Azov Governorate (russian: Азовская губерния, ''Azovskaya guberniya'') was an administrative division (a ''
guberniya'') of the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
, which existed from 1775 to 1783. The administrative seat of the Azov Government was in
Belyov Fortress and later in
Yekaterinoslav
Dnipro, previously called Dnipropetrovsk from 1926 until May 2016, is Ukraine's fourth-largest city, with about one million inhabitants. It is located in the eastern part of Ukraine, southeast of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on the Dnieper Rive ...
.
Geography and history
Azov Governorate was located in the northeastern Azov littoral region and covered only the southern half of the previously existing Azov Governorate of 1708-25. The new division was created from the southern
Bakhmut Province of
Voronezh Governorate
Voronezh Governorate (russian: Воронежская губерния, ''Voronezhskaya guberniya''; uk, Воронізька губернія) was an administrative division (a '' guberniya'') of the Tsardom of Russia, the Russian Empire, and th ...
and the self-governed frontier region of
Slavo-Serbia
Slavo-Serbia or Slaveno-Serbia ( uk, Слов'яносербія, Slov'ianoserbiia; russian: Славяносербия, Slavyanoserbiya; sr, Славеносрбија / or / ; Slavonic-Serbian: Славо-Сербія or Славено-Се� ...
, but primarily it was based on the recently created and quickly liquidated
lands of the Don Host. Some of the lands of the Azov Governorate had been acquired by Russia from the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
per the terms of the
Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca
The Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca ( tr, Küçük Kaynarca Antlaşması; russian: Кючук-Кайнарджийский мир), formerly often written Kuchuk-Kainarji, was a peace treaty signed on 21 July 1774, in Küçük Kaynarca (today Kayn ...
(signed in 1774) that were lost in 1711 due to the
Pruth River Campaign
The Russo-Ottoman War of 1710—1711, also known as the Pruth River Campaign, was a brief military conflict between the Tsardom of Russia and the Ottoman Empire. The main battle took place during 18-22 July 1711 in the basin of the Pruth rive ...
in the
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
n region. In terms of the modern administrative division of Russia, the southern part of
Rostov Oblast was part of the second Azov Governorate. In terms of modern Ukraine, most of
East Ukraine
Eastern Ukraine or east Ukraine ( uk, Східна Україна, Skhidna Ukrayina; russian: Восточная Украина, Vostochnaya Ukraina) is primarily the territory of Ukraine east of the Dnipro (or Dnieper) river, particularly Khark ...
was part of the Azov Governorate.
To the west it bordered the
Novorossiysk Governorate
Novorossiya Governorate (russian: Новороссийская губерния, Novorossiyskaya guberniya, New Russia Governorate; uk, Новоросійська губернія), was a governorate of the Russian Empire in the previously O ...
(
Kremenchug) created out of the recently liquidated
Zaporizhian Sich
The Zaporozhian Sich ( ua, Запорозька Січ, ; also uk, Вольностi Вiйська Запорозького Низового, ; Free lands of the Zaporozhian Host the Lower) was a semi-autonomous polity and proto-state of C ...
, to the south - the
Azov Sea and the
Kuban region (under the
suzerainty of
Crimean Khanate
The Crimean Khanate ( crh, , or ), officially the Great Horde and Desht-i Kipchak () and in old European historiography and geography known as Little Tartary ( la, Tartaria Minor), was a Crimean Tatar state existing from 1441 to 1783, the long ...
), to the northwest - the
Sloboda Ukraine Governorate
The Kharkov Governorate ( pre-reform Russian: , tr. ''Khárkovskaya gubérniya'', IPA: �xarʲkəfskəjə ɡʊˈbʲernʲɪjə ) was a governorate of the Russian Empire founded in 1835. It embraced the historical region of Sloboda Ukraine. From ...
(
Kharkov
Kharkiv ( uk, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest city and municipality in Ukraine. ), to the north - the
Voronezh Governorate
Voronezh Governorate (russian: Воронежская губерния, ''Voronezhskaya guberniya''; uk, Воронізька губернія) was an administrative division (a '' guberniya'') of the Tsardom of Russia, the Russian Empire, and th ...
, and to the east - the
Astrakhan Governorate
The Astrakhan Governorate () was an Imperial, Republican, and Soviet Russian administrative division (), which existed from 1717 – 1929. Created from separating the southwestern part of the Kazan Governorate, by Peter I's Reform in 1717. And ...
. The Azov Governorate was also in charge of a number of fortresses around the Crimean peninsula that Russia received from Ottoman Empire and the city of
Kerch
Kerch ( uk, Керч; russian: Керчь, ; Old East Slavic: Кърчевъ; Ancient Greek: , ''Pantikápaion''; Medieval Greek: ''Bosporos''; crh, , ; tr, Kerç) is a city of regional significance on the Kerch Peninsula in the east of t ...
which controls the
Strait of Kerch
The Kerch Strait, uk, Керченська протока, crh, Keriç boğazı, ady, Хы ТӀуалэ is a strait in Eastern Europe. It connects the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, separating the Kerch Peninsula of Crimea in the west f ...
and access to the
Black Sea
The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Rom ...
.
Included territories
''In 1775:''
* lands: Bakhmut Province (including
Slavo-Serbia
Slavo-Serbia or Slaveno-Serbia ( uk, Слов'яносербія, Slov'ianoserbiia; russian: Славяносербия, Slavyanoserbiya; sr, Славеносрбија / or / ; Slavonic-Serbian: Славо-Сербія or Славено-Се� ...
