Vilna Governorate

1795–1918 unit of Russia

Governorate in Northwestern, Russian Empire

Vilna Governorate

* Виленская губерния (Russian)
* Vilniaus gubernija (Lithuanian)
* Gubernia wileńska (Polish)

Governorate

Coat of arms

Location in the Russian Empire

Country| Russian Empire
Krai| Northwestern
Established| 1795
Abolished| 1918
Capital| Vilna
Area

• Total

| 41,907.9 km2 (16,180.7 sq mi)
Highest elevation

(Aukštojas Hill)

| 293.84 m (964.04 ft)
Population

(1897)

• Total

| 1,591,207
• Density| 38/km2 (98/sq mi)
• Urban

| 12.44%
• Rural

| 87.56%

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Vilna Governorate (light green), 1843–1915, with modern Lithuania outlined Vilna Governorate (light green), 1795–97, again with modern Lithuania outlined Vilna Governorate in 1897 Coat of arms of Vilna Governorate used since 1845

The Vilna Governorate[a] was a province (guberniya) of the Northwestern Krai of the Russian Empire. In 1897, the governorate covered an area of 41,907.9 square kilometres (16,180.7 sq mi) and had a population of 1,591,207 inhabitants. The governorate was defined by the Minsk Governorate to the south, the Grodno Governorate to the southwest, the Suwałki Governorate to the west, the Kovno and Courland Governorates to the north, and the Vitebsk Governorate to the east. The capital was located in Vilna (Vilnius). The city also served as the capital of Vilna Governorate-General, which existed until 1912. The area roughly corresponded to the Vilnius Region, which was later occupied by Germany, Bolsheviks, and Poland.

## History

[edit]

The first governorates, Vilnius Governorate (consisting of eleven uyezds or districts) and Slonim Governorate, were established after the third partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Just a year later, on December 12, 1796, by order of Tsar Paul I they were merged into one governorate, called the Lithuanian Governorate, with its capital in Vilnius.[1] By order of Tsar Alexander I on September 9, 1801, the Lithuanian Governorate was split into the Lithuania-Vilnius Governorate and the Lithuania-Grodno Governorate. After 39 years, the word "Lithuania" was dropped from the two names by Nicholas I.[2]

In 1843, another administrative reform took place, creating the Kovno Governorate (Kovno in Russian) out of seven western districts of the Vilnius Governorate, including all of Samogitia. The Vilnius Governorate received three additional districts: Vileyka and Dzisna from the Minsk Governorate and Lida from Grodno Governorate.[3] It was divided to districts of Vilnius, Trakai, Disna, Oshmyany, Lida, Vileyka and Sventiany. This arrangement remained unchanged until World War I. A part of the Vilnius Governorate was then included in the Lithuania District of Ober-Ost, formed by the occupying German Empire.

During the Polish–Soviet War, the area was annexed by Poland. The Council of Ambassadors and the international community (with the exception of Lithuania) recognized Polish sovereignty over the Vilnius region in 1923.[4] In 1923, the Wilno Voivodeship was created, which existed until 1939, when the Soviet Union occupied Lithuania and Poland and returned most, but not all, of the Polish-annexed land to Lithuania.

## Demographics

[edit]

From Stanisław Plater's estimates in 1825[5] Language  | People

|

Lithuanian | 780,000
Yiddish | 180,000
Polish | 100,000
Russians | 80,000
Ruthenians | 50,000
Tatars | 10,000
Total | 1,200,000

In 1834, the Vilnius Governorate had about 789,000 inhabitants; by 1897, the population had grown to about 1,591,000 residents[6] (37 per km2).

### Russian Empire Census

[edit]

According to the Russian Empire census on 28 January [O.S. 15 January] 1897, The Vilna Governorate had a population of 1,591,207, including 790,880 men and 800,327 women. The majority of the population indicated Belarusian to be their mother tongue, which followed by a significant Lithuanian and Jewish speakers.[7]

