Little Russia Governorate (1796–1802)

Little Russia Governorate or Malorossiya Governorate was an administrative-territorial unit (guberniya) of the Russian Empire that encompassed most of modern-day northeastern Ukraine, then given the historical designation of Little Russia, and adjacent regions in Russia.

The Governorate was formed in 1796 under the administrative reforms of Paul I which abolished the viceroyalty (namestnichestvo) system, which in turn replaced the regimental administration of the Cossack Hetmanate in 1781. This placed the Kiev Viceroyalty (excluding the city of Kiev itself), Novgorod-Seversky Viceroyalty and Chernigov Viceroyalty under the new unit. The administrative centre was the city of Chernigov (Chernihiv).

However, the extensive area which the new unit covered was too great for effective administration, and in February 1802 the Governorate was split into Chernigov Governorate and Poltava Governorate.