Mogilev Governorate
The Mogiljow governorate (also: Mohilew , russian Могилёвская губерния / Mogiljowskaja gubernija ) was an administrative unit of the Russian Empire .
The governorate was in the European part of the country and comprised the eastern part of what is now Belarus . It bordered the following governorates (clockwise from the north): Vitebsk , Smolensk , Chernigov and Minsk . It covered 48,047 km², the capital was Mogiljow (Belarus. Mahiljou).
It was formed in 1772 from formerly Polish territories and was briefly united with Minsk in the governorship of Belarus from 1796 to 1802 . After the October Revolution , it became part of the Byelorussian Soviet Republic in early 1919 and shortly afterwards the Russian SFSR before it was dissolved in July 1919.
At last it was divided into eleven ujesdy (circles):
- Gorki (Belarus. Horki )
- Gomel (Belarus. Homel )
- Klimowitschi (Belarus. Klimawitschy )
- Mogilev
- Mstislavl (Belarus. Mszislau )
- Orsha
- Rogachev (Belarusian Rahatschou )
- Sjenno (Belarusian Sjanno )
- Staryj-Bychow (Belarus. Bychau )
- Tschaussy (Belarus. Tschawussy )
- Tscherikow (White Russian. Cherykaw )
statistics
The governorate had 1,686,764 inhabitants in 1897. Of these, 1,389,782 were Belarusians, 203,507 Jews, 58,155 Russians, 17,526 Poles, most of the remaining Ukrainians, Germans and Latvians.
At the end of the 19th century, agriculture was still by far the most important branch of business; Mainly rye, oats, barley, buckwheat, potatoes, less wheat, as well as flax and hemp, and in the southern part sugar beet and tobacco were built. The harvest in 1903 resulted in: 329,861 tons of rye, 153,840 tons of oats, 50,881 tons of barley, 34,748 tons of buckwheat and 722,404 tons of potatoes. Vegetable growing was well developed and produced a lot of caraway . The livestock in 1903 was 450,000 horses, 585,000 horned cattle, 600,000 sheep, 553,000 pigs and 46,000 goats. The industry was essentially small industry. In 1900 there were over 3,000 factories with 10,295 workers, but a production value of only 8.3 million rubles. In the first place there were distilleries, milling and wood sawing. 70–80,000 people were employed in the domestic industry who were involved in the manufacture of linen and hemp fabrics, wooden goods, clothes, shoes, etc. Trade was concentrated on the important Dnieper road ; rail traffic was still underdeveloped around 1900.