# Tiflis Governorate

Tiflis Governorate was a province (guberniya) of the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire with its administrative centre in Tiflis (present-day Tbilisi). In 1897, it constituted 44,607 square kilometres (17,223 sq mi) in area and had a population of 1,051,032 inhabitants. Tiflis Governorate bordered Elizavetpol Governorate to the southeast, Erivan Governorate to the south, Kars Oblast to the southwest, Batum Oblast to the west, Kutaisi Governorate to the northwest, Terek Oblast to the north, Dagestan Oblast to the northeast, and after 1905, the Zakatal Okrug to the east. The governorate covered areas of central and southeastern Georgia, the partially recognised state of South Ossetia, most of the Lori Province of Armenia, small parts of northwestern Azerbaijan, and a minuscule southern part of Ingushetia of Russia.

## History

Tiflis Governorate was established in 1846 along with the Kutaisi Governorate, after the dissolution of the Georgia-Imeretia Governorate. It was initially formed from uezds of Tiflis, Gori, Telavi, Signakh, Elizavetpol, Erivan, Nakhichevan and Alexandropol and the okrugs of Zakatal, Ossetian and Tushino-Pshavo-Khevsurian. In 1849, uezds of Erivan, Nakhichevan and Alexandropol were attached to Erivan Governorate. In 1859, the Ossetian Okrug became part of Gori district and Tushino-Pshavo-Khevsurian Okrug was renamed to Tionety Okrug. In 1867, the northern part of Tiflis uezd was separated into the Dusheti uezd, while Akhaltsikhe uezd which was created after ceding from Ottoman Empire to Russian Empire in 1829, was detached from Kutaisi Governorate and part of Tiflis one. In 1868 Elizavetpol uezd (in the same decree, the Kazakh uezd was formed from it) became a part of the Elizavetpol Governorate. In 1874, the southern part of Akhaltsikhe uezd became the Akhalkalaki uezd, and the Tionety okrug was elevated to an uezd. Finally, the southern part of Tiflis uezd was detached to become the Borchaly uezd.
The Tiflis Governorate lasted within these boundaries for some 50 years until the Russian Revolution and subsequent founding of the Democratic Republic of Georgia in 1918. The governorate and its counties were soon abolished after its incorporation into the Soviet Union and reorganised into the raions (counties) of the Georgian SSR by 1930.

## Administrative divisions

The counties (uezds) of the Tiflis Governorate in 1917 were as follows:
| Name | Administrative centre | Administrative centre | Administrative centre | Population | Population | Area |
| Name | | 1897 | 1916 | 1897 | 1916 | Area |
| Akhalkalaki uezd (Ахалкалакскій уѣздъ) | Akhalkalaki | 5,440 | 7,055 | 72,709 | 107,173 | 2,407.00 square versts (2,739.32 km$^2$; 1,057.66 sq mi) |
| Akhaltsikhe uezd (Ахалцихскій уѣздъ) | Akhaltsikhe | 15,357 | 25,470 | 68,837 | 96,947 | 2,331.88 square versts (2,653.82 km$^2$; 1,024.65 sq mi) |
| Borchaly uezd (Борчалинскій уѣздъ) | Shulavery (Shaumiani) | 4,553 | --- | 128,587 | 169,351 | 6,046.96 square versts (6,881.82 km$^2$; 2,657.08 sq mi) |
| Gori uezd (Горійскій уѣздъ) | Gori | 10,269 | 18,454 | 191,091 | 241,016 | 6,007.56 square versts (6,836.98 km$^2$; 2,639.77 sq mi) |
| Dusheti uezd (Душетскій уѣздъ) | Dushet (Dusheti) | 2,566 | --- | 67,719 | 66,430 | 3,411.80 square versts (3,882.84 km$^2$; 1,499.17 sq mi) |
| Signakh uezd (Сигнахскій уѣздъ) | Signakh (Signagi) | 8,994 | 17,662 | 102,313 | 153,864 | 5,291.79 square versts (6,022.39 km$^2$; 2,325.26 sq mi) |
| Telavi uezd (Телавскій уѣздъ) | Telav (Telavi) | 13,929 | --- | 66,767 | 67,955 | 2,162.91 square versts (2,461.53 km$^2$; 950.40 sq mi) |
| Tiflis uezd (Тифлисскій уѣздъ) | Tiflis (Tbilisi) | 159,590 | 346,766 | 234,632 | 521,222 | 4,004.08 square versts (4,556.89 km$^2$; 1,759.43 sq mi) |
| Tionety uezd (Тіонетскій уѣздъ) | Tioneti (Tianeti) | 1,089 | --- | 34,153 | 49,350 | 4,250.06 square versts (4,836.83 km$^2$; 1,867.51 sq mi) |
| Zakatal okrug (Закатальскій округъ) | Zakataly (Zaqatala) | 3,009 | 4,505 | 84,224 | | 3,502.24 square versts (3,985.77 km$^2$; 1,538.91 sq mi) |

