Volost
Encyclopedia
Volost was a traditional administrative subdivision in Eastern Europe
.
In earlier East Slavic history, volost was a name for the territory ruled by the knyaz
, a principality; either as an absolute ruler or with varying degree of autonomy from the Velikiy Knyaz (Grand Prince
). Starting from the end of the 14th century, volost was a unit of administrative division in Grand Duchy of Lithuania
, Poland
, Muscovy, lands of modern Latvia and Ukraine. Since about the 16th century it was a part of provincial district
s, that were called "uyezd
" in Muscovy and later Russian Empire
. Each uyezd had several volosts that were subordinated to the uyezd city.
After the abolition of Russian serfdom
in 1861, volost became a unit of peasant
's local self-rule. A number of mirs are united into a volost, which has an assembly consisting of elected delegates from the mirs. These elect an elder (starshina
) and, hitherto, a court of Justice
(volostnoy sud). The self-government of the mirs and volosts was, however, tempered by the authority of the police commissaries (stanovoi) and by the power of general oversight given to the nominated "district committees for the affairs of the peasants".
Volosts were abolished by the Soviet
administrative reform of 1923–1929. Raion
s may be roughly called a modern equivalent of both volosts and uyezds.
In modern Russia, subdivision into volosts is used in the Republic of Karelia
, where volosts have the same status as raion
s, and in Leningrad
, Pskov
, Samara
, and Tula Oblast
s, where volosts are considered subdivisions of raions and have the same status as selsovets in other Russian federal subjects
.
), chiefs of villages (village starosta
s) and other officials electable by the Volost Assembly (волостной сход, volostnoy skhod).
Volost Court was the court
electable by the Volost Assembly, which could handle smaller civil and criminal cases. It could sentence people to corporal punishment
, fine
or short-term incarceration
.
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
.
In earlier East Slavic history, volost was a name for the territory ruled by the knyaz
Knyaz
Kniaz, knyaz or knez is a Slavic title found in most Slavic languages, denoting a royal nobility rank. It is usually translated into English as either Prince or less commonly as Duke....
, a principality; either as an absolute ruler or with varying degree of autonomy from the Velikiy Knyaz (Grand Prince
Grand Prince
The title grand prince or great prince ranked in honour below emperor and tsar and above a sovereign prince .Grand duke is the usual and established, though not literal, translation of these terms in English and Romance languages, which do not normally use separate words for a "prince" who reigns...
). Starting from the end of the 14th century, volost was a unit of administrative division in Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state from the 12th /13th century until 1569 and then as a constituent part of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1791 when Constitution of May 3, 1791 abolished it in favor of unitary state. It was founded by the Lithuanians, one of the polytheistic...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Muscovy, lands of modern Latvia and Ukraine. Since about the 16th century it was a part of provincial district
District
Districts are a type of administrative division, in some countries managed by a local government. They vary greatly in size, spanning entire regions or counties, several municipalities, or subdivisions of municipalities.-Austria:...
s, that were called "uyezd
Uyezd
Uyezd or uezd was an administrative subdivision of Rus', Muscovy, Russian Empire, and the early Russian SFSR which was in use from the 13th century. Uyezds for most of the history in Russia were a secondary-level of administrative division...
" in Muscovy and later Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
. Each uyezd had several volosts that were subordinated to the uyezd city.
After the abolition of Russian serfdom
Russian serfdom
The origins of serfdom in Russia are traced to Kievan Rus in the 11th century. Legal documents of the epoch, such as Russkaya Pravda, distinguished several degrees of feudal dependency of peasants, the term for an unfree peasant in the Russian Empire, krepostnoi krestyanin , is translated as serf.-...
in 1861, volost became a unit of peasant
Peasant
A peasant is an agricultural worker who generally tend to be poor and homeless-Etymology:The word is derived from 15th century French païsant meaning one from the pays, or countryside, ultimately from the Latin pagus, or outlying administrative district.- Position in society :Peasants typically...
's local self-rule. A number of mirs are united into a volost, which has an assembly consisting of elected delegates from the mirs. These elect an elder (starshina
Starshina
Starshina, or Starshyna , initially was a Cossacks officership, but in Soviet times was used as the top non-commissioned officer.Among Cossacks and in Ukraine, starshina was a collective noun for categories of officership or a military elite: junior starshina , general starshina , military...
