Baltic provinces
Encyclopedia
The Baltic governorates , originally the Ostsee governorates is a collective name for the administrative units of the Russian Empire
set up at the territories of Swedish Estonia
, Swedish Livonia
(1721) and, afterwards, of Duchy of Courland and Semigallia
(1795).
of 1561 included the Privilegium Sigismundi Augusti by which Sigismund II Augustus
guaranteed the Livonian estates
several privileges, including religious freedom with respect to the Augsburg Confession
, the Indigenat
, and continuation of the traditional German jurisdiction and administration. The terms regarding religious freedom forbade any regulation of the traditional Protestant order by religious or secular authorities, and ruled that cases of disagreements be judged only by Protestant scholars. When in 1710 Estonia and Livonia capitulated to Russia
during the Great Northern War
, the capitulations explicitly referred to the Privilegium Sigismundi Augusti, with the respective references being confirmed in the Treaty of Nystad
(1721).
The dominions
of Swedish Estonia
(in what is now northern Estonia) and Swedish Livonia
(in what is now southern Estonia and northern Latvia) became the governorates of Reval
and Riga
, when they were conquered by Russia in during the Great Northern War
, and then ceded by Sweden
in the Treaty of Nystad
in 1721. Notably, both Reval Governorate and Riga Governorate were each at the time subdivided into one province only: the province of Estonia and the province of Livonia, respectively. In the period of the so-called Regency, 1783–1796, the Regent's (later Governor-General's) Office in Riga was created. It consisted of two subdivisions dealing with local matters and Russian affairs.
After an administrative reform in 1796, the Reval Governorate was renamed Governorate of Estland (Эстляндская губерния), and Riga Governorate renamed Governorate of Livonia (Лифляндская губерния). The third Baltic province of Courland was annexed into Russian Empire after the third partition of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
in 1795.
The Baltic Governor-General (Прибалтийский генерал-губернатор) was the representative of the Russian Emperor in the provinces of Livland, Estland and Courland. He was appointed by the Emperor and was subject to the latter as well as to the Senate. His duties were regulated by laws and instructions from central authorities. From the beginning of the nineteenth century he acted as an intermediate between the ministries in Saint Petersburg
and administration of the Baltic governorates on spot.
The Governor-General, the highest local executive official and military authority, was in charge of the internal order in the provinces and had to take care of their overall security. He was in charge of recruiting troops and had to keep an eye on the garrisons and fortifications. His civil duties included supervising the provincial administration and prisons, maintaining land roads and bridges, issuing passports, and overseeing collection of state taxes and customs duties. He appointed and dismissed higher officials. The Office of the Baltic Governor-General was abolished at the beginning of the russification
in the Baltic Provinces in 1876.
Similarly to guberniya
s of the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland
, the Baltic Governorates until the end of 19th century were not a subject to the common civil and administrative laws of the Russian Empire
, but did not have monetary, fiscal and passport system of their own. Like guberniya
s of the Kingdom of Poland
they were treated as an integral entity and the Russian law provided them the preservation of local authorities. In Baltics these were Landtag
s. The special legislation which set rules for municipal administration and enterpreneurship according to local traditions, as well as the privileges to the local nobility in the Baltics was known under the collective name of Ostsee Right .
From the end of the 18th century through 1917 names and territories of the Governorate of Courland , the Governorate of Livland and the Governorate of Estland remained unchanged; the February Revolution
of 1917 was followed by an internal redistribution of Latvian and Estonian lands between the latter two. The October Revolution
of 1917 and the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
of 1918 created the prerequisites for declaration of independence of these governorships from Russia as the independent states of Estonia
and Latvia
.
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
set up at the territories of Swedish Estonia
Swedish Estonia
The Duchy of Estonia , also known as Swedish Estonia, was a dominion of the Swedish Empire from 1561 until 1721, when it was ceded to Russia in the Treaty of Nystad, following its capitulation in the Great Northern War. The dominion arose when the northern parts of present-day Estonia were united...
, Swedish Livonia
Swedish Livonia
- Swedish infantry and cavalry regiments:Infantry regiments:* Garnisonsregementet i Riga * Guvenörsregementet i Riga * Livländsk infanteribataljon I...
(1721) and, afterwards, of Duchy of Courland and Semigallia
Duchy of Courland and Semigallia
The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia is the name of a duchy in the Baltic region that existed from 1562 to 1569 as a vassal state of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and from 1569...
(1795).
