The Podolian Voivodeship, uk, Подільське воєводство or Palatinate of Podolia was a unit of administrative division and local government in the
Kingdom of Poland
The Kingdom of Poland ( pl, Królestwo Polskie; Latin: ''Regnum Poloniae'') was a state in Central Europe. It may refer to:
Historical political entities
* Kingdom of Poland, a kingdom existing from 1025 to 1031
* Kingdom of Poland, a kingdom exi ...
, since 1434 until 1793, except for the period of
Ottoman occupation (1672–1699), when the region was organized as
Podolia Eyalet
Podolia Eyalet ( ota, Eyalet-i Kamaniçe) was an eyalet of the Ottoman Empire. Its capital was Kamianets-Podilskyi ( pl, Kamieniec Podolski; ua, Кам’янець-Подільський; tr, Kamaniçe).
History
In 1672, the Ottoman army, led ...
. Together with the
Bracław Voivodeship
The Bracław Voivodeship ( la, Palatinatus Braclaviensis; ; uk, Брацлавське воєводство, ''Braclavśke vojevodstvo'') was a unit of administrative division of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Created in 1566 as part of the ...
it formed the region of
Podolia
Podolia or Podilia ( uk, Поділля, Podillia, ; russian: Подолье, Podolye; ro, Podolia; pl, Podole; german: Podolien; be, Падолле, Padollie; lt, Podolė), is a historic region in Eastern Europe, located in the west-central ...
, which in the Kingdom of Poland was part of
Lesser Poland Province. Its capital was in
Kamianets-Podilskyi
Kamianets-Podilskyi ( uk, Ка́м'яне́ць-Поді́льський, russian: Каменец-Подольский, Kamenets-Podolskiy, pl, Kamieniec Podolski, ro, Camenița, yi, קאַמענעץ־פּאָדאָלסק / קאַמעניץ, ...
, where local
sejmik
A sejmik (, diminutive of ''sejm'', occasionally translated as a ''dietine''; lt, seimelis) was one of various local parliaments in the history of Poland and history of Lithuania. The first sejmiks were regional assemblies in the Kingdom of ...
s took place and where the seat of the
starosta was as well.
The voivodeship was created 1434, out of former
Duchy of Podolia
Duchy of Podolia ( uk, Подільське князівство, pl, Księstwo podolskie) was a historical state that previously was a part of Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia. The principality of Southwest Galicia–Volhynia, which was formed as a ...
, which had become part of the
Kingdom of Poland
The Kingdom of Poland ( pl, Królestwo Polskie; Latin: ''Regnum Poloniae'') was a state in Central Europe. It may refer to:
Historical political entities
* Kingdom of Poland, a kingdom existing from 1025 to 1031
* Kingdom of Poland, a kingdom exi ...
in the second half of the 14th century. After the second partition of Poland (see:
Partitions of Poland), it was seized by 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 in 1793 created the
Podolia Governorate
The Podolia Governorate or Podillia Governorate (), set up after the Second Partition of Poland, was a governorate (''gubernia'', ''province'', or ''government'') of the Russian Empire from 1793 to 1917, of the Ukrainian People's Republic from 1 ...
. Today the region belongs to Ukraine.
Zygmunt Gloger
Zygmunt Gloger (3 November 1845 in Tybory-Kamianka – 16 August 1910 in Warsaw) was a Polish historian, archaeologist, geographer and ethnographer, bearer of the Wilczekosy coat of arms. Gloger founded the precursor of modern and widely popu ...
in his monumental book ''Historical Geography of the Lands of Old Poland'' gives a detailed description of Podole Voivodeship:
In ancient times, Podole was a borderland of permanent Slavic settlements, behind which were steppes, inhabited by nomadic tribes. Proximity of these Barbaric tribes made it impossible for the Slavs to take full advantage of Podole, which is the most beautiful and the richest of all Slavic lands (...) For many years borders of Podole were not defined. The province was captured by the Tatar
The Tatars ()[Tatar]
in the Collins English Dictionary is an umbrella term for different s in the 13th century. They in return were chased away by the Lithuanians, who in the mid-14th century clashed here with Poland. Podole was in 1352 captured by Algirdas
Algirdas ( be, Альгерд, Alhierd, uk, Ольгерд, Ольґерд, Olherd, Olgerd, pl, Olgierd; – May 1377) was the Grand Duke of Lithuania. He ruled the Lithuanians and Ruthenians from 1345 to 1377. With the help of his bro ...
