{{Short description|Voivodeship of Lithuania (1413–1795)}} {{about|a voivodeship in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth|the 20th-century voivodeship|Wilno Voivodeship (1923–1939)}} {{Infobox Former Subdivision | native_name = {{langx|lt|Vilniaus vaivadija}}<br />{{langx|pl|Województwo wileńskie}} | conventional_long_name = Vilnius Voivodeship | common_name = Vilnius | subdivision = Voivodeship | nation = [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania]] (part of the federative [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]] since 1569) | year_start = 1413 | event_start = [[Union of Horodło]] | date_start = | event_end = [[Third partition of Poland|Third partition of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]] | date_end = | year_end = 1795 | event1 = | event1_date = | p1 = Duchy of Lithuania | flag_p1 = COA_of_Gediminaičiai_dynasty_Lithuania.svg | border_p1 = no | s1 = Vilna Governorate | flag_s1 = Coat of arms of Vilna Governorate 1878.svg | border_s1 = no | image_flag = | flag_border = no | image_coat = Recueil d'armoiries polonaises COA of Vilnius Voivodeship.png | image_map = Vilnius Voivodeship within Lithuania in the 17th century.png | image_map_caption = Vilnius Voivodeship in red. Voivodeship's borders did not change since the [[Union of Lublin]]. | image_map2 = RON województwo wileńskie map.svg | image_map2_caption = Vilnius Voivodeship in the [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]] | capital = Vilnius | stat_area1 = 44200 | political_subdiv = [[counties]] (aka. pavietas, [[powiat]]): five | today = [[Lithuania]]<br />[[Belarus]]<br />[[Latvia]]¹ | footnotes = ¹ Small portion around [[Aknīste]] }} {{One source|date=February 2022}}
The '''Vilnius Voivodeship''' ({{langx|la|Palatinatus Vilnensis}}, {{langx|lt|Vilniaus vaivadija}}, {{langx|pl|województwo wileńskie}}, {{langx|be|Віленскае ваяводства}}) was one of the [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania]]'s voivodeships, which existed from the voivodeship's creation in 1413 to the [[Third Partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth|destruction of the Lithuanian state in 1795]].{{Sfn|Gudavičius|2022}} This voivodeship was Lithuania's largest, most politically and economically important.{{Sfn|Gudavičius|2022}}
== History == {{main|History of Vilnius}} <gallery class="center" widths="130" heights="140" caption="Coat of arms of the Vilnius Voivodeship"> File:Armorial Lyncenich - dlant vonder wille.jpg|The Voivodeship's coat of arms in 1430s, depicted in the ''Armorial Lyncenich'' File:Recueil d'armoiries polonaises COA of Vilnius Voivodeship.png|The Voivodeship's coat of arms in 1555 File:CoA Vilnius Palatinate (Chatelain, 1712).png|As depicted in 1712 File:Vilnia, Pahonia. Вільня, Пагоня (1720) (2).jpg|As depicted in 1720 File:CoA Vilnius Palatinate (Starzyński, 1875).png|As depicted in 1875 </gallery>
=== 1413-1566 === The Vilnius Voivodeship was created instead of the Vilnius Viceroyalty ({{Langx|lt|Vilniaus vietininkija|links=no}}) during the [[Pact of Horodlo|Pact of Horodło]] in 1413.{{Sfn|Gudavičius|2022}}
The core of the Vilnius Voivodeship was the Vilnius County, which was composed of the Vilnius Bailiwick ({{Langx|lt|Vilniaus tijūnija|links=no}}), which was composed of the manors of [[Vilnius]], [[Nemenčinė]], [[Švenčionys]], [[Dysna (village)|Dysna]] and other places, in addition to almost all of Lithuania on both side of [[Neris]].{{Sfn|Gudavičius|2022}} Also included was the Breslauja Viceroyalty ({{Langx|lt|Breslaujos vietininkija|links=no}}), [[Svir, Belarus|Svir]], the lands of the dukes [[Giedraičiai (family)|Giedraičiai]] and the counties of the so-called [[Lithuanian Rus']], which included [[Maladzyechna]], {{Interlanguage link|Hajna, Lahoysk|lt=Hajna|be|Гайна (аграгарадок)}}, [[Minsk]], [[Barysaw]], [[Rechytsa]], {{Ill|Svisloch (town)|lt=Svisloch|be|Свіслач_(горад)}}, [[Propoysk]]‑[[Chachersk]].{{Sfn|Gudavičius|2022}} In the Upper Dnieper, the Vilnius Voivodeship had half of the {{Interlanguage link|Horval|be|Горваль}}, {{Ill|Liubushany|be|Любушаны}} and [[Babruysk]] parishes, whose remaining part belonged to the [[Trakai Voivodeship]].{{Sfn|Gudavičius|2022}} From [[Vitebsk]]'s lands, the Vilnius Voivodeship received [[Mogilev]], which belonged to the [[Grand Duchess of Lithuania]], {{Interlanguage link|Knyazhytsi|be|Княжыцы (Магілёўскі раён)}}, {{Interlanguage link|Tyatseryn|be|Цяцерын}} and {{Interlanguage link|Aboltsi|be|Абольцы (Талачынскі раён)}}.{{Sfn|Gudavičius|2022}} Moreover, the Principalities of [[Principality of Alšėnai|Alšėnai]], {{Interlanguage link|Principality of Kletsk|lt=Kletsk|be|Клецкае княства}}, {{Interlanguage link|Principality of Naugardukas|lt=Novogrudok|be|Навагрудскае княства}}, [[Principality of Slutsk|Slutsk]], [[Principality of Trobos|Trobos]] and [[Principality of Izyaslavl|Izyaslavl]] were part of the Vilnius Voivodeship.{{Sfn|Gudavičius|2022}} Novogrudok became a separate [[Naugardukas Voivodeship (1507–1795)|Voivodeship]] in 1507.{{Sfn|Gudavičius|2022}}