History
The Treaty of VilniusTreaty of Vilnius (1561)
The Treaty of Vilnius or Vilna was concluded on 28 November 1561, during the Livonian War, between the Livonian Confederation and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth at Vilnius...
of 1561 included the Privilegium Sigismundi Augusti by which Sigismund II Augustus
Sigismund II Augustus
Sigismund II Augustus I was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, the only son of Sigismund I the Old, whom Sigismund II succeeded in 1548...
guaranteed the Livonian estates
Livonian Confederation
Terra Mariana was the official name for Medieval Livonia or Old Livonia which was formed in the aftermath of the Livonian Crusade in the territories comprising present day Estonia and Latvia...
several privileges, including religious freedom with respect to the Augsburg Confession
Augsburg Confession
The Augsburg Confession, also known as the "Augustana" from its Latin name, Confessio Augustana, is the primary confession of faith of the Lutheran Church and one of the most important documents of the Lutheran reformation...
, the Indigenat
Indygenat
Indygenat in Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was a recognition of foreign status as a noble. A foreign noble, after indygenat, received all privileges of a Polish szlachcic. In Polish history, 413 foreign noble families were recognized...
, and continuation of the traditional German jurisdiction and administration. The terms regarding religious freedom forbade any regulation of the traditional Protestant order by religious or secular authorities, and ruled that cases of disagreements be judged only by Protestant scholars. When in 1710 Estonia and Livonia capitulated to Russia
Capitulation of Estonia and Livonia
With the Capitulation of Estonia and Livonia in 1710 the Swedish dominions Estonia and Livonia were integrated into the Russian Empire following their conquest during the Great Northern War...
during the Great Northern War
Great Northern War
The Great Northern War was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in northern Central Europe and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swedish alliance were Peter I the Great of Russia, Frederick IV of...
, the capitulations explicitly referred to the Privilegium Sigismundi Augusti, with the respective references being confirmed in the Treaty of Nystad
Treaty of Nystad
The Treaty of Nystad was the last peace treaty of the Great Northern War. It was concluded between the Tsardom of Russia and Swedish Empire on 30 August / 10 September 1721 in the then Swedish town of Nystad , after Sweden had settled with the other parties in Stockholm and Frederiksborg.During...
(1721).
The dominions
Dominions of Sweden
The Dominions of Sweden or Svenska besittningar were territories that historically came under control of the Swedish Crown, but never became fully integrated with Sweden. This generally meant that they were ruled by Governors-General under the Swedish monarch, but within certain limits retained...
of Swedish Estonia
Swedish Estonia
The Duchy of Estonia , also known as Swedish Estonia, was a dominion of the Swedish Empire from 1561 until 1721, when it was ceded to Russia in the Treaty of Nystad, following its capitulation in the Great Northern War. The dominion arose when the northern parts of present-day Estonia were united...
(in what is now northern Estonia) and Swedish Livonia
Swedish Livonia
- Swedish infantry and cavalry regiments:Infantry regiments:* Garnisonsregementet i Riga * Guvenörsregementet i Riga * Livländsk infanteribataljon I...
(in what is now southern Estonia and northern Latvia) became the governorates of Reval
Reval Governorate
The Governorate of Estonia or Estland, also known as the Government of Estonia or Province of Estonia, was a governorate of the Russian Empire in what is now northern Estonia.-Historical overview:...
and Riga
Riga Governorate
The Governorate of Livonia or Livland Governorate, also known as the Government of Livonia or Province of Livonia, was one of the Baltic governorates of the Russian Empire, now divided between the Republic of Latvia and the Republic of Estonia.It was originally called the Riga Governorate after...
, when they were conquered by Russia in during the Great Northern War
Great Northern War
The Great Northern War was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in northern Central Europe and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swedish alliance were Peter I the Great of Russia, Frederick IV of...
, and then ceded by Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
in the Treaty of Nystad
Treaty of Nystad
The Treaty of Nystad was the last peace treaty of the Great Northern War. It was concluded between the Tsardom of Russia and Swedish Empire on 30 August / 10 September 1721 in the then Swedish town of Nystad , after Sweden had settled with the other parties in Stockholm and Frederiksborg.During...
in 1721. Notably, both Reval Governorate and Riga Governorate were each at the time subdivided into one province only: the province of Estonia and the province of Livonia, respectively. In the period of the so-called Regency, 1783–1796, the Regent's (later Governor-General's) Office in Riga was created. It consisted of two subdivisions dealing with local matters and Russian affairs.
After an administrative reform in 1796, the Reval Governorate was renamed Governorate of Estland (Эстляндская губерния), and Riga Governorate renamed Governorate of Livonia (Лифляндская губерния). The third Baltic province of Courland was annexed into Russian Empire after the third partition of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
Third Partition of Poland
The Third Partition of Poland or Third Partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in 1795 as the third and last of three partitions that ended the existence of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.-Background:...
in 1795.