Linguistic composition of the Vilna Governorate in 1897[7] Language | Native speakers | Percentage

|
|

White Russian[b] | 891,903 | 56.05
Lithuanian | 279,720 | 17.58
Jewish | 202,374 | 12.72
Polish | 130,054 | 8.17
Great Russian[b] | 78,623 | 4.94
German | 3,873 | 0.24
Tatar | 1,969 | 0.12
Little Russian[b] | 919 | 0.06
Latvian | 471 | 0.03
Gypsi | 182 | 0.01
Others | 1,119 | 0.07
Total | 1,591,207 | 100.00
Religious composition of the Vilna Governorate in 1897[10] Faith | Male | Female | Both

|
|
|

Number | Percentage
Roman Catholic | 460,627 | 475,222 | 935,849 | 58.81
Eastern Orthodox | 214,225 | 201,070 | 415,295 | 26.10
Judaism | 98,193 | 106,493 | 204,686 | 12.86
Old Believer | 12,686 | 12,987 | 25,673 | 1.61
Lutheranism | 2,172 | 2,291 | 4,463 | 0.28
Islam | 2,572 | 1,803 | 4,375 | 0.27
Karaite | 251 | 325 | 576 | 0.04
Reformed | 92 | 85 | 177 | 0.01
Armenian Catholic | 22 | 25 | 47 | 0.00
Armenian Apostolic | 9 | 3 | 12 | 0.00
Mennonite | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0.00
Anglican | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0.00
Other Christian denomination | 19 | 16 | 35 | 0.00
Other non-Christian denomination | 10 | 4 | 14 | 0.00
Total | 790,880 | 800,327 | 1,591,207 | 100.00

Between 1944 and 1946, about 150,000 people, mostly but not all of Polish extraction left the area for Poland (about 10% of this group may have been Lithuanians hoping to escape Soviet rule). Between 1955 and 1959, another 46,000 Polish-speakers left Lithuania (see the Demographic history of the Vilnius region). Meanwhile, the Jewish population of the area, just as in the rest of Lithuania, was virtually exterminated by the Nazis during World War II. As of 2001, ethnic Lithuanians once again predominated within the city of Vilnius (59%), but the area of the former governorate as a whole remained about 62% Polish, with the percentage of Russians (8.6) and Belarusians (4.4) having dwindled to a tiny minority.[citation needed]

## Subdivisions

[edit]

The counties (uezd) of the Vilna Governorate in 1897 was composed of seven uezds as follows:[7]

County | Capital and the largest city | Arms of capital | Area | Population
(1897 census)

|
|
|
|

Transliteration name | Russian Cyrillic  |  | 1897[11]
Vileyskiy | Вилейскій | Vileyka | 3.560 |  | 6,363.13 km2
(2,456.82 sq mi) | 208,013
Vilenskiy | Виленскій | Vilna | 154.132 |  | 6,185.14 km2
(2,388.10 sq mi) | 363,313
Disnenskiy | Дисненскій | Disna | 6.756 |  | 5,779.30 km2
(2,231.40 sq mi) | 204,923
Lidskiy | Лидскій | Lida | 9.323 |  | 5,606.20 km2
(2,164.57 sq mi) | 205,767
Oshmyanskiy | Ошмянскій | Oshmyany | 7.214 |  | 6,885.39 km2
(2,658.46 sq mi) | 233,559
Smorgonskiy | Сморгонскій | Smorgon | \
 |  | 5,979.20 km2
(2,308.58 sq mi) | 241,565
Sventsyanskiy | Свѣнцянскій | Sventsyany | 6.025 |  | 5,228.03 km2
(2,018.55 sq mi) | 172,231
Trokskiy | Трокскій | Troki | 3.240 |  | 5,862.27 km2
(2,263.44 sq mi) | 203,401

## Ethnic composition

[edit]

Russian authorities periodically performed censuses. However, they reported strikingly different numbers:[12]

Year | Total  | Lithuanians  | Poles  | Belarusians  | Russians  | Jews  | Other

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1862  | 838,464  | 418,880 | 50%  | 154,386 | 18%  | 146,431 | 17%  | 14,950 | 2%  | 76,802 | 9%  | 27,035 | 3%
1865  | 891,715  | 210,273 | 24%  | 154,386 | 17%  | 418,289 | 47%  | 27,845 | 3%  | 76,802 | 9%  | 4,120 | 0%
1883  | 1,192,000  | 417,200 | 35%  | 281,312 | 24%  | 239,592 | 20%  | —  | 176,416 | 15%  | 77,480 | 7%
1897 | 1,561,713  | 274,414 | 18%  | 126,770 | 8%  | 880,940 | 56%  | 75,803 | 5%  | 197,929 | 13%  | 5,857 | 0%
1909  | 1,550,057  | 231,848 | 15%  | 188,931 | 12%  | 570,351 | 37%  | 408,817 | 26%  | 146,066 | 9%  | 4,094 | 0%

## Governors

[edit]