, and in 1396 King Wladyslaw Jagiello placed this land under Spytek of Melsztyn Spycimir, also Spyćmier, Spyćmir, Spyćmierz, Spićymierz, etc., is an old Polish masculine given name. Etymology: ''spyci-'': "in vain", ''-mir'': "peace". Diminutives: Spytko, Spytek. Its name day is 26 April.Bogdan Kupis, ''Nasze imiona'', 1991 ...
. Later on, Podole was ruled by Svitrigaila, and finally in 1434 the Sejm
The Sejm (English: , Polish: ), officially known as the Sejm of the Republic of Poland (Polish: ''Sejm Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej''), is the lower house of the bicameral parliament of Poland.
The Sejm has been the highest governing body of t ...
created Podole Voivodeship, naming Piotr Odrowaz the first voivode
Voivode (, also spelled ''voievod'', ''voevod'', ''voivoda'', ''vojvoda'' or ''wojewoda'') is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe since the Early Middle Ages. It primarily referred to the me ...
. Still, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state that existed from the 13th century to 1795, when the territory was partitioned among the Russian Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia, and the Habsburg Empire of Austria. The state was founded by Li ...
continued to claim this land, and the conflict was ended by the 1569 Union of Lublin
The Union of Lublin ( pl, Unia lubelska; lt, Liublino unija) was signed on 1 July 1569 in Lublin, Poland, and created a single state, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, one of the largest countries in Europe at the time. It replaced the pe ...
(...) If it had not been for thousands of Polish szlachta
The ''szlachta'' (Polish: endonym, Lithuanian: šlėkta) were the noble estate of the realm in the Kingdom of Poland, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth who, as a class, had the dominating position in the ...
families, who since the 14th century settled here, Podole would remain a deserted steppe (...)
Boundaries of the new voivodeship were as follows: in northwest it bordered Trembowla
Terebovlia ( uk, Теребовля, pl, Trembowla, yi, טרעבעוולע, Trembovla) is a small city in Ternopil Raion, Ternopil Oblast (province) of western Ukraine. It is an ancient settlement that traces its roots to the settlement of Tere ...
County of Ruthenian Voivodeship
The Ruthenian Voivodeship (Latin: ''Palatinatus russiae'', Polish: ''Województwo ruskie'', Ukrainian: ''Руське воєводство'', romanized: ''Ruske voievodstvo''), also called Rus’ voivodeship, was a voivodeship of the Crown of ...
, in the north it bordered Volhynian Voivodeship, while in the east it touched Braclaw Voivodeship
Bratslav ( uk, Брацлав; pl, Bracław; yi, בראָצלעוו, ''Brotslev'', today also pronounced Breslev or '' Breslov'' as the name of a Hasidic group, which originated from this town) is an urban-type settlement in Ukraine, located ...
. Whole southern and southwestern border went along the Dniestr
The Dniester, ; rus, Дне́стр, links=1, Dnéstr, ˈdⁿʲestr; ro, Nistru; grc, Τύρᾱς, Tyrās, ; la, Tyrās, la, Danaster, label=none, ) ( ,) is a transboundary river in Eastern Europe. It runs first through Ukraine and th ...
and the Stypa rivers (...) In its early years, Podole Voivodeship had a number of small counties, which were located around royal castles. In the 15th century, there were counties of Skala Podolska, Smotrycz, Bakota, Latyczow, Miedzyboz, Chmielnik, Zinkow, and Bar
Bar or BAR may refer to:
Food and drink
* Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages
* Candy bar
* Chocolate bar
Science and technology
* Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment
* Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud
* Bar (u ...
. Finally, in 1542 only three counties were established, at Czerwonogrod, Kamieniec and Latyczow (...)