The Baltic Governor-General (Прибалтийский генерал-губернатор) was the representative of the Russian Emperor in the provinces of Livland, Estland and Courland. He was appointed by the Emperor and was subject to the latter as well as to the Senate. His duties were regulated by laws and instructions from central authorities. From the beginning of the nineteenth century he acted as an intermediate between the ministries in Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
and administration of the Baltic governorates on spot.
The Governor-General, the highest local executive official and military authority, was in charge of the internal order in the provinces and had to take care of their overall security. He was in charge of recruiting troops and had to keep an eye on the garrisons and fortifications. His civil duties included supervising the provincial administration and prisons, maintaining land roads and bridges, issuing passports, and overseeing collection of state taxes and customs duties. He appointed and dismissed higher officials. The Office of the Baltic Governor-General was abolished at the beginning of the russification
Russification
Russification is an adoption of the Russian language or some other Russian attributes by non-Russian communities...
in the Baltic Provinces in 1876.
Similarly to guberniya
Guberniya
A guberniya was a major administrative subdivision of the Russian Empire usually translated as government, governorate, or province. Such administrative division was preserved for sometime upon the collapse of the empire in 1917. A guberniya was ruled by a governor , a word borrowed from Latin ,...
s of the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland
Grand Duchy of Finland
The Grand Duchy of Finland was the predecessor state of modern Finland. It existed 1809–1917 as part of the Russian Empire and was ruled by the Russian czar as Grand Prince.- History :...
, the Baltic Governorates until the end of 19th century were not a subject to the common civil and administrative laws of the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
, but did not have monetary, fiscal and passport system of their own. Like guberniya
Guberniya
A guberniya was a major administrative subdivision of the Russian Empire usually translated as government, governorate, or province. Such administrative division was preserved for sometime upon the collapse of the empire in 1917. A guberniya was ruled by a governor , a word borrowed from Latin ,...
s of the Kingdom of Poland
Congress Poland
The Kingdom of Poland , informally known as Congress Poland , created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna, was a personal union of the Russian parcel of Poland with the Russian Empire...
they were treated as an integral entity and the Russian law provided them the preservation of local authorities. In Baltics these were Landtag
Landtag
A Landtag is a representative assembly or parliament in German-speaking countries with some legislative authority.- Name :...
s. The special legislation which set rules for municipal administration and enterpreneurship according to local traditions, as well as the privileges to the local nobility in the Baltics was known under the collective name of Ostsee Right .
From the end of the 18th century through 1917 names and territories of the Governorate of Courland , the Governorate of Livland and the Governorate of Estland remained unchanged; the February Revolution
February Revolution
The February Revolution of 1917 was the first of two revolutions in Russia in 1917. Centered around the then capital Petrograd in March . Its immediate result was the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II, the end of the Romanov dynasty, and the end of the Russian Empire...
of 1917 was followed by an internal redistribution of Latvian and Estonian lands between the latter two. The October Revolution
October Revolution
The October Revolution , also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution , Red October, the October Uprising or the Bolshevik Revolution, was a political revolution and a part of the Russian Revolution of 1917...
of 1917 and the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was a peace treaty signed on March 3, 1918, mediated by South African Andrik Fuller, at Brest-Litovsk between Russia and the Central Powers, headed by Germany, marking Russia's exit from World War I.While the treaty was practically obsolete before the end of the year,...
of 1918 created the prerequisites for declaration of independence of these governorships from Russia as the independent states of Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
and Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
.
List of Governors-General
- Aleksandr Danilovich MenshikovAleksandr Danilovich MenshikovAleksandr Danilovich Menshikov was a Russian statesman, whose official titles included Generalissimus, Prince of the Russian Empire and Duke of Izhora , Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, Duke of Cosel. A highly appreciated associate and friend of Tsar Peter the Great, he was the de facto ruler of...
(1710–1719) as governor-general of IngriaIngriaIngria is a historical region in the eastern Baltic, now part of Russia, comprising the southern bank of the river Neva, between the Gulf of Finland, the Narva River, Lake Peipus in the west, and Lake Ladoga and the western bank of the Volkhov river in the east... - Fyodor Apraksin (1719–1728)
- Friedrich Baron von Löwen (1728–1736)
- Platon Ivanovich Musin-Pushkin (1736)
- Gustaf Otto DouglasGustaf Otto DouglasCount Gustaf Otto Douglas was a Swedish mercenary, grandson of Robert Douglas, Count of Skenninge. He was captured by Russians during the Battle of Poltava. He was eventually employed by the Russian army during the Great Northern War, and in 1717 was placed in charge of the occupation of Finland...
(1736–1740) - Ulrich Frédéric Woldemar, Comte de LowendalUlrich Frédéric Woldemar, Comte de LowendalUlrich Frédéric Woldemar, Comte de Lowendal was a German-born French soldier and statesmen. Born in Hamburg, he served in the armies of several countries, but is best known for his service in the French army during the War of the Austrian Succession. In the French campaign in the Austrian...
