Bracław Voivodeship

The Bracław Voivodeship (Latin: Palatinatus Braclaviensis; Polish: Województwo bracławskie; Ukrainian: Брацлавське воєводство, Braclavśke vojevodstvo) was a unit of administrative division of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Created in 1566 as part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, it was passed to the Kingdom of Poland in 1569 following the Union of Lublin. After Second Partition of Poland in 1793 the voivodeship was taken by the Russian Empire and replaced with the Bratslav Viceroyalty.

In 1648-57 the territory of voivodeship was a part of Cossack Hetmanate following the Khmelnytsky Uprising and Truce of Andrusovo, while in 1672-99 it became part of Ottoman Ukraine which was a vassal Ottoman Empire (see: Treaty of Buchach and Treaty of Karlowitz).

Together with the Podolian Voivodeship it formed the historical region of Podolia and part of a bigger Lesser Poland Province of the Kingdom of Poland.

Officially, the capital of the voivodeship was in Braclaw (today Bratslav), but local voivodes also resided in Winnica (Vinnytsia). It was divided into County of Braclaw and County of Winnica. The County of Braclaw itself was divided into two districts—Braclaw and Zwinogródek (some sources claim there was a separate County of Zwinogródek). In 1791, the Great Sejm also created Boh County (Polish: powiat nadbohski), but it was never created due to the Polish–Russian War of 1792. Braclaw Voivodeship had two senators—the Voivode and the Castellan of Braclaw. It also had six deputies to the Sejm—two from Braclaw County, two from Winnica County, and two from District of Zwinogródek. Local sejmiks took place in Winnica. Today the region belongs to Ukraine and Transnistria in Moldova.

Zygmunt Gloger in his monumental book Historical Geography of the Lands of Old Poland gives a detailed description of Braclaw Voivodeship:

Voivodeship Governor (Wojewoda) seat:

• Bracław (Bratslav)

Regional council (sejmik generalny) for all Ruthenian lands

• Sądowa Wisznia (Sudova Vyshnia)

Regional council (sejmik poselski i deputacki) seats:

• Winnica (Vinnytsia)

• Bracław County (Powiat bracławski), Bracław (Bratslav)
• Winnica County (Powiat winnicki), Winnica (Vinnytsia)
• Zwinogrodek District or Zwinogródek County (powiat zwinogrodzki),
• Boh County (powiat nadbohski), created in 1791,

• Roman Sanguszko (16th century)
• Aleksander Zasławski (1628–?)
• Stanisław "Rewera" Potocki (1631–1636)
• Adam Kisiel (1647–?)
• Andrzej Potocki (1662–?)
• Stanisław Lubomirski (1764–?)

• Podole Voivodeship
• Kijów Voivodeship
• Jedysan
• Moldavia

• Braclaw Voivodeship, description by Zygmunt Gloger
• Central European Superpower, Henryk Litwin, BUM Magazine, October 2016.

48°49′10″N 28°56′41″E / 48.819433°N 28.944850°E