and volosts were abolished by the Soviet administrative reform of 1923–1929. Raions may be roughly called a modern equivalent of the uyezds, and selsoviets may be considered a modern equivalent of the volosts.

Russian Federation

The subdivision type of

annexed

into Russia in 2022 but were not integrated into the Southern Federal District. All of the six regions that are under Russian occupation are internationally recognized as part of Ukraine.