Minsk Voivodeship

Minsk Voivodeship (Belarusian: Менскае ваяводзтва, romanized: Menskaje vajavodztva; Polish: Województwo mińskie; Lithuanian: Minsko vaivadija; Latin: Palatinatus Minscensis) was a unit of administrative division and local government in Grand Duchy of Lithuania since 1566[1] and later in Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, until the partitions of the Commonwealth in 1793.

Centred on the city of Minsk and subordinate to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the region continued the traditions – and shared the borders – of several previously existing units of administrative division, notably a separate Duchy of Minsk, annexed by Lithuania in the 13th century.

All voivodeships played an important role within the Polish political system, extended to Lithuania by the Polish–Lithuanian unions.

Since 1599, the Tribunal of Lithuania did also held sessions in Minsk (every three years, other cities it visited were Vilnius and Navahrudak).

The court held there served the role of the highest juridical authority for all of Ruthenian voivodeships, that is Minsk, Nowogródek, Vitebsk, Mstislav and Kiev.

Map showing Mińsk Voivodeship of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth .