Uezd

Uezd was a territorial-administrative division in the Grand Duchy of Moscow, the Russian Empire, and the early Soviet Union. The term "uezd" is derived from the Old East Slavic word "уѣздъ" (uezdŭ), meaning "outskirts" or "region." Initially, uezds were areas of land surrounding a central city or town, which served as its administrative center. Over time, their administrative significance grew, and they evolved into a key component of Russia's provincial structure.

During the Russian Empire, uezds were subdivisions of larger governorates (guberniya). They varied significantly in size and population, reflecting the diverse geography and demographic distribution of the empire. The administrative head of an uezd was typically an official appointed by the central government, responsible for local governance, taxation, and law enforcement. Local assemblies and courts also existed within the uezd system.

The uezd system underwent several reforms throughout Russian history, most notably under Catherine the Great and Alexander I. Following the October Revolution, the Soviet government initially retained the uezd as an administrative unit. However, in the 1920s, the Soviet Union began a process of administrative reorganization that led to the gradual abolition of uezds and their replacement with a system based on oblasts and okrugs. The last uezds were dissolved by the mid-1930s.