Little Russia Governorate (1796–1802)

The Little Russia Governorate (Russian: Малороссiйская Губернiя) or Government of Malorossiya was an administrative-territorial unit (guberniya) of the Russian Empire that encompassed most of the modern North Eastern Ukraine (one of the historical definitions of Little Russia hence the name), and the adjacent regions in Russia.

The Governorate was formed in 1796 under the administrative reforms of Paul I which abolished the Namestnichestvo (viceroyalty) system, which in turn replaced the regimental administration of the Ukrainian Hetmanate in 1781. This placed the Kiev Viceroyalty (excluding the city of Kiev itself), Novgorod-Seversky Viceroyalty and Chernigov Viceroyalty under the new unit. The administrative centre was the city of Chernigov (modern Chernihiv).

However the extensive area which the new unit covered was too great for effective administration, and in February 1802 the Governorate was split into Chernigov Governorate and Poltava Governorate.