Chernihiv Governorate
Chernihiv Governorate was an administrative-territorial unit of the Ukrainian State and the Ukrainian SSR, existing from 1918 to 1925. It was inherited from the Russian system of territorial subdivisions that existed prior to World War I. Specifically, Chernigov Governorate was an administrative-territorial unit (guberniya) of the Russian Empire. It included the territory of the left-bank Ukraine and was officially created in 1802 from Malorossiya Governorate with its capital in Chernigov (Chernihiv). Little Russia Governorate was transformed into the General Government of Little Russia and consisted of Chernigov Governorate, Poltava Governorate, and later Kharkov Governorate.

Chernigov Governorate borders are roughly consistent with the modern Chernihiv Oblast, but also included a large section of Sumy Oblast and smaller sections of the Kyiv Oblast of Ukraine, in addition to most of the Bryansk Oblast of Russia.

Administrative division
When part of the Russian Empire, the governorate consisted of 15 uyezds (their administrative centres in brackets):
 Borznyansky Uyezd (Borzna)
 Glukhovsky Uezd (Hlukhiv)
 Gorodnyansky Uyezd (Gorodnya/Horodnia)
 Kozeletsky Uyezd (Kozelets)
 Konotopsky Uyezd (Konotop)
 Krolevetsky Uyezd (Krolevets)
 Mglinsky Uyezd (Mglin)
 Nezhinsky Uyezd (Nezhin/Nizhyn)
 Novgorod-Seversky Uyezd (Novgorod-Seversky/Novhorod-Siverskyi)
 Novozybkovsky Uyezd (Novozybkov)
 Ostyorsky Uyezd (Ostyor/Oster)
 Sosnitsky Uyezd (Sosnitsa/Sosnytsia)
 Starodubsky Uyezd (Starodub)
 Surazhsky Uyezd (Surazh)
 Chernigovsky Uyezd (Chernigov/Chernihiv)

Of these, 11 were in territory inhabited by Ukrainians: Borzna, Hlukhiv, Horodnia, Kozelets, Konotop, Krolovets, Nizhyn, Novhorod-Siverksyi, Oster, Sosnytsia, and Chernihiv.

Chernigov Governorate covered a total area of 52,396 km², and had a population of 2,298,000, according to the 1897 Russian Empire census. In 1914, the population was 2,340,000. In 1918 it became part of Ukraine and transformed into Chernihiv Governorate.

As part of the Ukrainian State and the Ukrainian SSR, the governorate consisted of 18 counties (povits):
Borzna County
Hlukhiv County
Horodnya County
Homel County (added from the Mogilev Governorate)
Kozelets County
Konotop County
Krolevets County
Nizhyn County
Novhorod-Siversky County
Oster County
Putyvl County (added from the Kursk Governorate)
Rylsk County (added from the Kursk Governorate)
Sosnytsia County
Chernihiv County
Mhlyn County
Novozybkiv County
Starodub County
Surazh County
In 1919, the northern Mhlyn, Novozybkiv, Starodub, and Surazh counties, with their mixed Ukrainian–Belarusian–Russian population, were transferred from Ukraine to the newly established Gomel Governorate of the Russian republic.

In 1925, the governorate’s territory was redistributed among Hlukhiv, Konotop, Nizhyn, and Chernihiv districts (okruhas).

Principal cities
At the times of the Russian Census of 1897:
 Nezhin –  (Ukrainian – , Jewish – , Russian – )
 Chernigov –  (Ukrainian – , Jewish – , Russian – )
 Konotop –  (Ukrainian – , Jewish – , Russian – )
 Novozybkov –  (Russian – , Jewish – , Belarusian – 303)
 Hlukhiv –  (Ukrainian – , Jewish – , Russian – )
 Borzna –  (Ukrainian – , Jewish – , Russian – 109)
 Starodub –  (Russian – , Jewish – , Ukrainian – 133)
 Krolevets –  (Ukrainian – , Jewish – , Russian – 209)
 Berezna –  (Ukrainian – , Jewish – , Russian – 144)
 Novgorod-Seversky –  (Ukrainian – , Jewish – , Russian – )
 Mglin –  (Russian – , Jewish – , Belarusian – 75)
 Sosnytsia –  (Ukrainian – , Jewish – , Russian – 158)
 Korop –  (Ukrainian – , Jewish – 865, Russian – 77)
 Oster –  (Ukrainian – , Jewish – , Russian – 399)
 Kozelets –  (Ukrainian – , Jewish – , Russian – 468)
 Pogar –  (Russian – , Jewish – , Germans – 6)
 Gorodnya –  (Ukrainian – , Jewish – , Russian – 604)
 Surazh –  (Jewish – , Belarusian – 978, Russian – 559)
 Novoye Mesto –  (Russian – , Jewish – 67)

Language

At the time of the Imperial census of 1897. In bold are languages spoken by more people than the state language.

Notable people
 Elizaveta I. Gnevusheva (1916-1994), historian, orientalist, university lecturer, publicist

See also
 List of governors of Chernigov Governorate

References

External links
 Chernihiv Governorate. Encyclopedia of Ukraine.
 Chernigov Guberniya – Article in Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary 
 Chernigov Governorate – Historical coat of arms 

Governorates of the Russian Empire
1802 establishments in the Russian Empire
1918 disestablishments in Russia
1918 establishments in Ukraine
1925 disestablishments in Ukraine
Political history of Ukraine
Governorates of Ukraine