op les ▁of ▁Orth odox ▁Christian ▁den om ination ▁to ▁ensure ▁front ier ▁protection ▁and ▁development ▁of ▁this ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁ste pp es . ▁ ▁S la vo - Ser bia ▁was ▁directly ▁govern ed ▁by ▁Russia ' s ▁G over ning ▁Senate ▁and ▁College ▁of ▁War . ▁The ▁sett lers ▁eventually ▁formed ▁the ▁B akh mut ▁h uss ar ▁regiment ▁in ▁ 1 7 6 4 . ▁Also ▁in ▁ 1 7 6 4 , ▁S la vo - Ser bia ▁was ▁transformed ▁into ▁the ▁Don ets ▁u ye zd ▁of ▁Y ek ater inos lav ▁Governor ate ▁( now ▁in ▁D n ip rop etro vs ' ka ▁ob last ', ▁Ukraine ). ▁Command ants ▁of ▁S la vo - Ser bia ▁were ▁Col on els ▁Raj ko ▁De pr er ad ović ▁and ▁J ovan ▁Š e vić . ▁These ▁Ser bian ▁colon els ▁led ▁their ▁soldiers ▁in ▁various ▁Russian ▁military ▁campaign s ; ▁in ▁pe ac etime ▁they ▁kept ▁the ▁border lands , ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁C oss acks , ▁free ▁from ▁inc urs ions ▁by ▁other ▁states . ▁ ▁Dem ograph ics ▁ ▁The ▁province ▁had ▁eth n ically ▁diverse ▁population ▁that ▁included ▁Ser bs , ▁V la chs ▁( R oman ians ), ▁and ▁others . ▁In ▁ 1 7 5 5 , ▁the ▁population ▁of ▁S la vo - Ser bia ▁number ed ▁ 1 , 5 1 3 ▁inhabitants ▁( of ▁both ▁g enders ). ▁In ▁ 1 7 5 6 , ▁in ▁the