Vicegerency

Vicegerency (Ukrainian: намісництво, namisnytstvo; Russian: намесничество, namestnichestvo). A territorial-administrative unit introduced in the Russian Empire in the late 18th century by Catherine II. In Ukraine the following vicegerencies were set up: Kharkiv vicegerency in 1780, Kyiv vicegerency, Novhorod-Siverskyi vicegerency, and Chernihiv vicegerency in 1781, Katerynoslav vicegerency in 1783, Voznesensk vicegerency in 1795, and Iziaslav (Zaslav) vicegerency (renamed Volhynia vicegerency in 1795), Bratslav vicegerency, and Podilia vicegerency in 1793. The districts were administered by vicegerents, who had the powers of a governor-general. In 1797 the vicegerencies were abolished and replaced by gubernias. The term was also used to note the office of the Galician vicegerent.

[This article originally appeared in the Encyclopedia of Ukraine, vol. 5 (1993).]