Name | In office

|

Yakov Bulgarov | 1797–1799
Ivan Friesell | 1799–1801
Dmitry Lanskoy | 1802–1804
Ivan Rickman | 1804–1806
Prokopy Bogmevsky | 1806–1808
Nikolay Brusilov | 1808–1810
Aleksandr Lavinsky | 1811–1816
Friedrich Drutsky-Lyubetsky | 1816–1823
Pyotr Gorn | 1823–1830
Dmitry Obreskov | 1830–1832
Grigory Doppelmayr | 1832–1836
Dmitry Bantysh-Kamensky | 1836–1838
Yuri Dolgorukov | 1838–1840
Aleksey Semyonov | 1840–1844
Nikolay Zherebtsov | 1844–1846
Mikhail Begichev | 1846–1851
Arkady Rosset | 1851–1857
Mikhail Pokhvisnev | 1857–1863
Ivan Galler | 1863–1863
Stepan Panyutin | 1863–1868
Ivan Shestakov | 1868–1869
Yegor Steblin-Kamensky | 1869–1882
Aleksandr Zhemchuzhnikov | 1882–1885
Nikolay Grevenits | 1885–1895
Aleksandr Frese | 1895–1896
Ivan Cheplevsky | 1896–1899
Nikolai Gruzinsky | 1899–1901
Viktor Wahl | 1901–1902
Konstantin Palen | 1902–1905
Sergey Tatishchev | 1905–1906
Dmitry Lyubimov | 1906–1912
Pyotr Veryovkin | 1912–1916
Aleksandr Tolstoy | 1916–1917

## See also

[edit]

* Ethnic history of the Vilnius region
* History of Vilnius
* Wilno Voivodeship
* Vileyka Voblast

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^

* Russian: Ви́ленская губе́рния, pre-reform orthography: Ви́ленская губе́рнія, romanized: Vílenskaya gubérniya
* Belarusian: Ві́ленская губе́рня, romanized: Vílenskaya hubérnya
* Lithuanian: Vilniaus gubernija
* Polish: Gubernia wileńska

2. ^ a b c Prior to 1918, the Imperial Russian Government classified Russians as the Great Russians, Ukrainians as the Little Russians, and Belarusians as the White Russians. After the creation of the Ukrainian People's Republic in 1918, the Little Russians identified themselves as "Ukrainian".[8] Also, the Belarusian Democratic Republic which the White Russians identified themselves as "Belarusian".[9]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Kulakauskas, Antanas (2002). "Administracinės reformos". Gimtoji istorija. Nuo 7 iki 12 klasės (in Lithuanian). Vilnius: Elektroninės leidybos namai. ISBN 9986-9216-9-4. Archived from the original on 2008-03-03. Retrieved 2008-01-01.
2. ^ "Литовская губерния". Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary (in Russian). 1890–1906.
3. ^ Simas Sužiedėlis, ed. (1970–1978). "Administration". Encyclopedia Lituanica. Vol. I. Boston, Massachusetts: Juozas Kapočius. pp. 17–21\. LCCN 74-114275.
4. ^ Jan Tomasz Gross. Revolution from Abroad: The Soviet Conquest of Poland's Western Ukraine and Western Belorussia. Princeton University Press. 2002. p. 3.
5. ^ Jeografia wschodniéy części Europy czyli Opis krajów przez wielorakie narody słowiańskie zamieszkanych : obejmujący Prussy, Xsięztwo Poznańskie, Szląsk Pruski, Gallicyą, Rzeczpospolitę Krakowską, Krolestwo Polskie i Litwę, p.206
6. ^ Vaitiekūnas, Stasys (2006). Lietuvos gyventojai: Per du tūkstantmečius (in Lithuanian). Vilnius: Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos institutas. pp. 79, 92. ISBN 5-420-01585-4.
7. ^ a b c Первая всеобщая перепись населения Российской Империи 1897 г. Распределение населения по родному языку и уездам 50 губерний Европейской России [The First General Census of the Russian Empire of 1897. Breakdown of population by mother tongue and districts in 50 Governorates of the European Russia]. www.demoscope.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2023-04-27.
8. ^ Hamm, Michael F. (2014). Kiev: A Portrait, 1800–1917. Princeton University Press. p. 83\. ISBN 978-1-4008-5151-5.
9. ^ Fortson IV, Benjamin W. (2011). Indo-European Language and Culture: An Introduction. John Wiley & Sons. p. 429\. ISBN 978-1-4443-5968-8.
10. ^ Первая всеобщая перепись населения Российской Империи 1897 г. Распределение населения по вероисповеданиям и регионам [The first general census of the population of the Russian Empire in 1897. Breakdown of population by religions and regions]. www.demoscope.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2023-04-28.
11. ^ "Демоскоп Weekly - Приложение. Справочник статистических показателей". www.demoscope.ru. Retrieved 2024-10-10.
12. ^ Nikolajew, Christina Juditha (2005). Zum Zusammenhang zwischen nationaler Identitätsbildung und Katholischer Kirche in Litauen (PDF) (in German). Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen. p. 16.[permanent dead link]