## Demographics
### Russian Empire Census

According to the Russian Empire Census, the Tiflis Governorate had a population of 1,051,032 on 28 January [O.S. 15 January] 1897, including 575,447 men and 475,585 women. The plurality of the population indicated Georgian to be their mother tongue, with significant Armenian, Tatar, Russian, and Ossetian speaking minorities.
Linguistic composition of the Tiflis Governorate in 1897 :
| Language | Native speakers | % |
| Georgian | 465,537 | 44.29 |
| Armenian | 196,189 | 18.67 |
| Tatar | 107,383 | 10.22 |
| Russian | 79,082 | 7.52 |
| Ossetian | 67,268 | 6.40 |
| Avar-Andean | 34,130 | 3.25 |
| Greek | 27,118 | 2.58 |
| Turkish | 24,722 | 2.35 |
| German | 8,340 | 0.79 |
| Dargin | 7,565 | 0.72 |
| Ukrainian | 6,443 | 0.61 |
| Polish | 6,282 | 0.60 |
| Jewish | 5,188 | 0.49 |
| Kurdish | 2,538 | 0.24 |
| Chechen | 2,207 | 0.21 |
| Persian | 1,991 | 0.19 |
| Assyrian | 1,570 | 0.15 |
| Imeretian | 1,546 | 0.15 |
| Lithuanian | 1,263 | 0.12 |
| Kyurin | 1,149 | 0.11 |
| Mingrelian | 498 | 0.05 |
| French | 356 | 0.03 |
| Kist | 296 | 0.03 |
| Italian | 259 | 0.02 |
| Belarusian | 247 | 0.02 |
| Czech | 229 | 0.02 |
| Romanian | 198 | 0.02 |
| Kazi-Kumukh | 197 | 0.02 |
| Talysh | 152 | 0.01 |
| Chuvash | 148 | 0.01 |
| Latvian | 123 | 0.01 |
| Other | 818 | 0.08 |
| TOTAL | 1,051,032 | 100.00 |
Religious composition of the Tiflis Governorate in 1897 :
| Faith | Male | Female | Both | Both |
| Faith | Male | Female | Number | % |
| Eastern Orthodox | 319,930 | 264,891 | 584,821 | 55.64 |
| Armenian Apostolic | 113,399 | 96,762 | 210,161 | 20.00 |
| Muslim | 104,500 | 84,528 | 189,028 | 17.98 |
| Armenian Catholic | 10,363 | 9,853 | 20,216 | 1.92 |
| Old Believer | 8,156 | 8,053 | 16,209 | 1.54 |
| Roman Catholic | 8,630 | 2,914 | 11,544 | 1.10 |
| Judaism | 5,642 | 4,068 | 9,710 | 0.92 |
| Lutheran | 4,221 | 4,257 | 8,478 | 0.81 |
| Baptist | 142 | 122 | 264 | 0.03 |
| Reformed | 44 | 31 | 75 | 0.01 |
| Karaite | 10 | 5 | 15 | 0.00 |
| Anglican | 2 | 7 | 9 | 0.00 |
| Buddhist | 3 | 2 | 5 | 0.00 |
| Mennonite | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0.00 |
| Other Christian denomination | 183 | 10 | 193 | 0.02 |
| Other non-Christian denomination | 220 | 79 | 299 | 0.03 |
| TOTAL | 575,447 | 475,585 | 1,051,032 | 100.00 |
Linguistic composition of uezds in the Tiflis Governorate in 1897
| Uezd | Georgian | Georgian | Armenian | Armenian | Tatar and Turkish | Tatar and Turkish | Russian | Russian | Ossetian | Ossetian | TOTAL |
| Uezd | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | TOTAL |
| Akhalkalaki | 6,448 | 8.87 | 52,539 | 72.26 | 6,868 | 9.45 | 5,155 | 7.09 | 4 | 0.01 | 72,709 |
| Akhaltsikhe | 12,211 | 17.74 | 15,144 | 22.00 | 36,507 | 53.03 | 1,743 | 2.53 | 14 | 0.02 | 68,837 |
| Borchaly | 7,840 | 6.1 | 47,423 | 36.88 | 37,904 | 29.48 | 8,089 | 6.29 | 628 | 0.49 | 128,587 |
| Gori | 124,180 | 64.98 | 7,686 | 4.02 | 470 | 0.25 | 5,281 | 2.76 | 50,036 | 26.18 | 191,091 |
| Dusheti | 49,690 | 73.38 | 1,680 | 2.48 | 405 | 0.6 | 980 | 1.45 | 14,523 | 21.45 | 67,719 |
| Signakh | 84,827 | 82.91 | 6,392 | 6.25 | 5,272 | 5.15 | 4,413 | 4.31 | 30 | 0.03 | 102,313 |
| Telavi | 57,357 | 85.91 | 4,754 | 7.12 | 1,878 | 2.81 | 694 | 1.04 | 88 | 0.13 | 66,767 |
| Tiflis | 80,293 | 34.22 | 57,933 | 24.69 | 12,835 | 5.47 | 51,775 | 22.07 | 1,712 | 0.73 | 234,632 |
| Tionety | 30,302 | 88.72 | 538 | 1.58 | 13 | 0.04 | 637 | 1.87 | 227 | 0.66 | 34,153 |
| Zakatal | 12,389 | 14.71 | 2,100 | 2.49 | 28,953 | 34.38 | 315 | 0.37 | 6 | 0.01 | 84,224 |
| TOTAL | 465,537 | 44.29 | 196,189 | 18.67 | 132,105 | 12.57 | 79,082 | 7.52 | 67,268 | 6.40 | 1,051,032 |

