The administrative division reform of 1708 was carried out by Russian Tsar Peter the Great in an attempt to improve the manageability of the vast territory of Russia. Prior to the reform, the country was subdivided into uyezds and volosts, and in the 17th century the number of the uyezds was 166.[1]
On, 1708, Peter issued an edict dividing Russia into eight governorates (guberniyas).[2] The edict established neither the borders of the governorates nor their internal divisions; instead, their territories were defined as the sets of cities and the lands adjacent to those cities. Some older subdivision types also continued to be used.
| Governorate | Name in Russian | Area | No. of homesteads | Modern divisions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archangelgorod Governorate | Russian: Архангелогородская губерния | 1317800km2 | 59,662 | Arkhangelsk, Murmansk, and Vologda Oblasts; part of Kostroma Oblast, the Republic of Karelia, and the Komi Republic |
| Azov Governorate | Russian: Азовская губерния | 393700km2 | 35,820 | Rostov, Tambov, and Voronezh Oblasts; eastern parts of Belgorod, Kursk, Oryol, Ryazan, and Tula Oblasts; parts of Penza Oblast and Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Luhansk Oblasts of Ukraine |
| Ingermanland Governorate | Russian: Ингерманландская губерния | 482500km2 | 105,977 | Leningrad, Novgorod, Pskov, and Tver Oblasts; southern part of Arkhangelsk Oblast; western parts of Vologda and Yaroslavl Oblasts; part of the Republic of Karelia |
| Kazan Governorate | Russian: Казанская губерния | 1398600km2 | 119,056 | Volga Region and the Republic of Bashkortostan; parts of Perm Krai and Ivanovo, Kostroma, Penza, and Tambov Oblasts; northern parts of the Republics of Dagestan and Kalmykia |
| Kiev Governorate | Russian: Киевская губерния | 231000km2 | 31,230 | Ukraine |
| Moscow Governorate | Russian: Московская губерния | 128600km2 | 190,770 | Moscow Oblast, parts of Ivanovo, Kaluga, Kostroma, Ryazan, Tula, and Vladimir Oblasts |
| Siberia Governorate | Russian: Сибирская губерния | 10978300km2 | 59,360 | Siberia, most of the Urals; parts of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Kirov Oblast and the Komi Republic |
| Smolensk Governorate | Russian: Смоленская губерния | 85400km2 | 35,130 | Smolensk Oblast
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