Orenburg Governorate

Orenburg Governorate
Оренбургская губерния (Russian)
Governorate of the Russian Empire (1744–1917), Russian Republic, and RSFSR (1917–1928)
1744–1928
Coat of arms

Location in the Russian Empire
Capital
Area 
 
189,727.4 km2 (73,254.2 sq mi)
Population 
 (1897)
1,600,145
History 
 Established
15 March 1744
 Disestablished
14 May 1928
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Ufa Viceroyalty
Ufa Governorate
Orenburg Krai
Middle Volga Oblast

Orenburg Governorate (Russian: Оренбургская губерния, romanized: Orenburgskaya guberniya) was an administrative-territorial unit (Governorate) of the Russian Empire. Its capital in 1797–1802 and 1865–1928 was Orenburg, and Ufa in 1802–1865.

The governorate was created in 1744 from the lands annexed from Siberian and Astrakhan Governorates. In 1782, the governorate, along with Chelyabinsky Uyezd of Perm Viceroyalty were transformed into Ufa Viceroyalty, which was divided into Ufa and Orenburg Oblasts. In 1796, Ufa Viceroyalty was renamed Orenburg Governorate, and in 1865 it was split in two—a smaller Orenburg Governorate, and Ufa Governorate.

In 1919, Chelyabinsk Governorate was split off from Orenburg Governorate, and in 1928 the governorate was merged into a newly created Middle Volga Oblast.