In the 16th century, Podole Voivodeship had 37 towns, and according to the 1578 census, there were 650 villages. By 1583, the number of villages was reduced to only 434, due to constant Crimean Tatar raids. The voivodeship also had 35 castles and forts (...)
Podole Voivodeship had three senators: the Bishop, the Voivode and the Castellan
A castellan is the title used in Medieval Europe for an appointed official, a governor of a castle and its surrounding territory referred to as the castellany. The title of ''governor'' is retained in the English prison system, as a remnant o ...
of Kamieniec. Local starosta, who also used the title "General of Podolian Lands", governed two towns, those of Kamieniec and Latyczow. There also were starostas at Czerwonogrod, Bar, Chmielnik, Kopajgrod, Mukarow, Ploskirow and others. Sejmik
A sejmik (, diminutive of ''sejm'', occasionally translated as a ''dietine''; lt, seimelis) was one of various local parliaments in the history of Poland and history of Lithuania. The first sejmiks were regional assemblies in the Kingdom of ...
s took place at Kamieniec, where six deputies to the Sejm
The Sejm (English: , Polish: ), officially known as the Sejm of the Republic of Poland (Polish: ''Sejm Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej''), is the lower house of the bicameral parliament of Poland.
The Sejm has been the highest governing body of t ...
were elected, as well as two deputies to the Lesser Poland
Lesser Poland, often known by its Polish name Małopolska ( la, Polonia Minor), is a historical region situated in southern and south-eastern Poland. Its capital and largest city is Kraków. Throughout centuries, Lesser Poland developed a s ...
Tribunal at Lublin
Lublin is the ninth-largest city in Poland and the second-largest city of historical Lesser Poland. It is the capital and the center of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 336,339 (December 2021). Lublin is the largest Polish city east of t ...
(...) Podole Voivodeship had two border judges, who cooperated with officials of the Ottoman Porte
The Sublime Porte, also known as the Ottoman Porte or High Porte ( ota, باب عالی, Bāb-ı Ālī or ''Babıali'', from ar, باب, bāb, gate and , , ), was a synecdoche for the central government of the Ottoman Empire.
History
The nam ...
, solving border conflicts.
Municipal government
Voivodeship Governor (
voivode
Voivode (, also spelled ''voievod'', ''voevod'', ''voivoda'', ''vojvoda'' or ''wojewoda'') is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe since the Early Middle Ages. It primarily referred to the me ...
) seat:
*
Kamieniec Podolski
Kamianets-Podilskyi ( uk, Ка́м'яне́ць-Поді́льський, russian: Каменец-Подольский, Kamenets-Podolskiy, pl, Kamieniec Podolski, ro, Camenița, yi, קאַמענעץ־פּאָדאָלסק / קאַמעניץ, ...
General council (
sejmik generalny
A sejmik (, diminutive of ''sejm'', occasionally translated as a ''dietine''; lt, seimelis) was one of various local parliaments in the history of Poland and history of Lithuania. The first sejmiks were regional assemblies in the Kingdom of Pol ...
) for all
Ruthenia
Ruthenia or , uk, Рутенія, translit=Rutenia or uk, Русь, translit=Rus, label=none, pl, Ruś, be, Рутэнія, Русь, russian: Рутения, Русь is an exonym, originally used in Medieval Latin as one of several terms ...
n lands
*
Sądowa Wisznia
Regional council (sejmik poselski i deputacki) seats:
*
Kamieniec Podolski
Kamianets-Podilskyi ( uk, Ка́м'яне́ць-Поді́льський, russian: Каменец-Подольский, Kamenets-Podolskiy, pl, Kamieniec Podolski, ro, Camenița, yi, קאַמענעץ־פּאָדאָלסק / קאַמעניץ, ...
Administrative division
*
Kamieniec County (Powiat Kamieniecki),
Kamieniec Podolski
Kamianets-Podilskyi ( uk, Ка́м'яне́ць-Поді́льський, russian: Каменец-Подольский, Kamenets-Podolskiy, pl, Kamieniec Podolski, ro, Camenița, yi, קאַמענעץ־פּאָדאָלסק / קאַמעניץ, ...
