Little Russia Governorate

Little Russia Governorate may refer to:

• Little Russia Governorate (1764–1781)
• Little Russia Governorate (1796–1802)
• Little Russia Governorate-General [uk; ru] (1802–1856)

1764–1781

Little Russia Governorate Малороссийская губерния (Russian)
Governorate of the Russian Empire
1764–1781
Coat of arms
Capital	Hlukhiv (1764–1773) Kozelets (1773–1775) Kiev (1775–1781)
Government
Governor
• 1764–1781	Pyotr Rumyantsev[1]
Legislature	Little Russian Collegium
History
• Established	12 December 1764
• Disestablished	27 February 1781
Political subdivisions	regiments (polks)
Preceded by Succeeded by Cossack Hetmanate Kiev Viceroyalty Chernigov Governorate Novgorod-Seversky Viceroyalty
Today part of	Chernihiv Oblast, Bryansk Oblast, Kyiv Oblast, Poltava Oblast, Cherkasy Oblast, Sumy Oblast, Kharkiv Oblast

The First Little Russia Governorate^[a] or Malorossiya Governorate, was an administrative-territorial unit (guberniya) of the Russian Empire, which existed in 1764–1781. It was created after the abolition of Cossack Hetmanate and was governed by Pyotr Rumyantsev.

With another administrative reform of 1781 the governorate and its subdivisions (regiments) were liquidated and replaced with vice-royalties divided into counties (uezds).

Subdivisions

The governorate was divided into 10 regiments (polk) which were equivalent to counties (uezd).

• Starodub Regiment [uk] (1663–1782)
• Kyiv Regiment [uk]
• Pereiaslav Regiment [uk]
• Nizhyn Regiment
• Chernihiv Regiment
• Pryluky Regiment
• Lubny Regiment
• Myrhorod Regiment
• Hadiach Regiment
• Poltava Regiment

Coat of arms

Cossack with musket, official coat of arms of the Cossack Hetmanate

Until 1767 the coat of arms for the governorate was Cossack with musket when it was replaced with the Russian double headed eagle.

1796–1802

Little Russia Governorate Малороссийская губерния (Russian)
Governorate of the Russian Empire
1796–1802
Coat of arms
Capital	Chernigov
History
• Established	12 December 1796
• Disestablished	27 February 1802
Preceded by Succeeded by Kiev Viceroyalty Novgorod-Seversky Viceroyalty Chernigov Viceroyalty Chernigov Governorate Poltava Governorate
Today part of	Ukraine

Little Russia Governorate^[b] or Malorossiya Governorate was an administrative-territorial unit (guberniya) of the Russian Empire that encompassed most of modern-day northeastern Ukraine, then given the historical designation of Little Russia, and adjacent regions in Russia.

The Governorate was formed in 1796 under the administrative reforms of Paul I which abolished the viceroyalty (namestnichestvo) system, which in turn replaced the regimental administration of the Cossack Hetmanate in 1781. This placed the Kiev Viceroyalty (excluding the city of Kiev itself), Novgorod-Seversky Viceroyalty and Chernigov Viceroyalty under the new unit. The administrative centre was the city of Chernigov (Chernihiv).

However, the extensive area which the new unit covered was too great for effective administration, and in February 1802 the Governorate was split into Chernigov Governorate and Poltava Governorate.

Notes

1. • Russian: Малороссийская губерния, pre-1918: Малороссiйская губернiя, romanized: Malorossiyskaya guberniya
   • Ukrainian: Малоросійська губернія
2. • Russian: Малороссийская губерния, pre-1918: Малороссiйская Губернiя, romanized: Malorossiyskaya guberniya

References

1. Pyotr Rumyantsev at the Encyclopedia of Ukraine

External links

• Little Russia Governorate in the Encyclopedia of History of Ukraine