A Brief Outline of Administrative Divisions

This framework was introduced by Peter I, reformed by Catherine II and remained in effect to 1917.

Guberniya - roughly equivalent to a state in the US. Governed by a governor general. There were 49 guberniya in European Russia. Not all government activity fell under the jurisdiction of the governor general: the educational system, post, railways and courts each were governed differently.

Uezd - made up a guberniya, roughly equivalent to a county, administered by a chief, sometimes translated as district into English.

Uchastok - this subdivision of the uezd was strictly for administrative purposes

There was another system of division, comparable to the district, called the circle, which did not necessarily have any relationship to the district. These were the subdivisions of the other spheres of government: education, etc., and military (for the purposes of conscription - i. e. draft). These circles were numbered independently. A given village could find itself in the first educational circle, the second court of peace circle and the first militiary circle. The other villages in each of these circles would not be the same. Circles were sometimes called rewir.

Volost - the smallest division, roughly equivalent to a town or village

On the establishment of the USSR, administration was reorganized.

Oblast replaced guberniya

Rayon replaced uezd (uyezd).

This division has been preserved in Belarus today.
Under Polish administration (between the world wars), administration was organized differently:

Wojewodstwo (voyevodship/vovoidship) replaced guberniya

Powiat replaced uezd

Changes in terminology could be accompanied by name changes and redrawing of boundaries!

The court system as reformed in 1864:

1. Courts of peace - were concerned with small civil and penal cases. The presiding officer was a justice of the peace.
2. Regional Courts - judged major cases, and were divided into civil and penal (criminal) divisions. Juries judged cases in the
regional courts.
3. Judicial Rooms - appellate court

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