*
Czerwonograd County (Powiat Czerwonogradzki),
Czerwonogród
Chervonohorod or Chervone (until 1970 uk, Червоне, formerly uk, Червоногород, pl, Czerwonogród), meaning "Red Town" (from the color of the earth), is a former town in Zalishchyky Raion, Ternopil Oblast of Ukraine, that wa ...
*
Latyczów County (Powiat Sanocki),
Latyczów
Letychiv ( uk, Летичів; pl, Latyczów; russian: Летичев) is a town in the eastern part of Khmelnytskyi Oblast (province) of western Ukraine. 51 km from Khmelnytskyi and 33 km from the railway station in Derazhnia. It was ...
Voivodes
*
Michał Buczacki (
House of Buczacki
The Buczacki plural: Buczaccy, feminine form: Buczacka was a Polish noble family. Magnates in the 14th and 15th century.
Notable members Generation 0
* Michał Adwaniec of Buczacz (died 1392) – the progenitor of the family, owner of Buczacz
...
)
*
Michał Mużyło Buczacki Michał () is a Polish and Sorbian form of Michael and may refer to:
* Michał Bajor (born 1957), Polish actor and musician
* Michał Chylinski (born 1986), Polish basketball player
* Michał Drzymała (1857–1937), Polish rebel
* Michał Hell ...
*
Stanisław Odrowąż (since 1535)
*
Mikołaj Mielecki (since 1569)
*
Tomasz Zamoyski
Tomasz Zamoyski (1594 – 7 January 1638) was a Polish-Lithuanian nobleman ( szlachcic) and magnate.
He travelled to London in July 1615 and was invited to hunt with King James at Theobalds. The master of ceremonies at the English court Lewis ...
(since 1618)
*
Marcin Krasicki (1630–1632/1633)
*
Marcin Kazanowski
Marcin Kazanowski, (1563/66The year of birth is not certain due to several conflicting sources – 19 October 1636) was a noble ( szlachcic), magnate, castellan of Halice from 1622, voivode of Podole Voivodeship from 1632 and Field Crown Hetma ...
(1632/1633–1636)
*
Stanisław "Rewera" Potocki (1636–1653)
*
Seweryn Rzewuski
Seweryn Rzewuski (; 13 March 1743 in Podhorce – 11 December 1811 in Vienna) was a Polish nobleman, writer, poet, general of the Royal Army, Field Hetman of the Crown, Voivode of Podolian Voivodeship and one of the leaders of the Targowica ...
Neighbouring Voivodeships and regions
*
Ruthenian Voivodeship
The Ruthenian Voivodeship (Latin: ''Palatinatus russiae'', Polish: ''Województwo ruskie'', Ukrainian: ''Руське воєводство'', romanized: ''Ruske voievodstvo''), also called Rus’ voivodeship, was a voivodeship of the Crown of ...
*
Volhynian Voivodeship
*
Kiev Voivodeship
The Kiev Voivodeship ( pl, województwo kijowskie, la, Palatinatus Kioviensis, uk, Київське воєводство, ''Kyjivśke vojevodstvo'') was a unit of administrative division and local government in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...
*
Bratslav Voivodeship
Bratslav ( uk, Брацлав; pl, Bracław; yi, בראָצלעוו, ''Brotslev'', today also pronounced Breslev or '' Breslov'' as the name of a Hasidic group, which originated from this town) is an urban-type settlement in Ukraine, located i ...
*
Moldavia
Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and former principality in Centr ...
Notes
Sources
Podole Voivodeship, description by Zygmunt Gloger''Central European Superpower'' Henryk Litwin, ''BUM Magazine'', October 2016.
{{coord, 48.673019, 26.586080, format=dms, display=title, type:landmark
Voivodeships of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
Early Modern history of Ukraine
States and territories established in 1434
Geographic history of Ukraine
1434 establishments in Europe
15th-century establishments in Poland
1793 disestablishments in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
History of Podolia