| Conventional Long Name: | Kamchatka Oblast |
| Common Name: | Kamchatka |
| Status Text: | Oblast of the Russian Empire |
| Capital: | Petropavlovsk |
| Year Start: | 1803 |
| Year End: | 1922 |
| Image Map2: | 1856. Card from set of geographical cards of the Russian Empire 152.jpg |
| Flag: | Flag of Russia |
| P1: | Irkutsk Governorate |
| S1: | Kamchatka Governorate |
| Today: | Russia |
| Stat Area1: | 1301271.746 |
| Stat Pop1: | 37,300[1] |
| Stat Year2: | 1911 |
| Life Span: | 1849–1856 1909–1922 |
Kamchatka Oblast (Russian: Камчатская область|Kamchatskaya oblast') was the administrative-territorial unit (oblast) of the Russian Empire. The oblast corresponds with the modern day Kamchatka Krai.
Originally, the Kamchatka Oblast was part of the Irkutsk Governorate and was formed on August 23, 1803. The center of the Oblast was appointed Verkhne-Kamchatsk, on April 21, 1812, the administration of the region was transferred to Petropavlovsk harbor. In 1822 the Oblast was abolished. Instead, in the Irkutsk Governorate, the Kamchatka Maritime Administration was established with its center in Petropavlovsk.
In 1849, the Kamchatka Oblast was re-established from the Kamchatka Maritime Administration and the Gizhiginsky District of the Okhotsk Maritime Administration. However, already in 1856, the Kamchatka Oblast was abolished, and its territory became part of the Primorskaya Oblast.
By the law of June 30, 1909, the Kamchatka Oblast was created for the third time. The Oblast included Petropavlovsk, Okhotsk, Gizhiginsky, Anadyr Uyezds and the Commander Islands, separated from the Primorskaya Oblast. At the same time, in the territory of Chukotka (part of the Anadyr Uyezd) the Chukotka Uyezd was formed. In 1922, the Kamchatka Oblast was transformed into the Kamchatka Governorate.[2]
Administrative divisions in 1909:[3]
| № | Uezd | Center | Coat of arms | Area,versts² | Population (1911) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Petropavlovsky | Petropavlovsk | 339,697,1 | 10,200 | ||
| 2 | Anadyrsky | Novo-Mariinsk | 458,476,6 | 12,700 | ||
| 3 | Gizhiginsky | Gizhiginsk | 185,347,7 | 8,100 | ||
| 4 | Komandorsky | — | 1,524,0 | 1,300 | ||
| 5 | Okhotsk | Okhotsk | 158,365,4 | 5,000 | ||
| 6 | Chukotsky | — | — | — |
| № | City | Population (1897) | Included in | Coat of arms | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aklansk | 0 people (completely abandoned) | Gizhiginsky district | ||
| 2 | Nizhnekamchatsk | 107 people | Petropavlovsk district |
"In the silver shield there are three knolls or black fire-breathing mountains (middle one in front of the other two) with a scarlet flame and smoke above them. The shield is crowned with the ancient royal crown and is surrounded by golden oak leaves, connected by the Alexander Ribbon".
According to the census of 1897, the population of the Kamchatka Oblast is sparse in numbers, which is also indicated by the population density, the Commander district is clearly distinguished among the general districts, in which the average population density is 10 times more.
The population of the districts of the Kamchatka Oblast for 1897:[4]
| District | Area, square versts | Area, square kilometers | Density, person per square kilometer | Men | Women | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anadyr | 458 476,6 | 521 774,91 | 0,02 | 5 941 | 6 143 | 12 084 | |
| Gizhiginsky | 185 347,7 | 210 937,22 | 0,04 | 3 837 | 3 655 | 7 492 | |
| Commander | 1 524,0 | 1 734,41 | 0,38 | 322 | 329 | 651 | |
| Okhotsk | 158 365,4 | 180 229,68 | 0,03 | 2 394 | 2 338 | 4 732 | |
| Petropavlovsk | 339 697,1 | 386 596,44 | 0,02 | 4 241 | 4 124 | 8 365 | |
| Kamchatka Oblast | 1 143 411 | 1 301 272,66 | 0,03 | 16 735 | 16 589 | 33 324 |
| Name | Title or rank | Time of filling the post | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pavel Koshelev | Major general | August 11, 1803 – November 14, 1806 | |
| Ivan Petrovsky | Major general | November 14, 1806 – January 23, 1813 | |
| Ilya Rudakov | Lieutenant | January 23, 1813 – May 1817 | |
| Peter Ricord | Captain 1st rank | May 1817 – 1822 |
| Name | Title or rank | Time of filling the post | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vasily Perfilyev | Active State Councillor | July 22, 1909 – June 18, 1912 | |
| Nikolay Monomahov | Active State Councillor | June 18, 1912 – 1917 |
| Name | Title or rank | Time of filling the post | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evgeny Bodungen | Collegiate Assessor | July 8, 1909 – 1913 | |
| Alexander Chaplinsky | Active State Councillor | 1914–1917 |