The oldest known population of the Tambov region, the
Mordovians-
Moksha, formed as a nation of local ethnic groups from the 6th century BC. The first Russian settlers arrived in the
pre-Mongol period, but the final settlement occurred in the 17th century. To protect the southern borders of Russia from the raids of the Tatars, and to further develop the
Black Soil region, the Russian government built the walled cities of
Kozlov (1635) and
Tambov (1636). The cities protected the main path of nomad raids on Russian land and paved the way for a quick settlement of the region.
Kozlovsky Uyezd originally existed in the Tambov area. In the course of the administrative reforms of Peter the Great in 1708 and 1719, it became part of
Azov Governorate. New administrative divisions established the
Tambov Viceroyalty in 1779 and from 1796
Tambov Governorate, with an area of 66.5 thousand km2 divided into 12
uyezds. With almost no change to its boundaries, the Governorate remained in existence until 1928. An attempt to establish Soviet control over the Tambov area led to the defeat and execution of "Red Sonya" (Sofia Nukhimovna Gel'berg) in the spring of 1918. During the
Russian Civil War, an anti-Bolshevik uprising, the
Tambov Rebellion, broke out in Tambov Governorate in 1920–1921. Tambov Oblast was finally created from the
Voronezh and
Samara Oblasts on September 27, 1937. The oblast attained its present form after the separation of
Penza Oblast (formerly part of Kuybyshev before joining Tambov) on February 4, 1939. ==Administrative divisions==