The history of the appearance of the first provinces on the territory of Tsarist Russia dates back to 1708. This type of territorial unit lasted until 1929. In this way, the division of the territory of the state into smaller administrative units was carried out, similar to the regional division.
The history of the appearance of the Smolensk province
During the creation of eight provinces by Peter I in 1708, Smolensk province was formed among others. The lands of this region were previously part of one territorial entity and were located in the European part of the country. Smolensk province existed until 1929, later becoming a region during the reformation of the territory of the Soviet Union. Smolensk was considered the main provincial city.
The specific location of the lands of this territorial unit of Tsarist Russia ensured proximity and economic activity with most other provinces.
The province bordered on the following lands:
• Tver province (north and northeast);
• Moscow and Kaluga (from the east);
• Oryol (from the south -east);
• Chernihiv (from the south);
• Mogilev (from the west);
• Vitebsk and Pskov (from the northwest).
Reformation of the Lands
The newly formed Smolensk province consisted of about seventeen cities. The largest of them: Roslavl, Smolensk, Bely, Vyazma, Dorogobuzh. However, in 1713 the province was disbanded, its largest part went to the provincial part of the Riga province.
Subsequently, thirteen years later, it was partially restored. It included five counties: Dorogobuzh, Belsky, Smolensky, Vyazemsky and Roslavl. Due to territorial changes, seven new counties were included: Kasplyansky, Elninsky, Krasninsky, Gzhatsky, Sychevsky, Porechsky, Ruposovsky. A few years later, Ruposovsky and Kasplinsky counties were transformed into Yukhnovsky and Dukhovshchinsky. And only in 1796 the governorship was reformatted again into the province.
In the period from 1802 to 1918, twelve counties were included in the lists of the Smolensk province. The smallest territory was occupied by Sychevsky - 2825 square miles.
Administrative territorial districts of the Smolensk province:
• Yukhnovsky;
• Vyazemsky;
• Belsky;
• Gzhatsky;
• Dukhovshchinsky;
• Elninsky; • Sychevsky;
• Dorogobuzh;
• Roslavl;
• Smolensk;
• Porechsky;
• Krasninsky.
Bcounties, 241 volosts, 4130 rural societies and about 14 thousand more settlements were registered. In addition, there were eight settlements and about 600 villages on the territory of the province. The rest of the settlements were farms, small villages, farms. The length of the Smolensk province was 340 versts (one verst corresponds to modern 1067 meters). Its territory totaled a little over 49,212 square miles.
Population
According to the 1897 census, the population of the Smolensk province amounted to just over one and a half million inhabitants. Less than ten percent of the population lived in cities, about 121 thousand citizens. Before the abolition of serfdom in 1761, the number of serfs reached 70% of the total population.
Smolensk province had the highest rate of unfree people among all the provinces of Tsarist Russia. On average, there were about 60 serfs per nobleman. By the end of the 19th century, there were 13 monasteries, 763 churches and one community in the Smolensk province. The percentage of the clergy was 0.6% of the total number of living citizens. Smolensk Governorate as a separate territorial unit ceased to exist in 1929, and its lands were annexed to the Western Region.
Industry and agriculture by region
The villages of the Smolensk province were famous for their skilled tanners and weavers. Local residents were mainly engaged in agriculture, cultivated cereals: rye, oats, buckwheat, wheat. In the Rostislav district, it was grownmillet in a small amount. Hemp and flax were cultivated in the Vyazemsky and Sychevsky counties. In the village of Tesovo, Sychevsky district, there was a flax-water station. Weaving and spinning mills were located in the village of Yartsevo, Dukhovshchina district. Match and leather production functioned in the Rostislav district. The production of casting crystal products and timber processing was also widespread. In Belsky - tar and brick business.
Smolensk province was famous for its gardens. They were mainly engaged in breeding various varieties of apple trees, plums and pears. Apples were sold to Moscow. But Smolensk province was famous not only for its agriculture.
Smolensk district
This region was the most densely populated compared to other lands. The local inhabitants conducted trade business mainly with the Lithuanians. Roslavl county was mainly engaged in agricultural activities.
Only here grew buckwheat, barley and millet. For the first time, the Smolensk Agrarian Society was created for the development of agriculture. There were warehouses of agricultural machines and implements. The introduction of a plow to replace the plow was very productive. The tools, made by local craftsmen, were not inferior to the factory standard.
By 1880, there were 954 factories and factories in the Smolensk province. In the next eighteen years, the number of factories and factories increased by eight hundred units. In particular, cheese dairies developed and improved, most of which were in the eastern districts of the province.
Conclusion
Aboutabout 1000 years ago it became clear that for the effective functioning of the state, division into administrative-territorial units is necessary. The first mentions date back to the 10th century AD. Princess Olga divided the Novgorod lands into graveyards. Later, in the 15th century, Ivan the Terrible divided the Novgorod territory into pyatins. At the beginning of the 18th century, the concept of provinces and counties was introduced. It was they who became the prototype of modern regions and districts.
