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History and Administrative Division .
The territory of the Government of Vitebsk was part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania /
of Poland-Lithuania until 1772. At first, the territory which was to become Vitebsk
Gubernia was integrated into Pskov Gubernia : Dvinsk Province - into Dünaburg (= Dvinsk),
Marienhausen, and Rezhitsk uezds; Polotsk Province - into Nevel, Polotsk, and Sebezh uezds; Vitebsk Province - into Velizh, Vitebsk,
and Gorodok uezds. In 1776 Polotsk Gubernia, consisting of the prescribed Dvinsk, Polotsk and Vitebsk Provinces, was established;
in 1778 it was elevated into Polotsk Nemastichestvo, which was abolished in 1796 when the area was annexed into the Belarussian Gubernia
(capital Vitebsk); the latter was partitioned in 1802 into Vitebsk and Mogilev Gubernia.
Vitebsk Gubernia bordered on Pskov Gubernia in the north, on
Smolensk Gubernia in the east, on Mogilev Gubernia in the south, on
Minsk, Vilna and Kovno Gubernia in the west, on
Livland Gubernia in the northwest.
Vitebsk Gubernia was divided into 11 Uyezds : Drissa, Dvinsk, Gorodok, Lepel, Liutsyn, Nevel, Polotsk, Reshitsa, Sebesh, Velish, Vitebsk.
In 1911 the Zemstvo constitution was introduced in Vitebsk Gubernia.
It was an administrative unit (government, gubernia) of the Russian Empire until the Russian Revolution, following which it was contested
and partitioned by Poland, the RSFSR, Latvia
and Belarus.
Population .
In 1885 the population was given as 1,235,350 (Meyer), in 1906 as 1,740,700 (EB 1911).
The largest groups by religion (confession) were, in order of importance, Roman Catholics, Russian Orthodox, Jews. By ethnicity,
they were Belorussians, Lithuanians, Poles, Russians and Germans (Meyer).
Economy .
In 1883, 34.6 % of the area was covered by forest, 27.2 % was farmland, 18.6 % pastorage. Main agricultural products were grain
and potatoes. The area was home to 672 factories with a combined workforce of 2,936 workers; leading industries included grain
mills, distilleries, leather processing, breweries, tobacco processing. The Dvina and the Beresina Canal, as well as the railroad
fropm Dvinsk via Vitebsk to Smolensk were essential for transportation (Meyer).
Culture . The Julian Calendar was reintroduced in 1800.
Historic Encyclopedias on Vitebsk Gubernia (1837-1909)
Historical Atlas, Belarus , Poland ,
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