Vilna Governorate
The Vilna Governorate (1801-1840 often called Lithuania-Vilna Governorate) (Russian: Виленская губерния, Vilenskaya guberniya, Lithuanian: Vilniaus gubernija, Polish: gubernia wileńska) or Government of Vilna was a governorate (guberniya) of the Russian Empire created after the Third Partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1795. It was part of the Lithuanian General Governorate, which was called the Vilnius General Governorate after 1830, and was attached to the Northwestern Krai. The seat was in Vilna (Vilnius) where the Governors General resided.
History
The first governorates, Vilna Governorate (consisting of eleven uyezds or districts) and Slonim Governorate, were established after the third partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Just a year later, on December 12, 1796, by order of Tsar Paul I they were merged into one governorate, called Lithuania Governorate, with its capital in Vilnius.[1] By order of Tsar Alexander I on September 9, 1801 Lithuania Governorate was split into the Lithuania-Vilna Governorate and the Lithuania-Grodno Governorate. After thirty nine years, the word "Lithuania" was dropped from the two names by Nicholas I.[2] In 1843 another administrative reform took place, creating Kovno Governorate out of seven western districts of the Vilna Governorate, including all of Samogitia. Vilna Governorate received three additional districts: Vileyka and Dzisna from Minsk Governorate and Lida from Grodno Governorate.[3] This arrangement remained unchanged until World War I. A part of it was then included in the Lithuania District of Ober-Ost, formed by the occupying German Empire.
During the Polish-Soviet War the area was annexed by Poland, and in 1923 the Wilno Voivodeship was founded here, which existed until 1939.
Demographics
In 1834 the governorate had about 789,000 inhabitants; in 1897 the population grew to about 1,591,000 souls[4] (37 per square kilometer) and consisted of 56,1 percent Belorussians, 17,6 percent Lithuanians, 12,7 percent Jews and 8,2 percent Poles.[5]
Subdivisions
Governors General residing in Vilnius
Ethnic composition
Russian authorities periodically performed censuses. However, they reported strikingly different numbers:[6]
| Year |
Total |
Lithuanians |
Poles |
Belarusians |
Russians |
Jews |
Other |
| 1862 |
838,464 |
418,880 |
50% |
154,386 |
18% |
146,431 |
17% |
14,950 |
2% |
76,802 |
9% |
27,035 |
3% |
| 1865 |
891,715 |
210,273 |
24% |
154,386 |
17% |
418,289 |
47% |
27,845 |
3% |
76,802 |
9% |
4,120 |
0% |
| 1883 |
1,192,000 |
417,200 |
35% |
281,312 |
24% |
239,592 |
20% |
|
- |
176,416 |
15% |
77,480 |
7% |
| 1897 |
1,561,713 |
274,414 |
18% |
126,770 |
8% |
880,940 |
56% |
75,803 |
5% |
197,929 |
13% |
5,857 |
0% |
| 1909 |
1,550,057 |
231,848 |
15% |
188,931 |
12% |
570,351 |
37% |
408,817 |
26% |
146,066 |
9% |
4,094 |
0% |
See also
References