Kiev Voivodeship
  • Palatinatus Kioviensis
  • Województwo kijowskie
  • Київське воєводство
Voivodeship of Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth¹
1471–1793

The Kiev Voivodeship in
the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1635.
Capital(Kijów (Kyiv), 1471–1667), Żytomierz (Zhytomyr, 1667–1793)
DemonymKievan
Area 
• 1793
200,000 km2 (77,000 sq mi)
Population 
• 1793
500,000
Government
Voivode 
• 1471–1475
Martynas Goštautas (first)
• 1559–1608
Konstanty Wasyl Ostrogski (transition)
• 1791–1793
Antoni Protazy Potocki (last)
History 
• death of Simeon Olelkovich
1471
1503
1569
1648
1667
1793
Political subdivisionscounties:
  • 9 (1471–1569)
  • 7 (1569–1667)
  • 3 (1667–1793)
Preceded by		 Succeeded by
Principality of Kiev
Cossack Hetmanate
Kiev Viceroyalty
¹ Voivodeship of the Kingdom of Poland. The kingdom was part of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1569.
Basse Volhynia (Lower Volhynia) or Kiow Palatinate in 1665
Map from 1635 covering the western part of the Kiev Voivodeship.
Map from 1635 covering the western part of the Kiev Voivodeship.
Map of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and its territorial losses in the mid 17th century.
Kiev (Kiow) on a fragment of piece Tractus Borysthenis Vulgo Dniepr at Niepr dicti. Map by Jan Janssonius (Amsterdam, 1663).

The Kiev Voivodeship[1] (Polish: województwo kijowskie, Latin: Palatinatus Kioviensis, Ukrainian: Київське воєводство, Kyjivśke vojevodstvo) was a unit of administrative division and local government in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from 1471 until 1569 and of the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland from 1569 until 1793, as part of Lesser Poland Province of the Polish Crown. On some maps Kiev Voivodeship was also named as the Lower Volhynia.

The voivodeship was established in 1471 upon the death of the last prince of Kiev Simeon Olelkovich and transformation of the Duchy of Kiev (appanage duchy of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania) into the Voivodeship of Kiev.

Description

The voivodeship was established in 1471 under the order of King Casimir IV Jagiellon soon after the death of Semen Olelkovich. It had replaced the former Principality of Kiev, ruled by Lithuanian-Ruthenian Olelkovich princes (related to House of Algirdas and Olshansky family).[2][3]

Its first administrative center was Kiev, but when the city was given to Imperial Russia in 1667 by Treaty of Andrusovo, the capital moved to Zhytomyr (Polish: Żytomierz), where it remained until 1793.

It was the biggest voivodeship of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth by land area, covering, among others, the land of Zaporizhian Cossacks.

Municipal government

The governor of the voivodeship was voivode (List of voivodes of Kiev).[4] In the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth the other two major administrative positions were castellan[5] and bishop (biskup kijowski).

Flag and coat of arms

The flag on one side had Lithuanian Pogon on red field and on other side black bear on white field with his front left paw raised up.[6]

Regional council (sejmik)

Further information: Sejmik

Regional council (Polish: sejmik generalny) for all Ruthenian lands

Regional council (Polish: sejmik poselski i deputacki) seats

Administrative division

Counties

Other former counties

Former counties lost under the Treaty of Andrusovo

Elderships (Starostwo)

Instead of some liquidated counties in 1566 there were established elderships: Biała Cerkiew, Kaniów, Korsun, Romanówka, Czerkasy, Czigrin.

Free royal cities

Main article: Royal city in Poland

Neighbouring Voivodeships and regions

Kiev (Kiou). A fragment of Russiae, Moscoviae et Tartariae map by Anthony Jenkinson (London 1562) published by Ortelius in 1570.

See also

References

  1. ^ Kyiv voivodeship in the Encyclopedia of Ukraine
  2. ^ "Lithuanian History" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 May 2008. Retrieved 24 July 2008.
  3. ^ "Леонтій Войтович. Князівські династії Східної Європи".
  4. ^ Polish: wojewoda kijowski
  5. ^ Polish: kasztelan kijowski
  6. ^ Województwo Kijowskie.

Further reading

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kiev Voivodeship (1471-1793).

50°27′00″N 30°31′24″E / 50.450000°N 30.523333°E / 50.450000; 30.523333

Voivodes of Kiev
Historical voivodeships of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Administrative division of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
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