### Kavkazskiy kalendar

According to the 1917 publication of Kavkazskiy kalendar, the Tiflis Governorate had a population of 1,473,308 on 14 January [O.S. 1 January] 1916, including 780,010 men and 693,298 women, 1,255,176 of whom were the permanent population, and 218,132 were temporary residents:
| Nationality | Urban | Urban | Rural | Rural | TOTAL | TOTAL |
| Nationality | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % |
| Georgians | 62,627 | 14.64 | 580,009 | 55.47 | 642,636 | 43.62 |
| Armenians | 197,916 | 46.28 | 213,831 | 20.45 | 411,747 | 27.95 |
| Russians | 94,885 | 22.19 | 57,924 | 5.54 | 152,809 | 10.37 |
| Sunni Muslims | 6,353 | 1.49 | 61,164 | 5.85 | 67,517 | 4.58 |
| Asiatic Christians | 19,560 | 4.57 | 36,410 | 3.48 | 55,970 | 3.80 |
| North Caucasians | 2,714 | 0.63 | 45,037 | 4.31 | 47,751 | 3.24 |
| Shia Muslims | 9,434 | 2.21 | 29,548 | 2.83 | 38,982 | 2.65 |
| Other Europeans | 12,058 | 2.82 | 12,845 | 1.23 | 24,903 | 1.69 |
| Jews | 14,296 | 3.34 | 4,948 | 0.47 | 19,244 | 1.31 |
| Kurds | 2,279 | 0.53 | 3,653 | 0.35 | 5,932 | 0.40 |
| Yazidis | 4,697 | 1.10 | 0 | 0.00 | 4,697 | 0.32 |
| Roma | 851 | 0.20 | 269 | 0.03 | 1,120 | 0.08 |
| TOTAL | 427,670 | 100.00 | 1,045,638 | 100.00 | 1,473,308 | 100.00 |

## Governors

The administration tasks in the governorate were executed by a governor. Sometimes, a military governor was appointed as well. The governors of Tiflis Governorate were
* 1847–1849 Sergei Nikolayevich Yermolov, governor;
* 1849–1855 Ivan Malkhazovich Andronnikov (Andronikashvili), military governor;
* 1855–1857 Nikolay Yevgenyevich Lukash, military governor;
* 1858–1860 Alexander Khristianovich Kapger, military governor;
* 1860–1876 Konstantin Ivanovich Orlovsky, governor;
* 1876–1878 Maximilian von der Osten-Sacken, governor;
* 1878–1883 Konstantin Dmitriyevich Gagarin, governor;
* 1883–1887 Alexander Ignatyevich Grosman, governor;
* 1887–1889 Karl Leo Sissermann, governor;
* 1889–1897 Georgy Dmitriyevich Shervashidze (Giorgi Shervashidze), governor;
* 1897–1899 Fyodor Alexandrovich Bykov, governor;
* 1899–1905 Ivan Nikolayevich Svechin, governor;
* 1905–1907 Paul Bernhard Demetrius Rausch von Traubenberg, governor;
* 1907–1911 Mikhail Alexandrovich Lyubich-Yarmolovich-Lozina-Lozinsky, governor;
* 1911–1914 Andrei Gavrilovich Chernyavsky, governor;
* 1914–1916 Ivan Mikhaylovich Strakhovsky, governor;
* 1916–1917 Alexander Nikolayevich Mandrika, acting governor.