Smolensk Governorate, together with seven other governorates, was established on December 29 [O.S. December 18], 1708, by an edict from TsarPeter the Great.[1] As with the rest of the governorates, neither the borders nor internal subdivisions of Smolensk Governorate were defined; instead, the territory was defined as a set of cities, and section of lands adjacent to those cities.[2]
History
On July 28 [O.S. July 17], 1713, Smolensk Governorate was abolished and its territory was divided between Moscow and Riga Governorates. Smolensk Province was created as a result. The governorate was re-established in 1726, and Smolensk Province was re-incorporated into the Governorate. In 1775, it was included, along with parts of Moscow and Belgorod Governorates, into Smolensk Viceroyalty. The governorate was again restored in 1796.
Eventually, on January 14, 1929, Smolensk Governorate was abolished and its territory was incorporated into Western Oblast.
Subdivisions
Smolensk Governorate, together with seven other governorates, was established on December 29 [O.S. December 18], 1708, by TsarPeter the Great's edict.[1] As with the rest of the governorates, neither the borders nor internal subdivisions of Smolensk Governorate were defined; instead, the territory was defined as a set of cities and the lands adjacent to those cities.[2]
At the time of establishment, the following thirty cities were included into Smolensk Governorate,[1]
Cities included into Smolensk Governorate at the time of its establishment
In 1713, when Smolensk Governorate was abolished and merged into Riga Governorate, the following five uyezds were established in the area formally occupied by the governorate (the administrative centers are given in parentheses),[3]
After Smolensk Governorate was re-established in 1726, it was subdivided into these five uyezds.
In 1775, Smolensk Viceroyalty was subdivided into 12 uyezds, which remained when it was transformed back to a governorate in 1802
(the administrative centers, which all had the town status, are in parentheses),[3]
¹ Italics indicates renamed or abolished governorates, oblasts, etc on 1 January 1914. ² An asterisk (+) indicates governorates formed or created with renaming after 1 January 1914. ³ Ostsee or Baltic general-governorship was abolished in 1876.
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