Podolia Governorate was an administrative-territorial unit (guberniya) of the Southwestern Krai of the Russian Empire. It bordered Volhynian Governorate to the north, Kiev Governorate to the east, Kherson Governorate to the southeast, Bessarabia Governorate to the south, and Austria to the west. Its administrative centre was Kamenets-Podolsky (Kamianets-Podilskyi), which later moved to Vinnitsa (Vinnytsia). The governorate covered part of Ukraine's Khmelnytskyi Oblast and most of Vinnytsia Oblast, along with the fractionally recognised state of Transnistria.

Location The Podolia Governorate occupied the southwestern frontier of the former Russian empire, bordering Austria-Hungary, and had an area of about 42,000 km2. The administrative centre was Kamenets-Podolskiy until 1914 when it moved to Vinnytsia.

Podolia Governorate was one of the three governorates of the Southwestern Krai administration. In 1917 it was recognized by the Russian Provisional Government to be governed by the General Secretariat of Ukraine as the representative of the Russian Provisional Government in the region.

History

The Government of Podolia was established right after the Second Partition of Poland in place of the former Podole and Bracław Voivodeships in 1793. The governorate became part of the Southwestern Krai along with Volhynia and Kiev. Its capital was located in Kamenets-Podolsky, and later moved to Vinnitsa.

Under the Russian Provisional Government administrative power in the governorates was transferred to commissars, who preserved their positions after the proclamation of Ukrainian People's Republic in November 1917. Their power was mostly nominal due to the growth of Bolshevik Soviet influence, especially in industrial areas. During that time Mykola Stakhovsky served as the gubernial commissar of Podolia.

After the return of Central Rada in March 1918 new commissars were appointed along with military commandants. After the establishment of the Hetmanate, in May 1918 those were replaced with Governorate starosts. As a result of administrative reforms of the Ukrainian SSR, in 1924-1925 the government was dissolved into five okruhas.

Administrative division

Uyezd subdivision Until 1918 the governorate consisted of 12 uyezds (counties):

County County Town Arms of County Town Area Population(1897 census) Transliteration name Russian Cyrillic Baltsky Балтский Balta 391,018 Bratslavsky Брацлавский Bratslav 241,868 Vinnitsky Винницкий Vinnitsa 248,314 Gaysinsky Гайсинский Gaysin 248,142 Kamenets-Podolsky Каменец-Подольский Kamenets-Podolsky 266,350 Letichevsky Летичевский Letichev 184,477 Litinsky Литинский Litin 210,502 Mogilyovsky Могилёвский Mogilyov 227,672 Novoushitsky Новоушицкий Novaya Ushitsa 223,312 Olgopolsky Ольгопольский Olgopol 284,253 Proskurovsky Проскуровский Proskurov 226,091 Yampolsky Ямпольский Yampol 266,300

Okruha subdivision

On 12 April 1923 all uyezds (counties) were transformed into okruhas (counties), while volosts (districts) – into raions (districts). Okruhas served as a subdivision of government until it was abolished on 1 August 1925. Together with the government of Podilia, the Haisyn okruha was dissolved as well. Some territory of Tulchyn okruha were included into the newly formed Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic.

Vinnytsia Haisyn Kamianets Mohyliv Proskuriv Tulchyn

Principal cities Russian Census of 1897:

Kamenets/Podolsky – 35 934 (Jewish – 16 112, Ukrainian – 9 755, Russian – 7 420) Vinnitsa – 30 563 (Jewish – 11 456, Ukrainian – 10 862, Russian – 5 206) Balta – 23 363 (Jewish – 13 164, Russian – 5 385, Ukrainian – 4 124) Proskurov – 22 855 (Jewish – 11 369, Ukrainian – 4 425, Russian – 3 483) Mogilev/Dnestr – 22 315 (Jewish – 12 188, Ukrainian – 6 512, Russian – 2 668) Zhmerinka – 12 908 Khmelnik – 11 657 (Jewish – 5 979, Ukrainian – 5 375, Polish – 150)

Smaller cities Bar – 9 982 (Jewish – 5 764, Ukrainian – 3 332, Russian – 485) Lityn – 9 420 (Jewish – 3 828, Ukrainian – 3 047, Russian – 2 126) Gaysin – 9 374 (Jewish – 4 322, Ukrainian – 3 946, Russian – 884) Olgopol – 8 134 (Ukrainian – 4 837, Jewish – 2 465, Russian – 625) Bratslav – 7 863 (Jewish – 3 275, Ukrainian – 2 608, Russian – 1 782) Letichev – 7 248 (Jewish – 4 105, Ukrainian – 1 719, Polish – 741) Yampol – 6 605 (Ukrainian – 3 282, Jewish – 2 819, Russian – 275) Novaya Ushytsa – 6 371 (Jewish – 2 214, Russian – 2 120, Ukrainian – 1 836) Staraya Ushytsa – 4 176 (Ukrainian – 2 488, Jewish – 1 584, Polish – 57) Salnitsa – 3 699 (Ukrainian – 2 758, Jewish – 899, Polish – 19) Verbovets – 2 311 (Ukrainian – 1 282, Jewish – 661, Polish – 326)

Languages

According to the Russian Empire Census on , the Podolia Governorate had a population of 3,018,299, including 1,505,940 men and 1,512,359 women. The majority of the population indicated Little Russian to be their mother tongue, with a significant Jewish speaking minority. + Linguistic composition of the Podolia Governorate in 1897 Language Native speakers Percentage Little Russian 2,442,819 80.93 Jewish 369,306 12.24 Great Russian 98,984 3.28 Polish 69,156 2.29 Romanian 26,764 0.89 German 4,069 0.13 Tatar 2,296 0.08 Bashkir 1,113 0.04 Czech 886 0.03 White Russian 834 0.03 Roma 510 0.02 Votyak 254 0.01 French 245 0.01 Chuvash 137 0.00 Mordovian 136 0.00 Latvian 112 0.00 Cheremis 101 0.00 Other languages 577 0.02 TOTAL 3,018,299 100.00 + Religious composition of the Podolia Governorate in 1897Faith Male Female Both Number Percentage Eastern Orthodox 1,180,148 1,178,349 2,358,497 78.14 Judaism 179,612 191,000 370,612 12.28 Roman Catholic 131,145 131,593 262,738 8.70 Old Believer 9,357 9,492 18,849 0.62 Lutheran 2,020 1,795 3,815 0.13 Islam 3,427 33 3,460 0.11 Armenian Apostolic 65 29 94 0.00 Reformed 30 26 56 0.00 Armenian Catholic 23 14 37 0.00 Karaite 11 13 24 0.00 Anglican 3 4 7 0.00 Mennonite 2 1 3 0.00 Baptist 1 1 2 0.00 Other Christian denomination 12 9 21 0.00 Other non-Christian denomination 84 0 84 0.00 Total 1,505,940 1,512,359 3,018,299 100.00

Religious structures Churches Eastern Orthodox 1645 Roman Catholic (kosciol) 202 Lutheran 4 Monasteries Eastern Orthodox 7 (male), 4 (female) Synagogues 89 other Shul(s) 438 Mosque(s) 1

See also Podolia

Notes

References