It has been suggested that
Little Russia Governorate (1764–1781) be
merged into this article. (
Discuss) Proposed since October 2023. |
Little Russia Governorate Малороссийская губерния | |||||||||||||||
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Governorate of the Russian Empire | |||||||||||||||
1796–1802 | |||||||||||||||
Capital | Chernigov | ||||||||||||||
History | |||||||||||||||
• Established | 12 December 1796 | ||||||||||||||
• Disestablished | 27 February 1802 | ||||||||||||||
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Today part of | Ukraine |
Little Russia Governorate [a] 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.