Subdivisions of Congress Poland

Congress Poland was subdivided several times from its creation in 1815 until its dissolution in 1918. Congress Poland ("Russian Poland") was divided into departments, a relic from the times of the French-dominated Duchy of Warsaw. In 1816 the administrative divisions were changed to forms that were more traditionally Polish: voivodeships, obwóds and powiats. Following the November Uprising, the subdivisions were again changed in 1837 to bring the subdivisions closer to the structure of the Russian Empire when guberniyas (governorates) were introduced. In this way, Congress Poland was gradually transformed into the "Vistulan Country". Over the next several decades, various smaller reforms were carried out, either changing the smaller administrative units or merging/splitting various guberniyas.

Today, almost all of the subdivisions of Congress Poland may be found, in similar territorial areas, in modern Poland. A few, roughly in the northern panhandle of Congress Poland, are to be found in modern Lithuania. They are:

• In Marijampolė County: Kalvarija Municipality, Marijampolė Municipality, Šakiai District Municipality (formerly Vladislavov), Vilkaviškis District Municipality (formerly Volkovyshki), and the town of Kybartai
• In Alytus County: Alytus District Municipality (formerly part of Kalvaria district), Lazdijai District Municipality (formerly part of Seyny district), and Merkinė (formerly part of Seyny district), a town near the Dzūkija National Park

On January 16, 1816, the areas of administrative jurisdiction were reformed from the departments of the Duchy of Warsaw into the more traditionally Polish voivodeships, obwóds and powiats. Eight voivodeships were created:

• Augustów Voivodeship (capital in Suwałki)
• Kalisz Voivodeship
• Kraków Voivodeship (despite the name of this province, the city of Kraków was not included; Kraków was a free city until the Kraków Uprising of 1846, after which it was annexed by Austria; the capital was first Miechów, then Kielce).
• Lublin Voivodeship
• Mazowsze Voivodeship (capital in Warsaw)
• Płock Voivodeship
• Podlasie Voivodeship (capital in Siedlce)
• Sandomierz Voivodeship (capital in Radom)

On 7 March 1837 the voivodeships were reorganised as eight guberniyas (governorates):

• Augustów Governorate (with capital in Łomża)
• Kalish Governorate (with capital in Kalisz)
• Krakov Governorate (with capital in Kielce)
• Lublin Governorate (with capital in Lublin)
• Masovia Governorate (with capital in Warsaw)
• Plotsk Governorate (with capital in Płock)
• Podlyase Governorate (with capital in Siedlce)
• Sandomir Governorate (with capital in Radom)

In 1842 the Polish powiats were renamed to okręgs and the Polish obwóds were renamed powiats.

In 1844 several governorates were merged with others, and some others renamed. Five governorates remained:

The 1867 reform, initiated after the failure of the January Uprising, was designed to tie Congress Poland (now de facto the Vistulan Country) more tightly to the administration structure of the Russian Empire. It divided larger governorates into smaller ones. A new lower level entity, gmina, was introduced. This time ten governorates were formed:

A minor reform of 1893 transferred some territory from the Plotsk and Lomzha Governorates to the Warsaw Governorate.

The 1912 reform created a new governorate – Kholm Governorate – from parts of the Sedlets and Lublin Governorates. However this was split off from the Vistulan Country and made part of the Southwestern Krai of the Russian Empire.

• What is the history of the gubernias of Poland?
• (in Polish) Zygmunt Gloger, Geografia historyczna ziem dawnej Polski, Rodział 15: W wieku XIX