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Western Krai Governorates of the Russian Empire 1795–1912

Northwestern Krai|

* Vilna Governorate
* Kovno Governorate
* Grodno Governorate
* Minsk Governorate
* Mogilev Governorate
* Vitebsk Governorate

Southwestern Krai|

* Volhynia Governorate
* Podolia Governorate
* Kiev Governorate
* Kholm Governorate (from 1912)

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Subdivisions of the Russian Empire

Governorates
(List)|

* Azov¹
* +Altai²
* Arkhangelsk
* Archangelgorod
* Astrakhan
* Belgorod
* Bessarabia
* Bratslav
* Belarus
* Caucasus
* Chernigov
* Grodno
* Finland
* Iziaslav
* Ingermanland
* Irkutsk
* Kazan
* Kaluga
* Kiev (1708)
* Kiev
* Kharkov
* Kherson
* Kholm
* Kovno
* Kolyvan
* Kostroma
* Kursk
* Lithuania
* Little Russia (1764)
* Little Russia (1796)
* Minsk
* Mogilev
* Moscow
* Nikolayev
* Nizhny Novgorod
* Novgorod-Seversky
* Novgorod
* Novorossiya
* Olonets
* Orenburg
* Oryol
* Penza
* Perm
* *Petrograd²
* Podolia
* Polotsk
* Poltava
* Pskov
* Ryazan
* Samara
* Saint Petersburg
* Saratov
* Siberia
* Simbirsk
* Sloboda Ukraine
* Slonim
* Smolensk
* Stavropol
* Taurida
* Tambov
* Tver
* Tobolsk
* Tomsk
* Tula
* Ufa
* Vilna
* Vitebsk
* Vladimir
* Voznesensk
* Vologda
* Volhynia
* Voronezh
* Vyatka
* Vyborg
* Yaroslavl
* Yekaterinoslav
* Yeniseysk

| Baltic Governorates³|

* Courland
* Livonia
* Reval
* Riga
* Estonia

|

Governorates of Finland|

* Åbo-Björneborg
* Vasa
* Vyborg
* Kuopio
* Nyland
* St. Michel
* Tavastehus
* Uleåborg

Governorates of Poland|

* Avgustov
* Warsaw
* Kalish
* Keltsy
* Krakov
* Lomzha
* Lyublin
* Mazovia
* Petrokov
* Plotsk
* Podlyashye
* Radom
* Sandomir
* Sedlets
* Suvalki

Governorates of
Galicia and Bukovina|

* Lvov
* Peremyshl
* Tarnopol
* Chernovtsy

Oblasts|

* Belostok
* Bessarabia
* Don Host
* Caspian
* Kwantung
* Orenburg Kirghiz
* Omsk
* Taurida
* Tarnopol
* Yakutsk

| The Steppes|

* Akmolinsk
* Siberian Kirghiz
* Semipalatinsk
* Turgay
* Ural

|

Turkestan|

* Transcaspian
* Samarkand
* Semirechye Oblast
* Syr-Darya Oblast
* Turkestan
* Fergana

Priamurye|

* Amur
* Transbaikal
* Kamchatka
* Primorskaya
* Sakhalin

Caucasus Viceroyalty|

* Baku (Governorate)
* Black Sea
* Derbent
* Elizavetpol
* Erivan
* Georgia-Imeretia
* Georgia
* Kutaisi
* Shemakha
* Tiflis
* Armenian
* Batum
* Dagestan
* Imeretia
* Kars
* Kuban
* Terek
* Sukhumi
* Zakatal
* Baku (Gradonachalstvo)

Dependencies|

* Bukey Horde
* Emirate of Bukhara
* Khanate of Kokand
* Russian America
* *Uryankhay Krai²
* Khanate of Khiva
* Zeravshan Okrug

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.

54°41′00″N 25°17′00″E﻿ / ﻿54.6833°N 25.2833°E﻿ / 54.6833; 25.2833
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