) and portions of the
Don Host Oblast
The Province (Oblast) of the Don Cossack Host (, ''Oblast’ Voyska Donskogo'') of Imperial Russia was the official name of the territory of Don Cossacks, coinciding approximately with the present-day Rostov Oblast of Russia. Its site of admini ...
* fortresses: Saint Demetrius (today part of
Rostov-on-Don),
Yeni-Kale, Tor (
Sloviansk
Sloviansk ( uk, Слов'янськ, Sloviansk ; russian: Славянск, Slavyansk or ; prior to 1784 – Tor) is a city in the Kramatorsk district of the Donetsk region of Ukraine, the administrative center of the Slovyansk urban commun ...
with adjacent lands), and Kinburn (including the Ochakov steppe, former Prohnoyivska palanka)
* cities:
Taganrog
Taganrog ( rus, Таганрог, p=təɡɐnˈrok) is a port city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, on the north shore of the Taganrog Bay in the Sea of Azov, several kilometers west of the mouth of the Don River. Population:
History of Taganrog
Th ...
and
Kerch
Kerch ( uk, Керч; russian: Керчь, ; Old East Slavic: Кърчевъ; Ancient Greek: , ''Pantikápaion''; Medieval Greek: ''Bosporos''; crh, , ; tr, Kerç) is a city of regional significance on the Kerch Peninsula in the east of t ...
* New Dnieper Line (fortification line)
''1776:''
* Yekaterine Province from Novorossiysk Governorate
* the autonomous administration in
Slavo-Serbia
Slavo-Serbia or Slaveno-Serbia ( uk, Слов'яносербія, Slov'ianoserbiia; russian: Славяносербия, Slavyanoserbiya; sr, Славеносрбија / or / ; Slavonic-Serbian: Славо-Сербія or Славено-Се� ...
was discontinued
Beginning around the 1780s, the Azov Governorate was divided into counties (
uyezd
An uezd (also spelled uyezd; rus, уе́зд, p=ʊˈjest), or povit in a Ukrainian context ( uk, повіт), or Kreis in Baltic-German context, was a type of administrative subdivision of the Grand Duchy of Moscow, the Russian Empire, and the ea ...
). The governorate was divided into two provinces,
Yekaterine and
Bakhmut which in turn were divided into a total of nine
uyezd
An uezd (also spelled uyezd; rus, уе́зд, p=ʊˈjest), or povit in a Ukrainian context ( uk, повіт), or Kreis in Baltic-German context, was a type of administrative subdivision of the Grand Duchy of Moscow, the Russian Empire, and the ea ...
s.
In less than ten years the government of Azov once again was liquidated after it was merged along with the
Novorossiysk Governorate
Novorossiya Governorate (russian: Новороссийская губерния, Novorossiyskaya guberniya, New Russia Governorate; uk, Новоросійська губернія), was a governorate of the Russian Empire in the previously O ...
into the
Vice-royalty of Yekaterinoslav in 1783.
List of uyezds
*
Novomoskovsky Uyezd
Novomoskovsky Uyezd () was one of the subdivisions of the Yekaterinoslav Governorate of the Russian Empire. It was situated in the northwestern part of the governorate. Its administrative centre was Novomoskovsk.
Demographics
At the time of the ...
(Yekaterinoslavsky)
*
Alexandrovsky Uyezd
Alexandrovsky Uyezd (russian: Александровский уезд) was an administrative division (an uyezd) of Arkhangelsk Governorate of the Russian Empire and later of the Russian SFSR.
The origins of Alexandrovsky Uyezd trace back to Kols ...
*
Pavlogradsky Uyezd (Pavlovsky)
*
Mariupolsky Uyezd
Mariupolsky Uyezd () was one of the subdivisions of the Yekaterinoslav Governorate of the Russian Empire. It was situated in the southeastern part of the governorate. Its administrative centre was Mariupol.
Demographics
At the time of the Russia ...
*
Konstantinogradsky Uyezd
*
Taganrogsky Uyezd
*
Bakhmutsky Uyezd Bakhmutsky Uyezd (''Бахмутский уезд'') was one of the subdivisions of the Yekaterinoslav Governorate of the Russian Empire. It was situated in the eastern part of the governorate. Its administrative centre was Bakhmut.
Demographics
At ...
*
Slovyansky Uyezd
*
Tsarychansky Uyezd
Administration
The Azov Government along with Novorossiysk, Astrakhan, and Saratov governments united under the Potyomkin's Novorossiysk General Government
* 1775-1779
Grigory Potemkin
Prince Grigory Aleksandrovich Potemkin-Tauricheski (, also , ;, rus, Князь Григо́рий Алекса́ндрович Потёмкин-Таври́ческий, Knjaz' Grigórij Aleksándrovich Potjómkin-Tavrícheskij, ɡrʲɪˈɡ ...
The administration of the governorate was performed by a governor. The governors of the second Azov Governorate were
* 1775–1781 Vasily Alexeyevich Chertkov;
* 1781-? Georgy Gavrilovich Gersevanov.
Nationality
* By the Imperial census of 1778.
Language Statistics of 1897
References
External links
*
*
{{Use mdy dates, date=April 2012
Governorates of the Russian Empire
States and territories established in 1775
1775 establishments in the Russian Empire
1783 disestablishments in the Russian Empire
1770s in Ukraine
1780s in Ukraine
Sea of Azov