) and, hitherto, a court of Justice
Court of Justice
Court of Justice may refer to:*Caribbean Court of Justice*Court of Justice of the European Union*International Court of Justice*Court of Justice *Ontario Court of Justice...
(volostnoy sud). The self-government of the mirs and volosts was, however, tempered by the authority of the police commissaries (stanovoi) and by the power of general oversight given to the nominated "district committees for the affairs of the peasants".
Volosts were abolished by the Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
administrative reform of 1923–1929. Raion
Raion
A raion is a type of administrative unit of several post-Soviet countries. The term, which is from French rayon 'honeycomb, department,' describes both a type of a subnational entity and a division of a city, and is commonly translated in English as "district"...
s may be roughly called a modern equivalent of both volosts and uyezds.
In modern Russia, subdivision into volosts is used in the Republic of Karelia
Republic of Karelia
The Republic of Karelia is a federal subject of Russia .-Geography:The republic is located in the northwestern part of Russia, taking intervening position between the basins of White and Baltic seas...
, where volosts have the same status as raion
Raion
A raion is a type of administrative unit of several post-Soviet countries. The term, which is from French rayon 'honeycomb, department,' describes both a type of a subnational entity and a division of a city, and is commonly translated in English as "district"...
s, and in Leningrad
Leningrad Oblast
Leningrad Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . It was established on August 1, 1927, although it was not until 1946 that the oblast's borders had been mostly settled in their present position...
, Pskov
Pskov Oblast
Pskov Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Pskov Oblast borders the countries of Estonia and Latvia, as well as Belarus. It is the westernmost federal subject of contiguous Russia . Its major cities are the administrative center Pskov and Velikiye Luki . Area: 55,300 km²...
, Samara
Samara Oblast
Samara Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Samara. Population: In 1936–1990, it was known as Kuybyshev Oblast , after the Soviet name of Samara .-Demographics:Population:...
, and Tula Oblast
Tula Oblast
Tula Oblast is a federal subject of Russia with its present borders formed on September 26, 1937. Its administrative center is the city of Tula. The oblast has an area of and a population of 1,553,874...
s, where volosts are considered subdivisions of raions and have the same status as selsovets in other Russian federal subjects
Federal subjects of Russia
Russia is a federation which, since March 1, 2008, consists of 83 federal subjects . In 1993, when the Constitution was adopted, there were 89 federal subjects listed...
.
Administration
Volost was governed by volost administration (волостное правление, volostnoye pravleniye), which consisted of the electable chief of volost (volostnoy starshinaStarshina
Starshina, or Starshyna , initially was a Cossacks officership, but in Soviet times was used as the top non-commissioned officer.Among Cossacks and in Ukraine, starshina was a collective noun for categories of officership or a military elite: junior starshina , general starshina , military...
), chiefs of villages (village starosta
Starosta
Starost is a title for an official or unofficial position of leadership that has been used in various contexts through most of Slavic history. It can be translated as "elder"...
s) and other officials electable by the Volost Assembly (волостной сход, volostnoy skhod).
Volost Court was the court
Court
A court is a form of tribunal, often a governmental institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance with the rule of law...
electable by the Volost Assembly, which could handle smaller civil and criminal cases. It could sentence people to corporal punishment
Corporal punishment
Corporal punishment is a form of physical punishment that involves the deliberate infliction of pain as retribution for an offence, or for the purpose of disciplining or reforming a wrongdoer, or to deter attitudes or behaviour deemed unacceptable...
, fine
Fine
A fine is money paid usually to superior authority, usually governmental authority, as punishment for a crime or other offence. The amount of a fine can be determined case by case, but it is often announced in advance....
or short-term incarceration
Incarceration
Incarceration is the detention of a person in prison, typically as punishment for a crime .People are most commonly incarcerated upon suspicion or conviction of committing a crime, and different jurisdictions have differing laws governing the function of incarceration within a larger system of...
.
See also
- Veps National VolostVeps National VolostVeps National Volost was a municipal autonomy of North Vepses in Prionezhsky District of the Republic of Karelia, Russia. The autonomy was established on January 20, 1994, and it was discontinued in 2004. Its territorial centre was the village of Shyoltozero. Volost's population was 3,166 in...
within Republic of KareliaRepublic of KareliaThe Republic of Karelia is a federal subject of Russia .-Geography:The republic is located in the northwestern part of Russia, taking intervening position between the basins of White and Baltic seas...
, Russia