COUNTY AND PROVINCIAL AUTHORITIES OF THE AZOV AND NOVOROSSIIA GOVERNORATES IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF COLONIAL POLICY (mid. 1770s – 1783)

Abstract

The article examines the formation, structure, and specific features of the functioning of county (uyezd) and provincial administrative authorities of the Azov and Novorossiia governorates in the territory of the former Zaporizhian Liberties from the mid. 1770s to 1783. It analyzes the process of introducing the imperial administrative-territorial system after the destruction of the Zaporizhian Sich and the role of county and provincial authorities in implementing the colonial policy of the Russian Empire in Steppe Ukraine. Particular attention is paid to the activities of land commissioners, county and provincial chancelleries, as well as the institution of the chief commander of the Zaporizhian lands. It is demonstrated that the county level became the key arena of interaction between the new administration and the local Zaporizhian population, which was often accompanied by conflicts and resistance to administrative innovations. The article highlights personnel, financial, and organizational problems that complicated the functioning of the local administrative apparatus, including a shortage of officials, lack of funding, and the mismatch between the region’s socio-economic conditions and the requirements of empire-wide reforms. The specific competences of county and provincial institutions in the spheres of policing, fiscal administration, and judicial governance, as well as control over the movement and resettlement of the Zaporizhian population, are clarified. The study concludes that the county- provincial administrative system in the Azov and Novorossiia governorates was simplified and temporary in nature and was primarily aimed at eliminating the Zaporizhian administrative legacy, establishing imperial control, and preparing the region for the introduction of the viceroyalty system in 1783.