Southwestern Krai (Russian: Юго-западный край|Yugo-zapadny kray), also known as Kiev General Governorate or Kiev, Podolia, and Volhynia General Governorate (Russian: Киевское, Подольское и Волынское генерал-губернаторство|Kievskoye, Podol'skoye i Volynskoye general-gubernatorstvo) was an administrative-territorial and political subdivision (a krai) of the Russian Empire in 1832–1914.[1] It has a special status established for the gradual political and economical integration and assimilation of the non-Russian (Ukrainian, Jewish, Polish, Tatar) population of right-bank Ukraine within the Russian Empire.[1]
The Southwestern Krai or the Governor General of Kiev, Podolia and Volhynia consisting of three gubernias, the Volhynia, the Podolia and the Kiev Governorate, was supposedly incepted on January 22, 1832 when Vasily Levashov, was appointed the Military Governor of Kiev and the General Governor of Podolia and Volhynia. However a position of Kiev Military Governor existed since 1796.
Separately there existed the Governor General of Little Russia and the Governor General of New Russia and Bessarabia.
From 1881 the territory of the Governorate General was de facto expanded to five Gubernias as Governor General Alexander Drenteln was also appointed the temporary Governor General of Chernigov and Poltava governorates (former governorates of the Governor General of Little Russia).
In 1889 the Governorate General original jurisdiction of only three gubernias was restored. It existed in this form until 1915 when the territorial unit was abolished. Fyodor Trepov was the last General Governor of Kiev.
In 1912 the Kholm Governorate, a former governorate of the Congress Poland, was detached from it, and attached to the Kiev General Governorate.