Pskov Governorate

Pskov Governorate was an administrative division (a guberniya) of the Russian Empire and Russian SFSR, which existed from 1772 until 1777 and from 1796 until 1927. Its seat was located in Opochka between 1772 and 1776, and in Pskov after 1776. The governorate was located in the west of the Russian Empire and bordered (after 1796) Saint Petersburg Governorate in the north, Novgorod Governorate in the northeast, Tver Governorate in the east, Smolensk Governorate in the southeast, Byelorussian Governorate (since 1802, Vitebsk Governorate) in the south, and the Governorate of Livonia in the west. In terms of modern administrative division of Russia, the area of the governorate is currently split between the Pskov, Tver, and Novgorod oblasts. The former border between Pskov Governorate and the Governorate of Livonia still largely corresponds to the state border between Russia in the east and Estonia and Latvia in the west. History In 1772, as a result of the First Partition of Poland, Inflanty Voivodeship and eastern Belarus were transferred to Russia. In order to accommodate these areas, Pskov Governorate was created, and Velikiye Luki and Pskov Provinces of Novgorod Governorate (with the exception of future Gdovsky Uyezd) were transferred to this governorate. In addition, Vitebsk, Polotsk, and Dvina, taken over from Poland, were included into the governorate. The town of Opochka was made the administrative center of the governorate. Pskov Governorate has proven to be too big to be administered properly, and in 1776, the decree of the empress, Catherine the Great, was issued. It divided the governorate into Pskov and Polotsk Governorates. Pskov was made the administrative center of Pskov Governorate. Gdov and Porkhov were transferred from Novgorod to Pskov Governorate.