Tobolsk Governorate

Its total area as of 1913 was . According to data at the end of the 19th century, the area of the Governorate was divided into 10 uezds (until 1898, okrugs). == History ==

18th century In official documents of the second half of the 18th century, the name Tobolsk Governorate is often used as a designation for Siberia Governorate in the last stage of its existence (1764–1782). On 19 January (30 January) 1782, Tobolsk Governorate was formed by decree of the Empress of Russia Catherine II as part of the Tobolsk Viceroyalty with two oblasts: Tobolsk Oblast (included ten uezds) and Tomsk Oblast (six uezds), which became part of the Governorate-General. On 12 December 1796, the Tobolsk Governorate was formed by Emperor Paul I's Decree to the Senate "On the new division of the State into the Governorates". Kolyvan Oblast was annexed to Tobolsk Governorate. , became part of the Siberian General Governorate by decree of Emperor Alexander I. In 1822, the Siberian General Governorate was divided into the West Siberian General Governorate and East Siberian General Governorate. Tobolsk Governorate became part of the West Siberian General Governorate, which existed until 1882. On 26 February (9 March) 1804, part of the territory of the Tobolsk Governorate was allocated to the Tomsk Governorate. As part of the Tobolsk Governorate nine uezds remained: Beryozovsky Uezd, Ishimsky Uezd, Kurgansky Uezd, Omsky Uezd, Tarsky Uezd, Tobolsky Uezd, Turinsky Uezd, Tyumensky Uezd and Yalutorovsky Uezd. In 1822, the Omsk Uezd and other territories were transferred to the Omsk Oblast (until 1838); the uezds of the Tobolsk Governorate were renamed okrugs, and the new Tyukalinsky Okrug was formed (which remained until 1838). On 1 February (10 February), 1918, the First Extraordinary Session of the Tobolsk Governorate Zemstvo Assembly approved the separation of Kalachinsky Uezd from Tyukalinsky Uezd; Tarsky Uezd and Tyukalinsky Uezd moved to the Omsk Oblast. Kurgan Uezd remained an independent governorate, proclaimed Tyumen Governorate with Ishimsky Uezd, Yalutorovsky Uezd, Tyumensky Uezd and Turinsky Uezd. Soviet power was established by the spring of 1918. By a decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee dated 6 October 1919, Turin Uezd was returned to the Tobolsk Governorate. From October 1919 to April 1920 the governorate was called either Tobolsk or Tyumen; the renaming of Tobolsk Governorate to Tyumen Governorate was finally fixed by the decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee of 21 April (2 March), 1920. == Coat of arms of the Tobolsk Governorate ==

The coat of arms of the Tobolsk Governorate was approved on 5 July 1878: "In the golden shield there is a scarlet ataman's mace, on which is Yermak's black shield, round, decorated with precious stones, between two scarlet banners with black shafts and points from a spear placed obliquely across. The shield is surmounted by the Imperial crown and surrounded by golden oak leaves connected by St. Andrew's ribbon." ==Subdivisions==

The Tobolsk area long served the Tsars as a place of exile for dissidents and suspects. From its founding in 1796, the Tobolsk Governorate operated as a destination for convicts, including for the Decembrists. The religious composition of the population in 1897 was dominated by the Orthodox with 89.0%. 5.1% were Old Believers and "devoids of Orthodoxy;" 4.5% were Muslims. The percentage of literacy was 11.3% (men 17.7%, women 5.0%) == Economics ==

In the southern and central regions, agriculture played the main role in the economy. Animal husbandry developed (including deer breeding in the north of the Tobolsk province), and butter-making was common. In the northern and central regions of the Tobolsk Governorate, hunting, fishing, collecting pine nuts (predominant among inorodtsy), woodworking, etc. were important. Permanent traffic was opened along the Yekaterinburg–Tura (Tyumen) railway line (1885), as well as the Chelyabinsk–Omsk–Novonikolaevsk stretch (1896) of the Trans-Siberian Railway. ==References==