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Ruthenia Voivodeship (Latin: Palatinatus russiae, Polish: województwo ruskie, Ukrainian: Руське воєводство; 1366–1772) [1] was an administrative division of the Kingdom of Poland (see Kingdom of Poland (1320–1385), Kingdom of Poland (1385–1569), and Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (1569–1791)). Together with Bełz Voivodeship, it formed Lesser Poland Province with its capital city in Kraków. Part of Lesser Poland region. This region was later largely part of the Austrian province of Galicia and today is divided among Poland, Ukraine and Belarus.
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Settled in prehistoric times, the central-eastern European land that is now (sountern-eastern part in Poland, western in Ukraine) was overrun in pre-Roman times by various tribes, including the Celts, Goths and Vandals (Przeworsk culture). After the fall of the Roman Empire, of which most of eastern Poland was part (all parts below the San and Dniester), the area was invaded by Hungarians, Slavs and Avars. The region subsequently became part of the Great Moravian state. Upon the invasion of the Hungarian tribes into the heart of the Great Moravian Empire around 899, the Lendians of the area declared their allegiance to Hungarian Empire. The region then became a site of contention between Poland, Kievan Rus and Hungary starting in at least the 9th century.
Originally it was related to a certain territory between Bug and Wieprz rivers. Its Polish name was Ziemia czerwieńska, or "Czerwień Land" by the name of Cherven, a town that existed there. (Today there are several towns with this name, none of them related to Red Ruthenia).[2]
This area was mentioned for the first time in 981, when Volodymyr the Great of Kievan Rus took the area over on the way inside Poland. In 1018 it returned to Poland, 1031 back to Rus. For approximately 150 years it existed as the independent Ruthenian principality or kingdom of Halych-Volhynia, before being conquered by Casimir III of Poland in 1349. Since these times the name Ruś Czerwona is recorded, translated as "Red Ruthenia" ("Czerwień" means red color in Slavic languages or from Polish village Czermno), applied to a territory extended up to Dniester River, with priority gradually transferred to Przemyśl. Since the times of Władyslaw Jagiełło, the Przemyśl voivodeship was called Ruthenian Voivodeship (województwo ruskie), with the priority eventually transferred to Lwów. It consisted of five lands: Lwów, Sanok, Halicz, Przemyśl, and Chełm. The territory was then controlled by the Austrian Empire from 1772 to 1918, when it was known as the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria.
Seat of the Voivodeship Governor (Wojewoda):
Regional Sejmik (sejmik generalny) for all Ruthene lands
Seats of Regional Sejmik (sejmik poselski i deputacki):
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