The Vilnius Voivodeship was the location of many large estates.{{Sfn|Gudavičius|2022}} These were centred on the following places and owned by those families: [[Goštautai]] owned [[Hieraniony]], the [[Radziwiłł family|Radziwiłłs]] had [[Nyasvizh]] and [[Dubingiai]], [[Zaberezinskiai]] had Zaberezinas, while the [[Astikai]] had [[Vyžuonos]].{{Sfn|Gudavičius|2022}}
=== 1566-1795 === In 1566, during the administrative and judicial reforms of 1564–66, Vilnius Voivodeship was divided into the counties of {{Interlanguage link|Vilnius County (1566–1795)|lt=Vilnius|lt|Vilniaus pavietas}}, {{Interlanguage link|Ashmyany County (1566–1795)|lt=Ashmyany|be|Ашмянскі павет (Вялікае Княства Літоўскае)}}, {{Interlanguage link|Braslaw County (1566–1795)|lt=Braslaw|be|Браслаўскі павет (Вялікае Княства Літоўскае)}}, {{Interlanguage link|Lida County (1566–1795)|lt=Lida|be|Лідскі павет (Вялікае Княства Літоўскае)}} (assigned from [[Trakai Voivodeship]]), {{Interlanguage link|Vilkmergė County (1566–1795)|lt=Vilkmergė|lt|Vilkmergės pavietas}}.{{Sfn|Gudavičius|2022}} Simultaneously, Vitebsk' lands, the Upper Dnieper, most of the Lithuanian Rus', the Principalities of Kletsk and Sluck were separated from the Vilnius Voivodeship.{{Sfn|Gudavičius|2022}}
== Aftermath ==
=== 19th century === After the [[partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]], the Vilnius Voivodeship was occupied by the [[Russian Empire]].{{Sfn|Gudavičius|2022}} Most of the territory became the [[Vilna Governorate]]. In 1843, its northern part was assigned to [[Kovno Governorate]].
=== 20th century === After [[World War I]], the lands of the former Vilnius Voivodeship were fought over by the [[Lithuanian Army]], [[Republic of Central Lithuania|Central Lithuania]] with its [[Army of Central Lithuania|Army]], the [[Polish Army]], and the [[Red Army]]. Following the annexation of Central Lithuania by Poland, during the [[Interwar period|Interwar]], most of the former Voivodeship ended up under the [[Second Polish Republic]] while the rest was ruled by Lithuanians. According to the [[Soviet–Lithuanian Peace Treaty]] in 1920, most of the former voivodeship should have been part of Lithuania. After World War II, the occupying Soviet Union assigned most of the voivodeship's territory that was previously under Polish rule to the [[Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic]].
== Geography and administrative division == [[File:Vilnia. Вільня (XVII).jpg|thumb|[[Wilno]], capital of the voivodeship, in the 17th century]] Geographically the area was centred on the city of [[Vilnius]], which had always been the capital of the entity and the seat of a [[voivode]]. However, the actual territory of the voivodeship varied over time. Together with the [[Trakai Voivodeship]] it was known as [[Lithuania proper]]. Until the [[Partitions of Poland|partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]] the voivodeship, also known as a palatinate, was composed of five [[counties]] (Lithuanian: plural - ''pavietai'', singular - ''pavietas''):
* {{Interlanguage link|Vilnius County (1566–1795)|lt=Vilnius County|lt|Vilniaus pavietas}} * {{Interlanguage link|Ashmyany County (1566–1795)|lt=Ashmyany County|be|Ашмянскі павет (Вялікае Княства Літоўскае)}} * {{Interlanguage link|Braslaw County (1566–1795)|lt=Braslaw County|be|Браслаўскі павет (Вялікае Княства Літоўскае)}} * {{Interlanguage link|Lida County (1566–1795)|lt=Lida County|be|Лідскі павет (Вялікае Княства Літоўскае)}} * {{Interlanguage link|Vilkmergė County (1566–1795)|lt=Vilkmergė County|lt|Vilkmergės pavietas}}
== Voivodes == {{main|Voivode of Vilnius}} The Voivode of Vilnius was ranked first in importance among the secular members of the [[Lithuanian Council of Lords]].{{Sfn|Gudavičius|2022}} In the voivode hierarchy of Poland–Lithuania, established by the [[Union of Lublin]] in 1569, the Voivode of Vilnius, who was also a senator of the [[Sejm of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth|Polish–Lithuanian Sejm]], took the fourth place and the [[Castellan of Vilnius]] - the sixth place.{{Sfn|Gudavičius|2022}}
== See also == * [[Administrative divisions of Lithuania]]
==References== {{Reflist}}
== Sources ==
* {{Cite book |last=Gudavičius |first=Edvardas |title=Lietuvos istorija |year=1999 |isbn=9-986-39-111-3 |volume=1 - Nuo seniausių laikų iki 1569 metų |location=Vilnius |language=lt}}
* {{Cite web|last=Gudavičius|first=Edvardas|date=2022|title=Vilniaus vaivadija|url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/vilniaus-vaivadija/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220224180511/https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/vilniaus-vaivadija/|archive-date=24 February 2022|website=[[Vle.lt]]|language=lt}} {{Voivodeships of Lithuania}} {{Administrative division of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth}}
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[[Category:Vilnius Voivodeship| ]] [[Category:Voivodeships of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania]] [[Category:Voivodeships of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]] [[Category:1413 establishments in Europe]] [[Category:15th-century establishments in Lithuania]] [[Category:1795 disestablishments in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]]