Belarus Governates and Voivodeships

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Belarus

Governates and Voivodeships

Finding Historical Civil Records

City, Town or Village , Voivodeship/Gubernia and Powiat/Uezd Names are Key

Many times discovering where to get civil records from where your ancestors lived, in what is now the counrty of Belarus, will require you to know the name of their city, town or village, the Voivodeship or Gubernia (province) and Uezd or Powiat where their town was or is located. -With the exception of Vilna (Vilnius), Nowogrudok, Bialystok and Polesie, voivodeships were in use only through the late 1700's. Gubernia was the term used to refer to a province from the late 1700's up until the 1920's.

 Voivodeships and Gubernia Names Changed Over the Years

Finding the correct voivodeship/Gubierna will likely not be an easy task. These provincial boundaries changed over the years right in step with the ever-changing borders of the countries of Poland, Lithuania, Russia and Belarus.

Maps and Reference Material in Russian, Polish or Belarusian Languages

Many times the maps and lists you will be referencing for help with will be written in Russian, Belarusian or Polish. 

Use Google (or other on line) translator to translate your ancestor's town into/from Russian, Polish, Belarusian or Ukranian. Keep the translations handy as you proceed with your research.

What you are looking for are the correct Voivodeship and Uezd or the correct Gubernia, Povet (Powiat) and Gmina.

Cracking the Language of Administrative Districts

Voivodeship,Gubernia or Governate = Province

Uezd or Powiat (poviat) = District

Gmina = Larger size town (usually where church was located)

Weis = Village

Helpful Links

These links may help you gain a better understanding of voivodeships, poviats, gubernia, uezds and gminas.

History of Administrative Districts of Belarus 

Major Administrative Districts of Belarus

Administrative District Details -  Lists of  Gubernia and corresponding uezds

Wiki Belarus Governate-Voivodeship Maps - from FamilySearch.org

The History of the Administrative-Territorial Division of Belarus  by Nancy Holden on JewishGen.org

Eastern Borderlands Places Government Administrative voivodeships

Steve's Genealogy blogs can also provide helpful information and understanding

1870 Historical Administrative Districts of Vilna, Grodno, Minsk and Nowogrudok 

Gubernia	Vilna  1870	Grodno 1870	Nowogrudok 1923	Minsk  1870
Powiats:	Disna	Bialystok	Baranovichi	Bobruysk
	Lida	Belsk	Lida	Borisov
	Oshmiany	Brest	Nesvizh	Igumen
	Sventsiany (Zavileisk)	Grodno	Nowogrudok	Minsk
	Troki	Kobrin	Slonim	Mozyr
	Vileika	Pruzhany	Stolbtsy	Nowogrudok
	Vilno	Slonim	Wolozyn	Pinsk
		Sokolka		Reshita
		Volkovysk		Slutsk

For Gmina/Town and Weis/Village information for each Gubernia click Uyzed (sic) Links for:

Grodno 

Minsk 

Nowogrudok 1923

Vilna 

1870 Maps of Gubernia

Grodno

Minsk

Vilna

Janenowak 00:38, 3 January 2015 (UTC)