(1740–1743) - Peter August, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-BeckPeter August, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-BeckPeter Augustus of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck was the eighth Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck...
(1743–1753, 1758–1775) - Vladimir Petrovich Dolgorukiy (1753–1758)
- George BrowneGeorge Browne (soldier)George Browne, Count von Browne in the nobility of the Holy Roman empire was an Irish soldier of fortune who became field-marshal in the Russian service....
(1775–1792) - Nicholas RepninNicholas RepninPrince Nikolai Vasilyevich Repnin was an Imperial Russian statesman and general from the Repnin princely family who played a key role in the dissolution of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.- Rule of Poland :...
(1792–1798) - Ludwig von Nagel (1798–1800)
- Peter Ludwig von der Pahlen (1800–1801)
- Sergei Fyodorovich Golitsyn (1801–1803)
- Friedrich Wilhelm von BuxhoevedenFriedrich Wilhelm von BuxhoevedenFriedrich Wilhelm Count von Buxhoevden was a Russian Infantry General and a government official. Buxhoeveden commanded the Russian armies during the Finnish War....
(1803–1808) - Duke George of OldenburgDuke George of OldenburgDuke George of Oldenburg was a younger son of Peter I, Grand Duke of Oldenburg and his wife Duchess Frederica of Württemberg. He was a son-in-law of Paul I of Russia through marriage to his daughter Grand Duchess Catherine Pavlovna of Russia...
(1808–1809) - Berend Johann von Uexküll (1809–1811, 1816–1818)
- Augustus, Grand Duke of OldenburgAugustus, Grand Duke of OldenburgAugustus, Grand Duke of Oldenburg was the Grand Duke of Oldenburg from 1829 to 1853.-Family:Augustus was born to the then Prince Peter of Holstein-Gottorp and his wife Duchess Frederica of Württemberg, a daughter of Frederick II Eugene, Duke of Württemberg...
(1811–1816) - Philip Osipovich PaulucciPhilip Osipovich PaulucciPhilip Osipovich Paulucci was a marquis and a Russian adjutant general.-Life:He first served in the French army in 1807 before moving to the Russian service with the rank of colonel...
(1818–1829) - Carl Magnus von der Pahlen (1829–1845)
- Yevgeny Golovin (1845–1847)
- Alexander Arkadyevich SuvorovAlexander Arkadyevich SuvorovAlexander Arkadyevich Suvorov, Prince of Italy, Count Rymniksky was a Russian general, diplomat and politician.-Education:...
(1848–1861) - Wilhelm Heinrich von Lieven (1861–1864)
- Pyotr Andreyevich ShuvalovPyotr Andreyevich ShuvalovCount Pyotr Andreyevich Shuvalov was an influential Russian statesman and a counselor to Tsar Alexander II...
(1864–1866) - Eduard Baranov (1866)
- Peter Albedinskiy (1866–1870)
- Peter BagrationiPeter BagrationiPeter Bagrationi or Pyotr Romanovich Bagration, the son of a Russian-Georgian general, was a Russian-Georgian statesman, general and scientist who invented the first dry galvanic cell.- Biography :...
(1870–1876)
Listing
| Russian | Transliteration | Historic English | Modern English | Current area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Эстляндская губерния | Estlyandskaya | Est(h)onia Governorate of Estonia The Governorate of Estonia or Estland, also known as the Government of Estonia or Province of Estonia, was a governorate of the Russian Empire in what is now northern Estonia.-Historical overview:... |
Estonia | North Estonia |
| Лифляндская губерния | Livonia | Livonia | South Estonia, North Latvia (Vidzeme Vidzeme Vidzeme is one of the historical and cultural regions of Latvia. Literally meaning "the Middle Land" it is situated in north-central Latvia north of the Daugava River... ) |
|
| Курля́ндская губерния | Courland Courland Governorate Courland Governorate, also known as the Province of Courland, Governorate of Kurland , and Government of Courland , was one of the Baltic governorates of the Russian Empire, that is now part of the Republic of Latvia.... |
Curonia | South Latvia |
See also
- Governorates of the Grand Duchy of Finland
- Administrative division of Congress PolandAdministrative division of Congress PolandThe administrative division of Congress Poland changed several times. Immediately after its creation, 1815-1816, the Congress Kingdom of Poland was divided into departments, a relic from the times of the French-dominated Duchy of Warsaw. In 1816 the administrative divisions were reformed into the...
- Lithuania GovernorateLithuania GovernorateThe Lithuania Governorate was a short-lived governorate of the Russian Empire. After the third partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1795, the former territories of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania were divided between the Vilna Governorate and the Slonim Governorate by Catherine II of...