Administrative divisions of Russia in 1708–1710

Major events

The administrative division reform of 1708 was carried out by the Russian tsar Peter the Great in an attempt to improve the manageability of the vast territory of the Russian Empire. On December 29 (December 18 in the Julian calendar), 1708, Peter issued an ukase (edict) dividing Russia into eight governorates ("guberniyas"). Before 1708 the territory of Russia was subdivided into "uyezds" (districts) and "volosts" (smaller rural districts).

The edict did not set the borders of the governorates. Instead, the governorates were defined as the sets of cities and the lands adjacent to those cities. Some older subdivision types also continued to be used.

ubdivisions (as of 1709)

*Archangelgorod Governorate (Архангелогородская губерния)
**"Area": 1,317,800 km²
*Azov Governorate (Азовская губерния)
**"Area": 393,700 km²
*Ingermanland Governorate (Ингерманландская губерния)
**"Area": 482,500 km²
*Kazan Governorate (Казанская губерния)
**"Area": 1,398,600 km²
*Kiev Governorate (Киевская губерния)
**"Area": 231,000 km²
*Moscow Governorate (Московская губерния)
**"Area": 128,600 km²
*Siberian Governorate (Сибирская губерния)
**"Area": 10,978,300 km²
*Smolensk Governorate (Смоленская губерния)
**"Area": 85,400 km²

References

* [http://www.hist.msu.ru/ER/Etext/gub1708.htm Указ об учреждении губерний и о росписании к ним городов] , Электронная библиотека Исторического факультета МГУ им. М.В.Ломоносова