Administrative Division

Categories / City Administration/Administrative-territorial Division
ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISION, division of the city into separate parts (districts) governed by their own administrative organs subordinated to the city administration. The first division of the city into administrative districts was carried out in 1737, when the Commission On Construction of St. Petersburg set up 5 police districts: Admiralteiskaya, Vasilievskaya, Peterburgskaya, Liteinaya and Moskovskaya (see Police Districts). In 1782 their number was increased to 10, and in 1858 - to 12. From 1798 the districts were united in police departments (their number in 1798-1917 increased from 2 to 6). By the beginning of 1917 there were 12 police districts and 7 suburban districts subordinated to the city governor. In February 1917 police districts were transformed into 18 administrative districts governed by the District Dumas (hence the name "Duma Districts" often appearing in literature). At the same time on the basis of so-called party districts the 15 present-day districts were created (they were headed by Soviets of Workers’ Deputies), not always coinciding with Duma districts in territory. After October 1917 present-day districts were used for Administrative division. In 1919 a number of districts was reduced to 10, in 1922 - to 6: Vasileostrovsky, Petrogradsky, Vyborgsky, Volodarsky (before 1920 - Nevsky), Moskovsko-Narvsky, and Central-Municipal. In December 1931 Leningrad, Kronstadt and Prigorodny district were separated from Leningrad Region and formed an independent administrative unit. In 1936 the number of city districts increased to 15. At that time Kolpinsky, Detskoselsky (since 1937 Pushkinsky) and Peterhofsky (since 1944 Petrodvortsovy) Districts were separated from Prigorodny District and corresponding district Soviets were created. In 1946 the town of Sestroretsk and Kurortny District of Leningrad Region were subordinated to the Leningrad City Soviet. The latter was comprised of territories annexed by the USSR immediately after the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-40. In 1953 Pavlovsky District of Leningrad Region was abolished, and the town of Pavlovsk was subordinated to the Leningrad City Soviet. In 1954 Pargolovsky district of Leningrad Region was abolished, and villages of Pargolovo and Levashovo were subordinated to Vyborgsky District Soviet. In 1959 Pavlovsk was transfered to the jurisdiction of Pushkinsky District Soviet, and Sestroretsky District was formed instead of Kurortny District. In October 1964 the Executive Committee of the Leningrad City Soviet adopted a decree "On Census of Settlements" which rearranged the system of territorial and administrative division of Leningrad, in particular, the structure and status of residential areas subordinated to District Soviets. In January 1963, the decree of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Rebublic was published, entitled “On Extending the City Border of the City of Leningrad", according to which a part of the territory of Vsevolozhsky and Lomonosovsky districts of Leningrad Region were transferred to the jurisdiction of the city. In 1973 Krasnoselsky district of Leningrad was formed, which included the town of Krasnoe Selo and villages Gorelovo, Mozhaisky and Toriki. Krasnogvardeisky District was formed of a part of the territory of Nevsky District and Kalininsky District. In 1978, the town of Lomonosov and a part of the territory of Lomonosovsky District were transferred to the jurisdiction of Petrodvortsovy District Soviet. The town of Lomonosov continued to remain the central district of Leningrad Region. By 1994, there were 16 city districts, 4 suburban districts (Pushkinsky, Kolpinsky, Petrodvortsovy and Kurortny), and 4 towns subordinated to the administration of St. Petersburg (Kronstadt, Lomonosov, Pavlovsk, and Zelenogorsk). In 1994 central districts were merged into larger units: Smolninsky, Dzerzhinsky and Kuibyshevsky districts were united in the Central District, and Oktyabrsky and Leninsky districts were united in Admiralteisky District. In 1997, Lomonosovsky, Kronshtadtsky and Pavlovsksky districts were set up. In 1996, 111 municipal areas were formed on the territory of St. Petersburg, which were subordinated to the organs of local self-government. By July 1, 2002, St. Petersburg had 20 administrative districts. Their outer boundaries form the border of the subject of the Federation – City of St. Petersburg. Territorial bodies of administrations within city districts are included in the structure of St. Petersburg administration.

Reference: Ленинград: Ист.-геогр. атлас. 2-е изд. М., 1989; Топонимическая энциклопедия Санкт-Петербурга. СПб., 2002.

Е. А. Bondarchuk. Куйбышевский район
Красногвардейский район
Смольный район
Павловский район
Ломоносовский район
Петроградский район
Адмиралтейский район
Ленинский район
Октябрьский район
Литейная часть
Московская часть
Адмиралтейская часть
Васильевская часть
Петербургская часть
Василеостровский район
Выборгский район
Центральный район
Володарский район
Колпинский район
Пушкинский район
Петродворцовый район
Курортный район
Сестрорецкий район
Красносельский район
Дзержинский район
Ленинград: Ист.-геогр. атлас. 2-е изд. М., 1989
Топонимическая энциклопедия Санкт-Петербурга. СПб., 2002 Commission for St. Petersburg Construction
Police Units
1994
1996
1997