Southwestern Krai
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Not to be confused with Kiev Governorate.
Southwestern Krai (Юго-западный край), also known as Kiev General Governorate or Kiev, Podolia and Volhynia General Governorate (Russian: Киевское, Подольское и Волынское генерал-губернаторство) was, was a subdivision (Krai) of the Imperial Russia that included much of the territory of modern-day Ukraine covering both banks of the Dnieper River.
The Governorate General consisted of several governorates (gubernias) and, unlike the gubernia's whose senior position was held by a civilian person, the Governor General on top the the General Governorate held was a high-ranking military officer.
[edit] History
The Southwestern krai consisting of three gubernias, the Volhynia, the Podolia and the Kiev Governorate, was originally incepted on January 22, 1832 when Vasily Levashov, was appointed the Military Governor of Kiev and the General Governor of Podolia and Volhynia.
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.
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.