Smolensk Governorate


Smolensk Governorate, or the Government of Smolensk, was an administrative division of the Tsardom of Russia, the Russian Empire, and the Russian SFSR, which existed, with interruptions, between 1708 and 1929.
Smolensk Governorate, together with seven other governorates, was established on, 1708, by Tsar Peter the Great's edict. 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.

History

On, 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.
After the October Revolution, Smolensk Governorate was base of independent Western Oblast/Western Commune, Soviet Socialist Republic of Belarus, Lithuanian–Belorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, and finally incorporated into the Russian SFSR.
Eventually, on January 14, 1929, Smolensk Governorate was abolished and its territory was included into Western Oblast.

Subdivisions

Smolensk Governorate, together with seven other governorates, was established on, 1708, by Tsar Peter the Great's edict. 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.
At the time of establishment, the following thirty cities were included into Smolensk Governorate,
#City#City#City
1.Smolensk7.Meshchevsk13.Serpeysk
2.Belyaya8.Mosalsk14.Staritsa
3.Borisovo Gorodishche9.Odoyev15.Vorotynsk
4.Dorogobuzh10.Peremyshl16.Vyazma
5.Kozelsk11.Pogoreloye Gorodishche17.Zubtsov
6.Likhvin12.Roslavl--

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,
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
,

Language